Chase31's 50 starfire aquascape reef
 

So here it goes had some issues with my other tank and havent updated the journal at all. All my corals had died and my two clowns yellow tail Damsel survived and I got the tank back on track. Recently I purchased a new fish, cant quite remeber the name. So I made the drive to calgary and purchased a 50G starfire glass tank with a custom aquascape (work done by Lovereefing). This tank has 100lbs of eco reefer rock, and will have all the live rock out of my 32G.

3 chamber around 20G sump (if my math was correct)

My skimmer is in the sump (bubble magnus nac3+) currently its off as i added reef boster prodibio have all 3 and added after the live rock.

I took over half the live rock out of my 32 and put it in the sump of this tank, will this start a cycle? should i finish the rock transfer and move my fish right away? Thanks in advance.

And since I know you all love them here are the pics (taken with my motarola tablet so may not be the best)

Sump (bio-balls have been removed)
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183416.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183325.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183440.jpg
My return plumbing
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183505.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183618.jpg
Overflow
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183402.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183347.jpg
Powerhead
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183645.jpg
Intake for closed loop later on?
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183517.jpg
FTS
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/...223_183301.jpg

How about returning the skimmer you borrowed over a year ago.

Looks good, I'd change out a few of your plimbing fittings for non corrosive ones!!

Well bad news already.... I transfered all my rock and fish lastnight and woke up to 4 dead fish 2 dead snails and all my hermits cruzing around fine..... What could this be I tested my levels 5 mins ago as follows
S.G. 0.025
Ammonia 0.0-0.1
Nitrite 0.0-0.1
Nitrate 0-5
All closer to the 0 range using new nutrafin test kits
All this rock should be cycled properly as it was maintaining 4 fish in my other tank and was only out of water for less then 10 seconds.
Could it have been my acclimation process? Dripped for 35 mins at a couple of drops a second.
Thanks in advance

Lol..:lol: I see that as a small problem

Ya, nothing like selling something you borrowed.
That shows some character.

He'll give you profits plus interest on the skimmer :)

Some people kids hey ?? Codfather is an awesome guy,sent me a part for my calcium reactor.Wouldn't except payment for the part,or shipping.... i hold you forever in my debt :)

He sold your skimmer? Geez...

Did you have a big temp spike or drop (heat failure) and did the tank have water in it before you bought it , because if that fancy new rock wall leached something that would explain the wipeout . Sorry your fish died , that always sucks .
Ps did you actualy sell something you borrowed , could explain the bad karma in the tank though.

No i did not sell it as i stated in my other thread i never got a reply to the pm asking when you wanted it back, its still sitting here ready to go when you want it , send me a pm.
Anyways i tested ammonia again and it was up to 0.2 but i think this may be due to the deaths. The two hermits are stil cruzing around fine so i dont think its cuz of leaching, im pretty sure everythings aquarium grade and has been leak tested. Im going to get a carbon reactor anyways soon. I think the turnover rate in my sump is to low around 400gph in a 70 system. The water is barely moving in my sumo and almost looks stagnant.

That turnover sounds fine. Maybe oxygen is low what's your flow at the surface like?

I have a korillia in the tank, lots of ripples on the surface, but theres sitting bubbles in my sump. And all my live rock is in the sump

Just because the hermits are fine dosent mean anything, the can live anywhere my heater caffed on the weakend and almost boiled the tank o2 went way down ,fish died and my hermits , snails and fighting conch never missed a beat . Run some carbon ,check your temp , and do some water changes because unfortinitaly something is very out of wack that might not be able to be picked up by regular testing.

well it wasnt the heater as when i woke up it was all normal im going to test my levels first thing in the morning and do a 50% water change. i have a skimmer running and tons of surface exchange so i dont think its o2, down to something leaching? or just bad acclimation? is 30-35 mins to short? dripped 2-3 drops a second? they were in a large becel container

I was looking at your setup and noticed that it looks like that you have bare MDF wood as a stand you might want to get that sealed too. that wil be another problem. have you looked at that copper pipe that you ave fgor a gate valve that could be the reason that corals are dying. and St Albert isn't a big place if you borrowed the skimmer from Codfather why are you waiting for him to pick it up drop it off. JUST SAYING

But that pipe of pipe could be that problem I just skimmed over the thread may be some one already pointed that out.

that is your problem there

Agreed.

Brass valve!?! Brass is Copper, zinc?

As soon as I saw that I was going to say that should be changed before livestock goes in. Too late.

Sorry about your loss.

I wish I borrowed something from Cod and lived up there. I would take the oppertunity to drop off the skimmer just to see the progress on his monster build lol

Hey door is always open man.
Still no skimmer has shown up yet. Doubt it will.

