Critique my setup please!!

Manta034 · 05/22/2011, 06:46 PM

Hello all,

First, a description of my 5 day old tank:
75 gallon main tank
30 gallon sump/refugium
35 lbs of pukani dry rock from BRS (AWESOME dry rock!)
10 live rock from LFS
40 lbs live sand
60 lbs dry aragonite sand
Lighting
400w 14k plusrite (I know it's a cheap bulb and will upgrade when corals get introduced) MH bulb
Lumenarc reflector
2 96w actinic VHO
Flow
Vortech MP40w
Tunze 4045
Mag 7 return pump
Skimmer
SRO 1000sss

It appears my tank has begun its cycle. Today I added a dead shrimp to assist cycle, I wan't sure if the only 10 lbs of live rock and live sand was enough to initiate a cycle. Here are my parameters as of today:

PH: 7.9
Amm: .5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate:0
SG 1.027
Temperature: 75-78

How do these levels seem? I know PH is low and SG is a bit high. Should I be overly concerned? I don't have a Ca or Alk test kit yet but I'm assuming they're both low.

Also, being close to the ocean I used ocean water for my initial fill up and will be using for water changes.

So my main question is how do my parameters look for the beginning of a cycle? Please feel free to critique my setup or offer any sort of suggestions as to improve my tank.

Thanks!

jimmy frag · 05/22/2011, 06:54 PM

looks like your off to a good start, i would,nt worry about your prams too much right now. dont rush the live stock. give it about 8 long weeks and plan out your goals.

barney1215 · 05/22/2011, 06:57 PM

Just sit back and wait for the cycle to end. Your off to a good start. Just take it slow.

jdyer88 · 05/22/2011, 07:00 PM

first of all. if you used natural sea water (NSW) your cal and alk are not going to be too low, considering there is nothing in your tank to consume much of it. As for your sg, are you using a refractometer or a hydrometer? NSW should be perfect, I bet you are actully just a tad lower than 1.027...Everything else looks like pretty normal conditions for an immature tank. your ammonia should get cranked up here and you will be off and running....Nice setup

looks like a showdown between vortech and tunze....lol

briankmarsh1980 · 05/22/2011, 07:02 PM

Everything seems good to me.
I would add more rock to your tank.
When you collect water get it when the tide is coming in so you are getting good water from out in the ocean.
Ideal salinity is 35 which I believe is 1.0265 so yours should be fine.
After your ammonia spikes and begins to drop then your nitrates will start to spike after they drop to 0 your cycle should be done.

evsalty · 05/22/2011, 07:05 PM

Looks very nice. You might consider swapping out the single 400w halide for 2 250w halides. The 2 bulbs will cover the entire tank more evenly.

jc-reef · 05/22/2011, 07:08 PM

^^^^^ I agree with above and I would just add this....don't rush stocking your tank with livestock too quickly either. Just let the tank balance itself over the next 6-8 weeks. The patience you put in now will make you a much happer reefer later on. Don't start chasing numbers now...or you will most likely always be chasing numbers forever. Give the tank a chance to stabilize.

You can even leave the lights OFF the first month...thats what I did and I never had a Cyno/diatom/algae breakout. Patience is key!!

-----

rad1687 · 05/22/2011, 07:19 PM

I am trying to gauge how much sand I need for my 90 (same footprint). Are all 100 lbs in your display tank, or is some in the sump too? Looks great!

Manta034 · 05/22/2011, 08:00 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone! I won't worry too much about the parameters and just let the tank do its thing for the next 6 weeks or so. I'll stay away from adding any livestock for that time period as well.

jdyer, I'm using a hydrometer as of now. I'll upgrade to a refractometer in the next month or so. Lol yea it's a tuze, vortech showdown in my tank. The vortech is amazing and will eventually get another one and migrate the tunze to the back wall. The vortech's are a bit noisy but that's about the only drawback - besides the cost!

BrianK, I collect my water near Ponce Inlet in Daytona Beach right around high tide. Yea, I think I will add some more live rock. I was surprised at how much room the 35lbs of the BRS dry rock took up. It's really light and porous.

evsalty. Yes, two 250 watters would be ideal. I had a 400w ballast from my previous tank a few years ago so in order to save costs i used what i had. That will be an upgrade for the future though.

rad. Yes, all of the sand is in the main tank. Initially, I had 70lbs in there but noticed that was not enough so I got another bag.

