First SW Tank

[jonnymod]

no, by blue pop i mean actinic pop that brings out coral fluorescence

the seachem tidal actually looks pretty slick and unobtrusive if you havent seen them in person yet, a bit nicer imo than the aquaclear at least look wise

Welp I just purchased one so it'll be here Sunday. That's the official filtration for the setup. :]

lighting schedule is 8-12 hours depending on ramping up power controlled by the smatfarms led. The blue light usually is on either the full 12 hours or 8-6 hours if you see too much algae growth. Usually it is from the white leds that would be in the smatfarm that could cause more algae growth but just some good info to have at hand just in case

So I was gonna purchase the light you suggested. I like the sleek look, that it doesn't span the whole aquarium like some of those ones with side extending arms. However after reading many comments it doesn't look like it'll fit a rimmed aquarium without cutting the trim which I am not doing. Another comment stated you can use the "Kessil - A Series" mount but if I spend 70$ on a mount might as well add that 70 to the light cost and get one that fits my tank right? So Could you perhaps suggest another adequate budget light that will mount to my current tank without altering the trim?

 

[dedragon]

i have seen many people make diy light mounts using extruded aluminum or extruded aluminum tslot if you can find that for a resonable price.
I would look into maybe using a wall bracket to hang the light from. Would be from home depot or home goods or something and see if you have a wall stud to screw it into. Afterwards a little plaster and paint will fix any mount hole marks if this is a rental or tank gets moved

 

[jonnymod]

i have seen many people make diy light mounts using extruded aluminum or extruded aluminum tslot if you can find that for a resonable price.
I would look into maybe using a wall bracket to hang the light from. Would be from home depot or home goods or something and see if you have a wall stud to screw it into. Afterwards a little plaster and paint will fix any mount hole marks if this is a rental or tank gets moved

While I'm not opposed to diy, I rather buy something that's going to work for my purpose as oppose to buying something I have to alter to get to work for my purpose. That being said I dunno why I didn't think about wall mounting. I'm looking at that bracket that comes with the light itself, it looks like there is a little mount hole right at the elbow on the vertical part of the bracket. Blasting that into the wall will be no problem. Now I just need to decide where this tank is going to go.... Lol Haven't figured that part out yet! It's still in the garage filled. I'd say that's long enough to verify it has no leaks or structural issues. I'll drain it Monday and figure out where it's going to go. Possibly bedroom.

 

[dedragon]

ive been doing it 18 years or so and little things like that always slip my mind and i end up paying more for it, hence the arm stand from orphek which doesnt even fit my tank but i can diy it to work buy drilling it into the wall and i do have to say looks very slick

 

[jonnymod]

ive been doing it 18 years or so and little things like that always slip my mind and i end up paying more for it, hence the arm stand from orphek which doesnt even fit my tank but i can diy it to work buy drilling it into the wall and i do have to say looks very slick

So the mount fits perfectly fine on the tank! I also see what you mean with this hob. It literally, has an additional surface skimmer on it. And flow control and all. They seriously have come a long way with hob since last time I used one! Even has a heater mount. How neat.

So we're getting close. I cleared a wall in my bedroom for the location. I'm completely clueless as to how to setup this light, but not quite at the lights on stage yet anyhow. I'm thinking my next move is gonna have to be purchasing a rodi unit to get my water, and aquarium salt, and some LR.

1. I figured I'm just gonna buy some dry lr. So any lr I find on a reputable site or lfs should be fine right?

2. This should get me started far as salt goes less there's something better out there or more economical? salt

3. Was gonna purchase this unit for my water. rodi I believe it's like 50 gallons a day so that should be fine for me. I'm definitely gonna have to research this though. I wasn't aware I couldn't just use primed tap water w/ salt. So, tech I won't need prime like I do my fw tanks tho because this rodi unit is gonna take care of that step for me right? What's the general process here? Fill buckets, mix salt, then get a small pump to move it to the tank?....

Oh, and it aint much to look at yet but here's a pic of where we're at so far.

