# newbie tryin to have a saltwater tank



## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

4 days ago I got all the equipment for a saltwater tank. So the same night I got all the stuff I added the water (did the salt mix) and today my hydrometer says im at 1.014 as of right now. This morning it was at 1.017. My question is why is it going down and not going to 1.022?


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

viper32x said:


> 4 days ago I got all the equipment for a saltwater tank. So the same night I got all the stuff I added the water (did the salt mix) and today my hydrometer says im at 1.014 as of right now. This morning it was at 1.017. My question is why is it going down and not going to 1.022?


Temperature of the water plays a factor. What is the temp? Did you premix the salt and water prior to adding to your tank?


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

the temp of the tank is 84 and its not the heater keeping it at that i think its the room temp. as for mixing the salt, on the bag it says to mix it in a bucket, then i went online and it said that i can do it in the tank for new set ups so that what i did


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

not enough mix for the amount of water? never pay attention to the bag IMO


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

The instructions will give you a rough idea, but you are correct Jim.

I hope you didn't have your rock and subtrate in there trying to mix salt. That is not a good idea.

Don't forget to always put your rock in first then your subtrate. This will help prevent avalanches in the future.


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## BWI (Nov 13, 2008)

viper32x said:


> the temp of the tank is 84 and its not the heater keeping it at that i think its the room temp. as for mixing the salt, on the bag it says to mix it in a bucket, then i went online and it said that i can do it in the tank for new set ups so that what i did


i would get the tank temp down also


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

hojimoe said:


> not enough mix for the amount of water? never pay attention to the bag IMO


so do i just keep on adding salt 1 cup at a time? if so how long should i wait between cups so i don't put to much?


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

UnderTheSea said:


> The instructions will give you a rough idea, but you are correct Jim.
> 
> I hope you didn't have your rock and subtrate in there trying to mix salt. That is not a good idea.
> 
> Don't forget to always put your rock in first then your subtrate. This will help prevent avalanches in the future.


i did it with just the water in it, then the next day i went to big als to get a few thing and the guy told me to go ahead and put my subtrate in now so when i got home i did.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

BWI said:


> i would get the tank temp down also


sorry it wasn't at 84 it was at 82 and now i'm almost at 80. what's a good temp to keep it at cuz all the things i read online say different temps all the time


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

this is what it looks like now. and please if there is other things that you think i should know please tell me. thanks


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I think 78 - 80 is a good temp range. How much you need to heat will change when you get more equipment like powerheads and lights.

What kind of heater is that? Is it the Aqueon brand? They're crap. I've had two (different sizes and tanks) and they both died. One didn't heat anymore, and the other shot up the tank to 91 F. I would not use them - I have visi-therm Stealth heaters (Marineland) and Ebo-Jager (Eheim) heaters now.

You mentioned you used a hydrometer. I don't know if it makes a difference, but the package says to 'season' it by soaking 24hrs in salt water. Did you? Again, I don't know if it makes a difference.

Also, a lesson learned for you here. Don't believe everything the sales people at stores say (especially Big Als). Most of the guys with smaller shops, like our very own Under the Sea, have the advice you need and actually know what they're talking about.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

ameekplec. said:


> I think 78 - 80 is a good temp range. How much you need to heat will change when you get more equipment like powerheads and lights.
> 
> Also, a lesson learned for you here. Don't believe everything the sales people at stores say (especially Big Als). Most of the guys with smaller shops, like our very own Under the Sea, have the advice you need and actually know what they're talking about.


see you learn something new everyday. thanks


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

viper32x said:


> see you learn something new everyday. thanks


most of the time I'd say stay away from BA until you get to know a few of the guys/gals there

BA guys at my local store do help me with picking equipement, they also let me fiddle with some of the display equipement because they know I build some of my own stuff. They also know that I will come there to buy small things...but the prices add up - they are friendly, and joke with me quite a bit


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## Sand-Dollar (Nov 30, 2008)

Good start on the tank, get some live rock in there soon. Perhaps you should paint the backside of the tank or put something on it to hide the wires and equipment . . . just my humble opinion.

Good going.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

Sand-Dollar said:


> Good start on the tank, get some live rock in there soon. Perhaps you should paint the backside of the tank or put something on it to hide the wires and equipment . . . just my humble opinion.
> 
> Good going.


ya i'm going to cover the back of the tank soon i just wanted to get all the other stuff going first


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

When you decide to add the rock make sure you wiggle it around so it is firm on bottom of the tank. Last thing anyone wants is a cracked bottom pane on their setup. Looking good though.

