Rock Pool
New Member
Hi all,
Been lingering a little while researching to get my tank up and running but thought it time to finally start a thread!
This is a bit of an intro and build thread in one...
10 years ago (when I was 15) I was 'nibbled' by the marine bug and started getting things rolling on a tank. This was back when DSBs & metal halides were still a thing... I got most of the equipment but stalled when it got to the expensive stuff (It was a bit difficult to motivate to dad
). I'm more grown-up now and have seen with my own eyes how truly expensive things are but pushed through and started my cycle +-3 weeks ago!
*I'm based in South Africa so some equipment etc isn't readily available.
Some info:
Tank - 1200L x 600W x 450H (mm) = +-325l
Sump - +-150l (cant remember the exact dimensions)
3000l/h return pump
TS2 Reeftek skimmer (if I remember correctly, this is undersized so I'm expecting an upgrade - Reeftek also seems to have fallen off from 10 years ago!?)
2x wavemakers, one is variable flow/pulses (still need to sort out flow as I've got a nice patch of bare bottom glass on the one side)
2x 500W heaters (cant remember the make but I've already blown a 200 & 300W which I was running together in the hopes they would be enough - they weren't)
Zetlight Q Maven II Q-120 (seems to be the best 'entry level' mixed reef light available - mixed reef is the plan...)
Close to 30kg's of dry rock?
Caribsea special grade sand
Tropic marin salt
Home-made RODI water
I'm doing a fishless cycle and used Aquavitro Seed and Tropic Marin Nitribiotic (accidentally bought both but think they do the same thing!?) as well as some Ammonium Chloride to kick start things.
As of earlier today my Ammonia levels read 0 (using API which I now see can be unreliable) but Nitrite still high with +'ve readings of Nitrate (using Salifert for both). Salinity was a bit higher at just below 40ppt but I figure I'll get this right with my first water change once my cycle is complete (what % water change is generally needed after cycle?)
High up on the to-do list is cupboards/closing the sump and remaking the top wooden rim (current one is too bulky for my light mounting). As well as cleaning up cables.
Onto some questions:
- A major issue currently is evaporation. I probably need to invest in an ATO (recommendations on brand/type?) I manually top up at the moment which probably isn't good for temp or salinity stability. I was going to do a netting as a cover but have though about perspex to help mitigate evaporation any tips or comments on this? Must I then drill holes in the perspex (I've seen others do this and I'm unsure why other than possibly reflecting too much of the light??)
- Temperature, l have a thermostat which I've set to 26 deg C +- 0.3 deg. Can I widen this range and if so, how much?
- I'm leaving for a 10 day trip at the end of August and don't think its the best idea to add livestock before then (thinking of starting with a couple of clowns). If I leave my tank should I dose more ammonium chloride to 'feed' the established bacteria (or arrange for someone to regularly add ammonium chloride) or will they be happy dormant?
- I have a bag of Aquaforest Life bio Fil in the chamber of my sump which was going to be for a DSB... I'm not sure what to do with this chamber anymore and Chaeto is hard to come by here - any recommendations? I do have a bit of sand left over which I was thinking about adding to it?
- W.r.t additional filtration, I plan on adding a filter sock are there other essentials I'm missing? (I've come across UV filters etc)
I'm open to any constructive criticism on my current set-up. I tend to be an overthinker but decided to get things going before I sit around for another 10 years without actually getting water in my tank. I hope I haven't missed any fundamentals!!
Cheers,
Rockpool
Been lingering a little while researching to get my tank up and running but thought it time to finally start a thread!
This is a bit of an intro and build thread in one...
10 years ago (when I was 15) I was 'nibbled' by the marine bug and started getting things rolling on a tank. This was back when DSBs & metal halides were still a thing... I got most of the equipment but stalled when it got to the expensive stuff (It was a bit difficult to motivate to dad
). I'm more grown-up now and have seen with my own eyes how truly expensive things are but pushed through and started my cycle +-3 weeks ago!*I'm based in South Africa so some equipment etc isn't readily available.
Some info:
Tank - 1200L x 600W x 450H (mm) = +-325l
Sump - +-150l (cant remember the exact dimensions)
3000l/h return pump
TS2 Reeftek skimmer (if I remember correctly, this is undersized so I'm expecting an upgrade - Reeftek also seems to have fallen off from 10 years ago!?)
2x wavemakers, one is variable flow/pulses (still need to sort out flow as I've got a nice patch of bare bottom glass on the one side)
2x 500W heaters (cant remember the make but I've already blown a 200 & 300W which I was running together in the hopes they would be enough - they weren't)
Zetlight Q Maven II Q-120 (seems to be the best 'entry level' mixed reef light available - mixed reef is the plan...)
Close to 30kg's of dry rock?
Caribsea special grade sand
Tropic marin salt
Home-made RODI water
I'm doing a fishless cycle and used Aquavitro Seed and Tropic Marin Nitribiotic (accidentally bought both but think they do the same thing!?) as well as some Ammonium Chloride to kick start things.
As of earlier today my Ammonia levels read 0 (using API which I now see can be unreliable) but Nitrite still high with +'ve readings of Nitrate (using Salifert for both). Salinity was a bit higher at just below 40ppt but I figure I'll get this right with my first water change once my cycle is complete (what % water change is generally needed after cycle?)
High up on the to-do list is cupboards/closing the sump and remaking the top wooden rim (current one is too bulky for my light mounting). As well as cleaning up cables.
Onto some questions:
- A major issue currently is evaporation. I probably need to invest in an ATO (recommendations on brand/type?) I manually top up at the moment which probably isn't good for temp or salinity stability. I was going to do a netting as a cover but have though about perspex to help mitigate evaporation any tips or comments on this? Must I then drill holes in the perspex (I've seen others do this and I'm unsure why other than possibly reflecting too much of the light??)
- Temperature, l have a thermostat which I've set to 26 deg C +- 0.3 deg. Can I widen this range and if so, how much?
- I'm leaving for a 10 day trip at the end of August and don't think its the best idea to add livestock before then (thinking of starting with a couple of clowns). If I leave my tank should I dose more ammonium chloride to 'feed' the established bacteria (or arrange for someone to regularly add ammonium chloride) or will they be happy dormant?
- I have a bag of Aquaforest Life bio Fil in the chamber of my sump which was going to be for a DSB... I'm not sure what to do with this chamber anymore and Chaeto is hard to come by here - any recommendations? I do have a bit of sand left over which I was thinking about adding to it?
- W.r.t additional filtration, I plan on adding a filter sock are there other essentials I'm missing? (I've come across UV filters etc)
I'm open to any constructive criticism on my current set-up. I tend to be an overthinker but decided to get things going before I sit around for another 10 years without actually getting water in my tank. I hope I haven't missed any fundamentals!!
Cheers,
Rockpool
