Not a clue. I just paid for the sucker and made metion of my excessive pet managerie. I also bought the beer to pay for the installation, but quality control took a few too many bottles for inspection purposes. :redface: You know checking for poison and all...

Haha...I know exactly what you mean! Looking forward to some more pics!

Thanks for the hrv info.We have pets as well so that helps. When I had my little 110 gal tank the windows in the winter were always iced up. Really need to address that problem before I fill up the new tank.

I'm sad, I can't support Eco-Reefer.com for my rock purchases. I've gotten rock from them in the past and it is beautiful looking stuff, amazing, great shapes, sizes, etc. Unfortunately the shipping is really expensive, $80 on 150lbs. :( Maybe they'll run another free shipping promo or something.

I keep thinking I'm done with ordering plumbing parts...yet somehow...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...hika/order.jpg

I swear that it never ends!!!!!!

That's not true. Unless your handle is "lastlight", it ends when you shut the tank down.

Lol

Speaking of stating the obvious; on the lid of the container of NLS pellets I just bought. Sometimes I wonder about people...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...FA760DE0B8.jpg

I'll tell you what's weird, I just bought some new NLS flakes, Optimum or something-or-other for Saltwater, to replace my about-to-be-empty one, and it's the same lot # (101) but whereas my old one said "Expires June 2015" the new one says "Expires June 2014." But the same lot#. Me no compendy that. Not a biggie, mind you since I know it will be empty way before that but still worthy of a raised eyebrow for a few seconds.

Maybe the stamp machine expired or something? :lol:

Wouldn't that be ironic, the expiration date stamp on all our products has nothing to do with the actual product you purchased, but is infact the expiry date of the stamp machine.


I think I'll duck out of work on time today and head over to Concept to do some shopping. I need me some sand, and lightbulbs!

When you get around to making a batch of SW with that coralife salt, I'd like to hear what your dKH readings are. :) See my PM for more details.

I can check a skimmer off my list! Picking up a RLSS R10-U skimmer for my tank soon. I can't wait to play around with this. I'm going to run two skimmers on this system eventually, but it only needs one for the initial start up and breakin period.

Now I'm just waiting for sales, there isn't much left to buy, sand, 150lbs rock, and light bulbs now.

I'm now starting to wonder if I should have a salt party like I originally planned, or if this is just going to end up being one of those, hey its 2am, lets fill the tank kind of days.

Bath salts party?

Maybe, maybe not, I feel somewhat attached to my face.

So do people on bath salts. :twised:

lol

Continuing with the WTFs, this was a free floating piece of cardboard in the top of my HRV box, it had absolutely no purpose.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...7840DC543A.jpg

Picked up a sweet little Hanna checker. Two thumbs up on ease of use!
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...7833EBE7D7.jpg

Working with the RKE.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...77D6967361.jpg

Got the rest of the dry rock need from Concept
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...77E68ADD79.jpg

Then this happened.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8A54DB1857.jpg


Sump
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8A5CFA19D1.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...E8FCA41D44.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...E908161ED0.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...E928CC4635.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...E9391B3BAE.jpg

ZOMG!! SHE'S WET! :mrgreen:

Congrats.. This has been a LONG time coming!

Water! :D

Re - the Hanna checkers -- yeah the Alkalinity one was such a huge win, I thought ... can't go wrong with also getting a Calcium checker! Yay me! .... Then I went to use it. :lol:

Hanna engineers in the different product divisions really need to compare notes more often.

(Don't get me wrong I still choose to use the Ca checker but compared to the Alk it's a total "WTF were you guys thinking?" moment. "Now add one nanogram of tank water to the vial..." ok ok maybe it's not THAT bad but it's close. Also you need lab grade distilled water. I've been using RO/DI instead, how ghetto!)

Glad to see water. It's such a moment of triumph isn't it!!

The water is now salted and almost heated. Yesterday evening/night was spent simulating various outages and a few blocked drains, minus one icy shower due to a missing valve (a duh moment), so far everything is working out well. Now its about getting the salt mixed in and then awaiting ye old slime coat so we can start tweaking the overflow for noise.

I still have yet to turn one one of the two 4-ways, the return pump alone is already providing amazing flow and surface movement. The only live bacteria in the system right now is from the live sand I added. I still have yet to truly seed the tank as I still have to plumb in a skimmer and fix two leaks that have popped up in my plumbing.

Ooooooo, exciting!

Another big step closer to the fun part, congrats! :wink:

:cheer2: water!!!!!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...D35A77B52E.jpg

DKH is reading high 16 with the salt at 1.022 and I need another heater, I can't my second titanium heater I bought for this system.

