Fishroom Reality Check

[scottedontknow]

I’m loving this build man!!! All looking great!

 

[User]

What a difference!

 

[User]

So, right now, my 1.5” return just comes up through the floor, over the rim and about 1/8” below the surface. Pumping ~800gph straight down.

Here is the result...



[emoji15][emoji15][emoji15]

The bubbles are because I’m a little short on RODI (system is coming out to 290 gallons) and my return chamber level is a bit low. Water coming over the bubble trap has about 4” more drop than planned, making a ton of bubbles that get sucked straight into the pump. Once my RODI unit catches up and makes its 7th barrel, and I make saltwater, I’ll top it up and fill up my observation tank too.

I’m thinking I’ll Tee the return off and add some locline and 2x 3/4” Random Flow Generators from VCA. Have them come over closer to the sides and push against the flow from the xf250 gyre that I’m putting on the overflow box.

 

[User]

my friends nano had the same yellow look to it after seachem clarity fwiw

Good to know, thanks. I was a little nervous there, to be honest, but I think I’ve got it under control. Just hope the wife doesn’t find her dissemboweled cushion...

 

[LowLi]

Good to know, thanks. I was a little nervous there, to be honest, but I think I’ve got it under control. Just hope the wife doesn’t find her dissemboweled cushion...

Our lfs advised against using it tbh I didn’t think it was good too lol looked like pee after going in

 

[User]

Yeah- it’s all good now. My cushion stuffing filled reactors took care of it. Now I’m just dealing with microbubbles

 

[User]

So- soliciting opinions. About to start cycling with ammonia and some Biospira. Questions-

1) should I keep running the full system, flow through the sump etc and go through the process, then do a big water change to reduce nitrates on the full 350 gallons? Water change will need to be something like 200 gallons. That’s another whole box of salt to factor in.

Or

2) move heaters to the DT, turn on my gyre and cycle the 180 gallons in the DT? This option means my water change will be much less, plus I’ll further dilute the nitrates when I bring the sump back online. I’ll run some powerheads in the sump to keep that water from stagnating.

Thoughts?

 

[User]

Another Q-

Discussing the stocking plan with the wife last night and she thinks I’m being too conservative.

My original plan was to do the following-

1) pair of small clowns, TTM+prazipro, then 4 additional weeks in observation tank

2) after clowns finish TTM, add 2 small tangs (a yellow and a purple) to TTM+prazipro, then observation for 4 weeks

Let the tank equilibriate until after Christmas then do the next set- school of dispar anthias, goby shrimp combo, foxface, and a few undecided at this point, finishing in mid 2019 with a PBT.

Wife however wants to get the clowns, 2 tangs, anthias, goby and shrimp, and a golden dwarf moray by Christmas.

I think this is manageable from a bioload standpoint. Thoughts?

And for QT on the goby/pistil shrimp. Planning to purchase as a pair, separate the shrimp to its own 10 g until it molts (ich tomont will be stuck to the discarded exo) while doing TTM+prazipro then observation on the goby until the shrimp is ready, reintroduce for a few days in QT then add to DT.

Sand in a Pyrex dish during the observation for the goby? Or will he be ok for 4-5 weeks without sand?

Cheers

 

[User]

Started the cycle. Decided on option 2.

isolated the DT, moved the heaters into it and am running the gyre at 20%.

Added 13ml of ace hardware 10% ammonia using the hamzareef calculator to figure out the volume. Used a 165g volume and 2ppm target.

Ran the gyre fir an hour, then tested sump water as zero control and DT water with an API master test kit.

Sump water control on left, DT after ammonia addition on right. Read it as 2ppm.

Dumped in 500 ml of biospira, turned off heaters and gyre and let it drift around in the current for an hour before I turned them back on.

Plan is to do a nitrite test before bed, see if anything is happening. That will be 9 hours post bacteria addition.

