New Introduction

proteus5

proteus5

New Member
Hello,
I'm Robert, and have lurked here for a couple months. I've found great info, and have started a 29 Gal tank. I've had freshwater for years and thought I'd give this satlwater thing a try. I've been getting equipment a little at a time, and just set up my tank.
I wasn't qiuite ready to yet but my LFS just got in thier shipment of live rock, so I had to move on it since they only order it on occasion. Anyway I got a 50 pound box, filled my tank with distilled water(haven't got a RO unit yet)/ instant Ocean salt, lightly cleaned the rock and put it into the tank.
at the start
PH 7.8 -8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Temp 79
After 48 hours I now have
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0 to .25 (hard to tell the color thier so close)
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 80
Temp 79
I didn't really think the cycle would start this fast, so I guess the live rock is truly live
Haven't seen any critters yet though.
My equipment so far is of course the 29 gallon tank, 2 Korilla PHs, heater, and a Rena XP2 Canister filter used for water movement since it has no media in it. Once the cycle is done, I'll put in some carbon simce my water has a yellow tint from the LR, and also some of the rubble from the LR.
I'm only planning a pair of Clowns for the tank (it'll be FOWLR for now), starting small and may build to a larger tank in a year or so if this goes well.
How does it sound so far????
I'll try to post some pics in a day or two.
Robert
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
OH NO...ANother lurker....LOL....just kidding you
WELCOME to swf...you sound like you have a good start to things....just keep testing and you will know where you are in your cycle
any pics????
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Bulldog123
http:///forum/post/3062208
Distilled water
Someone help me out here
Im not say its right or wrong just the first time ive seen it
NO...I think you are right....Distilled water is not what you want....if you are buying it from the store you want RO...the DI that we use is deionized...not the same as distilled...I have no clue if you can buy that or not...
 
proteus5

proteus5

New Member
Distilled water is pure water, and untill I'm able to get a RO/DI unit it's my only choice. According to here it should be OK, if it's not please correct me.
*** I am very sorry but links to other forums and/or other stores are not allowed n this site. I am sure that you didn't know -Sep
I also searched here, and it sounds like it's OK to use. Anyway I'm only using it at the moment to cycle my live rock.
I tested the distilled water before and after I added the salt mix, and every thing tested 0, Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite.
Now afte r48 hours, it looks like my cycle is going, see the above parameters
Robert
Robert
 
proteus5

proteus5

New Member
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/post/3062261
I realize I may be tired..but where does it mention DISTILLED water in that article???
The first paragraph says:
"There is no doubt that the best source water that can be used is distilled water. However, that is expensive on a large scale and, for other than an aquarium under 50 gallons, isn't too attractive."
also if you search the salwaterfish forum for distilled you also find others using it. Ex
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/358002/distilled-water-ok
and also
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/356352/distilled-water
So it should be OK until I can get an RO/DI unit, It just cost me 99 cents a gallon, so $30 to start (expensive I know, but I needed to get the LR into water) and $3-$6 for a 10% to 20% water change once I get started, but hope to have the RO before then. The grocery store does have RO drinking water but I didn't go for that because it siad "Minerals added for taste" but didn't say what, and the distilled water says "Pure Water with no additives". And if you taste it, it has a very flat taste. The Instant Ocean salt mix adds to the water what we need as far as minerals the same as it would to RO/DI water.
Robert
 
mjlogan

mjlogan

Member
I buy my RO/DI water at the grocery store. All i had to do is check around untill i found a place that had it. I only pay 33 cents a gallon too.
 
proteus5

proteus5

New Member
Meowzer,
RO from walmart is probably OK too, I just didn't want to go there. (really hate walmart, but that's another story
)
Anyway, another question, since my Nitrates are 80 (from 0 after only 48 hours) , and the Nitrite is 1 Ammonia looks to be 0 to .25, How high should I let the Nitrates get before a water change? I know for freshwater you leave it alone until the cycle completes, but is it the same for saltwater which is more sensitive to Nitrate, or is that only after fish and inverts are added????
Thanks......
Robert
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
The only real store I have to go to is a dumb Walmart....WITH SW when you cycle...ammonia goes up....then down and nitrites go up...then down and trates go up....trates in sw are not toxic to the fish....ammonia and trites are though...
it will take a few weeks for your initialcycle
 
katsafados

katsafados

Active Member
Robert since you have the XP2 filter, and are using it for water movement and guessing you use the spray bar you should think about modding it like I did.
I drilled holes(same size as the others) into the spray bar in different directions inbetween the holes that came stock with it. Placed it vertically in a corner of the tank rather than horizontally and it works great at creating more of a current. The spray shoots in different directions now rather than just straight.
Heres a bad pic of what I did.
Attachment 226245
Just an Idea.

 
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