That red stand is cool.. :razz:

Very minimalist on the aquascaping eh?

And did I read that right... high 16 dKH, with the coralife salt? That's 11 points higher than my box of salt.

Yes, lots of minimalist aquascaping for now, the left side of the tank has more built up structures, but its hard to see from the photo's angle. We still haven't added anything specific to start the tank's cycle yet, it seems to be starting itself anyways, must be the live sand.

Yup 16 dKH, or 289ppm x 0.056 = 16.688.

New parameters from this afternoon though;
Temp: 75.7
Ammonia (NH3/NH4): 0 - 0.25ppm (yay a bit of an ammonia spike)
Nitrate (NO3): 0ppm
Nitrite (NO2): 0ppm
pH: 8.1
dKH: 289ppm, which again is still 16.688 dKH (wow! That is high! Coralife Marine Salt)

I am pretty indifferent to the salt's parameter given that there is nothing in the tank, but still...wow...

How's that overflow working out? I have a 1000 watt heater that you might like.

It wouldn't hurt to get your Sg in check now for the bacteria

Nice to see some water :smile:

I'm not 100% sure that dKH number is correct. I've had low dkh with brand new water, my 180, denny has low dkh at the store with that salt... all of sudden its through the roof. Something seems off.

I know its hard to mess up a test with that Hanna ALK Checker (i have it too) but that much variation in a tank the size of yours (which would take a few bags (or boxes even) just seems very strange to me.

So far its awesome. I'm glad we went with something so wide as the sound of water flowing over it is difficult to hear at only 8ft away. It seems like the flow works as hoped, pushing any particulates towards the drains, nothing seems to be building up on the bottom.

I think the parameters is strictly just the salt. I'll look into if others have had any parameter spikes like mine or JDigital's. The SG is now spot on at our intended 1.024, and I have no reliable Ca test as mine came with no expiration date.

I'll address the issue as time goes on. I suspect its the salt having high dKH and probably Ca values. The only way I could find to reduce dKH though was muriatic acid dosing either directly into the tank (diluted with FW) or via auto top off. The other option I suppose would be to do WCs with a different, or lower dKH salt. I'm of the mind that I'll just let it run its course and see where things are at in a week or so. Should things still be running high then maybe I'll do a WC and use some of the AquaVitro salt I have.

Any other suggestions for lowering dKH?

I've only tested the tank twice for dKH;
1) SG 1.022 and the number was 289ppm
2) SG 1.024 and the number was 289ppm again

Maybe I just got all the dKH additives from the batch? I'll keep testing it as the system breaks in some more. :question:

You could seed some coralline and let it fall naturally, without doing any WCs
By the time you have lots of corals you'll be happy with your New SW being high enough to save you dosing

True, and valid points.

Temp: 79.2 (up from last)
Ammonia (NH3/NH4): 0.25ppm (up from last at 0 - 0.25ppm)
Nitrate (NO3): 5ppm (up from last at 0ppm)
Nitrite (NO2): 0ppm (same)
pH: 8.2
dKH: didn't test

Added a small, two fist sized piece of coraline encrusted LR to the system a few days ago. It looks funny, the only purple rock in a sea of white.

Temp: 79.7
Ammonia (NH3/NH4): 0.25-0.5ppm
Nitrate (NO3): 5-10ppm
Nitrite (NO2): 0ppm
pH: 8.2
dKH: didn't test

Getting there...

Temp: 80.8
Ammonia (NH3/NH4): 0ppm
Nitrate (NO3): 5-10ppm
Nitrite (NO2): 0-0.25ppm
pH: 8.1/8.2 on the cusp
dKH: didn't test
Ca: didn't test
Mg: didn't test

I think this is the tail end of my cycle!

Just waiting on my skimmer now.

looks like a great start!
good to see your temp at the right spot.
those extra 2 300 watt heaters helped out!
i cant wait to see the one year FTS. (next year)

Put up some temporary lighting to see in the tank.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...D52161B58F.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...D51673D705.jpg

I need to do some more/new planning work for my QT system and organizational system for the fishroom. I also have to order some vinyl for the backglass. I'm on the fence for blue or black. 2 cents?

Black. Its eventually going to get covered in other colours from the inside anyways lol.
Blue I have found takes away from the contents of the tank. Black goes unnoticed for the most part.

I went with blue on my 280g because "the ocean is blue, whee! I like blue" or some such... In hindsight, my overflow is black, my corner silicone is black and I've never really gotten the sensation I was looking into the deep ocean blue when I stare at my background. OTOH, black makes colours pop more especially in photographs. I might change my blue to black at some point (it's only paint, and time ... haha. "One day").

I say consider black... You might even never go back.