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Setup/stocking question - 10/07/2007 Greetings Crew! <Ben> I would open with a lengthy paragraph about how great the service is that you supply to the reefing community, but you already know how valuable your knowledge to the reefing masses. I will leave it at "keep up the good work" <Hotay> I am in the process of upgrading to a 36x30 inch "cube" tank (will be 26" tall) It will be lit by 2 four bulb T-5 Tek lights. The volume is around 125 gallons plus the sump (an additional 30 or 40 gallons of water volume) I am planning on aquascaping a number of LR patches with open swimming space in between. The feature will be a large Ritteri anemone that I have had for over a year now, most likely residing on the largest and tallest mound of LR near center. <Neat> I plan on doing mostly SPS in addition to the anemone. Current residents of my tank that will make the trip over are a block ocellaris clown and a starry blenny. <Okay> I am looking for suggestions on some other fish that would be good choices for this type of setup. I was thinking perhaps a pair of pyramid butterflies, dwarf angels, perhaps some wrasses. <Mmm, the size, shape of this system not really good for Hemitaurichthys, or any Chaetodont for that matter> Any suggestions as to what might be a good fit in this sort of system with the anemone in mind would be great. Perhaps keeping it an Australian reef type biotope setup? <My best would be to go on out and take a look yourself... but barring this, a look/see of pix of Magnificent anemones... Possibly a nice small school of Anthiines... Pseudanthias squamipinnis a good choice here... Thanks in advance, Ben <Welcome. Bob Fenner> Re: New Reefer -- 9/29/07 Brenda, <Jason> Thank you for your input. <You're welcome!> Levels are well and it would seem the cycle has already jump started... 'seems' the ammonia levels are off my Tetra chart and nitrites are between 3.3 and 33. <I'm not a big fan or Tetra products. I recommend Salifert test kits.> Close watch is being kept on the levels. No critters crawling from the rocks yet though. I keep looking! <You will see them in time.> No more chemicals until cycling is done. I can't wait till I can get started. <I remember the excitement! It finally wore off, 4 reef tanks later! Darn addiction!> Jason B. "God, grant me patience, and give it to me NOW" --unknown <HeeHee! Good luck to you! Brenda> Tank Upgrade, SW... reef, size -- 9/24/07 Hello WWM Crew, <Casey> I will be upgrading to a larger tank to accommodate the growth in my current fish population.? Currently, I have 3 small tanks, and it is my goal to house all of my community fish and inverts in one larger aquarium.? Here is how my tanks are currently stocked: 55 gallon (purchased used and already stocked about a year ago)-One Spot Foxface Rabbitfish, Flame Angel, Pearly Jawfish, Pink-Spotted Shrimp Goby, Mandarin (who eats Mysis and Marine Cuisine from a turkey baster, luckily), Bicolor Blenny, Red Fromia Starfish, a clearer shrimp, an Elegance Coral, <A powerful "stinger"> Pulsing Xenia, various snails and hermits. 29 gallon-Long-Nosed Hawkfish, Banggai Cardinalfish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Torch Coral, Tiger Cowries, various snails and hermits. 10 gallon (began as a stand-beside refugium that I was going to connect to my 55 gallon)-2 juvenile Ocellaris clowns that I hope will become a mated pair <Likely so> I would like to house all of the fish and inverts mentioned in 1 tank.? First, do you foresee any?compatiblilty issues?housing these animals together?? <None that are outstanding, no> From research, I'm thinking that the Coral Banded Shrimp may not be suitable with other shrimp.? <Only time, can/will tell... Stenopus can be fish eaters as well> Also, I've read that the Tiger Cowries may start to snack on coral as it gets older.? <Cypraea tigris? No...> Currently, it doesn't and is probably at least 2 years old.? I am struggling with 3 choices.? In all of the tanks I'm proposing, I will include a sump/refugium to the maximum capacity of the stand.? All tanks are drilled with overflows. Option 1 90 gallon-A friend is selling his 90 gallon for a fraction of it's true value, but I'm concerned it's not large enough.? I like the price and that I could use my current PC lights.? Would I be able to add another cleaner shrimp? <Maybe... but this will be crowded> Option 2 120 gallon-The LFS has a decent deal, but it would be three times? as much as the 90 gallon.? Again, I could use my own lights.? Will the 4 foot length be enough to keep the Rabbitfish and Flame Angel happy?? Will the tank be big enough for my current fish load?? Would I be able to add another jawfish or a Lawnmower Blenny and another clearer shrimp? <Should be> Option 3 125 gallon-Slightly more expensive than the 120.? Would the 6 foot length be better?? <In some ways, yes> One positive point would be that I could use my 55 gallon for the sump/refugium.? <A very good idea, use> Would I be able to get by with my 48" PC light until I could afford a 72"?? <Yes> Would I be able to add another jawfish or a Lawnmower Blenny and another cleaner shrimp? <Yes> If none of these would be appropriate, what would be?? I make a 10 percent water change each week or 20 percent after 2 weeks.? I do not want to increase my maintenance. <Should be less maintenance than the current tanks> Thanks for your help.? I really want to make the appropriate choice as I have no plans to purchase a larger tank in the near future and I want everyone to live healthy, happy lives. Casey <Mmm, well... the bigger the better... Bob Fenner> Tank Upgrade/Equipment Additions/Stocking Choices, Reef --
09/13/07 Hi there! <<Howdy!>> I have searched and read
and searched some more, and by now I feel pretty overloaded with the
information out there, but my questions still aren't all
answered...so please help! <<I shall make an
attempt'¦>> (and I apologize in advance for the length
of this email). <<Mmm, is about 8:30pm in my part of the
world'¦Ah well, no worries'¦I hear sleep is overrated
anyway'¦>> First - I recently purchased an Aqua-C Remora
to replace the SeaClone -- am ABSOLUTELY ECSTATIC about it!