Thanks again for the advice!

Geoff_Poz · 05/22/2011, 09:14 PM

crank your temp up to 80

05/22/2011, 07:00 PM	#4
jdyer88 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Riverside, California Posts: 434	first of all. if you used natural sea water (NSW) your cal and alk are not going to be too low, considering there is nothing in your tank to consume much of it. As for your sg, are you using a refractometer or a hydrometer? NSW should be perfect, I bet you are actully just a tad lower than 1.027...Everything else looks like pretty normal conditions for an immature tank. your ammonia should get cranked up here and you will be off and running....Nice setup looks like a showdown between vortech and tunze....lol __________________ just watchin the sun come up in my jeans, jean shirt, and jean jacket. Its a moustache kind of morning. When someone says its not about the money, its about one thing, the money. Enough about me, lets talk about what YOU think of me! Current Tank Info: 180g, 60g sump w/fuge, 3x250w mh

05/22/2011, 07:02 PM	#5
briankmarsh1980 I'm a member of **!!!!!! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maricopa, Arizona Posts: 2,127	Everything seems good to me. I would add more rock to your tank. When you collect water get it when the tide is coming in so you are getting good water from out in the ocean. Ideal salinity is 35 which I believe is 1.0265 so yours should be fine. After your ammonia spikes and begins to drop then your nitrates will start to spike after they drop to 0 your cycle should be done. __________________ My skim don't stink _______________________________________________________________ 210 gallons with stuff!!!!!!!

05/22/2011, 07:08 PM	#7
jc-reef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Treasure Coast, Florida Posts: 969	^^^^^ I agree with above and I would just add this....don't rush stocking your tank with livestock too quickly either. Just let the tank balance itself over the next 6-8 weeks. The patience you put in now will make you a much happer reefer later on. Don't start chasing numbers now...or you will most likely always be chasing numbers forever. Give the tank a chance to stabilize. You can even leave the lights OFF the first month...thats what I did and I never had a Cyno/diatom/algae breakout. Patience is key!! ----- __________________ My Little Hobby FMAS - Member Current Tank Info: 300gal DD upgraded from 90 gal Mixed Reef Powered by T5 / LED

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05/22/2011, 06:54 PM	#2
jimmy frag Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: burlington ontario Posts: 845	looks like your off to a good start, i would,nt worry about your prams too much right now. dont rush the live stock. give it about 8 long weeks and plan out your goals.

05/22/2011, 06:57 PM	#3
barney1215 Moved On Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 74	Just sit back and wait for the cycle to end. Your off to a good start. Just take it slow.

05/22/2011, 07:05 PM	#6
evsalty hmmmmmm Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NW Mesa, AZ Posts: 3,531	Looks very nice. You might consider swapping out the single 400w halide for 2 250w halides. The 2 bulbs will cover the entire tank more evenly.

05/22/2011, 07:19 PM	#8
rad1687 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 622	I am trying to gauge how much sand I need for my 90 (same footprint). Are all 100 lbs in your display tank, or is some in the sump too? Looks great!

05/22/2011, 08:00 PM	#9
Manta034 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 74	Thanks for the advice everyone! I won't worry too much about the parameters and just let the tank do its thing for the next 6 weeks or so. I'll stay away from adding any livestock for that time period as well. jdyer, I'm using a hydrometer as of now. I'll upgrade to a refractometer in the next month or so. Lol yea it's a tuze, vortech showdown in my tank. The vortech is amazing and will eventually get another one and migrate the tunze to the back wall. The vortech's are a bit noisy but that's about the only drawback - besides the cost! BrianK, I collect my water near Ponce Inlet in Daytona Beach right around high tide. Yea, I think I will add some more live rock. I was surprised at how much room the 35lbs of the BRS dry rock took up. It's really light and porous. evsalty. Yes, two 250 watters would be ideal. I had a 400w ballast from my previous tank a few years ago so in order to save costs i used what i had. That will be an upgrade for the future though. rad. Yes, all of the sand is in the main tank. Initially, I had 70lbs in there but noticed that was not enough so I got another bag. Thanks again for the advice!

05/22/2011, 09:14 PM	#10
Geoff_Poz Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Rochester, NY / Ogden Posts: 101	crank your temp up to 80