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Help with my new 150 Hello to all, and thank you. :) Some back ground. I have a 55 gal. that has been running for 15 years. I recently switched it to a reef tank and have fallen in love. I got a 150 gallon 6'x30"t x18"w if I had read Anthony's book before I bought it I would have gotten something wider. I'm cycling the tank with 70 lbs. of the freshest Fiji live rock I have ever seen and that seems to be going well. I have some questions. First, I'm going to set up Refugium but I'm not sure what to put in it? Second how much filtration it will need? <This is posted on WWM> Third I have room for a Precision Marine Refugium - Drop in would that be better than a stand alone tank? <Nope> Would it be a good idea to plumb both big tanks together? <Yep> I have found most of my other answers on the site but would love some help with these ones. :) Thank you, David Hadley CA. <Keep reading my impetuous friend. You will soon know your options, best choices, and more importantly, the rationale behind them. Bob Fenner> New Aquarium! Hello to WWM, Questions as an avid hobbyist. I am thinking of putting together a 140 gln aquarium. I want to try to keep 1 spinney puffer (for my wife) I lion fish (for color) and either a dragon moray or a zebra moray.<Both are very hardy species, but the dragon morays will can eat fish (that it can catch :)> I believe if all of these are bought in at a juvenile stage at the same time they will co habitate pretty well (nothing is guaranteed). My biggest question is what kind of filtration am I looking at down the road (in 3 or 4 years knowing eels of this sort can live 10, 15, or maybe 20 if conditions are perfect) <Would go with a wet/dry filter.> I plan to keep this system till they all die of natural causes (the dream of every serious Aquarium keeper) and am willing to spend the necessary dinero! (Food and all) I have A 25 watt uv sterilizer, plenty of left over reef lighting (which is way to much for what I am planning, my "wife's" reef is enough work for me) I am looking to make (or buy) a LARGE venturi skimmer (first in line) and have an 8 inch tube which the skimmer dumps into full of bio balls((((((My house sounds like there is leaking water as it is)))))) <With a lionfish a puffer and a moray I would not use reef lighting. These species like subdued lighting.> I believe I will add about 40 lbs of live rock to the sump as well as my heaters and if ness Cary a chiller (it gets hot here in AZ).<good planning> I would like to get a HUGE piece of tufa to make an eel hangout (as the eel is the focal point of the tank don't tell my wife)<lol> do you have an idea where I can get a 50 lb or so rock (I will carve this myself)<Would check your LFS and see what they can get.> So you have an understanding I will be setting this tank up on about a 3 or 4 ft high stand (eye level I make my own stands) the water will go down the skimmer and back to the 6 or 8 inch diameter tube filled with bio balls and a sump with Live rock and Caulerpa with 24hr light on it.<Sounds good> This will be pumped back in through 2 pumps 1 for water circulation and 1 slow rate pump thru the UV.<good> My wife (Lavanda) will be feeding her puffer by hand (puffers are really cool that way) and I hope to feed the eel and lion (my wife has an extraordinary gift with animals of all kind to bad she won't learn about the parameters of salt water aquariums) (((((hint hint))))) the same way.<Would tell her to watch her fingers while feeding Mr. Puffy (I have been bitten a numerous amount of times by my clown trigger and pufferfish that I used to have. Sold them both. wanted more docile fish> In this kind of set up although I want an eel with the tell tale TEETH do you consider the zebra a more stable eel or can I train a juv dragon to not bite my wife while she pets the puffer?<I highly doubt the dragon moray would try to bite your wife. unless she tried to grab him/her. And do watch out if you hand feed them. They have very poor vision and may mistake your fingers for food. Both of these eels are pretty hardy. If it were me I would go with the dragon moray (expect to pay big bucks for the Hawaiian sp.) Also I would make sure that your lionfish and puffer are of decent size and will not become lunch for the eel> (exceptions admitted) Bahhh, I am way off the filtration subject so far....... Do you think what I am setting up will work? can you advise to any wind falls?<I think with the LR, refugium, skimmer, sterilizer, etc that you will be alright.> I know that these dirty fish (eating habits anyway) are going to take a high demand of my time but as it stands I want an honest opinion (no promises excepted) will a tank set up this way hold these three fish with the PROPER HUSBANDRY and live a long complete full life???<This aquarium should accomodate these 3 fish/eel make sure you don't overfeed!!). If it were me I would spend the extra $$ and purchase a 180gal aquarium (72X24X24) so the lionfish and puffer have more room to swim/grow.> will my idea of filtration work (obviously you have seen my ideas in action) insert opinion here ((((((<Filtration is fine.>As this is your opinion (and not a true scientific or even a novices wish and all that other legal mumbo jumbo) you cannot be held responsible for my or anyone elses action from the point of me sending this or reading this (Sheesh I haaate lawyers) on 6/19/03 <lol, good luck my friend, IanB> Filtration Hi, I would like to setup a 45 gallon marine (fish only) tank. What type of filter should I get? <Most everything you need to know (or at least about this topic) can be found on the wetwebmedia.com web site. Cody> Thank You DC Starting a new system Sorry to keep bothering you guy's, but the more I read the more confused I am starting to get with running my system. <We'll fix that> Per your recommendations I will only have a protein skimmer and live rock for filtration, 2-4 powerheads, and a HOT power filter (that will run for a couple of days a month). I would rather not get too complicated with drilling and adding a sump (just a reminder my tank will only be a 40gal breeder). Is this set up OK? <Should be fine, go with an AquaC remora or a Precision marine hot-1 hang on skimmer and you'll have no regrets!> I have heard that you should not turn on the protein skimmer until all of the fish have been added and the tank has fully cycled. <Get that skimmer started from day one, it does nothing but help> So for the first few months my tank will only have LR, 2-4 powerheads and a HOT power filter (running periodically). <Sounds good to me, if you aren't planning on putting fish in it for the first few months, be sure to feed the tank periodically to get the critter population up> Will that be OK? <Sure> Thanks a lot, you guy's are extremely helpful, and I am addicted to your website. <Hey, you could be addicted to much worse! -Kevin> Getting Off To A Good Start! I have several questions, but first I want to thank all of you for always being so helpful. You guys are great!! <I'm so glad that you enjoy it! We have some great people working hard to create a useful site!> I have a 75 gallon saltwater tank that is just completing its "fishless" cycle. It will be a fish only tank with no invertebrates. I am using a hang on emperor power filter with no UG filter and have been told by several local fish stores that I will have no success with this type of set-up due to high ammonia/nitrite/waste build up and MUST use a wet/dry filter. Please give me your thoughts on this. <Well, a tank that relies mainly on mechanical filtration (such as the filter that you're using) requires a lot of attention to maintenance. Filter media must be changed and/or cleaned regularly. A sump-based system would certainly provide greater flexibility, but it is not mandatory. I don't think that you are doomed to fail, but I think that you need to make a few enhancements to your system to assure a greater degree of long-term success. First, you should purchase a protein skimmer for your tank. A protein skimmer is an absolute necessity for any marine tank, IMO, as it removes dissolved organics and other waste before they have a chance to accumulate and degrade water quality. Another idea would be to There are a lot of great models out there to choose from. Also, I would add a couple of powerheads to help create additional circulation within the tank. Additionally, you need to pay careful attention to water quality. Regular, systematic water changes are essential. I'd embrace a twice weekly, 5% water change regimen to achieve this purpose.>I have been told to use several pieces of live rock to help reduce the ammonia/nitrite/waste. Will this help, and if so how do I maintain the live rock? <Live rock will assist you in maintaining high water quality, as the beneficial organisms that inhabit the rock function as a sort of natural "filter". Live rock is easily maintained in a well-kept aquarium, with moderate lighting.