Updates on new SW tank

[woodymdt]

Originally posted by plumbjohn
Hey Woody. I've been following your progress for some time and want to say your tank looks great. I have a ? for ya . The lights you have lokk like the ones I just bought and I was wondering what the amount of time you have each seperate cycle on. If I remember right I believe it was you and arkie talking about it but can't find the thread. Anyways keep up the good work and TANKS alot. FISH ON DUDE

:notsure:
Thanks John. I think Arkey and I were talking about lighting patterns on page three or four...can't remember.
Right now we turn our lights on and off manually. We haven't gotten timers for them yet. So far the actinic (dawn) lights come on around 7am, then the white lights join them around 8am and stay on until around 7-7:30pm. Then the white lights get shut off and the blue lights stay on until 9-9:30 or so, and then they're turned off and the lunar light is on overnight.
Once we get timers for them we'll set them on a more timely basis.

 

[plumbjohn]

Cool Thanks I found some timers at ***** for about 5 apiece im going to pick them up after work. Heres a pic of my tank. Hopefully the lights wont stick up to far so I ca keep the wood canopy on it

 

[woodymdt]

Originally posted by plumbjohn
Cool Thanks I found some timers at ***** for about 5 apiece im going to pick them up after work. Heres a pic of my tank. Hopefully the lights wont stick up to far so I ca keep the wood canopy on it
That looks very cool John.
You guys that have super huge tanks make me so jealous!!!! hehehe
Well, all I can say right now is......"one of these days"......:jumping:

 

[woodymdt]

Good morning everyone...
Well woke up to a powerhead sitting at the floor of the tank this morning in the 40 gal...got it out, cleaned it up and re-attached it.
Have to come up with something better than those rubber sucker things..hehe.
Other than that alls well. I think I have a small cyano colony on the front glass, and some red hair algae (thanks XoXoX) on a few rocks.
We found a new slug last night...he was on the back glass puttering around.

 

[skysmom]

Here's a shot or 2 of my tank. Not the greatest, but

 

[skysmom]

here's another one

 

[woodymdt]

That's a minibow yes? Is it a 5 or 7 gallon?
Looks good. :jumping:

 

[woodymdt]

Something that occurred to me this morning. I'm wondering if I'm getting enough flow across the tank.
I have my powerheads stationed right now in each back corner, and they're pointed kind of towards the middle center of the front part of the tank. The 30/60 powerfilter is keeping the topwater churning pretty good.
I'm wondering what advantages I'd have if I moved the powerheads to each side of the intake tube on the power filter, and had them spraying caddy corner or crossed to corners?
Any thoughts??

 

[skysmom]

yes, a MiniBow, but its only a 2.5

 

[woodymdt]

Originally posted by skysmom
yes, a MiniBow, but its only a 2.5
Well it's a cute one. I have a 5 gal minibow at my office, but it's FW, not salt. Maybe someday I'll setup a SWA here at the office.

 

[arkey.d]

Originally posted by woodymdt
I'm wondering what advantages I'd have if I moved the powerheads to each side of the intake tube on the power filter, and had them spraying caddy corner or crossed to corners?
Any thoughts??
What I do is have the one on the left side stationed in the back moving the water across the back, then on the other side I place the PH near the front moving the water across the front of the aquarium making a circular flow through out the tank.
Nice Tanks skysmom and plumbjohn!

 

[woodymdt]

Originally posted by arkey.d
What I do is have the one on the left side stationed in the back moving the water across the back, then on the other side I place the PH near the front moving the water across the front of the aquarium making a circular flow through out the tank.
Nice Tanks skysmom and plumbjohn!

Thanks Arkey,
Are yours situated that the current flows pretty much straight along the outside walls? Or do you have it pointed upwards or downward?
I can see your point and I'll probably change mine that way to see how that makes the tank flow look.

 

[arkey.d]

I have them straight on the outside walls, since I have the Emporer 400 and the AquaC Remora Skimmer breaking up the top of the water plus surface skimming on the Remora.....

 

[willie_6]

Originally posted by arkey.d
You can add the LiveRock after a day or two. That gives the salt time to disolve and the sand to settle. Get a cocktail shrimp from the grocery store, about 2" without the tail. Pop him in and let him rot. That will kick your cycle off and will save the fish harm.
Happy Hobbying!
Wow !! LR after a day or two?? Will they survive the cycling period? I have heard about the spikes in nitrates and amonia during cycling will the LR survive? How long does cyling take. I've heard between 30 and 60 days.

 

[woodymdt]

Originally posted by Willie_6
Wow !! LR after a day or two?? Will they survive the cycling period? I have heard about the spikes in nitrates and amonia during cycling will the LR survive? How long does cyling take. I've heard between 30 and 60 days.
There is a possibility that you'll lose some of the "critters" that are in the LR...but when our tank was cycling, we saw all kinds of "critters" coming out and about...and after cycle we've experienced even more fantastic growth of things...
Our tanks cycle took about five weeks.
:jumping: :jumping:

 

[willie_6]

Originally posted by woodymdt
Well here it is Monday evening and.......drum roll please......:happy:
LIVE ROCK is IN the tank!!!!
I got 21lb of fiji rock at my LFS, picked out some decent pieces I think to start with.
I also plopped the shrimp in, so if I've been following along and doing this correctly, the cycle process is beginning.
Here is the full tank with the LR on the right side of the tank.
Is this your 55 gal tank? How deep is your sand?

 

[woodymdt]

not 55, the tank that is setup now is a 40 gallon long. I have about 3 1/2 inches of sand as a substrate bed.

 

[hydro]

hey woody just going over this post and realized tha we both started aour tank at the same time and just wondered if you have a current pic??????????:happy:

 

[woodymdt]

Originally posted by hydro
hey woody just going over this post and realized tha we both started aour tank at the same time and just wondered if you have a current pic??????????:happy:
Well as a matter of fact, I do.

 

[hydro]

looks good.......i ordered 25# of LR...should arrive later this week.....have to cure it though...this is mine from last night.......