Beginning of a new life

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saltyhog said:
What? A gif that Crabs doesn't already have?!:p

Nice set up @Musovski ! Sounds like your bacteria colonization is right on track.
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Edited my post to include a better one ;)
 
AS
Fudsey said:
Welcome to R2R ! ! !

Aquascape looks great ! !

Couple things I noticed that I want to make you aware of. Black sand is very magnetic and will get caught in your glass mag-cleaner and will scratch the glass. I have had black sand for 3 tanks and you have to be very careful when scraping low and touching the sand. Just be careful and you'll be good. I love the look of it just too bad it's magnetic.

Ditch the hydrometer as soon as you can. They are notoriously inaccurate. Get a decent refractometer and a bottle of calibration fluid for it. Or spend a little more and get the Milwaukee. I wish I got that when I bought my handheld refractometer instead.

tenor111.gif

#welcometor2r
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Ditched hydrometer on like 3rd day. the black sand i heard was magnetic after about a week of me purchasing it. for now ill use it and be careful, eventually i will switch it up to crushed coral.

thanks for the advice. ill try to keep in touch on this post because i will need help with setting up extra things in sump later on this month.
 
Glad you ditched the hydrometer! I like to further what Fudsey suggested and move over from the API test kits and use red sea, hanna or salifert kits.

For your ALK testing buy the hanna hands down. For PO4 test buy the hanna phosphorus ultra low, yes phosphorus not their phosphate test. Here is conversion chart LINK

I am still learning and been in the hobby since 1986!

Some suggestions,

1) Be patient
2) Read and research before buying
3) Just because someone says its so doesn't make it.
4) Don't be quick to make changes
5) Algae will happen dont let it get to you
6) You dont have to buy new, check dry goods section
7) When you see minimal tank size for fish, to put it in human terms "Yes, you could live in a bathroom but you really should be in a house"
 
Avast
Best feeling is looking at how far the tank is getting. [emoji7][emoji7] just look at her!
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Now don’t worry. I have another LED incoming!! [emoji23][emoji23]
 
About 11 days have passed by. The tank is now what seems to be on stage 2 as of 2 days ago. meaning that it completely eats the ammonia converting it to nitrite. Now i wait the longer period :(

Nitrite to nitrate. My nitrites read very high, at 5ppm+
nitrate are extremely high as well, reading at 160ppm.

I wont do a water change, just so that nothing really messes up, beside all itll do its get my nirates to a readable level.

however i will do a water change when the nitrites drop to 0 and i dose the tank with ammonia 2-3 times more. To make sure that in 24 hours, the ammonia turns to nitrate.

i do have a question though, Should i keep dosing ammonia daily at this point moving forward, or do i pause and let the bacteria catch up in breaking down nitrite?

EDIT: FIGURED it out :D
 
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SO! The sump has come in! My overflow, and return pump are inbound.

My ammonia seems to be stuck on .50 ppm, but after i dose it to 2 ppm it drops back down to .50ppm within 24 hours. I believe it may be a faulty test kit. My nitrites are still at 5.0ppm+, nitrates are still high but that's because nitrites are high, which gives me a false reading for the nitrates. ( i may be wrong on that)


I ordered a Red Sea Ammonia Test Kit along with a Hanna for Nitrite. Ill keep my readings posted once the new tests come in.


Ill post updates once i get the plumbing started. Is it weird that i'm becoming way too excited? i plan on beginning a whole new build thread once this is completely done, i need to make a explained version of my tank. Although it a beginners tank, i cant wait for my next one!
 
Hello all! It is nearing almost 3 weeks with the tank. Cycle is great. Ammonia drops from 2ppm to 0 in 24 hours. The following day nitrites rise to 5ppm and drop to 0 in the following day. Seems like it takes a total of 3 days for both ammonia and nitrite to drop to 0. Nitrates have gone from 160 to 40. My sump is awaiting a new return pump. Chaeto has been ordered to try and reduce nitrate.

Not sure if i should put marine pureblock or a DSB with live rock in my Fuge.
 
Tidal Gardens
Today i got my new test kits. Ammonia is at 0. Nitrite is at 0.06. Nitrate is 40ppm. I also received chaeto. I added it to the tank to try and reduce my nitrates. Apart from the parameters. Im at the mist of a giant diatom bloom.
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The diatom bloom is out of control now. Crazy amount. Got a small clean up crew. Time to let them do the job. With a little assistance.
 
Tidal Gardens
Musovski said:
What i dont get is that i used RO/DI water. So i dont understand what couldve added so much silicate to feed the diatom. Any ideas?
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Not sure. Salt mix, sand, etc. Life just finds a way.
 
Nutramar Foods
NY_Caveman said:
Not sure. Salt mix, sand, etc. Life just finds a way.
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True. didnt really think about the sand. It could actually be the sand. Ill keep the sand for now, but i think i may go with a bare bottom tank eventually.
 
Hello!...I see a lot of nitrates with no live stock? Did you use Dr Tims or somthing like that to introduce Bacteria? Dr Fosters and Smith is $10 & 25 gallon today, dose a .5-1 cup a week and cycle will be done. You still need to feed the bacteria, so start thinking fish. Good Luck
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