As I continue to cater to my new obsession with saltwater, I drove three hours one-way on Saturday to pick up a new tank and stand from GlassCages.com. I had already ordered all of the components (right down to the live rock) on eBay and -- will wonders never cease -- they all arrived by the weekend. (Side note: I absolutely love eBay!) I spent the better part of Saturday putting this new setup together. Much of the equipment was new to me. I decided to use "the good stuff" and didn't skimp or try to rig up spare equipment. I also tried to broaden my horizons in different sorts of mechanicals that I've never tried before.
The tank is a 70g breeder style. I hooked up a Fluval external canister filter, UV sterilizer, in-line heater, "Sea-Clone" protein skimmer, a Coralife lamp, and a "Power Sweep" power head. I also added 75 lbs. of live sand and 65 lbs of live rock (semi-cured). I'm setting it up as a FOWLR and will be getting a Harlequin Tusk. (Hopefully, this one doesn't break my heart! They are hard to acclimate.) I have ideas for tankmates, but nothing essential. We'll see what the LFS has after I have the Tusk happy and healthy in her new home.
Despite my years of experience with freshwater, I am embarrassed to admit that this is the first time I've ever used a canister filter; frankly the possibility of something coming unhooked and emptying the contents of my tank into my living room always scared me a bit. I definitely wasn't going into this half-way, as I had to get the heater and UV hooked up "in line" and that's certainly adding more risk to the equation. Though it is my habit to nonchalantly glance at the diagram in instructions, and start assembling, this time I did one component at a time, carefully read and followed the directions, and didn't cut any hose or do anything irreversible until I had everything all set up, planned out, and ready to go. Thankfully, there was a notation in the instruction book for the filter saying something to the effect of, "The openings and position of the canopy may dictate the positioning of the filter." The placement I had originally envisioned would have never worked with the canopy and the plastic frame across the top edge, so I adjusted it accordingly. The multiple bracket installations also gave me pause, but after a few false starts I got the best (and most secure) placement for everything. To pack the filter, I erred on the side of caution and used the media that came with the unit. The only exception to this was the addition of a bag of Phos-Ban in the middle chamber. There was one space available once I had added the included media, and that seemed like a logical inclusion.
There were a few moments of "cross your fingers" as I cut the lines to insert the UV and the heater, and a few times when I had to play around with the different included attachments to ensure a tight fit. Luckily, a few rubber washers I had handy from earlier projects were the right size to further seal the connections. After several hours of internal chanting of "I hope this works... I hope this works... I hope this works... I hope this works..." the filter, heater, and UV were hooked up. I started manufacturing buckets of saltwater and filling the tank, simultaneously setting up the protein skimmer (which was quite easy - kudos to the manufacturer) and the powerhead. As the tank filled, I checked my salinity, adjusting the upcoming buckets if it seemed a little low or a little high. (I ended up with a "bull's-eye" right at the perfect salinity in the end.)
Once the water was up above the line of the filter intake, I re-read the instructions yet again, took a deep breath, said a little prayer, crossed my fingers, primed the filter, and flipped the switch... IT WORKED! After about ten minutes I double-checked all of the lines, and spotted a couple of small leaks. I shut everything down, re-attached the suspect lines (I had a bucket handy just in case), and started it up again. One more shut down and adjustment, and no more leaks! YAY, ME! (I'm still paranoid, and left a big towel underneath the lines overnight and today while I'm at work, just in case, but I feel confident that little or no additional adjustment will be needed.)
I added the live sand and piled up the live rock, and then I added more water up to the top. I received the rock just a couple of days ago, and it's been curing in a bin of saltwater with a pump and an air stone. It's obviously not cured yet, as the ammonia meter I put in the new tank started to register some ammonia after it had been added. That's O.K. since I won't be adding livestock right away. Hopefully, the live rock will end up cycling the tank since it wasn't completely cured when I put it in. (I did keep some of the live rock out and left it in the bin to cure to add to my existing reef tank and bring it up to one pound of rock per gallon of water.) Lastly I put the already tested canopy top on, and positioned the light.
I'll start testing my water parameters as soon as I see the ammonia stops registering; no point in wasting test strips until that happens since there's no livestock in there. As soon as it's safe I'll transfer some ghost shrimp from my reef tank. With any luck they'll start multiplying to become a handy live food source for the Tusk, not to mention that they'll add more bioload to the tank. I'll also add some other detritus cleaners that will not be gastronomically appealing to the Tusk. All of this should slowly raise the biological capacity of the tank in preparation for my Tusk.
Ten things I learned:
1. Canister filters are not so scary. The hoses were actually very easy to use, and accommodated a lot of shapes and sizes of connectors.
2. Add rubber washers to additional connections that are not a default for the filter intake or output.
3. A lot of semi-cured live rock may be the key to avoiding fish death from the initial cycle. (Updates pending.)
4. Keep a bucket and old towels handy when adjusting hose connections. Keep the connections tipped up and above the water level whenever possible.
5. The Sea-Clone Protein skimmer is a lot earlier to set up than the Berlin Air-Lift.
6. Give yourself room to work by moving the tank away from the wall until it starts to get heavy.. Test connections several times before moving the stand into its final position.
7. When in doubt, buy more power-strips than you think you'll need. Sometimes the plugs on devices are the big, square, boxy kind, and take up more than one space on the strip.
8. Make a list and check it twice (a la Santa Claus) so you don't forget anything. I forgot a thermometer, so I'll need to adjust my heater once I get one, depending on how much heat the light fixture puts out.
9. Have an assistant. My daughter was a great help, even when she was just an "extra hand" when I found myself pinned behind the tank, holding a hose in each hand, and needing a connector that was half-way across the room.
