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- New Tank Set-up - Hey Bob, James, Steve et al, Your answers on the site are great but I just need some clarification on a few things Since I am just starting out trying to get a 60 gallon FOWLR set up (nothing is running right now )- I need some help <No worries.> 1) I have a Fluval 304, a wet dry (AMiracle Maxi Reef 50 w/no bio balls) with an Eheim 1060 which I will be using for A large "sump" holding an Euro Reef CS61 skimmer and two power heads (not sure if I need these). <You can use them in your tank.> I plan to use the canister for mechanical and chemical filtration using Chemi Pure. Do I have enough filtration? <I think so, sure.> Would you recommend any changes? <Sounds fine.> 2) If use cured rock from an online seller do I still need to cure the rock and if so for how long. <Yes, for two to four weeks.> I am assuming there is no bad smell? <It will probably smell at some point - all rock is shipped dry to no matter how much it has been cured before you get it, you will need to cure it again.> I mean is it ready to go in a new tank? <Not with livestock... you can place directly in the tank, but don't add anything else until the rock has cured.> 3) If I use 50% percent base rock do I need to cure it with the purchased live rock or should I cure the base first and then add the purchased live rock. <Cure all at once.> Or vice versa. How long really does the curing process take. <Two to four weeks.> 4) Since it is a new tank if I do no 2 and/or no 3 do I still need to cycle the tank or do I accomplish this while the curing process takes place. <The process of curing the rock will establish your nitrogen cycle.> 5) I plan to use Carib Sea Fiji Live sand. When do I add this to the tank? During the curing process if necessary? <Add before you add water.> During the cycling process? <Will be fine.> I read somewhere that I should place the rock in the tank before adding the sand for stability. <That is an option, but adding the sand last will leave you with a cloudy mess. If you're worried about the stability of the rock work, use rings of PVC pipe to act as stands for the rock.> 6) Is 60 lbs of the Live Sand enough for a 60 gallon tank? <Yes.> I have read in the FAQs 4-6 ins but someone also said a half inch is OK. <Unless you are intentionally trying to create a deep sand bed, one inch of sand will be plenty.> Does it depend on whether I want a DSB or not? <Exactly.> 7) Last question - since I am placing my skimmer and the pump in the area where my bio balls would go in the wet dry , my sump will be empty. If I place some miracle mud in the sump and maybe a few little live rocks would that create a sort of pseudo refugium. <If you want to have a proper refugium, I strongly suggest you purchase a sump that is designed to be so... wet/dry filters just aren't designed to be refugiums.> I realize it will not be able to be a possible quarantine or place holder but does it ad any value? <Refugiums almost always add value.> Thanks again Adlai <Cheers, J -- > Bob: A few days back, I sent an email to you about my desire to start a new reef tank. Upon reading your book, I have a few nagging questions. I hope you don't mind spending a few minutes here. Filters: Your book does not particularly recommend specific combinations of the types of filtration options out there. For instance, you provide the merits and demerits of each type, but not what you consider as the optimal combination (without getting into brands). That would have been very helpful. I am currently considering the following combination of filters: a protein skimmer, an Eheim canister filter and live rock. <I would not include the canister filter for a reef tank. A fine product, I just would not use it for a reef tank.> Does this cover the spectrum of required filtration in a typical 75 gallon reef tank? (no wet/dry filters or undergravel filters) Skimmers: Would you consider the AquaMedic Turboflotor 1000 a better skimmer than the AquaC EV180 Series ? <I would pick the Aqua-C over the Turboflotor.> Canister Filter: Is the Electrical consumption rating on the Eheim Canister of 25W too much? <No, these are fairly small power consumption versus other canister filters and much smaller versus the other components of a reef tank; large external pumps, lighting, etc.> (I am looking at the "2226 professional Canister filter" ) Calcium Reactor (Knop) or Reverse Osmosis Unit : Which one is a better investment? <Both. If you can only afford one, I would get the RO now and use Kalkwasser with plans to add a Ca reactor in the future.> Thermometers: Are these a must have? <Of course!> Based on the system configuration below, can you provide an assessment of how many pumps I need? 1. 75 Gal Corner Bow front or Pentagon tank 2. 4 Powerheads - 2 ZooMed Powersweep 228s and 2 MaxiJet 1200s <Leave out all the powerheads and use a large external pump off of a sump with several outlet ports. I would use two external pumps rated at 750 gph each.> 3. Aqua C or Turboflotor protein Skimmer <See above.> 4. Eheim Canister Filter <See above.> 5. Calcium Reactor (KNOP) with CO2 bottle 6. Live rock with various organisms which needs vigorous water flow. Choice of Organisms : Do you think a Lionfish can co-exist with a Banggai Cardinalfish? <No> Feeding : Since the Lion Fishes should not be overfed, how do you make sure that it doesn't eat the food offered to other fishes which may have a more frequent feeding regimen? <The Lionfish will not eat Nori or small things like plankton or Mysis shrimp.> Lighting : Your book mentions the availability of new lighting systems. My naive question is, how can any of these be incorporated in my corner tank? <Lighting depends greatly on corals wanted. The easiest thing would be a metal halide pendant.> My corner tank will have a V shaped canopy - Do all these off the shelf lighting systems fit into any canopy type? <Many can be incorporated.> Thank you so much for you. <You are welcome. -Steven Pro> Temperature Recommendation Bob, <Steven Pro in this morning.> I'm currently running a 180 gallon fish-only, no live rock, saltwater tank. This tank has been up and running for a couple of years. I have a question about temperature recommendation. I live in Southern California where the summers are quite warm to hot and my house has no AC. I system does have a 1/2 HP chiller which works quite well. My question is : Is it better to run the tank at 82 to save electricity or should it run at 76 which is technically recommended? <82 is a tad too warm for me and 76 too cold. I would target 78-80.> How does the warmer temperature affect the fish in the tank? <The warmer the water, the lower the potential amount of dissolved oxygen among other things.> Does colder water help bring out the fish color? <Not that I have heard about.> Currently in the tank: Harlequin tusk Niger trigger Lunar wrasse 2 scissor-tail gobies Pearl goby Chain-link eel Eventually plan to pickup: Imperator angel Flame angel Maroon clown My wife and I are in debate about this issue. She states that this fish would be better at even warmer temperatures as tropical waters are usually 85-90. Why the recommended 76? <This is currently a hotly debated subject, so do not feel bad that you and your wife do not agree. I fall inline with those who believe that yes the reef's waters can get pretty hot, but an aquarium is not the ocean and certain compromises must be made. I prefer 78-80 for fish-only tanks and 80-82 for reef tanks.