<<Indeed! A huge improvement/upgrade>> Great research on
your website to help me make the purchase - thank you! <<A
yes'¦the AquaC skimmers are great products>> I will be
selling it to a friend of mine for her 29-gallon tank when mine has
been transferred... I am looking at upgrading my 29-tall to a 92 gallon
corner tank (48Lx34x24H, no predrilled holes).
<<Excellent'¦but do consider drilling this tank if at
all possible'¦you will experience an increase in
functionality/reliability similar to what you experienced with the
skimmer upgrade>> I have previously sent pictures of my 29-gal.,
but what I currently have in the tank to move over is (and I know
it's a mix, which I may have to reduce in variety some, but
that's my next step - would love suggestions of what should not be
in this group - I bought on looks, then did research...mistake, I
know...that's why I am reading Eric Borneman and Julian Sprung to
ID and weed, but at some point my brain goes into overload!):
<<I'll be happy to proffer my opinion>> - 2 small
Acroporas (one was a rescue - very happy) - 2 pieces (started as one)
of encrusting Montipora - 1 - looks like a pink Montipora - has a crab
living in it - An orange Fungia (very happy - but would love more
room!) - A Caulastrea - 2 different Favia (one was a rescue - happily
regrowing!) - A pink/purple Acanthastrea - A Lobophyllia (a rescue -
seems very happy) - A Turbinaria - Some Clavularia (started with one
polyp, now have 4) - A patch briareum (not rapidly growing, but not
dying back) - Some Pachyclavularia violacea - A Sarcophyton - Assorted
polyps and a healthy collection of mushrooms - A feather duster - 2
unknown anemones (friend brought from the Atlantic 2 years ago, were in
QT, happy) - A purple tang, a bicolor blenny, and a small six-line
wrasse - A gray serpent star, a red sea star, and 2 cleaner shrimp -
Assorted snails, hermit crabs, etc. - DSB - about 3.5 inches - LR -
between 2-3 years old <<Okay'¦I do have some suggestions
for your 'long-term' success re this collection of
livestock'¦The fish are fine, but be aware the Blenny
'may' nip at sessile inverts and the Wrasse 'will'
become very aggressive/territorial making it difficult to add more
fishes of similar size/genera'¦ As for the corals'¦I
suggest you either go with everything down to and including the
Turbinaria, or go with everything after the Turbinaria but exclude the
anemones altogether'¦ The other assorted organisms (Feather
Duster, Stars, Shrimp, Snails, Crabs, etc.) can go with either
selection>> Now my questions are (based on this web site, other
websites, CMA, Reef Invertebrates, John Tullock's book, Eric
Borneman's book, my LFS (whom I discuss things with but don't
always agree with) ... you get the idea). <<Yes'¦and
'goodonya' for utilizing a wide selection of resources>>
Not having had one with my 29, the question of a sump has me really
concerned and stumped on some issues: <<Is very
simple'¦adding a sump benefits the system with added volume
and provides precious space for ancillary equipment'¦both can
be/are of huge benefit>> I am currently still doing some prep
work with the tank and stand (coat the stand some more, paint the back
of the tank so you can't see through it, clean the tank, pad the
floor underneath the stand, etc.). Next, I plan to fill it. So Q1 is: -
When I set up the tank, I will be using new sand - I am afraid of
disturbing too much of my current sand and releasing things from the
lower, anaerobic reaches. <<Mmm, I hear this often'¦but
have found that in healthy/properly maintained systems this is not an
issue'¦especially when setting up/cycling a new system In the
least'¦you can use a goodly portion of this sand to
'seed' the new bed>> But I want to use it to seed the new
tank. <<Ah yes!>> Do I just skim sand off the top 1/2 inch
of my current tank? <<Can do it this way, yes>> Or is it
safe to go deeper? <<In my opinion and experience this too is
possible>> I have read of people who take their old sand and
rinse it with a garden hose until it runs clear before putting it in a
new tank - but doesn't that defeat the purpose of "live"
sand being used to seed the new tank? <<Indeed it does>> Q2
- Because I would like to get the cycling process started (I really get
the impression everyone in my tank would like the new tank better -
those soulful looks from the fish, you know), I want to see in what
order I need the hardware. I know I need a light (my new light is a
24" Outer Orbit HQI/T5HO - I currently have the 24" Satellite
from Current), heater and a protein skimmer (looking at another
Aqua-C); I also want to get a sump and a refugium.
<<Excellent!>> However, do I need those last 2 in order to
start the water cycling? <<You don't'¦but do get the
refugium installed/populating as quickly as possible>> Do you
have a preference for a pre-fab sump, or are there some I need to watch
out for? <<Is only 'my' opinion'¦but I think the
pre-fab commercial sumps are highly overrated and over-priced. You can
save a large amount of money (to be spent elsewhere/on other equipment)
by 'modifying' a 'regular' aquarium for your sump.
Installing baffles is really quite simple, especially when using this
method
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Baffles/baffles.htm)>>
Or could I literally start out with a Rubbermaid tub as a sump and go
from there? <<Many have chosen this route too'¦>>
I understand that ideally, I want the refugium portion of the sump to
be about 20% of my tank volume - so I need to have an almost 20 gal.
