FishMagnet

75gallon. Rena Filstar XP and Emperor 400 for filtration for now. I can always hook up the sump if need be...but I don't really want to go that route. Same with UV. Lighting I have numerous options. At the moment just a plain flourescent strip. If I decide the plants need it I can go with one of my dual satellite compacts or my Coralife Halide and Compact fixture.

So...Tore down the old 75gal reef tank.
Removed all the coralline alage, worms etc I could from the glass and filters.
Added new substrate, filled with tap water, waited a few days for anything I missed to die off, emptied, refilled with RO water, added fake deco until cycle is over and I'm adding fish.

Should mention that after a few days of adding water from the tap my ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate went through the roof.

Added 3 cubes of brine shrimp to start the cycle. Also added an initial dose of Stability from Seachem. Will only use the initial dosing to jumpstart.

So log starts with 6/29 24 hours after full change with RO water. From my written log book.
Haven't picked up a new ammonia kit yet but am not too worried about it so long as I start to see nitrite readings in a few days.
pH 6.8
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
kh 80


7/4
PH 7.0
Nitrite around 5
Nitrate 0
KH 120

7/6
Added 20lbs of a finer substrate. Pushed the larger to the rear and used the finer up front. As if it wont all get mixed together over time.

7/8
PH 7.0
Nitrite +5
Nitrate +5
KH 80 Odd swings there. Wonder if its from the leftover calcium?
~Ordered a new test kit and my driftwood from FosterSmiths. I figure the driftwood can cycle along with the tank.
~Planning a small water change for this weekend. Need to remember to start the RO. Also need to clean out and re-setup my water tank for the RO so I don't have to mess with the buckets. Full of aragonite. Rock. Mold.
~Quarantine tanks have been running since this was set up. Using full doses of Stability with these. Figured I'd see how it does. Better work.

FishMagnet

"The Tank"
Note the Coralline I couldn't get off on the back glass. Even with a razor.

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FishMagnet

Added new piece of Driftwood.

PH whoa! +7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5.0
KH again a swing. +-120
Soft water, GH is fine. Dunno. I'm thinking the remnants of the saltwater crustations/worms/coralline and whatever else IS affecting this. We'll see.
Kind of surprised the ammonia reading is 0. Will have to change that.

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FishMagnet

Tap water is testing at much much worse levels. Surprising that the chlorine readings are 0. Theres often so much chlorine you can smell it. Like a pool.

Definatly will be sticking to RO. Will only do about a 10gal change this weekend. Probably closer to 20 next week. I don't know though. I'm not a big fan of water changes during the cycle. Not large changes though. Until the end.

Lucy

Very nice tank.
What are you going to stock it with?

FishMagnet

Lucy,
A large school of Neons and Cardinals and a school of Corys. Also a smaller school of something that I haven't decided on. I'd really like to keep it "native" to a particular stream...so am researching that.
By the way, I love the cat in the tank pic. My wifes cats used to sit on top of my tanks and reach in and bat at the fish. They also loved the warmth of the lights.

FishMagnet

Ahhh brownish/yellowish water from the driftwood. Love it.

Changed out 10gal with RO.

Butterfly

Yep tannins form the driftwood Won't hurt the fish and most love it
Carol

MissMTS

Your tank looks great! I love the natural look Your stocking plan sounds great. Keep us updated with pics!

aquarist48

Beautiful job Fishmagnet!

FishMagnet

So maybe I'll just dump in a whole jug of Stability and throw in all the fish!

Just kidding.

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 0
GH 75
KH 120
Temp steady at 76

Lucy

That sounds awesome. I've got 10 cardinals in my 30g, I really enjoy them.
lol @ you're wife's kitty. It keeps them occupied, doesn't it?

FishMagnet

Neons and Cardinals have always been among my favorite FW fish so I thought I'd devote my tank to them. IF I can get the PH and KH down. May take some work.

The cats...
They caused more problems. They stepped on the powerstrip running my heaters and a couple power filters in my reef tank once. They were off for quite some time. Middle of winter...
Anyway. Fish make me happy, cats made the wife happy.

Lucy

My pH is 7.6, not much different than yours and my cardinals have adapted very well.

FishMagnet

My concern is that it shouldn't be that high. I'm using RO water with a PH much much lower. But because this was my reef tank not too long ago I'm worried about how long the remaining calcium and such will take to dissolve and remove.

FishMagnet

7/11
For comparison;

Set up 2 5gal quarantine/observation tanks at the same time as "the tank".

Both have identical readings after the same amount of time.
PH 6.8
Ammonia +1.0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
GH 75
KH 80
Tmp 74
Top tank small Whisper internal hang on filter and small bubble wand.
Bottom tank one old school corner type filter I've had for years. Packed with filter floss.

The importance is in the fact that one was used to rear ghost shrimp so no left over minerals, the other was only used as a test for a growout tank for seahorses. Also never had any type of algae, mineral growth.
So, the ph/kh are staying stable, same range as the water coming from the RO system.

Which means that "the tank" has some issues to address. As if I didn't already know that.