> Thanks, Craig <You are welcome. -Steven Pro> Live rock (marine set-up) Hello I have a couple quick questions, if you would be so kind as to answer. The first is how much live rock would it take to actually take a dent out of the nitrates in a 120gal primarily fish only tank? <A few tens of pounds> Second, I have a small puffer in the tank, is he going to consume pretty much all the life on the rock? <No> And last, on FFExpress website they state that you can put the live rock in water with 1.030 salt for a minute and mantis shrimps and bristle worms will come out. Is this true? Thanks <Not really. Please read through the set-up sections on our principal website. The TOC is here: http://www.WetWebMedia.com/marindind2.htm Bob Fenner> Re: New Tank Thank you. Once again, your advice has been invaluable to me. I was wondering about something... I turned off my protein skimmer for half a day and the entire tank cleared up perfectly. Everything is crystal clear now and I had the skimmer running on low before. I will be going out tomorrow and buying a new skimmer since my current one is obviously a piece of junk (Visi-Jet). I want to go purchase a little bit of live rock to help instigate some growth....I saved a spot for it between my filter inlet and my air bar, is this a good place? <Yes> My emperor filter is located to the left, my heater is in the middle and the protein skimmer is to the right? I hope this is close to being correct <No worries> Also, in a 55 gallon tank...is 400 GPH if filtration adequate? I have an Emperor 400 and was curious. <More would be better. The live rock will help> I know I ask a lot of questions but please know that I am really getting into this, I have 3 books now and I read your website every night for more information. My goal is to have a healthy, happy aquarium that I can display with pride and enjoy hour upon hour of enjoyment. After maybe a year or so with this 55, maybe I will move up to a 125 or something, who knows but it is people like you that keep our motivation going by helping us "fry" along in the early stages. <You're coming along swimmingly. Bob Fenner> Sincerely, Derrick S. Re: follow-up on new system questions Hi, Bob, hope you're doing well. I finally added 60# LR and think I may have goofed with the lights(2x96 pc, one daylight; one actinic. I started off with a 12 hr photoperiod and was very soon inundated with a fine brown algae (diatom?) <Likely... part of the whole natural process> scum all over the glass, sand and the beautiful new, cured rock. I just ordered 18 Trochus snails and 12 scarlet hermits. The guy I ordered from said I should cut the lights back to 4 hrs/day x 1 wk. and then increase by 1 hr/day each week back up to 12 hrs over 8 weeks and not worry about the algae beyond that. <A good, workable plan... if you don't have photosynthetic life you're trying to otherwise keep going> Do you agree or is there something else I should/could do in the meantime like test for phosphate? <Sure... and maybe silicate> It's a brand new system (guess that's obvious) My other parameters aren't clear because my Red Sea test kit is showing zero ammonia, but a light blue color for both nitrite and nitrate that doesn't match any of the colors on the card!!! <Mmm> Defective/inferior kit? <Maybe> On your site, you advise Hach or Salifert, but I haven't seen those on other sites or catalogues. <Check with etailers... many are listed on our Links Page: http://www.WetWebMedia.com/links.htm> Also , in one of your FAQs, I think you also said the dip-stick tests were adequate. Did I misunderstand that? <No misunderstanding. For most folks, these are accurate, precise enough> They sure would be simpler and less expensive. Hate to keep bugging you with such basic questions, but how does one know the tank is truly cycled if the rock was so well -cured that you don't get ammonia/nitrite spikes you can watch decline? <Just have to presume... can monitor nitrate accumulation, algal growth...> Last question for now: When I get a test kit that works and can be sure somehow that the tank is cycled awaiting your response on that), is there a strong argument on whether to start slowly adding some hardy corals vs. fish? <Not much of one w/o getting specific about which corals, which fishes> My goal is to have mostly soft, hardy corals, assorted snails, crabs, etc. and a pair of maroon clowns hopefully hosted by a Sarcophyton), 1-2 Banggai cardinals, and maybe a longnose hawk or a couple smaller fish ---all in a 46 with LR, CPR skimmer, an Eheim 2026, Maxi-jet 900, and the 2x96 PCs. Thanks in advance for your time/suggestions. P.S Really thought I was done, but would like to know what you think of the live sand activator/"grunge" products offered by GARF, or Indo-Pacific Sea Farms, or their coralline algae booster pegs? Better quit here, thanks for your patience! Al Tribe <Indo-Pacific is the real thing... Most folks don't need these adjuncts though. Bob Fenner> Need some advice (tank set-up, marine) Robert, I have checked
the FAQ's on your web site and I must admit that I am still a bit
confused. <You're not alone> I am kind of new at this so
forgive me if I bore you. <Hasn't happened yet... perhaps I AM
that simple> I have recently purchased a Perfecto corner pentagon
shaped 44 gal tank. I would like to set up a reef/fish tank. I will be
buying live sand and about 28-30 lbs of cured live rock. Once the tank
has cycled I would like to add a little coral and some fish, preferably
damsel and clown. <Okay> I have been doing some research and I
have decided that I would like to purchase equipment of good quality
that is not too noisy. I am on a tight budget so I can't spend too
much. The equipment that I am considering purchasing is as follows:
Prizm Skimmer (Item #: 195605)$75.65 Lifegard Fluidized Filter 300
(Item #: 911214)$59.95 Fluval MSF 404 Filter (Item #: 120032)$115.00
<Hmm, would skip the Prizm... not quiet or efficient... shop around
a bit more here... along with skipping on the fluidized bed filter
(unnecessary for your type system, what you have in mind), consider
getting/using either a hang-on combo like the BakPak units or even
going the sump route... a bunch on these ideas on the site... The
Fluval could be used, or its functions relegated to the sump, hang-on
unit... Would in any case add a couple of medium size power heads to
move the water about> I will be purchasing bottled RO de ionized
water in the beginning and later hope to purchase an RO unit. I know
that this tank is not ideal for coral and I will probably need to buy
better lighting. What do you think about the equipment that I plan to
buy and is there anything else that you can recommend? <We can,
could, will go further in the discussion here if you'd like... and
do posit your individual questions to our chatforum folks:
http://talk.wetwebfotos.com/ Be chatting, Bob Fenner> Thank you,
Robert Kathuria Tank Set-Up question I saw you name on "Wet Web Media" indicating that you are available to answer questions and I think I have a big one for you. Don't worry, I have done my own research so I am not asking my question blindly, but it might take a while for me to explain. <Okay> First of all, let me describe my newly acquired tank. The measurements on the inside of the tank (the glass is about 1/2" thick) are 35"L 30"H 14"D. This gives it about an 80 gallon volume. I know that it is difficult to work with such deep tanks and I am willing to work with the problems that come with having such a deep tank. However, since I have such a deep tank I thought that it might be a good opportunity to go after corals that most aquarists aren't able to accommodate (i.e. those that require low/little light, such as many soft corals like Slceronephthya and Siphonogorgia). <Maybe> As you probably know, these types of corals are extremely difficult to care for because of their dietary needs which mostly consists of Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Marine Snow, and Fish Feces. <Yes, very fine foods, variously described/known organic molecules> Marine Snow is probably the easiest of all of these to introduce into a marine tank (seeing as though I have not heard of any of the other three being available for purchase as "food" for corals). <The few folks who have had any modicum of success with these Neptheids have made their own> I have read of several methods to introduce these types of matter into a tank for consumption. One introduced by Dr. Walter Aden incorporated a refugium into his tank set up, allowing the algae grow promoting different zooplankton that feed on the algae and returning the water back into the aquarium. This sounds great and I have all of the info I need to set this up. <Ah, good> Other aquarist have reported that stirring up the bottom gravel with a glass rod kicks up detritus that is beneficial for many filter feeders. This is the design problem that I have, because doing this manually would require me to do this about four times a day, and I think even the most dedicated aquarists would find it difficult to do this all of the time. <I understand> I have came up with two design ideas that I thought might simulate this effect, but I am not familiar enough with either choose which one to use. The first is to use and undergravel type filter plate (reverse flow) and power heads. I would not be using as a means of filtration, since I already have a wet/dry filter, but to simply kick up the detritus about four times a day from the crushed coral at the bottom of my tank. I could set it on a timer to go off for about ten minutes four times a day. At first I thought that this would also help with the tank cleanliness, but then I thought about some things that I have read about undergravel filters and their tendency to clog. Most of the clogging occurs in down flow EFG's, but since I would be running the powerheads all of the time do you think there is a possibility that this set-up would cause a lot of maintenance? <Not really... and an idea worth investigating> The other idea I thought that I could incorporate is a method that many aquarists who opt for a tank setup with out substrate use for their tank methods. Many of these aquarists set up a pipe along the bottom back of the tank and pump water through it. The water exits through small drilled holes angled down at about 45 degrees to kick up any detritus into suspension. I thought that doing this four times a day for about 10 minutes would be good way to accomplish this as well, but do you think that would kick up enough? <Likely not... how would you measure (other than the bioassay of whether your alcyonaceans are alive or not) whether there was sufficient material in suspension?