58gal New Tank Build!! - Page 5

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-16-2006, 07:23 PM

Thanks, I love the color too! I'm just lucky I have patience.

trea · 04-16-2006, 08:40 PM

That looks really good. You must take great pride in knowing that you built something yourself

Cuda · 04-17-2006, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UkrainianReefJunky

How exciting I'm finally adding water, this is all the first batch filled. I'm working on the second batch right now. The first batch had a S.G. of 1.027 so the next batch I'm gonna cut back on the salt. I did as instructed, I've also heard that the plastic float hydrometers can be inaccurate. I don't have 2 to check each other, but on this next batch I'm gonna check the S.G. of the plain RO water. Maybe I'll buy a different hydrometer tomorrow just to make sure.

You may want to do a thread search on this site for "Refractometers" for some opinions. They are much more accuate than hydrometers and with as much as you will be investing in your livestock/pets may want to spend the extra money. You can get them as low as $35 on Ebay or there's a nice one at Premium Aquatics, http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...ode=Hydrometer
that has automatic temperature compensation and a two year warranty. That's the one I just ordered since my two hydrometers were giving two different readings.

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-17-2006, 08:18 AM

Yeah well last night my hydrometer fell and busted!!!!!!

So I guess its a refractometer...I've used them as a mechanic and they're nice, but my friend who has a 100gal said not to worry about them. He said he'd put the hose right in the tank (no RO water) and just dump salt in!?!?!? He is kinda crazy, he says hes more like a tank hippie. I don't know, I think I'll go with smart way.

Cuda · 04-17-2006, 01:22 PM

Your friend must have well water with no chlorine (sp) or flouride (sp) or who knows what in it. I wouldn't go that way or you may be

later.

Can you believe I'm in a public library while I'm out of town and I'm too lazy to go get a dictionary to make sure I'm spelling correctly. How sad is that?

Or is it even sadder that I'm out of town and still have to get my fix by coming to this site. It's too addictive.

I think I'll have to report it to the CDC for our own good

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-18-2006, 08:31 AM

We all need our fix...we should all turn ourselves in to the looney bin.

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-18-2006, 09:55 PM

Well after a slight hang up on the overflow and water level problems, everything worked fine this morning...

Then when I got home and turned it back on I thought??? This is really cloudy!!!!!

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-18-2006, 09:58 PM

Here I forgot to rinse the substrate!!!!! I'm an idiot!!!! So I drained it out and scooped the substrate back out and rinsed it. Put it back in and I'm making more water.

I guess I could have waited for the filters to clean it up, but I didn't want them to get all dirty over something like that. Please there was sticks and whatever else in there. I think I made a good decision to start over.

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-18-2006, 09:59 PM

Its not like I had anything else in the tank like LR or animals. Oh well, you live and learn. I'll never do that again.

dg806 · 04-21-2006, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UkrainianReefJunky

The guy at the LFS said to save my money on LS, he said get regular substrate and then add this (stuff), that he said was the bacteria thats found in the LS. I was in a hurry so a didn't catch the name of the product. It was in a frig and was a small silver packet. Anyone have any knowledge on this?

Was probably Biospira. Some people say it works good. I used it in a 55 gal cichlid tank and it has been 4 weeks now and it still has not cycled. Nitrites are still high. I could have got a bad bag? You are better off with the live sand and rock. With the bacteria in the LR and LS, you virtually eliminate the cycle.
BTW, awesome tank and thread!

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-21-2006, 11:22 PM

Yep Biospira, I got a bag and put it in already, I also got LR so hopefully I'm good. Thanks for the reply though.

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-21-2006, 11:26 PM

Alright everyone I know you love pics, it's been awhile since I had any.

Ok so at about 2:00 p.m. today I went to the LFS and got 17lbs of Tonga and 15lbs of Fiji. Doesn't look like much right.

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-21-2006, 11:29 PM

Soooooo....I said I need more!!!!!!

Because it calls you!!!

So I went back at around 7:00 p.m. and got 25lbs of Tonga...so thats 57lbs in one day. I hope thats ok???

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-21-2006, 11:33 PM

Here's some close ups, sorry I don't have that great of a camera so this is as close as I can get. My wife wants a Canon Digital Rebel...I think

she says its really nice. She's the picture taker, I don't really know?

UkrainianReefJunky · 04-22-2006, 07:56 AM

*bump* I put a bunch of pics on last night late, so I bumped it for anyone who's interested!