refugium? <<Mmm, go as big as you can'¦but
'ideally,' the refugium would be 'at least' as large as
the display. Get the picture? [grin]>> Or can I get the Aqua-C
Remora Pro HOT skimmer, and when I am ready to add the sump, it will
not have the skimmer on it - or maybe I can have the skimmer hang on
the side of the sump instead of the tank (don't know if this is
feasible - just an idea). <<Hang-on skimmers don't usually
work well on sumps due to the lower water level required to allow the
sump to handle all transient water volume when the pump is
off'¦at least not without upgrading to a larger pump on the
skimmer>> Next, I will let the sand cycle some. I know LR will
help, so here is Q3: - I am about to purchase some live rock from
someone nearby who has broken down her tank. Her comment about her LR
is "most of the rock, half or more, is Fiji, about 5yrs old, the
rest is coral, from Florida, before it closed. <<Okay>> It
is I believe in good condition, the water has been maintained. The rock
is the only reason I have kept the tank up. It has been there about 3
yrs. I had it in larger tanks for years. I still plan on looking at it
- but would it be too old (you mention that it is good to add new rocks
every so often) for my system, or is the fact it's going to change
systems and be with different LR a good thing? <<As mentioned, it
is a good idea to periodically infuse 'new' live rock in to the
system to replace consumed Earth/bio elements and to replenish
fauna'¦and setting up/moving to a new tank is a perfect
opportunity to add this new rock>> I would replace some of my
lower pieces with no corals with some of these when I set up the new
tank, if I like the shapes - I would assume a QT in a tub of warm salt
water with a good powerhead for 3-4 weeks should do it, based on what I
have read...yes? <<Yes>> Also, my LFS has been curing a
huge piece of dead staghorn he thinks would be cool for my tank- it
looks really nice from the shape; would it be good as well? I like the
look of it... <<Should be fine'¦but do be careful not to
add 'too much' rock so as to leave little room for the fishes
to swim/for water to circulate properly>> Next, about returning
water to the tank, comes Q4: - When I return the water from the sump,
would it make sense to use a "water system" (Drs. Foster and
Smith name - showed it in their catalog - long tube that goes down in
the tank, has T's that let you put an "exhaust" for
spewing out water on it so that you can direct the water in various
directions - similar to pointing powerheads in various directions, but
it is at depth) to return the water to my tank, then use power heads
closer to the top for more water circulation? <<Mmm,
yes'¦this can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make
it'¦but what you propose can certainly work>> I was
thinking this from the point of cleaning (if I don't have the
powerheads too deep, they are easier to clean), but I also to get water
flow at depth. <<Indeed, adequate water flow throughout the
entire tank is important>> And I should be able to use one pump
to send the water to 2 of these pipes? <<Assuming the pump is
strong enough and the overflow can handle the
volume'¦yes>> I know my sump will have to fit under my
tank (tight squeeze!), but not an option otherwise. <<Quite
common>> And where would you put powerheads on a corner tank?
<<Depends on the aquascaping'¦will likely require a bit
of trial and error>> I think the overflow would be in the back
corner, and then powerheads are best located at the right and left
corners, pointing towards each other? <<This is a good plan,
yes>> You know, this reef aquarium thing is harder to do than one
would think. <<Ha! Maybe so'¦does require some
purposeful thought/planning for sure!>> I went through 2 protein
skimmers for my 29-gal. tank until the third one was the charm - I
don't want to have to do that with this bigger tank.
<<Indeed'¦is where taking your time/doing research pays
off. My current fave skimmer is the Euro-Reef'¦but you
won't go wrong with an AquaC model either>> Therefore I am
trying to be cautious - sometimes I feel I am over thinking it instead!
<<Not at all'¦this will pay you dividends in the
end>> I apologize again for the length of the email,
<<(Yawn'¦) Just kidding [grin]>> and I am
relatively sure I am not completely duplicating someone else's
question...and would love your inputs. <<Hmm'¦all is to
be found/gleaned from the site'¦but I am happy to share my
opinion>> Thanks tremendously again for your tremendous knowledge
base, and for those going to MACNA, it's in a cool town (my husband
is originally from Aliquippa, and I got to see some of Pittsburgh), so
have fun. <<Unfortunately I will not be in attendance this
year>> Kerstin DeRolf <<Regards, Eric Russell>> New Reef Setup 9/4/07 Dear Friend, <Howdy!> I have gone through many of the FAQs and articles on the various areas concerned with a new setup at WWM. However, I was unable to find a couple of items. Please could you help me out with some details and advise. <Advice? Sure> I understand the effort you guys take to reply to tones of mails hence, sorry for the long mail in advance. <No worries> I plan to setup the following Tank size: 5L X 2D X 2H using 12mm glass. Volume should be around 120G? <Closer to 140 before displacement by gear...> Play sand mixed with beach sand 1.5" substrate. Live rock only (no base rock) around 80-100Kgs Biotope: Indian Ocean (Lakshadweep islands) with 2 boulders forming a 16" deep gorge around 2-4" wide. I like this idea but not fixated on it. <I like it!> A bit of LR rubble around the twin boulders and turtle/sea grass bed on the other side. Boulders would be drilled LR mounted on PVC pipe (schedule 80) frame. (how can I fasten the PVC frame since my substrate is gonna be 1-2" only?) <Will show or you can make deeper in the back where the rock is stacked? Do drill holes in the pipe to allow some water circulation> Lights 2 Philips CFL 55W cool daylight straight pin (12 hours) and 2 Philips TL05-20W actinic (14 hours). They should be around 6500K I think? <Sounds good> 1 lunar simulator http://www.fishbowl-innovations.com/product/moonComputer <Nice> Plan to replace in 10-12 months period. Cooling: I plan to use a 1/4 HP Hailea http://www.hailea.com/E-hailea/product-1/HC-300A.htm Or a 1/5 HP Hailea http://www.hailea.com/E-hailea/product-1/HC-130A-1.htm <Mmm, I would go with the 1/4> Would it be better if I got a 1/10 HP unit and used it to complement the existing 1/20 unit? <Mmm... for?> The smaller one could be used to draw from 32C (max in summers) to 30C and the larger 1/10 can then reduce from 30C to 27C? <Oh! I see... likely unnecessary... I would only use the larger horsepower unit.> Which approach is better you feel? <Not to use a back-up as such> The JBJ Arctica stuff is gonna BREAK my budget :( <Yes... plus the ongoing electrical consumption> Am currently using the 1/20 HP version for my existing tank (80 Liters) from the last 4 months and its easily accommodating. <Oh! Impressive> Water movement: I want to reduce pumps and the problems they bring along. Thus, I will use only 1 return pump and one chiller pump. <Good. We are in agreement> Plan to have one 5 Gal CSD on top of the tank (6" above tank lights). Design is tall model and should be around 15" tall. This would get filled in by an Eheim 1060 external pump from the sump of 50Liters. Will this Eheim model be able to pump to around 6 feet height? <Mmm, yes... the maximum head given is ten feet...