> I know this is a long e-mail, but like I said, I have already done my research on this topic and just need a little bit more help. Thank you for your time. Alejandro Ochoa <Much more to be found in a computer based search at a college library. BTW, the Ochoa's in San Diego were some of my chemistry students at the H.O. level years back, and their father a professor at SDSU. Bob Fenner> Tank Suggestions (set-up, stocking, life) Dear Bob, I enjoy both your book and your website a great deal. <Ah, great to read> I refer to both before making a FO system change or before buying a new specimen. Recently I broke down a 55g FW tank to start a reef. I think I've got it all figured out, but greatly appreciate it you would look over my setup and let me know if it seems to be missing something or has something I don't need! I want the tank to be a Soft and Hard Coral tank with anemones and small clams as well as shrimps and crabs with some fishes as well. <This is a lofty goal for such a small system... Would suggest starting slow, small specimens, no anemones...> Here is a list of the equipment I have bought for the tank, please let me know if I'm missing something! 4- Maxi Jet 900 powerheads 2- Ebo Jager 200w TS heaters 1- Tapwater Purifier w/an extra refill cartridge 1- Metal Halide/VHO fixture with independent controls *Haven't purchased but either a Prizm or a SeaClone Skimmer <Look for something "larger", more efficient than either of these> 4- Timers 3- Power strips 2- Ground Fault Interrupters 2- 5g buckets (for water changes) 4- 1g jugs (to hold purified top off water) 2- CaribSea Flamingo Pink reef sand Seaflor (20 lbs ea.) 1- CaribSea Seaflor special grade reef sand (15lbs) 1- bag Caribbean crushed, aragonite based (20lbs) 1-25lb bag of live sand (not yet purchased) 2-45lb boxes of pre-cured live rock from FFExpress (not yet ordered, should I get Fiji or Walt smith) <Either... Walt's is Fiji> 1-200g bucket Instant Ocean salt mix 1-Aquafuge hang on refugium (24"L * 4"w * 12"H) 1- Rio 2100 aqua pump/powerhead (right now have no use for it maybe a suggestion?) <For circulating pre-mixed synthetic water. Moving it into the tank on water change days> That is the hardware and everything else that I far, how does it sound? <Fine... could use a better skimmer is all> Nothing is assembled yet, I get paid Friday and want to wait until I buy the skimmer, before I order the rock and sand. Do you think that this small refugium will support a reproducing population of both mysis shrimp and copepods or like crustaceans, as well as a few species of Caulerpas? <Yes, a good idea> How long should I allow the copepods and mysis to have the main tank to themselves so they can establish a good population? <A couple of months> Is a Detritivore kit from Inland Aquatics good for this purpose? <Again, a good choice> Will the Mysis ever establish a replenishing population that reaches all they way to adult shrimp? <Possibly> I also want you to take a look at the fish that I plan to keep in this tank please let me know if this is to much on the bioload, or if some of the fish aren't reef compatible. 2- Yellow-Headed Jaw Fish {Opistognathus aurifrons} (How deep does the sand bed need to be to keep these fish) <Three, four inches: http://WetWebMedia.Com/jawfishe.htm Mixed size so it "holds up" to tunnel-making> 2- Purple Firefish {Nemateleotris decora} 2- Pajama Cardinals {Sphaeramia nematoptera} 1- Flame Hawkfish {Neocirrhites armatus} 5- Green Chromis {Chromis virdis} 1- Finespotted Fairy Wrasse {Cirrhilabrus punctatus) 1- Eibli Angel {Centropyge eibli) 1- Potters Angel { Centropyge potteri} or Fisher's Dwarf Angel {Centropyge fisheri} <Just one Centropyge, please... the Potter's is hard to keep.> * Substitutes include possibly a tang (either Purple, Brown, or Convict) or a Gramma (either Blackcap or Royal) - Snails and Hermits - 1/2 cleaner shrimp <The Hawkfish will sooner or later eat the Shrimp...> -other sand stirrers to keep the sand bed stirred up. So please let me know if you see anything need to change. One more quick question, after I set up this reef my next project is a 440g reef what would be the best lighting situation if I wanted a free standing tank of about 5ft' tall? <A skylight to the sun and some powerful (400 watt) metal halide pendants> Oh , and I know that those angels are often hard to keep for the average aquarists, I chose them because I am confident in my ability to keep them I have kept all but the Eibli before in my other FO tanks! <Yes, a good aquarium species. Please see the coverage of the genus on the WWM site> How is the marine biology program at Scripps <World class, possibly the best, depending on your topic (all post grad.) and choice, lucky selection of advisers> I plan on majoring in marine and getting a job somewhere in the aquarium trade, perhaps with the breeding of marine organisms, and helping to restock the natural reefs. <Worthy goals!> Any info you could give me on Marine Bio programs would be greatly appreciated! <Oh, my friend... if only we could do the "Vulcan Mind Meld"> Thank you so very much! I believe I know all I need to know <!> but it always helps to hear the opinion of a person who has provided the marine aquarium hobby with such valuable information as you have! I salute you Mr. Fenner and I must say if I can have 1/3 the impact on the marine aquarium hobby as you have I WILL DIE A HAPPY MAN! <Indeed you may have much more... and assuredly we will all pass. Bob Fenner> Again Thank you very much Mr. Fenner! -James Bolton, 20 yr old marine enthusiast and aquarium pioneer hopeful. <Become yourself> New Tank Setup Hi Bob, I have had a 33gal cichlid tank set up for a while now, and I am thinking about the purchase of a 70-100gal marine tank. <A BIG step> I am a little overwhelmed by the thought of such an aquarium, but I think I am up to the task, I just have a few questions about tank set-up. I was thinking the tank could be Fish only, but I have read that live rock will greatly benefit the biological filtration. Would canister filters, a skimmer, and a fluidized bed be enough for such a tank? <Yes. Coupled with sufficient lighting> Or should I opt for a sup type system with a refugium or some such thing? <A sump is nice... functionally... and for flexibility... but not absolutely necessary here for your first outing. If I knew you better I might try to make identification/an example comparison with something we were both familiar with... let's use Cichlids... certainly all enjoy as large a system as practical, and an ideal setting would include continuous new water changing... but you have been successful with a thirty three gallon with only periodic partial changes... Similarly, it is obvious you have been studying, and realize the gear proposed "will do".> Also, is there any problem mixing the live rock with bleached coral etc? <None at all... the skeletons will become overgrown with algae that will discolor them, but can be periodically re-bleached, etc. or otherwise cleaned> can the live rock be used as a base for some coral decor? <Absolutely> Also, what type of lighting would you recommend? Would a power compact do the trick? <Yes, the best choice here> From reading your site I gather you are a big fan of the Eheim products, are the heated canisters a good investment, or would it be more sensible to go for a separate heater? <Ah, good question... unfortunately, like so many great manufacturers, Eheim does have its "turkey"... and this is their integral heaters... the ones in the U.S. almost all fail within weeks to months. Get and use separate heaters... for this size system, two, one in each corner of the tank... of about two hundred watts each> With the protein skimmers, I was thinking of a CPR BakPak 2, but I am unsure, it says on the CPR site that they are good for 60gal, is this the case, if so, should I go with a bigger skimmer? Thanks <Go with a bigger-rated skimmer... One good choice here, the Turboflotor 1000. Bob Fenner> Tank Setup Hi Robert, I am in Vancouver BC, and just have a
