I hope I can swim.... (First venture into Saltwater 29g build)

[southern wolf]

Im still trying to tweek the idea. Once I started putting it on paper last night I realized that the cabinet (at the farthest point) would be about 4 foot from the wall and that there would be about 2 foot of waisted space behind the display tank.
Since I haven't made up my mind on the layout I didn't get any building supplies while I was at lowes today.... but I did get some goodies for my gardens. I've been playing in the soil today

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/390512/i-hope-i-can-swim/20#post_3461827
It's a sweet idea, but now my build just got 10x more complicated and prolly at least 5x more expensive.

Story of my life right there lol.

 

[southern wolf]

I am still up in the air about the stand design... and that is probably a good thing.
Over the course of the last couple days I have been getting a bit of work done around the house and I realized just how many projects I have going at this time. In all honesty... it's too many projects to take on another major project.
Due to the fact that I would be drilling the 52g and building a new stand I have to classify that salt tank another major project. Especially with the stand my mind is seeing. I see it getting heavily into my pocket... .and that's $$$'s that get taken away from the projects I currently have going.
BUT......
I don't really want to give up my desires for a salt tank either.... so I am just going to have to compromise with myself. At least for the time being.
This journey is taking a slight detour. In order to cut costs I have had to make some changes. I can no longer use my 52g.
I have decided to start my first salt tank using my 45g cube. The stand is in good shape so I wont have to spend any money building a new stand. Aside from that tank not being drilled... it's pretty much plug and play ready. Plug in some sort of filter and start playing.
I dont know if I can get a fuge in the stand or what size it could be. I'll have to take some measurements and see what will fit (if anything). Chance's are... I'll end up taking the easy way out and either go with a HOB double biowheel filter or a canister. I know the fuge would be a better option and I am not going to rule it out. But just in case... which option would be better. The HOB or the canister?
It seems like I am starting all over from scratch ..... but after consideration, I just don't see the funds being there for the 52g build. I just have too much other stuff pulling at my checkbook.
So just so I can get all the facts... what would be the pro's and cons of both the HOB filter or Canister filter?

 

[travelerjp98]

Got on this late... but following!

 

[southern wolf]

You're not late traveler.... it hasn't went anywhere yet. So I guess that means your right on time.

 

[gemmy]

What you can do is get the canister and mod a HOB filter so that it will serve as a HOB fuge. It can work.

 

[southern wolf]

Im at a loss... the indecisions of a noobie.
Do I start with my 29g or wait and start my 45g. I think I want to build a corner cabinet for the 45g which would set that tank back a bit... and I'd prolly also go with a macro algae fuge.... or I could start with the 29 and then eventually get the 45 up and running.
Someone just shoot me and put me out of your misery.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Lol. Get and do with what money you have. If its a project you want to take years doing, save up for a much larger tank and use that 45 as a sump! Lol
Just set up the 29. Lol

 

[southern wolf]

Shhhhhh dont tell no one.... but I see

I decided to go with my 29gal because everything all the way around is going to be cheaper. It will allow me to have my salt tank and also deal with what else I have going on.
Now for my first problem.
I put the salt in and not all of it dissolved

I've stirred it up with the power head and it just floats back to the bottom. I finally got my refractometer in today and my water is not saturated. It's not even up to the 1.020 line so either this needs to dissolve some how or I need to add more salt. I am using Instant Ocean salt.
What should I do?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/390512/i-hope-i-can-swim/40#post_3465320
Shhhhhh dont tell no one.... but I see

I decided to go with my 29gal because everything all the way around is going to be cheaper. It will allow me to have my salt tank and also deal with what else I have going on.
Now for my first problem.
I put the salt in and not all of it dissolved

I've stirred it up with the power head and it just floats back to the bottom. I finally got my refractometer in today and my water is not saturated. It's not even up to the 1.020 line so either this needs to dissolve some how or I need to add more salt. I am using Instant Ocean salt.
What should I do?
Add more salt to bring the SG up to 1.023 and keep the power head churning. A heater in the tank might help it dissolve. Once you add the sand...it won't matter. JMO

 

[icedtc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/390512/i-hope-i-can-swim/40#post_3465320
I've stirred it up with the power head and it just floats back to the bottom. I finally got my refractometer in today and my water is not saturated. It's not even up to the 1.020 line so either this needs to dissolve some how or I need to add more salt. I am using Instant Ocean salt.
What should I do?
I use Reef Crystals and always seem to have the settlement issue when I'm mixing it in my 20 gallon trash cans, even with a powerhead in there. I have a really long 36" cleaning rod for my tank glass so what I do it mix my batch up like I'm churning butter!
Once I do that twice it seems to do the trick!

 

[southern wolf]

So they go away for you? I tired to stir them around with a kitchen spoon... long slotted spoon and all it did was suspend them in the water for a bit then they fell back to the bottom.