And yes....."Chive on"

Ill pm you. Ill get that fitting changed do a water change and watch to make sure theres no mini cycle

So new tests
Ph-8.2
Ammonia-0.6-1.2 (lower side)
Nitrate-0
Nitrite-0

I belive the ammonia is dude to the snail carcus i didnt find till this morning. Nitrate and nitrite are 0 as they should be as the rock is already cycled and im already dosing with prodibio. And was before as well. Trip tommorow to get a bigger return pump maybe proper return and some carbon for my sump and a plastic ball valve for my overflow. Water is in the rubbermade circulating for a 40% tommorow after changing the fitting.

Looks to me like the overflow is a herbie style....I'd go with a gate valve, not a ball valve.... Costs way more but will save you a tonne of headaches....

just so you know 1 snail isnt going to cause that much of a spike in a 50 gal. might be something else is thatold sand from some one or all new rock and sand.

Sand is new base rock is new live rock was from an established system across the room (all in sump) thanks for advice will get a gate valve, dont mind spending a lil extra. There were two large snails ans they were both in there a few days also the fish stayed over night till i scooped them out

Did a 20G water change changed the fixture out (ball valve, couldnt find a gate valve). Skimmer started to skim normally again for a while, now it wont make foam again, going to go test and probobly start mixing up another 20g for another change (all i can do at a time right now). Also got 2 carbon bags in the baffles to get the most flow

Tested ammonia again and its still high will keep doing water changes

Also going to move my return to the middle and my skimmer to the return section and T'ing my overflow to put most of the return in the skimmer section leaving me with a slow flowing refugium where my skimmer is, and a larger water reserve in the return section.

Can I borrow a skimmer indefinitely also? Haha J/K!

P.S.
If I ever borrowed something FROM someone, I would always RETURN it back to that person and THANK them for the favor.

Just my 2¢
:wink:

Well If we are borrowing atuff from cod and not giving it back, Can I borrow your truck?

Dave at Concept has really really really good prices on plumbing, especially gate valves if you ever need them again..... Just sayin I know you got a big build coming up.

I feel bad about this skimmer but I'm trying no to as cod isn't replying to any pms sent. So its going to sit in the corner of the room till I get word. Currently the tank its cycling. Getting an Auto top off this week as my 2 weeks on 1 week off means low matinence

Switched to a 1/2 inch dual overflow and have biopelet and carbon reactor on the way. Doing a few waterchanges a week getting close. But I'm being patient on this build.

so all my levels are stable and i think im ready for a cuc and maybe a coral or two

So the levels were looking good, and do to other reasons I haven't been able to do a waterchange since my last test of almost 0 ammonia, and my skimmers still not skimming I have my dual BRS reactor running carbon then GFO and supplying the skimmer chamber with water. And still no skimmate, is my ammonia to high maybe? I'm going to test it tommrow. Or do I have something else messing with my surface tention?

So this tank is a long time in the making, due to taking on a new job I have been really busy and on the road a lot. Now that I think I have time to get back into it. First I have a few questions that will help me in making this work better.

Okay so here's the deal I had live rock in an old tank circulating. I moved it into this new one and the fish died. I moved to a new place, filled it up with fresh salt water then put the rocks in and its been circulating with no skimmer for 3-4 months now. From what I can tell all the rock is dead, and I haven't checked for ammonia yet, I will do a test tommrow. But what is the best way to tell if I have live or dead rock?

Add some light to the rock, if it grows algae, pods should emerge, sponges will grow and that means the rock is live, if nothing grows on it then it's dead, if that's the case, add some live rock to re seed it!

Back from the dead
 

I am Res-erecting This tank, after thinking I would be able to get it back up several times and not being able to this is the time, I have been busy setting everything up. I soaked all the rock in water for about a month now I have added salt water and added Prodibio Start-up and Bioptum and biodigest, starting my bi-weekly regamine. after 3 days i tested my ammonia not caring about the other levels, only getting a 0.1-0.3. I am currently in a calgary hotel room (so sorry no pictures) untill friday afternoon when I will do more tests to see if i get more of an ammonia spike. Will post an update friday night and hopefully ill be able to add a small amount of livestock over the weekend.
Any suggestions on some harty fish that are going to be reef safe or some corals to start to create a bio load?

Go get a shrimp, get a whole ring if you like to eat them. Then sit in front of your tank and eat some of those delicious shrimp for yourself. Then add two shrimp to your tank and walk away.

Don't use fish to cycle your tank. From an economic perspective its a needless expense and a mouth to feed. From a humane view its cruel and unnecessary. And finally, from a housekeeping point of view; most of the fish suggested to you will probably grow into a mean territorial SOB who kills off some prized recent additions because it's cheap aggressive fish that really has no place in your system, but you wanted to cycle with a fish so...

Or if you're partial to beer, drink, digest, "replace some evap." and walk away. Yes, this is a real thing.

Either way, good luck with your re-start.

A large portion of the rock was live before i gave up for so long. i tested the water before adding prodibio and i had some ware around .5 ammonia and the prodiio brought it down to 0.1-0.3. ill be more sure when i get home on friday, i dont want to torture any fish or waste any money.