Help! --- I am frustrated!

[r_quale]

I am in the process of setting up a 40 Gallon Reef Tank. I guess I have a few lingering fears and questions being that I'm sort of new to this (even though I've done LOTS of research):

#1. I ordered "cured" Live Rock (Marshall Island) from Jeff's Exotic Fish, which looks great, but came with organic growth (i.e. plant-life, some worms, algae), attached. I pulled off as much as I could, but there is still some attached. It's been four days and I'm getting white, cobweby-looking spots on some pieces of the rock.... Should I be terrified?

#2. My PH seems to be holding at 7.56 (measured with Pinpoint)... Will it climb higher, as it's supposed to, as the tank matures? Should I be doing anything to make it go higher?

#3. (This is the big frustration) - I ordered a Captive Sun deluxe lighting system (two 95W VHO's - two Ushio 175W, 10,000k metal halides) and there is supposed to be a burn-in time when the bulbs might flicker and take longer to turn on... etc... So, when I get everything set up, they DO flicker and turn off... and I'm keeping them turned on, per the instructions, but I'm worried that the metal halide bulbs are not firing and might NOT fire... According to the Marine Depot website Frequently Asked Questions, I should leave them on for 8 hours a day, for four days, and they should fire eventually... But, again, I have this lingering feeling like they're just not going to fire...

HELP!!!!

 

[Pandora]

Hi rquale--Welcome to RC! (I'm sure someone will be along soon that will give you the official banner... I forgot how to do it!)

#1--I wouldn't worry too mcuh about this at this point... not terrified, at any rate. This is just bacterial/decay/sludge from the curing process. Take off as much dead material as you can (leave the live plants and worms, if any); some of it can be done with a siphon, or with a large turkey baster. Your tank is cycling anyway, and some of this will provide the fuel (ammonia).

#2--It's natural with the decay from the cured rock. You don't have anything live in there right now, right? You can buy a marine buffer (or even use some baking soda) if you are concerned you don't have enough buffering capacity in the water because of this. But usually it balances itself out over time as the decay ends.

#3--I'll let someone else field this one (I wonder if you have ballast issues, but this might be normal, too). In the meantime, try calling Marine Depot, they have a good cust service dept from what I recall.

Good luck!

 

[Runner]

Welcome to Reef Central. I hope I can help some...

#1: Sounds normal. Even if you remove all the dead things you can find, you will still get die-off and stuff rots and looks strange. It will work itself out eventually, but may take a month or so.

#2: Hmmm. Perhaps somebody can correct me if I am wrong, but if you are in the middle of cycling your tank all the ammonia and nitrites could be making the pH dip that low. You can change 10% of the water every few days if you are trying to save some life on the rock, but I would just let it go and change 10% of the water every 5~7 days. After the ammonia and nitrites are gone, you can do a big water change and you will be ready for snails and and perhaps a perhaps a fish.

#3: I don't know. I would have fired new Metal Halide bulbs for 24 hours straight in the garage before putting them over my tank. But the manufacturer should know what is best. It took my last set three or four tries every time they came on (with 2~4 minutes in between tries to cool down) for about two weeks before they just started coming on straight.

 

[r_quale]

Thanks guys! I feel better.

However, regarding the lights... I'm now thinking I might not have enough electrical capacity in my apartment...

...which would REALLY suck...

I guess I'll try putting the different ballasts in different plugs throughout my apartment...

 

[Runner]

Is this an apartment building or an apartment in somebody's house? If it is an apartment building, each apartment will have its own service and panel and you can check out your power usage by doing the following: turn off all lights and unplug or turn off anything drawing power from a receptacle not above the kitchen counter. Your lights draw almost 6 amps so you shouldn't have a problem unless all your tank equipment, the TV, the room lighting, and the computer are running on the same circuit. I prefer to have a seperate circuit for my lights and another for my tank equipment, anyway. But I know how to install those circuits myself and have three between my two tanks at home. Plus, I own my house and I don't have to ask the landlord if I can cut holes in his wall...

 

[r_quale]

Yes, it IS an apartment building, unfortunately... I am going to try and fanangle something this evening.

But, it's a studio apartment, so maybe the whole dang apartment is operating on one circuit...

Ugh....

Can you come to my apartment and install a install a new circuit?

LOL!!!

Thanks again!

 

[Alaskan Reefer]

[welcome]

Agree, only worry about #3 at this point.