Poke holes in my 75L setup plan, please!

[Tickolas]

Heya! I've just picked up a used 75L tank and here's my plan for beginning the cycling process. I would love it if someone experienced could poke holes in it.

• Step 1 (completed) - ensure tank is fully watertight and tech works.
• Step 2 - Drain tank fully using a siphon. Scrape away any little bits that may have remained after draining. Water only. No soap.
• Step 3 - Move tank to final position.
• Step 4 - Filter RO/DI water into a portable container, maybe 10L at once.
• Step 5 - Pour water carefully into the tank onto something flat so there isn's so much outward force.
• Step 6 - Add salt and heater at 25 degrees Cv. Use slightly less salt than recommended. Easier to add more than remove.
• Step 7 - Turn on pump and wavemaker to mix salt. Maybe start with only the wavemaker. Let mix for 2 hours or so. Ensure correct salinity.
• Step 8 - Add live and dead rock in pleasing configuration. Glue with marine epoxy putty. I have 2kg of proper live rock with coralline, sponges etc.
• Step 9 - Add rinsed fresh sand. Maybe 2-4cm deep. Maybe add some chaeto as well.
• Step 10 - I have an artemia growin' jar with live sand, coralline and diatoms in it. Pour that entire thing in for bacterial goodness and early livestock.
• Step 11 - Add Seachem stability according to the bottle.
• Step 12 - Wait 24 hours. Measure ammonia. If not on the way up to 1-2ppm, hang a bag with half a cube of frozen krill in front of the wavemaker or outlet pump somewhere.
• Step 13 - Steal underpants
• Step 14 - ???
• Step 15 - Profit

 

[Gumbies R Us]

#reefsquad

 

[Rocks reef]

From reading your plan, it appears to be solid!! Keep us informed on how the build goes.

 

[Fish Fan]

I think your plan is solid too

My one suggestion would be to use bottled ammonium chloride from Fritz (Fritz Fishless Fuel) or food grade baking ammonia that can be ordered, or found in some grocery stores and even craft stores like Michael's in the US. Using a form of ammonia like this is easier and cleaner than trying to raise the ammonia using something like fish food or krill.

Good luck with your build!

 

[Fish Fan]

Baking ammonia example:
https://www.michaels.com/product/lorann-ammonium-carbonate-27oz-10695841

Fritz Fishless Fuel (ammonium chloride):
https://fritzaquatics.com/products/fishless-fuel/

I hope this helps!

 

[tbrown]

This is how I did my tank BUT I have a sump which I did not fill with water. When I added the rock and sand, the displaced water overflowed into the sump. I then added or removed water from the sump to put it where I wanted my "power off" level to be and then turned on the return pump and adjusted my return flow. Once that was dialed in I set my "power on" level sensor for the ATO.

If you don't have a sump, make sure you account for the displaced when you add the rocks and sand. You'll need to remove some water at that time.

 

[1ocean]

looks like a good plan.
Plan to manually stir salt that does not dissolve on the bottom of the tank..

 

[Red_Beard]

Sounds like you got it! The suggestions by tbrown and fish fan are solid, only would add 2 things.
You can use citric acid to scrub off any calcium deposits or hard water stains. That or use barkeepers friend for anything really stubborn stuff. It with rinse clean, no residue.
Also, i wouldn't pump the ammonia levels up if you add the coralline and stuff from your jar. Only dose it to detectable levels, like .5 or so, but a couple times over a week or two. Either that, or wait until your cycle it's complete to add the contents of the jar.

 

[Tickolas]

I think your plan is solid too

My one suggestion would be to use bottled ammonium chloride from Fritz (Fritz Fishless Fuel) or food grade baking ammonia that can be ordered, or found in some grocery stores and even craft stores like Michael's in the US. Using a form of ammonia like this is easier and cleaner than trying to raise the ammonia using something like fish food or krill.

Good luck with your build!

Thanks for your tips! I'm located in Sweden so Fritz is not available. There is a product called Hjorthornssalt that consists of ammonium bicarbonate, sounds like the same thing as Baker's ammonia. My grandma used that in her cookie recipes Would probably need to make some sort of solution, which I've done in the past to make nitrate.

 

[Tickolas]

From reading your plan, it appears to be solid!! Keep us informed on how the build goes.

Thanks! Steps 2 and 3 are completed. Currently making RO water and trying out wire routing

 

[Tickolas]

This is how I did my tank BUT I have a sump which I did not fill with water. When I added the rock and sand, the displaced water overflowed into the sump. I then added or removed water from the sump to put it where I wanted my "power off" level to be and then turned on the return pump and adjusted my return flow. Once that was dialed in I set my "power on" level sensor for the ATO.

