Newbie Build : 55gal mixed reef
- Thread starter MurphysLaw
- Start date
MurphysLaw
New member
15 gals? Dr. Pepper?
15 gals? Dr. Pepper?
Not much to update, I am still waiting on my VidaRock... Tomorrow will be exactly 4 weeks from when I submitted my custom build form and they quoted me 3-4 weeks. Maybe I am impatient or excited but I will probably e-mail them tomorrow either way to find out ***.
Anyway, I have my Dr. Tims One and only Bacteria chillin in the fridge waiting for that rock it will be covering... I got some small things going on with the setup like installing doors on my stand (will post pictures soon) and some strainers for my overflows.
I also got two 15gal food grade barrels from CL yesterday. They previously contained Dr. Pepper. They seem to have only been used once as they are very clean but do smell like Dr. Pepper. I will definitely be rinsing them thoroughly with RO/DI water to try and soak up any remnants. My question is do I have anything to worry about using these for my RO/DI water?
Thanks
15 gals? Dr. Pepper?
Not much to update, I am still waiting on my VidaRock... Tomorrow will be exactly 4 weeks from when I submitted my custom build form and they quoted me 3-4 weeks. Maybe I am impatient or excited but I will probably e-mail them tomorrow either way to find out ***.
Anyway, I have my Dr. Tims One and only Bacteria chillin in the fridge waiting for that rock it will be covering... I got some small things going on with the setup like installing doors on my stand (will post pictures soon) and some strainers for my overflows.
I also got two 15gal food grade barrels from CL yesterday. They previously contained Dr. Pepper. They seem to have only been used once as they are very clean but do smell like Dr. Pepper. I will definitely be rinsing them thoroughly with RO/DI water to try and soak up any remnants. My question is do I have anything to worry about using these for my RO/DI water?
Thanks
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MurphysLaw
New member
New pics/power outlet help
New pics/power outlet help
So here are some pics of some small projects completed while I am still waiting on my VidaRock...
Also, I got a cool powerstrip from TrippLite that has 7 outlets and each has individual on/off switches for each outlet (helpful for not having a controller). I plugged it into the wall (both regular outlet as well as GFI) and it immediately pops the circuit breaker. Is this something I don't know about or did I just get a faulty surge protector/powerstrip? It was $25!! One of the prongs is black and charred...
The surge protector/power strip is in the pics.
New pics/power outlet help
So here are some pics of some small projects completed while I am still waiting on my VidaRock...
Also, I got a cool powerstrip from TrippLite that has 7 outlets and each has individual on/off switches for each outlet (helpful for not having a controller). I plugged it into the wall (both regular outlet as well as GFI) and it immediately pops the circuit breaker. Is this something I don't know about or did I just get a faulty surge protector/powerstrip? It was $25!! One of the prongs is black and charred...
The surge protector/power strip is in the pics.
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MurphysLaw
New member
MurphysLaw
New member
Thanks. It took 5 weeks going on 6 by the time it shows up at the door... I spend lots of time imagining my tank covered in coral goodness. I am trying to be patient :/
evo_2679
New member
So I am anxiously waiting for my rock to arrive. Here is the picture that Aqua-tecture sent me for my final approval on my custom order. It looks awesome. It is 4 pieces. Hopefully it will be here sometime next week and I can get my system up finally!
Wow - looks good !!!
MurphysLaw
New member
evo_2679-Thanks. Also, thank you for the idea. I was first introduced to VidaRock on your build thread. Awesome looking stuff. Do you have any coral in your tank yet?
evo_2679
New member
Dangerwill
New member
those rocks are super cool, and the white stand looks clean and classy.
MurphysLaw
New member
Thanks but it doesn't come close to the awesome stand you built that I think you recently sold... It doesn't look as good in person either, its just 2x4's with doors slapped on. I am pleased with it though and of course the focus will ideally be inside the tank soon.
MurphysLaw
New member
Update: Finally Wet!
Update: Finally Wet!
Ok, so I finally got my rock and it is in the tank along with the sand(both rinsed). The cloudiness has subsided, The temp is sitting @ 77.7 degrees, and I am very slowly raising the salinity. I last read 1.022 before adding 2 cups of I.O. Reef Crystals.
I am not running my skimmer until after I seed the system with bacteria.
In a couple of hours I am going to toss in the Dr. Tim's nitrifying bacteria and some ammonium chloride and start testing my ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites to monitor the progress of the bacteria. I hope to be able to add ammonia and have it read back down to 0ppm within 24hr of it being added. At that point I will be adding the first two fish, a pair of Occellaris Clowns from GQ.
Now I understand why everyone says "Sorry for the crap iPhone pics" because it is impossible to do the tank justice for how much better they look in person.
Update: Finally Wet!
