Zechenia's 28 Gallon Bowfront Beginner Reef [UPDATED]

The tank is filled!

Added my heater and powerheads yesterday. My salt level is 1.022 right now, so I am working on bringing that up (going slowly so I dont overshoot my 1.025 goal) and I am working on getting my heater calibrated. Shooting for 78 degrees.

But now, the waiting begins!

 

So, an update.

My tank is slowly nearing my goal salinity via evaporation. I will then top off with mixed water at the proper salinity.

My ammonia spiked to around 1. Now it's closer to .5.

My PH noisedived last night. I think it has to do with the glass top. I new this could be an issue (though, I do have one of my powerheads pointing to the surface getting a ton of agitation). So I think I need to go in a different direction as far as making my tank jump proof.

I am thinking of picking up some eggcrate tonight and cutting it to fit, then spray painting it black. I'm just a little worried of how much evaporation I will have.

 

Yes the pH is normally going to go down at night and return to it's higher point at the ending of a normal photo period. And your right, the lid hinders the gas exchange causing a lower pH as well. You can start making pH adjustments once it is cycled.

Congratulations on getting it cycling.

 

Ya. I didnt think about that, since it was pretty late when I tested the PH. Also, for PH all I have right now is some test strips that I already had (figured it wasnt too important to be super accurate for the cycle on PH).

How low is "too low" for night time? I think I want to go with some alternative to the glass. But I also want a firefish... and I have read that eggcrate might not hold them. Also thought about doing screening, but I think the bowfront section might make this difficult.

Another idea I had was to just keep the glass, and get another powerhead for right along the surface so I get a lot of turnover.

I'll monitor the PH for the next few days and see what action needs to be taken. I'm not too worried about getting it set up now... but I'd like to have a plan, so I have it set up when I'm ready for my first fish

 

Also, I should mention, the BIG plus of the glass top is that I do have dogs (currently have a rat terrier, getting a lab in the next month) so dog hair is an issue I am hoping to avoid

 

Low range for a fish only for me is 7.6-7.8 at night. You can enhance that by running a reverse lighting schedule with chaeto or another algae in a sump. You can always go the buffer doser route as well.

If you give the firefish a lot of rock work to hide in and tank mates that are not as aggressive they are less likely to jump as often. But all fish have the potential to jump, gobies and jawfish and fire fish are huge jumpers though.

 

That sounds good. I'm guessing Low range for a reef is a little higher. Another thing I should think about is that I dont yet have my skimmer hooked up (and I am running a HOB filter, empty that I might remove) so Idk how that will change my PH levels. Though saying it can run down to 7.6 at night makes me feel better. Is it normal for the PH to dip at night even prior to turning the lights off?

 

Right now you have ammonia and nitrites present so that will decrease your over all pH as well. Usually you get your lowest pH reading early am a while before the lights come on and the higher reading at the end of the photo period.
When you do start testing you will test the hardness of the water (dkH) that value will give you some insight into your waters ability to maintain a stable pH.
Running the skimmer may indeed bring the pH up somewhat, as it removes DOC and enhances gas exchange.

 

Perfect, thanks for the input. I think at this point I will just let the tank cycle, and keep my eggcrate (maybe with screen overtop) as a backup plan for if I feel my oxygen levels don't seem safe post cycle.

 

Update today:

Ammonia is up a little I think. Looks to be around 2.

I've opened the front of my glass hood and it seems to have helped the PH a bit. Which is making me lean toward going o*****h top on it.

I am thinking of maybe making half (the rectangle part) with screen, and have the bowfront part either be glass (taken off the glass hood) or eggcrate.