LittleTim’s Fluval 32.5 gallon First Build

[LittleTim]

This is my build post.

The goal is to make it to a full year of involvement with the tank. Evidently the first year is the real killer year where most hobbyists quit.

Tank:
Stock Fluval 32.5 gallon Flex Saltwater

Current fish stock wish:

A pair of clownfish; currently going with the common ocellaris clownfish
A yellow watchman goby

Corals:
Some type of frogspawn
Some type of zoanthids

 

[SeeSnek]

Sounds like a great plan! Around 30g is a great size to start with. My first SW tank was a 29g.

If you stick with the fish you listed you won't be overstocked and things should go smoothly.

 

[LittleTim]

First aquascape:
I am using this guide:
Keep the hard aquascape off the glass so that the glass can be clean later. I am also following the idea that the aquascape shouldn’t be so high up in the tank that future coral can not be place on top of the highest point. I also left some room for future additional islands. Also, I cut out/drilled small arches and holes in the lower rocks to promote future water flow.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Nice looking aquascape!

 

[LittleTim]

Today was supposed to be the start of water day. Alas it was a day of frustration.

Went to the local fish store to buy sand. They only had one 20 lb bag. I wanted two.
The RODI came in, fixed a few leaks by tighten up some connections both from the factory and my own, started to get waste water. Watched the final stage filling up... and filling up, but it was not filling up fast at all. My water pressure is only 40 psi for the washing machine. Failed there to.

Tuesday is went LFS will get sand in. I will go ahead and get water from LFS for now. A booster pump is in the future.

 

[LittleTim]

Saturday Aug 11, filled in the tank with sand and water.

It is just a cloudy mess right now, buy I hope it will settle down.

I am using Caribsea live sand and RODI water from the local fish store.

Lesson learn, the internet is wrong. I put in a little over 20 lb of sand. I should have used just 20 lb. It would've been enough. Put in some sand, spread it, than evaluate. I failed to spread it around, therefore I did not evaluate. I can always remove some in the future.

Set the salinity to 1.028 which is a little high, but I will check it over the next few days to see to what it settle to.

So the first step is taken.
Tomorrow or the next day I will add the Ammonia and Dr. Tim one and only to kick start the cycle.

 

[LittleTim]

The tank cleared nicely.

I checked the salinity again since it had about 12 hours of water flow.
Unfortunately I overshot and it is at 1.031 wi
Which is much higher than expected.

I siphoned out 5 gallon of water. Since I was already messing with the tank, I took out some sand to lower the sand bed.

Taking out the sand also allow me to add in six gallons of new RODI water. Checking the salinity it is now 1.027 which is just a little high.

Added ammonia, but over shot again and got between 2 ppm and 4 ppm. Since I don't have fish, I add the bacteria to start the cycle.

Checked PH and it was right at 8.0

Edit to change ammonia level from
.2 to 2 ppm and .4 to 4 ppm.

 

[LittleTim]

Wednesday evening check:
Ammonia 1.5
Nitrite 0.5
Nitrate 50

Friday
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 0.5
Nitrate 50

Sunday
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 2.0
Nitrate 50

Now I have to go see if it is moving in the right direction. Looks like it moving to me.

 

[paragrouper]

First aquascape:
I am using this guide:
Keep the hard aquascape off the glass so that the glass can be clean later. I am also following the idea that the aquascape shouldn’t be so high up in the tank that future coral can not be place on top of the highest point. I also left some room for future additional islands. Also, I cut out/drilled small arches and holes in the lower rocks to promote future water flow.

The aqua scape looks good. You may want to leave a bit more room between the rocks and the glass on the left side. It’s easier to clean with a bit of room.

 

[LittleTim]

First, these color shades are hard to differentiate.

I am using thr salifert test system.

Based upon Sunday results and a three test points, I think we are moving in the right direction.

Sunday
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 2.0
Nitrate 50

Nitrate might be saturated at 100, but I think it is at 50.

Other readings.

pH 7.7 or 8, but I think 7.7
Phosphate 0.25
Alkalinity 7.4

I am suprise the pH dropped.

First time taking alkalinity so I am suprise it seems low.
Presence of phosphate is also another suprise.

More data more better. So more basic ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate data on Tuesday and Thursday. So if ammonia and Nitrite continues to drop, 50% water change this weekend or early next week.

 

[LittleTim]

Finally, ammonia is fully at zero.
First, I got a new bottle of bacteria and dumped it in. I suspect my first bottle was not adequate enough.
Once the API ammonia test stopped being dark green and shifted to more yellow, I splurged and got a Hanna test kit.
Next is to do a 50% water change and seed it with some copepods.
I still need to get the PH up and increase alkalinity. I will double check after the water change because why do all that just to do a water change.