Rushy's first 55g Reef Effort - V Early Stages

[Rushy]

I've not use the prizm skimmers,so I dont know how well it will work.BUT,I would give it some time and see how it does.You never know,it may really do great on your system for quiet a while.
I use to run a seaclone skimmer.And with all the bad you hear about them,the one I had did a great job on my tank.
So just give it a shot.

Thanks as usual for the Pointers Yote, I've got to stick with it for a little while I guess, and I guess I won't really know how it's performing until the tank has been running for a while and there are fish in there. The benefit I guess is that based on the experience and the advice you guys give, will let me know the pitfalls before the happen, so that if they do I'll be semi-prepared. The missus is starting to appreciate my fascination with the hobby now (especially as I caught her on this forum this morning, reading some of the articles - and in the LFS this afternoon, she was rather enthusiastic about potential inhabitants, although they were all pink - women!! :mrgreen:), so if I turn around and say I want a new skimmer, I'm anticipating there wont be too many objections!! :D

 

[Rushy]

I had the Prism Deluxe. Piece of crap. It's very sensative on the adjustments. You need to keep the water/bubble line just below the taper in the neck. If you have it lower, you will get very little skimmate and if it's too high it will overflow the cup. I also had better results when I didn't plug the airline into the nipple on the collection cup. I just let the airline hang over the back.

I found that as well Capt, also priming the thing was a drama in itself! Thanks for the heads up, really appreciated :D

 

[Rushy]

I also used to have a Prizm. They are fine for small tanks, or tanks with a low bioload. If you stock your tank slowly and carefully, you'll probably be fine, but I can guarantee that you'll want to get a better skimmer eventually.

Thanks for the advice Sarah, and I will stock slowly, although I must admit, and I guess everyone's the same, but going into the LFS is like being a kid in a sweetshop!! :mrgreen: I'm already planning how I'm going to rearrange my setup, to allow for a new skimmer!!

 

[Rushy]

Hey tank looks great I just started mine as well...can't wait to be done with the cycling and adding fish...good luck!

Appreciate the comments Lucas, how's yours going, do you have any pics?? In a sad way I'm quite enjoying this bit as everyday presents something different to think about, or you spot something going on in the tank, that you hadn't noticed before. Good luck to you too! :D

 

[SigEpLucas]

Yeah I have a thread up for it
https://www.livingreefs.com/forums/tank-showcase/16882-my-20g-setup-2.html

I'm on day 6 now and have become a little ocd with my test kit already, it's this first thing i've done every morning so far as soon as I wake up :D

 

[Rushy]

Just replied in your thread, cool setup Lucas and looking really good, I guess you must be getting close to your Ammonia peak now, how's the testing going? I haven't been quite so compulsive, I tested at the beginning just to check everything was as expected, then again a couple of days after I added another couple of pieces of LR, and then again at the anticipated peaks. However, I'm extremely fussy with the scraper and moving my empty shells back where I put them after various members of the CUC have moved them about!!! :mrgreen:

 

[SigEpLucas]

yeah i'm already showing some nitrites and nitrates so i think my ammonia should be about to start going down...is your clean up crew affected at all by the ammonia during your cycle? I haven't add any yet besides what was already in my rock...i was gonna wait and do that after I added fish so there would be some aglae and detritus and things for them to eat

 

[Rushy]

yeah i'm already showing some nitrites and nitrates so i think my ammonia should be about to start going down...is your clean up crew affected at all by the ammonia during your cycle? I haven't add any yet besides what was already in my rock...i was gonna wait and do that after I added fish so there would be some aglae and detritus and things for them to eat

To be honest Lucas, at the moment my tank is showing all the signs that it is cycling normally. However, despite showing a small amount of Nitrite and my Nitrate levels increasing slightly, I don't ever recall seeing the Ammonia peak, the only real problems I have had are that my salinity and pH were a little high, which seem to have been rectified with a partial water change, and the alkalinity being to hard, which I'm trying to do something about, with conditioners and small partial water changes. I can only assume that the peak has been and gone and I didn't record it. I did my last lot of full tests on Day 9, which was the anticipated peak day and the Ammonia was @ 0!!! There are Diatoms in the tank and the CUC, that were hitching a ride in the LR are all on appearance doing well, and cleaning up very well. I figured that if they were doing ok, it was ok to intoduce a few more on a gradual basis. I have so far introduced 9 hermits, 4 XL Algae Snails, 4 Nassarius Snails, 6 Cerith Snails, 6 Bumblebee Snails and was slightly indulgent with a Porcelain Crab, and all seem very happy and very busy (I hope!!). I still don't really know what to make of what's gone on, whether I just had a very short cycle or no real cycle at all, and how that will effect the development of the tank in the coming weeks - fingers crossed though, I'm keeping a closer eye on it now as well, as I've reserved my first fish, but will not introduce her until I'm happy there isn't something amiss.

