Newbie Corner Feedback Thread

Okay, if you don't live near the beach, don't have a friend who lives near the beach, then how can I get the right type of sand to seed mine? I have a few friends who have tanks and there is always the LFS. Are these suitable alternatives?
And
Where can I get the little critters like small stars, cukes, etc that are needed to keep my bed in good shape?
Thanks
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14159724#post14159724 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnglishRebel
Okay, if you don't live near the beach, don't have a friend who lives near the beach, then how can I get the right type of sand to seed mine? I have a few friends who have tanks and there is always the LFS. Are these suitable alternatives?
And
Where can I get the little critters like small stars, cukes, etc that are needed to keep my bed in good shape?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Its not like you have to have the sand/mud from the ocean to be successful--many beds are kept functional by transfering sand from an existing tank or refugium.

Next time you or someone goes to the ocean just have them bring back a pop bottle of live sand and that should do your tank for a year.
 
Ok... 1st post, have read and trying to truly understand all of the initial steps as outlined by the waterkeeper, have a few questions to say the least.

Long story short I've got a 110x with 50 breeder as a refugium. Being a true "newbie", I've put a lot of faith (and money) into my LFS. They helped with my initial setup, etc. I'm roughly $3K deep sitting with 110 lbs of well cured fiji live rock, 60 lbs of base rock, on 6" of substrate consisting of well washed crushed coral in layers with aragonite and ocean live sand. (didn't understand exactly why layered, but 6" deep... not to become anaerobic?) I'm hoping their are a few different schools of thought, as I discovered your articles two and a half weeks into cycling. The process I've been using consisted of the live rock and live sand, supplemented with Marc Weiss bacter vital daily for the first two weeks, and coral vital three times a week. We used RedSea salt with RO/DI water. I've been running lights; 250 hqi 6 hours, 2 T5 420nm and 4 T5 460 nm 8 hours daily. Refugium is empty, not running reverse cycle lighting yet, but plan to add plants cleaning crew asap. I have an overflow box feeding into the refugium, over baffle through filters to my skimmer and the sump w/pump and will house auto top off. The return pump I have is overkill, but working well. I have two Koralia 4 powerheads in display. Heater is in the display also.

Do you see any critical problems with the steps I've been instructed to take?


The water tests seem to be showing that water parameters are falling into spec quite nicely now, with ammonia at zero and nitrite levels beginning to drop. Alkalinity is in spec, pH has been good from go, have refractometer, obviously have RO/DI, but am topping with buckets not auto yet.

Another question is in respect to Auto Top off systems. I do not have one at this point, but am looking to purchase one within a couple weeks. Do you have any recommendations?

Also, calcium reactor is not yet in the budget as I've more than blown my proverbial "wad" and have no animals in the tank to date. How much of a difference would I see with a reactor?





I know I posted a lot... Thanks for your consideration. Any ideas or thoughts are greatly appreciated.


B. Nelson
 
Hi Mr. Nelson
[welcome]

With the exception of the crushed coral in the DSB, the setup sounds fine to me. At this point you are much too far into the initial start-up so pulling out the crushed coral would be way too much of a task. I'd just stick with it.

With funds running out I'd stop adding any bacteria additives or supplements other than pH and alkalinity additives. They are really not needed. The money saved can purchase salt mix for water changes. I'd be doing 10-15% each week.

You don't have any corals to consume calcium at this point, so you can hold off on the calcium reactor for awhile. I'd just make up your topoff water the night before and add a couple of spoonfuls of pickling lime. It provides calcium and alkalinity without the cost of a reactor. You only need a about 2-3 gallons of topoff water each day, so the bucket method works fine. Mix the lime water solution each night and let it settle. Next day use the supernatant to do the topoff. Until you have heavy growths of coral it should supply what your tank needs. Look around our DIY forums for auto topoffs you can build or, as I do, just use the old bucket to replenish your tank's water.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14211576#post14211576 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yetiman5150
Another question is in respect to Auto Top off systems. I do not have one at this point, but am looking to purchase one within a couple weeks. Do you have any recommendations?
B. Nelson
Click to expand...

A lot of people (including me) use a float switch

FLOATSWITCH.jpg


However as good as these float switches are, they are prone to sticking especially with salt. I'm investigating a proximity sensor that uses no moving parts. I'm working with a friend who owns a controls integration company on this and will post a thread in the DIY forum in the next few weeks.
My ATO is gravity fed but there are also auto tops using pumps. The key with any ATO is to ensure that if something goes wrong with the "automatic" side of things (Mr. Murphy has a habit of making a visit at the most inappropriate time :p ) you will not dump too much RO water into your water column and lower the salinity. My ATO tank holds 14 gallons

AUTOTOPOFFSTORAGETANK.jpg


and I have a total water column of 240 gallons. I DO NOT leave my RO unit connected to the ATO tank -- I open a valve when I need to fill it up. This way if the "automatic" function fails I will not be continuously feeding RO water into my system.