couple questions/require suggestions about my tank setup. I don't
really have any specific questions, so I'll just state what I have
set up, and hope that is enough. I have a 90gal fish only marine tank,
with some live rock (about 30 lbs) with a crushed coral and sand
substrate. with a CPR overflow it drains to a 20gal sump with plenty of
live rock (for the tank size) and similar substrate to the display
tank. I use a CPR BakPak skimmer (with the biomedia removed) on the
sump, and an Eheim pump to return water to the display tank. I also
have a Fluval 204 Canister with Carbon only, running off the display
tank, and a Fluval 304 Canister with Foam also off the main tank. Any
suggestions? Cheers, Chris <Not for filtration... you could add more
LR... more water circulation (powerheads that you likely have already,
didn't mention)... If your stock are happy, healthy with the
set-up, operation/maintenance, I wouldn't change much. Bob
Fenner> Cleaning a tank before setting it up Bob, I just bought a 125 gal reef ready tank from a friend. Basically the tank has not been used for a few months and algae has grown all over the tank. I scraped the glass and plan to bleach the tank to kill any leftover algae. The problem I'm having is getting rid of the coralline growth on the acrylic corner pieces. <Yikes, be careful here... best not to "scrape" acrylic tanks period (of any manufacturer, type of acrylic)... but to use plastic credit cards ("What, you have no cash?"), or similar commercially made tools... for encrusting types, and if the tank is empty... oh, let's say more below> I've been using some CLR and that seems to take some of it off but I can't get most of it off. The tank is an all-glass tank <Oh, so it's just the overflows that are plastic> so I would like to be able to clean down into the acrylic overflows really well. My question is what is the best solvent or cleaning solution for removing coralline algae growth. <A weak and/or dilute inorganic acid is best... oh see you mention the simplest organic one... CH3COOH, acetic/vinegar> I've heard people say CLR and some say Vinegar. What's your opinion. I tried a search on the site, but all I could find was using a razor blade to get it off the glass. I don't want to screw up the overflows so I'm looking for a product or chemical solution. <I would try the vinegar first (full strength, the "white" type tends to be available in more concentrated strengths... and sponge, leave it on for ten or so minutes and then try rinsing it out... if you can place the tank outside, and must have it "clean" to start with (I'd thank my lucky stars and just leave the algae there in all honesty), you can procure 3 molar Hydrochloric Acid (aka Muriatic for pools, cement work...) and apply it (use gloves, keep off clothes, hold breath...) and this will melt all away in haste... As I say though, I'd use the algae/tank as is... Bob Fenner> Thanks, Gary G. Gentles RE: Cleaning a tank before setting it up Thanks for the help. You don't think that I should bleach the glass tank before I set it up? If you are saying leave the coralline then that is what I'll do. <I would only "do" the viewing panels> I know it will be back soon enough. But what about giving it a good cleaning before I set it up. I have the tank in my garage now so I can do just about anything to it. Thanks again for the advice, Gary Gentles <Leave it in place on the other materials is my advice. Bob Fenner> Second tank (set-up) questions Hi Bob, This is Sascha from marina del Rey again, you and Lorenzo helped me already a few times with my first system. Thank you so much. I am still new to this addiction, but my 125g fish only system is up and running now for 3 months. In the mean time I installed UV, Ozone Sander 100 after your recommendation), AquaC EV 200 skimmer after Lorenzo's rec.). The only thing I didn't do yet is to put live rock, since I really like the way my system looks and my water is flawless even after heavy feedings for my triggers and puffers. Wow they can eat. <Yes indeed> Right now I just noticed that even my quarantine tank turned into a small aquarium with 3 baby puffers and one tiny clown trigger which means I am getting ready to build my second tank into my office. <Wowzah, you're jumping in with both feet... and arms!> This will be a 120-140 quarter cylinder aquarium and I want to do most of the installing myself, since I had so much practice with my other one. Here are the things I know, I will get a euro reef skimmer (S know it's maybe a bit expensive, but I really want it). <And a great product for a large, dirty-heavy feeding system.> I need a good clean up after the mess in this puffer tank. I love my EV 200, but after feedings it takes very long for it to skim again. I will get another sander ozonizer, probably the 200, since the 100 does not keep the level up very consistent in my other 125g. If you think the 100 is enough, tell my, one place I could save a few dollars. I may go with live sand and live rock this time, I really want to give it a try. 120 pounds will do. <Even with the live rock, the one hundred will still be too puny with lots of life, feeding for this size system.> Now the real question. My first tank has the Marineland Tidepool 2 as a filter, I added another Rubbermaid sump where I have the skimmer etc. I know you don't really endorse specific brands on your site, <Hmm, I do when I know enough about the "whole market" of the particular equipment... which is almost never...> but if you don't want to post my letter I don't mind. <Hmm, do respond to all, post most all... unless I either don't click on a needed button or click on a wrong one...> I have been researching everything about filters for the last 3 months now and I want to know if I should stick with another Tidepool 2 unit on my new tank or if there is anything better, another wet dry (CPR, Amiracle) or any other kind of filter. Please give me your advise, I want to start the new tank soon and after the math I did, I am up to about $6000 all together. I don't want to waste any money which is how I felt a little with my first tank, since I had to upgrade the skimmer and many other things. <I understand... If you were going with another stated livestock mix, or even just unsure currently that you might delve into more "reef" type life I would change to a sump with lighting, macro-algae... some other refinements... However, given the experience you've had, familiarity with the Tidepool product, I would stick with it here for your Puffers> The TidePool has a flow rate capability of 600 gph, other wet-dries have more. Please help me make up my mind since my head is exploding after many nights of researching and learning. <You likely know more than I do on this topic due to your recent, intense study> Then I have another tricky idea, I was thinking of connecting both tanks through a wall they would be almost back to back), using the water flow of my UV units and just placing the outflows in the sump of the other tank behind the wall. This way I would only have to cut out 2 small holes, but the water would be exchanged and I would have over 250 gallons of water. Does this sound nuts or would this be a smart thing to do. <A very smart thing to do... if you can afford the space other resources... and time the fun, enjoyment of having these systems will "cost" you at work...> I know you will need time to answer this letter so please take your time since you are the only person I trust with my new fishy friends. Even keeping in mind that people and my wife) think I'm crazy, there is nothing more rewarding than coming home and seeing these little creatures begging for food/attention. There are even times I forget about my long days at work................................. <Agreed... with the exception perhaps of planning, dreaming, recollecting on trips out to see them in the ocean!