Ammonia Peak!

The chemistry nerd in me is having a ball right now. I'm doing full water chemistry analysis every other day. Today, 8/31/11, reveals the following:

T: 79.4F (holding steady between 78.4-80F)
pH: 8.0
SG: 1.024
NH3: 0.25ppm (down from 2 ppm)
NO2: 5ppm (up from 0.5ppm)
NO3: 40ppm (up from 5ppm)

I expect to see a drop in NO2 soon and then I can do my big water change and add livestock!

The Cycle Has Begun!

John (5 yrs old, my #2) insisted on being in the picture. The water is clearer than this picture makes it look.

I tested the water for the first time Saturday (you can see the results below) and there were signs that the cycle might be starting, but nothing certain. I tested tonight, and got the following results:

Temperature: 79F (holding steady between 78.5-80F)
pH: 8.0
SG: 1.024
NH3 (Ammonia): 2ppm (up from 0.5ppm on Saturday)
NO2 (Nitrite): 0.5ppm (up from 0 on Saturday)
NO3 (Nitrate): 5ppm (up from 0 on Saturday)

That to me says the Nitrogen cycle is really starting! Far sooner than I expected! Now we wait for the NH3 and NO2 to go to zero before we can do a water change and start adding livestock!

My nitrogen source, what was a grocery store shrimp!

And the waiting begins

We're on day 2 of what should hopefully be a less than 4 week nitrogen cycle. I hadn't been worrying about the temperature yet since there wasn't any macrofauna present, but in an effort to get to stable water parameters, I installed the thermometer and 200W heater. It was sitting at about 72F, which means there must have been a lot of evaporation. The water we used to fill the tank had been sitting in the garage, so it was 95+, and our house holds a constant 74F all summer. After installing the heater last night, it is holding pretty constant around 79F.

I also did my first water chemistry analysis this morning. pH was right about 8.0. Interestingly, even though it's only been two days, the NH3 (Ammonia) was not zero, but was at least 0.5ppm. NO2 (Nitrite) and NO3 (Nitrate) were zero. But hopefully having some ammonia means we'll be starting the cycle pretty quick. Specific Gravity (salinity) was holding a constant 1.025. All in all, pretty good.

Monica has been in Austin and the boys and I needed something to do, so I loaded all four of them up and took them to the local fish store, Fish Land, on Westheimer near Eldridge. They have a really quality selection of fish and corals at good prices. I can't wait to go back there when I can actually bring something home!

One stowaway from the live rock

Found this guy in the bottom of the box of live rock, out of his shell. Billy put the empty shell right next to him and when we came back 20 minutes later he was in it! So we dropped him in the tank and he's been all over!

Full startup! And the waiting begins!

We got the water system completely set up yesterday and running! I picked up 3 more 20lb bags of live sand at Aquarium World over lunch, which now gives the tank a nice bed depth! Live rock was delivered at 4 and was in the tank by 6:30. Billy and I did the best we could at aquascaping, but the water was so cloudy we couldn't see a thing. I fear some re-arrangment may be necessary. We got all but 3 pieces of the dry marcorocks into the tank. Total 15 lbs of live rock, probably 40 lbs of dry rock.

The picture above was taken this morning after the water had settled down and was much clearer. It had the clarity of skim milk at 7pm last night!

You can see in the front right corner of the tank our source of ammonia to start the nitrogen cycle in the tank- a whole shrimp from the grocery store. We'll let that rot and let the bacteria go crazy!

Tonight and this weekend I'll get the heater and thermometer installed and start cleaning up the wiring down in the stand. And then we wait and test NH3, NO2, and NO3. Hopefully we'll get a good and quick cycle.

Start-Up Has Begun!

Last night Monica helped me get the aquarium into position on the back wall of our house where it will live. It's going to be so awesome in that spot. Right in the middle of where we "live" in the house. I put in the live sand that came from the previous owner, which turned out to be far less than what he made it out to be. I'm not complaining, it was free after all, but the sand bed is maybe 1/2" deep across the tank. A trip to the store is in order today! I'm aiming for a 2"+ deep sand bed.

