My Adventure Into SaltWater With a 20 Gallon

[cheseboy]

Hi, this is my blog on the history of my new Salt Water tank. So let me begin.

Just tonight I went out and bought some bio-spira and an air stone (cheap Wal-Mart one broke in 2). So I got the tank air going and I read the back of the Marine Bio-spira and it doesnt have directions for tanks less than 55 gallons. So I have sent Marine Land and email on dosage and are awaiting a reply until I can continue. My uncle has a Wet\Dry filter and protein skimmer he's giving me. Currently all I have in the tank is an air stone, a heater and a small power head to insure constant temperature throughout the tank for cycling. Tank Status:

[cheseboy]

Well I called my uncle and he said he couldn't find the overflow box for the filter. He said that he might of thrown it away because it was cracked. I can easily get a used one on eBay anyway. But then he says that Corals simply aren't possible in a mini-reef aquarium of that size. He says if I put fish in with corals in a mini-reef with no live sand bed. I would have a problem with nitrates and he says that If I did try to implement the deep sand bed I would be tanking away a large capacity of water from my tank. So I think I'm going to need to figure out some way so my tank can be a mini-reef with fish in it since I know people have done it. Plus he has a 200 something reef tank and Failed at a 55 so he moved up and it looks so cool now. But people do do mini-reefs with fish so I will just need to find out how they deal with nitrates. Since I would much rather spend a lot of money to make my tank compatible with corals so I don't need to remove everything from my balanced tank to rip up the substrate.

[cheseboy]

I have decided I am going to go with a 10G refugium sump. I am buying everything I need and looking for the best deals around I am trying to do this quickly since I don't want my Marine bio-spira to expire. I want to use it ASAP.

[flamingo]

Good luck with everything!

If you don't already know, bio-spira usually says "use before 6months" os omewhere close to that, prolly a little longer. Also you can add the whole thing a tonce, too much bacteria isn't going to harm anything.

[Georgia Peach]

way cool! Im looking forward to reading your trials and tribuals!

[cheseboy]

Originally Posted by flamingonhot

Good luck with everything!

If you don't already know, bio-spira usually says "use before 6months" or somewhere close to that, prolbally a little longer. Also you can add the whole thing at once, too much bacteria isn't going to harm anything.

Umm... actually take a look at this. Right from the Bio-Spira FAQ.

Anyway...

I got my clip on PC light today. 13W for my refugium. Gonna need to convince my dad to take me to somewhere that sells acrylic since I need that to modify my 10G tank and to build my overflow box. I still have a lot more boxes coming that I am waiting for. Oh yeah and LOL my box came wrapped in Christmas present wrapping paper turned inside out so it was white.



Thanks peach for your interest!

[flamingo]

Hmm...oh well. I just read around and it says it can be stored in the fridge for about 6 months. Well good luck with it all!

[cheseboy]

Got my power head (skimmer) and my return pump. There is only 1 thing the power head was cheaper than the pump I bought. So when I looked at the box of the maxi-jet power head it said is could be used too pump water thought a tube. I thought power heads had no head power. This is the strongest maxi-jet they had 1200. I could of just bought 2 power heads. Oh well I wouldn't be saving much money anyway. I also got my bulkhead fitting everything seams to be going fine with that. I am now looking to buy acrylic the Internet seams to be the cheapest since my local stores are more expensive even with shipping added! I am looking for a 4 sq.foot piece of acrylic (preferably 2'x2'). I found a good site. Here http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.asp for some reason when I click on a link it loads for ever when I hit open in new window it works fine. I can't open in new window to add to the shopping cart to see what the shipping would be. It must be a problem on there end since It worked fine before. So mean while I'll look for even cheaper acrylic.

[cheseboy]

Well I have just returned from petSmart with a 10 gallon tank. Some red ludwigia witch I could not stop myself from getting. I saw it and I had to have it! Anyway I will order the Acrylic and get that shipping for Monday. Right now I am looking at supplements when I start getting alive things. Excluding my Bio-spira . So the site I will be ordering from is http://www.aquariumguys.com/. Right now I am going by this for the kinds of supplements I need. I'm Not sure if it's right since some people say the only things you should be adding is alkalinity and calcium and water changes will take care of the rest. It's all coming together now!

[cheseboy]

Hi, I haven't put up anything in a bit because I've been so busy cutting my acrylic and stuff. So I got my acrylic and have already cut it into the right size pieces to make my overflow box and my baffle. You'd be suprised how hard it is to cut straight with a jig saw So I bought acrylic glue online and are waiting for it to arrive. So then I can glue my overflow together.

