first real go at a salty cube

[sa80mark]

The time has come to start my journal, this will be my first real go at salty,

I have started to build the stand using solid beech to try and make the unit match the rest of the wife's furniture, happy wife is the most important thing in this hobby lol,

Tank is a custom braceless 20x20x18 (lxwxh) optiwhite, I will be using 2 sumps as I'm going to try something along the triton method, the reason for the 2 sumps is that I'm using tanks I've already got, the equipment sump is a 20x14x13 optiwhite and the refugium sump is a clearseal 18x12x15,

Equipment list

Bubble magus c3.5
Bubble magus 70 reactor
Aquamedic titanium heater
Stc-1000
Jecod rw-4
Jecod dct-4000
Evergrow IT5040
Reeflowers sand
Pakani rock

Some of these have already been ordered so everything is go,

Being new to marines I will be looking for help and advice along the way, this is very much a learn while doing process

Mark

 

[romperstomper]

Hi welcome

Its always worth having two heaters as a back up not to powerful either incase one overheats for what ever reason . I use three 50w on a 30 gallon .

I think you are always learning with this interest not matter how long you have been doing it , my advice would be don't buy any fish on impulse without doing lots of research first although reckon many of us have done this then regreted it .

look forward to to nice pics !

 

[penzo]

A good equipment list by the looks of things.and remember patience is key in this hobby and lots of research.

 

[sa80mark]

Thanks for the advice guys, 2 heaters are the way I'm going I was thinking 2 100w aquamedic but maybe a bit overkill so will have to rethink that, fish are a long way off yet but I already know what I'm wanting, 2 clownfish and a purple fire fish, from what I've read that should be pretty understocked which is kind of the way I'm wanting it as my main priority will be corals, the clowns are more for the kids and the firefish is my favourite, apart from the mandarin but I don't fancy trying one of those in a tank this small

 

[merser]

You might want to consider a lid or netting if you are getting a fire fish pal. They are a shy fish and startle easily and when startled they jump.

 

[Fishpalace]

Welcome and sounds like a good set up.

Look forward to seeing some pics of set up and will follow with interest!!!

Paul

 

[sa80mark]

Getting excited now, got the stand put together yesterday and a load of bits delivered today pics to follow

 

[warby]

Where's the pics.....it's been 3 hours lol

 

[sa80mark]

Just got the door to finish off then I need to work out the baffles for the sump :w00t:

 

[sa80mark]

More stuff delivered also got all my plumbing, just need to get my glass drill ordered then I can start getting things put together, hopefully it will be wet by the middle of April :-d

 

[sa80mark]

Just been toying around with my scape what do you all think ? All criticism welcome good and bad :thumbup1:

 

[Colin]

Not much to criticise it's looking very good. Take the stocking very slowly and it will be a winner :thumbup1:

Edit, just get a piece of foam camping mattress/ insulator for a fiver and put it under the tank to absorb any imperfections

 

[sa80mark]

Managed to get my plumbing sorted today and gave it a wet test, so far all is working well although the dct 4000 is very noisy so I'm going to try some foam under the pump, only other thing is the Bubble magus c3.5 is not producing any where near the amount of bubbles I was expecting, could this be down to testing it in plan ro water ?

 

[merser]

Dct pumps usually really quiet so that is a surprise and yes absolutely, salt water responds differently to ro.


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[sa80mark]

The reason I went for dct was that most of the reviews I read rated them highly for quietness etc but this one is seriously load I've got it set on the second flow setting so very low and it's very load so much so I can hear it in the other room, I've turned the pump up and it just gets loader and louder,

Good to know ro and saltwater act differently I was really worried I'd have to get another skimmer

 

[merser]

Haha no the salt water thing is Defo correct.

You should perhaps take that pump back mate. I can assure you they are quiet normally. Obviously no pump is completely silent but I'm sat maybe 5ft from mine now and no chance I could hear it.


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[sa80mark]

I think I will take it back, on the lowest setting I can hear mine very clearly from at least 30ft away, and it isn't a normal pump humming noise, it's really difficult to explain but it's more like a small car tyre compresser type noise, loud and machanical

 

[merser]

Haha yeah I'd say that's not right pal. Now is the time to take it back then bud.


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[sa80mark]

Got my pump swapped, the bloke at the lfs tried it and couldn't believe how loud it was, so he went and got a replacement pump and tested it so I could hear the difference and yep the original one was completely knackered, got the new pump home and fitted and what a difference I've got it on level 7 and it's pretty much silent, with the door closed I can't hear it at all :-d

 

[sa80mark]

Today is the day to get it salty, ro unit is running only 50l left to make will get some pictures up tonight