10. Be patient! Patience is most definitely not my strong suit, but I felt more confident about this set up being assembled correctly than I did about my reef tank (which was my first foray in to saltwater.) I also resolve not to add livestock to this tank until it is completely and totally ready!
The tank is a 70g breeder style. I hooked up a Fluval external canister filter, UV sterilizer, in-line heater, "Sea-Clone" protein skimmer, a Coralife lamp, and a "Power Sweep" power head. I also added 75 lbs. of live sand and 65 lbs of live rock (semi-cured). I'm setting it up as a FOWLR and will be getting a Harlequin Tusk. (Hopefully, this one doesn't break my heart! They are hard to acclimate.) I have ideas for tankmates, but nothing essential. We'll see what the LFS has after I have the Tusk happy and healthy in her new home.
Despite my years of experience with freshwater, I am embarrassed to admit that this is the first time I've ever used a canister filter; frankly the possibility of something coming unhooked and emptying the contents of my tank into my living room always scared me a bit. I definitely wasn't going into this half-way, as I had to get the heater and UV hooked up "in line" and that's certainly adding more risk to the equation. Though it is my habit to nonchalantly glance at the diagram in instructions, and start assembling, this time I did one component at a time, carefully read and followed the directions, and didn't cut any hose or do anything irreversible until I had everything all set up, planned out, and ready to go. Thankfully, there was a notation in the instruction book for the filter saying something to the effect of, "The openings and position of the canopy may dictate the positioning of the filter." The placement I had originally envisioned would have never worked with the canopy and the plastic frame across the top edge, so I adjusted it accordingly. The multiple bracket installations also gave me pause, but after a few false starts I got the best (and most secure) placement for everything. To pack the filter, I erred on the side of caution and used the media that came with the unit. The only exception to this was the addition of a bag of Phos-Ban in the middle chamber. There was one space available once I had added the included media, and that seemed like a logical inclusion.
There were a few moments of "cross your fingers" as I cut the lines to insert the UV and the heater, and a few times when I had to play around with the different included attachments to ensure a tight fit. Luckily, a few rubber washers I had handy from earlier projects were the right size to further seal the connections. After several hours of internal chanting of "I hope this works... I hope this works... I hope this works... I hope this works..." the filter, heater, and UV were hooked up. I started manufacturing buckets of saltwater and filling the tank, simultaneously setting up the protein skimmer (which was quite easy - kudos to the manufacturer) and the powerhead. As the tank filled, I checked my salinity, adjusting the upcoming buckets if it seemed a little low or a little high. (I ended up with a "bull's-eye" right at the perfect salinity in the end.)
Once the water was up above the line of the filter intake, I re-read the instructions yet again, took a deep breath, said a little prayer, crossed my fingers, primed the filter, and flipped the switch... IT WORKED! After about ten minutes I double-checked all of the lines, and spotted a couple of small leaks. I shut everything down, re-attached the suspect lines (I had a bucket handy just in case), and started it up again. One more shut down and adjustment, and no more leaks! YAY, ME! (I'm still paranoid, and left a big towel underneath the lines overnight and today while I'm at work, just in case, but I feel confident that little or no additional adjustment will be needed.)
I added the live sand and piled up the live rock, and then I added more water up to the top. I received the rock just a couple of days ago, and it's been curing in a bin of saltwater with a pump and an air stone. It's obviously not cured yet, as the ammonia meter I put in the new tank started to register some ammonia after it had been added. That's O.K. since I won't be adding livestock right away. Hopefully, the live rock will end up cycling the tank since it wasn't completely cured when I put it in. (I did keep some of the live rock out and left it in the bin to cure to add to my existing reef tank and bring it up to one pound of rock per gallon of water.) Lastly I put the already tested canopy top on, and positioned the light.
I'll start testing my water parameters as soon as I see the ammonia stops registering; no point in wasting test strips until that happens since there's no livestock in there. As soon as it's safe I'll transfer some ghost shrimp from my reef tank. With any luck they'll start multiplying to become a handy live food source for the Tusk, not to mention that they'll add more bioload to the tank. I'll also add some other detritus cleaners that will not be gastronomically appealing to the Tusk. All of this should slowly raise the biological capacity of the tank in preparation for my Tusk.
Ten things I learned:
1. Canister filters are not so scary. The hoses were actually very easy to use, and accommodated a lot of shapes and sizes of connectors.
2. Add rubber washers to additional connections that are not a default for the filter intake or output.
3. A lot of semi-cured live rock may be the key to avoiding fish death from the initial cycle. (Updates pending.)
4. Keep a bucket and old towels handy when adjusting hose connections. Keep the connections tipped up and above the water level whenever possible.
5. The Sea-Clone Protein skimmer is a lot earlier to set up than the Berlin Air-Lift.
6. Give yourself room to work by moving the tank away from the wall until it starts to get heavy.. Test connections several times before moving the stand into its final position.
7. When in doubt, buy more power-strips than you think you'll need. Sometimes the plugs on devices are the big, square, boxy kind, and take up more than one space on the strip.
8. Make a list and check it twice (a la Santa Claus) so you don't forget anything. I forgot a thermometer, so I'll need to adjust my heater once I get one, depending on how much heat the light fixture puts out.
9. Have an assistant. My daughter was a great help, even when she was just an "extra hand" when I found myself pinned behind the tank, holding a hose in each hand, and needing a connector that was half-way across the room.
10. Be patient! Patience is most definitely not my strong suit, but I felt more confident about this set up being assembled correctly than I did about my reef tank (which was my first foray in to saltwater.) I also resolve not to add livestock to this tank until it is completely and totally ready!
