New 55g saltwater setup -> advice?

Chronicj7 · 10/19/2009, 04:45 PM

I just set up my first saltwater tank and I want to make sure I'm doing all the right things. The tank has been cycling for about 6 days now. I have two powerheads, a protein skimmer, a overfill filter with a bioball sump, heater.

I checked my salinity today to find it sitting pretty at 1.021 and the temperature of the tank at 79-80 degrees F.

As I walked by my tank this morning I smelled something a littler strange coming from it. The tank was used, but it was cleaned thoroughly. One thing I could think it could be is the fact that I don't have any carbon in the tank. Am I on the right track there? I have nothing in the tank expect for some aragonite sand and some live rock. I am getting ready to take a sample to my LFS to test it so hopefully I will have some answers on nitrite/nitrate, pH, ammonia tonight.

Great looking site! Hope to learn quite a bit from you guys.

joeychitwood · 10/19/2009, 04:53 PM

I'd bump the salinity to about 1.025 or 1.026. Get rid of the Bio-Balls. They contribute to nitrates in the water. Read the stickies at the top of the forum page, as every topic you can think of is covered there. Be sure to read, read, read. It is much easier to avoid mistakes than to try to recover from them.

imcosmokramer · 10/19/2009, 08:03 PM

+1 on the salinity. You can also look at any of the many build threads on RC for ideas as well as mistakes we've all made.

scuba guy ron · 10/19/2009, 08:15 PM

+2 on eveything joey said.

monkeybiz · 10/19/2009, 08:25 PM

+3 on salinity being at 1.025. smell is just the smell of the die off and the rock cycling.

and the bioball will work good for a while but will start leaking nitrates back into the system later on. if you wait till then you might cause a cycle by removing them so most people would suggest to remove them from the get go.

Chronicj7 · 10/19/2009, 10:10 PM

I will change the bioballs asap. One question I have is that you guys recommend using the bags but they have to be changed every couple of days? What are you guys using instead of the bioballs?

One other thing is, my water return from the sump seems to be blowing out airy water. It almost looks like its really salty but if you look up close they are small air bubbles. Is this ok?

jenjen · 10/19/2009, 10:38 PM

You can fill the chamber that had the bioballs with some live rock - this is a great way to get some extra rock into your system.

Your return pump can be creating bubbles for a number of reasons. Usually if the pump is taking in air (water level too low, bubbles being created in the chamber that the return is drawing from), or you may see bubbles if your return lines are too close to the surface and are either taking in air or 'dropping' the return water into the tank.

I personally don't use filter socks, but many do. If you choose to use them be sure to change them out and clean them frequently (ie: every couple of days).

joeychitwood · 10/20/2009, 04:32 AM

The live rock idea is a good one. Sometimes, microbubbles can appear in a system until all of the lines, returns, etc. get "slimed in" meaning that the inner surfaces become more slippery. The microbubbles often disappear on their own, given that you have no other leaks in the system.

Chronicj7 · 10/20/2009, 01:56 PM

You guys were right, it must have been air/bubbles. It went away and the stink is starting to die off too. I noticed that my waterline had dropped about an inch and a half as well. Is that just due to evaporation and is something I need to adjust to?

I will look at my LFS for some live rock that I can squeeze in to the sump and get my water tested.

Chronicj7 · 10/20/2009, 05:51 PM

Got the water tested. Nitrates are about 25mg/L which are high. Wondering if I should do a water change soon.

jenjen · 10/20/2009, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronicj7

I noticed that my waterline had dropped about an inch and a half as well. Is that just due to evaporation and is something I need to adjust to?

Most likely due to evaporation. Top back up to the correct level with regular RO/DI water (not salt). When water evap's it's only the water and not the salt that evaporates. Test SG again after top-off and make sure it's at 1.026. You want to be sure to top up often enough that the SG doesn't shift.

jenjen · 10/20/2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronicj7

Got the water tested. Nitrates are about 25mg/L which are high. Wondering if I should do a water change soon.

What other parameters did they test and what are the levels?

