Faralon Posted June 21, 2015 Report Share Posted June 21, 2015 Wandered over to the store today to begin the build. Budget was to be in under $100. Ended up spending $179.54 (The list is below) Hardware: Tank: Marineland 5gal - $14.99 They don't usually have these small tanks in the $1 per gallon sales) Filter: Aqueon QuietFlow 10 - $16.29 Heater: Aqueon Mini Heater 10w - $13.29 (Ambient temps our finished basement are 68'f, so its just there to prevent any swings in the winter) Misc: $16 for a GH/KH test kit, and a low range pH test kit $5 Tetra Safe Start Decorations: Malasian Drift Wood: $1.99 Petrified Wood Rock: $6.96 Lighting: Finnex Stingray 16" - $41.00 Substrate: Fluval Stratum 8.8lbs - $25.00 I was at $114.00...and then I really blew my budget with Re-mineralizer: SL Aqua Blue Wizzard 500ml - $33.99 shipped (killed my budget, but I really liked the option for liquid re-mineralizer and the great reviews here) Plants: $10.00 for some Anubius Nana and Dwarf Chain Sword Water: RO/DI (Fresh bag of DI Resin arriving tomorrow) Edit: Updated items and $$ from everything I've spent sofa. (as of 7/6/2015) MableBile, Louie, JosephKex and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2015 As stated, looking to purchase some ADA Amazonia or ControSoil (Brown). What is the preferred size? 3mm?? Toss me a PM Looking for suggestions on Substrate and Lighting. Instead of looking for someone to bum some Amazonia or ControSoil from, I could always pickup a 4.4lb bag of Fluval Stratum for $15. I've seen reports of buffering down to 6.6ph. Does Amazonia and/or ControSoil go lower? Low Tech lighting, any suggestions for a budget LED strip? Plants: Suggestions for starter plants? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted June 22, 2015 Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 ADA amazonia has the strongest buffering then Controsoil then Fluval. What you using for remineralizer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted June 22, 2015 Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 Great start! ADA substrate is a good choice. Fluval Stratum works well too. Mines been buffering for over a year and still going strong. You may need to pick up a few more things like a filter guard for your HOB. So shrimplets don't' get sucked up. Remineralzer for ro/di water. Might also want a TDS meter if you don't have one. Cycling/beneficial bacterial products like Bt-9, Sl magic powder, Mk silver powder ect. A staple shrimp food and supplementary food. Using leafs like Oak, IAL and Mulberry provide alternate food sources and are overall beneficial to the shrimp and there environment. Aquatic plants/moss. Fissidens of any type grows well in shrimp tanks. For plants Bucephalandra, Micro swords, java fern are popular with shrimp keepers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 Re-mineralizer: I believe I might try the SL Aqua Blue Wizard from DiscoBee (Sponsor), as I like the idea of dosing a liquid vs a powder. (Not that there is anything wrong with powder) Food: I think I might try the SL M.O.R.E Veggie from DiscoBee also for food. Shoot, I might even pickup some SL Magic Powder for an SL Trifecta of products! I have some spare foam that I'll use as a pre-filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyana Posted June 22, 2015 Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 You could try this for led lighting http://www.ebay.com/itm/EA-50-6500K-LED-18-0-50W-33x-LEDs-Aquarium-Light-Freshwater-Plant-Discus-Tetra-/301573825956?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item46373365a4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimple minded Posted June 22, 2015 Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 Lyana, do you know if that fixture can fit 20" (10gallon) tanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyana Posted June 23, 2015 Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 Lyana, do you know if that fixture can fit 20" (10gallon) tanks? The brackets won't reach. It would only work if you had a glass top and set it on top. For some reason they don't sale a 20" jumps to 24" Shrimple minded 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2015 Fluval Stratum (8.8lbs) is on the way. High5's 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 Finnex Stingray 16" light is on the way, as well as some SL Aqua Blue Wizard from DiscoBee! Adding up the tally above....I'm a bit over budget, but not too bad, and really didn't sacrifice anything for cost. So, from the list above, anything I'm missing? I have an RO/DI System already, for my reef tank. I have a TDS Meter with it. I have a KH test kit for my reef tank I guess I need a GH test kit....there's always something. Anything else? Thanks for all the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyana Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 I love my stingray light, I don't think you'll be disappeared there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 It ON now! Fresh bag of Di-Resin for the water, and 8.8lbs of Stratum. Let's get it setup and cycling! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk godgundam and RyeGuy411 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 When it rains, it pours! My light came in too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk godgundam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Doing the driftwood curing rotation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Playing with the petrified driftwood while the driftwood cures. The Finnex light, even though it's not a Planted+, is no joke. Great bang for the buck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk mayphly, Lyana and godgundam 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 View into my office thru the saltwater tank. It was a mixed reef, but it's fish only at the moment. Shrimple minded and Louie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Slow and steady. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 No rinse on this Fluval Stratum, and I think it's pretty safe to say that we're not going to have cloudy water. Nice! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godgundam Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Good! Don't ever rinse the substrate lol . What are you planning to keep? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Louie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 It actually says on the bag to rinse it, to remove the fine particulates, but I knew from reading reviews on other active substrates to not rise, so I didn't. Looking to keep CRS Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Toads74 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 And....were ready to cycle. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Amyers22, ANBU, Edwardnah and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I feel this is terrible, but it's what I had laying around as a supplement for the saltwater fish. Tossed in three pellets of this to start the cycle... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ANBU 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 LOL No reason to feel bad. Heck, even shrimp eat shrimp. Lyana 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted June 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 More goodies arrived, from a great forum sponsor! Thanks DiscoBee! Just got back from a 4 day vacation up in Jersey. Not much new here: Added 2ml of SL Blue Wizard and the TDS went from 70-130, I'll wait to see what the substrate adds for another weekish' before adding more. Added the foam pre-filter. Added a cool sticker to the tank. Temps are at 71'f Didn't check Ammonia/pH/GH/KH Target parameters are: PH 6.8 GH 6 KH 1-2 TDS 150-170 Temp 70 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Lyana 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faralon Posted July 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Day 5 update: pH: Less than 6.0 (I only have my High Level pH kit from my Reef Tank currently) Ammonia: 1ppm Nitrite: 0ppm Nitrate: 10ppm KH: 0 GH: (Don't have a GH test kit yet) TDS: 120 Temp: 73 (so I unplugged the heater as my ambient temps in the office are 68.0'f) Looks like the tank is cycling atleast. Will wait for the Ammonia to disappear before doing a WC. Interesting that I have Nitrate w/o Nitrite, but thats the way it goes sometimes when 1st starting up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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