Finally Time for the Upgrade

[booth2010]

So after many weeks of collecting all the equipment, and getting the tank repaired (bottom cracked 3 days before last piece of equipment arrived delaying setup a week) it is finally done! I have set up my 30 gal soon to be mixed reef tank and the cycle has begun. There is no fancy equipment as I do not make a lot of money but I am using a Jebao WP10 and Hydor Koralia 240 for powerheads, a 500gph return pump, a heater that came with a 55 gal setup from walmart (keeps temp mid 70s). I will be getting a protein skimmer within the next month or so. My computer is acting up but pics will be up soon!

 

[WhoKnew]

Wow, sounds like a rough start. But soon enough you will be enjoying you tank. Be patient. Wish I was. Lol

 

[booth2010]

Wow, sounds like a rough start. But soon enough you will be enjoying you tank. Be patient. Wish I was. Lol

Yea its been up and down, had to wait 3 weeks for the Jebao from China because of the new year then 2 days before it got here tank broke... I was sad buts its all good now

 

[booth2010]

Well it seems they did not correctly seal the bottom of the tank as there is a very small leak I think so I will be resealing myself...

 

[booth2010]

Just a little update... When they replaced the bottom panel of my tank the chipped the bottoms of the 4 uprights quite a bit and I feel this is why there was a bad seal... plus they did an aweful job and didn't even secure the brace back they just placed it on the tank... So I went to the Pet Supermarket and got me a 29gal Marineland tank (has black silicone and I love it!). Gotta drill it tonight or this weekend and then I can set it all up again.

 

[WhoKnew]

Good luck. CNt wait to see some pictures.

 

[booth2010]

Drilled the new tank last night and fixed the pvc so that it is at the correct length. I set it all up and spent close to an hour and a half trying to get the rocks to go back how they were or even stack well at all so I would have 3 caves. I gave up... so I will try again tomorrow or sunday, for now everything is running so the tank can continue cycling. I checked salinity for first time since original setup Tuesday and its at 1.027 so I added a wee bit of RO water. I added Dr Tims Ammonia as well but it seems my level is only at .5ppm but I added enough to make it go to 2ppm. I checked nitrite just so fun to see if maybe my cycle is moving fast nope at 0ppm so Ill check ammonia again in a few days and if still low ill add more Dr Tims.

 

[booth2010]

I ended up adding more Dr Tims Ammonia over a week ago. As of last night my parameters (from what I could tell based of colors) were:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: .25ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Salinity 1.027 (using refractometer from BRS)

I have been adding the proper amount of Kent Marine: Purple Tech and Kent Marine: Liquid Calcium to boost coralline algae growth. I have not checked calcium levels yet but there hasn't been any "snowstorm" with me adding it ever 2-3 days.
The temp in my room seems to keep my tank temp in the mid 70s to low 80s but I just installed a ceiling fan so I hope the temp will stay lower. I have added my lights to the tank and have them on timers 10 hours of day light, 2 hours darkness, 10 hours blue "moonlight" leds from DrFosterSmith.com, then 2 hours of darkness before day light come back on. Im hoping the algae cycle starts soon so I can add buy/add my cleanup crew and my other fish. BTW I am using the guide on this forum for everything ive done.

I plan on added pictures but my brand new computer I acting really dumb and is not letting me add them at the moment... I HATE windows 8.

 

[booth2010]

Sump on the metal stand, took about 10 mins to get it leveled.

 

[booth2010]

How the rockscape looked before the teardown, i loved it like this... :squigglemouth:

 

[booth2010]

tank filled the first time, took a few days for me to accept it was a leak and not condensation... i was in denial

 

[booth2010]

The shell and canopy I built, simple 1x2 frame with oak plywood. I will put trim on it in the next few weeks. I know the canopy is tall but my light is only 24" long so I had to have it hover a bit to cover well.

new aquascape... dont like it but itll do for now. The ugly brown rock is for seeding coraline and bacteria

another long shot and a shot with my moonglow leds

 

[booth2010]

So I've been a really bad aquarist and haven't checked my parameters in a week of so. Last I checked everything was going good. I finally have diatoms forming on the sand and some of the rocks (is it normal for growing on rocks as well?). Hopefully phosphate cycle will start and cyano will skyrocket. I'm getting anxious and really want the algae cycle to hurry so I can add CUC and star

 

[booth2010]

Just did a test, ammonia: 0 nitrite: 0 nitrate: 5ppm ish. So according to that I'm fishy safe, however I'm waiting till end of phosphate cycle to add anything. Diatoms are really starting to grow in tank so I'm hoping only a few weeks left.

 

[booth2010]

This kills me though. Always so high, evaporation seems to be about a gallon every 2 days. The sump temp averages 5-8 degrees cooler at all times. I need to switch thermostats to see if maybe one isn't working properly...

 

[IotaElwyn]

Following the fun...

 

[Bad Company]

Assuming that you have decent flow, the sump water temp ought to be within 1° F of he display temp. Water has too much thermal mass to change temperature that drastically without a large heat exchange. I'd suspect inaccurate thermometers.

 

[booth2010]

That's what I'm thinking cause the one in the main is new but showing low-mid 80s then one in the sump is older and is showing mid-high 70s

 

[booth2010]

Got all the trim on the "stand" and canopy, just need to stain it. Will post pics later

 

[Jimbo662]

What lighing do you have? Is the canopy completely enclosed? If so, you may be trapping heat in it.