[chaosadnd]

Well after lurking for a few weeks I figured I'd start my own tank thread. So without further ado..


This is right after all equipment was purchased, and the tank was drilled. Ignore my bad habit on the top.

I originally had the skimmer set up way to high in the sump, like you see below, but as of last night I adjusted it.


I literally fought it for 4 and ad half hours last night, and when all said and done it ended with the skimmer doing this:


I literally gave up and went to bed. But as of this morning, it's actually skimming. I will adjust the flow etc daily and hopefully drop the water level in it some, but that's Coralife skimmers for you I suppose.

And finally a tank shot as of yesterday :


There is a damsel in there that my "lovely" ex wife snuck in because it needed a fish. She did so while I was at work and came over to feed my cat But it will be removed after the cycle.

I am getting alot of brown algae now, and as of yesterday before fighting the skimmer, the paramaters were Salinity 1.025, temp 78. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 2.0, Nitrate 40 ppm, and PH 8.2. Was weird not seeing any ammonia..

But there you have it! Thanks for looking!

 

[chaosadnd]

Please don't cycle a tank with a live fish a single table shrimp will do the same thing AND it's already dead.

Welcome to TRT! Any idea what your maintenance routine will be?

I hadnt planned on cycling with a live fish. As far as maintenence, Likely water change every two weeks, with changing filter media etc when the water is low. This will be my first foray into corals, so I'm going to go very slow on that front.

 

[chaosadnd]

When the water is low, you add FRESH RO WATER.

If you keep adding salt water to make it go back up (Called "Top Off") the Salinity will get way to high. Fresh water is for top offs, salt for water changes. This will keep you going.

Tank looks good, excited to see this thread!

I am aware of that. Sorry if I wasnt clear!

 

[chaosadnd]

Welcome chaosadnd to TRT!

What they are saying...is that if your tank has not yet cycled please take the Damsel back to the LFS to hold and drop a piece of shrimp from the grocery to cycle your tank and not use a live fish.

Otherwise, looks like a good start there, mate.

Let me clarify. I did not, nor do I want the damsel. If I could have caught the little jerk, he'd of already been gone. It was placed in my tank by someone else while I wasnt home as I said in the first post. It will be removed, and will not be coming back.

Her heart was in the right place. (Buying it for my daughter because it had the colors of "dory" ) But my ex doesnt know about a cycle, or anything. Only pretty fishes.

As far as maintanence goes, I havent truly decided on a routine yet, as I have yet to change the water until the cycle completes. But it will likely be weekly small water changes. I just added a power head to the bottom left of the tank to help blow up some of the nasties lying on the rocks and sand to be sucked up by the filter. As for the three trays, I currently only have A filter pad in the top. I clean it weekly. I was going to throw carbon in the second.

As for siphoning the sand, will a regular siphon do? I would imagine it would suck up way to much of the sand during weekly cleaning. I shall have to google it.

Thanks again for tagging along! Now if only the water level of my skimmer would go down a few inches..

 

[chaosadnd]

Sorry, missed that comment about your "lovely ex" adding the damsel when you were out like others...sorry for jumping on the band wagon.

Now, back to the build out. We of course will want more pics

It's all good. I've been around forums long enough to realize they mean well. The damsel is going to be an experiment of the soda bottle trick tomorrow as I've given up for the day.

I'm kind of getting twitchy wanting to do a water change, but I have been patient on everything thus far, so i can fight myself on this.

I will try and get an updated tank and sump shot later tonight.

 

[chaosadnd]

As promised. Back with more pics.
Full tank shot:


This is the bane of my existance, and currently what my skimmer is doing...nothing.


Another shot of the sump:


Tank shot from another angle.


The flash stunned the jerk damsel I think. Maybe I'll use that to catch him..

 

[chaosadnd]

It's been in about 2 weeks, but I moved it further down in the sump yesterday. It was skimming this morning for a moment but now it seems to have stopped. I'll take out the air inlet tomorrow and see if it is backed up.

 

[chaosadnd]

I adjusted the intake flow and the outake flow, it is skimming now perfectly. Yay. As for my sump I bought a custom sump that my local lfs had used. If you look in my pictures you can kind of see. Water empties from the return through 3 filter trays. (Currently I only have filter media in one). then into the "tank". It then hits the skimmer, then is finally returned via the pump up top.

Years ago when I did FOWLR I never saw the point of af sump, but now that I have one I'll never do another tank without one. More water volume, no wires in the tank etc. Luckily my LFS will custom make alot of things. They drilled my tank, build the screen lid, gave me all the hookups to the sump, and sold me the sump. They can be a little pricey at times, but they are good people who specialize in saltwater. They have yet to steer me wrong.

 

[chaosadnd]

Just tested the water as I got home. Ammonia 0 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 20 ppm, and ph 8.0. I want to do a water change so bad haha.

 

[chaosadnd]

Cycle was all completed as of thursday. Here are so pics of the money my daughter spent today.

A terrible pic of the percula clown we got.


They threw in two corals for us. He said this one was a "mushroom". I'm sure someone more equipped than me can answer what it is.


And this one is a Zoa?

 

[chaosadnd]

Yep- a small green mushroom and a fun frag of assorted Zoas!

Looking good! Glad you beat the skimmer battle of 2015!

Haha thank you! It was quite the battle! Is there a certain spot to stick these frags? I'm afraid I don't know which prefer sand and which prefer rocks?

 

[chaosadnd]

Will do. I read somewhere that start them on sand so they adjust to the lights. Or should I move them now?

 

[chaosadnd]

Not sure what info you need from them so I'll list it all lol. Coralife t5 36" fixture. 120v 60hz 78 watts. Does that help?

 

[chaosadnd]

I haven't yet no. The damsel is too quick. As for lighting I was assured that light would be fine for most soft corals. I will definitely try the net trick! Do you just leave the food in the net?

 

[chaosadnd]

So far the damsel is still skittish. The perc is already begging for food and chasing my hand..

 

[chaosadnd]

Thanks whiskey. I just reaquascaped. It never feels high enough. I'll take a pic when the tank clears and you experts can decide. 😀

 

[chaosadnd]

Well here is the new aquascape. And trying to get the fish used to the net. As you can see, even with food in the net, it's not going so well ..



I'm going to leave it in for a bit and see if they figure it out.

 

[chaosadnd]

I hope I don't have to do that...

 

[chaosadnd]

I honestly don't want him. He was put in my tank by my ex. In a 30 gallon I only have so much room for fish, so would prefer something else.

 

[chaosadnd]

That is definitely an option if I can't catch him lol