Here we go < 90g SW build/log/project

Update:

Nothing really exciting..... The RO/DI unit is scheduled to get here Thursday, so until then I am in a holding pattern. But still spending money in that holding pattern LOL!! Mag Float scraper, 32 gallon trash cans and buckets, refractometer, and the list goes on.

I am 0 for 3 in locating LRR at LFSs. I have one more place that I am pretty sure will be able to hook me up. I am going to add a few pounds of LR to the tank as well.

Well, time to get the Christmas tree up..
 
Okay, 2 things to go over.

1) I received my Coralife RO/DI (50gpd) unit this week, and I can not get it to operate correctly. It is producing too much water (blue tube is really pumping out the water while the red tube has very little. The troubleshooting section says that the membrane is not seated properly. I take a look at it and it appears to be seated well. Anyone here have experience with this? If so what should I look for?
2) I bought 100lbs of Marine sand at my LFS with my tank. It is Estes Marine Sand. It says right on the bag Non-Buffering. After some research I find this is a popular sand with the FW crew. I should not use this correct? I found somewhere that this stuff is 98 percent silica with a plastic coating.
 
I fixed the RO unit problem. The membrane needed to be inserted "one more click" to be fully seated. Unit is now making it first "Throw away" 10 gallons
 
Finally some progress!!!

Returned the Estes Marine Sand and replaced it with CaribSea Argonite Figi Pink. Made my first batch of RO/DI water, mixed in Instant Ocean and filled up the first 25 gallons. I use 2 32 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans. One is the storage for the RO water. I transfer that over via pump to the second can and mix in the salt there. After I have the salinity dialed in with my refractometer I transfer via pump to 5 gallon buckets. These are carried upstairs (the labor of love) and transferred to the tank via pump. I place a plastic bowl in the tank to deflect the powerful stream coming out of the pump. This way the bowl fills and overflows. This kept the dust Storm to a minimum. The pic below is about 20 minutes after I filled the first 25 gallons. As you can see it is not too terribly cloudy. That is with no filtration running and it is not full enough to fill the sump.

Second batch of RO is being made overnight. Slow process but good things come to those who wait right? I checked the tank for leaks, turned up dry as a bone. Also checked the tank for level; perfect.

You can see the Chair coral is gone, I just couldn't take Grins making fun of it!!:headshake2:

Nahh, just changed the plan. I am picking up around 50lbs of cured live rock this week after I have the rest of the water ready. It will be placed with the base rock that is in there and to the right. So my tank with be a FOWSLR.

dayonefill.jpg
 
Now it's starting to look like a SW tank. Picked up the live rock on the way home from work today. I picked out a mixture of cured Alor, Pohnpei and Fiji Totoka. Hope I did ok for my first shot at live rock. Finished filling the tank. Sump system is up and running as well. Going to start adding some pure ammonia making sure not to spike it too hard. The cured live rock should help the cycle I would assume. The water is still a little cloudy, but tonight is the first time it is hitting some filtration. Water params all look in line as well.

dayoneLRfull.jpg

LR1.jpg

LR2.jpg

LR3.jpg
 
Update Sunday December 16th

The Patience test has been on it's way since the 11th. I have started the cycle using the ammonia method. Slowly ramped the ammonia to 2ppm. I didn't want to shock the Live rock (since it was fully cured at the LFS) with high amounts of ammonia. It's been doing it's job as the nitrites have started to climb and the ammonia drop. I also have the nitrates starting to rise which is a good thing. I am going to start reducing the amount of ammonia I add and let the cycle complete out. Then after my WC, I will test the system with a little bit of ammonia to make sure it is processing. I don't plan on a big bioload off the bat. The first 2 fish will be clowns. I will not add more fish for at least a month or 2. Just want to make sure the system is running stable.

That's all for now
 
Christmas Update

Tank is coming along nicely. Ammonia is at 0 for the last 4 days, Nitrites at 0.1 and Nitrates at 15ppm. I have been steady feeding the tank ammonia and it has processed it to 0. I even hit it with double to amount of ammonia and it went right back to 0. So I am confident the bacteria colonies are doing well. I upgraded my lighting (man, this hobby can suck you in) to an Outer Orbit by Current USA. 2X150w Metal Halides and 2X130 Dual Actinic 420/460 PC with 6 lunar lights.

Plan is to get 2 Percula Clowns and put them in the QT the day after Christmas. I have had the filter media in my sump of the DT for the QT. So they should be ready to go. I will test it out with some ammonia just to make sure it is ready. I will keep the clowns in QT while I continue to feed the DT with ammonia. Water change on the DT and then introduce the Clowns. Probably looking around 2 weeks or so. I know it is a little shorter then the 4 weeks recommended, but I am not putting a whole tank of goodies at risk. Every new addition will be in the QT for 4 weeks in the future.

Interesting info from a reef expert on reefkeeping.com.

"Nitrite
Aquarists' concerns about nitrite are usually imported from the freshwater hobby. Nitrite is far less toxic in seawater than in freshwater. Fish are typically able to survive in seawater with more than 100 ppm nitrite![SIZE=-1]17[/SIZE] Until future experiments show substantial nitrite toxicity to reef aquarium inhabitants, nitrite is not an important parameter for reef aquarists to monitor. Tracking nitrite in a new reef aquarium can nevertheless be instructive by showing the biochemical processes that are taking place. In most cases, I do not recommend that aquarists bother to measure nitrite in established aquaria."

17. Seawater strontium and Sr/Ca variability in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. de Villiers, S. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Earth and Planetary Science Letters (1999), 171(4), 623-634


Tank with the new lighting fixture installed:

MHfullfront.jpg


QT waiting for new arrivals
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