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- Thread starter bknapp
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bknapp
Has been left unattended
Thanks Derek, I'm not sure if the middle rocks are going to stay there, they may move to the sump. The LR is just there to help seed the coralline algae.
OP
OP
bknapp
Has been left unattended
The new skimmer pump arrived today so I've got that back and running again.
Here are my cycle numbers as of today, I have been keeping a daily journal of my cycle. Everything is being tested by a RedSea Marine Care test kit, pH reading from RKL, and SG from a JBJ C-Scope.
Cycle Day 12:
Ammonia:.2
NitrAte: 5
NitrIte: .5
pH: 8.15
SG: 1.024
I will bump up my ammonia to closer to 1 ppm and retest an hour later and recheck tomorrow to see how the bacteria is building up and taking down the ammonia. These have been my evening numbers for three days straight. Looks like its going to be a LOOOONG cycle. Any suggestions or concerns? This is the first time I am cycling a tank without using all live rock.
Here are my cycle numbers as of today, I have been keeping a daily journal of my cycle. Everything is being tested by a RedSea Marine Care test kit, pH reading from RKL, and SG from a JBJ C-Scope.
Cycle Day 12:
Ammonia:.2
NitrAte: 5
NitrIte: .5
pH: 8.15
SG: 1.024
I will bump up my ammonia to closer to 1 ppm and retest an hour later and recheck tomorrow to see how the bacteria is building up and taking down the ammonia. These have been my evening numbers for three days straight. Looks like its going to be a LOOOONG cycle. Any suggestions or concerns? This is the first time I am cycling a tank without using all live rock.
gmoney243
2500 Club Member
Just get a single small fish and let it happen naturally. Small ammounts of ammonia doesn't harm the fish. U could use mb7 or similar product to reduce the cycle even more. A tank ur size has plenty of volume to keep ammonia from harming the fish.
Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2
OP
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bknapp
Has been left unattended
Only six months in the making LOL. One day I might be on y'alls level.
OP
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bknapp
Has been left unattended
Watching 'em grow is the fun part.
OP
OP
bknapp
Has been left unattended
Well a small update... I noticed a small pool of water next to my stand when I got home from work yesterday evening. Looked around all the plumbing and couldn't find the leak. After a while longer I found where it was leaking from, it seemed like somehow the unions on the UV sterilizer had somehow become loose so I did my best to contour my body to get to where the union is located. Only to make matters worse I had somehow put enough force and torque onto the plumbing and created another leak. So I quickly turned the return pump and the turned the valve on my drain closed and started pulling the plumbing including the UV out, tightened all the unions and redid some of the PVC glue to try and hold it back together... After about half an hour I put all the plumbing back in, I plug the return back in.... Only to have the part of the pipe where I had tried to reglue bust apart so I quickly unplugged the return and went to bed, as it was almost 2 am.
When I got home from work today I pulled all the return plumbing back out and got all the extra PVC pipe and parts I had laying around (glad no one wanted as I was trying to give it away) and found a way to redo the plumbing but I decided to leave the UV out for now as there is really no room for it and it's incredibly hard to get to. The new plumbing is drying as of right now, hope in about an hour once I turn it back on all is ok.
The moral of this story is:
-Unions are your friends when plumbing, if it wasn't for the unions it had have been near impossible to fix the plumbing.
-Don't put too much force on any plumbing, as you are undoubtedly stronger than the PVC cement.
-Extra PVC parts laying around can save you from disasters.
-Check valves are invaluable, the $45 you spend now will save you from a headache later on.
-If there is plumbing somewhere it's going to leak at hardest, most awkward of places possible.
-Use ball (or gate) valves or your return and drain plumbing.
-It's in your best interest to have something underneath your sump to keep your floors dry.
I hope for two things as of right now. One is that I hope the new plumbing doesn't leak. Two is that I hope someone who is plumbing their tank whether it be for the first time or thousandth time can learn from this post and my mistakes.
Just another day in the life of a reefer (I suppose.)
When I got home from work today I pulled all the return plumbing back out and got all the extra PVC pipe and parts I had laying around (glad no one wanted as I was trying to give it away) and found a way to redo the plumbing but I decided to leave the UV out for now as there is really no room for it and it's incredibly hard to get to. The new plumbing is drying as of right now, hope in about an hour once I turn it back on all is ok.
The moral of this story is:
-Unions are your friends when plumbing, if it wasn't for the unions it had have been near impossible to fix the plumbing.
-Don't put too much force on any plumbing, as you are undoubtedly stronger than the PVC cement.
-Extra PVC parts laying around can save you from disasters.
-Check valves are invaluable, the $45 you spend now will save you from a headache later on.
-If there is plumbing somewhere it's going to leak at hardest, most awkward of places possible.
-Use ball (or gate) valves or your return and drain plumbing.
-It's in your best interest to have something underneath your sump to keep your floors dry.
I hope for two things as of right now. One is that I hope the new plumbing doesn't leak. Two is that I hope someone who is plumbing their tank whether it be for the first time or thousandth time can learn from this post and my mistakes.
Just another day in the life of a reefer (I suppose.)
Dowtish
5000 Club Member
Don't put too much force on any plumbing, as you are undoubtedly stronger than the PVC cement.
This statement is false. Only you Brandon can break pvc glue like it's nothing. Brute strength comes in handy, just not when it comes to plumbing.:wink:
Hope everything is going well now.
This statement is false. Only you Brandon can break pvc glue like it's nothing. Brute strength comes in handy, just not when it comes to plumbing.:wink:
Hope everything is going well now.
OP
OP
bknapp
Has been left unattended
LOL, that's funny. I hope so to, haven't had the intestinal fortitude to turn everything back on. Thanks, I needed a good laugh.
OP
OP
bknapp
Has been left unattended
Well, seems as if the plumbing problem is solved (*crosses fingers*.) The noise from the sump area has decreased greatly I think the force of the water through the plumbing directly against the back brace of the stand and against the back of the sump was causing the noise. And also my nightly cycle testing shows this:
Cycleday 18:
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:.2
Nitrate:5
SG:1.025
Cycleday 18:
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:.2
Nitrate:5
SG:1.025
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OP
OP
bknapp
Has been left unattended
Small equipment update:
-Removed two of the Koralia Evo 1400's
-Added one EcoTech MP40w ES
-Ordered all new RO/DI resins and filters, adding on to it and making it a five stage instead of the four (BRS.)
Small issues I hope someone could help with, both dealing with the Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper:
-Temp probe seems to have crazy wild swings, put a small Coralife temp probe in there and the temps between the two isn't close.
-MLC seems to have gone out.
I have decided I am going to be adding ecoBAK to my system hopefully by next weekend, any helpful tips and tricks would be appreciated.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks and happy reefing.
-Removed two of the Koralia Evo 1400's
-Added one EcoTech MP40w ES
-Ordered all new RO/DI resins and filters, adding on to it and making it a five stage instead of the four (BRS.)
Small issues I hope someone could help with, both dealing with the Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper:
-Temp probe seems to have crazy wild swings, put a small Coralife temp probe in there and the temps between the two isn't close.
-MLC seems to have gone out.
I have decided I am going to be adding ecoBAK to my system hopefully by next weekend, any helpful tips and tricks would be appreciated.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks and happy reefing.
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Dowtish
5000 Club Member
I am no help for the controller temp probe, but the coralife digitals are known for being off by a few degrees either way. You will need to calibrate your probe with an old school mercury thermometer.
