- Joined
- Jan 24, 2020
- Messages
- 151
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- 192
This is my first saltwater aquarium and I’ve really enjoyed the journey so far! The stocking goals are:
- Pair of h. erectus seahorses
- Pair of ocellaris clowns
- A goby / pistol shrimp pair
- Some softies as hitching posts (e.g., photosynthetic gorgonians, Corky sea fingers, Devils Hand)
- Some hardy, seahorse-safe corals that look cool (zoas, a small rock of pulsing Xenia)
- Possibly some macro algae but not sure if they will be too messy for the display?
Equipment plans:
- Cobalt C-vue 45G AIO with stand and lid
- AI Prime Sol light
- Stock return pumps
- Aquatop 200 watt heater
- InkBird ITC-308S temp controller (has heater and cooler outlets)
- Reef Breeders ATO
- Cobalt Rescue Air Pump in case of power outage
- TBD protein skimmer
Feb 15
GFCI outlet is installed so I pick up the tank at my LFS. Sadly, it does not come close to fitting in my Honda Civic. I’m very lucky to live really close to a pretty amazing LFS, and the owner’s husband offered to load it in his truck and deliver it! Problem 1 solved.
Feb 16
Cabinet assembled with the “help” of my two-year-old whose new favorite word is “screwdriser.”
Cabinet put in place and leveled with some felt feet, put the tank on top and still level! I did not think to add a leveling mat - is that a problem?
Added 43 pounds of rock (8 pounds dry in the form of completely flat on the bottom base pieces and the rest “cooked” by the LFS, some pieces more aged than others):
I want to leave enough space for hitching posts, so I broke up some and put the pieces in the back of the AIO “sump.” That in itself was an experience... started with a small hammer, then tried a regular hammer, then an axe... finally succeeded by putting it in a trash bag and swinging it over my head onto the driveway. The scape came out ok I think!
Added 40 pounds of CaribSea Fiji Pink live sand and filled it up!
Our house has well water, and we added an RO unit in August for drinking water. I added a valve and a DI resin canister for fish water. However, on the advice of this forum I also got a TDS meter. The water from the tap measures around 150. Drinking water tap (RO only) measures 140. That system is supposed to take the TDS down by 90 percent! With the DI it’s down to about 70. I ordered new RO canisters and results were similar, so I gave up for now and ended up buying water from the LFS. If anyone has any ideas, I’m all ears. One suggestion I’ve heard is that the well water may not have enough pressure? Could that be it? I may try a booster pump, but they aren’t cheap, so without some confidence that that will work, buying water seems ok for now.
Got the pumps and the heater/controller fired up. Seahorses have to be under 74F so planning to add a fan to the InkBird to cool this summer if needed. Pretty cloudy and there are some bits of newspaper from trying to keep the live rock wet. The filter socks will have some work to do.
- Pair of h. erectus seahorses
- Pair of ocellaris clowns
- A goby / pistol shrimp pair
- Some softies as hitching posts (e.g., photosynthetic gorgonians, Corky sea fingers, Devils Hand)
- Some hardy, seahorse-safe corals that look cool (zoas, a small rock of pulsing Xenia)
- Possibly some macro algae but not sure if they will be too messy for the display?
Equipment plans:
- Cobalt C-vue 45G AIO with stand and lid
- AI Prime Sol light
- Stock return pumps
- Aquatop 200 watt heater
- InkBird ITC-308S temp controller (has heater and cooler outlets)
- Reef Breeders ATO
- Cobalt Rescue Air Pump in case of power outage
- TBD protein skimmer
Feb 15
GFCI outlet is installed so I pick up the tank at my LFS. Sadly, it does not come close to fitting in my Honda Civic. I’m very lucky to live really close to a pretty amazing LFS, and the owner’s husband offered to load it in his truck and deliver it! Problem 1 solved.
Feb 16
Cabinet assembled with the “help” of my two-year-old whose new favorite word is “screwdriser.”
Cabinet put in place and leveled with some felt feet, put the tank on top and still level! I did not think to add a leveling mat - is that a problem?
Added 43 pounds of rock (8 pounds dry in the form of completely flat on the bottom base pieces and the rest “cooked” by the LFS, some pieces more aged than others):
I want to leave enough space for hitching posts, so I broke up some and put the pieces in the back of the AIO “sump.” That in itself was an experience... started with a small hammer, then tried a regular hammer, then an axe... finally succeeded by putting it in a trash bag and swinging it over my head onto the driveway. The scape came out ok I think!
Added 40 pounds of CaribSea Fiji Pink live sand and filled it up!
Our house has well water, and we added an RO unit in August for drinking water. I added a valve and a DI resin canister for fish water. However, on the advice of this forum I also got a TDS meter. The water from the tap measures around 150. Drinking water tap (RO only) measures 140. That system is supposed to take the TDS down by 90 percent! With the DI it’s down to about 70. I ordered new RO canisters and results were similar, so I gave up for now and ended up buying water from the LFS. If anyone has any ideas, I’m all ears. One suggestion I’ve heard is that the well water may not have enough pressure? Could that be it? I may try a booster pump, but they aren’t cheap, so without some confidence that that will work, buying water seems ok for now.
Got the pumps and the heater/controller fired up. Seahorses have to be under 74F so planning to add a fan to the InkBird to cool this summer if needed. Pretty cloudy and there are some bits of newspaper from trying to keep the live rock wet. The filter socks will have some work to do.
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