Chuck's DIY journal
- Thread starter chuckcac
- Start date
chuckcac
Member
i've tried different temperatures, flowrates, freshwater, saltwater, white vinegar, scrubed em, dried em out, air cured, soaked em again... theyve been in & out of every mix of water i could think of since the second week in JULY!!!!!!
my clownfish has been in quarentine for 3 months now.....
i am
totally frustrated...
totally annoyed...
totally out of ideas....
totally saving up for some live rock....
anyone wanna buy some concrete???
my clownfish has been in quarentine for 3 months now.....
i am
totally frustrated...
totally annoyed...
totally out of ideas....
totally saving up for some live rock....
anyone wanna buy some concrete???
grubsnaek
Active Member
really the pH is still that high huh....wonder whats wrong. i hear on just buying the live rock and cuttin your losses...but damn to be honest, if it worked out for ya i was jumping on board for the DIY live rock...
chuck you should know that. i have been following this and askin questions since you started the experiment... dont give in. honestly have you even considered letting them dry out. and trying a different batch. not to try to have you spend even more money. but you deffinetly have more experience with it than me. and im really pulling for ya on this...again if it works for you im trying it,just waiting on something that says "go an try it" basically.
chuck you should know that. i have been following this and askin questions since you started the experiment... dont give in. honestly have you even considered letting them dry out. and trying a different batch. not to try to have you spend even more money. but you deffinetly have more experience with it than me. and im really pulling for ya on this...again if it works for you im trying it,just waiting on something that says "go an try it" basically.
chuckcac
Member
so.... to all those faithfull readers....
two weeks ago - i took ALL of the rocks out of water took 50# of my favorites and scrubbed them down with white vinegar. I mean SCRUBBED EM like a crazy monkey... then i put the 50# back in water with a powerhead & a constant trickle from the gardern hose. and i left the other 60-70# out for now.
This Sat morning. i tested them - and they read 8.2!!!!!!!
i thought it to be a mistake - so i tested again - 8.2 again....
just to be sure - i emptied all of the water & refilled to let them sit overnight to try again on sunday...
36 hours later - 8.2!!!!
50# of DIY are now FINALLY in my tank!!!!!
my thread can finally move on.....
i will post pics tomorrow! (when the sand storm dies down)
two weeks ago - i took ALL of the rocks out of water took 50# of my favorites and scrubbed them down with white vinegar. I mean SCRUBBED EM like a crazy monkey... then i put the 50# back in water with a powerhead & a constant trickle from the gardern hose. and i left the other 60-70# out for now.
This Sat morning. i tested them - and they read 8.2!!!!!!!
i thought it to be a mistake - so i tested again - 8.2 again....
just to be sure - i emptied all of the water & refilled to let them sit overnight to try again on sunday...
36 hours later - 8.2!!!!
50# of DIY are now FINALLY in my tank!!!!!
my thread can finally move on.....
i will post pics tomorrow! (when the sand storm dies down)
seschaefer
Member
I have been looking into starting a new saltwater tank. Girlfriend said her or the tank. Poor desicion on my part.
But anyway reading this thread has made me really start looking into buliding it from the ground up myself, and really started me in the right direction. Thanks so much and Keep up the outstanding work. Can't wait to read more about it.
Originally Posted by seschaefer
I have been looking into starting a new saltwater tank. Girlfriend said her or the tank. Poor desicion on my part.
But anyway reading this thread has made me really start looking into buliding it from the ground up myself, and really started me in the right direction. Thanks so much and Keep up the outstanding work. Can't wait to read more about it.
Hmm, I if I were given an ultimatum like that I might have to start loooking for a new girlfriend!!
I have been looking into starting a new saltwater tank. Girlfriend said her or the tank. Poor desicion on my part.
Hmm, I if I were given an ultimatum like that I might have to start loooking for a new girlfriend!!
seschaefer
Member
Originally Posted by DragonZim
Hmm, I if I were given an ultimatum like that I might have to start loooking for a new girlfriend!!
You would think so, but it kind of saved me because i needed to get my parents a christmas present and they had been asking an awful lot about my tank. So Merry Christmas mom and dad. Allows me for much bigger and better things. Plans are to build for a 180 gal tank. Hope to start next November will have some money saved up for it by then. It is going to be a long planning process but should save me a bunch of money in the end with all the great information i am gathering from this website.
-Sean
Hmm, I if I were given an ultimatum like that I might have to start loooking for a new girlfriend!!
You would think so, but it kind of saved me because i needed to get my parents a christmas present and they had been asking an awful lot about my tank. So Merry Christmas mom and dad. Allows me for much bigger and better things. Plans are to build for a 180 gal tank. Hope to start next November will have some money saved up for it by then. It is going to be a long planning process but should save me a bunch of money in the end with all the great information i am gathering from this website.
-Sean
chuckcac
Member
thanks everyone for the support...
sean - you're totally doing it right... go slow, spend little, DIY alot=learn alot,
Dragon & I are lucky guys to have enthusiastic marine lovin-women in our lives....
i suggest taking the GF to the LFS to see all the "cute little Nemo's" - it'll help
sean - you're totally doing it right... go slow, spend little, DIY alot=learn alot,
Dragon & I are lucky guys to have enthusiastic marine lovin-women in our lives....
i suggest taking the GF to the LFS to see all the "cute little Nemo's" - it'll help
chuckcac
Member
and what we've been waiting for....
after 11 months here's where i am with everything...
there is roughly 40-50# base rock in there... i've got another 15-20# that i need to scrub-a-dub-dub to complete the cure process. thsi weekend(if i can find time) i'm buying another 20# of 'cured' LR at a LFS nearby...
next week my clownfish is moving in, and i'm getting a bunch of inverts... & a yellow watchman goby for the QT....
Back on Track...
drumroll.....
![](http://" alt=)
after 11 months here's where i am with everything...
there is roughly 40-50# base rock in there... i've got another 15-20# that i need to scrub-a-dub-dub to complete the cure process. thsi weekend(if i can find time) i'm buying another 20# of 'cured' LR at a LFS nearby...
next week my clownfish is moving in, and i'm getting a bunch of inverts... & a yellow watchman goby for the QT....
Back on Track...
drumroll.....
draginit
New Member
chuck, very nice work!! your sump design is almost identical to what i am going with and after seeing yours im changing it up just enough to pretty much follow its design. i was reading thru everything pretty fast but going to use this thread to keep referring back to for ideas. i especially was happy to see all the plumbing completed without drilling any holes in the sump or tank. i was hoping to be able to do something like that.
-nice work!!
-nice work!!
chuckcac
Member
Originally Posted by draginit
chuck, very nice work!! your sump design is almost identical to what i am going with and after seeing yours im changing it up just enough to pretty much follow its design. i was reading thru everything pretty fast but going to use this thread to keep referring back to for ideas. i especially was happy to see all the plumbing completed without drilling any holes in the sump or tank. i was hoping to be able to do something like that.
-nice work!!
thanks man -
fell free to ask me any questions you have while you make yours... i'll offer any advice i can...
chuck, very nice work!! your sump design is almost identical to what i am going with and after seeing yours im changing it up just enough to pretty much follow its design. i was reading thru everything pretty fast but going to use this thread to keep referring back to for ideas. i especially was happy to see all the plumbing completed without drilling any holes in the sump or tank. i was hoping to be able to do something like that.
-nice work!!
thanks man -
fell free to ask me any questions you have while you make yours... i'll offer any advice i can...