> Outlet is 2" PVC and inlet is 1.5" PVC. <No need to be any larger than Eheim discharge plumbing diameter> Overflow is 2". Is there any way I can reduce the micro bubbles? <A collector arrangement with media in it to allow the bubbles to coalesce before going onward> Plan to use marine plywood (12mm thickness?) with reinforced seams and entire inside surface coated with aquarium silicon after assembly to make the wood water proof. <... I would NOT use Silicone for this purpose... Doesn't really adhere well to wood... Perhaps fiberglass cloth and resin... or other structural material other than wood> This will be in a wooden cabinet with Styrofoam used to deaden noise. (Will this do? as noise IS a factor) <Maybe> I also plan to have either of the foll from the opposite side to create random currents against the surge. <?> a. Another similar surge on the opp side b. Tunze Nano stream powerhead (on a timer running continuous during day to simulate stronger waves) at night only the surge fires. Maybe I could time this to match the lunar cycles? <Perhaps> Since the main reef structure is only a twin boulder which would be on the side, should I only use one surge blowing toward them? <Should be fine> Twin overflow drilled as 2" holes on the back of the tank with rigid PVC strainer and bulkhead (http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idproduct~FT1167.html ) connecting to flexible PVC tube. <Mmm, okay> Will it be a better idea to keep the overflows at different levels? <Slightly, yes> I plan to take a direct feed from the overflow to the refugium around a ¼" outlet from the overflow. <Do take care not to run too much flow through the refugium itself...> Filtration 50 Liters sump with skimmer (wonder if you could suggest any good but inexpensive one) <Posted... likely either a AquaC or EuroReef...> 100 gm.s Carbon filtering changed once a month. Am planning to reduce the quantity of carbon to keep the iodine in but want the chemical warfare contained. <Good idea. You've been reading...> Will it be better to use the full ½ Kg bag only on weekends? <Mmm, I'd leave in all the time... maybe overlap their replacement... 1/2 every month...> No other filter m media will be used but, I will keep 2 chambers in mind while making the sump for future use :-) Refugium: I plan to use my current tank (80Liters excluding rock and sand) which is successfully running from last 4+ months as the refugium. <Okay> I plan to reduce the live rock from this from current 30Kgs to around 10Kgs with a DSB of 8". The flow in.out of the refuge would be rather slow around 50LPH using a ½ Inch hole with a fine particle level strainer to keep the nutrients in. Will this affect the pods etc? cause I occasionally want pods or plankton to reach the display as live food. <Should be fine> Critters would be 20 odd snails, Caulerpa, sea weed, and other macro algae. Maybe a few serpent stars? <I'd leave out the stars... too likely to be too predatory> Feeding plan: Cyclops eeze, Ocean nutrition nano coral food 2 times a week with Selcon or RedSea coral vitamin. Prime reef flakes daily http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idproduct~ON2155.html Phytoplankton 2-3 times a week http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idproduct~EV2222.html http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idproduct~TL3151.html Shredded shrimp and or shellfish 2-3 times a week (from local fish store) Is there any other good product I can get? (shipping would take time as I live in India) <Try Spectrum pelleted foods... really... Completely nutritious and very palatable> Livestock I plan to keep low light demanding corals and inverts along with a few SMALL fishes. Fish would not be more than 10. (Already have 2 A. perculas, 1 two color blenny, 1 firefish, 1 flame angel. Couple of shrimp (already have 1 cleaner shrimp) Based on the biotope, Can you suggest some good corals? I understand the really cool ones are not photosynthetic and need to feed them. I think this should not be a problem as I do the same for my polyps, mushrooms and cup coral currently. <I would take a look/see at the biotope (books, a dive trip or two) and make your own list of what you see in this microhabitat> Can you suggest some good SMALL fish? <Ditto> I tried searching for stuff but was unable to get much on biotopes. Please do let me know if there is any URL or such which describes biotope examples. <Have been diving across the other side of India and to the south in the Maldives... but not yet over to Lakshadweep islands... but would look at books, the Net... for ideas... Tools like Fishbase.org for ideas on what is there naturally> Additives and Testing Potassium iodate for iodine Magnesium (what is the chemical component one uses for MG?) <Most folks add some Epsom, MgSO4... Magnesium sulfate> Calcium (using red sea Kalk) For first 2-4 months, Weekly test of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, PH in addition to the items in additives. Then reduce it to once a month slowly over period of 2 months. Water changes would be once a month with 10% made from Taikong or red sea sea salt made and kept for 24 hours. Cheers and thanks again Ranjith <Sounds like a very nice project indeed! Bob Fenner> Re: New Reef Setup, biotope... 9/4/07 Hello Bob, Thanks for the response. <Welcome> You mentioned " collector arrangement with media in" <Yes... to aggregate the small bubbles...> How do I do this in a surge? Will it not affect the surge power? <Mmm, need to discharge the water from the surge underwater...> Will it be in the surge box or in the display tank end of the siphon pipe? <Neither likely here... if there are micro-bubbles in the water going into the surge bucket itself, you can add the collector/media at the discharge point there> Also you mentioned to use fiberglass cloth and resin... or other structural material other than wood for the surge box. <Sorry for the lack of clarity. What I mean/t is that IF you're using wood, I WOULD use fiberglass cloth and resin... OR if not using wood... for instance glass, you could use Silastic... the surge "bucket" can be fashioned of any chemically inert material> Any idea what? Because fiberglass cloth or resin is probably something I would mostly not get in India easily :( <Really? Well... a "polythene" (Polyethylene here) drum of some sort would do nicely> I picked up some research material on the net that lists out the detailed names of the species found in Lakshadweep :)) Guess I will pick from that. <Is a very nice place from what I've seen...> I have tried to attach two images from a research done. Please glance at them. They are tables of the water parameters in the Lakshadweep taken in 2001. One funny point I see in the research is that the reef temp is 29 to 31C on an average. <Smokin' as they say in the west> Can corals survive and flourish in this temp range? I do remember reading in some book "reef secrets" by a well known author that some places do indeed have this temp range. If so, and I can afford to keep the temp at around 29 or 30, and then my need for a chiller is dramatically reduced. <Mmm, not most species, well or long... 86 F. I'd make as the uppermost value... 30 C.> Worst come worst I can use my existing one which as per the specs is *supposed* to support 220Liters and bringing temp down 10-12 degrees C. <Sounds good> Since summers reach 32-33 here, It should be able to bring down 500Liters (double its capacity) by 2-3 degrees C?? and I could use a couple of fans blowing across the surface also to reach the needed pull down?? Cheers Ranjith <Maybe... you might have to turn your lights off during the hottest weather. Bob Fenner> Flow... Reef circ. 9/4/07 I am
