Custom Build Started Sept. 13, 2009 - Present

[Grassman]

Here's what was living in the tank besides the 2 hermit crabs and a ton of snails. I need to do some major cleaning when I move it all to my setup.

Anyone know what any of that stuff is besides the clown?

 

[Grassman]

Here's a list of everything I purchased last night.

• 2 5gal pails with lids
• Mag-Float Glass cleaner
• Koralia 3 Power head - 850GPH
• 500g Kent Marine Supperbuffer -dKH
• 1/2 a 50 gallon bag Instant Ocean sea salt
• Black Diamond Premium Active Carbon 1.87L minus an inch from the top
• Emperor 280 Filter System w/ 4 active carbons
• Vibra-Flo 1 Air Pump
• Maxi-Jet Powerhead (In pieces so not sure the size or if it works)
• SeaClone 100 Protein Skimmer + 3 filters
• Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium 7 1/2" container never opened
• Aquarium Systems sea test
• 45 - 50 lbs LR
• 55 Gallon Tank
• 4' 2 tube T5 light with 4 extra tubes
• 6 snails
• 2 hermit crabs
• black and white clown
• 1 ???? blemmy or goby
• AquaClear 70 Fliter with 2 carbons
• 2" sand on the bottom of the tank
• All the water. (except for what ended up all over my Mom's Jimmy) Sorry Mom!

 

[Grassman]

Here's my first attempt at mixing saltwater. I was a little low in the salt department but it was easy to fix.

 

[Grassman]

After cleaning a thrid of the rocks, my powerhed and 4 snails, this is what my water looked like.

 

[Grassman]

So I'm a man and can only clean so much before I became bored and had to put the egg crate I bought in the bottom of my tank. I was going to build an invisible rock lift out of acrylic but my time sorta got moved up more then I wanted it to. My wife didn't like the mess I made after she stepped on a piece since I so nicely did it at the bottom of the stairs. Now for the first time in 2 weeks I am going to go crawl in bed with my wife and fall asleep watching a movie with her. :)

 

[Bifferwine]

Damn good job cleaning that stuff. Looks like a lot of work.

 

[Dana42078]

Very impressive. Can't wait to see it all set up.

 

[Grassman]

I finally got all the rock cleaned up. Just in time for my wife to dress me up for halloween and the kids to come knocking on the door. I also started cleaning the gravel in the tank and putting it into the new one. I got 3 pails of dirty water from them just a yucky as the last one.

 

[dcantucson]

Clean up work is hard and frustrating. You never feel like you get it all. :grumble: It looks like you've done a great job. :claphands

 

[Grassman]

Clean up work is hard and frustrating. You never feel like you get it all. :grumble: It looks like you've done a great job. :claphands

I hear yah!!
Step 1 - clean it
Step 2 - rinse it
Step 3 - check it over
Step 4 - clean it
Step 5 - rinse it
Step 6 - start putting it back in tank
Step 7 - repeat 1-6 3 or 4 times.
Step 8 - Return to tank & look at from a different angle as say :pooh: there's more!

LOL!

 

[Grassman]

I did a water test using API's 5 in 1 test strips. My readings are GH is 180, KH is 120, pH is between 7.0 & 7.5, NO2 is 0 and NO3 is 0. Salitity is 22ppt. Are any of these out of whack?

Next questions, I got all my LR cleaned and want to start transfering everything to my other tank. The sand really isn't sand, it's a gravel is that ok, or should I go by some sand?

I'm going to need to top up the tank, and since I only have 1 heater right now and my sump isn't up and running yet cause I need a pump for it, how do I get the water in the new tank up to the temp of the old water? I'm going to use as much of the old water as I can but the gravel is really dirty. I laid a base layer of it down in my new tank to cover the egg crate the rock is going to sit on, and rinsed it off in a net in a pail of saltwater I mixed up.

I wish I had more time to read up before I started but I couldn't pass up the deal I got.

Thanks!

 

[Bifferwine]

pH is a bit low, but those test strips are very inaccurate, so I wouldn't really trust what they say. If you don't have them already, you should get some of the droplet test kits.

Go with sand over gravel. Just buy a new bag of clean sand (it doesn't have to be live sand -- dry sand is just fine).

 

[Grassman]

pH is a bit low, but those test strips are very inaccurate, so I wouldn't really trust what they say. If you don't have them already, you should get some of the droplet test kits.

I'll have to get some when I go to London next. They don't have any here.

Go with sand over gravel. Just buy a new bag of clean sand (it doesn't have to be live sand -- dry sand is just fine).

So I should finish covering my egg crate with gravel and then go over it with sand? Live sand is $35 a bag. It'll give me an inch on the bottom, and I need one for my sump.

Thanks Bifferwine!

 

[Bifferwine]

Don't put the sand on top of the gravel. Since the sand is smaller particles, it will just end up falling to the bottom, giving you two layers of substrate. The gravel will end up on top, and it's not that good for your tank.

 

[Grassman]

Don't put the sand on top of the gravel. Since the sand is smaller particles, it will just end up falling to the bottom, giving you two layers of substrate. The gravel will end up on top, and it's not that good for your tank.

Dah! I see what you ment in your last message...I was reading into it too much. Use sand, not gravel. I'll take it out Thursday since I'm home all day. Thanks!

 

[Grassman]

I'd like you to meet my newest addition to my tank;

Snicklefritz The Urchin!

He's tank companion's are Price Edward the Maroon Clown and King Freckles the Red Spotted Hawkfish.

I also noticed last night I have 3 hermit crabs. I did lose a snail last week. I went to empty my dirty water into the sink and he fell into the drain with hot tap water right on him. I put him back in the tank but a couple days later he still hadn't moved so I pulled him out of it's shell and flushed him. :bye2:

Also I'd like you to meet the nice colour my tank has turned in the past 2 weeks.

 

[Grassman]

Also to go with all the negitive things about the seaclone protein skimmer, the pump crapped out on me last night. It was already replaced about 4 months ago by the previous owner.:grumble::grumble::grumble::grumble::grumble:

And to think I spent all that time getting it nice and clean to have it crap out.

 

[Grassman]

New Updates! The tank is live!

My new return pump.



Return plumbing finished.



New Maxi-Jet 1200 for more flow.



Added a 'custom' screen to my overflow. It's amazing what pet proof screen and a wire tie can do for you.



Refugium/Sump is full of water and heaters are in place.



Ready for the move in the morning. Say good-bye to the old tank.



More photos to come when I get them resized and editted.

 

[Grassman]

Here's my wife, Kim, helping me wash the substrate. Smile Honey!!



She did a good job cleaning it.


Starting the move. I forgot to make a stand for my skimmer so I hung it using string.




Here's a pic of the mess Kim has been begging me to clean up, and the last picture of the old tank.


While taking the LR out, I came across 4 new majanos anemones. Grrr!




I was told there was 50 lbs of LR with the old setup, but there was 41 lbs. I put half a pound in the refugium. I took 7 snails, 3 blue legged hermit crabs, my urchin, hawkfish & maroon clown to the babysitter for him to watch til my tank's temperature stablizes.

The water transfer begins.


Half full....or half empty. Not sure which. Half done sounds good.


Time to put the rock back in and Aquascape it.



Return pump is running and adjusting the flows.

 

[Grassman]

Here it is finished. Livestock will be put back in in a couple of days when my temperature raises.


Here's a right to left video of my aquascaping. Still need to add more rock but will have to wait.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFML6inUoy8]YouTube - My 55 gallon aquascaping[/ame]