> thousand times thank you and if you are ever in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, come by for a Haircut that's what I do, HAHA) on me so we can talk more about this amazing hobby. SASCHA <Please don't laugh... you may see me... have a very bad haircut (from snipping at myself occasionally, sigh... on trips abroad... perhaps see you soon (I'll be the one with the fish shirt and cap on). Bob Fenner> Re: Please advise! (Marine set-up) Thank you so much for the quick reply. I was reading more info from your site and wanted to know the following: 1)Lighting: I have one 40W, 48" Triton bulb on the 55g. Is this enough lighting for 45lbs of live rock? <Not really... I would at least double this luminosity. If you think you might want to keep other photosynthetic life (other than the incidental varieties that happen to come in on/as live rock) I'd suggest tripling to quadrupling it> 2) I have one powerhead (don't know the output, it is now encrusted with coralline algae and I can't read the label) which is placed in the upper back wall and shoots to the front middle of the rectangle 55g. Do I need another powerhead on the other side? Do I need to aim it for the LR once the LR is added? <I would add another one for sure, and place it either crossing the path of the other one or along the back behind the live rock...> 3) Will the LR get rid of my persistent diatom problem? <Probably yes> Over 2 years and I finally have somewhat controlled the problem although still at a loss for the cause. <Hmm, lack of predators, competitors... presence of sufficient silicates (likely from your tapwater, but possibly from other sources as well> I started using paper towels to remove the diatoms. One swipe and out of the tank. This seemed to help since I was actually removing the diatoms and not just cleaning them back into the tank. <Good technique> I am also using Phos Sponge from Kent Marine. I finally have some green algae growing in the diatoms place. Bob-I am still not sure if the green is good. The flame seems to like it. I have not removed it from the back or sides the last 2 cleanings. This is correct, isn't it? <IMO/E yes... again, the live rock will help immensely here> 4) Where would I be without you??? :) <Where you are my friend> I can not tell you how grateful I am to be able to ask you these questions. <Nor I how happy I am to interact with you.> I have been seeking advice from internet bulletin boards and I get more confused with every response. Thank you once again!!!! Susie <At some point you will become "less confused" with such input, I assure you. Bob Fenner> More Questions (marine aquarium set-up) I have some more questions for you: 1) How do you suggest curing live rock? <Posted on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com> 2) What are your general recommendations for feeding a marine reef aquarium (no hard coral)? For example; how often?, what food for invertebrates (anemones, soft coral, coral-banded shrimp)?, what food for fish?, etc. <Also posted> 3) Would a 39 gallon aquarium (36"x12"x16") be too small for a yellow tang (I want an fish for algae control)? Any other recommendations for algae control fish or invertebrates (pencil urchins?)? <A small Salarias or Atrosalarias Blenny... as posted where?> 4) Do green scats make good reef fish? How about Monos? <Both can/do in certain settings... articles about them...> 5) What clownfish do you recommend for beginners (clarkii, Sebae, Percula, others)? <Posted... not Sebaes, but tank bred species of the other two. Bob Fenner> 6) Do you have any recommendations good reef fish for beginners (for my size aquarium)? I appreciated any and all comments. I'm doing research first for my first marine aquarium (I have a brackish one now) and don't want anything to go wrong. Thanks again, Kevin Hood, lighting, live rock, filtration... on a budget I know that you are a pretty busy person but I need your advice pretty bad. My fianc? and I have been looking at upgrading our 20 Gal (small =) saltwater tank to a larger one. <Hmm another financial investment...> So just today we bought a 72 gal All glass bow front tank for $139, the best price we have been able to find this tank for so far. <A bargain> The tank has no hood or stand. <Oh> We would like to know your opinion on were to buy a hood and what type to get (i.e. lighting and all) We cannot afford to spend a whole lot so price is a major factor. <Consider making it yourself (wood, plastic, finished to resist rotting), and installing either store bought or a retrofit light kit. See the "Oz's Reef" DIY site Link on the Links pages on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com> We do plan to transfer our small tank into this one and convert the 72 into a reef eventually. We plan on using our filter off of our old tank (Skilter 250) and also the live rock (about 20lbs worth) and maybe even the live sand. Here is where I think I will need more filtration any suggestions) <See the WWM site on "Marine Filtration" to help you formulate your ideas, plan> 200w heater (big enough) one power head to start 40 lbs live sand? How much live rock? Where should I get it? <Either make a deal with your local fish store (for pick up on arrival) or the etailers... see if other folks in your area, a marine club maybe want to go in with you on a larger order... a list of these vendors on the WWM site... Buy it buy the "box" (45# nominal), two boxes to start, see if you like this amount> What do you think? we are going to try to do this in steps as our budget allows but we hope to have it up and running in a month or so. Any information would be greatly appreciated. <Take your time my friends. The careful assembly and anticipation of putting a microcosm such as this together is a huge amount of the enjoyment. Bob Fenner> Thanks, Jay & Amanda Re: Hood, lighting, live rock, filtration... on a budget Thank you so much Mr. Fenner for the speedy reply. I am very excited about the new tank it is the one that my fianc? and I both fell in love with when we seen it set up at a local pet store. I do plan on building the stand and hood to cut cost. I have access to an assortment of wood and tools. What wood would you recommend. Also besides the Skilter 250 what kind of filtration should we spend our money on? We really do appreciate your help =) <A better skimmer... their selection is covered on our site... please do avail yourself to the FAQs and more complete coverage there. Bob Fenner> Thanks Again, Jay & Amanda Beginning a New Marine System info. Hey Bob, you seem like the man. Do you have any good sites for beginners?? <Hmm, only the one site (www.WetWebMedia.com), though it has, is largely made up of beginner materials...> Specifically the habits and acclimation of new saltwater fish. <Oh, yes, there are sections there on these topics> I brought water and a Valentini puffer over from a friend and he is acting more like a Hawkfish...can't seem to find anything on the net to help me through this transition to know what to expect. Thanks for your reply <Read over the Tobies/Sharpnose Puffers section on the WWM section. Bob Fenner> Tank Safe (determining which materials are) Bob, As you well know, I'm very new to all this reef "life-style". I have a question about how to determine if something is safe to place in the aquarium. <Okay> At times, I need to use an item that was not purchased at a fish store to accomplish some task in my sump or aquarium. For example, I'm getting a new circulation pump and have heard that if I place the pump on a soft pad it will make less noise. Of course, soft pads can be made of all sorts of materials--plastic, foam, rubber, carpeting, etc. <Yes> How do I determine whether a material is safe to place in an aquarium or sump? My thoughts are these: 1. Some materials can breakdown and pollute the tank. 2. Some materials can trap debris and foster unhealthy bacteria. 