BL1
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The amount of salt will be different for everyone. 25 cups sounds about right but, you'll just have to add it and keep testing till you get the right salinity
saltwater aquarium build
- Thread starter troybuckle
- Start date
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Figure on approximately 1/2 cup per gallon.
coolhandgoose
Reef enthusiast
Exciting stuff!
You might not need all that sand. I thought I'd need a lot as well, but I only ended up using one bag (I think approx 30lbs).
You might not need all that sand. I thought I'd need a lot as well, but I only ended up using one bag (I think approx 30lbs).
troybuckle
Reefing newb
Thanks. I think you might be right about the sand, but I couldn't find any in the city and I had to order it in, every LFS here only has crushed coral.
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troybuckle
Reefing newb
Thanks, that’s what I went with. I’m going to check the sg today during my dinner break, I had to let my hydrometer condition over night, but during that time it was reading like 1.019 if I can remember.
troybuckle
Reefing newb
I got a lot set up last night! Tested my plumbing, there was one small leak in the overflow pipe that I had to fix. I also had to remove the tint off the back of the tank and replace it with a blue background because as soon as I put that Nova Extreme on top of it, I could see right through it. Not sure how I feel about the blue one either, but it’s hard to tell with nothing in the tank. I will have to worry about working on the tank from the back later I guess. Got my heaters in, one is in the skimmer section and the other is in the pump section, they don’t quite reach the min water level though, so I will keep an eye on them. I made sure that they weren’t touching anything. Placed my power heads in, added the salt, powered up my pump and over flow and left it all night to keep mixing the water. Going to follow up to see where my RKL is and if it’s still on backorder. Today the plan is to get the sg right and make the trim for the outside of the tank around the wall. This weekend I will be adding the sand and some LR and BR, if all goes well, might have to pick up a cheap thermometer until the RKL gets here perhaps. Long time coming, but I’m getting pumped, can’t wait to start a cycle!
Attachments
yote
In Memoriam
Its coming right along Troy.
Wont be long until you start REALLY getting excited.
Wont be long until you start REALLY getting excited.
troybuckle
Reefing newb
No issues as of yet. Except that my overflow u-bend tube forms a large bubble at the top after about 7 hours. I think it’s because I added a small tube to it to get the flow started as you can see in the pic. and it’s catching the bubbles. What I have been doing is knocking the bubble out when it forms because I’m scared it will break the flow. I have a new tube ordered. I think that one day this weekend when I am home all day I will leave the bubble to see if it will flush down or break the siphon.
The next question I have is, am I ready for LR now? My SG is at 1.025 – 1.026 range and the temp is 80-81, a bit warmer, but I turned up my heaters a bit to see if they were working properly, going to lower it to 79 after work.
I also threw on a small HOB filter to catch any partials floating in the water and to help clear the sand when I add it. Also made the trim last night and it fit like a glove, but it’s too glossy so I’m going to paint it over with a flat black instead. I have to admit I’m getting proud of this in wall set up for sure, once I get that RKL and clean up all the wires and plugs I will be in business. I’ll grab a better camera then to, so I can post a few nice pics of the set up.
I have to say thanks a lot to everyone who has been helping me; you guys have been making this process much easier. I am on a few forums for my hobbies (go-kart building), (Car Tuning), but this is by far the friendliest one. Thanks!!
The next question I have is, am I ready for LR now? My SG is at 1.025 – 1.026 range and the temp is 80-81, a bit warmer, but I turned up my heaters a bit to see if they were working properly, going to lower it to 79 after work.
I also threw on a small HOB filter to catch any partials floating in the water and to help clear the sand when I add it. Also made the trim last night and it fit like a glove, but it’s too glossy so I’m going to paint it over with a flat black instead. I have to admit I’m getting proud of this in wall set up for sure, once I get that RKL and clean up all the wires and plugs I will be in business. I’ll grab a better camera then to, so I can post a few nice pics of the set up.
I have to say thanks a lot to everyone who has been helping me; you guys have been making this process much easier. I am on a few forums for my hobbies (go-kart building), (Car Tuning), but this is by far the friendliest one. Thanks!!
Attachments
yote
In Memoriam
What I did when I was running a HOB overflow,is used a bigger return pump.That got enough water flowing through the U-tube to keep those bubbles out.Didnt take much.An extra 5 or so gallons an hour would do it.
When great ready to add your sand.If its dry,rinse it out good.Then put the damp sand in a 5 gallon frezzer bag.Sink the bag in the tank slowly and ease the sand out.That way you wont get a huge sand storm and what does get stirred up should settle within an hour or so.
