Lawrence's first (90g) salt water tank
- Thread starter L/B Block
- Start date
Well, we might do a QT tank one day... But it is hard to think about doing a whole 2nd setup right now!
As for plans: we have no specific fish or corals in mind. We want to step in slowly and focus on a manageable ecosystem. Colorful would be nice.
. We also want to be budget-wise. We anticipate that we'll screw something up big in the first year. Part of the journey, right?
We are open to suggestions! We've been using the Paletta "New Marine Aquarium" and checking its suggestions against a few nice reef aquarium websites for a guide/reality check.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As for plans: we have no specific fish or corals in mind. We want to step in slowly and focus on a manageable ecosystem. Colorful would be nice.
. We also want to be budget-wise. We anticipate that we'll screw something up big in the first year. Part of the journey, right?We are open to suggestions! We've been using the Paletta "New Marine Aquarium" and checking its suggestions against a few nice reef aquarium websites for a guide/reality check.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well, we might do a QT tank one day... But it is hard to think about doing a whole 2nd setup right now!
As for plans: we have no specific fish or corals in mind. We want to step in slowly and focus on a manageable ecosystem. Colorful would be nice.. We also want to be budget-wise. We anticipate that we'll screw something up big in the first year. Part of the journey, right?
We are open to suggestions! We've been using the Paletta "New Marine Aquarium" and checking its suggestions against a few nice reef aquarium websites for a guide/reality check.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As for plans: we have no specific fish or corals in mind. We want to step in slowly and focus on a manageable ecosystem. Colorful would be nice.
. We also want to be budget-wise. We anticipate that we'll screw something up big in the first year. Part of the journey, right?We are open to suggestions! We've been using the Paletta "New Marine Aquarium" and checking its suggestions against a few nice reef aquarium websites for a guide/reality check.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Not quite halfway in the tank.... But progress! We have to sort out the aqua controller and get our pumps going. But this is HUGE.
Watching the Kold Ster-Il and DI is a little interesting, but fun all the same. We'll have some long term decisions to make but with any luck we'll be cycling within a few days.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Watching the Kold Ster-Il and DI is a little interesting, but fun all the same. We'll have some long term decisions to make but with any luck we'll be cycling within a few days.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well, hello, gorgeous!
Stopped shy of overflow so we have time to go slowly and look for leaks together. KS is doing its job, a bit anyway (40s in/30s out), and DI doing well. We are 0ppm out of DI and used maybe 1/2-2/3 of one cartridge so far.
Next up: water into the sump, adding ocean mix, and learning the aquacontroller.
FYI the best part of Johnny's scape is that it takes advantage of the tank location - you see the tank as you come down a flight of stairs. Such smart design. Soon we may even get some critters on that rock!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Stopped shy of overflow so we have time to go slowly and look for leaks together. KS is doing its job, a bit anyway (40s in/30s out), and DI doing well. We are 0ppm out of DI and used maybe 1/2-2/3 of one cartridge so far.
Next up: water into the sump, adding ocean mix, and learning the aquacontroller.
FYI the best part of Johnny's scape is that it takes advantage of the tank location - you see the tank as you come down a flight of stairs. Such smart design. Soon we may even get some critters on that rock!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
rygh
Guest
I have to disagree with that one.
First, QT is VERY critical. More so than a lot of equipment I see in your pictures.
Second, it is only as complicated as you make it. It can be as simple as a couple of buckets, heaters, and airstones.
That said, tank is looking good so far!!
We haven't ruled QT out, but we won't in the beginning. We are learning our approach as we go, moving very very slowly. Very slowly.
Our big concern is that a poorly setup QT could do as much harm as good. And we have been so painfully slow in this stage, we aren't sure what would happen to us if we set up a QT. It's more about our learning curve at this stage of the game.
For now we are focusing on cycling. That is such a big milestone for us.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
rygh
Guest
So here is the issue with no QT at the start:
Your tank will be ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) infected for an unknown period of time.
(When I say that, most people go errr?? what??)
A high percentage of fish from even the best store will have some level of ich.
It happens.
Many fish will survive it, and even show so few symptoms you may not notice.
Unfortunately, the fish plus your tank become carriers of a sort.
Read up on the life cycle of ich.
There is a big debate on how long they last while fish are asymptomatic.
But later, when you put new fish in, even if they are healthy, they will get infected.