 

[SigEpLucas]

thats awesome I guess your live rock just already had enough of nitrifying bacteria on it or something to do the cycle pretty quick, can't wait to see the fish when you add them...good luck!

 

[Rushy]

thats awesome I guess your live rock just already had enough of nitrifying bacteria on it or something to do the cycle pretty quick, can't wait to see the fish when you add them...good luck!

Thanks mate, and you, look forward to hearing about what's going on with yours!

 

[yote]

Rushy,What is the reading for your alkalinity?
Salt water is naturally just extremely hard to begin with.

 

[Rushy]

Rushy,What is the reading for your alkalinity?
Salt water is naturally just extremely hard to begin with.

Hi Yote, i stopped the test at 22 drops of solution into my sample as the sample still hadn't changed colour, that equated to 220mg/l, that was last Thursday. The Test directions suggested that above 125mg/l was unusually high, and that I should seek advice, I assumed it was because I originally setup using tap water. I carried out a 10% saltwater change earlier tonight, and conditioned the water with Aqua+ yesterday. Was going to test again once the clarity returns. Am I going about it the wrong way? Any advice is and will be gratefully received.

 

[yote]

What brand kit are you using?
125mg/l is just 7DKH.Thats actually borderline low.You should be between 143 and 161mg/l.

 

[Rushy]

What brand kit are you using?
125mg/l is just 7DKH.Thats actually borderline low.You should be between 143 and 161mg/l.

I'm using Instant Ocean (I'm assuming you're referring to the saltmix?). Thanks Yote your guidance is invaluble, I wont panic quite so much now!

 

[Rushy]

I'm using Instant Ocean (I'm assuming you're referring to the saltmix?). Thanks Yote your guidance is invaluble, I wont panic quite so much now!

Sorry Yote I've just realised you probably meant Test kit - I'm using Hagen

 

[yote]

Its all good my friend:D
Instant Ocean is normally low on alkalinity and calcium.Its great salt for a fish only system,but not so much for a reef tank.
You'll want to bring you alkalinity up some.I'd recommend using Arm&Hammer baking soda and this calculator:http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
That should get your alkalinity back on track.

 

[Rushy]

I'm using Instant Ocean (I'm assuming you're referring to the saltmix?). Thanks Yote your guidance is invaluble, I wont panic quite so much now!

Its all good my friend:D
Instant Ocean is normally low on alkalinity and calcium.Its great salt for a fish only system,but not so much for a reef tank.
You'll want to bring you alkalinity up some.I'd recommend using Arm&Hammer baking soda and this calculator:http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
That should get your alkalinity back on track.

Yote, you're a star, thank you!! Will let you know how it goes.

 

[Rushy]

Evening guys. Carried out my tests tonight after a 10% water change last night, and I'm still experiencing elevated levels of SG, pH and Alkalinity, I know it's not going to reduce over night, and I guess the easiest way to deal with it, is to carry out smaller more frequent water changes with RO, as oppose to Saltwater, but if I'm missing something I would appreciate any ideas. The last set of tests I did were on Day 10 and I'm now Day 15, I'm relatively happy (I think), but the SG and pH have shown no movement, although my Alkalinity has come down. Parameters are:

Temp: 80 Deg F
Specific Gravity: 1.028
pH: 8.5
Ammonia: 0mg/l
Nitrite: 0.1mg/l
Nitrate: 10mg/l
Alkalinity: 280mg/l (15.6dKH)
Phosphate: 0.5mg/l
Calcium: 440ppm

Any pointers as always gratefully appreciated :D

 

[yote]

Those parameters arent that bad Rushy.
To bring your SG down,just remove about a gallon of water from the tank and then fill it back with straight ro water and retest it.If it needs to come down a bit more,then just re-do the process.
I like my SG to be at 1.026.That will also bring down your alkalinity a tad bit too.
Your PH is not that bad either.Matter of fact,I think a lot of the stony corals actually like a bit higher PH.Mine tend to do better in the 8.4 to 8.5 range.And the high PH will help keep problem algae down.

 

[Rushy]

Those parameters arent that bad Rushy.
To bring your SG down,just remove about a gallon of water from the tank and then fill it back with straight ro water and retest it.If it needs to come down a bit more,then just re-do the process.
I like my SG to be at 1.026.That will also bring down your alkalinity a tad bit too.
Your PH is not that bad either.Matter of fact,I think a lot of the stony corals actually like a bit higher PH.Mine tend to do better in the 8.4 to 8.5 range.And the high PH will help keep problem algae down.

As per usual Yote, you manage to put my mind at ease, I think your becoming my Reefy Guardian Angel :bowdown: !! I'm assuming the partial change will have an impact on my nitrate levels as well and bring those down a bit more?? I will give it a go in the morning and let you know how it goes.