75 gallon tank build!

xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Update: Checked my ammonia level today, and its still .25 ;(
My sand and ato system will be here tomorrow, so I will be able to put my refuge online finally.
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Update: Found out today, thanks to seth, that my test kit was faulty, I took a sample to my local pet store, and they said my parameters were perfect, I bought a new ati kit and checked everything
Ammonia:0-.25 (I blew off my rock today with a powerhead after I took the sample I took to the pet store)
Nitrite: 0 ;)
Nitrate: 0-5 ppm
Ph: 8.3
Since my other kit has been reading .25 ammonia and .10 nitrite for the past two weeks, that leads me to believe that my tank has been cycled since then. So I guess I'll be ordering some fish first thing in the morning! Then I'm putting my refuge online tomorrow after I get my sand in it!
I'm excited.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3459978
Update: Found out today, thanks to seth, that my test kit was faulty, I took a sample to my local pet store, and they said my parameters were perfect, I bought a new ati kit and checked everything
Ammonia:0-.25 (I blew off my rock today with a powerhead after I took the sample I took to the pet store)
Nitrite: 0 ;)
Nitrate: 0-5 ppm
Ph: 8.3
Since my other kit has been reading .25 ammonia and .10 nitrite for the past two weeks, that leads me to believe that my tank has been cycled since then. So I guess I'll be ordering some fish first thing in the morning! Then I'm putting my refuge online tomorrow after I get my sand in it!
I'm excited.
DO NOT ORDER ANY FISH UNTIL AMMONIA IS 0 AND NITRITES AS WELL! .25 is not 0 and 5 is not either....any reading at all means it is there, so do not order your fish until it is a total absolutly 0....I always wait a week after a 0 reading to make sure it stays 0 and you are just jumping right in.
Also your LFS should have given you the numbers not a "all parameters are perfect" cover statement. Instead of a first fish buy another master test kit....NOT API
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
My ammonia has been 0, like I said, I stirred up dust off of all my rocks, before I did that, ammonia and nitrites were 0, it just caused a little bit of ammonia. I'm not ordering them I decided to go to the petstore and buy them, I don't want to pay 35 dollar shipping for a 15 dollar fish, not for the first one atleast.
I'm going to check my water first, if ammonia is still present, then I'm going to wait until it goes back to 0, but it should be 0 today.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3460116
DO NOT ORDER ANY FISH UNTIL AMMONIA IS 0 AND NITRITES AS WELL! .25 is not 0 and 5 is not either....any reading at all means it is there, so do not order your fish until it is a total absolutly 0....I always wait a week after a 0 reading to make sure it stays 0 and you are just jumping right in.
Also your LFS should have given you the numbers not a "all parameters are perfect" cover statement. Instaed of a first fish buy another master test kit....NOT API
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3460119
My ammonia has been 0, like I said, I stirred up dust off of all my rocks, before I did that, ammonia and nitrites were 0, it just caused a little bit of ammonia. I'm not ordering them I decided to go to the petstore and buy them, I don't want to pay 35 dollar shipping for a 15 dollar fish, not for the first one atleast. She did give me numbers at the petstore, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate less than 5, she said everything was perfect, went home and my test kit gave me the same results as the fish store.
I'm going to check my water first, if ammonia is still present, then I'm going to wait until it goes back to 0, but it should be 0 today.
Also flower, my nitrates are less than 5, by what I have seen up to 40ppm for fish only is acceptable, plus i'm putting my refuge online and adding about 20 gallons of fresh salt water so that will be a water change.
My ammonia was very slight, and my nitrites were 0, so if I check today and my ammonia is back to 0, then its fish time!
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Guess i'm not getting a fish today, only one of my bags of sand will be delivered today, everything was supposed to be here today, but I don't know what happened. So I won't have my refuge online until tomorrow, then I'll add some fish if everythings ok.
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/200#post_3459041
Speak of ATO system, I heard that the water level in your reservoir has to be the same as the water level in your sump because of siphoning, is there a way, like drilling a small hole in your line right above the water level in the reservoir, to break the siphon?
Just keep the output from the ATO out of the water and above the level of the ATO reservoir and it won't start a siphon. For example, my ATO reservoir is a 33 gallon trash can sitting on the floor next to my tank and the output from the ATO pump is right above one of my overflows, but it doesn't touch the water.

If it touched the water, when the ATO pump turns off it could siphon saltwater into my reservoir. If I had the output of the pump going into my sump, since the water level in the reservoir is higher than my sump most of the time, once the pump starts pumping water into the tank it would start a siphon and would dump a bunch of freshwater into my sump.
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Well, I decided to go and get a pair of clownfish tonight, tempt acclimated for a half our, then drip acclimated for a half hour, then put them in, they seem very happy and are swimming around in a little spot in the tank!
I made sure they fed them before I bought it, they both ate without hesitation.

Taken on my iphone, its really blurry sorry
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric B 125 http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3460360
Just keep the output from the ATO out of the water and above the level of the ATO reservoir and it won't start a siphon. For example, my ATO reservoir is a 33 gallon trash can sitting on the floor next to my tank and the output from the ATO pump is right above one of my overflows, but it doesn't touch the water.