> Last I would like to know if you would recommend using low levels of a copper solution in my tank on an ongoing basis to reduce disease/parasites. <No way. I'd much rather see you start out by quarantining all new fishes for at least 3-4 weeks, and maintaining stable environmental conditions within the tank to prevent disease. Constant copper levels in the tank can be harmful to fishes in the long run> Thanks for your help. James <Glad to be of help, James. Do make use of the extensive resources on the WWM site for lots more information that will help you out quite a bit! Also, do look for a copy of Bob's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist", and Michael Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium". Both will provide enough good information to really get you off to a good start! Good luck! Regards, Scott F> James Hall Many Questions Lots of great info on Refugiums. What are they? <do read this link and the FAQ's to go along with it http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm> Maybe I need one. What does FOWLR mean? <Fish Only With Live Rock> Some of us are shooting free throws from the far end of the court. I find a good source of cheap sand (swimming pool filter sand) for a deep whatever biofilter, and some obscure book, says no silica sand. Comments?<Do read this article http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm> Murphy's second law of aquariums: Never buy anything from a fish store without a complete check of Home Depot, Grainger's and every Goodwill in town.<whatever floats your boat lol, IanB> thank you, Terry <your welcome> Starting a new system I have been reading a lot the FAQ's on your web site and they have been extremely helpful. <Excellent> I will be starting a new saltwater aquarium in the next month or so and I have a couple of questions. My tank is going to be a FOWLR, 40 gal breeder, with a Eheim 2026, a protein skimmer and 40lbs of LR. My first question is which protein skimmer? I am torn between a CPR Bak Pak or an Aqua C Remora. <Go for the AquaC, the method of air injection makes it much more efficient than the Bak pack> Also my LFS told me not to use substrate in the Eheim and use only the pads and activated charcoal, because it would be too much biological filtration. Is this true? <I would only run the canister with carbon periodically, leaving it empty most of the time. Leaving pads in it turns it into a big nutrient trap, same thing with bio-material.> Lastly I wanted to stock the tank with 3 Percula clowns <That will work for a while if they're juvenile but as they grow up, 2 will pair off and potentially kill the other>, 2 yellow tailed damsels, 1 domino damsel <These guys get very territorial, if you insist on having one, put it in as your last fish>, 1 bicolor blenny, and a canary or flame wrasse, various cleaners (shrimp, snails and hermits) is this too much? <Nope, sounds good to me> can I add anything else? <See how everything goes with this arrangement> when can I add the cleaners? <Add the snails, hermits, etc after the tank is well cycled.> Thanks for your help <Good luck with the new tank! -Kevin> Chris Whaley Saltwater Set-up >Hello, >>Greetings, Emily. Marina this morning (and responding late as I've been out of town, yet still ended up with queries in my inbox..hhmm..). >I was wondering if you can help me with deciding on a set of fish. >>I can certainly TRY! >I recently moved into an apartment in Arizona while going to college here. I've had fish all my life, but I'm afraid to take my old ones from back home in new Mexico on the five hour drive and drastic change in elevation. >>Consider how fish are shipped--for hours, on planes. A drive from New Mexico (whereabouts? I lived in Espanola for a few months when I was 19) to Arizona is really quite do-able. Your biggest issue would be bagging them with oxygen, and this should be possible going to the LFS (local fish store/shop) and having them rebag (reopening and resealing) with oxygen. >Since I can't have them I was considering trying a saltwater tank. I've always wanted one but didn't have any trusted stores to get one in New Mexico. Now I have the stores and soon the paycheck and I was wondering if you could help me to decide what to get. I've always wanted a starfish, crab and Pufferfish. Is it possible to have all of those in one tank? >>No, the puffer would eat the crab. The sea star would be one of the more delicate creatures for you to start off with. The crab...it would all depend on the crab, you see (species). What I suggest (strongly) is that you get some good reading under your belt, first. Get one or two good beginner books (Bob's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" is a good starter/outline), do copious searches on this site and on other saltwater sites (I am also involved with http://www.reefs.org which publishes an online magazine--Advanced Aquarist), and go from there. Saltwater critters are not *necessarily* more difficult to keep (depending, of course, on what you choose), but definitely require a higher order of knowledge, several times more in many instances. >Also how large of a tank will I need, smaller is better of course. >>And in keeping saltwater, especially for beginners, bigger is definitely better. You will come to consider that axiomatic, Emily, as many others have as well. >How much care will they need? Any species suggestions? Any help you can give would be muchly appreciated, thanks so much. >>Before you spend any money on anything, I want you to do a search at the bottom of our homepage on the animals you are interested in. Know that mixing certain species can be very problematic (for instance, put the crab with a puffer, and he'll QUICKLY become today's brunch), and can also be very specific. I'll suggest that you consider nothing more at this point than damselfishes, there are thousands of species, dozens upon dozens that are regularly available to the hobby, and they're a great beginner fish. But! You'll need to know which ones are more prone to aggression, how big they'll get, etc., etc. Consider going to our forums, as well, at http://www.wetwebfotos.com/talk and looking through the "Saltwater Newbies" forum. I guarantee amazement. I know that these are not the answers you were initially looking for, but because so many of these animals are still wild-caught, we prefer new hobbyists to be fully aware of what they're getting into before they make purchases (and consequently lose wild-caught stock). Best of luck! Marina New SW Set-up <Hello Paul, PF again. > Thanks for the quick response. <We aim to please.> I made a few changes to my plans. Plan to build an overflow box out of 5" or 6" acrylic tubing (couldn't find anything on the web on building built-in boxes). Will use the Durso standpipe for this. <6" of room is not a lot to work in, but I think it could be done. Build the Durso first and see how well it fits into the tube.> The two outside holes will be used for closed circulation systems and won't have overflow boxes, do I still need Durso's on these or can I just use strainers? <I'd say strainers, the Durso's are good for overflows because of the water level issue.> Also, how far should the water level be below the top of the tank? (Around 4"-6" from what I understand> The bulkhead fittings they sold me at the LFS are slip/slip, I'd really feel more comfortable with threaded fittings on the outlet side of the bulkhead, should I worry about this? <Not IMO, mine are slip and work fine. Nothing says you can't put a little Teflon tape on them for some insurance. I've heard of people who've had problems with threaded unions leaking because they weren't tight enough (or to tight for that matter).> I bought two 23gal Rubbermaid containers to replace the 28 I had for the sump. <Sounds god, more volume.> I plan to join them with a couple of 2" PVC pipes/bulkheads. I decided on Iwaki MD55RLT's for the sump return and two circulation pumps. Each of the two circ pumps will feed two SCWDs (through a tee). This will reduce the flow to the SCWDs and increase the switchover time (it was sounding like it would be pretty short with just one SCWD per pump). <ok> I ordered an Eheim 1250 for the refugium return. Unfortunately the refugium will be on the floor (it's a 55 gal Rubbermaid agricultural tub (read: horse trough)) so I can't gravity feed back to the main tank. Hopefully my charges will like blended food. <Something is better than nothing.> Next big question: Lighting. Again the tank is 72x24x30H. I plan on it being FOWLR for about 6 - 12 months then starting to introduce some hardy corals. <Sounds like a plan.