running a 120g 48x24x24 reef tank, with about 150lbs of Live Rock. I am
looking at 3 maxi-get 1200 powerheads which have 295gph each, and a
controller for it, with 2 rotating in opposites and a third on a
separate timer. Along with my 800gph from my little giant should that
be enough flow? <It totally depends on the arrangement of the tank
and what kinds of coral you want to keep. It's probably sufficient
for corals that need less flow, but probably not enough for Acropora
types. But again, it will depend on the arrangement of the pumps and
the rock. Keep the live rock off of the walls of the tank to maximize
flow (that will help). Best, Sara M.> Tank set-up, stocking questions - 7/28/07 Hi Guys. <Hi Gareth> First, I would like to commend you all on an amazing job. <Wow, thanks!> Your information has been invaluable to me as a complete novice setting up for the first time. <We're glad to help!> I just wanted to run my so far, very successful, system set-up by you to see what you thought. I have as follows: 50g all glass tank, 3" live sand, <Particle size/type? Sugar fine? If so, and you're going for a DSB, 3' of fine sand is the minimum -- would be nice to see at least another inch on there. If it's a coarser substrate, will need to be sure to keep up with vacuuming (no more than one half of the tank at a time).> 10+ kilo of live rock, <General recommendation is about 1 to 2 pounds/gallon (or in your case, roughly .5 to 1 kilo/gallon), but you can add more (cured separately, of course!) later on, if desired.> Fluval 305 canister filter, <Be sure to clean/service this weekly - if not, it can turn into a nitrate factory.> small fluval 1 internal filter, <Same as above. Probably not necessary since you already have the 305 and a skimmer (that's hopefully working well and pulling in dark skimmate) - especially when taking into account the hassle factor of constant cleaning/possible nitrate issues.> V2 protein skimmer, and all the necessary heater, blue and white light etc... <Would be good to say here what type/wattage re: lighting system> Water levels have remained spot on for 6+ months now with a very clean and healthy looking tank, good algae growth etc.... Anyhow, inhabitants consist of: 1 common clown, 1 yellow tang, 1 powder blue tang, <Uh oh, hang on while I don my official Tang Police hat (what can I say, it makes me look taller and more official). Okay, I'm ready. Each of these tangs, needs a much larger tank - 100g at the very minimum. Both like to do a lot of zooming back and forth, and need their own space, as they are territorial and do not like to share. I'm guessing your two fish are pretty small right now, but trust me, with good care they're going to outgrow this tank, and when they do, it's going to be a problem. Stressed tangs get aggressive, fall prey to disease, and don't live long. Just be ready to either upgrade tank size to huge, or upgrade to 100g+, and choose one of these fish to keep. They're beautiful and tempting, but keeping two in a tank this size is just trouble waiting to happen. More info on these two species at these links: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/powdbluetg.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zebrasom.htm > 1 cleaner shrimp and 2 hermit crabs, plus a host of other critters I've been noticing on a daily basis. <If you haven't already, be sure to check out your tank at night with a flashlight!> As I said, all fish doing great, all getting along, and seem happy with bi-weekly 20-25% water changes. <I wouldn't do more than 20% bi-weekly, unless you're having trouble keeping nitrate levels in check. If that's the case, then the best thing to do is figure out why that is (what's the source) and take care of it. The norm for water changes is 5-10% weekly, translating to 10-20% bi-weekly.> So my next step is corals. I would like to add a few "nice" corals that won't cause any problems with my tank. I would greatly appreciate any of your comments and suggestions. <Sorry, but I'd need more information. Good coral selection is dependent on many factors such as lighting, water flow, personal preference, existing livestock, level of care needed, etc. Please see these links for additional information: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/growingcorals.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm > Thank you all <You're very welcome and good luck! -Lynn> Gareth FOWLR to Reef 7/15/07 I have
been reading many articles on your site and only created more confusion
for myself. My tank has been established for about 3 years, I currently
have a 72 gallon bowfront, it is 21 inches deep with about 1 1/2 inches
of crushed coral at the bottom, and about 50lbs of live rock (yes, I am
planning to add more). <You might not need more live rock. Those
lbs/gallon rules don't really mean anything. It's more an issue
of volume than weight. If your live rock is providing plenty of space
for your corals, and makes plenty of caves and hiding places for your
fish, you probably have enough.> For filtration I am running a
Magnum 350, and I am using a powerhead 802 in one corner and the filter
return in the other corner for circulation. <You need more
circulation than that for a reef tank. If you don't want to use a
sump with an external pump, you can get several more powerheads
(MaxiJets are great). Or, if you have the money, Tunzes are awesome
too. If you're really ambitious, you could even set up a surge. In
any case, you need more water flow.> I am buying a 260 watt light
this week to add more lighting with 2 10k and 2 actinic bulbs, will
this be enough to start? <If this is a metal halide light, it will
provide more than enough light where you put it and less light farther
away from it. If these are VHO, T5 or PC lighting, yes, it should be
enough for most types of coral. However, it is harder to keep the more
intense light needing corals like Acropora without metal halide
lighting. It just depends on what you want to keep.> The local fish
store that I usually deal with is supposedly one of the largest in the
world (hint it is in Lancaster, Pa.) The staff is made up of
"marine biologists" and depending on who you get some answers
are there, some are not. I am looking to slowly work my way up to some
anemones, maybe some brain corals and really a carpet anemone.