If it touched the water, when the ATO pump turns off it could siphon saltwater into my reservoir. If I had the output of the pump going into my sump, since the water level in the reservoir is higher than my sump most of the time, once the pump starts pumping water into the tank it would start a siphon and would dump a bunch of freshwater into my sump.
Thanks, thats a good idea, I didn't really think about plumbing the ato into the overflow, but it works the same way, and would allow for a much larger resevoir.
I'm only using a 5 gallon bucket as my resevoir, so all i'll have to do is hang the end of the line higher than the water level in the bucket and I should be set.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3460120
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x
My ammonia has been 0, like I said, I stirred up dust off of all my rocks, before I did that, ammonia and nitrites were 0, it just caused a little bit of ammonia. I'm not ordering them I decided to go to the petstore and buy them, I don't want to pay 35 dollar shipping for a 15 dollar fish, not for the first one atleast. She did give me numbers at the petstore, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate less than 5, she said everything was perfect, went home and my test kit gave me the same results as the fish store.
I'm going to check my water first, if ammonia is still present, then I'm going to wait until it goes back to 0, but it should be 0 today.
Also flower, my nitrates are less than 5, by what I have seen up to 40ppm for fish only is acceptable, plus i'm putting my refuge online and adding about 20 gallons of fresh salt water so that will be a water change.
My ammonia was very slight, and my nitrites were 0, so if I check today and my ammonia is back to 0, then its fish time!
Hi,
I'm not trying to be mean. Nitrates won't bother the fish, but dancing ammonia levels mean the tank isn't stable enough for life yet. I misread your post thinking your Nitrites are what you posted as being under 5. Any nitrites or ammonia = no fish yet. So that's why I answered as I did.
I'm telling you this, just to be helpful, and it's just my opinion...order your fish online. That way you get a 14 day guarantee. When you buy your fish at the LFS...if it dies in the bag on the way home...you get nothing. That guarantee is worth it's weight in gold, the cheap comes out expensive. You can save on the shipping by ordering multible items.
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3460397
Yes, I tested my ammonia and nitrite when I got home before I left, they were both 0, nitrates less than 5. I didn't want to order clownfish that are $12 each and pay $35 shipping for my first fish. I do however plan on ordering the rest of my fish and coral online, because that 14 day guarentee is very very nice.
 
njbillyv

njbillyv

Member
Great thread, nice build, congrats!
I would think carefully about buying fish online though. Here's my issue, to get the free shipping you have buy a lot of stuff. I'm a firm believer in adding things slowly, especially fish. One maybe two at a time tops, then give them time and make sure everything is okay. Also think about your fish wish list and do the research before you start buying things or you'll end up with things you don't want or having to catch fish (or worse, having them die off). And remember, add from least agressive (first) to most agressive (last).
Rushing things has been my biggest mistake.
Good luck.
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBillyV http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3460509
Great thread, nice build, congrats!
I would think carefully about buying fish online though. Here's my issue, to get the free shipping you have buy a lot of stuff. I'm a firm believer in adding things slowly, especially fish. One maybe two at a time tops, then give them time and make sure everything is okay. Also think about your fish wish list and do the research before you start buying things or you'll end up with things you don't want or having to catch fish (or worse, having them die off). And remember, add from least agressive (first) to most agressive (last).
Rushing things has been my biggest mistake.
Good luck.
Thank you :)
I plan on only adding one fish at a time, leaving about 2-3 weeks in between, I like the 14 day guarentee, so I will gladly pay the $35 for the shipping verus having to go buy a new fish if it didn't even make it home.
I have already checked my list for compatibility, and done research on each of the fish I plan on having.
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/389883/75-gallon-tank-build/220#post_3460366
I'm only using a 5 gallon bucket as my resevoir, so all i'll have to do is hang the end of the line higher than the water level in the bucket and I should be set.
A 5 gallon bucket will work fine, but it will need to be filled every other day or so.
So long as the output end of the ATO line is not resting in water. If it touches water then it will start a back siphon into your 5 gallon bucket.
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
I zip tied it up higher than the water level ever will be in the sump, I want to get a bigger reservoir, but right now I'm just using a 5 gallon bucket
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
My clownfish are doing well, they are eating, and seem to be very active. When I got them my ammonia and nitrite were both 0 and my nitrates were less than 5
Since I put them in the tank, the ammonia level has risen somewhere between .25 and .50, nitrites 0. I tested this morning and ammonia was still the same as yesterday, and my nitrites are starting to go up, so the bacteria is doing its job now.
I plan on doing a water change tonight, I need the water to start my QT as well, I have had a piece of foam brewing in my sump for the past two weeks to help start the cycle in my QT.
This morning my clownfish were swimming really close to the surface, I'm not sure if they were just waiting to be fed(they were at the surface yesterday, but not as long). Where I bought them at they got fed in the morning and evening, so I think maybe its just habit.
If you can't tell i'm slightly worried about my fish.
Also, I have been ghost feeding my tank since about the second week into the tank, I kept getting an ammonia and nitrite reading on my test kit, so a friend told me to go to a fish store and have it tested, sure enough my kit was bad, I bought a new kit and no ammonia or nitrite were present.
Came home to a missing fish already yesterday.... he made his way over the overflow with teeth, down my pipe and was chillin in my sump, I couldn't believe it already. Since then he doesn't go anywhere near that overflow :laughing:
 
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