New here and just getting started

[LiveWire]

Welcome to the REEF!!

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to r2r!

 

[MarsWulf5]

OK! I got the tank, stand, and filter returned. I got the new tank, stand, and canopy home! I got the sump in before I put the tank on. I have my return pump, salt, half the live sand I need, and marine testing kit, and Bio-Spira. I'm waiting on the skimmer and lights until after I'm cycled.

I'm about to leave to pick up 2x 300W heaters. I'm gonna go that way instead of a 500W in case one goes out, one heater will still be going.

I'm having a lot of fun with this.

Here are some pics.

I'm gonna clean the tank and sump with some water and paper towels, maybe some hydrogen peroxide. Any suggestions on cleaning?

This may be a stupid question, but, I know I need to dip my live rock that I'm goibg to use to cycle the aquarium. Do I need to quaranteen the live rock before I put it in the aquarium to cycle?

 

[fishface NJ]

What do you mean by "dip my live rock that I'm going to use to cycle the aquarium?"
Is the live rock "dry" or is it coming from someone else tank?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Welcome to the club. The tanks really nice. I would say take a break for a second to figure out your next steps. Things like the skimmer are not really needed right away. Normally you do not dip rock.

Take a read thru here.

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method

The Lasse Method for starting a saltwater aquarium.

www.reef2reef.com

Bulk reef supply has the 52 weeks of reefing also. Sorry if I missed if you reviewed them. It will help avoid unnecessary or incorrect steps and set you on the track to success

 

[MarsWulf5]

Welcome to the club. The tanks really nice. I would say take a break for a second to figure out your next steps. Things like the skimmer are not really needed right away. Normally you do not dip rock.

Take a read thru here.

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method

The Lasse Method for starting a saltwater aquarium.

www.reef2reef.com

Bulk reef supply has the 52 weeks of reefing also. Sorry if I missed if you reviewed them. It will help avoid unnecessary or incorrect steps and set you on the track to success

Thanks. I've watched a couple of those and plan on watching a lot more. Definitely tanking as much time as needed in setting this up, don't want to mess it up.

I got a parasite in my last tank from some live rock. It killed a lot of fish. I want to avoid the same thing from happening. A lot of people have recommended dipping my live rock in Coral Rx to get rid of unwanted hithikers like flatworms etc... Following directions one dips corals etc for 10 min. There is a thread on here called "To Dip Or Not To Dip" --- there seems to be a lot of debate - but people who have had problems with unwanted things see the need to dip.

 

[fishface NJ]

One uses Coral Rx on coral, not rock. I personally take all my rock and bleach it for 5 days, and followed by a bath in vinegar with water bath for 2-5 days. (Do not mix bleach with an acid treatment.) You will create toxic fumes. Nothing will survive the bleach. Then the rocks are rinsed and places in a bin for 3 or more months in the dark in salt water

Is it possible that one of your fish bought the parasite into your DT? Do you QT for a few months before placing your fish into the DT?

 

[Paulie069]

OK! I got the tank, stand, and filter returned. I got the new tank, stand, and canopy home! I got the sump in before I put the tank on. I have my return pump, salt, half the live sand I need, and marine testing kit, and Bio-Spira. I'm waiting on the skimmer and lights until after I'm cycled.

I'm about to leave to pick up 2x 300W heaters. I'm gonna go that way instead of a 500W in case one goes out, one heater will still be going.

I'm having a lot of fun with this.

Here are some pics.

I'm gonna clean the tank and sump with some water and paper towels, maybe some hydrogen peroxide. Any suggestions on cleaning?

This may be a stupid question, but, I know I need to dip my live rock that I'm goibg to use to cycle the aquarium. Do I need to quaranteen the live rock before I put it in the aquarium to cycle?

On ur way good luck with everything. I’m in same boat I don’t know crap and this site is teaching me all sorts stuff can’t wait to show off my tank. You made right choice asking the people of this site questions now I hope u can remember it all. Welcome to R2R

 

[BeejReef]

.

 

[MarsWulf5]

One uses Coral Rx on coral, not rock. I personally take all my rock and bleach it for 5 days, and followed by a bath in vinegar with water bath for 2-5 days. (Do not mix bleach with an acid treatment.) You will create toxic fumes. Nothing will survive the bleach. Then the rocks are rinsed and places in a bin for 3 or more months in the dark in salt water

Is it possible that one of your fish bought the parasite into your DT? Do you QT for a few months before placing your fish into the DT?

It is possible. I did not quaranteen the fish. I'm not going to cycle with live rock or use any live rock this time. I'll be dipping any corals in Coral Rx, and dipping fish in freshhwater for a couple minutes. Setting up a quaranteen tank sounds like a good precaution but it doesnt seem practical with the space I have available and seems like it would stress the fish. How is your quaranteen tank set up? What did you do when first setting up? Oh, and Happy New Year 2020!