Chronicj7 · 10/20/2009, 07:08 PM

They tested nitrate(25mg/L), nitrite(below 5mg/L), ammonia(0mg/L).

10/19/2009, 04:45 PM	#1
Chronicj7 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 353	New 55g saltwater setup -> advice? I just set up my first saltwater tank and I want to make sure I'm doing all the right things. The tank has been cycling for about 6 days now. I have two powerheads, a protein skimmer, a overfill filter with a bioball sump, heater. I checked my salinity today to find it sitting pretty at 1.021 and the temperature of the tank at 79-80 degrees F. As I walked by my tank this morning I smelled something a littler strange coming from it. The tank was used, but it was cleaned thoroughly. One thing I could think it could be is the fact that I don't have any carbon in the tank. Am I on the right track there? I have nothing in the tank expect for some aragonite sand and some live rock. I am getting ready to take a sample to my LFS to test it so hopefully I will have some answers on nitrite/nitrate, pH, ammonia tonight. Great looking site! Hope to learn quite a bit from you guys.

10/19/2009, 08:03 PM	#3
imcosmokramer Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 1,709	+1 on the salinity. You can also look at any of the many build threads on RC for ideas as well as mistakes we've all made. __________________ You can agree with me, or you can be wrong. You pick.

10/19/2009, 08:15 PM	#4
scuba guy ron Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 1,455	+2 on eveything joey said. __________________ Ron Current Tank Info: 6yr old 37 Gallon Column mixed reef

10/19/2009, 10:38 PM	#7
jenjen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Langley BC, Canada Posts: 1,710	You can fill the chamber that had the bioballs with some live rock - this is a great way to get some extra rock into your system. Your return pump can be creating bubbles for a number of reasons. Usually if the pump is taking in air (water level too low, bubbles being created in the chamber that the return is drawing from), or you may see bubbles if your return lines are too close to the surface and are either taking in air or 'dropping' the return water into the tank. I personally don't use filter socks, but many do. If you choose to use them be sure to change them out and clean them frequently (ie: every couple of days). __________________ "Challenges forge the greatness in you" Current Tank Info: 180gal softy reef (Apr '09)

10/19/2009, 04:53 PM	#2
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	I'd bump the salinity to about 1.025 or 1.026. Get rid of the Bio-Balls. They contribute to nitrates in the water. Read the stickies at the top of the forum page, as every topic you can think of is covered there. Be sure to read, read, read. It is much easier to avoid mistakes than to try to recover from them.

10/19/2009, 08:25 PM	#5
monkeybiz Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 308	+3 on salinity being at 1.025. smell is just the smell of the die off and the rock cycling. and the bioball will work good for a while but will start leaking nitrates back into the system later on. if you wait till then you might cause a cycle by removing them so most people would suggest to remove them from the get go.

10/19/2009, 10:10 PM	#6
Chronicj7 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 353	I will change the bioballs asap. One question I have is that you guys recommend using the bags but they have to be changed every couple of days? What are you guys using instead of the bioballs? One other thing is, my water return from the sump seems to be blowing out airy water. It almost looks like its really salty but if you look up close they are small air bubbles. Is this ok?

10/20/2009, 04:32 AM	#8
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	The live rock idea is a good one. Sometimes, microbubbles can appear in a system until all of the lines, returns, etc. get "slimed in" meaning that the inner surfaces become more slippery. The microbubbles often disappear on their own, given that you have no other leaks in the system.

10/20/2009, 01:56 PM	#9
Chronicj7 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 353	You guys were right, it must have been air/bubbles. It went away and the stink is starting to die off too. I noticed that my waterline had dropped about an inch and a half as well. Is that just due to evaporation and is something I need to adjust to? I will look at my LFS for some live rock that I can squeeze in to the sump and get my water tested.

10/20/2009, 05:51 PM	#10
Chronicj7 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 353	Got the water tested. Nitrates are about 25mg/L which are high. Wondering if I should do a water change soon.

10/20/2009, 07:08 PM	#13
Chronicj7 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 353	They tested nitrate(25mg/L), nitrite(below 5mg/L), ammonia(0mg/L).