Saltwater pics and general discussion

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Pet Island > Saltwater pics and general discussion

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Cool thread and great pictures, I didn't even know we had one until now.

Does anyone know anything about using water softened water (ie salt -> brine tank) in a reef system? I can't find very much information on what kind of crazy RO/DI + supplement scheme I will have to engineer to make it work. Anyone have links about or personal experience with water softened water?

# ¿ Jun 13, 2008 18:31

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 19:56

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Look into an algae scrubber

# ¿ Dec 24, 2010 06:13

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Dono posted:

Not sure if this might be too much power or not? I only need like 450 gph. Maybe the Mag-Drive 5? I don't want to create too much flow through my sump do I?

Assuming your sump is under your tank, you are only going to get about 400-500 GPH at ~4' head height out of that pump anyway.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2011 04:01

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Dono posted:

A few cups will really do the trick? And how quickly will 75 lbs of dry rock seed with like 10-15 lbs of live rock?

If you want to seed your tank with a lot of biodiversity you don't need large quantities of anything, you need large diversity of input. Get a single cup of live sand from 3 or 4 different people and that will be enough to seed your sand bed. Get pound pieces of live rock from a few different places and that will be enough to seed the rest of your virgin rock. Even better, cozy up to your LFS and get a few pieces of live rock rubble that are fresh off the plane and not yet cured.

Nothing happens fast and trying to rush things will end in problems.

RndmCnflct fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Jan 23, 2011

# ¿ Jan 23, 2011 00:12

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

khysanth posted:

My problem:

The tank is about 9 or 10 months old now. Went through a bad batch of red hair algae a while ago, but that hasn't come back. I DO however have quite a bit of green hair algae. We've been pulling it out whenever we do water changes, but the stuff just doesn't go away. I think it's a good excuse to put something in there that will eat it!

So, collective wisdom of the goons, what can I add that:
- Will be fine with my smallish tank
- Will be fine with the current inhabitants
- Will nom on some green hair algae

Algae grows because of too many phosphates and nitrates. Any fish that eats algae will just poo poo out the algae, plus any additional food you are feeding it, in the form of more phosphates and nitrates... which will lead to even more algae.

If you want to get rid of algae you should change your water more often, skim more aggressively, put in a deep sand bed, build one of these, or build one of these.

# ¿ Jan 25, 2011 07:49

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

khysanth posted:

We are already doing 10-gallon water changes (40%) weekly and my skimmer does what it can. Don't really have a lot of options for DIY add-ons, given the size/model of my tank (linked in my initial post). Nitrates are usually between 5 and 10 ppm.

I'm not "worried" about the algae, it's just unsightly. I'd rather put something in there that will eat it and benefit from it, even if it is just going to put the same stuff back into the water when it poops. At least that way all of the filtering, both natural and mechanical, could then help process it. So, any suggestions for herbivores that will chow down on this stuff and be a nice fit in the tank?

Go into your local fish store and ask for an Arodei Whater. It's a nifty little guy that will get rid of your aglae, improve your water quality, and increase the overall health of your tank.

In all seriousness though I don't know of anything that you could responsibly fit in such a small tank. If your inverts are not doing the job then nothing will.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2011 07:58

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Dono posted:

Suggestions, tweaks, or different setups that eliminate a pump/float valve are accepted!

Build one that uses gravity, just like those dog water dish things. It can't fail.

If your reservoir is above the level of your sump you are already good to go. Attach a piece of vinyl tubing (wider than airline tubing) from your reservoir leading into your sump. Have the outlet end of the tubing fixed inside your sump, pointing downwards, at whatever top off height you desire. Then make sure that the reservoir is air tight and that the only outlet is said piece of vinyl tubing.

When the outlet hose is under water nothing will happen. The pressure inside the reservoir will keep the flow from the tube to the sump closed. When the outlet end of the hose hits air, due to evaporation from your system, it will draw air, alleviate the relative negative pressure, and release water out until it submerges itself once again.

Two pieces of tubing, at almost the same height inside your sump, will eliminate any gurgle (if you hate noise like I do).

RndmCnflct fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Feb 26, 2011

# ¿ Feb 26, 2011 17:42

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Jonny Nox posted:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=246394

have you read this thread? Lots of good stuff to think about in there about LED ratios, and how to bring out the colors of your corals and fish.

Based on that thread, and the reef central threads of a similar nature, the fixture I'm building now is going to be:

6 CW
6 NW
3 Blue
12 Royal Blue
3 660 Red
6 420 Violet

I disagree with what you say that UVs and 660 reds aren't important. Everything I have read suggests the opposite.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2012 20:33

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Jonny Nox posted:

Anyways is there a way to remove nitrates from water other than anaerobic bacteria or water changes?

Algae scrubber - no skimmer or water changes needed.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 00:01

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Mangroves are so 1980's. Same with chaeto. Pretty sure they work but the growth is so slow that they can't replace a skimmer.

SaNChEzZ posted:

What if a tiny piece breaks off and gets rooted in the display somewhere you can't see it and you have a GHA problem?

Preferential growth of algae... the screen it grows on has a lot of light and a high flow rate proving it nutrients. If a piece breaks off it will die, the algae growing on the screen will outcompete it.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 00:26

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 19:56

RndmCnflct: Oct 27, 2004

Any successful scrubber implementation I've read about results in zero phosphates and nitrates, plus tons of pods for your corals and fish to eat. Remove the skimmer and you aren't skimming out coral food either.

I don't have one at the moment cause I'm rebuilding after a move, but I'm definitely dropping the skimmer and going for a scrubber and maybe a cryptic zone.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 01:25

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Pet Island > Saltwater pics and general discussion