<Carpet anemones can be really hard to keep. Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm> I have 2 clowns, a
dwarf angel and a bunch of damsels right now, also a chocolate chip
starfish and also a black brittle star, plus the various anemone crabs
a couple sally Lightfoots, hermits and snails. I know I am going to
need a protein skimmer, and I am going to need to add sand apparently
from what reading I have done, what else is a vital necessity to get
started? <If you want a sand bed, then yes, you need sand
(obviously). But you don't necessarily need a sand bed. You should
definitely get a protein skimmer. What else is vital? You should get a
good book too. It might help sort out some of the confusion. I suggest
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner. Talking to people
at your LFS is good, but you should also keep doing your own research.
:-)> And what is the deal on sumps?? <This question is a bit too
broad to answer here. Please do a search for "sump" and write
back if you have a more specific question you can't find an answer
to.> Thanks, confused aquarist, Dan <No problem. Good luck. Best,
Sara M.> Marine Aquarium Setup 7/3/07 Hey Crew, <Hello> I currently have a 38 gallon aquarium that's doing pretty good. I use an emperor 280 bio wheel (I know that's not ideal) and a protein skimmer for filtration. I have a CF hood that houses two 96 watt bulbs one 10k and the other Actinic. I am happy with the results so far. Currently I have a Yellow Hawaiian Tang <tank is way to small for this fish> two Ocellaris Clowns (one has gotten considerably bigger than the other so I think they are male and female), and a small juvenile Queen Angelfish <also will rapidly outgrow this tank>. They are living peacefully together with pretty much no quarreling. For inverts I have a good dozen snails and hermit crabs to clean my tank and my 30 lbs of Fiji nano live rock. Also, I have some sort of bubble tip anemone, some type of Hawaiian Feather Duster, and a white pumping Xenia. I supplement it with reef calcium, iodine, and marine trace elements. I thought that would be enough considering what I have and I was wondering if I should change anything I am doing. <Need to address your stocking.> Also, I have noticed a lot of worms lately, they are bright orange and brown in the middle with white bristles on the top. I searched the Internet and the closest I could find to these are fire worms which were called beneficial in some places and a menace in others. <Bristle worms, mostly harmless detritivores.> Are these worms going to present a problem in the future at all? <Unlikely.> OK, here is the main thing. I was told by my mother that I could upgrade the tank to something like 120 gallons if I moved it downstairs and gave up the one in my room. (I wanted to first make sure I'm doing everything right before I go and screw up a much larger tank with more expensive equipment). <Good, your livestock will need this soon.> I am interested in getting one with a hidden overflow for a wet dry filter or sump. I am also thinking of investing in a UV sterilizer for insurance of any parasites that may arise. <Spend that money on a QT tank instead, better use of your cash.> I will be using some of my live rock and sand from the old tank and I am going to buy much more rock, probably 100 lbs more for optimum biological filtration, but I figured using some currently established rock will help out with the curing and cycling of the new tank. <Will help.> I will be bringing over all my fish and inverts from the other tank and my biggest question here was what lighting would be the most beneficial to the widest variety of marine life that will be able to coexist with what I have. I know this can be a tough question to answer but I was thinking of a metal halide system around 250 watts as this will be a somewhat shallow tank. (The dimensions the tank will be have not yet been decided upon based on our space available.) <Will be good for many different photosynthetic life, however I do not recommend mixing corals and anemones.> Thanks for any input you might have, all will be considered. Please be sure to include any essential equipment that I may have missed (It's not coming out of my pocket hehe). <Seems like you have everything covered. Will need to get good quality skimmer appropriate for this sized tank.> Thanks, and sorry for the extra few emails I sent with some emissions added -Connor <Chris> Setup for 125g Mixed Reef. The Joy Of Sumps (Basic System Design Overview) -- 07/03/07 Hi all. <Hiya! Scott F. in today!> I'm planning to step up to a "serious" reef tank after a two year stint with a 12g Nanocube. <Hey- if you kept a Nanocube for a year, you're already an experienced "serious" reefkeeper!> I plan to purchase an AGA reef ready tank and utilize a sump, but am unsure of a couple things. First, I'm not sure about the mechanics involved with circulating the water through the system. <It's pretty simple, actually.> I know gravity does it's bit in the water "overflowing" into the sump, and I know a pump is needed to feed water into the skimmer. < That Sir Isaac Newton guy sure had a good idea with that gravity thing, huh? Many protein skimmers, such as the "plug-and-play" Euroreef skimmers that I favor, come with their own pumps. You simply place the skimmer in the sump, plug it in, and it returns skimmed water back into the sump. Easy, even for the mechanically challenged, like myself. Every day I offer my thanks to the good folks at Euroreef for their simple, elegant skimmers!> And I guess another pump is needed to get the "filtered" water back into the tank? <Well, there are many possible ways to accomplish this. What you essentially need is to choose a return pump that can put water back into your aquarium from the sump, be it a submersible pump (like an Eheim, for example), or an external pump, such as an Iwaki or Sequence.> I'm just not sure about their exact placement, or how to determine what size (gphwise) to use in each case. <Well, that's where you'll need to do some research here on the site, and on other places on the 'net. Depends on lots of factors, such as the diameter fo the standpipes in your overflow, etc. There is far too much on this topic to cover in this response. I'd recommend a very basic reef primer, such as Michael Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium", which offers lots of basic information on setups. Or, you could visit the DIY site ozreef.org, which has lots of cool reference information on sumps and system designs.