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 The sun comes in during the day and hits the tank, it looks really cool. Working on getting those nitrates down. I've now removed all mechanical filters from the system and did a 30% WC over the weekend. Fingers crossed. Oh and for the first time, I got the idea to use a kitchen scale to mix salt water. It's the best! All I have to do is add 770 grams of salt to a tub of water now to hit my target salinity. I wish I'd gotten this idea earlier, it's so easy to do. revmoo fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Jan 4, 2011 |
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Jan 4, 2011 19:01
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I think sunlight hitting your tank is generally advised against as it can cause a lot of extra algae growth. Not sure if that is causing problems for you or not? Also, that is a great idea on the scale. I think some people do by volume. The one thing I would do because I'm paranoid is at least measure the mixed water any time you switch to a new container of salt.
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Jan 4, 2011 19:53
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If it's one of things where it gets sunlight for an hour until the sun shifts, it's usually not a problem. It's when it's getting direct light for a good portion of the day that you'll start getting some massive algae growth.
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Jan 4, 2011 19:57
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Ah, okay. That's good to know. The spot where I want to set up my tank gets a little bit of indirect sunlight quite a ways off the window. Was a bit concerned but I guess that won't be a problem. Thank you.
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Jan 4, 2011 20:08
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Yeah I heard that was a myth. Something about how most noobs don't have adequate lighting and already have high nutrients so when proper light finally hits their tank it blows up. It only hits the tank a couple hours a day anyways.
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Jan 4, 2011 20:11
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Internet Explorer posted:I think sunlight hitting your tank is generally advised against as it can cause a lot of extra algae growth. Not sure if that is causing problems for you or not? Also, that is a great idea on the scale. I think some people do by volume. The one thing I would do because I'm paranoid is at least measure the mixed water any time you switch to a new container of salt. Doesnt this aslo depend on how much biomass your system can process? His system looked pretty well established and a nice sand bed. I bet with a decent skimmer he could filter algae production from a few hours of sunlight, right? @revmoo- What size tank/dimensions are you running there?
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Jan 5, 2011 03:35
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65 gal, 3 feet wide 2 feet tall, 18 inches deep. Sump is 20/30gal I can't remember. It's got a Euro Reef skimmer which works fine but a pain in the rear end to adjust. Also running 4x 39w t5 lights so if there was going to be an algae problem it would have already happened.
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Jan 5, 2011 15:58
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revmoo posted:65 gal, 3 feet wide 2 feet tall, 18 inches deep. Sump is 20/30gal I can't remember. It's got a Euro Reef skimmer which works fine but a pain in the rear end to adjust. Also running 4x 39w t5 lights so if there was going to be an algae problem it would have already happened. Do you use your refugium to hold more bioload/grow micro algae or anything of the sort? Does anyone have any experience with either the Reef Octopus (rio 1400 pump) or the Urchin Pro (OTP 1000 pump) model skimmers? Dono fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Jan 5, 2011 |
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Jan 5, 2011 17:06
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edited. DP
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Jan 5, 2011 17:30
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Dono posted:Do you use your refugium to hold more bioload/grow micro algae or anything of the sort? No, I really want to though. My concern is that light from the fuge will bleed out into the room which I definitely don't want. But I also don't want to block out air exchange from the sump either. I was thinking I could run the light during the same times as the main lights are on, it kind of ruins the whole ph balance thing but I think it would still work ok.
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Jan 5, 2011 18:09
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Octopus skimmers are fantastic. The Aqua-C urchin can vary in preformance a lot, just like the remoras. If you're going for an in-sump skimmer get the Octopus, I would only go with Aqua-C if I needed a hang on back skimmer and octopus didn't have any good options.
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Jan 5, 2011 18:29
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revmoo posted:My concern is that light from the fuge will bleed out into the room which I definitely don't want. Does your cabinet have an open bottom or something? ludnix posted:Octopus skimmers are fantastic. The Aqua-C urchin can vary in preformance a lot, just like the remoras. Thanks a bunch, I've really heard both sides to the story on either of them. I think the final decision came today when I got my exact dimensions I'll have for the cabinet I'm keeping my sump in and the Urchin needs an additional 6" to remove and clean the collection cup. Which I could definitely not afford. I have another question: = I'm making a 4" DSB in my 90gal. That's a lot of sand, so what I'm wondering is do I need to use 100% live sand? Or do I just "seed" it? I'm using 0.5mm-0.125mm size sand to create the bed. = Should I use my LPS for live sand or are there outlets to explore online that are noted as reliable for good quality live sand? Dono fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Jan 6, 2011 |
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Jan 6, 2011 00:00
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Deep sand is colonized by bacteria that is different from shallow bed bacteria, so it doesn't matter if your sand is "live" when you buy it.
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Jan 6, 2011 02:14
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arioch posted:Deep sand is colonized by bacteria that is different from shallow bed bacteria, so it doesn't matter if your sand is "live" when you buy it. How much seeded sand do I need to fill the top layer? 1"? 0.5"? O just enough to cover a section or two and let it spread?
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Jan 6, 2011 16:24
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Dono posted:Does your cabinet have an open bottom or something? On the back, yes. So light from a refugium will get out the back and reflect off the walls in the room and look weird. I don't want to block off the back because then it will affect gas exchange.
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Jan 6, 2011 16:46
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I've got to replace the flooring in the room my tanks are in, so I've been trying to think of a good way to move the tank without disrupting too much. I'm thinking of moving the live rock with corals into my saltwater mixing bin temporarily, and putting the fish in a bucket. Once I get the tank moved I will put everything back in so it runs normally until I finish replacing the floor. Does anyone have any special considerations I should be thinking about? I don't have any spare heaters except one for a 10g tank, so maybe I'll fill that up with some clean water for a bit.
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Jan 6, 2011 19:15
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Melchior posted:I've got to replace the flooring in the room my tanks are in, so I've been trying to think of a good way to move the tank without disrupting too much. I'm thinking of moving the live rock with corals into my saltwater mixing bin temporarily, and putting the fish in a bucket. Once I get the tank moved I will put everything back in so it runs normally until I finish replacing the floor. Does anyone have any special considerations I should be thinking about? I don't have any spare heaters except one for a 10g tank, so maybe I'll fill that up with some clean water for a bit. Rubbermaid tubs work pretty well for holding LR, water, fish, etc. You should go get additional heaters anyways, they fail every once in a while and it's good to have a backup.
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Jan 6, 2011 19:42
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fanaglethebagle posted:You should go get additional heaters anyways, they fail every once in a while and it's good to have a backup. Large, single heaters with lovely build quality is what killed off both of my SW tanks, so go with this advice. Steaming fish soup in a clear bowl isn't a pretty sight. 
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Jan 6, 2011 20:34
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Melchior posted:I've got to replace the flooring in the room my tanks are in, so I've been trying to think of a good way to move the tank without disrupting too much. I'm thinking of moving the live rock with corals into my saltwater mixing bin temporarily, and putting the fish in a bucket. Once I get the tank moved I will put everything back in so it runs normally until I finish replacing the floor. Does anyone have any special considerations I should be thinking about? I don't have any spare heaters except one for a 10g tank, so maybe I'll fill that up with some clean water for a bit. You are in luck! I was shmoozing the newbie forums on RC and stumbled upon this thread with 4-5 different guys going through the same issue you are. Hopefully this will give you some help on how to remove and store your corals/fist/etc. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1955682
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Jan 6, 2011 20:57
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revmoo posted:On the back, yes. So light from a refugium will get out the back and reflect off the walls in the room and look weird. I don't want to block off the back because then it will affect gas exchange. Do you have a skimmer? Just run the intake air line outside the cabinet, you're getting more gas exchange from the skimmer than the water's surface anyways.
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Jan 6, 2011 22:05
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And so it begins! Just picked up my 90gal RR tank this morning and I start building a wood finished DIY stand off ReefCentral tomorrow! Just bought/tagged up 80lbs of some nice Hatian/Fiji (I got one really large shelf that looks beautiful) rock that I'll pickup in a week or two (my girlfriend will kill me if I cure it myself and stink up the apartment  ) -R24 refugium from Precision Marine -Reef Octopus skimmer w/ OTP 1000 pump
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Jan 6, 2011 22:20
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Congrats! I picked up my 90g RR tank a few weeks ago and have been watching Craigslist for equipment. Got some great deals so far. Just need some powerheads and an RO/DI filter, which I am going to get new. Then live rock and sand and that's it. I am also about to start the DIY stand this weekend. I guess we'll see how it goes. 
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Jan 6, 2011 22:27
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Internet Explorer posted:Congrats! I picked up my 90g RR tank a few weeks ago and have been watching Craigslist for equipment. Got some great deals so far. Just need some powerheads and an RO/DI filter, which I am going to get new. Then live rock and sand and that's it. I am also about to start the DIY stand this weekend. I guess we'll see how it goes. Once I get my stand going I'll start taking pictures. I'd be interested to see how yours will turn out as well I'm skipping the RO/DI system for now. I just dont have the ability in my current apartment. Maybe in 2 years when I can move somewhere better I'll set something up.
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Jan 6, 2011 22:38
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I'd look at bulkreefsupply.com if you're looking for RO/DI units, they have some of the lowest prices and the quality is supposed to be great.
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Jan 7, 2011 19:23
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ludnix posted:I'd look at bulkreefsupply.com if you're looking for RO/DI units, they have some of the lowest prices and the quality is supposed to be great. I got one of their units for christmas, and it is the reason I have to replace the floor. I forgot to turn it off, and it flooded under my laminate flooring! Oops! Strongly considering moving it to the utility room where I can prevent that sort of thing from happening again.
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Jan 7, 2011 22:11
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Melchior posted:I got one of their units for christmas, and it is the reason I have to replace the floor. I forgot to turn it off, and it flooded under my laminate flooring! Oops! Strongly considering moving it to the utility room where I can prevent that sort of thing from happening again. You didn't have a float valve to turn it off? That sucks. Link - http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store...is-systems.html Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Jan 7, 2011 |
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Jan 7, 2011 22:30
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I generally just make my water 5 gallons at a time anyway (perfect amount for my 10% weekly water change) so it's not much trouble to run out my 3.5gal-ish RO/DI unit reservoir and let it trickle up to the bucket fill line. What sucks is then doing that a couple times to bring up my ATO reservoir.
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Jan 7, 2011 22:34
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Can anyone recommend a good all-in-one test kit and a good hydrometer? There are so many out there on the market I'm a little overwhelmed. I don't want to limit myself to electronic devices but I'm trying not to go overboard on spending (no more than 75-100$ for it all).
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Jan 7, 2011 22:54
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What do you need to test? I don't really like any of the all-in-ones, instead I just buy the Salifert box for whatever I need to test (which is nothing, right now, since I have a Hanna for alkalinity and don't really need to care about any of the other stuff). As far as hydrometers go I'm still using my trusty Milwaukee, but I generally just rely on a bobber for eyeballing since my salinity shouldn't be changing at all with my ATO.
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Jan 7, 2011 22:59
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arioch posted:What do you need to test? I don't really like any of the all-in-ones, instead I just buy the Salifert box for whatever I need to test (which is nothing, right now, since I have a Hanna for alkalinity and don't really need to care about any of the other stuff). Ammonia, pH, Nitrates, Alkalinity, Calcium, and salinity. I'm also not sure if it's worth getting an instrument to determine heavy metals if present in the water (I know it's a rarity, but a pretty big detriment). I'm also using a 4" DSB so Im not sure how much a heavy metal will affect me unless in large quantities?
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Jan 8, 2011 03:03
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I don't like the all-in-one kits because they're not really accurate enough for reefing and reading them is an iffy chore. For testing the tank cycling (if that's your concern) you can do it relatively easily with any of the common all-in-one kits since you just have to ballpark for the presence of ammonia/nitrites. I also wouldn't think you'd have to worry about heavy metals unless you're not using RO/DI water(?) and your tank decoration is suspect (I'd start with BRS/Marco/reefcleaners dry rock and a good quality bagged dry/live substrate, personally, to avoid complications like that or hitchhiking pests). As far as salinity goes you can eyeball it easily with one of the floating tube bobbers (the ones with or without a built-in thermometer) if you have a chamber in a tank where your water surface level isn't disturbed. Otherwise just plop down anywhere from $30 to $50 for one of the "spyglass" ones that are really good. Go with whatever BRS or Premium Aquatics carries, they're good quality.
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Jan 8, 2011 03:17
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Checked more prices today on tanks/stands, and I found that using a 75 gallon tank with a 38 gallon sump/refugium is going to be cheaper than going with a 90 gallon and my old 20 gallon pulling cleaning duties. There is only a 4" difference in height between the 90 and 75, and I really like the idea of going overkill on the sump/refugium at a ~1:2 ratio instead of the more anemic ~1:4 ratio I originally planned on. Just about the same total gallons in the entire system, and the livestock would be much better served by such a large sump in relation to the display tank, barring utter retardation in the stock levels.
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Jan 8, 2011 10:20
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The 75 with a 38 gallon sump sounds like a good way to go, 75 gallons are a nice size. I always run my ro/di unit on a float switch. I have a bladder tank that will store 2 gallons for topping off and drinking water, but whenever I do a water change I connect it to a trash can with float switch.
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Jan 8, 2011 17:39
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Anyone have any experience with a Ultra Red Fin Flasher Wrasse? (http://www.aquacon.com/images/FlasherWrasseRedFin.jpg) I am looking for the perfect third fish for my tank and this guy struck my interest. He is 64.99 on aquacon and i've seen no complaints about aggression toward shrimp/other fish. My only other fish are a semipicasso clown and a tiger watchman goby, so I think if he stays away from the goby's cave he should be fine, but I'm mostly worried about him picking on my clown.
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Jan 8, 2011 23:47
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I had one of them called a russet fairy wrasse that was a perfect inhabitant, the only aggression I ever saw was flashing my other wrasses and tangs but nothing more.
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Jan 9, 2011 00:52
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Well there are multiple species of wrasse, this one isn't very well documented from what I have found...as long as he doesn't hurt my clown I think he'll be OK, considering I'm sure my goby could hold his own against anything based on his frequent assaults on my hand whenever I try to put anything in the tank.
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Jan 9, 2011 01:06
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Yeah, mine was the same exact thing but had purple and blue tips to the fins, they're just varieties of the red flasher wrasse. They don't hurt anything though.
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Jan 9, 2011 01:16
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Cool...well, I ordered him, will post pics unless he murders everything.
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Jan 9, 2011 01:30
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Speaking of refugiums, I finally got mine set up this weekend. Will be somewhat of a "show" refugium, gonna add some seahorses to it once some pods get built up. Friend just tore his tank down Wed so I was able to snag some good live sand, we washed it out with his old tank water to preserve the life in it, worms and all sorts of critters are in it. Anyways here are some pictures.    The fuge is a 30 tall which connects to a 20 sump with the main tank being a 75. Please ignore the cyno, it doesn't bother me but some people don't like it, the fuge should help clean it up. This tank used to have a 18 tall that was filled to the max with algae but broke during a tank move back in sept.    I bought this acan below as a single polyp, was marketed as orange crush at the LFS, but as it grew more and more green showed up.  One of my favorite plates, I've had him for over 2 years now.     Good friends with the gents at one of the LFS in town, got this awesome Wellsophyllia for just formatting and reinstalling windows.  
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Jan 10, 2011 05:00
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What lighting do you have over the 75?
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Jan 10, 2011 08:13
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