Finally, getting my 75 gallon started

[Doc]

try a reef safe starfish like sand stars and linkia starfish. choc chip, red generals, etc will massacre your corals and fish. Star fish are a bit touchy so you will want to wait a few months before adding one

-Doc

 

[bobby]

Chacolate chips will eat your coral. I took the chance learned that the hard way. I wouldn't try a sand diffter or linka. Sand sifters need a very mature tank and are not very hardy at all, and as for linka's, well noone really knows what they eat and all will die usually within 18 months due to malnutrition. The only linka I have heard to survive are the ones in extreamly large tanks. Some easy stars that are reef safe would be serpent stars, or a brittle. Both are hardy and good stars for a tank. One note though, if you get a brittle DO NOT get a green brittle. They're also know as the green death because they are fish eaters. I also learned that the hard way as my green brittle ate my black clown. Back to linka for one second, there is a star that looks just like a linka that does pretty good in the tank but I can't remember the name.

 

[Doc]

I kept a blue linkia for over two years. I thought it was easy to keep. whatever it ate, it found it in my tank. I tried to save it when I moved, but that is what killed it. too bad cuz it was getting really big and full-looking. I agree about a mature system being required for best results.

-Doc

 

[Pheeshes]

Well, that was the stipulation i had from my wife, i got to do this as long as we had a clown and a choclate chip star, but i explained to here how they aren't reef safe and she just took it really well, haha.

on to the bad news, i got the glass today for my baffles in the fuge and the person on the phone wrote down the wrong measurments so they are 1/2 in to narrow. i was going to try to make it work, but i don't know if that's a good idea. so i called and i think they are going to fix it. they do alot of work for my families business so i hope they'll treat me right. the are currently remodeling our entire main office so i see the construction manager a couple of time a month.

 

[Doc]

silicone works great to fix small problems like that. globs and globs of it. won't look pretty, but it will work

-Doc

 

[Bifferwine]

1/2 inch is a pretty big gap for silicone to fill. I'd just do as he said and try to get it redone.

 

[bobby]

I went to true value and they cut it right there on the spot, and it was a little over a buch apiece.

 

[Pheeshes]

well, i'm hoping they'll fix it for no charge, if not then i'll probably look into some place else to get the pieces that are the right size

 

[bobby]

Sounds good. Keep us updated.

 

[yote]

1/2 inch is a pretty big gap for silicone to fill. I'd just do as he said and try to get it redone.

Actually what you'll end up with is 1/4" on each side if you center them up.
You can take a couple of strips of 1/4" plexi-glass to snug up the fit,then just use the silicone like normal.

 

[Pheeshes]

yeah, that's probably what i'll do if they don't want to replace them, i just hope they won't try to accuse me of telling them the wrong thing and say that it's my fault.

 

[Pheeshes]

well, the new pieces pf glass are being cut i should be able to pick them up tomorrow after work and i'm going to try to start sticking them in tomorrow or thursday...hopefully tomorrow.

 

[jb61264]

Just curious as to why you decided to use glass?...I just finished building my sump/refugium (I think we pretty much had the exact same design)...I used 3/16" acrylic and cut it myself using my dads tablesaw...I cut it at exactly the width I needed and then was able to sand it down a bit so it would fit snug just perfectly...seems like with glass there's no real room for adjustment.

 

[Pheeshes]

well, i don't have any means of cutting it and this glass company is one that i go by on my way home from work and they do work for our company. i don't really need adjustment. i measured before i gave them the sizes i need and any gap that's left i'll fill in with the silicone.

 

[jb61264]

well, i don't have any means of cutting it and this glass company is one that i go by on my way home from work and they do work for our company. i don't really need adjustment. i measured before i gave them the sizes i need and any gap that's left i'll fill in with the silicone.

cool...i was just wondering if there were any "technical" reasons for choosing glass over acrylic...after building mine and thinking about using glass, i'm glad i didn't...with the acrylic I was able to "wedge" it in just right (especially the second microbuble eliminating baffle piece that allows water to flow under it...the one that 'hangs' a bit)...being able to wedge them in snug and then tap them bottom to top with a little rubber mallet to get them perfectly straight was a big bonus of using acrylic in my mind

anyway...i hope yours goes well...post some pics when you get it finished :)

 

[Pheeshes]

yeah, hopefully everything will go well getting them i'm. i need to find a couple of things that are the same size i can use for spacer while the silicone sets up.

the plumbing stuff should be here wednesday and i'll hopefully be getting water in it by this weekend(finally get a saturday off.)

 

[jb61264]

Something that helped me after siliconing my first baffle in was to cut the nozzle (or whatever you call the thing that you screw into the top of the silicone tube after you open it) at a 45 degree angle...I didn't do this on the first baffle and then actually read the instructions that said to do this...it really helps :) run the angled cut along your seam and it makes it really easy to keep a good bead of silicone going all the way along the seam.

 

[Pheeshes]

it does make it much easier to cut the nozzle at a 45 degree angle. i got the sump finished, and ready to go

the only thing i'm waiting on is a couple more plumbing items. they should get here tuesday or wednesday. i'm hoping to order the live rock by friday or so. we decided to go with rock from saltycritter.com they are about a 2 hour drive from me and it seems like really good quality.

we also got the tank filled partially with water(about 2/3) and i think i've even got the salt mix right. i've gotta make sure my refractometer is calibrated correctly. is there a good easy way to do it or do i need to buy some solution that is a sercific salinity to match to?

Anyway, here's one more pic of our cloudy tank i've got both power heads running and the heater and the thermometer. the heater will be moved to the sump once the rest of the plumbing stuff gets here.

if anyone has tips about live rock and curing and stuff they would be more than welcome

 

[yote]

To calibrate your refractometer,just use some RO water and check to make sure that its reading 0.If its not on the 0 line,just adjust it so that it does.

You got it going your way now.
Good luck with it.

 

[yote]

Since your picking your rock up instead of shipping it,you probably wont have to worry a whole lot about curing it.Just add it to your tank and do the aquascaping,and set back and watch your paremeters.
Also,give it the ole sniff test while your picking it out.As long as it smells fresh and not like dead fish,it will be good and cured.