Supergiantrobot's 90 G tank setup

[supergiantrobot]

I just setup my 90 G reef aquarium. I'll keep some notes here to benefit others and to ask for advice throughout the process.

Equipment

After doing some research, here is what I decided to purchase:

• 
  • 90 gallon display aquarium with:
  — Three Marineland Maxi-Jet 1200 powerheads
  — 15 pounds of large aragonite
  — 15 pounds of medium aragonite
  — 60 pounds of sugar-size aragonite sand
  — 80 pounds of uncured live rock from Tonga
  — Oceanic sea salt
  
  • 10 gallon refugium lit by a Lights of America fluorescent fixture, with:
  — 4 pounds of live sand
  
  • 15 gallon sump with:
  — Pro Clear Aquatic Systems protein skimmer driven by a Cap 1800
  — 250 W Visi-Therm Heater
  — Cap 2200 return pump

The 90 G has a large overflow box in the center of the tank. There are two bulkheads in the overflow box, one for draining and one for the return. The display tank drains to the refugium, which drains to the sump.

The aquarium was filled with a mix of well water andOceanic salt. (My RO/DI filter is almost built, so I could not use it for the initial setup.) The tank had been circulating for about three days before my live rock shipment came in. The rock and live sand went in yesterday.

Temperature is 82 degrees. I did some testing this morning and yielded PH of 7.8, ammonia of 8.0, and nitrites at 0.25. Salinity is 1.025.

The skimmer is churning like crazy. Most of the water throughout the system is yellow, although the odor has improved.

I have a nice MH and PC hood on order, so there is no (additional) light yet (except what comes from my office lights). I elected to go with a kalk reactor from Ecotech Marine (also on order) to do automatic top-off and kalkwasser infusion. The RO/DI unit came from Aquarium Filter Systems. The output of the RO/DI will be stored in a 30 G Rubbermaid tub.


Questions

And some questions...

• 1. Do those initial readings seem reasonable?
  2. Are the PH and temperature appropriate to facilitate cycling?
  3. Would a 10 percent water change each week during the cycle be beneficial or detrimental?

My thanks for your help. If I am living under a (live) rock and need advice, please feel free. I won't be insulted.

supergiantrobot

 

[supergiantrobot]

I will add a fourth question...

I built a return from straight PVC, a 90 degree elbow and then a 45 degree elbow. However, I have some extra PVC left over from the construction of the tank's plumbing, and I am wondering if I should make a "dual return" using straight PVC, a tee, and then two 45 degree elbows.

I think the limiting factor in returning water is the elbow in the bulkhead, since it is narrower than the PVC.

4. Any opinions?

 

[ChrisRD]

Hi and :welcome:

Sounds like you're off to a pretty good start. Using the tapwater as part of the initial fill water may increase the intensity of your initial algae blooms, but only time will tell.

1. Do those initial readings seem reasonable?

If that ammonia reading is correct it's extremely high. I'd start running some activated carbon and do a large water change (RO/DI water) ASAP.

2. Are the PH and temperature appropriate to facilitate cycling?

They're OK and the tank will cycle. The pH is a bit low, but this could be due to several factors. Make sure you have good surface agitation (aeration will help stabilize your pH). A good skimmer helps with aeration too (not familiar with your model). You may also have high CO2 levels in the house which may contribute to depressed pH levels. Once you start dosing kalk you'll see the pH rise significantly.

3. Would a 10 percent water change each week during the cycle be beneficial or detrimental?

A weekly water change that size wouldn't do any harm provided temp/salinity/pH are well matched with system water, and should help keep water quality high, but personally I think I'd do a few larger ones to start off to get your ammonia levels under control.

HTH

 

[ChrisRD]

I will add a fourth question...

I built a return from straight PVC, a 90 degree elbow and then a 45 degree elbow. However, I have some extra PVC left over from the construction of the tank's plumbing, and I am wondering if I should make a "dual return" using straight PVC, a tee, and then two 45 degree elbows.

I think the limiting factor in returning water is the elbow in the bulkhead, since it is narrower than the PVC.

4. Any opinions?

I'm not sure I really follow. If you're going to use the same size plumbing up to the tee then there's probably no advantage since the initial amount of restriction will be the same. A sketch/diagram of your plubming would help to offer a better opinion.

 

[supergiantrobot]

I will add a fourth question...

I built a return from straight PVC, a 90 degree elbow and then a 45 degree elbow. However, I have some extra PVC left over from the construction of the tank's plumbing, and I am wondering if I should make a "dual return" using straight PVC, a tee, and then two 45 degree elbows.

I think the limiting factor in returning water is the elbow in the bulkhead, since it is narrower than the PVC.

4. Any opinions?

I'm not sure I really follow. If you're going to use the same size plumbing up to the tee then there's probably no advantage since the initial amount of restriction will be the same. A sketch/diagram of your plubming would help to offer a better opinion.

I'll forego the sketch, as I agree that the bottleneck in this case really is a bottleneck. Expanding the PVC above the most severe restriction won't help.

