meglovin
New Member
I have had freshwater aquariums since I was 13 or 14, and I finally decided in June of this year that I was ready to try my hand at saltwater. I read a magazine and saw the mandarin goby in its pages; although I have since reconsidered adding this fish to my system, his appearance and colors sparked my interest in the hobby.
After months of research, searching for good deals (considering I'm a college student), and picking up bits and pieces of required "materials" as they went on sale, I was ready to begin.
November 11:
I was lucky enough to have picked up this 29 gallon BioCube from my boyfriend's uncle. The tank and everything shown was completely FREE. After 3 hours of some elbow grease, a toothbrush, and some vinegar, I got the tank looking in a much better condition.
After the tank was cleaned, I took the 20 pounds of "dead" live rock I was given in addition to the tank and bleached it for a week. The rocks were then rinsed and left to sit in conditioned freshwater for 10 days. Finally, for the last few days, I set them out in the sun to dry.
December 2:
I went to the store and picked up 15 gallons of saltwater and transported them home in $4 Walmart plastic containers (not a good idea.) Needless to say, the water sloshed around in the backseat of my car and I lost 2-3 gallons. -.- With the water that survived, I set up the tank, added the water, and added the sand.
I drove 30 minutes back to the store to get the rest of the water, this time ensuring that it was only filled half way, and I brought an extra Rubbermaid container. I also got 2 pieces of live rock. Added it all to my tank, set up the tiler, and voila! Once everything was running, I started my ghost feeding process and will continue to do so for a few days until my ammonia is acceptable.
After months of research, searching for good deals (considering I'm a college student), and picking up bits and pieces of required "materials" as they went on sale, I was ready to begin.
November 11:
I was lucky enough to have picked up this 29 gallon BioCube from my boyfriend's uncle. The tank and everything shown was completely FREE. After 3 hours of some elbow grease, a toothbrush, and some vinegar, I got the tank looking in a much better condition.
After the tank was cleaned, I took the 20 pounds of "dead" live rock I was given in addition to the tank and bleached it for a week. The rocks were then rinsed and left to sit in conditioned freshwater for 10 days. Finally, for the last few days, I set them out in the sun to dry.
December 2:
I went to the store and picked up 15 gallons of saltwater and transported them home in $4 Walmart plastic containers (not a good idea.) Needless to say, the water sloshed around in the backseat of my car and I lost 2-3 gallons. -.- With the water that survived, I set up the tank, added the water, and added the sand.
I drove 30 minutes back to the store to get the rest of the water, this time ensuring that it was only filled half way, and I brought an extra Rubbermaid container. I also got 2 pieces of live rock. Added it all to my tank, set up the tiler, and voila! Once everything was running, I started my ghost feeding process and will continue to do so for a few days until my ammonia is acceptable.