> From what I've read here and elsewhere, it looks like PC is the way to go <Now that depends on the type of corals you want. If you're looking to eventually keep SPS, then you're much better off going with MH and VHO or T8's for actinic lighting>, though the system and bulb costs seem significantly higher than VHO (I'm guessing the difference is in electricity and less frequent bulb changes?)<Yep, also why T8's are more expensive still. Cheaper in the long run though.>. I've narrowed it down to either two 3' 192W PCs, or two 3' 384W PCs with the option of adding two or three metal halides later on. Another option would be to get the two 192W PCs and a single 250W MH now (I'm assuming I'd want 250W MH for the 30" deep tank). I tried to attach a picture of my idea for laying out the tank. Is it possible to have a light side (MH) and a not so light side (PC)? <Well, make up your mind first as to what corals you want to keep. You can save yourself a lot of money by not buying an inadequate light system, or one that's overkill.> BTW, what do you think of putting in a small area of deep sand (~4", see picture <No picture attached btw.>) for critters who like that sort of thing? <I'm a big fan of DSBs. Here's the article on them: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm Lots of questions. Hope I've left you some time to enjoy the holiday weekend. <No worries there.> As always, your advice is eagerly awaited and greatly appreciated. Thanks, Paul <Enjoy the rest of your weekend! PF> Getting started with live rock & sand Greetings, After months of planning (and scouring WWM for information!) I finally have everything ready to go for my first marine tank. <Excellent, you're on the right track if you're doing all your information hunting first!> I'm doing a 30-gallon FOWLR setup. I have an Aqua-C Remora hang-on skimmer (with the Maxi-Jet 1200 option) and a couple extra Maxi-Jet 600's for circulation. <You'll really like the Remora> I'll be filling the system with water made from Instant Ocean mix this coming weekend and letting everything run for a week. Then it's time to add 45 lbs. live rock, and a 3" DSB. This is where my question comes in. I've heard that when stacking the rock it should be stacked on the bottom of the tank, right against the glass, for stability purposes. <Good thinking, if you have any burrowing critters they can undermine the rockwork and cause a collapse> I've also heard when adding live sand not to cover any live rock with it, as the sand will "smother" the life on the rock. <I wouldn't worry about it too much, just don't blatantly bury an entire rock!> This seems contradictory to me. My first thought was that I'd add the rock, then pour in the sand so it covers a depth of 3", including the bottom 3" of the live rock. Will doing this harm the live rock that gets buried? <Try this instead: Install the sandbed first to your desired thickness and cut several PVC pipes (any size will do) so that they are about a half an inch to an inch shorter than the depth of your sandbed. Shove them in the sand all the way to the bottom around where the rock will be, then put in all the rock. The pipe pieces will keep the rock from sinking into the sand should somebody try to dig underneath. You could also put a bit of eggcrate over this, but if it gets exposed it won't look so hot. Give it a try, PVC is the cheapest stuff on earth!> Thanks for your help and for a great website! <Enjoy, and keep reading! -Kevin- > -Mike Gorman The New 125.. Hope your evening is going well.<It's morning now, but yesterday night was good. Thanks!> I am getting ready to setup my 125 gallon tank again. It has been torn down for the last 5 months to build a new stand/canopy and let it dry out to kill off any remaining ich.<Robert Frost once wrote about the road less traveled. You took that road my friend. All you needed to do was run the tank fish-free for one month. No need to take down the tank.> I bought a porcupine puffer after all my fish died from the ich outbreak, and got an ozonizer with redox controller. The puffer lived in my 20L QT tank (about time I set one up) for about a month, when it was time to put him in the 125, I decided it should probably sit dry for awhile to be sure.<OK, even for a little while a 20g is rather small for a puffer.> In the mean time I thought it would be a good time to build a new stand and canopy...that was in January, the stand is almost done LOL. So the poor puffer has been living in the 20L QT for the last 6 months, he gets bi weekly water changes, has about 300 gph of water movement from a Duetto, sponge filter with air pump, and small mini jet in the opposite corner, he seems very healthy these days and I have had no problems with water quality.<Glad to hear that he will be in the 125 soon.> Onto the question. I would like to filter my tank using a DSB, LR, sump/refugium, and a large pump for good water movement (hopefully 1000+ gph using 3, 1.5" bulkheads or 2, 2"). The tank will eventually house the porcupine puffer, a juv. emperor angel, 2 small goatfish (10" species, red/yellow I believe my fish list is on my other pc), and I would now like to add 2 larger species of jaw fish as well. Will this be enough to stir the sand? <I'd have sea stars, crabs, etc to help out.> Is there any other critters I can add to the tank to help keep my sand bed maintenance free? <Check out "clean-up crews" on the Dr. Foster/Smith website. Something along the lines of this would be great.> Hopefully the puffer won't eat the Jawfish. <I doubt... maybe not right away, but the Jawfish will become a snack for the puffer shortly.> Is this filtration ok? <Looks good> I plan to use a AquaC EV skimmer, 100lbs of LR, a 5-6" DSB, and the refugium as filtration. I know the tank is too small for the puffer and angel in the long term, in the next 5 years I plan to have a 250 gallon to move them all to. <OK, glad to see you're making a plan for the future!> Thanks in advance! <No problem!> Mark <Phil> Extensive Marina Set-up >Hi, >>Hello Patrick, Marina here. >First of all, thanks. I just started reading WetWebMedia.com and wetwebphoto this past weekend and you guys are a real blessing. I am however overloaded. I cannot make any decisions. Below is a long message I sent to someone yesterday who offered advice. I don't actually know him yet. I thought about trying to shorten it up but I wrote it fast and furious and if I change it you might not get the same picture. I should never need to go this long again. I am learning at a thousand miles an hour and once I actually hit pavement I think I'll learn to steer. You already have a loyal friend. I plan to contribute to the forums as soon as possible. As a relative newbie I will focus on being able to answer these same questions tomorrow that I am asking today. I may even suggest a new forum or two while I am making this big jump. There may be sort a "big picture" gap for people like me. Then again, it might be right there in front of me. BTW, the commercial modesty of your site is impressive. I am actually stumped on how to buy things directly from you. I am driving to Houston today to buy your books but I want to learn how to give you guys maximum credit when I start buying the big stuff. Don't hold back. If you have your own reasons for steering me towards retailers or manufacturers that may charge a little more, that's OK. I'd rather spend 10% more on something than buy two and have one in the closet anyway. All I seem to be doing is making this longer so I'll stop. Once again, my apologies for going so long. If I keep this hobby for fifty more years I will always remember you for getting me past this very frustrating hold point. >Hey, thanks. I have been reading and reading on line and there are just so many different ways to do things. I just bought a used 135 gallon long tank that's drilled and pretty much ready to go. We left water in the sump (bad idea) and it cracked open on the way home so I decided to stop and think since I will have to cycle either way. It's a nice Amiracle wet/dry with Bio Balls, but I am leaning more toward replacing it with a Tidepool II because they seem to be so versatile and practical. They also look ideal for a refugium if I go that route in the future. >>Go with a 'fuge, you'll be happy you did. >I have decided that I want to create the most complete ecosystem possible. I've read enough in the forums, etc. that there are two mistakes that I do not plan to make, actually three. I will follow directions for curing live rock or sand. I will buy an RO unit. And finally, I will set up and use a quarantine tank. >>Bravo! >Actually it will be more like a sister tank that I can isolate quickly. I have a 55 gallon tank with stand from Wal Mart that doesn't look half bad and can sit very close to the 135. Everything will be against an interior wall and close enough to my back door that water changes will be very easy. There will be little or no direct sunlight, a