FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY!!! Tank and stand are in place. Geez this reef stuff takes forever lol.
Im in the process of marking final exams for my classes but I want to get all things organized under my stand today.
I also need to find a small container so i can make distilled water and store it there so i can calibrate my refractometer.

Now i want to get it right. Im so excited im forgetting where to start.
Step 1: fill tank with water and mix salt in it until desired salinity All powerheads turned on
Step 2: put rocks and sand in tank
Step 3: Buy LR to seed the tank
Step 4: Wait patiently for cycle to be over
Step 5: buy CUC
Step 6: Buy more CUC if previous CUC has croaked or is not doing its job well enough
Step 7: Buy inverts
Step 8: Buy some corals added at 2 week intervals so as not to overwhelm the system
Step 9: Buy 2 true percs
Step 10: Turn on skimmer


Am I missing anything? Should i change the steps? Add steps? Let me know PLEASE.
I dont want to forget anything and with times being as stressful and busy as they are (only going to get worse with baby comming in 3 months) I need step by step

i would turn the skimmer on right after you put water in, i have my tank with just sand in it and the skimmers going, it will take a fair amount of the live rock

Here is a web site to a calculator that will help you figure out your monthly electric bill. www.citytrf.net/costs_calculator.htm Hope this helps.

added water and salt. Will wait until tomorrow to test the salinity at which time I will either add rocks and sand or adjust the salinity some more.

what kind of water are you using just tap? or RO, also what type of salt (all for interests sake :p)

Im using tap water. The quality in our town is very very good. I am also using Instant Ocean salt because that is all that is readily available here.

Tested SG today and it was 1.026. I know its in range but its up there. I would like it at 1.024-25. But instead of adjusting it now i added sand and some dead LR. Cant see a thing in there. I will test again after the storm settles and all the rocks are added so I can adjust water then. Just in case Argag alive changes SG at all. The bag of sand came with a water clarifier thingie in a bag. I didnt bother adding it.

Next step either turning on Skimmer or waiting to go to LFS to buy LR for seeding :)

Hoping to get pics up later today.

My makeshift water distiller to calibrate the refractometer.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...llingwater.jpg


Sandstorm
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2.../Sandstorm.jpg

I'm a bit surprised that there is a LFS in Kitimat that sells saltwater. Do they carry a decent selection (fish, coral, equipment etc)?

Its suppose to be better to calibrate a refractometer with a solution of known salinity rather than distilled water. However I've done both at the same time and the difference was only .001 so its probably not a big deal.

BTW why did you buy 'live sand'?

This is how I would perform the steps.
Step 1: fill tank with water and mix salt in it until desired salinity All powerheads turned on
Step 2: put rocks and sand in tank
Step 10: Turn on skimmer
Step 3: Buy LR to seed the tank
Step 4: Wait patiently for cycle to be over
Step 5: buy CUC

(Dont over do it, I've often watched people add too many snails, crabs etc only to watch everything starve to death or kill each other. 1 CUC member per 5-10gal is more appropriate in my opinion.)

Step 6: Buy more CUC if previous CUC has croaked or is not doing its job well enough
Step 9: Buy 2 true percs
Step 7: Buy inverts (what kind of inverts are you referring to?)
Step 8: Buy some corals added at 2 week intervals so as not to overwhelm the system (Fish impact the bioload of a tank much more than coral do. Coral simply need a mature tank to survive and thrive.)

whatcanyedo: Nope, no lfs here in Kitimat. The town over has one though (Terrace). Its 45min drive away. They dont have a decent selection of salty stuff because there isint a high demand for it but they have 3 tanks. 1 for LR, 1 for fish and 1 for coral and fish and inverts.

The directions on the refractometer said to calibrate with distilled water. The distilled water should read 0 on the refractometer if not then it needs to be calibrated until it reads 0. Mine read perfect. Didnt need to touch a thing.

As for buying live sand, I just wanted Fiji Pink and that was what was available. I doubt its really 'live' though considering how long it may have sat on the shelves at the store and then through shipping conditions and then waiting in the bag for me to dump into the tank.

Rocks and sand in tank now, pumps working and skimmer on.
Skimmate is only going up halfway the tube and is white. Nothing being collected. I played with the skimmer to see if i can get the skimmate higher up the tube but to no avail. Im assuming it needs a short break in period?
Its a tunze 9002, very quiet im impressed.

Ok so CUC, fish and then Coral got it. :) and yes i plan to take it very very slow. Wont be gong to the lfs for at least a week and a half maybe 2 weeks to pick up some LR to seed the tank. Then i want to leave it for at least a month or 2 for the cycle (I have testing equiptment so no worries :) ) THEN I will buy CUC at which time I will prob be ready to give birth at any time so no other additions for quite some time. lol