# Niteshift's Saltwater Adventure Cycle is complete!!!



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

So I've started on my journey over too the dark side today. My plan is start with a FOWLR, then if all goes swimmingly after 9 months to a year start keeping soft coral, the tank my 80 is my gallon. So today i started by empty and cleaning the tank, filter my Xp3, heaters to 100 watt Eheim Jagr, power-head a Maxi jet 400 and light a Hagen Glo dual 54 watt T5HO. All clean and in place.Tomorrow I add my aragonite. Salt water mix and power up, with the live rock on Saturday.


----------



## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

Been trying to convince myself to do this as well. Keep the updates coming!


----------



## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

I've been contemplating on this path several years agot but I opted to have planted discus tank as I don't want to break my wife's bank lol now you are tempting me. please keep it coming... :lol:


----------



## PaulCheung (Apr 18, 2011)

It would be a good idea to drill the tank to prepare for sump.


----------



## AdamsB (Oct 18, 2011)

+1 for drilling now. It's gonna happen eventually


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

monkE said:


> Been trying to convince myself to do this as well. Keep the updates coming!





crimper said:


> I've been contemplating on this path several years agot but I opted to have planted discus tank as I don't want to break my wife's bank lol now you are tempting me. please keep it coming... :lol:


Been thinking about for years as well, my motivation was my sister in law starting one 6 months ago, and well lets face it if she can do it any one can. Sorry Cinny just playing with ya 



PaulCheung said:


> It would be a good idea to drill the tank to prepare for sump.





AdamsB said:


> +1 for drilling now. It's gonna happen eventually


It is It is. As it is I still more power-heads for water movement. If all goes well, and I start Coral in 9 months. In the mean time i can continue to plan, and research how much more volume i want and or need Not mention trying to staying within budget for this adventure.


----------



## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

Just one quick note, the name has officially been changed to the " Bright Side "! The reason - SW lighting is a lot brighter with the LED's used on the set ups. LOL!  but seriously your going to like it. There seems to be a lot of folks changing over to SW.


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

Well its day two of the journey and time for a break. I see why you call it the bright side, already see the difference. So far I have the sand 40 lbs of Natures Ocean Live Aragonite and about 25 - 30 gallons of water, the bag states an instant cycle but i'm counting or relying on it. Time to start mixing my salt water.


----------



## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

niteshift said:


> Been thinking about for years as well, my motivation was my sister in law starting one 6 months ago, and well lets face it if she can do it any one can. Sorry Cinny just playing with ya


Hahaha niteshift, you got me there. Now I can't stop thinking about it.... I have a 59G Rimless tank waiting to be converted to the Dark Side. I'm just waiting for my Father in Law to come over so I have a good excuse. He is one big fan of Salty stuffs way back home (had kept huge salty tanks) and been bugging me before to go to the Dark Side. Now the Jedi meets Dark Lord... Lets see what happens. :bigsmile:

Keep it coming, all my eyes are glued on your thread. :lol:


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

I now have 80 gallons of salt water in the tank aerating and circulating.






Wouldn't you know it no sooner do i get the tank full, everything powered up and running smoothly. One of the guys i know at work calls me up to congratulate me, and offer up some advice and a free in sump skimmer he doesn't use any longer :bigsmile: Wouldn't you know it, a reason to drill the tank comes up after i fill it.


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

Well its day 3 and I really didn't sleep to well. Brain working in the background, trying to make room for a sump in the living room, deciding how to plumb it and work my head around how i'm going to drill the tank now that its full. The tank has cleared up amazingly well in about 12 hrs. From this






to this






with my specific gravity going up a bit to 1.026, guess I didn't quite dissolve the salt thoroughly enough. But I'm prepared for such a thing, with aged rainwater ready and waiting. I do have one question. Do I really have to drill the tank to run sump? Any thoughts or ideas? ... Thanks for looking ...


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

*Found my sump*

Well I've taken the airstones out added water to replace evaporation loss and water is stable at .025, also found an overflow box online should be here in a few days. So, I now have a question if I buy a glass tank to use as a sump do i need to put baffles in it. So I couldn't sleep last night and went online and wound up looking on craigslist, and just ___ and giggles i typed in the word sump and what do you know. 30 gallon glass sump with baffles in Chilliwack. Still not a drilled sump, but in the pics you can see that this started out as a 30 gallon Hagen tank so should be safe to drill. next step wait patiently for the overflow box to arrive.


----------



## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

keep the updates coming niteshift! we need more!!!! lol plus i'm about 1 step behind you so I need to see what you do next


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

That's just to funny. I was just thinking the same thing when i read your post in the marine classified's. So at your request Mike here's yet another quick update. My overflow box is here and my sump is in the shower waiting for a good scrubbing. I bought the Aqueon 110 from J&L looks solid enough the outer box is white think i might just paint that black for no better than i like black. Think I'm going to use some good hose to plumb the sump and tank together, but first. I have to build a small stand for the sump to sit beside the tank, here's some pics. first the 90 with S/W circulating waiting, then the white outer box from the overflow, and my sump waiting in the shower


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

*Niteshift's saltwater adventure My Skimmer is here*

Well it's been a long couple weeks but all is going good with the salt water adventure with no issues, still no rock or fish yet, but it's all good. I'm in no hurry, rather piece my equipment together in baby steps then get to work on the rest with no issues. My HOB overflow is in, picked up my skimmer yesterday from my friend at work and this things a real monster. A Coralife 220g missing the pump it was born with but still can't beat the price I didn't pay.now to start the search for a somewhat proper pump for the skimmer. and a bonus pic of my 55 in the background


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

*Live Rock is in*

Wow What a month. My laptop craped out, as did my TV wouldn't you know it. Just in time for the hockey season, dang there goes my live rock fund. Well it took a while but i found my rock 60 lbs worth, currently in the tank cycling since Tuesday with 2 water changes since then, with my second test to come tomorrow. Some pics of the rock in tank and some hitchhikers and or goodies that came with the rock. Pretty sure the first is a shot of some Aptasia. The second i have no idea, maybe some of you might have an idea or 2.


----------



## niteshift (Mar 10, 2011)

Well the live rock has been in tank with cycle running for a little over a week now, with mystery plant on the rock identified as Red Macroalgea commonly known as dragons tongue. Been doing regular water testing every other day. with amazing results every test since day one with PH varying between 8.0 and 8.2 depending on lights out and lights on. Ammonia reading 0ppm no surprise there no stock in the tank as yet sorry not 100% true, i have one snail came with the rock, looks like a Nerite. My Nitrite and Nitrate levels are at 0ppm each. What surprises me is that there has been no ammo spike no matter how small as yet, i would have thought there would be some sort of spike to with the die off. I do believe the cycle is done and i am ready to begin stocking the tank, really leaning towards a more diverse invert tank with my only concern right now being which do i stock first clean up crew or fish. A few update pics below. .. ... .... to be continued


----------



## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Looking good! Look forward to seeing some livestock in there.


----------