concrete slab floor, etc. I will eventually get a skimmer with an ozonizer. >>Ozonizer isn't as necessary as a skimmer (though in a well-balanced system with sufficient DSB--deep sand bed--a skimmer may not only not be necessary, but could even remove the micro-schtuff you've grown in the 'fuge), generally, I recommend skimming. Have never used ozonizers or UV sterilizers, don't find them necessary in a balanced system. >It looks like it's wise to wait until my first stage is complete before use, so I will plan to get the best I can possibly afford. Here is a list of things I hope to do. I have no idea yet what fish I will want. >>That's your first, and quite necessary, task, to decide on what you will be keeping, and allowing for adult size and behavior when stocking. >I will try to be patient enough to let each stage settle and become stable before I worry too much about that: 1) Live sand bed that's deep enough for all beneficial bacteria. I know I need to reach a certain oxygen level but don't know how to test or monitor that. >>Just use a sugar fine aragonite or similar calcareous sand, at a depth minimum of 4", though in your tank I'd go with 6" (in case you wish to keep any fish that may like to dig). >I also want the greatest possible variety of organisms to flourish in it. Unless it kills or hurts other things, it stays. I don't care if it looks like a pile of snot. Sorry, I was trying to steer clear of other examples and that just sort of came out... 2) Live rock and plenty of it - probably the most risky goal in the whole plan. I have much to learn here, especially about curing and hitch hikers. I also have to have a tendency to move uncontrollably for about 2-300 milliseconds when things sting my fingers. At a little over two hundred pounds that's enough time for some damage. Pictures....gotta find pictures of those little nasties. 3) Anenome (I can't even spell it yet) and fish interaction because I think it's one of the most beautiful things in nature, without a doubt. I think I can hold an image in my mind of a fish floating in that soft floating pillow of color longer than anything else. That will be a big day for me. >>And, since you have read so much of the site, I'm sure you're aware that it will be one of the most difficult endeavors, best left til when you're experienced enough. >4) Easy temperature control and low energy lighting. I definitely don't want Metal Halides. I spent a small fortune on 10 watt screw in bulbs for most of the house and this is, after all, South Texas. The AC is less than one year old (works very, very well) and I've got a programmable thermostat. I'm hoping that the 74 (when at home) and 85 (when at work) settings can stay. I will probably set a one hour mid day cool cycle to round off the peak temp. when it gets really hot. I did get two 430 icecap ballasts and 4 sets of end caps and a harness with the new tank but they weren't installed. I even got three bulbs (he'd broken one) but they are 4' long so I may run these until they need to be replaced then remount for 6' bulbs. Basically I want my lighting to fall within that 4 bulb range plus one or two standard fluorescents if needed. They will still be fairly hot, I know, but 350 watts of MH is probably another 1000 watts of AC plus a less stable temp. >>Don't rule out power compacts, either.<< >Not worth it unless I have to. I really, really want to avoid a chiller. >5) Easy learning curve or at least a good enough safety margin to recognize problems and have time to learn what to do. There is certainly plenty of advice out there if I know what to ask. >>Oh! There *are* those who would argue that this is the last thing one should undertake if what they want is an easy learning curve..LOL!<< I suppose it all depends upon the learner, eh? >6) As few artificial additives as possible. I know that some will always be needed. 7) Reasonably simple feeding. I will feed some live food if I have to but would rather keep aggressiveness under control. I'll just have to get a little closer to the tank to observe and enjoy the hunting skills of my friends. 8) The biggest one of all. I want to be able to work in clear stages with clear indicators that it's OK to move on to the next stage. I want to maximize the benefits of patience. This will also allow me the time to buy the best hardware needed to move on, such as a skimmer, ozonizer, RO, etc. one at a time instead of having to budget each one and buy everything at one time. I plan on starting out with about 4" of Southdown sand seeded with around 20 to 30 pounds of live sand from the best possible source. I need to learn how to create a plenum in the DSB and if I even need to. >>Lose the plenum (they're a bit of work) and go w/DSB. I will need to have a sump up and running if for no other reason than to fill the holes in the tank. The Tidepool also looks good because I think I can simply leave the wheel out if I need to keep the nutrients high at any given point. I'm thinking that I could submerge it in the sump under water to establish a colony but with lower activity. If I need more or less, I'll move it back and forth to it's proper location. I'm going to contact Marineland to see if this is a good idea. I may try to include some live rock from the start but only if I can get a pretty good idea what to expect as a bioload. >>I am sorry, but I'm becoming a bit confused at this point.<< >Since the sand will create a low load at first that will grow, having rock with a high load at first that will fall seems like a good plan. >>I don't think you understand the processes at work here. Nothing can grow (the bacteria you wish to culture, especially those that make a DSB useful) without its food. The sand itself is not food, it is a home. The liverock will only create nutrient spikes during curing, because of death and necrosis, not because it is a bioload. Live rock is a very useful filter, providing both nitrification *and* denitrification (with good quality l/r). Therefore, whatever bioload it offers, it easily handles on its own. Set up the tank with a 6" DSB, skim it, use 1-2lbs of good live rock, set it up with whatever filtration you wish to use (yes, via the sump or refugium) and toss in a few pieces of shrimp to start the cycle (once your l/r is cured, and in the display, of course). The big question is how much of each and will I be able to detect a problem early enough to take action. I also have not figured out how to provide nutrition to the sand and rock without fish and leftover food. Should be easy enough to find out except that what will probably happen is I will find out more than I need to know and stray from the plan...again. Maybe if I read with just my left eye... >>I'm sorry, but you're making too much out of this. First, decide what fish you want. Do you want fish only now, or do you want invertebrates as well? Since the heat of the lights are an issue, I say leave alone the idea of growing photosynthetic animals that require high, intense light, like SPS (small polyp stony) corals. If you *do* want invertebrates, decide on which ones first, acquire them first. That will help make your decision on fish easier. >I may do all of this without any pre-curing of rock or sand since it will be a new cycle anyway. All steps for curing such as salinity, temp., darkness, etc. should be possible in the tank if the only fish in there are quite hardy, and there may not be any anyway. >>What? I thought you said that you were aware of the curing process AND quarantine?<< >The only drawback I can foresee will be the expense of water changes, so I may simply leave the water level low. Two concerns I have there are 1) creating a bathtub ring on the glass - will it come off after a month or two...can I rinse it down with a little fresh water every day ...or should I just fill the tank up..., and 2) the fact that I will have to improvise a way to get water over the edge of the overflow. A submersible pump should work fine as long as I don't accidentally drain the tank. I may just drill a few inconspicuous holes lower in the overflow box and reseal again later. Whew... >>Whew is right, hun. Didn't you say that water changes *weren't* going to be a problem?<< >Once I have everything stable I will have to decide if I want to continue adding rock, but by then I will have seen the process and should be able to make intelligent decisions. >>Again, you're complicating the issue here. Save your money and get your l/r all at once, cure it all together, in trash cans. Use a skimmer and plan on large, copious water changes. Keep it *very* well circulated. If you have good l/r, then don't worry about BUYING live sand, let them cohabitat and *make* your sand live! Once the rock is cured, set up the display and toss in that shrimp I mentioned.