38 Gallon Brackish Build
- Thread starter CinnamonPearl
- Start date
Thanks, Artistwolf!
Things are coming along nicely now. I received a big shipment from Drs Foster Smith today and received the light bulbs for the fixture, 10 lb. of the base rock, and a weird decorative thingy I decided I would try out. So far, I am loving the rock! It looks gorgeous! I got four big pieces with zero rubble, just a little dust. They're in the tank now. I did realize, though, that I don't have nearly enough, and I'm gonna order another 10 lb. I'd like to have two big stacks of the base rock, and then lots of driftwood and some smaller rocks along the bottom as accents. The rest of the decor will be the plants, which I'll probably order sometime next week. I'll be putting in an order for the more rock and mechanical filter media tomorrow, and I've ordered four packs of biorings for biological. I'm hoping to get the cycle started this weekend using the raw shrimp method. Anyone have any advice for it? I've only used pure, bottled ammonia in the past, but I'm notoriously bad at continuously dosing ammonia, so I thought I'd try raw shrimp this time. I'll probably stick it in a panty hose bag and put it in the bigger filter.
Pictures to come!
Things are coming along nicely now. I received a big shipment from Drs Foster Smith today and received the light bulbs for the fixture, 10 lb. of the base rock, and a weird decorative thingy I decided I would try out. So far, I am loving the rock! It looks gorgeous! I got four big pieces with zero rubble, just a little dust. They're in the tank now. I did realize, though, that I don't have nearly enough, and I'm gonna order another 10 lb. I'd like to have two big stacks of the base rock, and then lots of driftwood and some smaller rocks along the bottom as accents. The rest of the decor will be the plants, which I'll probably order sometime next week. I'll be putting in an order for the more rock and mechanical filter media tomorrow, and I've ordered four packs of biorings for biological. I'm hoping to get the cycle started this weekend using the raw shrimp method. Anyone have any advice for it? I've only used pure, bottled ammonia in the past, but I'm notoriously bad at continuously dosing ammonia, so I thought I'd try raw shrimp this time. I'll probably stick it in a panty hose bag and put it in the bigger filter.
Pictures to come!
The tank is officially full! I filled it up completely today with freshwater, and I got my biological media and have the Aquaclear 20 running. I was worried it would be broken since it's been sitting in a basement for years, but it works like a charm. I'm gonna go down to the basement and see if I can find another extension tube for the intake. I got the versa top in the mail, so that's all set up with the light fixture. I'm hoping to find the legs for it online so I don't have to take it off every time I wanna open the tank. I'll be starting the cycle sometime this weekend, and I'm hoping to get plants as soon as my second shipment of rocks comes.
I do hope someone is still following this build. It'll get more exciting once the cycle is done and I can start adding inverts.
I do hope someone is still following this build. It'll get more exciting once the cycle is done and I can start adding inverts.
Started the cycle today. Ammonia is at 4 ppm now. I ended up going with bottled ammonia rather than the raw shrimp, as I heard the smell that comes along with it is ungodly. Other than that and setting up my supplies on the stand's shelf, not many changes. I'm still waiting to get the background and some thermometers at Petco tomorrow, and I'm expecting another shipment from Fosters Smith with the filter sponges and the rest of the rock. I'm soaking my old driftwood now to get the tannins out and get the wood to sink, and I washed some smaller rocks I ordered but never used to use as accents. Unfortunately, I can't do much of anything until I get more of the base rock since that's the centerpiece.
I ran to Petco before the storm hits and got the background and a couple of thermometers. I had some old ones, but I decided to buy them new to make sure they're accurate. The background looks AMAZING! I'm so glad I finally have it so I don't have to look at all those wires.
I'm having trouble with the light fixture, but I believe I found a solution. Having the Zoomed fixture just sitting on the versa top has been a nightmare whenever I need to get in the tank, as I can't even open it without shoving it back onto the filters. I was going to order the suspension kit and hang it over the tank, but I found some leg brackets that Zoomed makes for the fixtures which are usable with glass tops. It's frustrating that they don't just include those ones in the box instead of the legs that clamp onto the sides of the tank, but whatever.
Also, a couple of changes to the stock and plants. I decided to omit the blue legged hermit crabs, much as I would love to have them, as I found out my planned salinity will be too low for them. They're marine crabs, so it makes sense. Also, I'm thinking of adding cryptocoryne ciliata to the plant list, as I found out they do well in brackish. I'm not a huge fan of crypts because of that crypt melt they do, but it might be time to try again. If I do get them, it won't be until a few months after the tank is established.
A look at what the shelf under the tank will hold. I have water conditioner, fertilizers, my test kits, and the fish medication kit all there, plus a couple of extra things. I still have more stuff to bring up and organize.
I'm having trouble with the light fixture, but I believe I found a solution. Having the Zoomed fixture just sitting on the versa top has been a nightmare whenever I need to get in the tank, as I can't even open it without shoving it back onto the filters. I was going to order the suspension kit and hang it over the tank, but I found some leg brackets that Zoomed makes for the fixtures which are usable with glass tops. It's frustrating that they don't just include those ones in the box instead of the legs that clamp onto the sides of the tank, but whatever.
