firefightremtp
Member
I think you have the best idea as to your PH, just messing with them until they dont stir up the sand...
On the other hand your tank is looking great!
~grace
On the other hand your tank is looking great!
~grace
Starting over
- Thread starter handbanana
- Start date
jaxfishgirl
Active Member
thats funny you mentioned that, I woke up the morning with a huge canyon in the front of my tank. Straight to the glass, so weird it happened overnight and not the past 20 days i have been cycling. But yeah...i messed with the PHs and now no problem..so far.
handbanana
Member
Thanks Firefighter! I think My tiny Hitchhiker hermit got buried.....someware.
Maybe he will dig himself out? Or i might mount a rescue operation.
Maybe he will dig himself out? Or i might mount a rescue operation.
handbanana
Member
I was wondering how long befor something happens in my tank, some sort of growth? I cant shake the feeling that something is wrong in my tank.
I hear about Algee blooms and Diatomes shortly after a cycle and Im still waiiting. My water Params are all normal except the niterates wich is at 20 ppm. Ive been doing ten gal water changes every weekend. Ive read about overnight diatom blooms.
Its proabally normal that nothing has happened yet but Its so bare in my tank. Thought my LR would be ineresting to look at but its very plain and theres nothing on it anymore. Everything looks dead. Am I being Impatient?
I hear about Algee blooms and Diatomes shortly after a cycle and Im still waiiting. My water Params are all normal except the niterates wich is at 20 ppm. Ive been doing ten gal water changes every weekend. Ive read about overnight diatom blooms.
Its proabally normal that nothing has happened yet but Its so bare in my tank. Thought my LR would be ineresting to look at but its very plain and theres nothing on it anymore. Everything looks dead. Am I being Impatient?
mony97
Member
So I assume your cycle is over, and normal parameters are ammonia 0, trites 0, pH 8.2-8.4?
Diatom blooms are common but not guaranteed like a cycle would be in a new tank, I did not get a diatom bloom until I added my CUC and fish. Even then it was very minimal and only lasted a short time.
Also with your frequent water changes, and sand etc. having sat so long there might not be a food source for the diatoms to grow. The silicates in your sand may be low or gone, not allowing them to grow and bloom.
I wouldnt worry about it and it is even less boring to look at your tank with a good coating of brown
wait a few more days check your parameters and then add your CUC followed but your much awaited first fishies!! keep us updated.
Diatom blooms are common but not guaranteed like a cycle would be in a new tank, I did not get a diatom bloom until I added my CUC and fish. Even then it was very minimal and only lasted a short time.
Also with your frequent water changes, and sand etc. having sat so long there might not be a food source for the diatoms to grow. The silicates in your sand may be low or gone, not allowing them to grow and bloom.
I wouldnt worry about it and it is even less boring to look at your tank with a good coating of brown
wait a few more days check your parameters and then add your CUC followed but your much awaited first fishies!! keep us updated.
king_neptune
Active Member
Your gonna love your foam wall!I promise it was worth pulling out!
Those things put out tremendous bio filtration once they get all the pores populated. Also gives your fish lots of places to hide(which can be a bad thing if you have to get them out for emergency).
One funny side effect is your gonna have a lot of fish swimming sideways. For some reason they orient themselves with the wall thinking its the sea floor. At first I thought my fish was defective, but then it happened to several other fish. Then it hit me when I saw them swimming around the LR, yet upright.
I think you can still salvage your old tank. I put up some acrylic bracers on my 125DT. You just gotta let them sit a week before adding water, that lets them bond properly.
Those things put out tremendous bio filtration once they get all the pores populated. Also gives your fish lots of places to hide(which can be a bad thing if you have to get them out for emergency).
One funny side effect is your gonna have a lot of fish swimming sideways. For some reason they orient themselves with the wall thinking its the sea floor. At first I thought my fish was defective, but then it happened to several other fish. Then it hit me when I saw them swimming around the LR, yet upright.