<< >I will also consider adding some fish but by that time I need to learn the limitations created by any fish I may add. I don't ever want to regret having a particular fish although I'm sure that's inevitable. You gotta pick something or you get nothing, right? >>You've definitely painted yourself into a corner here, by my take.<< >I'm breaking something of a golden rule by attempting all this without more experience, I know. >>There's only one way to GET experience in the first place that I know of. Get yourself the books before you do anything further (sorry, the latest isn't available yet, but soon), be sure to also pick up Martin Moe, Jr.'s book, "The Marine Aquarium Handbook". It will answer SO MANY of these questions you've gotten all bound up with.<< >I do listen well to good advice and I can be patient if I work at it. Crashing the tank should be scary enough to keep me in line. If I do get tempted to move too fast I'll just go to the emergency forum at wetwebfotos.com and read about some of the folks who are watching things fail and die. I've already noticed that when it's all said and done, most of the time they knew they were making a bad decision when they made it. That will wise me up real quick. It's sad but true that there is much to be learned in other people's misery. Sorry to go so long. I guess I'm writing this to myself as much as to you. The perspective of telling someone else the foundations of my plan has helped me put many things in order in my head that I wasn't able to keep track of otherwise. >>For this reason I often find putting it down on paper (or inconveniencing the odd electron) is of TERRIFIC help. Including sketching things out, if need be.<< >The amount of information available at the click of the mouse makes it very difficult to focus on making one decision at a time and sticking to it. >>Therein lies the root of your problem. You see, any bozo can post anything he wants on the world wide web. Start looking to hardcopy for your information, you will QUICKLY learn the difference. >I have gone through several notebooks and countless 3"x5" cards trying to make lists of stuff to buy, favorite fish, recipes, and so on. If they all blew out the window right now I wouldn't be losing a thing. None of it makes any sense. I'd also love to get some honest feedback on the following hardware - which ones to buy and with what add-ons. I am not the least bit afraid of DIY stuff either, especially since you can often tweak things to your needs better when you build it yourself. >>First things first, decide what you want to keep in your system. This will require initial research; learn the requirements and success rates of captivity for the specimens you're interested in, then go from there. See http://www.fishbase.org and also peruse the species on our site.<< >1) RO units - need to make this decision pretty soon unless I start with tap water. I can stage 100 gallons at a time right now in the other aquarium. I can also produce about 15 gallons a day with our small still at work but really need to limit that. There's nothing terribly wrong with taking the water home but it does increase the wear on the still and it may be considered to be inappropriate use by others. >>Test your tap, it might be perfectly fine to use. Mine's quite hard, but VERY clean, deep well water--zero readings on things such as nitrates, phosphorous, and many other parameters measured for potable water.<< >2) Sumps - kind of stuck on the Tidepool, but what if the Bio Wheel is something of a gimmick? >>If you invest in sufficient live rock and utilize a DSB of proper depth (gonna push 6" here) you won't need the biological filtration the BioWheel would otherwise provide.<< >3) Skimmers and ozonizers - serious cost decision, can easily spend a thousand bucks here, can't really afford that unless it is just that important to have the best. >>Skimmer only, and something like a HOT (hang on tank) type is acceptable, although I cannot recommend sizes for particular brands here. AquaC and CPR both make decent products, they're sponsors as well, IIRC. >4) Bio Wheel pros and cons, bottom line - does it work as well as they say? Do they work so well as to starve a refugium in the sump? >>I have no idea. Very, very doubtful. Still, money's better spent on the 'fuge.<< >5) UV Sterilizers - avoid? Use only part time? Use full time? Use only under certain circumstances? Power/wattage? Brand? >>Avoid all those worries by just avoiding these devices. They're only really necessary in systems with stressful conditions where parasites and other pathogens take hold. Not an issue in a healthy system. >6) Who makes the quietest and most reliable air pumps? I am jinxed at finding even a hint to answer that question. Either I can't find it or I get distracted while looking by something that "seems" more important. I have a 100 gallon and the aforementioned 55 gallon tank in my bedroom with relatively good pumps. They are still twice as loud as anything else. >>What's the airpump for? Eheim, I'm sure, makes a quality product. >Someone out there probably makes a killer pump that's quiet and doesn't walk to the nearest harmonic amplifier. And it probably doesn't even cost much...must find answer...must find answer...must find answer... >Wow, this is getting too long. Sorry again. Any advice I get about anything is great. Don't be bashful either. Bold statements about my bad ideas would actually make me feel human again. Right now I feel like a broken CD-R disk. Tons and tons of data that's useless. We can read and read but nothing is as valuable as someone speaking or writing directly to us. It is different. Even if you choose to put less value on the information than intended by the sender it stays there anyway, ready to be useful if the big picture changes. If only we could remember everything we read as well as we remember the words, and feelings of friends... imagine what we could do. >>Slow down, Pat, simplify everything. Then, take it ONLY one step at a time.<< >>1: What do you want to keep? This will make MANY of the next decisions for you, my friend, such as lighting, filtration, et al. >>2: Do research the animals you're interested in BEFORE acquiring a single one. >>3: I don't know of any system that would not do better for having good amounts of good quality live rock, and a good DSB. You can create a DSB in both the display, and the refugium. I say there's no such thing as overkill with these things (allowing some swimming/viewing space, of course). >>4: Remember, your ONE constraint is the tank you already have. Use that when making your decision on what to keep. Once you have "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" and Moe's book, you'll have an easier time of sorting through everything. >>:5 Buy those books, and then buy MORE! Nothing, absolutely NOTHING replaces a library of hardcopy information. >>Best of luck to you Pat! Marina>> FO to reef I have a 75 gal saltwater tank with 112 lbs of live rock. the live Fiji rock was un cured so I'm using it to cycle my tank. I have 3 maxi jet 1200s and a sea clone protein skimmer also with another maxi jet 1200, and at least a 3" sand bed. I really want to have a reef tank and I've been researching some corals, but until I can afford the lights I'm going to start getting reef safe fish.<I would upgrade this skimmer, I like the remora pros by AquaC.> how many fish or inches do you recommend? I would like a hippo tang , a maroon clown fish, maybe some cardinal fish, but I also want to have crabs, shrimp, and maybe a star fish. is there any you recommend? compatibility with the idea and range of things I wish to have. <Just make sure to get fish that will not outgrow the tank and to always under stock. It is also a good idea to have a set stocking plan and stick to it. The hippo tang will outgrow this system, so unless you are planning on a bigger tank down the road I would leave him out. All others that you have listed should be fine. I like the smaller wrasses for reef systems. Cody> thanks for the help Plumbing Return and Drain Have a Iwaki MD70rlt which 1"mpt intake with 3/4 id hole and a 1" mpt with about 5/8 on the discharge. How big of pvc return do you recommend on a single return line to a 120 gal tank. <Depends on head height. I would use 1.25" on both, perhaps 1.5" for the return. Also the pump should return about 1250+ gph at my head. I have a durso 1.25 standpipe with 1.5 drain or should I use 1.5 durso with the 1.5 drain to sump . What do you recommend? <The "Durso" portion is a vent, it can be any size that will replace air. I would use the largest drain possible on this set-up (1.5") and a Durso size that fits your overflow box(es) best, it can be 1.25" no problem. Make sure to install a valve between the pump and tank to control flow as needed. Craig> AGA corner box slots with DSB Craig, It is not a good idea to cover the inflow slits in the AGA tank it will change the water flow. The best way to fix this is to get the front part of the corner overflow from AGA cut out a part 7' tall and place it in front of slits keep it 3/8 away put black silicone on the sides and the bottom then the water flow over the top down to the slits this will allso keep the sand out I have you this many times over the years. RGibson <Thanks for the help Ralph! This is a good suggestion. The way I saw it, closing them just made the overflows like any other. Thank you for the suggestion, I'll post it so everyone benefits! Craig> Plumbing size Hi guys. I have searched the articles and FAQ in an effort to find an answer to my question, with no luck. So, if this has been asked an answered I apologize. I have a new 110 gallon tank that will be all salt water fish. My question is related to plumbing. I need to return water from my wet dry sump. I am planning on purchasing a Little Giant 4-MDQX-SC, which is rated at 1180 gph at 4 feet. The height of my return holes is approximately 5.5 feet. <Measure head from top of sump/filter water level to top lip of main tank.