My Marine Adventure

[Chris7]

Edit, posted by mistake.

 

[Chris7]

OK Was looking for Live Rock on ebay and found this lot.

http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180989505103?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

It would be far cheaper to get this than from my lfs, But i understand i dont really know what im getting and maybe its a risk. But it looks good.

Any advice please.

Thanks.

 

[Aquascaper]

Would you collect it or have it couriered?

 

[Chris7]

Have it couriered as its too far away.

There is another one i found that is about a hour and half drive from me and is pretty cheap.

But it's cheaper if i get the couriered one.

 

[DanTheFishMan11]

i would cos he seems pretty legit as he encourages you to come see it in person before buying

 

[gregswimm]

If it were me, I would order from https/www.tbsaltwater.com/

I have his rock and it is the best I have ever seen. Full of life, from 10lbs I ordered I got 2 species of hitchhiking coral, limpets, more pods then I can count, tons of brittle stars, several species of crab including porcelain crabs, and emerald crabs, at least 4 species of clam, colonial/noncolonial tunicates, many sponges, piles of feather dusters and various other worms... I could go on, but you get the picture.

Yeah Greg they all require drilling lol.

The method aqua spoke about didn't.

Thanks aqua, no rush.

This is what you might be after:

 

[Chris7]

Would you collect it or have it couriered?

Any reason why you ask Aqua, I don't want to get it if courier is bad for the rock.

 

[Chris7]

OK, i have been to the lfs store today. I bought some sand a API saltwater test kit, rowa carbon and 100 litres of mixed salt water.

I will be adding the sand and water in the next few hours. Thinking of ordering the rock from ebay i spoke about.

Will add a few pics later.

 

[Xraymark]

Its more usual to add the rock first then the sand. If the rock rests on top of the sand it may topple with any burrowing livestock. There is no real advantage adding sand and water now.

Although, I know you are keen to see something in the tank. LOL.

 

[gregswimm]

Its more usual to add the rock first then the sand. If the rock rests on top of the sand it may topple with any burrowing livestock. There is no real advantage adding sand and water now.

Although, I know you are keen to see something in the tank. LOL.

I agree, although you may want to use dry rock on the base so you don't end up covering your live rock.

 

[Chris7]

Yes Mark i was pretty keen to see something in the tank. I have had it for a while and have had my freshwater tank down for a few days and the corner of the room was looking empty

I did think that putting the water and sand in now that it would not help me in any way but i still went ahead with it. I thought i will add the stuff now and have ordered the live rock from ebay. Should be here by Wednesday then i can add that to the tank when full. I will push the sand out of the way and make sure the rock is sat on the bottom and not the sand.

I took a few pics (yes of the tank with just water in lol) and thought i would post them up as i go.

half full

Water containers 25 litres each.

My kit

Yeah its full

Power Head in, Although it does not generate much flow.

Looking good and i got nothing in there

 

[gregswimm]

Looking good . I'm interesting in seeing that LR you got off ebay. Looks like there is some nice coralline algae growth on them
I would take this opportunity to adjust your chemistry to the ranges you plant to keep it at (8-12 KH, calcium 420-480ppm, Mg 1200-1500ppm or 3x your calcium level, gravity 1.024-1.028 etc). Do it now vs later, in case you mess up you wont kill anything.

Calcium hydroxide/kalkwasser is prolly your best bet for calcium adjustment (I use kalkwasser for my freshwater top offs). Mrs. Wages pickling lime is a very inexpensive source of calcium hydroxide, just check the ingredients and make sure the one you buy doesn't have anything else in it. Mix it with freshwater and let it sit for a few hours and drip in the bit in the middle (3 layers will form: crust on the top, chalk-like stuff on the bottom and the middle bit is what you want). siphon it into your tank with airline tubing (tie a few knots so it drips roughly 1 drop every 5-30 sec). Remember, just about everything in your tank will consume calcium and magnesium so check them regularly.

Just make sure your Mg(magnesium) isn't too low or you can risk the calcium precipitating out of the mixture (either coating your heater/pumps or leaving the water all together and making your tank milky white for a day or 2). 1350ppm is a safe place to be for Mg.

 

[Chris7]

Hmmm it's late at night but i didn't understand any of that lol. Remember i am a beginner, Will read again in the morning and see if i can understand it more.

If not i apologise but i might need it posting up for noobs

 

[gregswimm]

Hmmm it's late at night but i didn't understand any of that lol. Remember i am a beginner, Will read again in the morning and see if i can understand it more.

If not i apologise but i might need it posting up for noobs

Well, TL;DR version would be, get yourself red sea or salifert test kits for ammonia, nitrate (low range), KH (carbonate hardness), calcium, phosphate and magnesium. I would stay away from API tests, they are notoriously unreliable, not to mention their nitrate test is somewhat useless for a marine tank (you need a low rage kit).

Make adjustments to your chemistry before animals go in.

Here is some reading:
(and readthem)

Water parameters-
http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Relation between calcium, alk, Mg, and pH-
http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php

 

[Chris7]

OK Thanks, But someone here recommended the API tests. Also when speaking to the guy at my lfs store i asked if i needed the API test kit or the Reef Master kit which did KH (carbonate hardness), calcium, phosphate and magnesium, He told me i needed the API Test kit so i spent 30 pounds on that