Ok, so I finally got my rock and it is in the tank along with the sand(both rinsed). The cloudiness has subsided, The temp is sitting @ 77.7 degrees, and I am very slowly raising the salinity. I last read 1.022 before adding 2 cups of I.O. Reef Crystals.
I am not running my skimmer until after I seed the system with bacteria.
In a couple of hours I am going to toss in the Dr. Tim's nitrifying bacteria and some ammonium chloride and start testing my ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites to monitor the progress of the bacteria. I hope to be able to add ammonia and have it read back down to 0ppm within 24hr of it being added. At that point I will be adding the first two fish, a pair of Occellaris Clowns from GQ.
Now I understand why everyone says "Sorry for the crap iPhone pics" because it is impossible to do the tank justice for how much better they look in person.
MurphysLaw
New member
Thanks Dave. I am happy, so far only minor issues.
MurphysLaw
New member
First Livestock!!
First Livestock!!
Very excited to say my cycle is completed after 23 days using Dr. Tims bacteria and Microbacter 7.
I am currently acclimating 2 Occellaris Clowns, My first livestock! Feeling pretty nervous. Did the 15min float for temp acclimation and now I have them in a bucket with a 2-3 drop/sec drip. Lights off.
Thanks GQ Fish! These brightly colored little guys come from a breeder up in PHX.
Next I will be getting the equipment for a QT tank for all future fish.
Crappy iPhone pic...
First Livestock!!
Very excited to say my cycle is completed after 23 days using Dr. Tims bacteria and Microbacter 7.
I am currently acclimating 2 Occellaris Clowns, My first livestock! Feeling pretty nervous. Did the 15min float for temp acclimation and now I have them in a bucket with a 2-3 drop/sec drip. Lights off.
Thanks GQ Fish! These brightly colored little guys come from a breeder up in PHX.
Next I will be getting the equipment for a QT tank for all future fish.
Crappy iPhone pic...
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MurphysLaw
New member
Duncanopsamia Axifuga : Aiptasia
Duncanopsamia Axifuga : Aiptasia
So I went in to get a cleaner shrimp. No cleaner shrimp... And after standing there staring and pondering for about 40min I took a leap and bought a sweet looking duncan frag! I know you are supposed to do all this slow stuff and well established tank etc etc. But I was thinking about my parameters and stability of my setup and I felt pretty good about it. So I went for it.
Got it home, 20min drip acclimation, 10min dip in 2LFs Revive, and in it went.
I scooted it around different areas of the sand bed to find a calm ish spot. While doing so I think I spotted an Aptasia Anemone on the bottom of the frag plug so I pried it off with tweezers so some slime and what not got into my water column. Am I going to see an outbreak of Aptasia?!?!
Anyway the Duncan was wide open and super happy looking after a couple hours. I have been easy on it with the lighting. 10hrs with only blue plus and purple plus on. I am going to start put the full light on for an hour tomorrow and see.
Duncanopsamia Axifuga : Aiptasia
So I went in to get a cleaner shrimp. No cleaner shrimp... And after standing there staring and pondering for about 40min I took a leap and bought a sweet looking duncan frag! I know you are supposed to do all this slow stuff and well established tank etc etc. But I was thinking about my parameters and stability of my setup and I felt pretty good about it. So I went for it.
Got it home, 20min drip acclimation, 10min dip in 2LFs Revive, and in it went.
I scooted it around different areas of the sand bed to find a calm ish spot. While doing so I think I spotted an Aptasia Anemone on the bottom of the frag plug so I pried it off with tweezers so some slime and what not got into my water column. Am I going to see an outbreak of Aptasia?!?!
Anyway the Duncan was wide open and super happy looking after a couple hours. I have been easy on it with the lighting. 10hrs with only blue plus and purple plus on. I am going to start put the full light on for an hour tomorrow and see.
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super_v13tnam
New member
The Duncan looks really nice! When I pulled aiptasia off corals I bought from local fish stores I didn't experience an outbreak so in that sense I think you will be ok. However I don't recommend Aiptasia X unless you are extremely careful on how you use it. One time I tried to remove an Aiptasia from my hammer colony and drop some solution on one of the heads. About a day or so that particular head developed brown jelly disease and I had to frag it to save the colony. Even though I lost a couple heads it was pretty neat watching the Aiptasia anemone implode when you drop solution on it.
MurphysLaw
New member
Thanks, an thanks for the insight. The LFS employee was also trying to sell me some Aiptasia Killing stuff and I haven't even seen any yet... He said that when they are under distress they release microscopic eggs into the water...I guess only time will tell now. I'm definitely not buying anything until I see evidence of Aiptaisa. Do products like TLFs Revive or Coral RX not do anything against Aiptasia or Nuisance Algaes?
