rsanders
Member
Well I’m off and running so I thought I would share some thoughts and feelings since alot of what I know now comes from the feedback from the boards.
Just to give a little history, I bought my Dad’s 75g setup he used for freshwater: Tank, stand, two Mag350 canister filters, heater, a large airstone w/ pump, and net.
DAY 1:
I ordered online from a few diff sites- 90# of Fiji LR, 4x65 FL, Blue to Black Background, (also a guitar for my Daughter for Christmas), and a SeaClone150 skimmer. Totaling around $680-$700 so far.<less the GEEtar> Then I took a ride to the LFS w/ my GF and picked up 60# of LS, 3 bags of salt, and a tester for salinity, another $220. Got home, and started filling the tank w/ tap water and salt. After tweaking the salt a little, got it to the right salinity. Set up the mag filters to circulate the water.
I continue reading and reading to make sure I’m ready for this. So then guilt sets in and….
DAY2:
Ordered RO/DI 6 stage water filter for the good of the fishies. :happyfish Another $200 <damn>
DAY3:
After letting the tank sit full –o- water for a day, added the 3 bags of LS (60#).
DAY4:
Checked levels w/ test kits and everything looks fine. LFS says I may not go through a full cycle since I put in all the LS so I picked up two Damsels and threw ‘em in.<after proper acclimation>
DAY5:
UPS dropped off the lights. After opening them up, I have to take it apart somewhat to get the moonlights in the proper places. Total install of the lights and timers took around an hour and a half to two hours. My little Damsels are rocking and rolling around this tank. They look funny.. two little fish in a big empty 75 gal w/ LS. They dug little holes in the sand like bunkers that they live in. My kids are loving them.:cheer:
DAY6:
I knew the LR was coming today so before the rock arrived, I ran out and picked up two 38 gallon Rubbermaid trashcans with lids, $8each, and an extra heater from the LFS. FEDX dropped off the 90# of LR. Up until this point in time, I haven’t really been getting very excited about the whole thing. A little while at the fish store admiring some of my future livestock, but it all still feels far away. Until I opened up the boxes of LR. :yes:
I expected them to not be very good since I budget shopped but boy was I surprised. The rock looked great! It looked right on the pix of the Fiji premium stuff on the sites. The smell of the opened boxes reminded me of the ocean. I know that doesn’t seem like much but I grew up a surfer in Florida and moved here to Ohio two years ago. SHELL SHOCK. So smelling these boxes got me excited. Now I can see the goal getting closer. . I was ready so I scrubbed the rock, cleaned it off in one can then rested it in the other. While doing this UPS dropped off my skimmer so as soon as I finished getting the rock scrubbed and in the can w/ water, I put together the skimmer and tossed it on the can to help move the water. I also tossed in the heater and airstone to keep it heated and moving. Right now it’s about 81 degrees in there and I’m keeping the lid on it best I can to keep any light out.
SHEEW… hard day. :sleepy: Hands are raw from the rock and arms and back are sore from carrying everything. So before I called it a day, I cleaned out the two 5 gallon buckets and trash can. Then I mixed some fresh saltwater so it can age a few days before using it for the rocks water change. My plan is to take the rocks out of one, give them a little scrub, then place them in the fresh one. Then move over all the equipment to the can with the rocks, and clean out the used one and get it ready for the rocks to come back.
So that’s where I’m at… End of day six. I’m exhausted. I have a seat to admire the two Damsels in the tank for awhile. They seem to be getting along great and doing well. Both eating and swimming about. One is a Blue Devil, the other a Domino. :happyfish We named them Blue Steel and Magnum.
NEXT:
My son (5yrs) and I are planning to change the rock in a few days and just wait for it to cure. The tank seems to be doing fine. I am checking the levels and I’m not sure what’s going on. Everything is reading just fine. I have been slightly overfeeding to help the tank cycle but I’m not sure if it is or not. I’ll keep you posted.
~R
:cheer:
Just to give a little history, I bought my Dad’s 75g setup he used for freshwater: Tank, stand, two Mag350 canister filters, heater, a large airstone w/ pump, and net.
DAY 1:
I ordered online from a few diff sites- 90# of Fiji LR, 4x65 FL, Blue to Black Background, (also a guitar for my Daughter for Christmas), and a SeaClone150 skimmer. Totaling around $680-$700 so far.<less the GEEtar> Then I took a ride to the LFS w/ my GF and picked up 60# of LS, 3 bags of salt, and a tester for salinity, another $220. Got home, and started filling the tank w/ tap water and salt. After tweaking the salt a little, got it to the right salinity. Set up the mag filters to circulate the water.
I continue reading and reading to make sure I’m ready for this. So then guilt sets in and….
DAY2:
Ordered RO/DI 6 stage water filter for the good of the fishies. :happyfish Another $200 <damn>
DAY3:
After letting the tank sit full –o- water for a day, added the 3 bags of LS (60#).
DAY4:
Checked levels w/ test kits and everything looks fine. LFS says I may not go through a full cycle since I put in all the LS so I picked up two Damsels and threw ‘em in.<after proper acclimation>
DAY5:
UPS dropped off the lights. After opening them up, I have to take it apart somewhat to get the moonlights in the proper places. Total install of the lights and timers took around an hour and a half to two hours. My little Damsels are rocking and rolling around this tank. They look funny.. two little fish in a big empty 75 gal w/ LS. They dug little holes in the sand like bunkers that they live in. My kids are loving them.:cheer:
DAY6:
I knew the LR was coming today so before the rock arrived, I ran out and picked up two 38 gallon Rubbermaid trashcans with lids, $8each, and an extra heater from the LFS. FEDX dropped off the 90# of LR. Up until this point in time, I haven’t really been getting very excited about the whole thing. A little while at the fish store admiring some of my future livestock, but it all still feels far away. Until I opened up the boxes of LR. :yes:
I expected them to not be very good since I budget shopped but boy was I surprised. The rock looked great! It looked right on the pix of the Fiji premium stuff on the sites. The smell of the opened boxes reminded me of the ocean. I know that doesn’t seem like much but I grew up a surfer in Florida and moved here to Ohio two years ago. SHELL SHOCK. So smelling these boxes got me excited. Now I can see the goal getting closer. . I was ready so I scrubbed the rock, cleaned it off in one can then rested it in the other. While doing this UPS dropped off my skimmer so as soon as I finished getting the rock scrubbed and in the can w/ water, I put together the skimmer and tossed it on the can to help move the water. I also tossed in the heater and airstone to keep it heated and moving. Right now it’s about 81 degrees in there and I’m keeping the lid on it best I can to keep any light out.
SHEEW… hard day. :sleepy: Hands are raw from the rock and arms and back are sore from carrying everything. So before I called it a day, I cleaned out the two 5 gallon buckets and trash can. Then I mixed some fresh saltwater so it can age a few days before using it for the rocks water change. My plan is to take the rocks out of one, give them a little scrub, then place them in the fresh one. Then move over all the equipment to the can with the rocks, and clean out the used one and get it ready for the rocks to come back.
So that’s where I’m at… End of day six. I’m exhausted. I have a seat to admire the two Damsels in the tank for awhile. They seem to be getting along great and doing well. Both eating and swimming about. One is a Blue Devil, the other a Domino. :happyfish We named them Blue Steel and Magnum.
NEXT:
My son (5yrs) and I are planning to change the rock in a few days and just wait for it to cure. The tank seems to be doing fine. I am checking the levels and I’m not sure what’s going on. Everything is reading just fine. I have been slightly overfeeding to help the tank cycle but I’m not sure if it is or not. I’ll keep you posted.
~R
:cheer:
