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(c)2001 Dawn |
For the Love of Gobies.... | |||
Penguin 550 power head |
As soon as I can find another
plug for the end of this tube, I'll be replacing it. After
installing the Eheim 2211, I checked the specific gravity and salinity
of the clean water using a "SEA TEST Full Range Specific Gravity
Meter"... the readings were SG = 1.018 and salinity = 24. Then I added the salt. I used
"INSTANT OCEAN SYNTHETIC SEA SALT". 1/2 cup per gallon
is where I started. I remember watching the salt mix into the
water, and thinking how pretty even this was...that clear swirl running
before my eyes. Some of the salt gathered on the bottom of the
tank, but I let it alone for a while to mix and dissolve. After
about an hour, I used my hand to stir up the water a bit, and finding
that I wasn't satisfied with the amount of circulation in the water, I
added a Penguin 550 power head to the other side of the tank. I
let this run until morning. At 9AM of 4/4/01 I tested SG &
salinity again. SG = 1.030 and salinity = 40. The levels
were rising as the last of the salt was being dissolved in the water,
and by 4/5/01, at 10AM, the levels were off the chart. I did a 45%
water change, and tested again right away. SG = 1.021 &
salinity = 28. This was much better, as the targeted level of SG
was 1.020 - 1.023. I was happy with this, and let it run all day
while I was at work. |
My next step was to add the
live sand. Until now, the tank had been completely bare, and my
excitement building as I neared the stage of introducing something
living into the aquarium. This is my first experience with live
sand, also, and I spent some time looking at it in the bag before I
opened it. It looked like heavy grained sand to me...nothing
obviously alive in there at all. I sliced open the corner of the
bag with a knife, and began pouring the sand into the tank. To my
surprise, I did see a few tiny creatures swimming through the water
now. How to describe them....hmmmm, well, let's just say that I
could barely see them, it was just the movement that really caught my
eye. I continued to pour, adding the entire 20 lb bag of live sand
to the tank, then using a cup, I poured some of the tank water into the
bag to make sure that I had all of the sand I could get out of it.
(hey, the stuff wasn't cheap!) By now it was 9PM, and I checked
the temperature again before letting it be for the night, and even
though I had no heater hooked up at this time, the tank had held a
steady temperature of 77 degrees. The next night after work,
4/6/01 I again checked the temperature, and having done a water test at
work that day, and all of the levels reading perfect for a new tank, I
proceeded to add 3 small pieces of Haitian Live Rock. After
checking the SG again, and finding it at 1.021, I was content to go to
bed.
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