12gal nano reef start up - PIX!

[Tooch]

Whelp, I was going to put pix of getting the tank started up, but I forgot that for some reason, Cara's laptop doesn't allow me to put pix in the thread for some reason...

If you feel like checking them out, I out them in my photos in the gallery, in my saltwater album.

They are alittle cloudy, will get better ones when the tank clears! Right now it only has 9.03lbs of Live rock. It is the eco-friendly man-made reef rock. Apparently people dump some rock in the ocean and let the creepy crawlers grow on it, and take it out to sell. The lfs was selling it for $9.99/lb, but since we are in there every day, cut us a deal and sold it to us for $5.99/lb. Also grabbed a hydrometer to get the water mixed. Substrate is Nature's Ocean live sand.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Cool, I like the look of that. Have you had your hydrometer calibrated yet?

[Fenix]

Need pics!! HERE in this thread!


Cool, I like the look of that. Have you had your hydrometer calibrated yet?

What! Theres such a thing?

[Drumachine09]

Refractometers need calibration. As far as I know, hydrometers don't.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Oh yes, definitely. Hydrometers are notoriously inaccurate. By calibrate I simply mean you have to find out how much it is off by so you can add or subtract the needed amount to get an accurate reading. For example, I keep my Reef at a SG of 1.025, that is tested with a properly calibrated Refractometer, when I test that same water with the hydrometer it reads as being 1.020. So when I made my first batch of SW using the hydrometer my water was actaully at a SG of 1.030. Now that I have a refractometer I never use my hydrometer at all.

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, refractors need the calibration, not hydrometers

[sailor]

You are off to a great start, looking good. Can't wait to see it as it progresses:thumb:

[Tooch]

[QUOTE=Fenix]Need pics!! HERE in this thread!QUOTE]


LOL ok, ok!

The first picture is the Live Sand. This stuff says there is no need for cycling... I'm not sure to trust it.

The 2nd picture is the 9.03lbs of LR. I didn't see any other pieces that would come out to around the 12lbs I needed, so instead of buying a large filler piece, I decided to wait. This stuff is the man-made reef rock. It was being sold for about $10/lb, but since we do so much business there, they sold it to us for %5.99/lb.

The 3rd picture was a test fit of the LR. No water yet.

[Tooch]

This first picture is of the filling last night. Water was cloudy obviously, but quickly clearing. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are from this morning before work. Tank is pretty much crystal clear! The 3rd picture is with the moon lighting.

SG last night was at 1.023

[Tigerbarb]

Wow! Where did you get your man-made live rock? I was wanting some, because It seems that live rock harvest might affect the ocean.

[Tooch]

Wow! Where did you get your man-made live rock? I was wanting some, because It seems that live rock harvest might affect the ocean.



I got mine at the lfs I go to almost every day. Apparently, typical live reef rock is actually taken from a reef. This stuff is man made, so it doesn't destroy a reef. I thought win-win!

[cocoa_pleco]

yeah, its best to get man made.

all 200lbs of my LR is real, none is man-made or base, but the guy i get it from assured me that its taken from the ocean in ration

BTW, awesome start!

[sen5241b]

Wow! Where did you get your man-made live rock? I was wanting some, because It seems that live rock harvest might affect the ocean.

Ocean floor can be rented by the acre in Florida, old dead coral placed there and harvested 6 months or a years later.

Great Source (http://www.tbsaltwater.com/)

read this (http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/filterselection/a/aa111901_2.htm)

[jbeining75]

That should be a great tank Civic congrats and keep up the good work...