New Reef Tank Progression (Pics)

[f1shman]

okay brb, im scooping it up. will the PH let the water clear up faster or slower? because the movement would be moving the sand particles arund not letting them settle?

 

[f1shman]

Jer, when i say PH i mean my powerheads :joy: i temporarily took them out while I added the sand. Filtration wavemaker, protein skimmer (getting tommrow) 45 lbs of LR (getting tommrow) and LS, i may get a sump or fuge later on. The lighting I have now is a 280 watt metal halide/ power compact/ lunar light combo. I'll probably add more LR soon after i get the delievery tommrow so it can really do its filtration job.

 

[jer4916]

sounds like a sweet system, myself i would just put your live rock in, and not run anything in the tank untill its settled other then some type of filter to pull crap out of the water. I wouldn't run a skimmer while cycling though.
~chris

 

[f1shman]

Okay, well I'm probably just gonna leave the water with no powerheads and just the moonlights over night. I'll see how clear it is in the mornign adn if it looks pretty clear I'll just put 1 or 2 of the powerheads back in. Then add the LR when it comes, hopefully it doesnt get TOO cloudy from that and the protein skimmer i'll have will take care of the stagnant water problem. I'll check for ammonia tommrow morning too, see if the sand started it.

 

[f1shman]

Like wut type of filter? because my main filtration is the LR. and my protein skimmer ill be getting tomrow has a sponge filter thing before it, so i may hook that up, and i think it takes like a week to really start working anyways.

 

[f1shman]

latino said he thinks it would be okay if i let it be stagnant over night, you agree?

 

[jer4916]

i would let it sit there over night, with nothing really moving in the tank, let gravity do its job.
~chris

 

[f1shman]

Update: i took out a scoop of the water and didn't see any sand particles, just blurry water, so I put one powerhead in, the worst that could happen is that the powerhead breaks and i end up spending $15 for a new one, but I don't think it will break.

 

[jer4916]

im in love my tank is breaking out in coraline alage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...little blotchs everywhere!!!!!!!!!!
~chris
sorry im just excited.

 

[latino277]

just keep the PH pointing to the serface and your be ok.... don't expect the water to be cristal clear tomorrow. you going ot have this .... milk shake effect for a little while.

 

[f1shman]

yup i have it pointed straight up, well as far up as it goes, (not that high) i hope it looks a lil better tommrow. im excited to get my protein skimmer and live rock! WOOHOO i'll get some pics tommrow of the rock in and out of my tank.

 

[jer4916]

i've read a few books that state NOT to add a protein skimmer while cycling. Please read a book on it, or something and make sure its ok....
(just looking out for your new reef)
~chris
:jumping:

 

[f1shman]

Update: after leaving the sand stay with one powerhead facing upwards, it is still incredbly cloudy. Do'h.

 

[latino277]

it's going to be like that for a few days. it will get better when you get the sponges. it's will not affect you water/setup in anyway other than .... looking like a mike shake... lol

 

[f1shman]

its gonna be hard adding the rock

not being able to see anything. I have an extra 5 gallon bucket of saltwater that i was gonna use to quickly rinse them and scrub off some stuff. Maybe if i just left them in the bucket until the sand went down? what do you think?

 

[latino277]

Put the rock in the tank so it starts to cycle... if you don't like that aquascaping... you can alway change it.

 

[f1shman]

okay, i'll test for ammonia after I add them. Can I run my protein skimmer? Jer says no, but many other people say that it does't matter, also it takes about a week for the skimmer to really start working anyways, so it wouldn't be doing much damage if I had it on.

 

[latino277]

it really doesn't matter, as far as I know. the only down side I can think of is that it will start to take out the Ammo/trate/trite... and you want you rock to process as much of that as possible. but i don't think it would be that big of a factor :thinking: :notsure:

 

[f1shman]

Update: recieved live rock, wil take picture of it all out of box, and picture of it in tank, stay tuned. I just plan on rinsing in it a 5 gallon bucket of salt water and scrubbing with a toothbrush, then putting in.

 

[f1shman]

this washing is stinging my finger nails! lol