 

[MarsWulf5]

I've replaced my RODI system and purchased a pump for the RODI. I have two 300 W titanium thermometers and a have a basic bulk head/cirulation pump.

I'm now looking to purchase rock to cure and cycle. I have watched some videos and read up on rock and have seen what is and what is not available, ways to cure and cycle the different rocks, etc...

However, I want to be a sure as possible that I dont get pests. I'm not gonna watch another tank die, no way,no how.

I will ABSOLUTELY be quaranteening everything this time around without exception to avoid potential problems.

Currently, I am planning my plumbing for the sump and trying to decide which rock I want to use. I am going slow, learning, and doing my best to avoid any mistakes that will cost me down the line.

If anyone out there has a lot of experience and tank that is pest free running for a few years, I'd like to know what rock you used and/or what you recommend.

I have a 4ft 125 Gallon tank - my main objective is pest free, gorgeous aquascape. Availability, and ease of curing and cycling is also a factor to consider for me, so, no Pukani (and I don't want PO4 leaching either).

What are your suggestions for rock?

 

[MarsWulf5]

Making Progress: I've made some additions... I've got the complete set up for my fish quaranteen, a tank for my coral quaranteen, my 6 part RODI, RODI booster pump, Thermometer, 2 300 W titanium heaters with controller, and a small power head to cure rock.

I'm about to order 100 lbs of mixed Marco reef saver rock (should be enough for an awesome aquascape) and another 60 lbs of Marco Foundation rock, shelf rock, and rubble, a Red Sea Startup kit, and a fish acclamation kit.

Hoping to get my rock curing as my quaranteen tanks are cycling. Planning to cure the rock just to make sure it's not leaching too much phosphate. Planning my sump plumb and general aquascape ideas. Still waiting to purchase lights (T5 LED hybrid), better circulation pumps, and a protein skimmer. Considering an algea scrubber to get the tank started, to combat any phosphate leaching from the rock and avoid the blooms associates with new tanks.

Now to get this stuff out of the boxes and get the new RODI and booster pump set up and working.

Working hard to getting all this right the first time around.

 

[crusso1993]

Welcome to R2R!

Some of us are crazy for fish. Some of us are crazy for coral. Some of us are crazy for fish and coral. And some of us are just plain crazy!

 

[MarsWulf5]

Got the rock ordered: 2 x 50 lbs of Reef Saver, 1 LG, 3 med, 1 am flundation rocks, rubble, and shelf rock too. Yay!

 

[MarsWulf5]

OK... Got the quarantines almost set up. Here's a pic. Still need to install the new RODI, so no water mixing or rock curing yet. Probably will happen this week sometime. Also trying to fugure out the best way to plumb the DT without ordering wrong parts or supplies. Not sure how many ball valves to add, etc.... For sure putting in a union check valve and some PVC bulkheads instead of what the sump came with.

I've decided to go with a refugium rught off the bat. A little dissappinted in the threads and pics I saw on the Aqueon sumps. I thought $450 was a lot to spend - but the acrylic is kinda thin - and I've seen pics of them bowing at the fuge chamber. I'm hoping this wont happen becaise if I drill that sump to add a brace support it voids the warranty. Thinking about returning it and buying a more expensive one... But would rather spend that money on lights, circ. pumps, and implementing backup safety strategies.

Also seriously considering painting the back of tank black - probably gonna happen... It's gonna happen. Ugh... I need help moving that thing.

Anyhow. Moving forward a little slow - I took my dad for surgery today - so... Anyhow, here's a pic of what I have going for the QTs I'm setting up right now. 2x 20g Highs, sponge filters, 100 W heaters, and some Coralife T5s.

And YES. That is my ferret! - if you spottwd her. Ferret proofiing the sump on my DT is a must on the list of things to do. She'll be swimming in there like a little otter if I don't.

Having fun and learing a lot - I'm really looking forward to getting the RODI running so I can move forward.

I love working on this at night. Sure beat the dating scene. LOL

 

[kichimark]

 

[vetteguy53081]

Better late than never to welcome you to the R2R community !!

 

[boacvh]

Welcome!

 

[MarsWulf5]

I haven't posted for a while because I've been so busy getting everything going. I have my fish and my coral QT tank up and running. Dosing the fish with copper for two weeks and the Prazipro. Had the tank up for almost two weeks then I added a black clown and saw what looked like the early start of Ich on him.

I ordered some corals from Zoanthids.com during the live sale. I'm super happy with what I got and they have great customer service. The sale was super fun - and I got some awesome corals.

I am about to start curing my rock - figure the DT tank should be plumbed and cycled by the time the fish are out of the QT. I got a couple Vortex circulation pumps for the DT and gonna buy a couple Kessil 360X's and a Reef Octopus skimmer. If I knew what I was gonna spend when I started - I might not have. In about 4 grand at this point but I do love this so much! I've had a couple of fatlities: I lost a gorgeous Frostbite clown, I accidentally killed him by placing a glass over him for a minute to stop him from biting my other fish. He was really hurting them. I put a glass over him and the phone rang. I feel awful about it - but the tank is peaceful now. He was really a jerk. Don't get one of those unless it's the only fish you want in your tank. Lesson learned.