I will do a water change as soon as I get my RO/DI unit connected and working. That should be tomorrow.

 

[supergiantrobot]

Other opinions seem to caution against water changes, because that might cause the tank to have to cycle again.

What benefit would I get from changing the water? What were you afraid of happening?

 

[Brian5000]

The big thing with having ammonia that high is that any cool hitch hikers in your live rock won't survive ammonia like that.

As for your cycle, you only need to have a little ammonia for the bacteria to feed off of and grow. If you try to force pristeen conditions in your tank, then yes, the cycle might be prolonged, but it doesn't sound like you're even going to be able to achieve that. For the sake of your poor bristleworms (and any cool corals lurking in there), you should probably try to bring that monster value down a bit.
_________________
Honda CBR125RR

 

[SaltyMad]

I agree with Brian, anything over .5 for ammonia is pretty much a death sentence for any hitch hikers.

 

[ChrisRD]

Other opinions seem to caution against water changes, because that might cause the tank to have to cycle again.

Don't worry, you've got way MORE than enough ammonia for the tank to cycle. Your problem is you have too much.

What benefit would I get from changing the water? What were you afraid of happening?

You'd keep things alive. As others have mentioned above, at the ammonia levels you're at now a lot of stuff that came in on your live rock is going to croak.

 

[supergiantrobot]

Don't worry, you've got way MORE than enough ammonia for the tank to cycle. Your problem is you have too much.

On Sunday evening (day two), I did a ~50 percent water change. I'll take some new measurements tomorrow.

About half of the water change was RO/DI, but then I ran out. (My RO/DI tank is about 20 usable gallons -- plenty for weekly changes, but not enough for a change this massive all at once.) The rest was my common well water.

Salinity is now 1.023.

 

[supergiantrobot]

I have a new question.

I am cycling my 90 G tank with 80 lbs of uncured live rock. If I want to add more rock, should I do it now or wait? If I do it now, should I buy cured or uncured? If I do it later, then what?

 

[supergiantrobot]

On Sunday evening (day two), I did a ~50 percent water change. I'll take some new measurements tomorrow.

I don't get it. I just took an ammonia reading about two hours after the water change and it is still pegged at 8.0.

Perhaps:

1. My kit is insane.

2. I am insane.

3. My well water has a ton of ammonia in it.

4. Something else is going on in the tank.

I guess I need to test my well water and my RO/DI water and establish a base line. Still, this is frustrating.

 

[supergiantrobot]

Base line test of well water yields ammonia of 0.0. So that rules out (1), (3), leaving (2) and (4).

 

[ChrisRD]

I would get another test kit or bring some water to your LFS and have them test it as a double-check. If ammonia is really as high as it is showing, I'd do a few more large water changes ASAP.

Is your skimmer producing much? It should be producing a LOT of skimmate while curing your rock.

I am cycling my 90 G tank with 80 lbs of uncured live rock. If I want to add more rock, should I do it now or wait? If I do it now, should I buy cured or uncured? If I do it later, then what?

Normally I would just put all the rock I wanted in the tank right from the start, but in your case, you need to get the ammonia thing under control before doing anything else.

You can always cure rock in a separate containter or buy cured, local rock if you want to add another piece or two once your tank is established. You could also add a little more uncured rock to your tank before you start stocking it and let it recycle, but for now, don't add anything as it will only make the ammonia problem worse.

 

[wade1]

Cut your water in half with fresh RO water. I am guessing your kit is topped out due to so much ammonia in the tank. If you use 50% RO and 50% tank water, that should yeild a better and more accurate result. You could possibly even do a 1:4 dilution using 25% tank water (just multiply your results by 4).

 

[supergiantrobot]

The skimmer was pumping like crazy up until the first water change. Now, it has settled back down.

I will visit the LFS for another check and to check-in.

 

[Anonymous]

I would get macro algaes or true marine plants thriving in the refug now!!. The ammonia of 8.0 is extremely high and plant life will bring down quickly.

Bob

 

[wade1]

So will a couple of 30-50% water changes.

 

[HClH2OFish]

2 questions for those more knowledgeable than I:

1)Would the addition of some Prime help knock down the ammonia during the cycle? And would you want to do this?

2)Could it be a large amount of die off on the LR causing that big ammonia spike? Maybe some critter in a cave or something?

When I was curing my LR in the tank, I got some high readings as well. I took the rocks out individually into a bucket and gave em a light scrubbing to get any dead stuff off..had a buncha dead sponges underneath...ammonia levels decreased rapidly after that.....

 

[wade1]

1- I doubt it would really help, those products might work or might not. The natural development of the bacterial populations is important IMO and I wouldn't short cut it. You could, however, get a few cupfuls of sand from anyone local to you from well established tanks. It would certainly help.

2- Yes, thats exactly what causes the spike. If you get some die-off from the transit, then as ammonia climbs, you get more corresponding die-off. That is when I tell people to do water changes. If you reduce the ammonia, then you kill less life from the rock, resulting in a cycle that is not as destructive. BTW- scrubbing off any dead plants and sponges is always a good idea if they are truly dead.