No Tank Yet, but on the way !

It's been a couple of weeks since my last blog, as I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my tank. I am happy to report that I received an email today from nanotuners.com saying that JBJ finally has released their new tank, and that as soon as they have them, mine will be on its way. I should report that I have not been idle in the down time, and have ordered basic supplies, tests, books and salt in preparation. In addition, I decided that I would try my hand at making my own Live Rock (LR) out of cement. After much research I found that regular portland cement can be used, but must be properly cured for the reef tank by having it leach out the alkaline materials while sitting in water. This will take up to 6 weeks or longer. When the cement LR becomes fully cured for saltwater, I will add a few pieces of true LR, and live sand to the mix when putting it in the tank. If all goes well, my cement LR will eventually become truly alive with all of the algae and other organisms that are present on the true LR.

Making Cement Live Rock
Some Cement Live Rock results

Rocks in Bath to leach out alkalinity

Some supplies: Gloves, GFI, Tests, Refractometer, Chiller & Assortments

Got a little crazy on the books! These are the classics from what I hear online.

Books are:

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist - Robert Fenner
The New Marine Aquarium - Michael S. Paletta
The Reef Aquarium (volumes I, II, and III) - J. Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung
Reef Secrets - Alf Jacob Nilsen and Svein A. Fossa
Reef Invertebrates, An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility - Calfo & Fenner
Giant Clams in the Sea and the Aquarium - James Featherree

Two books not shown that I have:

Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential to know Aquarium Species - Scott W. Michael
Marine Invertebrates: 500+ Essential to know Aquarium Species - Ronald L. Shimek, Ph. D.

Current (pun intended) Details

As of two days ago, I ordered a JBJ 28gallon HQI all-in-one saltwater tank. It is a brand new model that is expected to be released any day now. It has on board, many features that nanoreefers have asked for over the past few years. I will high-light these features in the days to come for those who are interested.

In addition I also ordered the stand that comes with the tank, the JBJ chiller, various water test kits, and other miscellaneous materials. So the wait begins, and I will try to post pictures of every phase of the process as it happens.

An Introduction: Intentions and Meaning

Welcome All

The intention of this blog is to share in the process and development of my JBJ 28G HQI saltwater nanotank (a small tank by saltwater standards) from start to finish. Let me start by saying that I've never attempted a saltwater tank, but have had good success with freshwater tanks over the past couple of years. The tank will be a small reef tank, meaning that it will be a tank that has Live Rock, Corals, Invertebrates and a few small fish.

I am creating this small saltwater reef for a number of reasons. For starters, there is the aesthetic value. The ocean, and reefs in particular, can be a place of incredible beauty. In its physicality, it provides a rich variety of colors and shapes that make it something akin to fluid art. Yet, it is fundamentally much more than that, as the ocean and its reefs are truly alive. A complex system that is physically, ecologically and biologically diverse, we are only beginning to understand what happens in this massive body of water, from which all life came. So in trying to create a reef tank, I wish to understand and learn about life in salt water through maintenance and observation. To further appreciate the wonders of life on this planet.