The previous owner also gave me about 25 gallons of Reverse Osmosis/Deionized Water (RODI), so I pumped that into the tank. That filled it up about halfway. Billy, my new Aquarium BFF, just bought an RODI unit and will give me the rest of the water I need in the next day or two. I put in 12.5 cups of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt. I calibrated my new Refractometer (to measure salinity) with distilled water, and then measured the salinity in my half-a-tank. 1.025, right on target. So for now I have half the sand I need, half the water I need, but it's up and running and circulating with the powerhead!

The "dead" Marco Rocks arrived yesterday, but I didn't have time to open the box. The live stuff is supposed to arrive today, and I'll put that into the tank directly. Billy is going to help me figure out how to arrange the rocks in my tank. I'm excited to aquascape!!!

After the live rock goes in tonight and we add in the rock and rest of the water, I'll put in a raw shrimp or two from the grocery store and let that start to rot and add ammonia to the system. Then the nitrogen cycle begins! So if the N-cycle gets started tonight, hopefully it will be complete by the end of September so we can add Fish #1!

The "before" picture

So here's the equipment before we get going with sand, rocks, water, and salt. Notice the custom-made tank "lid" made out of fluorescent light diffuser grid!

Startup Cost!

One of the biggest hurdles in any aquarium (salt or fresh) is the startup cost. You have to buy the tank, stand, filter, substrate (gravel, sand, rock), decorations, pumps, on and on and on, before you can buy animal #1! Luckily, I was able to get the bulk of the expensive stuff used for 20-25% the cost of new. "Lower startup cost allowing progress towards another state" The chemical engineering nerd in me is screaming "CATALYST"... but I digress.

So in my previously mentioned used setup, I got: Tank, Stand, Sand, Filter, Pump, Powerheads, Lights, and Algae Scraper.

I've since placed orders for the remainder of what I need.

For the substrate, in addition to sand, to provide homes for all the fish-waste-loving bacteria, I need porous rock. You can go with live rock, which is already colonized with bacteria and good algae, or you can start with dead rock (cheaper). I've decided to meet in the middle. I ordered 15 lbs of live rock and 50 lbs of dead rock, all from http://www.marcorocks.com/. His stuff has a stellar reputation, and I look forward to seeing it in person! It's due to arrive mid-week.

I ordered the rest of what I need from http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/. I couldn't believe it, but everything I looked for, they had cheaper than anyone else on the internet, including Amazon. Plus free shipping over $49 and no sales tax, it was a deal! From them I bought:

Water test kit (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH)
Refractometer (Salinity gauge)
Night/Day Timer Power Strip
Heater
Thermometer
Water pump & 1/2" tubing for water changes
Coral Pro Salt (175 gallons)
"Miracle Mud" to put in the refugium (hang on back filter) . Adds good bacteria
Blue background for the tank
Stainless steel handle nets (dealing with saltwater now- VERY corrosive)

Next step is to put in the sand, rocks, and saltwater, start up the pumps and let it start growing bacteria!

Taking The Plunge Into Saltwater!

I've waited 10 years, done all the reading, and hopefully developed some patience, and I'm FINALLY putting together my first SALTWATER AQUARIUM! Where are the pics of pretty fish, you ask? Well, as part of the "patience" comment above, I have to let the Nitrogen Cycle happen first to create colonies of fish-waste-loving bacteria to avoid a big tank of dead fish. Before that, I need all of my equipment to arrive FedEx this week (see subsequent post).

So first, some stats. I purchased a second hand Mini-Reef aquarium setup from a fellow saltwater addict on http://www.marshreef.com/, my new favorite website.

55 gallons (36"x18"x20")
4x54W, 36" T-5 VHO Fluorescent Lighting
Eco-System Hang-On-Back Refugium w/ Protein Skimmer


And so, some goals for what I want to have in the aquarium (we'll compare to what actually comes true):

Fish:
  - Clownfish
  - Regal Blue Tang
  - Yellow Tang
  - Powder Blue Tang
  - Yellow-Tail Blue Damsel

Invertebrates:
  - Giant Clam
  - Starfish
  - Sea Urchin
  - Shrimp
  - Corals (I still need to learn more before deciding types)

I hope for this blog to become an avenue for friends and family to enjoy our new aquarium, to provide a resource for folks looking to start in the hobby, and to keep a record for myself!