 

[dedragon]

i would run instant ocean regular salt vs the reef crystals as it usually has very elevated levels you dont really need. I prefer using fritz, tropic marin, or red sea as they mix cleaner for me and with less fluctuations between buckets, but IO is perfectly fine to use (i would test every batch after a thorough shaking up of all the salt to get it mixed up, but you should do this with every salt anyway)

 

[jonnymod]

i would run instant ocean regular salt vs the reef crystals as it usually has very elevated levels you dont really need. I prefer using fritz, tropic marin, or red sea as they mix cleaner for me and with less fluctuations between buckets, but IO is perfectly fine to use (i would test every batch after a thorough shaking up of all the salt to get it mixed up, but you should do this with every salt anyway)

Got it. I wasn't aware that was a different kind of salt. That's why I ask lots of questions! So I'll snag this one: salt
Any input on the rodi? In my head I can ponder different ways to mix this (5 gallon buckets at a time w/ a stirrer, airstone for aeration, and a small pump to put into tank or simply dumping the bucket... Is there any tried and true method that most people follow for this process? The mixing of the salt and then adding is what I'm referring to.

Also any suggestions on a powerhead? Would one be sufficient or should I get one for each side of tank and do one lower and one higher? Seems like the more flow the better from what I'm seeing.

 

[dedragon]

in this size tank 1 powerhead will be fine, 2 can work but you would run them much lower in power (best would be ones that can be run in antisync but those are more expensive).
Never aerate newly mixed saltwater with a bubble or otherwise. Only stir either large plastic spoon or better a small pump. pretty much any will work for a 5 gallon bucket. I use a 400gph pump for my 5 gallon bucket but i think 200 or 150 would be fine for it, go cheap

 

[jonnymod]

in this size tank 1 powerhead will be fine, 2 can work but you would run them much lower in power (best would be ones that can be run in antisync but those are more expensive).
Never aerate newly mixed saltwater with a bubble or otherwise. Only stir either large plastic spoon or better a small pump. pretty much any will work for a 5 gallon bucket. I use a 400gph pump for my 5 gallon bucket but i think 200 or 150 would be fine for it, go cheap

So anti sync from what I'm seeing is one will be on like 100 and the other switches to 10 and vice versa. Cool. But you said I just need one so that's not a factor here. Would something like this be okay? powerhead It looks like it has individual controls and all.

So when you're setting up a new tank, do you literally just make 5 gallon batches of water at a time and then pump them to the tank? I need to research this rodi a bit more to see how it actually functions and hooks up.

 

[dedragon]

just put up the antisyn as an option you could have. Anti sync just runs them opposite each other creating a more natural flow pattern. So one ramps up to say 50% max and the other drops to 0% causing the flows of water to go back and forth like a current, but isnt necessary for a reef tank (it is cool though and corals love it)

The rodi takes awhile to make water and for such a small tank I would usually mix in a bucket but you are more than fine to add all the water to the tank and then mix it with salt in the dt. Just make sure to account for displacement when you add rock or sand afterwards

 

[dedragon]

i usually just carry over 5 gallons and dump it in, its not too heavy and water changes for you in the future will only be 1, 5 gallon bucket every 1-2 weeks for the first couple of months before things become stable, then you can monitor nutrients to decide when to do water changes

 

[jonnymod]

just put up the antisyn as an option you could have. Anti sync just runs them opposite each other creating a more natural flow pattern. So one ramps up to say 50% max and the other drops to 0% causing the flows of water to go back and forth like a current, but isnt necessary for a reef tank (it is cool though and corals love it)

The rodi takes awhile to make water and for such a small tank I would usually mix in a bucket but you are more than fine to add all the water to the tank and then mix it with salt in the dt. Just make sure to account for displacement when you add rock or sand afterwards

I just purchased a jebao powerhead via your recommendation on the brand. Also ordered 40lb of aragonite rock, some instant ocean salt, and a hydrometer.

i usually just carry over 5 gallons and dump it in, its not too heavy and water changes for you in the future will only be 1, 5 gallon bucket every 1-2 weeks for the first couple of months before things become stable, then you can monitor nutrients to decide when to do water changes

Got it. So down the road I am already brain storming a permanent setup for rodi water now that I'm aware of what it is and the benefits. Currently, I buy seachem prime 2 liters at a time. So I did a bit of research and it's not unheard-of as far as I understand to prime the tap water and use that to make my saltwater. So that's how I'm going to start.

Quick question before I spend the money on a test kit. After googling this, I see my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate liquids for my fw kit are in fact the same for sw. I'm assuming the pH won't have an issue testing sw either. I just see the color card for sw is different (easily obtainable online) and it doesn't test for HIGH pH. Think it'll be worth it to just snag the sw master kit or a waste of money considering I can measure the 3 imporants bb that determine my cycle, with the kit I already have?

