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You did what in a 4 gallon!

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Turbostud653 View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 14 2015 at 2:26am
I have been out of salt water for a while and getting started again.  I hear that fish is like riding a bike you may but rust at first but never forget.  I want to do things by the book and not rush any aspect of the fish care.  I want to make my fish tank look so great people will say you did what in a 4 gallon tank.

I want this to be a interactive so I can make sure I am doing everything right.  So if you see any equipment upgrades or anything that can be done just let me know.

I am starting small but doing everything right at this point.  I was given from my Lovely wife Lydia a Cad Lights 4 gallon star fire glass tank.  The tank is 11 X 11 X 12 in Diameter.  The tank is amazing on my desk at work.  It comes with whit LED's and Blue LED's  for a Ocean floor feel.  The only downside I have with that is that the white and blue don't have separate on off switch to make a dusk/dawn night feel.  I thought about getting a dimmer switch or moonlights if the can fit and not look ghetto. 

So Far all I have is the tank and plugged it in.  It has the stock light pump and filter.  It came with the Ceramic media to go in the filter compartment, which I plan on putting at the bottom with the filter at the top.  The center compartment will be for my Cheato; just hope there is enough light.  I have the stock pump in the last pump. I have decent flow but worry it is not enough. 

I am using Petco Ocean water just for the initial fill up of water.  I will plan on using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals in the future. Currently there is just water in the tank.    Well it is late pictures and more to come on my little cube of paradise.  
Here is what a customer said while on hold Oh my gosh! Did you open the door? I told you not to open the door. Dre is in here completely naked and he's got freak'n Macaroni and Cheese in his hands.
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Jeremyw View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jeremyw Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2015 at 10:13am
MATT!!! 

Welcome back..... That sounds awesome! I had a small tank like that once at work! It was sweet! You will love it...and hopefully have a really big one again soon at home Wink

Hope your family is doing well! 

J
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Turbostud653 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Turbostud653 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2015 at 11:21am
Yes we are great.  Just my Work and school Schedule doesn't allow me to attend any more of the meetingsUnhappy.
Here is what a customer said while on hold Oh my gosh! Did you open the door? I told you not to open the door. Dre is in here completely naked and he's got freak'n Macaroni and Cheese in his hands.
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Mike Savage View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Savage Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2015 at 4:05pm
Hey Matt!

I have the Cadlights mini 8 and love it. I use the stock pump and really don't see any need for more flow. I did change the light to an AI Nano. I have a heater and ATO but nothing else in the back chambers. Zoas, Acans, Rics, Duncans are all doing great.

Give Lydia a big hug for me!

Mike


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Turbostud653 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Turbostud653 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 23 2015 at 12:07pm


Here is the tank with the rock in the tank.  I am worried about the Live rock which I got at Reef Oasis.  I had the tank sitting in my kitchen for three days in a bucket with salt water.  I had no heater or pump on the water.  Here is a layer of Utah sand followed by some Crush Coral.

I did put a 50 Watt Hydor heater so I can keep the temp stable as well.  I decided for the first few days I will just let everything settle and not do anything to the tank.  Only thing that will be done is topping off the tank, with a Culligan water cooler that we have at work.  Its the ones where its hooked up to a water link.  More details to come.
Here is what a customer said while on hold Oh my gosh! Did you open the door? I told you not to open the door. Dre is in here completely naked and he's got freak'n Macaroni and Cheese in his hands.
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Turbostud653 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Turbostud653 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 05 2015 at 2:27am









I went away for three days from work.  When I came back the tank had some Brown Algae on the rock.  It looks like the rock is growing thin hair like algae on it.  Plus it looks like small brown like stem are growing from the tank.  As a side note, the bristle worms haven't been out nearly as much.  This happened when I cam back I saw the tank was hovering around 83 degrees.  I slowly lowering the temp and now it is hovering around 77 degrees.

I though maybe it could be the lights that were causing the issue. I have since them kept the lights off except when I clean or maintain the tank.  Another thing I did was I thought maybe the water that I was using wasn't the best.  Who knows how clean the filter is on the water cooler water. Instead I have been using Distilled water from Smith in Jugs.  The only other thing I have been doing is feeding the empty tank with Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes.  I wonder if there are phosphates that are being put into the water?




Last is I have been running water test with API water test.  I know not the best but it it what I am using for just the cycling.  I can see why people don't like it, it can be hard to see the colors.  so far over the last couple of weeks since I test the results have been about the same.  Ammonia .5 ppm, Nitrite has always been 0 ppm, Nitrate 10 ppm and PH has been 8.2.



Test Results PH, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates.

Lest me know what you think?
Here is what a customer said while on hold Oh my gosh! Did you open the door? I told you not to open the door. Dre is in here completely naked and he's got freak'n Macaroni and Cheese in his hands.
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Mark Peterson View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 06 2015 at 11:07am
Originally posted by Turbostud653 Turbostud653 wrote:

I want this to be a interactive so I can make sure I am doing everything right.  So if you see any equipment upgrades or anything that can be done just let me know.

I am starting small but doing everything right at this point.  

This excerpt from the OP makes me think of myself. LOL In other words, I might ask for input but people know me better than that. They may not respond partly because they have noticed this flaw in my personality: that nobody knows how to do it "right" like I do, so why bother saying anything Tongue

I could give a lot of my opinions, because there are a lot of good, better and best ways to do it, but you are doing just fine and it will come back to you. Keep it coming.

Aloha,
Mark  Hug

P.S. 
My motto is : Snails, Snails and more Snails.
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
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