One thing you will learn very quickly is that everyone will have different opinions and some come across as experts and others not so much. Jim is correct, the best thing to do is establish a relationship with a few LFS peop's. Don't take their advice for granted right off the bat, take it and do your own research. Once you find out they are thinking the same as you then trust them a little more.


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## BWI (Nov 13, 2008)

if you are looking for rocks and such check out http://www.northamericanfishbreeders.com/ great people and way better prices then BA's.. Also tell them tyler from BWI sent you there! they'll look after you!


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

If you are looking at a base rock / live rock combo, shoot me a PM. Ask others on the forums about the base rock. Great quality, super light, very porous. Because it's dry weight (no water) you are getting more for your money.

Only $3 / lb


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

thanks to chris (UnderTheSea) i got some rock now. its not all in yet but this is what it looks like so far.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Looking good so far, can't wait until it's all filled. What's the size of this tank?

By the way, are these just base rocks or live rocks + base rocks? The rocks look nice, definitely something I'm considering for my next SW tank.

It's great to see so many new people here starting up SW tank. I wish everyone have a good success and enjoy this hobby.


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Hey Conix67, this rock is a base rock which will be seeded.


Like the aquascaping so far, very nice.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

i went to big al's today to pick up a new light and a fillter so i also got a few Lp to help cycle my tank. heres another picture of it now i know you guys can't see it but i made alot of caves in my tank.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Which BA did you go to? They JUST got a new shipment of Vanuatu live rock tonight (they were still unpacking it at closing time). Lots of red/pink/yellow coralline too. But pricey at $13/lb. 

If you're looking for more LR, check out NAFB (As previously mentioned by BWI), they have LR for $6/lb (if you buy enough you can probably bargain a better price), or try Sea U Marine up in Richmond hill. But I don't think they'll be open till wed, cause I think Ken and his wife just had a baby


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Congrats to Ken! The door says open on Tuesday (today). 

By the way, I see eheim filter intake in the tank. Are you running a canister filter here?


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

conix67 said:


> Congrats to Ken! The door says open on Tuesday (today).
> 
> By the way, I see eheim filter intake in the tank. Are you running a canister filter here?


i just put the eheim filter in


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

viper32x said:


> i just put the eheim filter in


unless if it's filled with LR, take it out...canisters are death in SW


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Did you put the eheim in for any reason?

Like Jim said, they tend to be an unwise addition. They tend to collect detrius and are hard (well, a pain really) to clean out, and will do more harm than good. 

If you're using it for flow, just get a powerhead.


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

The only harm with running mechanical filtration like an eheim is the build up as others have indicated. Nitrate factories. I run two different towers (2 different micron filters) inline with carbon tower and a 40w uv tower. I do clean them bi-weekly and when I'm on vacation I just take out the filters and carbon and run wide open. You have to stick to a schedule cleaning of the filters.

Jim - even using rock rubble there tends to still be a build up over time. 2-3 years ago I tried adding an eheim wet/dry ( I think it was the 2229) and after a month of running it there was so much detrius I gave up on it. It was a BA special, nice unit $275 and great for SW, ummm yeah right.

Most use the filter for added flow, but a powerhead would be much more useful.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

i got it because my old filters made to much noise and this one doesn't make any, so if its not good to use this filter what filter is good?


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Your primiary source of bioligical filteration should be live rocks and live sand, so cycling your tank means those base rocks be seeded with beneficial bacteria from live rocks and live sand you add.

You will see many people in this forum with nano size salt water tank relies on this method, and a HOB filter for water polishing, which is the method I use.

The other filteration is done through protein skimmer but that's still up to you.

Like Ameek said, canister will work but it's best avoided. You want to aim for 0 nitrate level and typical canister filter in fresh water setup cannot provide that.


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Hey Kyle, next time you are out my way, I'll hook you up with a cup of sand from my tank.

PS. I started off with DIY Rock (oyster shells, concrete, bomix playsand) and a bomix playsand subtrate. Used the raw shrimp method to kick off the cycle and never added any other "Live" subtrate or rock to seed my tank.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

whats a HOB filter? is it the ones that hang off the back of the tank and the water falls into the tank?


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

UnderTheSea said:


> Hey Kyle, next time you are out my way, I'll hook you up with a cup of sand from my tank.
> 
> PS. I started off with DIY Rock (oyster shells, concrete, bomix playsand) and a bomix playsand subtrate. Used the raw shrimp method to kick off the cycle and never added any other "Live" subtrate or rock to seed my tank.


i never really go out that way but thanks if i do i'll be sure to call u. how many raw shrimp did u use just 1?