 

[icedtc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/390512/i-hope-i-can-swim/40#post_3465388
So they go away for you? I tired to stir them around with a kitchen spoon... long slotted spoon and all it did was suspend them in the water for a bit then they fell back to the bottom.
It does go away for me...but it might be easier since I'm doing it in a trash can. I point my powerhead at an angle and when I stir it all up I go in the same direction...so when i'm done mixing like a maniac it still swirls around in that ditrection very well for a good 15 minutes or so.
But like Flower said, if you do all you can and it still won't go away just get it up to your ideal level (with it still on the bottom) and it will be covered by your sand and not effect anything.

 

[southern wolf]

Ok... tonight when I get home I'll add some more salt to the water.
Now I have a question on reading the refractometer. I know it's marked at 1.020 and again at 1.030. About half way between those is a larger mark which I am assuming is 1.025 and then it has several smaller marks between that and the next labeled mark.
So would one small hash mark above the halfway point be 1.026 and the one hash mark below be 1.024?

 

[southern wolf]

Ok... need some more advice from the guys and gals that have done it.
It will be Friday of next week at the earlist before I can get to my "not so local fish store" to pick up live rock and sand. I am looking at what SWF offers and I'm not sure which is the best way to go.
I've already figured out that I need about 20lbs of sand for a 1.5" bed. Actually that came out to around 22lbs but Im not going to buy another 10 just to get 2 pounds.
My question revolves around the live rock though. I have no idea what kind to get or how much. Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/390512/i-hope-i-can-swim-first-venture-into-saltwater-29g-build/40#post_3465394
Ok... need some more advice from the guys and gals that have done it.
It will be Friday of next week at the earlist before I can get to my "not so local fish store" to pick up live rock and sand. I am looking at what SWF offers and I'm not sure which is the best way to go.
I've already figured out that I need about 20lbs of sand for a 1.5" bed. Actually that came out to around 22lbs but Im not going to buy another 10 just to get 2 pounds.
My question revolves around the live rock though. I have no idea what kind to get or how much. Any help on this would be appreciated.
Hi,
Rock goes in before the sand...You shouldn't build on sand, it shifts and could break the glass or crush your critters...or both.
You need a variety of rocks...branch, round with cool shapes with nooks and cranies and ledges. You want as much blue on it as you can find. I hand picked each piece of my rock. I knew I would be looking at that rock for a very long time...LOL so I figured I should make sure I'm happy with it. Lots of folks just order their rocks and figure out how to aquascape it when they get it. It really is up to you. I have yet to be unhappy with anything from SWF.com that I have ordered.

 

[southern wolf]

I am still attempting to get my salt levels up to where they should be. One thing I have noticed... it takes A LOT of salt to make saltwater. I could have swore that I counted 28 half cup scoops when I was doing the initial mix. According to the bag it said a half of cup per gallon so I figured I'd be light and I'd have to add some more. But... I was thinking better to have to little than too much.... cause I can always add more. Well... I've added at least another cup of salt and Im still not there. I'll check it again tonight and see where it is. At last reading I finally got it up to 1.020 or maybe it was 1.019 It was just barely below the 020 mark.
I am shooting for 1.023 correct?

 

[southern wolf]

As I sit here with nothing better to do than think of thing's I want to do... I had a thought come to me. I'd really like my tank in a different room. So now I get to move a bunch of stuff around so I can accomodate that desire. Good thing is my tank is pretty light. It only has 29 gallons of water in it. No rock or sand.
Now the question is... how many of ya'll actually thought I was going to try and pick up a tank with 29 gallons of water in it?
Haaaa not this redneck. Im gonna transfer the water into buckets and move it.. .then dump the water back in But at least I don't have to work with the weight of the sand or rocks that could have been in there.

 

[icedtc]

Haha I've done that a few times myself.
Best $30 bucks I ever spent was on a Maxijet 1200 and about 10' of vinyl tubing. So when I have to do water changes (or move my tank lol) it's a heck of a lot easier.
Also in regards to your salinity question I keep my tank at 1.025 but the general rule of thumb I believe is from 1.023-1.026 depending on who you ask. I bought a new book with many peoples setups highly detailed inside and they keep them from those varying levels. The key is to keep it constant.

 

[reefkprz]

I run all my reef tanks at 1.027, have for years.
the white stuff you see settling out is probably precipitated calcium, at this point you can consider it free oolitic calcerous sand as it will probably never dissolve. this tends to happen in salt mixes that get exposed to moisture/stored too long. I would test your calcium levels and see what the salt mix is supposed to contain in ppm at its mixed ratio. like my salt mix is supposed to contain 560-575 calcium at 1.024-1.026. if your calcium falls below what the salt mix is supposed to contain that will tell you it is in fact calcium