3. Some materials can breakdown and put millions of tiny particles in the water. Can you give me your criteria for determining whether a material is tank safe? Best regards, Michael Rivera <Sure. The best, really only viable method involves "bioassay", that is, use of the material in a hopefully controlled and limited fashion to assess its usefulness, potential toxicity. Here we're generally talking soaking, trying the material out in a small set-up and seeing if it outright kills some test organisms. Practically speaking, some materials are considered reef-safe from years of use: polyethylene, PVC, Dacron/polyester... among others... and I would look for these compounds in choosing stuff to go in and around your systems. Hope this helps. Bob Fenner> Just starting out... Hi Bob... Great website! I've been reading through some FAQ's and can't tell whether I'm more informed now or more overwhelmed. :-) <At times me neither> Anyway, I'm starting my first reef tank from scratch. Bought a 2-year old 70-gallon tank set-up on eBay for a good price. It did come with the dreaded Seaclone protein skimmer (which I planned to replace anyway). Also came with a filter that uses the Whisper BioBags (but I think it's a Top Fin filter rated up to 60 gallons). Not really sure what that Top Fin filter does...do I need an additional filter with a skimmer? <Both... the hang on outside power filter is nice for additional filtration, something to be able to readily pass on to a quarantine, hospital tank> Rather than trying to make what it came with work, I'm more concerned with starting out on the right foot. Right now, the tank is empty (actually it's full of dry goods!) and I have fully-cycled live rock (about 40 lbs. that also came with the tank) in a big cooler. I'm planning to get another 45 lbs. of live rock and will cure that as well. <Sounds like a very nice treasure chest purchase~!> So, my first questions are these: 1. Protein skimmer...I am leaning toward the Remora (or do I need to spend the extra $60 to get the Remora Pro?) <Not really> 2. Do I need another kind of filter? <Yes, definitely> 3. To sump or not to sump? Tank is in the living room on hardwood floors over concrete (yeah, I'm a little concerned here, so any suggestions as far as keeping the floor dry are appreciated) <With proper care, installation, not much (or tolerable amount) concern re this... Drill-through systems are better than relying on overflow types with boxes hanging on the back... but two of these rather than one are pretty reliable... A sump is a very good idea if you can fit it in... much more flexibility, volume afforded> The one thing I have purchased are powerheads...4 MaxiJet 1200's for water movement. <A very wise choice, quantity, quality wise> Thanks, and any suggestions beyond answers to my questions would be appreciated as well! <Let us keep discussing any concerns you have until you sense you know enough... do take a look, join at least as a browser with some of the listservs in the interest. Many of their URLs can be found on the WWM links pages. Be chatting. Bob Fenner> Kind regards, Misty Johnson Tank Set up Bob <Hi Jason, Lorenzo Gonzalez still standing in for Bob-in-Asia> I really hope you can help me. I have been in the hobby for about 10 years now and I have attempted salt water a couple of times in those years with out much success. I can do about anything in fresh water but salt is harder for me. I was at a pet store in KC the other day that specializes in salt water and they had a 28 gal bow front tank set up as a reef tank. It was beautiful! <Clever of them! Sounds like it had the intended effect...> So I decided to order one and give it a try once again. Hear is my question. I plan on putting in about 40 to 50 lbs. of Fiji rock and for the most part keeping with soft corals. I would like to put in 3-5 small fish like clowns, gobies, Dottie back. The store told me to use a back pack protein skimmer and a power head for filtration and a compact light made by all glass. What are your thoughts about this system? Will it work? Any suggestions would be great. Thank You in advance for you time. <Yes, it'll certainly work, if you're reasonably careful about water chemistry and maintenance, and the power never goes out for more than a couple hours! Hopefully that 'compact light' is in fact a 'power compact' or 'compact fluorescent' - those are great. And a BakPak will be good overkill on the skimming side. That's a lot of rock you're planning there, save some space for the soft corals, Caulerpa or Halimeda algaes, etc! Read up about the gradual setup and cycling of a new marine system before you jump in. The organisms are much more sensitive to the vagaries of establishing a nitrogen cycle. btw, in my experience, a nicely balanced, well established mini-reef is actually less work than freshwater... regards, Lorenzo> Best Regards, Jason McElwee Several Questions on marine set-up My husband and I just recently decided to set up a salt water aquarium and we have had many questions along the way and I found your website very helpful. <Hi Heather, Lorenzo Gonzalez standing in for Bob-in-Indonesia... Welcome to the hobby, glad we have been able to provide some info!> However I do have several questions for which I have not found obvious answers (although I could be overlooking them). Our tank is small, only 12 gallons and it contains about 12 lbs of live rock and several lbs of live sand as a substrate. The store where we bought the live rock said that once we added the rock we should take out our BioWheel and charcoal filter and rely on the rock alone along with two power heads to filter the water. Is that reasonable? <Sounds like a Marineland Eclipse system? Without a protein skimmer, I'd personally leave the other filtration in place. I have an Eclipse hood/system on a 30 gallon mixed reef, and it's a great system - and I leave the filter/charcoal/bio-wheel running.> Over the last week we have started to see some algae growth on the rock and on the glass, but it's not the green filamentous algae it's something else hopefully the good kind I guess. Is this normal is there anything we should do to clean the glass? <Yes. Get an acrylic-safe plastic scraper to scrape this stuff off. You're sure it's a glass tank? If so, you can get a glass scraper instead, it'll be easier to scrape off hard stuff.> Also there are particles floating in our water presumably because we are not using a filter to catch them in. Is this okay? <I'd put the filter back. And the wheel.> Okay on to the fish we added several fish last week to get the tank started. 1 blue damsel, 1 striped damsel, 1 medium clown fish, 1 coral beauty angel fish and 2 small red clown fish. I know we probably added more than we should have at first, but we got some bad advice from a different pet store than the on that sold us the rock. <Not only is that waaaaaaaay too much fish for a new system, it's waaaaaaaay too much fish for a 12 gallon tank. Depending on how long they survive, clowns get 5-6 inches long, and very heavy-bodied. Frequent water changes are in order. Probably a gallon or so every other day. I see below you are testing your water. Very good. The levels of ammonia and nitrite must be kept as low as possible, short of doing massive water changes. While the tank is still cycling, don't get too crazy with the water changes. But keep an eye on the ammonia.> Anyway so far the fish look good, but yesterday we lost the smallest red clown fish which I guess is not surprising. He did not have any ich or anything else visible so we don't know what killed him. <Probably stress, water conditions, maybe internal disease.> While we were fishing him out of the tank we stirred it up a bit from our movement and a little worm-like thing had attached itself to our medium orange clown fish's tail fin. He tried very hard to get it off, but finally we had to use a tweezers to carefully remove it. Was this a parasite? Should we be treating our tank with something now? <Yes, a parasite. Good going on the tweezers. Don't put any medication/chemicals in the tank - it'll kill your live rock. Just keep an eye on your fish. You should have fresh-water/Methylene blue dipped all these fish, (in fact you still should) and should only be adding one fish at a time, and should be quarantining all new comers... ah. You've much to learn, and I'm sorry a bad LFS gave you so much bad advice. Those greedy fish stores are a huge discredit to the hobby, generating many disappointed fish keepers who quit after so much work and failure...> We did add some water yesterday as well and did all the tests our temp is about 77, specific gravity is 1.023, ammonia is 0.25, nitrite is 0, nitrate is 35 ppm, and the pH is 8. Our striped damsel also has two white spots so he may have ich I guess. I know it's sometimes best to leave everything alone and we are early in the cycle of our tank so we are afraid to do anything. I know we may loose more fish do you have any suggestions? Sorry for the lengthy email, but we are new to this. Thanks for your help. <Thanks for being conscientious/guilty about the fast/over stocking.> -Heather P.S. we added a few scarlet legged crabs to clean up the tank and two turbo snails a few days ago. One of the snails to a liking to our rock and cleaned part of it so well it turned from yellow to white is that okay? <That's a good thing. Get a couple of other snails as well when you have a chance, and you'll be scraping glass/plastic a lot less. Best regards, Lorenzo> Miscellaneous questions Hi Bob, <Lorenzo Gonzalez here, Bob's in Indonesia for a little while longer.