My 55gal Build

Discussion in 'Show Off Your Fish Tanks!' started by -Bubbler-, Apr 9, 2011.

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  1. -Bubbler-

    -Bubbler- Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    I will get a shrimp to put in, and I was thinking of changing the rock work around a little bit. I had thought of doing a two island scape when I first put the rock in, but I got started and it just ended up how the way it is now. It doesn't take long to run out of room in the tank! I will probably change it up a little bit.
     
    -Bubbler-, Apr 15, 2011
    -Bubbler-, Apr 15, 2011
    #21

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  2. TheSaltwaterBoy

    TheSaltwaterBoy Flamingo Tongue

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    Cool. I have a 55 gallon too.
     
    TheSaltwaterBoy, Apr 15, 2011
    TheSaltwaterBoy, Apr 15, 2011
    #22
  3. -Bubbler-

    -Bubbler- Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Also, the canister filter that is on the tank was not put on new, it was on my freshwater tank for nearly a year. I kept it running on my other tank while I was changing this one over so the media would not dry out. My media trays are filled with ceramic rings and quartz balls so hopefully most of the bacteria that had colonized there is still around. Is this helping me out at all?
     
    -Bubbler-, Apr 15, 2011
    -Bubbler-, Apr 15, 2011
    #23
  4. TheSaltwaterBoy

    TheSaltwaterBoy Flamingo Tongue

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    Was it used on a saltwater tank before you put it on the 55?
     
    TheSaltwaterBoy, Apr 15, 2011
    TheSaltwaterBoy, Apr 15, 2011
    #24
  5. -Bubbler-

    -Bubbler- Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    No, just freshwater
     
    -Bubbler-, Apr 15, 2011
    -Bubbler-, Apr 15, 2011
    #25
  6. -Bubbler-

    -Bubbler- Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Did keeping the media from drying out help at all?? Or did I just waste my time??

    Parameters after a week (again, these are off dip strips)
    Nitrite~.5ppm Nitrate~20ppm PH~8.4 Alkalinty~240ppm Temp~79F Salinty 31-32 ppt SG 1.024
     
    -Bubbler-, Apr 16, 2011
    -Bubbler-, Apr 16, 2011
    #26

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  7. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    Looks good, wasted your time on the media unfortunately.
     
    2in10, Apr 16, 2011
    2in10, Apr 16, 2011
    #27
  8. -Bubbler-

    -Bubbler- Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Dang...thought I was taking a small step ahead doing that, oh well.
     
    -Bubbler-, Apr 16, 2011
    -Bubbler-, Apr 16, 2011
    #28
  9. -Bubbler-

    -Bubbler- Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Being that I am a week in now, is there anything in particular that I should be expecting to show up? Such as beginning of a diatom bloom or algae starting to grow? I'm not seeing any bit of algae at all on the rockwork(a good thing??)
     
    -Bubbler-, Apr 18, 2011
    -Bubbler-, Apr 18, 2011
    #29
  10. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    Tank looks like it's off to a good start :) The ceramic rings and quartz balls probably should be removed. They will compete with the liverock for bacterial colonization, however, the liverock is more effective as it can also host denitrifying as well as nitrifying bacteria. Being that the ceramic rings and quartz balls can't host denitrifying bacteria, the nitrate produced by them has to travel much further through diffusion to reach the nitrifying bacteria. Therefore it is less efficient and can lead to nitrate problems down the line. Really live rock is the only form of biological filtration necessary in a reef.
     
    m2434, Apr 18, 2011
    m2434, Apr 18, 2011
    #30
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