Joann's 60g cube...a work in slow progress

DiverGirl82 · Sep 17, 2015

I got it working now but I think I might still eventually downgrade to a smaller pump. The air hole in the drain pipe was either clogged up or just too small. I used a screw driver to open it up and make it a little bit bigger and that seemed to solve the problem. It had been making a siphon effect in the overflow.

Ahruk · Sep 18, 2015

Wow, wish I could say I lived nearby or that I would be useful even if I was. But I think things may be getting a little easier now that you have the tank full. Really excited to see this tank filled with fish and coral.

DiverGirl82 · Sep 18, 2015

Ahruk said:
Wow, wish I could say I lived nearby or that I would be useful even if I was. But I think things may be getting a little easier now that you have the tank full. Really excited to see this tank filled with fish and coral.

Yeah I think I was just feeling overwhelmed. Everything seemed to be going wrong. I definitely think once I get past this initial phase I'll be able to relax. Today I have to take a bunch of water out and put some fresh in because apparently the solution I bought for calibrating the refractometer isn't worth a crap. It kept saying my salinity was too low so I kept adding more. I even calibrated it multiple times just in case. Then someone said to try it with just rodi water and I got a way different reading. So now my salinity is way too high.

I'm also going to go to the hardware store and get something to make the overflow tube a little longer. It drains into the sump just above the water line so it's really loud. I want to make it a little bit longer so the water coming out isn't splashing into the sump.

Cleo642 · Sep 18, 2015

Sorry your going through all these bumps in the road.

Ahruk · Sep 18, 2015

Well, look on the bright side: this should make regular seem tank maintenance seem like breeze in comparison.

Also when you get really frustrated you should take a break and just start researching things you think you might be interested in having in your tank or just look at people's tank threads for inspiration/motivation.

DiverGirl82 · Sep 18, 2015

Ahruk said:
Well, look on the bright side: this should make regular seem tank maintenance seem like breeze in comparison. Also when you get really frustrated you should take a break and just start researching things you think you might be interested in having in your tank or just look at people's tank threads for inspiration/motivation.

I've got my fish all picked out and some of them even named already.

Ahruk · Sep 18, 2015

Yea, but what about inverts and coral? I love my inverts probably more then my fish at this point.... xD

DiverGirl82 · Sep 18, 2015

For coral I'm leaning more towards lps and softies. I've got a few inverts picked out. I'd really like a yellow brittle star.

Ahruk · Sep 18, 2015

Awesome

Love the brittle stars although I was always kind of nervous about them eating fish and my tank is too small. But I love the mini-ones, really wanna get more of them. LPS and softies are awesome

fishroomlady · Sep 18, 2015

just read through the thread...welcome divergirl! I am looking forward to seeing your system up and running. I can sense your excitement. I think this hobby involves at least a couple of flooding - so, your are done

congratulations on getting everything fine tuned.

DiverGirl82 · Sep 18, 2015

fishroomlady said:
just read through the thread...welcome divergirl! I am looking forward to seeing your system up and running. I can sense your excitement. I think this hobby involves at least a couple of flooding - so, your are done congratulations on getting everything fine tuned.

Thank you

I guess if problems are inevitable I might as well get them all out of the way at once.

DiverGirl82 · Sep 18, 2015

Now I'm realizing the ATO system I got most likely isn't going to work. It's a magnet that goes on the glass and uses a sensor to "see" the water level. Well I'm just realizing that the glass on the back of the sump is black.

Is there any particular reason someone would do that? I can just barely get it on the clear glass on the side but if any of the alarms go off I won't be able to see the led indicator lights. And it has to go on the return chamber right? I can't put it on the refugium chamber?

MrGemini · Sep 19, 2015

You could scrape the paint off the glass where the top off sensor will go!

DiverGirl82 · Sep 19, 2015

MrGemini said:
You could scrape the paint off the glass where the top off sensor will go!

It's not painted, it's just black glass. The side is clear though so I managed to push and shove and heave the whole sump over to one side so there was enough room on the return side for me to be able to get it in there.

DiverGirl82 · Sep 19, 2015

Finally got it all filled and the salinity squared away. Put in some microbacter7 and some ammonia to kick start the cycle. Now...we wait. Getting that hood back on was a beast but I sure do love the way it looks.

helldiver · Sep 19, 2015

Nice learning curve ur having u will be a good reefer

DiverGirl82 · Sep 19, 2015

helldiver said:
Nice learning curve ur having u will be a good reefer

Thank you. I'm hoping I'm done with problems for a little while at least.

helldiver · Sep 20, 2015

Those problems seemed pretty much resolved now a whole lot of New problems will occur tunning your skimmer in and a lot of water testing to be successful at first you have to do a lot of water changes at least 20percent a month or 5 to 10 percent weekly of total water volume

DiverGirl82 · Sep 21, 2015

Ups dropped this off today. After a quick trip to the hardware store I got it hooked up and finally have quiet. Or at least no more raging waterfall or bubbling jacuzzi.