I think you can still salvage your old tank. I put up some acrylic bracers on my 125DT. You just gotta let them sit a week before adding water, that lets them bond properly.
king_neptune
Active Member
Originally Posted by Handbanana
http:///forum/post/3214459
There is no "sandstorms" that I can see but in the morning I see that my caves are bare bottomed and there is a huge pile of sand at the entrance. ITs like a wind tunnel, water flows throughand gets compressed and increases the current and makes turbulence, mine does the same thing. Its honestly not something notice much since its behind.
Should I just keep moving my PHs around untill I find a good spot? Im a little reluctant to stick my hands back in the sand.
You wont hurt anything uf your skin is clean and free of any chemicles. Take a shower and rinse off if your concerned.
Oh yeah my PHs are a Koralia 2, a 3 and a maxijet 900 with the mod kit on it.
Maybe this is something I should just mess around with till I get it right?Doesn't hurt. Your in cycle anyways. Now is the time to do that stuff.
Bare spots in the tank are unsightly to some, others don't mind. Me personally I just pulled out 30lbs of Live sand today via shop vac. I got spots hear and there where you can see the glass. For me it adds texture that I find pleasing. I think my next system will be bare bottom.
http:///forum/post/3214459
There is no "sandstorms" that I can see but in the morning I see that my caves are bare bottomed and there is a huge pile of sand at the entrance. ITs like a wind tunnel, water flows throughand gets compressed and increases the current and makes turbulence, mine does the same thing. Its honestly not something notice much since its behind.
Should I just keep moving my PHs around untill I find a good spot? Im a little reluctant to stick my hands back in the sand.
You wont hurt anything uf your skin is clean and free of any chemicles. Take a shower and rinse off if your concerned.
Oh yeah my PHs are a Koralia 2, a 3 and a maxijet 900 with the mod kit on it.
Maybe this is something I should just mess around with till I get it right?Doesn't hurt. Your in cycle anyways. Now is the time to do that stuff.
Bare spots in the tank are unsightly to some, others don't mind. Me personally I just pulled out 30lbs of Live sand today via shop vac. I got spots hear and there where you can see the glass. For me it adds texture that I find pleasing. I think my next system will be bare bottom.
handbanana
Member
Thanks for the replys Mony and King,
My P.H. as actually at 7.8 ? This is a decent figure? Since I dont have anything in there I was not so sure. Im having a little trouble with the S.G. I need to figure out how to get a good reading from the floating hydromoter. I have a hermit the size of a skittle.
And King your dead on about the wall. It makes the empty tank bareable. I had no idea it provided extra filtration
. That rocks! Every now and then the crab is climbing around up there.
I do have a few more questions( surprise surprise). Should I be running my lights on my LR? I have two Aquamedics 250 W MHL pendants with Phoenix 20k bulbs. (I think, came with replacement bulbs and thats what they say on the box). Right now The tank has two 16" florcesent fish tank "plant" lights on it. dont know the spectrum on those.
Tommorow is pay day and Im going skimmer shopping.
This is a very crazy process for me since I already bought a junk skimmer and My sump is going to take serious work to get a good on in there. I was looking at the Turboflotor Blue 1000. Is this a decent model? If I buy another crappy skimmer Im going to be pissed. Id like to get one that is over rated for my tank so I can upgrade someday.
Ok last one. Refractometer, Should I get one this early in the game?
Oh shoot. one more
If I bought a few pieces of LR from the LFS and it went from their pool to my bucket with water should I still Clean it and QT it or could it go into my tank?
As always thanks in advance a whole bunch!
SWF.com= sanity savers.
Boy Im sure glad this site gets through our content filters at work
My P.H. as actually at 7.8 ? This is a decent figure? Since I dont have anything in there I was not so sure. Im having a little trouble with the S.G. I need to figure out how to get a good reading from the floating hydromoter. I have a hermit the size of a skittle.
