BeltedCoyote’s reboot: the birth of the leviathan

[Nate Chalk]

I'll have a ton of pre seeded stuff as well as some ocean rock in the 120 system so I'm hoping the uglies will be reasonable lol

Mine are here , think the rock is leaching silicates all good , will turn purple eventually

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Mine are here , think the rock is leaching silicates all good , will turn purple eventually

Just part of the process. Kinda curious to see if any uglies will show up in the tub.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Just part of the process. Kinda curious to see if any uglies will show up in the tub.

Yep, new dry vs re used , buying re used from a lfs seems like a better bet.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Yep, new dry vs re used , buying re used from a lfs seems like a better bet.

Agreed. My seeded rock is among my most valuable possessions in my mind lol. If I didn't have any at this point I'd be trying to score se from a LFS or a buddy.

In fact, I'm planning on buying another 20 or 30lbs from a fellow reefer in the next few months.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

The rock is wet! And seeding the dry rock I had left over. Using a finnex heater and one of my maxspect jump returns.


Ended up making 25g of SW. Got it to exactly 1.025 first try.


As far as feeding the wee beasties, I dumped the contents from the bottom of what I brought the rocks home in. (Few little things in the water at the bottom....

And I got to thinking about more food for the microfauna. The Westcoast enabler mentioned skimmate. Well, I don't have a skimmer running yet, but I do have a HOB that desperately needs cleaning....

So I grabbed one of the media bags from said HOB and vigorously dunked and shook it in the rock tote.

I figure that oughta add some nutrients

This productive line of thought brought to you by synthetic cannabinoids!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I wonder if there's any wisdom in going through the live rock you just put in there with a turkey baster, and blowing the bejesus out of everything, with your filter turned off. Just let it get pushed around and settle everywhere. Hopefully effectively transferring starter bacteria quicker? I don't know if it works that way. I would probably try it just because I don't know if it did or didn't. Seeing how much gunk is in live rock is also a lot of fun though.. I'll turn the 180 into a mess real quick.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

This productive line of thought brought to you by synthetic cannabinoids!

Haha I'll take what I can get here

 

[BeltedCoyote]

I wonder if there's any wisdom in going through the live rock you just put in there with a turkey baster, and blowing the bejesus out of everything, with your filter turned off. Just let it get pushed around and settle everywhere. Hopefully effectively transferring starter bacteria quicker? I don't know if it works that way. I would probably try it just because I don't know if it did or didn't. Seeing how much gunk is in live rock is also a lot of fun though.. I'll turn the 180 into a mess real quick.

I was actually thinking about doing something similar here soon. Now that I have my rodi up and running I need to do some maintenance on the 53. Figure I'd do a repeat of the media bag process with the second bag. Also planing on putting some or all of a 5g of changed water in the tub.
And either your idea with the rock or just leaving one in there for a bit.

I figure between the kp bacteria and the built up diversity from Fishguy's system I should be pretty well set

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I was actually thinking about doing something similar here soon. Now that I have my rodi up and running I need to do some maintenance on the 53. Figure I'd do a repeat of the media bag process with the second bag. Also planing on putting some or all of a 5g of changed water in the tub.
And either your idea with the rock or just leaving one in there for a bit.

I figure between the kp bacteria and the built up diversity from Fishguy's system I should be pretty well set

You will need to be changing water in the tub also. Water change water out of the tank, into the tub. No ghost feeding needed.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

You will need to be changing water in the tub also. Water change water out of the tank, into the tub. No ghost feeding needed.

How frequent would you say the tub should be changed? Once a week?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

How frequent would you say the tub should be changed? Once a week?

Same as a normal tank. 10%/week. I do go more aggressive to keep the alk up in my cooker. Lazy dosing...

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Same as a normal tank. 10%/week. I do go more aggressive to keep the alk up in my cooker. Lazy dosing...

Gotcha. Since I'm too lazy to try and measure out 2.5 gallons...I'll just do 5g a week.

 

[Goaway]

I wonder if there's any wisdom in going through the live rock you just put in there with a turkey baster, and blowing the bejesus out of everything, with your filter turned off. Just let it get pushed around and settle everywhere. Hopefully effectively transferring starter bacteria quicker? I don't know if it works that way. I would probably try it just because I don't know if it did or didn't. Seeing how much gunk is in live rock is also a lot of fun though.. I'll turn the 180 into a mess real quick.

Actually, an old idea was to take a scrubber and scrub a nice healthy rock and let the debris fall onto new rock. This was an idea of many years ago. I can't recall if it was bob fenner or someone else who said it.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Just had an idea I'd like to try at some point. For the sake of science and because I stay at home now.

I think it would be really interesting (as well as a great learning experience for me) to try and track the differences between a dry vs live start with between two different tanks started at the same time with the same equipment and stocking.

This would primarily be for data collection and documentation.

And if I did do this it would be with small or nano tanks.

Idk. Just an idea I had while stepping outside with the dogs

 

[BeltedCoyote]

First water change with homemade SW.

I am a bit embarrassed by the state of the 53, as I have let it go a bit. Oh well, I did plan on using it to feed the bacteria tub.
No pictures of the 43 as it's still in post wc Flux. But here's the water in the tub. Nice and dirty for the wee buggers. Seems taking the two media bags out of the 53's HOB and shaking them out in front of the tubs pump outlet did the trick

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

First water change with homemade SW.

I am a bit embarrassed by the state of the 53, as I have let it go a bit. Oh well, I did plan on using it to feed the bacteria tub.
No pictures of the 43 as it's still in post wc Flux. But here's the water in the tub. Nice and dirty for the wee buggers. Seems taking the two media bags out of the 53's HOB and shaking them out in front of the tubs pump outlet did the trick

Ooh my! Grab a straw?

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Ooh my! Grab a straw?

Kinda did inadvertently. Suction broke when I was draining the 53. Got distracted by Shelby trying to drink the fresh sw while I had the tube in my mouth to restart suction. ..

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Kinda did inadvertently. Suction broke when I was draining the 53. Got distracted by Shelby trying to drink the fresh sw while I had the tube in my mouth to restart suction. ..

Eewww..

Biggs tries to drink the saltwater. After one lick she doesn't want it anymore.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Eewww..

Biggs tries to drink the saltwater. After one lick she doesn't want it anymore.

Yeah I doubt Shelby would keep trying after the first time. Problem was only place there was open water was the tote. And to get to it Shelby would have had to climb or jump inside. And she was born with springs for paws lol

 

[Nate Chalk]

Belted still here?