> Thanks for all of the useful info on your website! I have been reading it thoroughly these last few weeks. I now consult it before purchasing any livestock for my 55g reef tank. <Glad we (really Bob and Mike, not me) could be of service.> My setup includes: 55g display tank with 55 pounds of live rock and a 3" deep aragonite sand bed, 2 circulation powerheads, Sea Clone skimmer (yes it is wimpy, but I guess this leaves more for the filter feeders), 4 55W PC lights (2 6700K, 2 actinic) on for 11 hours/day. 15g sump with 2" crushed coral bed, RIO 1700 return pump (~350gph), 1 55W PC actinic running counter cycle to display tank. <Wow - sounds like a really nice setup. I wouldn't worry too much about the wimpy SeaClone, with the sump/Caulerpa, you should be quite fine, with your current fish-load.> I have 1 yellow tang, 2 ocellaris clownfish, 1 yellow tail blue tang, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 peppermint shrimp (for Aiptasia control), 1 Mithrax crab, 1 sally light foot crab (missing in action for over 1 month now, presumed eaten), various corals, snails, and IPSF 'micro hermits'. Water chemistry is 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, >400 Ca, >7 alk, pH 8.0-8.2, salinity 1.025. I weekly dose Kent Marine Super Iodine (not testing), Strontium and Molybdenum (not testing), Liquid Ca, Turbo buffer. 1) I currently have 6 'Trochus Grazers' from IPSF. On your site I read that you do not seem to like Trochus snails, but you do not provide a reason why you do not like them. Can you please elaborate? <Bah. They're fine, in my opinion. I don't like Turbos. Bob don't like Trochus, whatever. > 2) In your sea star FAQ you imply that sand sifting star (Archaster typicus) will not eat the micro fauna that folks try to cultivate in deep sand beds. What do these stars eat? Will they leave amphipods, worms alone? <Great addition, diversity. Don't worry about it. Mostly eats detritus.> 3) My yellow tail blue tang is not eating. I purchased it 2 weeks ago and it mainly hides behind a few rocks. At feeding time (any of: dry Nori, lettuce, flakes, kale) it comes out and follows floating bits that break off from the yellow tangs voracious eating but will not consume them. It is getting very thin. It is clearly afraid of the yellow tang. What would you do in this case? I know I should have put the y.t.b. in before the yellow 8-( <I'd be sure there's live macro algae available at all times. Get some from IPSF or the LFS, and cultivate it in your sump.> 4) I know you do not like live foods, but is there something, perhaps brine shrimp, that might induce the y.t.b. tang to eat? <Tang Heaven, from IPSF. Every tang's favorite is fluffy fresh seaweeds.> 5) Based on the tank occupant list, who would you guess ate the sally lightfoot? I never saw any body parts, it just completely disappeared. <Doesn't look like you have any sally-lightfoot-eaters at all. Could've been clobbered by the Mithrax, then consumed by hermits, others...> 6) I have many (>50) sea squirts (tunicates) growing in the tank. They grow up to 0.5" high, are V shaped and off white color. Are these OK? If not, how do I eliminate them? <They'll probably come and go, it's likely a population explosion, and they may die-off to a more 'balanced' number eventually.> 7) Which iodine, strontium test kits would you recommend, and what are good target values? <Hmm. I personally wouldn't bother, until you're trying to do a bunch of fancy corals and such.> 8) Would this setup allow a Tridacnid clam to thrive (not just survive)? If so, would a crocea or maxima be more appropriate? <Ah. You'll end up going to a two-part calcium additive, or best of all, a calcium reactor. Crocea is the hardest, then Maxima. Definitely don't buy a 'showstopper' as your first clam. You might try a pretty little Derasa or Squamosa instead, to get the hang of it.> Whew, that's all I can think of to ask at this time. Thanks in advance for your time to respond. This is a great hobby and my 5 year old daughter is learning lots of marine flora and fauna identification also. Lots of fun. < Awesome! Our 5 year old son is pretty keen on the tanks here, and he's hilarious at the LFS, where he drags other customers around, telling them about the 'mean Humu trigger' and how much 'cooler' salt water is than fresh...-Best Regards! Lorenzo Gonzalez> Skimmer, Pump, Fish Questions I am currently have a 200 gal FOWLR tank. It contains a 6" Vlamingi Tang, 4" Pink Tail Trigger, 5" Dragon Wrasse, and a 4" Twin Spot Coris Wrasse. I know that sooner or later that these fish will out grow this tank (right). <You are one of the very few folks who have such a sensibility... your system will be not too crowded physiologically...> Since I have the money right now I was looking into buying a 300 gal tank but I might get a 360 gal (96x30x30) since the place that I was going to order from is having a sale on this size (Both are now the same price). <The larger then> My current set-up includes a Turbo-flotor 1000 and a Mak 4 pump. I was going to upgrade my pump to the new Dolphin 3000 pump (low current draw). Will this pump be okay on the 300 or 360 gal tank? <Likely yes...> Also I found Euro-reef knock off protein skimmers at www.Championlighting.com. They offer 4 different models ranging from 200 gal to a 600 gal model. Are these even worth their price or should I just add another Turbo-flotor 1000? <Good question... very likely the "other" T1000 would do... but do keep your eye open for a non knock-off Euro-Reef...> The guy there told me to buy the G5, He said that it would pull a ton of gunk out that couldn't compare to 2 TB 1000s. Which option would you do? <Either the "real thing" or the other Aqua Medic addition... the redundancy is better... especially with the live rock cured> I was just planning on adding the G3 to what I already have. I really do need something that is going to work for me. I don't mind spending the money on the first go round. I have some greedy fish and I need something to pull all of the waste out of the tank. <I understand> The only other additions that I was planning to do is possible adding a Peacock Flounder and a Wolf Eel, and a red cores Wrasse. I can't find out to much info on either of these guys except for the Wrasse however, I do know that the P. Flounder buries itself in the substrate but that's about it (does he do this all day?). <No> What does it actually look like (colors). <I will put images on our website: www.WetWebMedia.com tomorrow... remind me please if I forget> Will it be okay with my current occupants? <Hmm, a real mix, and a bit of a difficulty to assure the bathed (flounder) receives food...> Now the wolf Eel on the other hand I know what he looks like but will he be okay with my current set-up? Does this guy bite? He looks like a mean somebody. <No biting... a bit slow...> Now my Vlamingi Tang is still in its Juv. stage, Silver with bluish spots all over with a bluish mouth. He/She, how do I tell still has some yellow on the tail and in the face. How long will it take for this guy to through its color transformation to change into the adult stages? <Several more months> Thanks for all your info. <You're welcome my friend. Bob Fenner> (Setup) on track? Hi Bob I've kept freshwater aquariums for several years and have been accumulating , what I think, is the correct equipment to start a small reef aquarium. As a marine beginner, I thought some expert advice could keep me on track to provide a safe home to our marine friends. I hope you don't mind being asked mundane questions and thanks in advance for any information you can share. <Glad to help aid you in your success> I had a 40 gal. tank custom made with 2 overflows, and of course bottom-plumbed. The dimensions are 16w x 24l x 24h. I fabricated a stainless steel light canopy that houses an Ice Cap VHO system, w/4 URI actinic tubes, 300w total. For filtration I've purchased a med. sized Venturi skimmer ( 5"dia. x 15h chamber ), a Magnum 350 canister, a small in-tank wet/dry, 4 - 402 powerheads and 2 Mag drive pumps - 1 250gph for the skimmer and 1 750gph for sump recirculation. I'm still contemplating a small UV filter -15w. For heaters I've bought 2 Ebo-Jager 125w, one for back-up. Whew! <Indeed... quite a bit of circulation, lighting, filtration here> My plan was to have all of the filtration occur in the tank stand to hide all of the unsightly hoses/cords etc. The overflows will feed a 25 gal. sump which will feed the skimmer and