BTW WaterKeeper
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

WELCOME BACK WE MISSED YOU :lol:
 
Thank you for the good info. I was considering product offerings at Autotopoff.com and the kent marine non-electrical float switches... I'm for any solutions and processes that don't merely include throwing more money at it. It's not really a problem, but how necessary is it? I mean, I can't wait to spend money on creatures... but am being patient.

Am I to assume that crushed coral is merely a filler? Is it an additive to merely take up volume in a deep sand bed rather than using more pure ocean sand or aragonite?

Thanks for the information.

B. Nelson
 
Other questions I have;

In regards to live rock: The rock I added to my tank I believe was quite well cycled, as I had picked out a lot of pieces three months in advance of setup. I had fairly considerable die-off when I put it in my tank and got up and going. (die off? a lot turned white, but never began to smell, , etc?) I am wondering what caused this (different water parameters, different lighting conditions, transport (less than 20 min in car although cold), etc.

I'm a full three weeks into cycling and parameters of the water are within specifications. Some of the rock, however, seems to still be white and there is no new coralline growth. (covered with green algae which I understand to be normal) I am to assume from what I've read that bacteria has built up as ammonia and nitrite are at zero and the nitrification cycle is working... but it would seem to me that I am a way from adding inverts to the tank or putting refugium plant in. I have my first water change of 35 gallons planned for tomorrow evening.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks again,

Brett R. Nelson
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14232533#post14232533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yetiman5150
I'm a full three weeks into cycling and parameters of the water are within specifications. Some of the rock, however, seems to still be white and there is no new coralline growth.
Click to expand...
Some of my almost cured LR has a growth of a white film. I believe it's a form of bacteria. I used a turkey baster to blow it off. it seems to have disappeared after three or four treatments.
 
Its probably more of a fungus then a bacteria---you are doing the right thing--blast away with that turkey baster--especially in this critical stage of cycling.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14232533#post14232533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yetiman5150
Other questions I have;

In regards to live rock: The rock I added to my tank I believe was quite well cycled, as I had picked out a lot of pieces three months in advance of setup. I had fairly considerable die-off when I put it in my tank and got up and going. (die off? a lot turned white, but never began to smell, , etc?) I am wondering what caused this (different water parameters, different lighting conditions, transport (less than 20 min in car although cold), etc.

I'm a full three weeks into cycling and parameters of the water are within specifications. Some of the rock, however, seems to still be white and there is no new coralline growth. (covered with green algae which I understand to be normal) I am to assume from what I've read that bacteria has built up as ammonia and nitrite are at zero and the nitrification cycle is working... but it would seem to me that I am a way from adding inverts to the tank or putting refugium plant in. I have my first water change of 35 gallons planned for tomorrow evening.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks again,

Brett R. Nelson
Click to expand...

If your ammonia and nitrate readings are zero then I would not worry about doing a water change just yet---no need. Also there are a lot of other biological cycles establishing themselves at this time
IMO wait one more week and then start adding your cleanup crew.
 
I've started reading this along with many other threads on RC about a month ago and i must say i'm glad i started here=). The knowledge and experienced shared from everyone both seasoned and new here is just astounding. Truly to be do well in this hobby requires vast amounts of information along with the trial and error experiences. This website really helps when trying to get the "Big Picture." I'm still currently setting up my 90 gallon and I'd like to to it right the first time. I realize i will make mistakes but the more i read and comprehend the less mistakes i will make. Thanks so very much!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14260833#post14260833 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by XBlade
I've started reading this along with many other threads on RC about a month ago and i must say i'm glad i started here=). The knowledge and experienced shared from everyone both seasoned and new here is just astounding. Truly to be do well in this hobby requires vast amounts of information along with the trial and error experiences. This website really helps when trying to get the "Big Picture." I'm still currently setting up my 90 gallon and I'd like to to it right the first time. I realize i will make mistakes but the more i read and comprehend the less mistakes i will make. Thanks so very much!
Click to expand...


---and the slower you proceed the less chance you will have for error;)
 
hi all..i started up a 24g nano cube dlx on christmas. i am getting a lot of brown algae growing on the aragonite and i was wondering how i can eliminate it. also what can i do to keep nitates low?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14303353#post14303353 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mtkfish
hi all..i started up a 24g nano cube dlx on christmas. i am getting a lot of brown algae growing on the aragonite and i was wondering how i can eliminate it. also what can i do to keep nitates low?
Click to expand...

the brown algae= nitrates and visa versa;)

what are you nitrate readings?

ways of reducing nitrates:
1.5 lbs of live rock per gal--36 lbs in your case
flow rate of 20-40 times the tank volume
regular 30 per cent water changes
a refugium with a deep sand bed and or cheato macro algae
reduce the amt of feeding
rinse all frozen foods before using.
 
my nitrates are around 20 ppm. what should i do about the filteration in the back 3 chambers..many people say that the sponges are nitrate factories.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14303772#post14303772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mtkfish
my nitrates are around 20 ppm. what should i do about the filteration in the back 3 chambers..many people say that the sponges are nitrate factories.
Click to expand...

agreed--remove the sponges and just run a bag of carbon in there.
Change the carbon every 2-3 weeks.
 
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