Kari's Return To The Salty Side

[karigupi]

I'm returning, very slowly to the salty side & this time I am determined to do it right.

I lost interest in my little nano very quickly, it was just too limiting, I really should have listened when every one said bigger was better!

So, my project is my 54" tank, its not the really big one I wanted, but plenty to play with for a few years.

This one is going to take a long time to come together, I dont have much income at the moment, so saving every penny & researching carefully & buying a little at a time.

 

[karigupi]

Week One

This first task will probably take a fair bit longer than a week, I need to rehome all the fish that are already in the tank, it will be sad to see them go, but most are overflow fish from my other tanks & I will make sure I get good homes for them.

Yesterday & today were spent trying to get my head around lighting requirements, then I gave up & went to my lovely LFS & spoke to the marine specialist there, he is great & always seems to have time to answer even my most daft questions.

He has recommended 4 x t5's 2 whites & 2 actnics(sp?), he said that 4 would work fine, but 6 would be perfect, however, there just isnt room for 6 in the hood, so 4 it is, along with reflectors. Do you think this is ok?

The tank is 54x18x16.

I have ordered a few books from amazon this afternoon, which I cannot wait for, I am also going to go & have a rummage for all of my back issues of Practical Fishkeeping for some inspiration.

Are there any marine specific fish keeping magazines which anyone reads? I do love a magazine!

We dont have any specific stocking plans as yet, that is a very long way off, looking in the LFS today we were really taken by a beautiful Strawberry Gramma, some lovely firefish & a wrasse, I think it might be a cleaner wrasse? very streamlined & shades of blue?

Once my books are here we will do lots of reading up on compatibility & suitability but for now we are enjoying looking at all the pretties

 

[seffieuk]

Looking forward to watching this develop

Kari, can't remember what country you are in? There are two magazines in the uk, Ultra Marine and Marine World, i'm lucky as I buy one and Trod buys the other

Seffie x

 

[karigupi]

Thanks Seffie, i'm in the UK so thats great thanks. I will go see if I can find them, i'm a bit of a magazine junkie lol.

On another note, I have found these lights on ebay which sound perfect, has anyone used them? http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400075919199&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[karigupi]

Back again, lots (&lots) of reading around the web & I am putting together a shopping list, if i've missed anything please give me a nudge.

This is the list I have so far with rough guestimates of prices, based on items I have found online.

Tank: 54"x18"x16" plus stand with lots of cupboards for hiding stuff
Heater: Rena smartheater x2
Lights: 4x54w T5's 2 white, 2 blue complete set £180
Salt: £30
Skimmer: Looking at one that sits on the outside edge of tank £65
Powerheads: 2x 3000L/H, + 1 extra for mixing water £45
aragonite sand: £20
2 x water storage containers-£12Large storage box for mixing water- £5Black spray paint £5
Refractometer £20
Salifert kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & PH (already had)

Misc: turkey baster, little syringes, food, little kitchen blowtourch thingy

Have removed RO unit & TDS meter from the list for now, these I will save & buy a good one once the tank is running, will get RO water from LFS to begin with

I'm not planning a sump with this tank, there isnt room in the stand I dont think, so this will have to be something I do in my next tank.

What have I missed? My braing is slightly frazzled, so am gonna sit & look at pretty pictures of reef tanks now.

 

[seffieuk]

it does tend to frazzle the old brain doesn't - just take it nice and slow

You missed aragonite off the list.

you can get a subscription to both those mags on-line

Seffie x

 

[karigupi]

Thanks Seffie, added it to my list, brain frazzle felt much better after a glass of wine
Going to go look at a mag sub now

 

[karigupi]

Have just been shopping, I do love ebay sometimes

I made do with a hydrometer last time I tried which was impossible to read, so have just brought a nice looking refractometer, I hope they are easy to use, looks a bit technical.

grabbed a large size algae magnet, some clear cable ties & a back issue of Marine World mag to see if I fancy a sub.