> The pump is not designed for pressure returns. Considering I have two return holes I need to spilt the return in some fashion. I plan to plumb the entire system with 1" (inner diameter) tubing probably ridged PVC. I have read the a T provides problems for pumps not designed for pressure. My question: Should I purchase a pump designed to handle pressure or is there a way to split the returns with something more efficient than a T? Thank you very much, Greg <You can use a larger manifold of 1.25-2" pipe and then run Tee's off of this main line to feed return to avoid as much loss as possible. Do size pump specifically to your head height, pipe size, flow rate, etc. before you buy. Make good use of the various flow charts, noise levels and power use info. There is much more at WetWebMedia.com Marine Set-ups. Craig Tolstoy channeled 5/5/03 Dear Wet Web Media Crew, <Cheers> After reading several of your books (Conscientious Marine Aquarist, Book of Coral Propagation, Reef Invertebrates: An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility ~ pre-ordered) and spending considerable time reading through the articles and inquires posted on your website, I feel that both I and my prospective charges would benefit immensely from your shared knowledge and experience. <OK :) > I am writing to you in hopes that you can share your experiences concerning fish behavior and comparability, thus enabling the selection of appropriate organisms. Although this will be my first marine tank, I have spent much time planning and furthering my edification on this subject, both independently and collectively. <admirable indeed... but do take time to enjoy it as a hobby <G>> Please forgive the length of this inquiry as I have no wish to monopolize your time, but I strongly believe in investigating thoroughly any organism for consideration prior to purchase and lifelong commitment. <I am impressed and staggered by the length of this query... onward!> Below I have listed equipment purchased and desired livestock; currently the tank sits empty (last fall construction began on a new residence which will be finished by the middle of May). All electrical tank equipment is on a back up generator which functions automatically within less than 7 seconds in the event of a power failure. Presently I attend college and will begin my doctorate study in psychology next spring. <ahhh... that explains the length of your dissertation...er... I mean, query <G>> Propelled by childhood fascination and reverence for the inherent complexity of ocean life, I remain anxious to expand my knowledge beyond the written word and put theory into practice. <er...OK. Do you mean you want to own a fish tank? Heehee... I do believe I have found an aquarist longer winded than I am> Should you foresee any potential problems or areas for concern not specifically addressed in the questions concluding this communication, please make note, as I prefer to err on the side of caution. <very good then... for this hobby, your future clinical patients, and life... use less words and listen more :) [you asked] > Again, thank you for your time and assisted effort in the creation of a sustainable and humane ecosystem. I eagerly await your response. Sincerely, Diana Small <and thank you my friend for tolerating (I hope) my sarcasm and so-called wit... onward still...> EQUIPMENT: * Tank: 540 gal Oceanic Reef Ready glass tank (length = 96 in. x depth = 36 in. x height = 37.5 in.) with stand and canopy * Filtration: 300 gal acrylic sump; Dolphin 3000 for closed loop; (2) SCWD ~ closed loop; (2) Dolphin 4700 (low RPM); Euro-Reef CS12-4 ext skimmer; Chemical module; Custom Sea Life 1 HP chiller; Precision Marine 622 calcium reactor; Premium CO2 regulator; (2) 1000W LCD titanium heaters <excellent hardware> * Controller: Aquacontroller Pro with backlight; various probes (pro temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, lab grade pH, lab grade ORP); X10 appliance models (6); AquaNotes software; Control interface module; PC cable <hmmm... do you need a pool boy (sans speedos)? I can affect any foreign accent you might like... am impressed by the extent/$ of your investment <G>> * Water filtration: Normeaster 100 GPD RO/DI; Solenoid float valve; Flush valve kit; Liter meter doser; Litre meter top-off module; Water Xchange module * Lighting (main tank): (2) 400 W dual ballasts; (4) 12" reflectors; (4) 400W 6500K Iwasaki; (2) Icecap 660; (8) VHO actinic bulbs; (4) Reflectors; (2) Solar 750 dimmers * (4) Refugia (all contain live rock): (a) Coral grow out; (b and c) Amphipods; copepods, et. al. (calcareous substrate); (d) mysis (mud and sea grass substitute) * Phytoplankton / rotifer culture station <now that is truly impressive> * Aquascaping: 600 lbs. Premium hand-picked Fiji live rock (distributed among the main tank and various refugia); Caribbean oolitic aragonite (5? 6 in. deep sand bed); <deeper the better> Tropic Marin salt _ The tank will include numerous sand zones, considerable unobstructed swimming room, towering structures (large pieces of rock (height = 30 in. x circumference = 12 in.), caves, ledges and overhangs. The eventual height of coral will be taken into consideration when aquascaping to preserve the integrity of the rockwork (i.e., not a typical reef tank with a mountain of rock with as many corals as humanly possible). LIVESTOCK: Acquired specimens would be in excellent health and subject to quarantine; multiples of the same species would be added simultaneously, others only after the tank had matured (A. rainfordi, M. meleagris, S. picturatus) and others only after considerable experience (T. musica, T. faulkneri). 1. (1) Powder blue surgeon (Acanthurus leucosternon) 2. (1) Copperbanded butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) 3. (1) Conspicuous angelfish (Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus) 4. (2) Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) ~ mated pair 5. (1) Candy Basslet (Liopropoma swalesi) 6. (3) Royal gramma (Gramma loreto) ~ harem 7. (2) Bluespotted Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) ~ mated pair 8. (1) Sixline wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) 9. (3) Leopard wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris) ~ harem 10. (2) Rainford's goby (Amblygobius rainfordi) ~ mated pair 11. (8) Sharknose goby (Gobiosoma evelynae) 12. (2) Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) ~ mated pair 13. (13) Threadfin (Nemanthias carberryi) OR Flame (Pseudanthias ignitus) OR Dispar (Pseudanthias dispar) anthias ~ harem 14. (5) Green Chromis (Chromis virdis) 15. (4) Yellow assessor (Assessor flavissimus) ~ harem 16. (2) Spotted mandarinfish (Synchiropus picturatus) ~ mated pair 1. Green star (Pachyclavularia violacea) 2. Glove (Clavularia spp.) 3. Pulse (Anthelia spp.) 4. Blue xenia (Cespitularia spp.) 5. Organ-pipe (Tubipora musica) 6. Birds nest (Seriatopora hystrix) 7. Staghorn (Acropora formosa) 8. Cream colored with colored tips (Acropora spp.) 9. Orange cup (Tubastrea faulkneri) 1. (4) Skunk cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) 2. (6) Fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius) 3. (25) Peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) 1. (25) Red-legged hermit crab (Paguristes cadenati) 2. (25) Blue-legged hermit crab (Clibanarius tricolor) 1. Assorted snails (Astraea, Stomatella, Cerith, Nassarius spp., et. al.) 1. (1-2) Variable giant clam (Tridacna maxima) 2. (2-3) Boring giant clam (Tridacna crocea) 1. Macroalgae (Halimeda spp.) QUESTIONS: 1. Would the conspicuous angelfish present any compatibility problems with intended livestock (especially corals, clams, shrimp); <yes... likely. And its presence as an adult will be intimidating for many of the smaller