7/14
Top
PH +7.6
Ammonia .5
Nitrite 0

Bottom
PH +7.6
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite .25

Big jump in PH there. Hmm.
Oh, almost forgot. PH test of RO is 6.0.

FishMagnet

PH7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Temp 74

FishMagnet

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate5
Temp holding steady

Glad I didn't nuke the filters after the teardown. Note that I did clean the media, but did not replace it.

Appears the cycle may be done here.
Will have to work on the PH. Wonder if the low reading of 6 is off. I'm taking the reading right from the RO. I'll fill something and let it sit overnight and check it in the am and see if theres any difference and again in the afternoon. I really doubt it though.
A couple ideas I'm thinking of pursuing. First though is a very large water change. The RO water should once again bring it back down. But for how long?
Next would be a buffering agent. The tannins from the driftwood will help slightly. Some peat maybe. Really don't want to go the chemical route.
Next is adding fish. The detritus and CO2 should help. Only problem here would be what fish? The obvious choice would be goldfish. BUT, I'm worried to introduce disease, and then the problem of what to do with the fish later on.
Next is to leave it empty and just keep dumping in ammonia producing...things that will build up the detritus and hopefully lower the PH. Problem here is overall water quality. In order for it all to reduce the pH it has to be allowed to build up which is contrary to keeping a clean healthy environment.

rileyrk190

nice job!

FishMagnet

RO ph is correct. Forgot I have 2 5gal jugs that have been full for a week. They read 6.0.

Also set back up my water holding tank for the RO last night. Its about 1/4 full now.
Wish it was a bit faster. I'm looking forward to a large water change to measure the PH. I want to see how quickly it bounces.

FishMagnet

So. No internet for almost a month.
Tank was apparently uninhabitable as my fist stocking attempt failed.
10 Neons, 8 glowlights, 4 corys. All the Neons, 4 glowlights and 1 cory dead by morning. Yes, perhaps a bit heavy on the initial stocking but had nothing to do with the deaths. Moved the remaining into the 49gal in which they thrived.

After much thought I think it was all the unconditioned RO water. I had filled the "tank" completly with RO without thinking about diluting it with tap.

Now has a school of 13Neons and 7 Glowlights, with a declining number of Corys.
The Cory problem is baffling me. Currently there are three. One albino and two peppered. Down from 4 and 4.

PH 7.4 steady. Want it at 7.0 but will not attempt it until I get some actual ro conditioner.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

FishMagnet

PH 7.4
Temp steady at 75.
Ammonia +0 just a touch
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
GH 80ppm which I believe is about 4.4dGH
KH 75ppm which I believe is about 4.1dKH
Changed 15 gal.

Fish are all doing well enough. Bright, active, schooling, competing for food. Cory's(the 2peppered and 1albino) left are doing well.

Lost one Neon. Formed a large bubble below its head before its abdomin. Died overnight after noticing it.

Overall am pleased with how it is progressing.

FishMagnet

8/22

PH 7.4
Rose temp to 79.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
GH 75
KH 80
Changed 15gal.

FishMagnet

So...8/21 added 8 Angels to this tank until they pair off. Kicking myself for not QTing them first, but couldn't resist. I'm justifying it by telling myself the water in the QT tanks was the same as in the 49gal anglefish tank and not from "the tank". But, of course nothing I try to tell myself matters. Quarantine! Ahh well. At least nothing is showing illness.
They WILL be quarantined before entering their permanent home. I swear.
Probably dose them a couple times regardless. Although I hate to do it unless necessary. Never know what it may do to the reproductive...organs.

Tomorrow AM planned water change, filter maintenance, etc. For all tanks.

FishMagnet

PH 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
GH 75
KH 70
Temp 79
Changed 15gal
Added Neutral regulator to hopefully help lower PH.
Fish all looking healthy.
Put the Coralife aqualight pro back on...but not running the halides. I believe just the compacts will grow the plants I'll be adding.
Looks alot nicer with the compacts on than with the old strip light.

Tank looks ok, but need to start phazing out the fake for real plants and driftwood.
Finances aren't going to allow much right now though.

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Time

It would look so much better with more driftwood any tank does. It is still an amazing tank.

FishMagnet

Your right, it definatly needs more wood. Considering slopping about in the creek for some but...

Time

I have always wanted a tank with drift wood. I would add it to my turtle tank. I need some. You got it at a creek? I wonder if there is some at the river. I bet there was but all the fish keepers took it. I will search.

TedsTank

I would leave it alone. Whatever is upping your ph will slowly leach out...as you do your water changes and the tank really becomes established the Ph will slowly lower down. Where your Ph is now is ok. My RO water tank nearly always rises a bit and settles off at approx 6.4

Glad you like the tint from the tannins...really gives a tank a more natural look, and I think the fish look better in it too.

I'll gather Oak leaves this fall for my tanks....fresh dried leaves just dont have the rich colors from tannins as those fall season red leaves have. I keep them loosly stored in large plasic trash bags in a cool place.

Tony G.

this has got to be the most awesome tetra tank i´ve seen yet!