Ok, I think I'm getting somewhere

[Nedim]

Heres my update-


The carribean live rock I ordered is on its way here and I should have it by tomorrow afternoon. I added some Biozyme to my tank earlier today and some ph/dkh buffer. The biozyme is supposed to cycle the tank in about a week or so. I took a look at some skimmers and I saw the Prizm by Red Sea. Any good? They had it for $140. I also saw a Berlin in tank skimmer for only $40, but it was almost 13" high and it uses an airstone.

 

[Bifferwine]

Here the Prizm is for $85: Red Sea Prizm Hang-on Protein Skimmer - Marine Depot - Marine and Reef Aquarium Super Store

And here it's on sale for $75:
Champion Lighting & Supply :: Protein Skimmers :: Red Sea :: Red Sea Prizm Skimmer

Here the Deluxe is marked down from $110 to $90: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...ll&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

I have one, I think I bought it on sale when it went for $70 from Marine Depot. Unless you want the Deluxe, they are more expensive.

Order it online instead of buying from Petco or Petsmart -- they are way overpriced. As you can see from the prices above, buying your saltwater equipment at these "general" pet stores can cost you twice as much.

Prizms are okay, better than the Sea Clone, but still not that great. If you don't have a lot of money to spare on a skimmer, I think the Prizm is a good way to start until you save up enough to upgrade. I had mine for about six months before upgrading to an Aqua C Remora, and never had any problems with it. But when I started to keep more sensitive animals, I had to buy a better one.

Avoid ones that use airstones. Salt will clog them.

 

[Bifferwine]

Sorry. Double post. Research prices online before you buy stuff from stores, it will help you save a lot of $$.

 

[Nedim]

I want to start out right, so I dont mind spending a lot on a skimmer. What would be good for a 46 gallon tank? I always go bigger than what is suggested for my tank size.

 

[jhnrb]

If you want a Hang on back skimmer, ramora c with a mag pump. The people at Marine Depot can help you on which one is for you. want to go over, remora pro. see other posts that just addressed this issued. good luck keep us posted.

 

[Nedim]

Another quick little update-

Live rock is here. Always count on FedEx to get there 5 hours earlier than planned. haha. I have a 45g container that had two powerheads running in it. I ran out of salt, so unfortunately, I cant start curing the rock until I buy some from work tonight. Other than that, everything is going pretty smoothly. I tested my water last night, and it looks like the biozyme is really working. My ammonia has spiked a few mg/l. The ph/dkh buffer is working fairly well; my ph is still around 7.7-8.0, but the kh is down from 12 to 8.


A have a question: do organisms just "grow" out of live rock or do you buy them and "plant" them?

 

[jhnrb]

Im a little mystified as to why your ph is so low at the start. must have something to do with your salt water preperation. dkh of 8 is fine at this point. You should not need to buffer right off the get. if you have to buffer, then something is not right with your salt mixture. buffering is needed when the animals added take out more than the water changes can replace or a bio load higher than the system can handle. Now for the live rock things will grow out of the rock if cured right, you will have some of the animals survive and they will grow when put in the main tank but wait until your tank completes the current cycle before adding. good luck keep us posted. Dont know enough about your system to advise on water parameters.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes, get the Aqua C Remora Pro protein skimmer. Check out prices at the websites I listed above to get the best deal. Biozyme is good stuff. I used that when I first set my tank up and added a little each week for several months afterwards. And it won't screw up your protein skimmer like other additives will (Cycle, for example).

 

[squibley2]

I agree with Biffer go with the Aqua C Remora or Remora Pro. And then take it slow.

 

[Nedim]

I was curious about the ph also. What do you mean when you say salt "preperation"? Could the salt be tainted in some way?

The live rock is in the container. I noticed the water is chilly, so Im going to take out my heater from my display tank (no fish yet) and add it to the setup.

As for the skimmer,Im going with the Aqua Remora Pro that everyone seems to be pleased with. Im going to look up the price that our store can get it for and if its good, I'll just place an order for one. I took some parameter readings last night and they are as follows: pH-7.7-8.0, Kh-8, Nitrite-<0.3 mg/l, Ammonia-.25-1.5 mg/l


My tetra test kit doesnt come with chemicals to test the nitrates. Go figure. When I run out, Im going to buy a better kit. Any suggestions on a dependable water test kit?

 

[squibley2]

I would go with AP for the basic Nitrite, Nitrate, Ammo and PH and then go with Salifert for everything else. Also you will find the Remora Pro cheaper online then at a store. I would also go with the Mag 3 pump for it.

 

[JellyMan]

LR is amazing you dont notice much about it till its been in your tank for a few days after that each time you look you will find something new everything from hitchhikers to the organisms that do infact live within the poures of the rock. I use a master test kit purchased from a local pet store if you plan on a reef tank I would suggest a calcium kit as well, hope this helps.

 

[bobby]

Did you take the fish and urchin back to the store? If you did you can cycle your tank with the live rock and dont have to worry about cycling in a seperate container.

 

[Nedim]

Did you take the fish and urchin back to the store? If you did you can cycle your tank with the live rock and dont have to worry about cycling in a seperate container.

The fish died, but the urchin and snail are doing fine. I actually want to cure the rock in a seperate container, its cheaper during water changes.

 

[Nedim]

I just tested the water in the LR container. The nitrites are 0.3 mg/l. I couldnt test for ammonia, because my kit requires the water to be at least 68degrees. I added a heater, and Ill test it in a few hours. Anything more I should be doing?

 

[squibley2]

I would add a powerhead or 2 for water movement the last thing you want is the LR to be sitting in a stagnant pool of cold water so adding the heater is a good move hopefully you will not see additional die off due to temp. The increased water flow will help with the curing process and also minimize die off.

 

[Nedim]

I have 2 powerheads in the container already.


How do you know when to change to water?


Also, how much "die-off" should you scrub off when cleaning the rock? I'm hesitant to clean the rock because I dont want to scrub off anything that is beneficial for my tank/

 

[squibley2]

Could you take some pics of the rock? It is more of a visual thing then a set rule. Also I would not do any water changes while the rock is curing unless you start to see some really big spikes.

 

[Nedim]

Ill have to remember to snap a few shots with my cameraphone tomorrow morning. The nitrites are 4.0 mg/l and the ammonia was off the charts. I got a reading that I estimated to be about 8.0 mg/l


the water in the LR container is pretty murky. Ive got two powerheads, a heater and an airstone running in it.

 

[JellyMan]

Are you cycling your tank? Me personally I dont scrub my LR I Put it in a seperate tank and observe it for the bad critters even your nocturnal ones will come out if you have a moonlight youd be amazed at what comes out of the rock at night. :P