Also, a couple of changes to the stock and plants. I decided to omit the blue legged hermit crabs, much as I would love to have them, as I found out my planned salinity will be too low for them. They're marine crabs, so it makes sense. Also, I'm thinking of adding cryptocoryne ciliata to the plant list, as I found out they do well in brackish. I'm not a huge fan of crypts because of that crypt melt they do, but it might be time to try again. If I do get them, it won't be until a few months after the tank is established.
A look at what the shelf under the tank will hold. I have water conditioner, fertilizers, my test kits, and the fish medication kit all there, plus a couple of extra things. I still have more stuff to bring up and organize.
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Wow, it looks amazing with the background! You're so organized; we keep most of our fish stuff in the utility room besides the food and books, which stay in a teeny drawer under our fish tank!! I love your shelf 
Backgrounds are the saving grace of aquariums IMO (besides filtration and everything else that's important, of course). Any tank that has one immediately looks better. I thought the contrast of the background and the sand with the rock would be cool.
So, a bit of exciting news! I got some seeded filter material and bacteria-filled water from my school's wet lab. Brought it home, slapped it in the AC70, and the cycle could very well be done! The water is looking pretty dirty right now since there was lots of stuff in that filter pad. But if the cycle isn't complete now, it's very well close to being finished. The ammonia was still at 4ppm when I checked it yesterday, so I'll test tomorrow. If both ammonia and nitrites are at 0ppm tomorrow afternoon, then I'm calling this cycle complete!
I still don't have the mechanical filter media (except for the sponge from the school), so the tank is gonna look a little dirty until Thursday. Thursday's also when I get the rest of the base rock, so once that finally arrives, I can set up the rest of the tank with driftwood and everything. I'm going to get plants this weekend, definitely java fern and java moss but hopefully some Bacopa monnieri too if the LFS has it. And if the cycle is complete, then I'm getting snails this weekend! Next week will be amano shrimp, and then I can finally start salting up this tank!
A bit of concerns as well. Had a scare with the AC20, I came home to find it was dry and guzzling air. Plus, when I turned on the AC70, it took an unusually long amount of time to purge itself, and now it's making quite a racket. I do hope these filters are still in shape to be working. They are really old, but I'm gonna keep trying with them. I'd really prefer not to have to buy new filters since they're so expensive and I've already spent around $200-$250 on this tank. But if I've gotta get new filters, I would like to do it soon since I want to have zebra nerite snails by the end of this week.
So, going well! I'll definitely post pictures when the hardscape is done and when I get the first animals.
I still don't have the mechanical filter media (except for the sponge from the school), so the tank is gonna look a little dirty until Thursday. Thursday's also when I get the rest of the base rock, so once that finally arrives, I can set up the rest of the tank with driftwood and everything. I'm going to get plants this weekend, definitely java fern and java moss but hopefully some Bacopa monnieri too if the LFS has it. And if the cycle is complete, then I'm getting snails this weekend! Next week will be amano shrimp, and then I can finally start salting up this tank!
A bit of concerns as well. Had a scare with the AC20, I came home to find it was dry and guzzling air. Plus, when I turned on the AC70, it took an unusually long amount of time to purge itself, and now it's making quite a racket. I do hope these filters are still in shape to be working. They are really old, but I'm gonna keep trying with them. I'd really prefer not to have to buy new filters since they're so expensive and I've already spent around $200-$250 on this tank. But if I've gotta get new filters, I would like to do it soon since I want to have zebra nerite snails by the end of this week.
So, going well! I'll definitely post pictures when the hardscape is done and when I get the first animals.
So, cycle is going pretty well so far. The seeded material isn't helping as much as I'd hoped, but the ammonia is going down. As of today's test, ammonia was 1ppm, nitrite was 0ppm, and nitrate was 5-10ppm. Not sure where those nitrites are, but I have nitrates, so... I guess we'll see what happens later on.
I got the rest of the base rock! The tank is starting to look nice and full now. I have two nice stacks, but I might decide to make the right stack higher and narrower. The driftwood is starting to sink as well. I boiled all of it and boiled the largest piece twice, and so far I've got three pieces to sink. I'm still waiting on the rest, but it's going.
I also received the mechanical filter sponges. I cut them and put them in so the coarse sponge is on the bottom, then the medium sponge, then the fine, and then the two seeded sponges on the top. They're doing a great job keeping things clean. The two filters have been mercifully silent as well, so I'm not too worried about them anymore. I put in an order for six stalks of bacopa monnieri on LiveAquaria and ordered eight pieces of java fern on aquabid, so once those arrive, I'll finish setting up the aquascape.
Here's how we're looking now.
I got the rest of the base rock! The tank is starting to look nice and full now. I have two nice stacks, but I might decide to make the right stack higher and narrower. The driftwood is starting to sink as well. I boiled all of it and boiled the largest piece twice, and so far I've got three pieces to sink. I'm still waiting on the rest, but it's going.
I also received the mechanical filter sponges. I cut them and put them in so the coarse sponge is on the bottom, then the medium sponge, then the fine, and then the two seeded sponges on the top. They're doing a great job keeping things clean. The two filters have been mercifully silent as well, so I'm not too worried about them anymore. I put in an order for six stalks of bacopa monnieri on LiveAquaria and ordered eight pieces of java fern on aquabid, so once those arrive, I'll finish setting up the aquascape.
Here's how we're looking now.
