FO build & stock 33 with ocellaris pair.

[cherubfish pair]

Okay my first question to you all is if I can use my well water since there won't be any corals.

TDS 200ppm

I have Salifert nitrate and phosphate test kits on the way but I think there won't be a problem with these in my well water--just going to check to be sure.

 

[cherubfish pair]

Would it be okay to add the clown pair together in the tank or wait a while before adding the second?

I plan to get them in the 1.5 to 2 inch range.

 

[ocellaris123]

You can add the pair together as long as the tank is fully cycled.

 

[SkullV]

I wouldn't mess with the well water until you can test it for a whole lot more then nitrate and phosphate. There are all sorts of heavy metals and other chemicals that can affect the clowns. These are all generally taken out at the water treatment plant.

If I were you I would run some sort of filter in a 5g bucket of your well water with a polyfilter and see if the filter changes colors. If it does you can tell exactly what is in your water and whether or not it is safe to use. You can also send it out for laboratory testing.

 

[cherubfish pair]

As far as heavy metals I don't know, we've been drinking the water for 31 years without problems.

I kept a clown in this water for several years although I occasionally used Culligan drinking water as well.

 

[cherubfish pair]

I wouldn't mess with the well water until you can test it for a whole lot more then nitrate and phosphate.

Nitrate: undetectable
Phosphate: undetectable

 

[cherubfish pair]

You can add the pair together as long as the tank is fully cycled.

Should I add them before or after a pair of Bangaii cardinals?

 

[ocellaris123]

Probably after since that bangaiis would be the more docile of the two species

 

[anothermineral]

You can buy a relatively inexpensive water test kit from HD or Lowes (under $25) that will test for several things including bacteria, iron, copper, chlorine, pesticides, hardness, ph, etc... I would recommend this in general just to get a current baseline on your well. I've tested mine twice in the last 5 years and the levels have remained consistent.

As to 200TDS in a FO tank, assuming the above tests are at acceptable levels, it's possible, however, you also need to factor in how often you'll be doing water changes, the stocking of the tank, skimmer, filtration, etc...

An alternate solution I've been using for the last year to save a little cash on my FO tank is to only run RO water instead of RO/DI water.

 

[cherubfish pair]

Probably after since that bangaiis would be the more docile of the two species

Why the more docile first?

 

[cherubfish pair]

An alternate solution I've been using for the last year to save a little cash on my FO tank is to only run RO water instead of RO/DI water. ~anothermineral

I have been using Culligan 5 gallon water bottles but they're expensive and I have to pack them up two flights of stairs. When I'm on business trips it will be a pain to find someone who will do that for me. I will be installing an rodi but not soon, so I use the well water temporarily..

 

[cherubfish pair]

I call this a stock and build thread although most of my tank build is finished. I will be adding a closed loop and biopellet tumbler and that's the last of the big projects on the tank.

 

[MelloW33]

Why the more docile first?

You typically add the more docile pair first so that they can get established and comfortable in the tank.

That said....you could add both at the same time and be just fine. Neither of the pairs should be aggressive to the other.

 

[cherubfish pair]

If I do get a bta after the tank is well established, what is the proper rock placement? I would like to have three islands in my four foot tank.

 

[cherubfish pair]

Some more build pictures.

 

[cherubfish pair]

Okay I've been building a closed loop while the tank has been drained and I'm almost done with stage one. I have the fittings all glued and clamped to the bulkhead. Just got to screw the nut on and the CLS inlet will be in place. Then the protection cover over the bulkhead has to be glued in. After testing for leaks I'll fill the tank and get ready for fish the last week in April.

 

[cherubfish pair]

Here's the CLS inlet cover I mentioned in the post above. It's actually a corner overflow I had in a 10 gallon tank that was torn down. The teeth will let water in but keep fish and anemones out.

Here's the Ocean's Motions wavemaker. It's a OM 4-way Squirt but I'm going to mod it into a 2-way. The bottom pic is the external pump for the OM, a Iwaki 20RLT.