Set up for retired mother

[bellinayu]

Where do you all live? I live near bukit merah. If you live near by, easier to arrange. If you live in the east as most reefers are, easier to arrange with someone near by. I presume, you'll be looking for dead or live rocks to put into yr tank. You can get from pasar malam. I think you just need 1 medium pc. Look for a nice shape one.

[mengyang_neo]

Thanks alot.

Just to share, I used to be a hard core fresh water hobbyist. My peak was 2 numbers 6x2.5x2ft, 1 number of 6.5ft FGT and 1 number of 4x1.5x2. But I keep aro and stingrays. By chance we were given a small 2ft marine full set up. But as my parents were working and they do not know how to maintain. The tank crashed after 6 mths so we give the whole set away as well.

Hence, this time round I want my mum to do everything herself. If I can trouble for as many chinese marine website as possible so she can read.

For now, we got 1 ft tank with IOS.

I see, haha I think you are more active in arofanatics correct? I remember seeing your nick there.

Yup depend on where you stay, I think there will be reefer around that area willing to help.

[sherman]

Hi liquidnoise,

You get the right person to help you.

Our sis belli will teach you all the right thing to do to start up a marine setup.

Very experience reef keeper

Cheers

[liquidnoise]

Where do you all live? I live near bukit merah. If you live near by, easier to arrange. If you live in the east as most reefers are, easier to arrange with someone near by. I presume, you'll be looking for dead or live rocks to put into yr tank. You can get from pasar malam. I think you just need 1 medium pc. Look for a nice shape one.

We stay in serangoon. Just cleaned the tank, sand, rock and the media (mr aqua, biohome, glass ring). I used to over stack my filters which i am also doing it to the IOS now. 1st compartment wool, black sponge then stack with media. 2nd compartment filled all with media. 3rd compartmennt tat gives me headach and show stopper was the pipe. anyways, 1 x skimmer (120l/hr) thinking of using a small pipe 2 redirect the outlet to the tank. the pump that came with a small pump (320l/hr) i find it very small. filled up the tank with water on the red sea marne mix. There are 6 small rocks, managed to have 2 arch like structure. Now is for my dad to first fix up the pump pipe tomorrow, hopefully can use the outlet of the skimmer as well to increase the flow rate

[liquidnoise]

I see, haha I think you are more active in arofanatics correct? I remember seeing your nick there.

Yup depend on where you stay, I think there will be reefer around that area willing to help.

Yes, i was very very active. i wrote the articular on KH, GH and pH, actually abstract from different material and piece it together. together with some old hobbist, we started to use experience, didnt use test kits at all. Look, feel and smell but we still verify with the ph meters, hahaha. But we all had huge tanks and use lots of CC to buffer so it much easier and use kepatan leave (i use chinese tea) to soften the water. Overstack on media but the idea was huge water capacity.

with a 1 ft tank plus such a small flow rate i m totally not comfortable. But its my mum's hobby and really dun think she can handle 4 ft and onwards tank size. Plus marine tank i feel is so much more difficult maybe coz of the water mix and all.

Now is to cycle the water den let her see wat she wanna do. I am going to ask her to read the chinese website so she know how to maintain.

[liquidnoise]

Hi liquidnoise, You get the right person to help you. Our sis belli will teach you all the right thing to do to start up a marine setup. Very experience reef keeper Cheers

Basically i think alot of ppl very willing to hel and teach. very friendly ppl, but wish my mum to do this by herself as its her hobby. So for a start i m helping

[liquidnoise]

Those filtration systems are only suitable for drinking as it's only sediment and carbon for 2 stage and some only have 1 stage. You can use a TDS meter to test. it will probably give you a reading of more than 20 as such systems do not have DI media which strips yr water off everything. For sps tanks, reefers wouldn't settle less than 5-7 to keep nutrient low; however, if you don't want to invest in 4 to 5 stage ro/DI systems, you can use chemical conditioners to "soften" tap water. Do some research on designing yr tank if you are going with custom build. If you are buying the tank Off the shelf, then you're better off with an iOS system. What equipments will you be using? what are you using for nutirent export? protein skimmer, underflow algae scrubber, refugium etc. There are tons of info in the forum. I may be imbarking on a small tank size build so doing some research myself. These are the type of questions I ask myself. Also, what is yr budget? Btw, FR stands for fluidized reactor. Use a FR if you have a sump. If not, you can use filter bags containing po4 removal media if you are having an IOS system.

Sorry, i was reading this portion again. So in plain words it is ok to use diamond water? We used diamond water with red sea marine mix now in the tank.

Compartment 1:

2 small wool

1 balck sponge

filled up with biohome, glass rings, me aqua.

Compartment 2: (previous the seller put the skimmer)

filled with media

Compartment 3: (initialy wanted to squeeze the skimmer with pump but give it up)

1 320l/hr pump

small bag of charcoal (should we use more charcoal as we have many left over frm last time)

Skimmer is placed in the tank as the outlet can maybe create current (120l/hr)

is this set up ok?

