24 gallon cube started

HawkeyeDJ · Mar 14, 2021

So I've been out of the hobby for 25 years and now I'm back. That is like saying I'm a visitor from the stone age. I am overwhelmed by how far the hobby has advanced during the past decades. There is sooo much to learn!

Thanks to this forum, the pros on YouTube, and the wonderful folks at my LFS I'm starting a new adventure.

I'm now 2 weeks into my first cycle. Nitrites are coming along, no nitrates yet. Wish me luck.

Today I added a digital thermometer and a wave pump with controller.

P-Dub · Mar 14, 2021

Yup, it's a whole new era in keeping a reef. Great start! Keep us posted.

zukihara · Mar 14, 2021

HawkeyeDJ · Mar 14, 2021

P-Dub said:
Yup, it's a whole new era in keeping a reef. Great start! Keep us posted.

It's like I'm working on a graduate degree in biology chemistry and environmental science and my thesis is my box of seawater.

TriggersAmuck · Mar 14, 2021

Welcome back to the ~~money pit~~, er, hobby!

My first tank was in '85, and I took a substantial amount of time off in between multiple rounds. So I know the feeling! I think you might find these videos from BRSTV very enlightening (done around Black Friday) as they follow the more recent history and trends over 16 years, not quite as far back as you would like but still very informative: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/brstv-black-friday-2020-live-streams.778166/

Be aware these are LONG broadcasts! Day 1 was particularly useful to me.

EagleEric · Mar 14, 2021

Welcome back. Just take it slow as always.
Also, the right side.roxkwork appears close.to the glass. Can you get in there to clean the glass? If so. No worries. Hard to tell by pic

HawkeyeDJ · Mar 14, 2021

EagleEric said:
Welcome back. Just take it slow as always.
Also, the right side.roxkwork appears close.to the glass. Can you get in there to clean the glass? If so. No worries. Hard to tell by pic

Yes, my flipper glass scrubber is able to get past all the rocks.

I'll be upgrading my light this week to the Current USA DUAL LIGHT BAR. Hoping that will be sufficient for this money pit. My guy at the LFS seems to think it will be - maybe. So far he hasn't steered me wrong.

HawkeyeDJ · Mar 15, 2021

So now my rocks need to be secured. Right now they are just stacked as the cycle continues. Obviously I want to epoxy these together to prevent an accidental collapse.

Here is my plan:

I will mark a work area on cardboard of the interior dimensions of the tank. My final product will stay well within these marks. I'll layout the rocks and then start from the bottom securing each "joint" with aquarium epoxy. I want most of the joint epoxy to be visible primarily from the back only for aesthetics.

I hope to accomplish the epoxy placement and construction portion within 30 minutes or less, given the working time of the product. The finished aquascape should be back in the tank within an hour.

Any feedback is appreciated.

And here is a question. I plan to have a bottle of aquarium water on hand to spritz the rocks to keep them from drying out during the construction and curing period. Will this save my biological filter? Or will I need to start the cycle all over again?