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Yep just 1.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

The live rock that I got at big als came with a slug of some kind and a little crab that has a shell. I can't wait to get more things in here.


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

looking great! keep the pictures rolling! try to get a close up of the slug/crab so we can help you ID it


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

i got little bubbles starting to forum at my tanks water line do that mean anything?


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Not sure exactly what that is but I recommend getting a salt water test kit to monitor the cycling process.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

conix67 said:


> Not sure exactly what that is but I recommend getting a salt water test kit to monitor the cycling process.


i got a kit and i'm going to start my testing this weekend


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

is my live rock dying? its turning a dark yellow in some spots and on those spots there are a few little air bubbles.


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

the yellow spots are more than likely bubble algae, they are under a thin yellow sheet, try removing it with a small vac hose.... or rub it off, that could be the start of a large algae problem


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

and also my skimmer (coralife super skimmer 33000) is making a lot of micro bubbles in the tank, should it be doing that?


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

CSS is for a 65g I think, is it hang-on? I had the 220 model when I first got into the hobby and it had a sponge on the output to control the bubbles. Is yours the same?


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

UnderTheSea said:


> CSS is for a 65g I think, is it hang-on? I had the 220 model when I first got into the hobby and it had a sponge on the output to control the bubbles. Is yours the same?


ya its sounds like its the same


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Is the sponge not catching the bubbles? Do you have the sponge on it?


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

UnderTheSea said:


> Is the sponge not catching the bubbles? Do you have the sponge on it?


ya i have the sponge in it. do i really have to have that on now?


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

ok so i did my first readings and these are it

PH 7.8
AMMONIA 0
NITRITE 0
NITRATE 0
HYDROMETER 1.022

the PH is low right now will it fix on its own or do i have to do something?


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Where do you get your water from? Based on my experience, using RO water and Instant Ocean salt mix will always give you Ph 8.2. 

You want the water you're adding having correct Ph, don't try to adjust Ph by using booster additives, since you'll have trouble keeping it steady either way.

Salinity is a little lower than mine (1.025-1.026), maybe that'll have some impact in your Ph reading.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Your LR looks perfectly fine to me ...this is normal for a new and cycling tank once you get your cleaning crew this will clear up .
brown would be diatoms and that will look pretty bad tilll your cleaning crew .astrea snails will eat that up in a few days .
I wouldnt worrie everything will even out soon just watch out for the red slime .


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## jun_18T (Dec 2, 2008)

hey viper....im a newbie like you. just want to know what kind of testing kits you got for the water? can i get a package that will test all the important readings i need??? thanks!


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

jun_18T said:


> hey viper....im a newbie like you. just want to know what kind of testing kits you got for the water? can i get a package that will test all the important readings i need??? thanks!


There are very few package deals for salt water testing. As with most things in the hobby you have your high end test kits and the low end and some things can be test through a pen style tester (PH, TDS etc) or controller/monitor (ORP, PH, Calcium etc). Check out Elos or Salifret for your test kits.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

jun_18T said:


> hey viper....im a newbie like you. just want to know what kind of testing kits you got for the water? can i get a package that will test all the important readings i need??? thanks!


For very basic tests, just use the API series of test kits. I've been using them, and I can't say they are the best, but they are probably the easiest to use compared to the more expensive test kits.

The two that I started out with are the API Marine master test kit (pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate) - this one will cover the things you need to check to see if your cycle is complete as well as monitor Nitrate buildups later on.

I also bought the API Reef Master test kit (Calcium, carbonate hardness (KH), phosphate and Nitrate). This one will let you test some other parameters that will become more important later on when you want corals in the tank.

In terms of buying the expensive test kits, I think most SW hobbyists don't need to get them. Yes, the expensive test kits may be more accurate and have better resolution, but chances are even with the more accurate readings, most hobbyists won't be able to do much with the more accurate results. For you're probably fine with the API kits.

The two API test kits can be had from Petsandponds.com for about $55 combined.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

jun_18T said:


> hey viper....im a newbie like you. just want to know what kind of testing kits you got for the water? can i get a package that will test all the important readings i need??? thanks!


i got the API saltwater master test kit


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

i'm getting orange spots on my tanks glass, is that a good thing or a bad 1? oh and the sand in the front of my tank is orange too and has little hairs coming from it


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

Orange or brown/tan? Diatom? Most common with new set-ups.


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

ya its more of a tan


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)




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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

anybody know if this is a good thing or a bad 1?


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

it's bad, looks like diatoms, or brown algae.... probably not enough flow, or too long light period..... I find this brown sludge presents before red slime


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## viper32x (Dec 4, 2008)

so now how to i stop it?


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