fishes (fearful to feed... some suffrage possible)> I am willing to accept occasional sampling and natural curiosity but wish to avoid outright predation and destruction. <no guarantees... but this is not just a "nippy" fish... reef inverts are outright natural food> Additionally, although I recognize that each fish is an individual, I would be grateful for any specific information regarding habitat preference, nutritional requirements, difficulty in keeping, and any further information you consider relevant to success. <er...OK> 2. Conflicting reports as to the behavior exhibited by the sixline wrasse has raised concern as to whether this animal can be safely introduced. <feisty would earn understatement of the year> Many cite instances where this fish has shown extreme aggression (sometimes increasing with age) and constant harassment towards other fish (i.e., preventing them from feeding and resulting in their eventual demise); conversely, others believe it to be peaceful and shy. <agreed with the former from extensive experience with this fish (which I do love). Your inclination to keep like-bodied fishes (Firefish, gobies) is further temptation. I'd omit the six-line> Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated. I am especially interested in the threat they pose towards ornamental shrimp as I absolutely adore shrimp and would be greatly distressed at their gradual extermination. <the shrimp are a whole different problem altogether... Lysmata are somewhat to very risky with many cnidarians and especially bivalves/Tridacnid clams> 3. With regard to anthias, I have found little information specific to either the Threadfin or Flame and was wondering whether you had either direct or second hand experience with these fish and could thus make some recommendations as to which species would acclimate more readily to captive conditions. <I honestly have concern with them being intimidated or outcompeted by more aggressive feeding fishes. I favor Anthias in nearly monospecific displays with frequent feedings (your plankton reactors would do the trick nicely)> Should you determine the Threadfin and Flame inappropriate selections, perhaps you could comment on the suitability of the Dispar or suggest an alternate non-aggressive, relatively small species. <have you looked at Hawaiian Bartlett's anthias? They are a little more "rough and tumble" in mixed community tanks> 4. Do you feel there will be enough microfauna and benthic organisms present to support the desired livestock, specifically those with strict dietary requirements (A. rainfordi, M. meleagris, S. picturatus). <no way to tell at this point... helpful if you resist stocking the tank with any fishes for the first 4 months... and quite slow after that to allow microfauna to establish. Many European aquarists have the discipline to wait a year or more... and they have some magnificent displays> 5. Lastly, do you foresee compatibility problems (destruction of corals, clams, shrimp) with the inclusion of Potters angelfish (Centropyge potteri), as trapping and removing small fish after the tank is established would prove exceedingly difficult and disruptive. <a relatively well-behaved dwarf angel although dubious as to its viability (many have to die on import to get you one live one... rather unsavory/un-conscientious... would advise other Centropyge like Multi-color that are hardier and handled better for high-ticket value). Best regards, Anthony> Moving (a marine system, livestock) Hello, Happy weekend to all: <Howdy, thanks> We are moving Wednesday May 7th. We have a thirty gallon SW tank with fish only and some inverts. We are only moving about five minutes up the road. What do you suggest for the most stress-free way to move everyone? (not us the fish;) Thanks, Christy <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm and the "Related FAQs" (linked, at top, in blue)... then develop your own moving checklist and game plan. Bob Fenner> Re: New tank well cool i have mixed some Arag alive with it and i have checked the ph it is pretty much staying at 8.3 and something else there is so much on the net about what to do with a new tank i must ask someone that i trust do i add some fish to the tank to help it get more ammonia then nitrite to nitrate or do i just wait it out and let it do it on its own because i don't want to kill a fish or introduce it to nasty water that has no biological establishment i am just wondering what to do and if u could give me some guidance it would be very appreciated i have kept African cichlids for over a year and half and have had great things happen like spawning of the red zebra and well i thought i like salt water so much i would try it i am new to this department (salt water) about the tank it is a 30 gallon long and the ph is 8.3 the spec gravity is 1.023 and the temp is 78 just give me some insight on what to do and thanks <The best thing to do would be to add some live rock. The LR would cycle the tank without having to add fish. It also benefits the tank in many other ways such as acting as a natural filter or introducing all different kinds of creatures to the tank. If you don't use live rock you can add a damsel to cycle the tank then return the damsel after all the water parameters hit zero. After your water is good you can start stocking the tank. You can find a ton of info at www.wetwebmedia.com on this and much more. Cody> Big tank, low budget Hi: <Howdy!> I'll move to a bigger place, and I'll be able to purchase a bigger tank, I'd like you to tell me which is the perfect set up for me, I'd like a 300l tank and my budget is of 1000dls? <This is too broad of question for me to answer here but you can find just about everything you need to know at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm Cody.> My Acrylic Aquarium Greetings Wet Web Crew. Construction is
finally complete on my 825 gallon aquarium 112Lx38Wx44H. As Bob
predicted, 1" acrylic proved to be under designed with almost
3/4" deflection across front panel. Wish I had found
your site sooner. Structurally appears sound, visual distortion will be
minimized by tank built into wall (front view only).
<Good> I am currently in the thick of filtration and lighting
design plans and am hoping to get some feedback. I've spent the
last several months pouring through FAQs and have learned a great
deal. <Again, good to see/hear> Aquarium will be a
FOWLR set-up. DSB: Have already ordered a pallet (2800 lbs)
of Southdown sand from a Home Depot outside of Milwaukee
WI. Plan to use a 6" bed. <"Keep
rinsing"!> Live Rock: I'm planning to make a
serious investment in Fiji live rock. I am working with the
assumption that I should fill approximately a quarter to a third of the
volume of the tank with rock - somewhere around 1200 lbs (does this
sound like a reasonable estimate?). <Mmm, I's start with about
half this amount and see how you like the look... have it start curing
(likely in place)> Including shipping to Minneapolis, Live Rock will
be approximately $3.30/lb and base rock approximately
$2.20/lb. Any recommendations on how to split
this? All live rock? 50%LR /
50%BR? <About half and half with the live on
top> I don't plan to push the limits on bio-load for this
set-up. With this amount of LR, do I still need to
incorporate additional external bio filtration? <Probably not>
Frequent power-outages each spring would cause me to rule out a
fluidized sand filter, would probably opt for w/d. Should I
also be considering some form of external mechanical filtration?
<Yes> Protein Skimmer: I have been looking at the
AquaC EV-2000 (rated at 1,200 gph). Will this be adequate
for this set-up? <We'll see. Good choice to try>
Are there other skimmers for this size set-up that would be
a better choice? <Maybe a EuroReef or two>
Refugium: Plan to use 2 150 gal Rubbermaid tubs with 6"
DSB using a single 400W MH to serve both. Will stock with a
small amount of LR and use Macroalgae for nutrient export.
<I would opt for smaller compact fluorescent wattages or
T-5's> Sump: Still trying to decide whether I need a
separate sump or whether I can use the second Rubbermaid tub for this
purpose. <You can/could>
Lighting: Ideally, I would like to provide enough light to
maintain the coralline algae on the live rock. Given the
depth of my system, I assume I need MH lighting. Would 4 or
5 250w MH pendants suffice, or do I need 400W? <What do you intend
to keep and what do you want it to "do"? The smaller MH's
will be fine... but you can have one or two 400 watters for placing
over SPS, giant clams you want to boost physiologically> If lighting
requirements becomes prohibitive, are there serious implications to the
health of the system if the LR is starved for light (i.e. use standard
fluorescents for viewing purposes only)? <This won't happen>
Thanks much for your time and for sharing your expertise.
