Newbie here

[pinkorchid]

It's exciting isn't it!?!? I remember being excited and oh so nervous during the set up stage. Sounds like things are moving along great :) Good luck and KUP on your progress.

Also love this board and all of it's members!

[Mark]

i stand corrected with the spelling of site ,. i think there is something good going on here ,thats what makes me come back for more.Mark

[Bergy]

i dont care about what others think about me... What kind of bugs me is that those folks spread the bs to others that dont know me.. and those folks will either be predisposed towards me, or they wont...

if they are predjudiced then they are prolly not the type of folks i would care to knwo/hang with anyways...

i know who i am, and am comfortable with me and all the good and bad issues...I can recognze most of the issues and respect why some would feel the way the do about me...

I appreciate folks here, and all the positive vibes...  Again, this is what i had hoped for this site, whther or not it is my forum or someone elses...

HAving a hobby forum is not all about the hobby.. it is getting to know yoru neighbors and friends... and figuring out if the whole package is something worth getting to know more or not....

I think this is one of the biggest advantages of the internet... and the 'virtual' reality...

[naturalbornrokstar]

Hey guys.. Well I have new pics for ya. I used the Marine testing kit as well. I wrote all the specs down but I don't have that in front of me.  They said I'll need a new lighting fixture if I want to do corals or anemones. So, still need to get that but I think I'm nearly there. What does everyone think? Also the temp is about 75 How can you tell if the heater is working? It's brand new but I know it needs to be like 78 degrees.

[naturalbornrokstar]

Here are some pics of the new rocks and the snails

[Bergy]

whoo hooo, we like pics...

as for goals for tank peramters...

for now, you have a fish only and will deal with just pH, salinity, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate  test results


you wont need to worry about ALK or CALC for a bit, until you decide to get some corals...


your ammonia seems a LITTLE high, but that is prolly due to your tank being newish


as for tank temp, 75 is ok, but please dont go too much cooler if at all

you can adjust the heater to be a bit warmer... typically heaters have a knob/adjustment on top, and you rotate it...if the heater is currently off, twist it until the heater comes on.. (just barely), and then wait a bit, and check your tank temperature, and see if it is a bit warmer, or cooler, (if cooler you twisted in teh wrong direction)


you can generally play with the adjustment knob and see/hear the click of when it comes on and figure it out

as you can tell, there is some 'play' in that adjustment knob, which is why i suggest folks to get the auarium controller or the reefkeeprlite,  (at least)

these are external controllers that do not only temperaure, but also timers and general programming...

i.e. turn on heater when it is too cold,   turn off heater when it is too hot...

turn on fan when it is too hot...

turn on lights when it is time.. turn them off when it is time to shut off

Turn on fan when the wter getss too warm...  ALSO, turn off the lights if it continues to get warm, and tthe fan isnt enough...


send me a text message when the wter continues to get warm even though the lights are off and the fans are on...


so, it is a smart timer...


but, it is a very important 'redundant' tool that will safegard your tank

[naturalbornrokstar]

[naturalbornrokstar]

Bergy there is a knob on the heater that even shows you the desired temp. I've adjusted it powercycled it waited a day or two and still no change in temp. It is brand new.

[Bergy]

you cant really use the numnbers on the heater.. .they are WAY OFF


you need a regular thermometer... and go by that...

If it says the water temp is too low, and the heater isnt on, then turn the knob on the heater until the heater clicks on...  (just clicks on).. if you go too far, then back off and try again..

and then wait a few hours and check the thermometer again and see iff the tank temp went up.. if it di, but still not enough, then repeat... just turn the knob until the heater just clicks on...


the 'scale' on those heaters is just a guied but not meant to read or tell the temperature

[Just_Greg]

most heaters have an orange pilot light on them to let you know when they're running.  look for a round spot on the "front side" of the heater that lights up.  you can bump the heater's setting up a little just to make sure it comes on, then bump it back.

[OCtrackiepacsg1]

cool pictures the new live rock.

[naturalbornrokstar]

Thanks for all the comments! Btw I had two separate thermometers. One the sticker on the side that was on the tank when I got it. The other is the one in the pic. I haven't saw any light on the heater. I will try messing with the knob. Also, I am so close to getting fish. Now it has snowed a couple inches here. Is it wise to purchase fish in weather such as this? I'd hate for them to get cold and die before I get them home. The time would prolly be like 45 minutes before getting them home.

[Just_Greg]

your car will be warm, but you can take a 6-pack type cooler and place the bagged fish inside for insulation to and from the car.

[naturalbornrokstar]

sweeet

[cruzincaril]

hiya..enjoyed the converse here..been away a few days..brings back mems of when i first started...nice pics and good start to the hobby and good tips from the other guys here..