My head seems to have absorbed more of the info this time around, i've added a question to the hardwear section on here is anyone could help, really just wondering if I can run a standard filter with something like rowaphos in, as I wont be having a sump?

Hoping I can rehome my fish soon so that I can look at cleaning up & painting the tank this weekend.

 

[karigupi]

Feeling a little guilty as just been shopping again hubs has gone to Wales to work for the rest of the week & was having a little sulk, so he phoned & told me to buy a couple of bits for the tank.

So I brought my powerheads & 23kg bucket of H2Ocean salt better not tell him how much it cost.

But I think thats my shopping done for a while, apart from water. I have everything I need ordered to get the tank started.

The plan for the next week is to get as far as setting the tank up & filling with RO water & salt. Then I will be adding Live Rock a little at a time, as & when funds allow.
It may take me a month or two (or even three) to buy all of the rock. Whilst I am collecting the live rock I will just be running my ordinary lights, upgrading to my T5 unit once all the rock is in & i'm ready to add corals, will the rock be ok under ordinary lights? I could run two T8 tubes if needed?

 

[seffieuk]

felt much better after a glass of wine

Ah ha a girl after my own heart

I love the collecting and buying part of setting up a new tank woo hoo

Seffie x

pssssst your secret is safe with us, as long as you don't tell ours

 

[karigupi]

lol everyones secrets are safe with me, mainly because I have a brain like a sieve these days.

Its been a very exciting day today, but a sad day too. In order to move the big tank into the lounge & to afford to keep & add to it I've had to make some sacrifices, so tanks are closing & fish are being rehomed. I will be left with just two freshwater & my marine.

Lots of sales of fish & old tanks today which is good for the money but very sad to see some of my fishes go Tonight I have closed, emptied & cleaned my 4ft tank & am feeling a little blue about it, so in a little bit I am going to sit down with my new books & look at all the gorgeous corals & write a wish list.

Very good news though is that my liverock fund which I was expecting to take a few weeks to fill, is suddenly full after todays work Will probably use liverock uk, or might see if there are any bargains on ebay once the tank is ready. The rock from my LFS is lovely & full of life, but its £12 a kilo, I dont mind getting the odd bit from there, but not the whole 24kg

Going to be a very busy day tomorrow, emptying & cleaning the tank ready to spray it on Friday.

 

[karigupi]

Been a busy week, but I think I may get my tank wet today

Cleaned it all out yesterday & spray painted the back black, I love how it looks. Going to get hubs to help me put it back later this afternoon, then we are off to the LFS for our first trip of many to slowly fill it with water.

Its just water..........so why am I so excited? lol

Here is my before shot, of my very sorry, manky looking tank yesterday.

Not a great shot, but you get the idea, the unit now has pride of place in the lounge, the tank is in the conservatory having been spray painted, hubs has annoyed me by taking the car to a meeting when he was meant to be working from home today, I was hoping to do my LFS trips for water during the day. Fingers crossed he is home in time to do at least a couple.

I will get more pictures when the tank is in place later

 

[karigupi]

Just a couple of pics of the goodies i have picked up this week:

Still waiting for a few items to be delivered, still waiting for my refractometer unfortunately, so will have to make do with my little hydrometer for today

 

[karigupi]

Quick update while I have a moment, the tank is almost filled Live rock is in a holding tank with salted RO, heater & a small lamp. The water in the tank should be ready by tonight.

I've already spotted a couple of crabs in the rock, a very cute little starfish & there was a little snail in the liverock tank which we persuaded back into the rock before taking it home.

I've had a blast this week, all my things sold much quicker than I was expecting, so I had the money sooner than expected & have been able to do much more than I thought I would be able to in just a week.

Once the rock is in & all settled, I will leave the tank to cycle for a few weeks, in which time I am hoping to have brought the skimmer & lights.

For now, I am off to buy a lottery ticket to get the money for everything else I would like to put in there eventually

 

[seffieuk]

It is very exciting isn't it - let the pet rock watching begin and, cough cough, where are the photos

Seffie x