 

[dedragon]

whatever you do, DO NOT use a swing arm hydrometer like this one

 

[dedragon]

use a refractometer and calibration solution or hydrometer in a large container of water (not the dt) with this glass hydrometer

Refractometer for Reading Salinity with Calibration Fluid

Why does BRS recommend this? If you have been using a hydrometer and have never tried a refractometer then you should really invest in one. They use much less water, and can easily be calibrated for accurate repeatable readings. For the most accurate readings you will want to calibrate the...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

High Precision Hydrometer

Ensure that your equipment is reading correctly and your aquarium is at the right salinity with Tropic Marin's High Precision Hydrometer. Many tank inhabitants are sensitive even to minor changes of the water conditions. Unfortunately as we've all experienced, salinity reading equipment as...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Also which test kits are you talking about, that would help. Pretty much all API kits are trash

 

[dedragon]

RODI vs tap water is really going to depend on your specific area and if you plan to have corals. FOWLR (fish only with live rock) does much better with tap water than a reef tank with corals so it is important to know what is in your tap water. If the tap isnt safe and has chloromines, plant on picking up some jugs of distilled water or water from any trustworthy LFS (some LFS never change rodi filters so it is just like using tap IMHO)

 

[jonnymod]

use a refractometer and calibration solution or hydrometer in a large container of water (not the dt) with this glass hydrometer

Refractometer for Reading Salinity with Calibration Fluid

Why does BRS recommend this? If you have been using a hydrometer and have never tried a refractometer then you should really invest in one. They use much less water, and can easily be calibrated for accurate repeatable readings. For the most accurate readings you will want to calibrate the...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

High Precision Hydrometer

Ensure that your equipment is reading correctly and your aquarium is at the right salinity with Tropic Marin's High Precision Hydrometer. Many tank inhabitants are sensitive even to minor changes of the water conditions. Unfortunately as we've all experienced, salinity reading equipment as...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Also which test kits are you talking about, that would help. Pretty much all API kits are trash

dang! I already ordered the hydrometer! Whatever, it was like 10 bucks. I'll return it if I don't have to pay the shipping. I can buy one of those refractometers for like 25 bucks it looks like, so that's no problem.

So I was referring to the API master test kits. Honestly, I'm sorta shocked to hear you label them as trash. Since I've been in the hobby, I've always used the API master test kit, and heard nothing but praise about it being pretty much the gold standard of test kits to use. What do most of the folks around here use?...

 

[dedragon]

in saltwater or reef tanks (and esp. here) no one will really recommend those to anyone as they lack precision or accuracy we need.
Hanna checkers, salifert, red sea pro, are a couple of brands that are trustworthy.
I put my api master kit in the trash where is belonged about 17 years ago.

 

[Pale Morning1]

I have maintained my tank for over a year with two clowns, firefish and clown goby without using RODI water. I use tap and treat with Prime. I can’t speak for your water but I have not had issues with the fish. I also have the Smat farm light and so far have been happy with it. I do believe you can spend a fortune to set up a salt water tank but I also believe you can be successful going low tech. Often times the bells and whistles make maintaining the tank easier but are not mandatory.

 

[jonnymod]

I have maintained my tank for over a year with two clowns, firefish and clown goby without using RODI water. I use tap and treat with Prime. I can’t speak for your water but I have not had issues with the fish. I also have the Smat farm light and so far have been happy with it. I do believe you can spend a fortune to set up a salt water tank but I also believe you can be successful going low tech. Often times the bells and whistles make maintaining the tank easier but are not mandatory.

Awesome. That was kinda what I was figuring I could do and setup rodi down the line for all tanks.

So I got the powerhead. This things huge... suggestions on placement? I read center ish angled up online not too low to substrate for dust storms but since I won't have that problem I just put or a little lower center, opposite side of hob. That optimal?

 

[jonnymod]

Also my rock showed up damaged loose in a box. They ran out of stock and literally sent me what they had left, a 13lb piece (ordered multiple equalling 40lb) but it's okay they said keep the one piece (which is nice) and refunded me fully. So I drove to Lfs today to grab 15lb more Alas they started closing on mondays..... so gonna find somewhere to order a little more rock tonight, and potentially be setup by Wednesday.