If you don't have a sump, make sure you account for the displaced when you add the rocks and sand. You'll need to remove some water at that time.

Good plan actually. There is a rear compartment to the tank, but I wouldn't call it a sump. I'll probably just fill in 40 or so liters of salt water and then start aquascaping. That way the live rock is at least in salt water the whole time. When I'm satisfied I'll fill the tank the rest of the way up. The previous owner has marked the spot for the ATO sensor, so that's hopefully already set =)

 

[Tickolas]

#reefsquad

So THAT'S how you use that hashtag! XD Thanks!

 

[tbrown]

So THAT'S how you use that hashtag! XD Thanks!

You can # or @ the Reef Squad and we'll come sauntering in. I was going to say running but honestly most of us have full time jobs that keep us pretty busy so we try to check in a couple of times daily as available.

 

[Fish Fan]

You can # or @ the Reef Squad and we'll come sauntering in. I was going to say running but honestly most of us have full time jobs that keep us pretty busy so we try to check in a couple of times daily as available.

 

[Tickolas]

Sounds like you got it! The suggestions by tbrown and fish fan are solid, only would add 2 things.
You can use citric acid to scrub off any calcium deposits or hard water stains. That or use barkeepers friend for anything really stubborn stuff. It with rinse clean, no residue.
Also, i wouldn't pump the ammonia levels up if you add the coralline and stuff from your jar. Only dose it to detectable levels, like .5 or so, but a couple times over a week or two. Either that, or wait until your cycle it's complete to add the contents of the jar.

Thanks! I scraped most of the hard deposits off with an old pet store membership card and an aquarium scraper on a stick while it was still wet after the test filling. There's some salt deposits on the mottled surface of the plastic divider between the front of the back, but they'll no doubt be back in weeks so I can't be arsed =)

 

[1ocean]

Sweeden....

 

[Tickolas]

50L of RO added to the tank. Small bucket set aside for ATO. Salt is in, waiting for it to settle. Dead coral skeleton is marinating in bleach in the garden until tomorrow. Going to put some Seachem prime in there to offgas the chlorine, then into the tank they go along with the live rock I have stashed away at Stockholm's only reef store and the other bits and pieces. Exciting day coming up!

 

[Tickolas]

Salt content is 1.024-1.025 SG. Will verify at the reef store tomorrow just to make sure my cheapo refractometer isn't fooling me. Picked up a baggie of baking ammonia.Going to go great methinks!

 

[Tickolas]

Hoo boy, the coral skeleton is very bleach-stinky indeed. Hadn't taken that into account. Leaving them in the buckets with overdosed Prime for an hour, then I'll let them off-gas for a while. Going to the store to pick up my live rock in a little bit. It can sit in the tank with some bubble stones for a few hours until I'm ready to glue the rockwork.

 

[Subsea]

Heya! I've just picked up a used 75L tank and here's my plan for beginning the cycling process. I would love it if someone experienced could poke holes in it.

• Step 1 (completed) - ensure tank is fully watertight and tech works.
• Step 2 - Drain tank fully using a siphon. Scrape away any little bits that may have remained after draining. Water only. No soap.
• Step 3 - Move tank to final position.
• Step 4 - Filter RO/DI water into a portable container, maybe 10L at once.
• Step 5 - Pour water carefully into the tank onto something flat so there isn's so much outward force.
• Step 6 - Add salt and heater at 25 degrees Cv. Use slightly less salt than recommended. Easier to add more than remove.
• Step 7 - Turn on pump and wavemaker to mix salt. Maybe start with only the wavemaker. Let mix for 2 hours or so. Ensure correct salinity.
• Step 8 - Add live and dead rock in pleasing configuration. Glue with marine epoxy putty. I have 2kg of proper live rock with coralline, sponges etc.
• Step 9 - Add rinsed fresh sand. Maybe 2-4cm deep. Maybe add some chaeto as well.
• Step 10 - I have an artemia growin' jar with live sand, coralline and diatoms in it. Pour that entire thing in for bacterial goodness and early livestock.
• Step 11 - Add Seachem stability according to the bottle.
• Step 12 - Wait 24 hours. Measure ammonia. If not on the way up to 1-2ppm, hang a bag with half a cube of frozen krill in front of the wavemaker or outlet pump somewhere.
• Step 13 - Steal underpants
• Step 14 - ???
• Step 15 - Profit

Let’s park at step 8. I am not big on gluing rock together. What is pleasing aquascape on day one may not be pleasing on day 300. Also, with rocks glued together, out of tank treatment for nuisance pest or algae is eliminated. Plus, try catching a fish with rock scape glued together.