When great ready to add your sand.If its dry,rinse it out good.Then put the damp sand in a 5 gallon frezzer bag.Sink the bag in the tank slowly and ease the sand out.That way you wont get a huge sand storm and what does get stirred up should settle within an hour or so.
troybuckle
Reefing newb
Thanks - good call with the sand. The biggest reason that the bubble is catching is because the valve pushed through the tube a tinny bit and the bubbles catch onto it and grow.
I also noticed that when I sunk my overflow box down in the water more I could increase the speed of my return pump, but the problem was that during a power failure test, my sump would overflow by a few gallons. Also the water was gushing down the overflow like crazy, with big air bubbles, and splashing a lot. I think that it was because of the following reasons or a combination of both:
1 – As you can see in the pic I used 90 elbows on the overflow plumping instead of 45.
2 – There is no room for air to escape the overflow rear chamber, notice the white PCV in the pic in my last post of the overflow box.
I think that if I drilled a hole in the top of that white PVC pipe on the overflow so air could escape and changed the 90 to 45 then I might be able to improve the smoothness of the overflow. Unless I get a bigger sump, which I will eventually, I will have to live with the flow I have I guess. Do you think this is my problem?
I also noticed that when I sunk my overflow box down in the water more I could increase the speed of my return pump, but the problem was that during a power failure test, my sump would overflow by a few gallons. Also the water was gushing down the overflow like crazy, with big air bubbles, and splashing a lot. I think that it was because of the following reasons or a combination of both:
1 – As you can see in the pic I used 90 elbows on the overflow plumping instead of 45.
2 – There is no room for air to escape the overflow rear chamber, notice the white PCV in the pic in my last post of the overflow box.
I think that if I drilled a hole in the top of that white PVC pipe on the overflow so air could escape and changed the 90 to 45 then I might be able to improve the smoothness of the overflow. Unless I get a bigger sump, which I will eventually, I will have to live with the flow I have I guess. Do you think this is my problem?
Attachments
coolhandgoose
Reef enthusiast
For me adding a filter sock to the drain line was huge in stopping splashing and bubbles.
troybuckle
Reefing newb
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Looks good to me! Make sure to keep an eye out for aiptasia or majano when you buy it.
troybuckle
Reefing newb
I need some advice about what to do next. I just added 40lbs of live rock. A couple pieces had some hair algae on it, but I scrubbed most all of it off. I was just thinking about leaving the lights off for a few days, but then I noticed I had about 12-14 polyps on one rock, not sure what they were because they were withdrawn and a few red mushrooms on another. So now I don’t want to leave the lights off. With that said I also added 50lbs of sugar sized sand, I rinsed it and added it the way Yote suggested but it’s still majorly clouded. Can’t see anything. I added about 10lbs to the sump on Friday and still this morning both the sump and the DT was clouded because of that 2 days ago. So now with this 50lbs in there I don’t think it will ever come clear. All that is running now is a HOB filter to try and clear the water.
What should I do? Turn my sump back on and run everything including powerheads. Or should I just put a heater in my dt and have all pumps off. How long can I leave the light off, I’m not sure if those polyps can survive the move but I have to try anyway. Thanks.
What should I do? Turn my sump back on and run everything including powerheads. Or should I just put a heater in my dt and have all pumps off. How long can I leave the light off, I’m not sure if those polyps can survive the move but I have to try anyway. Thanks.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
The polyps will be able to survive. They are tough. Turning the lights out for a couple days won't hurt them.
If there is only a little bit of algae, then you could try adding some snails to take care of it, instead of turning the lights out.
The cloudiness will go away. It usually takes a few days if you add new sand. Luckily, it won't hurt anything in the tank.
If there is only a little bit of algae, then you could try adding some snails to take care of it, instead of turning the lights out.
The cloudiness will go away. It usually takes a few days if you add new sand. Luckily, it won't hurt anything in the tank.
troybuckle
Reefing newb
Thanks - That’s good. So should I just turn my sump powerheads and everything on, or should I just put a heater in my DT and let things settle for a day before I run my equipment.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I would turn everything on since you have corals in there. They need water movement.
troybuckle
Reefing newb
You’re a great help biff thanks again. The girl who sold me the live rock also gave me a bag of cheato and some of her sand to help me seed mine so I threw that it too. I don’t have a clip on light for the sump yet and everything is closed here now, but I’m assuming it will be fine until tomorrow. I’m not sure what to expect with regards to a cycle, the live rock was only out of the water long enough to be weighted and then I put in right back in a tube of water I had then into my tank after a quick scrub. When things clear up I will do some test to see where the parameters are, I might have to put in some raw shrimp to get things going.
coolhandgoose
Reef enthusiast
You'll probably not get a cycle, but you do want to be careful in case there was some stuff dying underneath the rocks in the old system that may have got stirred up.