canister filters before being recirculated back to the tank. The powerheads are for water movement inside the aquarium, I thought 2 would be ample and bought 2 more for emergencies. <Amazing> A friend of mine laughs when he sees all the equipment, but my thinking is that you can't have enough filtration. Now to the questions. I was planning a small reef of live rock, stacked up against the back wall between the overflows, maybe 25 - 30 #s of rock. Would one, or both, of the powerheads be well placed behind this wall of rock? <One> I've read that live rock can be drilled and plastic rods inserted to make a solid structure, would you recommend this? <No... unnecessary, and restricting when you change your design> To start with I'd like blue and red mushroom anemones, and perhaps a purple Condylactis gigantea. Would these inverts be compatible with each other in this small space? <Fine> Is the lighting sufficient? I've read that they require moderate to strong lighting. <Yes, more than sufficient> For fish I was thinking of 2 clowns, a bicolor cherub, a Lemonpeel angelfish and a regal tang. Are all of these animals compatible? <Mmm, no... the tank is too small for a Lemonpeel Angel... I would stick with just one, the dwarf Dwarf Cherub... and no to the Regal Tang... an Acanthurus lineatus here is too much as well... a small Zebrasoma or Ctenochaetus genus tang might go. Please see our site: www.WetWebMedia.com re these fishes> Do you foresee any problems with this system in general? <Do consider adding live rock, lighting and macroalgae to your sump...> If it is slowly built up, is there room for new additions? <Substitutions for the deletions.> A thought occurred to me that one of the overflows could be filled with bio-balls and a filter pad, but I've recently read that wet/dry filters work too efficiently and actually increase nitrates. What are your thoughts on this? <The statements made are factual> One final question would be, should the wet/dry be replaced with an undergravel filter in the sump? <Neither... please see the "Refugium", "Sump" and "Algal Filtration" FAQs sections on the WWM site> Wow hope I haven't taken too much of your time, thanks for any input. mike Carwithen <Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner> Filter and light questions (extensive/expensive modifications to Eclipse) Hi again Mr. Fenner, Thanks again for all the help. I've learned a lot from you and your great website. My LFS made a couple of recommendations on what I should do with my new tank setup (they're telling me in spurts because they know my wallet is screaming in pain) and I was hoping you could provide a second opinion so as to assure that their recommendations are sound. <Okay> As mentioned, my Eclipse system 3 with its two fluorescent bulbs is not really adequate for a good reef/coral system. My original plan was to get a SmartLite retrofit kit to arm with Eclipse with a 10,000K + a blue act but after speaking with them, they recommended a nice (?) system that uses 4 CF (? guessing because the bulbs looks like weird halogens) bulbs. <Hmm, I would go with your previous CF plan...> Do you think that this CF lighting will be adequate for what I want? <Oh. Yes> Secondly, in order to implement this system, they said that I'll have to dump my Eclipse 3 leaving me with only the LR and sump (UV + skimmer) for filtration. <What's the sense of having the "Eclipse" then...?> They said that the Eclipse which provides some mech/chem/bio will become redundant once the LR is added so that the loss of the Eclipse will not provide any ignorant change in filtration quality... <Redundancy is good... you want some auxiliary filtration in all these categories... forever> Is this true or should I consider adding some other system to take care of what the Eclipse was previously doing? If so, I'm not sure what to do and any new solutions would have to go/be-pumped-from inside the sump as there is no room for attachments on the actual tank. <Again... if you're going to stick with this size/shape tank... keep the Eclipse unit for filtration, keep your sump et al. or modify the back to accommodate a hang-on skimmer, and retrofit the lighting... Otherwise, dump/sell the whole thing and start with a much larger, more serious system... my opinions... what I would do...> I also noticed that my skimmer (DAS) has a little box in which I can put carbon and other media. Should I even bother (I read that carbon only lasts a few hours in a salt system) or should I put in other media, or should I just leave it empty (recommendation of the LFS). <Please see the www.WetWebMedia.com site re "Chemical Filtrants" here... I would use AC once a month...> I was also wondering about the flow of filtration in my tank. The way it is currently set up, water in the sump is pumped by a powerhead into the UV, by the skimmer's internal powerhead into the skimmer, and by a real big powerhead from the sump back into the tank which causes the main tank water to overflow into a PVC pipe that runs through a whole drilled into the bottom of the tank back into the sump. <Sounds about right... want to keep flow/pressure steady in the UV, skimmer...> This setup seems fine in theory (and is what the LFS is doing), but the thing that confuses me the most is what happens to the water at the bottom of the tank. Since the overflow is at the top of the tank and the water return is also at the top (but at the other side) wouldn't it seem that the top water is the only water cycling through the filtration system? <Maybe add another pump or powerhead to your tank itself...> Or is there a more complex cycling in action that somehow cycles the water from the bottom of the tank to the top and down the pipe to the filtration? This concerns me because the Eclipse provided an intake tube that brought water from the bottom of the tank, but as mentioned, I will no longer have the Eclipse when I upgrade to some better lighting (unless I do the Eclipse retrofit that the LFS does not consider adequate lighting for photosynthesis/maximal plant life quality). <One last time... I would not remove this device...> Finally, I was wondering about my skimmer. In one of your faq's you mentioned that DAS uses a needle wheel (and I think it said that on the box too). What exactly is this mystical "needle wheel"? <A general term describing a modification to the pumps impeller... from paddle like blades to many fine spikes... that whips the water into a froth with air...> I was guessing that it had something to do with the pumping mechanism, but looking through the sides of the skimmer, it seems to be using what looks like a standard large pump/powerhead... looks almost exactly like something from the RIO line...? <Rio makes these and other "after-market" models are available> Thanks again for the help... you've been my best ally in my new adventure into the world of saltwater aquaria! <You have many good ideas, and a seemingly clear grasp on what people are suggesting... You need to decide what route/s you want to take, given your understanding of underlying principles. Bob Fenner> Take care, Stan Aquarium beginner! Saltwater, and how to proceed... Hi there! I'm acquiring a 135-gallon aquarium sometime within the next month. I would like to have clownfish, damsels, and eventually tangs (and some anemones for the clowns). I plan on using live rock. How do I start? <You have already done so, by dreaming, planning... and now, importantly, gathering useful information... Much to know, enjoy here... and best to be careful, proceed slowly... with knowledge... Please do read over our website's Marine Index, www.WetWebMedia.com thoroughly including the many FAQ files... especially the sections on Gear and Set-up at this point... and start developing your "Livestocking Plan" in earnest... with thought to general requirements, compatibility, feeding... issues> The tank set-up includes a protein skimmer, two powerheads, and a light hood. I know how to mix Instant Ocean, but after that, things get fuzzy. Do I need any additional filtering equipment? <Yes... more biological, mechanical...> I tried doing the saltwater thing when I was 11 years old, but I failed miserably. A 135-gallon failure would be a lot more heartbreaking (and expensive)! I've successfully kept freshwater tanks since the age of four. Keeping saltwater tanks is still somewhat confusing for me. Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated. <Clarity is pleasurable, and I and others will gladly help you... Study for now. Bob Fenner>
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