 

[Dubs83]

This is great. Just so I understand, you had no seeded media from an already running tank right? (IE live rock, sand , etc).

 

[User]

This is great. Just so I understand, you had no seeded media from an already running tank right? (IE live rock, sand , etc).

Nope. All dead rock and sand.

Brs reefsaver and pukani was powerwashed and acid soaked 18 months ago, sun dried, then put in totes until a bit ago. Zero organics.

In the end, I used 120lb of CaribSea seaflor special and 40lbs of Fiji pink.

I swing between keeping everything controlled and ‘clean’ on one hand, and buying 20lb of TBS rock and all the awesome hitchhikers that come with it on the other. Except the only store that would get it around me just shuttered, and I can’t go spending 100’s more at this point.

What’s your take? Get some live rock+diversity, or keep it clean?

 

[Dubs83]

Nope. All dead rock and sand.

Brs reefsaver and pukani was powerwashed and acid soaked 18 months ago, sun dried, then put in totes until a bit ago. Zero organics.

In the end, I used 120lb of CaribSea seaflor special and 40lbs of Fiji pink.

I swing between keeping everything controlled and ‘clean’ on one hand, and buying 20lb of TBS rock and all the awesome hitchhikers that come with it on the other. Except the only store that would get it around me just shuttered, and I can’t go spending 100’s more at this point.

What’s your take? Get some live rock+diversity, or keep it clean?

I’d recommend keeping it clean. Although the bio diversity is pretty cool, I’ve read too many stories of bringing in pests. I started clean and was meticulous until one day a buddy gave me a frag. “it’s clean!” He said. Now I have a problem with aiptasia and somewhat unsure how to continue.

 

[User]

Agreed. The thought of introducing something after being so meticulous goes against my better judgement, but how on earth am I supposed to get spaghetti worms if I don’t?

I like the diversity- just not the costs associated with it if it goes wrong

 

[Dubs83]

Agreed. The thought of introducing something after being so meticulous goes against my better judgement, but how on earth am I supposed to get spaghetti worms if I don’t?

I like the diversity- just not the costs associated with it if it goes wrong

Yea. It’s just not worth it, in my opinion. I was so upset when I spotted the first pest.

 

[User]

42 hours in and I’m getting a 1ppm drop in NH3/NH4+, and 0.5ppm NO2-.

Wait until this evening, retest, then add ammonia back up to 2ppm (~6mls).

[emoji3][emoji3][emoji3]

 

[User]

53 hours in-

Ammonia 1ppm
Nitrite 2 or 3ppm
Nitrate 10ppm

A little off from the 1/2.7/3.6 ratio, but that’s because the nitrites in the sample interferes with the nitrate measurement. The nitrate test become more accurate as the nitrite reduces, so not worried until after the cycle is complete, then I’ll see how much water I need to change.

Seems to be progressing ok. Plan is to retest at ~ 10.30, then redose ammonia if it’s <0.5ppm

I also threw a few aquaclear filter pads in there to colonize too- may as well get my observation tank going too!

 

[User]

Apologies for the weird timing of the tests... my inner scientist OCD is super triggered right now, but when a 2 year old wants an extra story and the 6 week old needs burping, you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[User]

10.30 am test- this is +66 hours

PH : 7.8-8.0
Ammonia: 0.25 (zero...)
Nitrite:5ppm
Nitrate: 40ppm


Dosed 11 mls more of ammonia to get me back up to 2ppm.

More tonight.

 

[User]

Back up to 2ppm

 

[User]

So, did an order on BRS for some sundry items - new sediment filter for the rodi (man, my water is dirty) probe standards, calibration fluids, some heaters for QT and Obs tanks, a mesh lid kit for the 180.

I also got a VCA RFG 1” for my return. I’m so insanely excited for a piece of 3d printed plastic it’s ridiculous.

Ordered in a couple panels of twinwall insulating polycarbonate to use as lids for my sump tanks and 40b.

Planning another water test in an hour or so.