> Another area I need clarification is regarding the filtration components of the sump. I've heard a simple set up utilizing a DSB and macro algae is good, but can charcoal be used at some stage as well? <Actually, I'd recommend a proper balance of matter and antimatter, intermixed at a proper temperature with a magnetic field to contain the energy. Then you focus the energy on your dilithium crystals, which will create a field of...Oops- I just started giving you the directions for building your own Warp Drive engine! Hmm...sorry about that...back to your question: A sump is essentially a "processing center" for your water, with a few compartments to contain a skimmer, etc. It basically provides a holding vessel to move water into and out of for filtration, heating, and nutrient export. About all you need is some form of pre-filtration, such as a "micron sock" to remove gross particulate from the raw water from the aquarium, positioned beneath the overflow,. Then, in the same compartment, I'd position your protein skimmer. Water will flow back out of the skimmer into the sump, and then your system pump will push the water back into your display aquarium. You could employ activated carbon ("charcoal") passively in a filter bag in the sump, or in a dedicated small container/filter where water can flow through it. All this is easier than warp drive- and w-a-a-y easier than training your dog, programming your I-phone, or figuring out the opposite sex!> If the main tank has a sufficient amount of LR, is there any need to use it also in the sump? <Not unless you are using the live rock in the sump to help propagate beneficial food organisms, such as copepods, plankton, etc., in which case you might employ some live rock "rubble" down there. You could even float some macroalgae, such as Chaetomorpha, in there, place a mall fluorescent fixture over the sump, and then harvest the macroalgae regularly for nutrient export.> Is the skimmer placed before or after the Macro/DSB?? <Well, Eric- if you're thinking of a deep sand bed, you can either employ one remotely in a dedicated container, or you can have it in the display aquarium. The protein skimmer, as outlined above, should be placed in the system where it can receive a constant supply of raw unfiltered water (after particulate prefiltration, however) from the display for maximum efficiency.> Thanks a lot, Eric. <I know that a lot of this was kind of general, because of the space constraints we have here, but I think it sort of points you in the basic direction. Again, a good basic book like Paletta's aforementioned text, or Sprung and Delbeek's books, will really help you to understand the concept and system designs. Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F.> New... reefer set-up 6/25/07 I recently set up a 55 gallon salt water tank with live sand and live rock. I have fluorescent lights in the hood and I am running a bio ball filtering system as well as a penguin bio wheel 200. The live rock has been curing in the tank for three days. <Need to go a good while longer...> The sand and tank were setup for three weeks. <Good> When the rock came shipped to us it had a plate coral and some other stony type coral that was attached to rock but broke off in shipping. All the rock was lost in the mail and took 9 days instead of the 2-3 days priority (HA>>HA) mail is suppose to take. <Rem and Stinky!> When it came it was completely dry and broken. Some of the rock and coral has seemed to begin to come back to life. The coral has a pink fringe in some areas and it is bright white where it was broken. Does this have a chance of come back to life and mending? <Mmm, yes> Also what do you think the chances are for the rock and plate coral? <Some and marginal> Our live rock surprisingly enough seems to be doing pretty good. There is pink coralline algae growth and we have begun to notice several things in the rock itself. There are two feather dusters and two different types of worms. One is a spaghetti I believe and the other is a earth worm-like (but not the bristle). We also appear to have some clams. We want to have a variety of coral mushrooms and Anenome and then introduce fish. Clown and angel possibly. Could you suggest lighting as well as fish that could go with the combo? thanks <Mmm, yes... posted on WWM... much to consider... Enjoy the process. Please learn to/use the indices, search tool... Bob Fenner> A new Reef Addict, using WWM? 6/12/07 Hi WWM crew, <NRA> I have been a fresh water fish enthusiast for years, but has always been envious for the beautiful reef tanks at the local fish store. I finally got a used tank and equipments from a guy, and I am now ready for the reef tank challenge. I took your advice and did a lot of researches before emailing to you for questioning. So let me first tell you what I have: -90 gallon reef ready tank with the over-flow -Red Sea Berlin Turbo Skimmer with the original pump -Mag 7 Pump -30 gallon glass tank (as a refugium tank) -20 gallon glass tank (I had it for fresh water, could be used for additional refugium tank or something?) <Yes... perhaps as an isolation/quarantine system best> -Crushed shells and corals as sand bed -100 lbs of dead coral and base rocks -48" Coralife Lunar Aqualight I have set up the tank with RO water of TDS of 2 mixed with salt to salinity of 1.024 The water goes from main tank down to 30 gallon tank, there I have a protein skimmer and use the Mag 7 pump to up the water up to tank. Goal: 6-8 fish, cleaning crew, hard and soft corals. Questions: -What do they mean by "reef ready tank"? can I use the box with the over-flow in the back of the tank for anything? (it holds some water in there) <Is a "sales pitch"... The current rigs are not really "very" reef ready... Need more, larger pre-made through-puts... as you'll see> -Do I need more live sand in tank for biological filter and if yes, how much is recommended? <Is posted... You don't likely "need" more... Please read on WWM re...> -I am planning to add some live rocks in main tank, how much is enough? <Also posted...> -What kind of things should I have for my refugium (Rite-Size filter pads, sand, rocks, fish, plants?) <Also...> -Is the light fixture enough for hard corals (still don't know what I should get for the future, but love hard corals) <and...> -I have read about the Berlin Skimmer so I am trying to modify it with a Beckett Injector from 4coral.com, I have got a lot of bubbles, but after I tested for few hours, there were no skimmate in the collection cup (only a small amount of dirty water). And the water comes out of the skimmer have bubbles too. Also, if the air valve of the Beckett injector has water come out, is that normal? <No...> I am ordering a Kent venturi to see if it helps and I will try that in couple days. <Try remoting the actual air intake line a bit higher...