I received a box of rocks today.

harthag12 · Jul 4, 2018

Congrats, read thru the entire thread & it's so good to see other people with the JBJ 65, I placed my order for one & all the necessary parts to get it up in running a few minutes ago after an 8 year hiatus. Please keep updating your progress, I'll be starting a build thread as well in the weeks to come.

NY_Caveman · Jul 4, 2018

reeferfoxx said:
With all the live rock and life crawling out, your tank should be good to go in a week.

Thanks! That is what I was thinking too. I will test Ammonia tonight and I would not be surprised if it is 0.

NY_Caveman · Jul 4, 2018

harthag12 said:
Congrats, read thru the entire thread & it's so good to see other people with the JBJ 65, I placed my order for one & all the necessary parts to get it up in running a few minutes ago after an 8 year hiatus. Please keep updating your progress, I'll be starting a build thread as well in the weeks to come.

Welcome to the thread! It is a 45 Flat Panel and I really like it. Good luck on your tank!

NY_Caveman · Jul 5, 2018

Tested a few parameters when I got home from work. This is after 12 hours with the new live rock.

NH3 = 0
NO3 = 1 ppm
PO4 = 0.23 ppm (75 ppb on Hanna ULR)
dKH = 8.3
pH = 7.8

No ammonia! Huzzah! Everything was right in line, but the pH was quite low. All the while I matured the 8.5 pounds of rock in the bucket in the basement it was right around 8.1. Now the tank is on the main floor. With the windows closed and the AC running I am assuming the low pH is related to our home’s CO2 level. We have four of us in the family.

Now, just for fun, here is a video of our little crab. He has spent his entire time cruising the perimeter gap between the Starboard and the glass. 12 hours straight now, around the entire tank never seeming to leave the gap.

Vivid Creative Aquatics · Jul 5, 2018

NY_Caveman said:
Tested a few parameters when I got home from work. This is after 12 hours with the new live rock.

NH3 = 0
NO3 = 1 ppm
PO4 = 0.23 ppm (75 ppb on Hanna ULR)
dKH = 8.3
pH = 7.8

No ammonia! Huzzah! Everything was right in line, but the pH was quite low. All the while I matured the 8.5 pounds of rock in the bucket in the basement it was right around 8.1. Now the tank is on the main floor. With the windows closed and the AC running I am assuming the low pH is related to our home’s CO2 level. We have four of us in the family.

Now, just for fun, here is a video of our little crab. He has spent his entire time cruising the perimeter gap between the Starboard and the glass. 12 hours straight now, around the entire tank never seeming to leave the gap.

that was quick - but then good live rock can have that kind of affect

The crab on the other hand looks to me likes he's stuck, or the the very least, confused about how to get out of the groove. Maybe try and drop a small piece of rock in his path to see if he uses it to climb up and out, or if he just climbs over it and continues.

NY_Caveman · Jul 5, 2018

Vivid Creative Aquatics said:
The crab on the other hand looks to me likes he's stuck, or the the very least, confused about how to get out of the groove. Maybe try and drop a small piece of rock in his path to see if he uses it to climb up and out, or if he just climbs over it and continues.

Funny. I never considered that. I will try it and test the little critter.

NY_Caveman · Jul 5, 2018

Vivid Creative Aquatics said:
The crab on the other hand looks to me likes he's stuck, or the the very least, confused about how to get out of the groove. Maybe try and drop a small piece of rock in his path to see if he uses it to climb up and out, or if he just climbs over it and continues.

Well, I just went to put a rubble rock in the gap and he was gone. He must have figured it out. Probably never see him again, LOL.

Fudsey · Jul 5, 2018

Looking GREAT @NY_Caveman ! ! !

NY_Caveman · Jul 5, 2018

Fudsey said:
Looking GREAT @NY_Caveman ! ! !

Thanks @Fudsey! The tank is in the kids old playroom which is slowly being turned into a family room. When I left for work today they were just sitting there and staring at the aquarium. Love that!

NY_Caveman · Jul 6, 2018

This is my night. I am on this train indefinitely. Everyone on the train seems fine (me included).

mike werner · Jul 6, 2018

sorry to hear that your stuck.want me to run by and check on the crab?

NY_Caveman · Jul 6, 2018

mike werner said:
sorry to hear that your stuck.want me to run by and check on the crab?

LOL! Thanks for the offer, but I am sure he takes care of himself.

Not too bad here. They are switching us mid-track to another train now. I will get home only about two hours late. Much better than the guy who was hit by the train, who at last report was alive if you can believe it.

najer · Jul 6, 2018

"Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water!"
Disappeared off my "watched threads" list mid to late June nice to see it wet!

NY_Caveman · Jul 6, 2018

najer said:
"Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water!"
Disappeared off my "watched threads" list mid to late June nice to see it wet!

Ha! Thanks for catching up!

NY_Caveman · Jul 7, 2018

Narragansett, RI

Pretty smart Caveman, set up an aquarium then go on vacation. Everything was running well for a week, though, and I am only staying 4 days. It is actually a good test.

samnaz · Jul 7, 2018

NY_Caveman said:
Narragansett, RI

Pretty smart Caveman, set up an aquarium then go on vacation. Everything was running well for a week, though, and I am only staying 4 days. It is actually a good test.

Perfect time for vacation. Now you can have piece of mind for future vacations when the tank is fully stocked.

GoVols · Jul 8, 2018

NY_Caveman said:

Great shots, Caveman

Our oldest has been a Daddy's girl from day one.

How's the weather?

NY_Caveman · Jul 8, 2018

GoVols said:
Great shots, Caveman

Our oldest has been a Daddy's girl from day one.

How's the weather?

75-80*F with a nice ocean wind the last two days. Just perfect. The kids dragged me into the ocean this afternoon. They were playing and I was empirically researching the flow of the waves and thinking ways I could set up my Gyre, LOL.

Tomorrow the girls start farm camp. They do this every year in RI. We basically pay the farm and they let the kids work on the farm. Seems like a scam to me! Honestly, they absolutely love it.

Victoria M · Jul 10, 2018

That is pretty interesting about the girls liking a farm camp. My boys would be like "umm no." lol. Do you live in the city?

NY_Caveman · Jul 10, 2018

Victoria M said:
That is pretty interesting about the girls liking a farm camp. My boys would be like "umm no." lol. Do you live in the city?

LOL. We live about 30 miles north of Manhattan (where I work), but our home is in a very green, old, tree covered neighborhood. The girls just love animals and playing outside. I grew up in the center of NY State in dairy country (ultra rural), so I love that they enjoy the farm.

Honestly, I would love to return to the rural life, but my career in live television pretty much requires our habitation near an urban center.