I also had a Blue Sea Star that lasted only a week despite good parameters and twice daily feeding specifically for him. Again, lesson learned - I won't be keeping any more starfish ever. I see no point in taking a beautiful creature for the sea and putting in a tank to die. Never again. Again, I feel awful and won't ever buy another. Lesson learned.

I put a Sally Lightfoot crab and an emerald crab in my coral QT. They're doing great - but I feed them specifically twice a day. It was a bad idea to get them without a third tank for inveribrate QT because feeding them makes my water parameters more difficult to manage with the corals. Lesson learned. I made my bed - and now I'm lying in it. Still love the crabs though - and glad I learned all this on 2 20g tanks rather than in my DT. So glad I quarantined with the Ich.

Also, I just a shipment from BRS today with 4 Hanna checkers: Calcium, All, PhosphorUS, and Copper along with extra reagents for each. It was pricey but the portability between tanks is what I like. A Trident is in the future for the DT - but a Trident only works on one tank and I have 3 to test. The color change chemical tests were a waste of money IMO because red or blue does not give me a decimal value for parameters - and I have a couple SPS already. They are doing well for two weeks in a QT with hard to estimate parameters using the old testing. I'm opening those Hanna checkers after I make this post and testing the waters.

Let me say, water changes (30-40%) every 3 days is working well for both coral and fish QT. Been dosing the coral with two part every three days and feeding them both small pellets, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. My SPSs are a little paler than I'd like but are surviving so far. My LPS are all doing fantastic. The Geronimo Blasto frag has literally doubled in size and has already made one clone of itself and my torch has started to form a new branch. I'm surprised at how fast they are growing in my QT.

I have included a few pics.

I hope everyone and their tanks are doing well. I think this forum is awesome!

 

[MarsWulf5]

Been a while...
This is my update. Had some issues pop up in Its. I saw things like aptasia show up after 4 months of quarantine. I saw every kind of agea known to humankind. I saw crabs eat Coral. So, everything stayed in QT. After 10 months... Everything looks good.

I finished the dry run of my plumb. Learned a lot. I'm goona glue and cement today. Things like using transition glue for ABS to PVC, attaching my custom sump bulk heads to my plumbing size, using thread seaant instead of tape, and the proper wrench to use for small PVC (strap wrench), took a while to catch onto. It also took 10 months to find clear primer - but I found it. Learned ratchiting PVC cutters cut vinyl RODI tubing great!

I installed my booster pump on my 5 part RODI. Works great. Not as much increase in water production as I was hoping for, however, there is a measurable filter performance increase.

NEW GEAR! Once the credit card was paid down from last year's Black Friday -- it was here again. So,..
I got

2 x Kessil a360x
-with 1 WiFI dongle
-and one K-Link connector

1 x AI Prime Fuge Light (90W)

1 x Tunze ATO

1 x Duel Reactor with Pump for Carbon and GFO

2 × BRS Dosing Pumps the complete delux 2 part package.

1 × Reef Octopus 200sss 8" space saving skimmer (it's enormous)

2 x Vortec Circulation Pumps

Some shiny cool blue PVC for my plumb and grey shedule 80 PVC fittings...

I turned the Coral QT into a bare bottom minireef about a month ago... So, I would have cured and cycled rock to go into the DT. I have no pests and some pods in there.

I painted the backs of the QTs black last spring... Looked good at first but scratches after time.

So for the DT I bough Black Backing and some good double sided Gorilla glue tape.

Figured out that I needed the sump gear that I didnt have - like a skimmer - so I could work the plumb and sump together - develop them together, so everything is functional, accessible, movable, and neat.

Want my fish and corals in the DT. They are going to feel so free and in an evironment that nurishes them.

The miniReef has coraline growing in it - but - I have algae. So, I got some Vibrant - gonna put that tank on Vibrant now. So when the rock goes into the DT, I'm not seeding it with cyano, hair algae, red macro, etc... I'm just gonna add bottled coraline to the fank - pods and chaeto about a weeks into the DT being up - figure it might take a week to build up nutrients for the chaeto to survive. If I start to see algae right away, I'll run the GFO and Carbon.

I have also learned that ALL fish from the LFSs have ich. I have seen ich show BACK up after intense treatment with copper and hyposalinty. Ich was gone... Seemingly... Showed up about 3 months later on one fish. I havent seen any problems since March. So, these fish are CLEAN and robust.

Have every Hannah Checker out there with boxes of reagents, a few hundred pounds of dry rock left to cure for the aquascape - and like 5 bags of live sand, and some Red We Starter kits... As well as some live rock ready to go in.

GAME ON