To make it worse, a badly infected fish produces tons of the parasites, potentially
making even the old tougher fish sick as well.
Many of us, myself included, have had big percentage of fish wiped out.
In your case, I would really suggest the 2-bucket tank transfer method of QT.
Minimal cost and effort for most of the benefit.
It is not a QT "tank" but a QT "method." You don't necessarily need a tank.
Your tank will be ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) infected for an unknown period of time.
(When I say that, most people go errr?? what??)
A high percentage of fish from even the best store will have some level of ich.
It happens.
Many fish will survive it, and even show so few symptoms you may not notice.
Unfortunately, the fish plus your tank become carriers of a sort.
Read up on the life cycle of ich.
There is a big debate on how long they last while fish are asymptomatic.
But later, when you put new fish in, even if they are healthy, they will get infected.
To make it worse, a badly infected fish produces tons of the parasites, potentially
making even the old tougher fish sick as well.
Many of us, myself included, have had big percentage of fish wiped out.
In your case, I would really suggest the 2-bucket tank transfer method of QT.
Minimal cost and effort for most of the benefit.
It is not a QT "tank" but a QT "method." You don't necessarily need a tank.
I suspect we won't really be real reefers until we wipe out a tank.
We are going to be thoughtful about what we put in the tank so we wait until we get THAT fish. We know we have a learning curve and patience will serve us well. I've already started looking into bucket method. It's interesting! Thank you!
But we have weeks before we think about putting anything living in there, so learning about this will hold until we get midway through cycling.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Vhuang168
Guest
If you are patient, and looks like you are. Take the time to research a QT method that will suit you. Doing Tank Transfer Method (TTM) for Ich control and dosing Parizpro during TTM will take care of 90% of the potential issues. 2-3 5 gallon buckets, 2-3 heaters, an air pump and a stack of disposable air stones will be all you need to do TTM. As long as you are not buying large adult fish that is.
Then a 10-20g tank, that you can buy from Petco during their gallon for dollar sale that happens twice a year, will serve as a hospital/observation tank if the fish warrants a longer QT period. Heater, HOB filter should be all you need.
Problem with waiting for THAT fish is that your tank may have already been infected by ich or other diseases from other fish that you've added. If you don't start QT from the beginning, there really is no reason to start at all.
So if you add some starter fish like a clownfish or gobies and add them without QT the. Find THE fish you want, potentially pricey, it's too late to quarantine so you'll just have to throw it in n hope it stays resistant to any parasites or disease the previous fish have brought in.
And if you do wipe out the tank, you have to remove any remaining fish, do a treatment then put them into a holding tank while you leave the display tank fallow for 72days. I know you are patient but if you had to do that a few times, even your patience will be tested! Many have given up due to this.
So please rethink not qting from the beginning, we want you to succeed in having a beautiful thriving tank.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Then a 10-20g tank, that you can buy from Petco during their gallon for dollar sale that happens twice a year, will serve as a hospital/observation tank if the fish warrants a longer QT period. Heater, HOB filter should be all you need.
Problem with waiting for THAT fish is that your tank may have already been infected by ich or other diseases from other fish that you've added. If you don't start QT from the beginning, there really is no reason to start at all.
So if you add some starter fish like a clownfish or gobies and add them without QT the. Find THE fish you want, potentially pricey, it's too late to quarantine so you'll just have to throw it in n hope it stays resistant to any parasites or disease the previous fish have brought in.
And if you do wipe out the tank, you have to remove any remaining fish, do a treatment then put them into a holding tank while you leave the display tank fallow for 72days. I know you are patient but if you had to do that a few times, even your patience will be tested! Many have given up due to this.
So please rethink not qting from the beginning, we want you to succeed in having a beautiful thriving tank.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We ran the pump! And... Remember when you told us to make sure the return and drain pipe rings had a healthy dose of silicon grease? We forgot.
Siphoning off the overflow and fixing that maybe tomorrow. But it was fun to see the pump in action and water moving!!!!
Thanks for the lively chat on quarantine! All very helpful. We are absolute patient and cautious. But we can't think about living things just yet. Feels like we'd be getting ahead of ourselves.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great catch! Wow, what a community. We haven't plugged it in yet, but I'm not sure we would have thought of that.
Any concern about it touching the acrylic? I assume not!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It does not! Funny that. We'll try to find a manual and see if we are missing a part.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk