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ludnix posted:My clownfish laid some eggs on thursday. This is their first batch so it's a little bare, but after I get used to their schedule I'll probably give rearing them a shot. Good luck! I've actually thought about trying to rear the eggs that my B&W clowns lay, but after reading about it, it's just too much of a pain. And I say this knowing that with the exception of like Picasso clowns, I am sitting on one of the most profitable species of fish to breed in-tank.
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Aug 1, 2009 06:33
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| # ¿ May 15, 2024 11:54 |
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What kind of lighting are you running?
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Aug 28, 2009 06:45
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I have seen more people have great luck with T5HO. I'm one of them. Kinda makes me pissed I sprung for Halides.
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Aug 28, 2009 07:33
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ludnix posted:Metal halide can have some harsh shadows whereas T5 more evenly spreads the light probably making it appear much brighter than the MH equivelant. I personally like a combination of both. As do I. But my electric bill doesn't.
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Aug 29, 2009 05:36
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It's more efficient with evenly distributed light. But I still don't think anything can match the intensity of MH.
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Aug 29, 2009 19:40
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a foolish pianist posted:Anyone have good recommendations for saltwater tank heaters? Titanium ones! Especially the ones that are grounded so they can be a VERY fast trip for your breaker/GFCI!
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Sep 23, 2009 03:39
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Also - I would probably get rid of the bioballs and the whole wet/dry filtration. They tend to be big nitrate factories IME.
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Sep 24, 2009 08:28
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RO isn't RO/DI. DI means deionization and is a finishing polish to your water before it goes into your tank. You can get a whole lot of phosphates that make it through an RO system that can and will cause massive algae growth. Your system is probably capable of handling an add-on DI stage. Consider getting one.
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Sep 25, 2009 02:42
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ludnix posted:I would just run the UV steralizer when your having a problem like a phytoplankton bloom or something. They have a limited bulb life so it seems unnecessary to run them 24/7. I wouldn't have suggested buying one, but since you have it I would just go ahead and run it when you feel the water needs to be cleared of a bacterial or plankton bloom. It's also worth noting that a long slow trip through a sump, a cleaner shrimp and a UV sterilizer (preferably sucking from and blowing to the tank directly) can stop an ich outbreak in its tracks.
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Sep 25, 2009 03:39
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perhapsimabandit posted:I would love a Mandarin. Every new reefer goes through this. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Now I want you to repeat something for me: I will not own a mandarin until I have at least a 75 gallon tank with a deep sand bed. Yes, there are people that keep them successfully in smaller tanks, but they're usually experienced hobbyists that know how to stimulate and cultivate their native food. And even then, they won't survive in a sub-40 gallon tank. Of course, there ARE fish out there that will eat prepared foods, but it's best to assume that they won't. Don't try to rationalize it, don't think to yourself that "maybe, just maybe you'll be able to get one that eats," just don't. You'll just be consigning a fish to death that cannot (as far as I know) be bred in captivity.
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Sep 26, 2009 08:35
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Actually, as far as I'm aware, the Deltec HOB skimmers are by far the best performing and most expensive. The problem with the AquaC skimmer is that while it performs decently, it's a rather old design. I actually prefer the Coralife Superskimmers, but their internal equipment is a little huge for my taste.
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Oct 3, 2009 20:03
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fanaglethebagle posted:Skunk cleaners are much more entertaining than peppermints in my opinion. Agreed, but there's nothing that says you can't have both. I had a 3-point "pep squad" in my 18G along with a cleaner. Peppermints are nice because they keep the tank cleaner and kill aiptasia. But they also die a lot. Cleaners are just fun and it's tough to kill them sometimes.
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Oct 26, 2009 05:08
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spixxor posted:So...what's the best course of action when your two year old dumps a packet of gravy mix into your reef tank? Water changes, some carbon, maybe a polyfilter, and watch it. It's not a great thing, but if the tank volume was large enough, I don't imagine that it's TOO big of a deal, other than it just imparted some biomass and salt into it. Ultimately it'd be best if we knew what the ingredient list is on the gravy mix, but there's a good chance that if the water volume is large enough, you'll ride this out. It's when your twelve-year-old knows that copper is bad for the tank and decides to throw a bunch of pennies in to piss off mommy/daddy that it's a major problem.
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Oct 26, 2009 09:45
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Yeah, it's definitely a spike in bioload. I'm no expert, but I'm not seeing anything in there that might be toxic.
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Oct 26, 2009 23:57
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streetlamp posted:Did you dump all of this in at once? And your right about one thing, that tank isn't big enough for all that cool poo poo, as in the tang specifically. Sorry to say, but he's right. You'll be alright with pretty much everything except the tang (although the orange and black clown MAY fight. Tough to predict). And I also agree that I hope you didn't dump all of it in at once, else you might be likely to lose that very large investment you just made....
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Nov 3, 2009 09:56
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arioch posted:Those mini stars are GREAT in any tank. (The ones that get to about 1.5" across, long thin arms included, not the asterinas which are hit or miss) The brittle stars (other than green) are also great tank dwellers - though in truth, you often never get to see that they are starfish, but rather just a collection of spiky arms sticking out from under a rock.
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Mar 5, 2010 00:18
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What species? It looks a little bit like a tomato.
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Mar 11, 2010 09:05
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ludnix posted:Be sure to check with either this thread or reef central before going with what the GARF bullet proof system recommends. It's really outdated in terms of equipment. Agreed. They really like the undergravel filter idea too. I've never been sold on the concept.
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Mar 13, 2010 06:30
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porksmash posted:Any specific risks by doing this? In THEORY, the risk is that the overflow can get plugged and all the water from the sump can be pumped into the tank, overflowing it. The solve then, is to make sure that the return chamber in the sump is less than the space between the normal high point in the tank, and the very top of the tank (usually, most overflows keep the water level about 2" below the very top of the tank, or just above the trim piece). It's really easy to make sure that the return chamber is pretty small - it only needs to be large enough to get the pump in (although you will need to make sure that you have an auto water topoff system in place as any water that evaporates will disappear from there first. Eventually, the water will drop below the pump and start shooting air into the line (not a big deal, but it's ugly and hard on the pump). Finally, the pump can shut off, meaning that the water can continue down into the sump and overflow the sump. This is solved in two ways. First, you drill a small hole into the return pump tube, creating a siphon break that will stop pulling water out of the tank as soon as the water drops below the return spout. In addition, you need to make sure that the overflow box you use is just at the water level you want (it will take some adjusting). Once that's done, you just need to make sure that the amount drained when the power dies is less than the space available in the sump (made easier by having a larger sump - don't forget that third dimension. Tall premade tanks make EXCELLENT sumps)
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Mar 16, 2010 03:41
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ludnix posted:Overflow stuff Ever used a Calfo style overflow rather than the traditional "box & standpipe" type?
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Mar 16, 2010 10:56
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ludnix posted:You should have no problem with it, just make sure to get a new diamond hole saw, Ever drill a large acrylic tank? I'm planning on replacing my 90G LeeMar diamond edge that leaked for the third time with one. I'd really like to do a calfo style overflow on it - especially since I've heard that if they're done properly, they're pretty much silent (which would be a nice change from my previous setup). From what I'm gathering, I'd need to drill about 4x 3/4" holes in the back of the tank equally spaced in the overflow box, then have them all routed to one down pipe. Does this sound about right? Or would I be better off using a large linear overflow box with one drain tube?
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Mar 18, 2010 14:32
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porksmash posted:I do hear good things about Buckeye Field Supply, though. I'll have to figure out what my water pressure is at before I decide on a booster pump or not, but I was looking at the 150GPH premium one here. It is only $50 more than the 'value' version so why not. I'm already murdering my bank accounts. I've heard nothing bad or good about them. After looking at them, I don't see anything wrong with them. It's actually really hard to make a bad choice on RO/DI systems because as long as they're using standard filter charges, it doesn't really matter how they build it - the filters do all the work. All the housings do is route the water properly. The only time you can really go with a high end system is with something like a Spectrapure system (which actually DOES make a difference since they have their Maxcap system that allows for a longer DI resin life). Also, it's probably just a typo, but worth mentioning that the system you've mentioned is actually 150 gallons per DAY, not per hour. In my experience though, that number typically falls short of the actual output. And be sure (if possible) to see if it comes with a pressure gauge and a TDS meter so you'll know when your filters need changing. quote:I also need to think about lighting! I'll have to build a top of some sort because I can't go mounting things to the walls in my apartment. I was thinking two MH bulbs supplemented by 2 T5 HOs. I am going to start out with just fish and live rock, but once I'm sure I'm not killing everything I want to add corals. If I want to get fancy I can add in some dim LEDs for night time. I basically plan on copying the features of this hood without spending $600. Hopefully buying the components and building it myself will save some dough. Ok - here's the thing. MH may not be the best solution for you in an apartment. I don't actually know about the tank you're putting on, but I had an unexpected problem when I had them in my last apartment. With my 90 gallon, I had high output T5 when I first moved in, and they lit and grew corals just fine (it's the reason I recommend T5HO for 99% of people, and would probably use them again when I restart my system over the MH that I put in). When I put MH bulbs in though, I started having problems. The tank's temperature increased some, which I was able to mitigate by adding a series of fans to my canopy. This alleviated the temperature issue, but apparently increased the evaporation rate pretty drastically as I started having patches of mold grow on the window sills like crazy. There was too much moisture in the place which I couldn't remove without having my windows open all the time. Once I changed out the MH back to T5HO, the problem solved itself again. As far as the LED moonlamps go, they're largely for show. Yes, there is SOME benefit, but very little. Because 99% of moonlamps out there don't have a dim and brighten system to simulate moon cycles, the benefit of having them is largely lost. They look nice, but they don't really do anything. I can't remember the name of the place (because I've been out of the hobby for a while now), but there was a company out there that makes a moonlamp dimmer that runs on a 30 day cycle that is pretty awesome. I'm sure through a little research you could find it if you're determined to have a beneficial moon lamp. Just remember that the system will probably run you about $150.
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Mar 18, 2010 19:31
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porksmash posted:I know MH and T5s consume about the same amount of electricty, though, so we will see. This is actually way off. In my 90G tank, I had a 4x54w setup which ran the tank perfectly fine. With MH, I was running 2x250w bulbs, or about another 300W for the system. Fluorescents tend to put off WAAAAAAY more lumens per watt, so although the light isn't as intense, it is usually more efficient, electrically speaking. Yet another reason why I usually recommend T5HO to most people, and will probably be selling my MH setup eventually. quote:another edit: Would I be OK with a 4x tube 48" light fixture on a 60" tank? 60" seems like such an odd size for bulbs. 60" bulbs are actually rather common. A setup for one can be found Here, but a 48" one will probably work fine. Because fluorescent lighting is so diffuse, it tends to fill gaps more effectively than a single point light system such as MH. Some people don't like that, however. The question you'll run into is how to place the lights. I would recommend staggering them, so that two are on one side of the tank, and two the other. You'll have problems running a true daylight cycle with this setup (you'll have to put a blue bulb and a white bulb on each circuit so that the light looks balanced), but I think overall it will look better. You could try all four bulbs centered over the tank, but I'm not sure that it would light your tank properly. Something to try out for yourself I guess.
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Mar 18, 2010 21:17
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Phoenix 14k bulb? If so, they're awesome.
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Mar 29, 2010 03:09
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fanaglethebagle posted:Just don't expect the same as your halides, you'll miss them Some will. I didn't.
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Apr 23, 2010 10:03
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arioch posted:I actually went looking for a device that will turn OFF something for a set number of minutes at a push of a button, but couldn't find one through cursory searching. Anyone know of anything like that? Red sea wavemaker has a fish feeding timer mode for that. It's like $100 but you get the wavemaker aspect of it too.
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Apr 28, 2010 01:13
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Dantu posted:This has lead me to believe the problem is my tap water which I use to make saltwater. Bingo. There's your problem right there. quote:My plan is to try using distilled water to mix up the saltwater. Though this would solve the problem, it is a horrible idea. Distilled water is too damned expensive to use in aquarium situations. Worse yet, it very likely has trace amounts of copper in it (from the copper equipment used in modern distilling processes) which aren't a big deal for fish only tanks, but are a very VERY big deal for any inverts or corals you want to try putting in there. A better idea, is to use run of the mill RO water. DI is better as there can still be a fair amount of organics in the water before a DI stage, but for the most part, regular drinking water will solve the problem just fine. If you have a drinking water store near you (you likely do if you live in a city), they usually run it for about 25 cents a gallon and should do the job just fine. Look into an RO/DI system though - they'll change your life if you plan on continuing with an aquarium. The only other device that had that level of impact on me as far as convenience was my auto water topoff system. quote:In the mean time I would like to try to use one of the commercial red slime killer products out there. Can anyone recommend one? Any other theories as to what is causing this cyano epidemic? Chemiclean is the one you want. And in truth, sometimes a cyno outbreak requires going nuclear with this stuff. In my 14G biocube I had a bear of a time with Cyno even though I knew I was using good water, water changes and not overfeeding, the stuff just wouldn't go away. Finally I said "screw it" and nuked the stuff with a chemi-clean dose. Did the job right. Just make sure to turn off your skimmer when you put it in.
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Apr 30, 2010 19:47
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Nahbahsah posted:Anybody else here have an octopus? Most people with experience stay away from them. Not that we wouldn't loving LOVE to have one, but the facts that you have to have special considerations for them (tight fitting lids and whatnot), often you have to chill the water below room temp, and they only have a lifespan of like 3 years generally keeps us away from them.
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Aug 28, 2010 11:19
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Nahbahsah posted:I know all of that. I have one myself which is why I asked if anybody else had one. Fair enough. Most people come into this thread asking about octopi (is that correct?) wondering if they should get one. By anyone else, I thought you were someone who had read the thread, seen someone who owned one, and were asking for advice on picking one up.
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Aug 29, 2010 09:02
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| # ¿ May 15, 2024 11:54 |
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I've heard of these DIY LED arrays becoming more common. How much did it end up costing you?
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Sep 7, 2010 05:31
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