[cheseboy]

WOW! what a day. I spent all day up until 8PM riding around to different pet stores buying stuff with a fellow reefer. It was fun! Too bad stores close early on Sunday. I also got my skimmer it's a cool piece of equipment it is loud though. I went out and bought some more silicone sealant also since my baffle broke free of the grip of the little silicone I had holding it in place. Now I am trying to get all my plumbing in line.

well... I found out I will need to partially take apart my stand to fit the 10 gallon in there so I will need to drain my 20 gallon in to a bucket and a spare tank so I can partially disassemble it it will be a pain ! Oh well

[cheseboy]

Found a good setup for my sump and have glued my baffle in place. Now I have 48 hours of time to waste! Now I am just looking at RO systems since I can get a bare bones for about 80-100 $. That is right in my range. Just looking since my DI filter has kinda a low output but you never know. I also cut a hold in my hood with a jig saw for my protein skimmer to fit.

Oh yeah and I got a job as a paperboy witch should help since I only had 30$ left. . Don't know how much I will be making or anything yet but anything is good.

Well that's that, now I wait.......... and look at items I can drool over. cya

[cheseboy]

Got my sump\refugium working. It sure was a hassle to get it in my stand though. I had to take apart my stand practically to get it in. It is a very tight fit. Almost like it was made to fit. I filled up my sump\refugium got the salinity right and connected it all up. Right now I am waiting for the glue to completely dry on my overflow box. It says it takes 24 hours. I have already made sure it retains water and it does. I would like to get some aragonite based sand for my DBS. I tested every type of sand they had at Home Depot and none tested positive for aragonite. I have heard from my uncle that he got his sand for his DBS at a Lowe's. So I suppose that will be my next place to look. Although he said he bought it in the summer and it isn't exactly sandbox time yet but maybe they will have it. I will also be getting some live sand and macro algae from him to start up my tank. So I won't have a substrate in my main tank for a bit since I am very determined to find some aragonite sand. All the remains now is what to buy as my first fish? A clown fish? Goby? It will take a lot of thinking. I am hoping to get my overflow working by tomorrow and get all my heating issues sorted out and put in the bio-spira. The only thing I am a bit concerned about is that the bio-spira package says to turn off protein skimmers during the first 48 hours. That will mean I will need to get another means of importing oxygen into the tank for 48 hours. I will probably need to use a spare air pump and air stone. I am just not sure if it will be enough. I will have to hope.

[cheseboy]

I knew everything wouldn't go according to plan! I'm having trouble plumbing. I bought some vinyl tube but it is to stiff and not very workable at all. I think I may just want to go with PVC. I will need to do some thinking and see what I will do.

[cheseboy]

Well I got my overflow working. It is extremely slow!! Oh well that everlasting kink in the U hose could be the problem. Going to Home Depot to get a U PVC piece or plumb me one with 2 90* angle pieces and a few straits. Also gonna get enough pieces to re plumb my whole thing in PVC.

[cheseboy]

Well I figured out a way to get my overflow box working. It involves an old yogurt container . Anyway my dad is all of a sudden feeling uncomfortable with the safety of the sump. So we are putting in extra safety measures to ensure it doesnt overflow. Meanwhile I am searching hardware stores high and low to look for aragonite based sand for my DSB. No sign of any yet but I will find some eventually. I hope to get at least 1 fish this weekend.

[cheseboy]

Well, I discareded all my SW in my tank. My dad said he would buy me a new dionizing filter and some salt since he made his descision at the last minute. So I have moved my tank in the callar. I have siliconed up all my PVC. JUst need to fill up mt tank with tap water to test in it will run for a week then I will move it back up to my room and finally get some fish in there! Got to go to the hardware store be back soon.

[cheseboy]

Got everything all tubed today. Tomorrow I will just need to do a few miscellanies things and then i will be ready to fill it up and test away.

[cheseboy]

Well I have got my tank all filled up and right now are testing the reliability of my overflow\return line in the basement in case of overflow. I will test this until friday then I will bring it to my room fill it up with SW and finally mabey get a fish by sunday.

[cheseboy]

Well this totally sux. My dad says it's too dangerous to have the setup I have in my room because of risk of flood. So he says I can either eliminate the sump and have it in my room or I can put it in the cellar. So I chose the cellar he said maybe after the summer there will be a chance he will let me put it in my room. So I have picked out a spot and will drain out the tap water and will fill it with RO and then salt. On the brighter side I asked a person at a local reefer forum and they said where they got there aragonite sand so I will go there for my sand, they also sell it year round!