[bellinayu]

Good to add a water conditioner to remove chlorine and neutralize chloramines. API has this tap water conditioner. You can also try their quick start. What you place in your IOS is fine. This will add as your mechanical and biological filtration. Also to add bacteria.

[liquidnoise]

so when can i start adding corals in? issit to early? there are signs of pinkish color and patches of dark red on the rocks.

[jxlex]

so when can i start adding corals in? issit to early? there are signs of pinkish color and patches of dark red on the rocks.

Its really too soon imho... U need to go thru ANN cycle, during which, allow ur Skimmer to break in, etc... My guess would be at least 3-4 weeks down the line... Do the parameter test to know when your cycle is complete bro... Once nh4 & no2 hits 0 should generally be safe liao

[liquidnoise]

Its really too soon imho... U need to go thru ANN cycle, during which, allow ur Skimmer to break in, etc... My guess would be at least 3-4 weeks down the line... Do the parameter test to know when your cycle is complete bro... Once nh4 & no2 hits 0 should generally be safe liao

Thx for the advice. wats ANN cycle? Skimmr now has water collection in the cup, issit consider broken in?

[sunnymau]

These are some very infromative thread you can read to find out more..

Proper cycle (ANN cycle):

Setting up of tanks:

water at collection cup doesn't mean it is broke in. most probably the water level is too high, try to lower, to get dryer skimmate..

[liquidnoise]

These are some very infromative thread you can read to find out more..

Proper cycle (ANN cycle):

Setting up of tanks:

water at collection cup doesn't mean it is broke in. most probably the water level is too high, try to lower, to get dryer skimmate..

will do the read up once i am back in sg.

But the level of the water in the skimmer is about 1 finger off the cup. Its the lowest tat i am able to clip on the side, cannot go any lower

[liquidnoise]

quick qn, for the skimmer i do notice water colletion now its like every day. just small amount. Using a motorised skimmer instead of air buble type. the cup is like 2 fingers from the inlet and water level is like 1 figer off the top of the water in the skimmer. Issit correct? Maybe coz we are cycling the tank. but there is not much bubbles at all. its like fizzing effect instead of forming. can any1 advice?

[liquidnoise]

wanna get some cleaning crew to start work. any1 know where to get some? snails or watever tats small as the tank is only 1ft. LFS sells snails?

[jxlex]

Anything for them to clean now? Normally clean up crew goes in AFTER cycling to clean up the algae, etc that has accumulated/grown during cycling...

If nothing for them to clean then u will end up with extra market prawn substitutes...

[sunnymau]

quick qn, for the skimmer i do notice water colletion now its like every day. just small amount. Using a motorised skimmer instead of air buble type. the cup is like 2 fingers from the inlet and water level is like 1 figer off the top of the water in the skimmer. Issit correct? Maybe coz we are cycling the tank. but there is not much bubbles at all. its like fizzing effect instead of forming. can any1 advice?

It will be better if you can tell what brand of skimmer you are using and a pic will help alot. However, generally the water level should be at the neck of the skimmer, not too close to the tip of the collection cup (1 finger off would be too high). The water level in the skimmer can adjust through the air intake and the outlet. fizzing effect for new skimmer is normal as it need time to 'break in' ,the grease in the pump and the body will affect the foaming. Once broke in, you will see foaming even with little LS.

[liquidnoise]

Think the skimmer is weipro i think will confirm later once i get home. tried to use DSLR camera but cannot seem to focus on the hairlets i was talking about. So just use phone camera to take

[spkentchai]

Good start.....dont hurry...take your time to learn....I took 1 year....lol

[liquidnoise]

we starting to see forming (actually my mum shout for me when he ask where is there form in the skimmer). Just a quick qns on weather the salt is too much of too little. We topped up water yesterday, as it is a small amount and our measurement device is the floating thing hence cannot measure small amount of water. Its been a week plus therefore i cannot recall (we dipped the device in the water without the marine mix). If its too salty it is above or below the green zone? Now the water is below the green zone, issit cause its too salty?

[sunnymau]

we starting to see forming (actually my mum shout for me when he ask where is there form in the skimmer). Just a quick qns on weather the salt is too much of too little. We topped up water yesterday, as it is a small amount and our measurement device is the floating thing hence cannot measure small amount of water. Its been a week plus therefore i cannot recall (we dipped the device in the water without the marine mix). If its too salty it is above or below the green zone? Now the water is below the green zone, issit cause its too salty?

Strongly suggest to get a refractometer for accurate reading..

[liquidnoise]

Strongly suggest to get a refractometer for accurate reading..

Just thinking out loud. FOr a old woman who basically wanna sit and watch the tank. does she really need all so many equipment?

[jxlex]

Without proper equipment to measure baseline parameters hard to enjoy for long leh bro...

Dun use auto top up, ph/salinity monitors etc ok but imo basics like refractormeter/hydrometer, ph pen should have la

[netviper]

jxlex bro, dats absolutely rite!!!

[liquidnoise]

Without proper equipment to measure baseline parameters hard to enjoy for long leh bro...

Dun use auto top up, ph/salinity monitors etc ok but imo basics like refractormeter/hydrometer, ph pen should have la

thx for the advice. will get the refractormeter! cheers