And King your dead on about the wall. It makes the empty tank bareable. I had no idea it provided extra filtration
I do have a few more questions( surprise surprise). Should I be running my lights on my LR? I have two Aquamedics 250 W MHL pendants with Phoenix 20k bulbs. (I think, came with replacement bulbs and thats what they say on the box). Right now The tank has two 16" florcesent fish tank "plant" lights on it. dont know the spectrum on those.
Tommorow is pay day and Im going skimmer shopping.
Ok last one. Refractometer, Should I get one this early in the game?
Oh shoot. one more
As always thanks in advance a whole bunch!
SWF.com= sanity savers.
Boy Im sure glad this site gets through our content filters at work
mony97
Member
7.8 is on the low side for pH and you should try to get it up before you add your fish.
Second, yes run your lights even with nothing outside of skittle in there it will help with your coralline growth or at least keep your LR alive
The LR you bought that went from water to your bucket with water should be fine to put in the tank especially with not much in your tank. Was the LR cured? If it was not it is still fine to add but might spark a very small and wussy cycle, so watch for that if need be.
Not sure on the skimmer as I am sadly running one that came with the set up so its not the greatest, keep reading on here though and I believe in the 101 things list there is recomendations on which to buy and which to avoid, so I would check there.
Refractometer = YES, I got one of these guys very early and allowed me to make darn sure that my water was ready for fish. Also as I'm sure you know they are much more accurate than hydrometers.
Whew, hope I got everything good luck
Second, yes run your lights even with nothing outside of skittle in there it will help with your coralline growth or at least keep your LR alive
The LR you bought that went from water to your bucket with water should be fine to put in the tank especially with not much in your tank. Was the LR cured? If it was not it is still fine to add but might spark a very small and wussy cycle, so watch for that if need be.
Not sure on the skimmer as I am sadly running one that came with the set up so its not the greatest, keep reading on here though and I believe in the 101 things list there is recomendations on which to buy and which to avoid, so I would check there.
Refractometer = YES, I got one of these guys very early and allowed me to make darn sure that my water was ready for fish. Also as I'm sure you know they are much more accurate than hydrometers.
Whew, hope I got everything
good luck
jaxfishgirl
Active Member
definitely get a refractometer i love mine. i never got a consistent reading with a hydrometer
handbanana
Member
Cool! Im getting a refractometer and hopefully (fingers crossed) a Skimmer tonight.
My new found LFS carrys a few Reef octopus NWB150 and other sizes as well as Back-pak 2 HOBs. Im not sure but Im leaning towards the Reef Octopus. Ive givin up trying to find a skimmer that is not super crappy under 17" so im going to drain my tank, pull it out from the wall and upgrade to a 20 gal sump. Since it wont be under my stand there will be no height restrictions.I want a much bigger skimmer than I need.
Another LFS has two ASM or ASG ? 1 skimmers for sale. there $250 apiece tho. Skimmers have so many options and different features its kinda confusing. Which one is the right one for a given application?
Any Imput on these skimmers? Id like to keep looking online but for some reason my last order from SWF got delivered to the corporate office for my work insted of my office. that DID NOT go over well.
So More changes are afoot! There will be pic, oh yes.
My new found LFS carrys a few Reef octopus NWB150 and other sizes as well as Back-pak 2 HOBs. Im not sure but Im leaning towards the Reef Octopus. Ive givin up trying to find a skimmer that is not super crappy under 17" so im going to drain my tank, pull it out from the wall and upgrade to a 20 gal sump. Since it wont be under my stand there will be no height restrictions.I want a much bigger skimmer than I need.
Another LFS has two ASM or ASG ? 1 skimmers for sale. there $250 apiece tho. Skimmers have so many options and different features its kinda confusing. Which one is the right one for a given application?
Any Imput on these skimmers? Id like to keep looking online but for some reason my last order from SWF got delivered to the corporate office for my work insted of my office. that DID NOT go over well.
So More changes are afoot! There will be pic, oh yes.
jaxfishgirl
Active Member
oh boy, i can only imagine how upset the corporate bosses were. the whole skimmer thing threw me off too. so i cant be of much help there. cant wait to see pics. sorry you are having to drain your tank. sucks.