<You're welcome. Bob Fenner> In your debt, Steve Walker Some more questions on Marine Aquarium setup... Hi, I have a few more questions if you don't mind... <Fire away!> 1) Which marine aq. salt would you recommend? <I like Instant Ocean for it's consistence and proven track record> 2) How often should I change the water if I'll be keeping mainly clownfish and a few anemones? (I'll have v. good bio filtration and a protein skimmer) <I like weekly 10% water changes with aged seawater> 3) Any preferences with regards to the following CPR Backpack 2 vs. Biostar Flotor (both hang-on with wet/dry and skimmer combo)? <Have never used either myself, check here and beyond for more: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bestskmrSelfaqs.htm> 4) Finally, my last question is the setup... I currently have the following plan: Week1: setup aquarium: make sure water salinity is correct, add coral substrate and live rock. Run this for about 2 weeks. Then add a protein skimmer and about 4 clowns, 1 yellow tang and one palette tang (35g tank). Does that sound good or do I have to do any extra work? <I would run the skimmer from day 1. Rest is good, but you need to test for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate (or have a friend/LFS test for you). When all are 0 then the tank is cycled and you can add livestock> Anemones will not be added until the tank is stable for about 2-3 months. 5) One more... what exactly is curing live rock? Do I need to do it? <The rock will cure as the tank cycles. Luke, sorry to say, but you might want to research your livestock list a little further. Clowns can be aggressive and depending on the individuals may fight to the death. One to a tank unless they are a breeding pair. The tangs will quickly outgrow this tank and perish. In a 35, 4-5" max adult length on a fish. Anemones are difficult to keep even for experienced aquarists. This animal is like to die rather quickly. Don't mean to rain on your parade but this is the likely scenario.> huge, huge thanks. <You are welcome, Don> Luke RE: Overflow/skimmer boxes, biomedia Hi, thank you for your response, as always, very helpful... My comments are inclined below. <Well, over-the-side overflows tend to be more problematic, actually, in many cases, becuase they can break siphon at times, causing potential problems, or even disasters! Some of the better over-the-side overflows are the CPR units, as they are siphon "tubeless", and tend to be more reliable> I'm not sure I understand the problem... :-( The siphon ones seem to advertise themselves as being valve-less (whatever that means). What kind of disaster are you implying? <<Power outages stop the flow and can break the siphon. When the power comes back on it pumps water up to your tank which does not drain due to no siphon. This results in flooding wherever your tank is and problems with heaters or other equipment in the sump.> <Both are just fine, IMO. However, for maximum flexibility, you could remove the bioballs or other plastic media used in the "off-the-shelf" models. In fact, you could even build your own with an aquarium and some acrylic pieces for partitioning sections off for media, skimmers, etc. It may be a less expensive alternative, and there are lots of DIY sump plans out there on the 'net> Why would you recommend removing the bioballs? I thought that was the whole point (that the trickle filters are so superior), if I don't need them, should I skip the sump setup and just buy an overhang skimmer perhaps? <Bio wheels, bioballs, bio sponges, etc. all produce nitrates as a by product of nitrate which then build up in the system. We recommend live rock and deep sand beds for de-nitrification and cleaning sponges at least weekly. The sump holds the heater(s), skimmer, some LR or sand, and increases water volume....all good.> Thanks again, Luke <No problem, hope this helps with your concerns. Craig> Overflow and Sump set-up for FO Just want to say thanx for the previous help,, but have another question to ask. I have a 120 gal tank with internal overflow and single return, the bulkhead from below tank will flow into one sump with 1.25 pvc inline will be 2-45degree elbows a gate valve and union with a ball valve before the entrance of the wet/dry filter. <I suggest using valves, etc. on the return from the pump, not on the drain line. Use the valve to control return, not drain.> The wet/dry will be inline with a 15gal tank which will house my aqua-c skimmer with 700g sen pump recommended by aqua-c. <You may want to go with a larger sum to accomodate needed water volume in case of a power outage, etc. See WetWebMedia.com marine set-ups for suggestions.> Exiting the second sump I plan on having a md-30rlxt Iwaki for the single return back to tank with about 8-10 head with 3/4" pvc. Will this work for fish only.......... thanx for your help. <Depends on fish you wish to keep and the flow rate and filtration required for these fish. I suggest researching fish wish list at WWM.com and tailoring flow rate/filtration to these requirements. Much to learn! Hope this helps! Craig> Starting A SW Tank 4/22/03 I'm starting a saltwater tank<Welcome to this GREAT hobby!> and I would like to know what is required for equipment? <Please read here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm > I have a protein skimmer, tank all the basic stuff. Do I need a filter?<IMO, yes, please read the link above for more info. Phil> Marine Set-Up >Hi crew I need some advice as usual. >>Hello, Ciel, someone's here for you, as usual. ;) >I am going to setup 120gal tank. with a130 pounds of live rock. Also 50 pounds of base rock I hope this is a enough >>The 130lbs. alone is sufficient, but the addition of the base certainly won't hurt. >My first question is do I keep the lights on the tank while curing the rock in the tank. If so how many hours a day. >>No. >Do I run the skimmer during this time. >>Absolutely, cranked up full blast, if possible. Also, if this is rock direct from the source, plan on copious water changes along with this aggressive skimming. >Also I am setting up a plenum with 160 pounds Seaflor special grade reef sand and 29 pounds of GARF grunge. Is this amount ok? >>I'm not as familiar with plenum setups as I am with the DSB, so I can't tell you by *weight* whether or not it's sufficient. If I recollect correctly it's sand grain size as well as depth that is most important. Also, as I recollect, one has to ensure against mixing the substrata in order for the plenum to remain effective (with a bit of screen or some such). Here are some links to peruse http://www.wetwebmedia.com/livesand.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/denitrification_erfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/plenumfaq2.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/reeffilt.htm >>I do know that for a tank your size you'd want to use enough finely grained sand to give you a depth of 3"-4" for a DSB. I seem to recollect some articles on reefs.org, you can try the library there at http://www.reefs.org/library (also search Advanced Aquarist). >Plus with my old tank up and running for the pass 3 years is there a quicker way to cycle the new tank from the old. >>Sure is. If you can/need to seed the new substrate, your old tank is the best, most reliable, and quickest method by which to do so. Also, you have an added benefit, in that everything in there has been under *your* care, so you are most familiar with your own "stock" (the critters within the seed stock). >Thank you Ceil >>You're welcome, and good luck. Marina Ca Reactor or Chiller? Hello, I have a 125gal reef set up with 6+ watts per gal 200 lbs of rock and it has been set up for a year now and things are ok (growing) but I think that they could be better. My question is should I buy a calcium reactor or a chiller to better the stability of the tank? The temp ranges from 81 to 83 with a fan and I have a dosing pump for kh which is up and down around 9 to 11 with calcium 300 to 400. I am also set up with a direct feed r/o di unit for the top off water. What part do you feel should be more stable and at what temp do you feel is optimal for a good tank for all corals? Thanks for your help, Keith <It's really hard to specify an exact temperature that would be appropriate for all corals that we keep in captive systems. Rather, I'd research the needs of the specific animals that you intend to keep, and strive for an "average" temp that falls into their accepted range. I like 77 degrees F, myself, but again- there is no hard and fast rule here. Well, Keith, these are both important pieces of equipment that solve too very different problems. Assuming that you are keeping SPS or other calcium loving creatures, and kalkwasser dosing is a drag for you (and if alkalinity is a big problem...), then the calcium reactor is a good long-term addition to your system. A chiller, on the other hand, could literally save the lives of your animals. Excessively high temperatures have been implicated in the bleaching of corals, can result in lower oxygen levels in your system, and many other potential problems. The "substitute" methods of thermal control are just not accurate and reliable enough, in my opinion, whereas calcium and alkalinity concerns may be dealt with through careful application of kalkwasser and/or balanced two-part buffer solutions, etc. Both pieces of equipment are rather pricey, but there are a lot of DIY plans on the 'net for building your own calcium reactor. I don't know too many people who have built their own chillers...If it were me, and I had the financial resources to purchase one of them, I'd go for the chiller. I think that it is money well spent! Hope this helps? Regards, Scott F> - System Setup - Hello, <And hello to you, JasonC
here...> I currently have a 55g tank with a 15g sump. I
am wanting to plan for a 125 or 180g tank with a 55g sump. I
have heard a lot about Tunze and have seen you mention them on your
website. Would you recommend a Tunze Turbelle stream pump or
two and a Tunze protein skimmer? <For certain on the stream pumps,
but am not as familiar with the Tunze skimmers, have heard good things
about them, but not really too hip to their in-tank design - not sure
if there are others. For a 125 or 180 you might want to consider
something large-scale, like a Euro-Reef or Aqua-C.> If so, what
size? <Something slightly larger than rated for your system
size.> What size and/or kind of heating unit would you recommend?
<Well, you can do individual glass heaters in the sump, or if you
want a single, high-wattage unit, the Aquanetics Fire-Plug line work
very well.> I was also thinking about a solar 750 on some VHOs to
simulate daylight from dusk to dawn and possibly add a HQI or two. I
was looking at using a dolphin to take water from the sump to the tank,
but I don't know what size to use. <Again, something that fits
into your parameters... desired total turnover at the head-height of
your system.> The tank I was looking at was reef
ready. Is there anything I am missing? <Live rock...>
I plan on setting up my tank with life from the indo-pacific
region. Thanks for you help in advance. Daniel
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