> I have read from other websites that sometimes it takes maybe a week for the skimmer to collect skimmate in the collection cup, is that true? -Do I need cleaning crew for my tank? -I have some acrylic sheets and planning to divide the 30 gallon tank into 3 compartments with 1st section for protein skimmer, the middle for refugium tank and the 3rd holds water to be pumped to the main tank. Do I need to do this or I can use the 30 gallon tank with all the equipments and living things together (without dividing) as a refugium. -Do you guys think I need anything else for this tank, because I don't want to add any living things in before it is ready. Thank you so much for your help to get me into this hobby Matt <Have just skipped down... Please learn to/use the indices, search tool on WWM. Your answers, "And so much more!" that is exciting, thoughtful, okay and frustrating and kind of hard to grasp at first... are posted over and over there. Cheers, Bob Fenner, common progenitor> Upgrading to a reef 6/9/07 -- Hey Crew, <Aaron> First, I would like to apologize for the blank message I sent you. I guess I accidentally hit the send button. <Ahh! Another mystery solved> Now, about my question. . . I have a 45 gallon FOWLR set-up. I have had it up and running for almost four years now and I would like to upgrade to a reef soon. The set-up consists of an Emperor 400 power filter, a Remora Urchin protein skimmer, a forty watt strip light, two powerheads, a heater, about sixty pounds of live rock, about a three inch deep crushed coral sand bed, <Do read on WWM re this... may want to switch out for other material... make thinner or deeper> two damsels, and two different clowns (these are the same fish that i started out with), and various crabs and snails. I would like to replace my power filter with a canister filter of some sort but I don't exactly what I want yet. <See WWM re> I plan on keeping my skimmer because it seems to be very efficient and easy to maintain. I was thinking of replacing the powerheads with either a Sea Swirl <I would not... don't generally swirl for long...> on the output of the canister filter, a corner Wave2K wavemaker, or three Hydor Koralia Circulation powerheads on a timer. <Very nice units> As for the lighting, I plan on purchasing a 305 watt metal halide/compact fluorescent lighting system with lunar LED lights. <Wow!> I would like to get rid of my fish that i currently have in the tank by giving them to my LFS if they will take them, or to another hobbyist that wants them. I would like to keep three or five ocellaris clowns, <Really a pair is about all that will go in this volume> two Banggai cardinals, a firefish <Best in pairs...> goby, a midas blenny, and a coral beauty angel. I would like to keep a birdsnest coral, a Montipora of some kind, an Acropora or two, a hammer coral, possibly a white pom-pom xenia, a crocea or maxima clam, a cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis), and after I've had some practice, a magnificent Anenome. <Mmm... you need to read re all this life... this Heteractis is not easily kept, a poor choice here> I am only sixteen and as you can imagine, my budget isn't the greatest so I will be replacing this equipment over a period of time, as well as introducing the livestock over a period of time, so please keep that in mind when you give me suggestions and advice, and know that any insight that you give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time, Aaron <Use the time profitably in-between to study, live vicariously by reading of others experiences... esp. re the Systems, Compatibility of all the life you list, modify. Bob Fenner> Lighting, flow, and warfare. 5/24/07 Hello, thank you for taking time to answer my questions, I have 4 years fowler <What's the "e" stand for?> tank experience and around 2 years of reef (let my tank sit for about a year before I really added anything of significance), I have a 40 gallon reef and a 30 gallon sump, equipment as follows: 1-175 watt MH, 195-watts of VHO, according to my flow meter there is around 2195 gph coming out of my sump, a modified SeaClone skimmer that does a decent job (I only skim a week or so out of the month, and shut it off once the skimmate is light in color), and I have a hang on filter that I use for carbon (again a week or so out of the month). I have 2.5 inches of sand in both sump and display, 70 pounds of live rock in the display and around 20 in the sump. I do 10 gallon water changes every couple days (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday), is this ok? <Likely so> I have a colony of candycanes, a Millepora, a Stylophora, two Acroporas, a capricornis, an encrusting Montipora, and two other plating Montiporas, all around 3-4 inches in length and are growing like crazy. I also have some xenia (why did I put it in there?!), a toadstool, and a few mushrooms and zoo's that sprouted out of my rock. I plan on increasing my light and getting rid of most of my soft corals, and sticking to SPS. I was planning on adding one more 175 watt MH but I found a PFO dual 250 watt MH ballast for $50 more. Would this be overkill or do you think this would be ok/worth the extra dollars? <For a forty gallon system? Overkill. If you use this, you'll definitely need to buy/run a chiller, get sunglasses for all who live there> I have a lot of overhangs in my tank so if some of my SPS do not like that much light I could easily shield them. I would like to add quite a few more species of SPS, but I am worried about warfare, thoughts?. <Posted> I am also setting up a 29 gallon/20 gallon sump for my Mother's birthday and I was thinking I could put my softies in there with the 175 watt MH from my tank if I buy the dual 250, good amount of light?. <About right for this shape/depth> Being a poor college student, I am trying to do this cost efficiently (wrong hobby), what would you suggest for flow rate for a soft coral tank of this size? <Also posted...> Also, should I switch my skimmer to this tank and increase the volume of my water changes to compensate? <Maybe... I'd test the water/s so to speak... as time goes by...> Any other tips you could relay would be great as well. Thanks for any help you can give, you guys are amazing, and I greatly appreciate it. <Please learn to/use the search tool, indices on WWM. Bob Fenner> Equipment Selection, reef 5/2/07 Hi, <Hello Ron> Just bought a Oceanic reef ready 56 gallon tank, and PM sump. I have a very successful 26 gallon nano cube loaded with SPS growing out of the tank, which is why I purchased the new system. This size will fit my budget right now. I have been keeping small reefs for 4 years now... What lighting should I use? Are 2 250 watt HQI Aqua Medics ok? <Two 150 watt HQI's would do the trick.> What skimmer? Aqua C 120 or 180, or PM1 or 2?? <My choice would be the Aqua C 120.> Thanks for your time... <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>Re: Equipment Selection, reef... lighting 5/3/07 Only 150's for SPS?? <That provides 5.3 watts per gallon of very intense lighting, should be no problems. I'm running one 150HQI on a 40 tall with good success.> My electric bill will love you. I figured to go with the 250's for color and growth? <The wattage doesn't have much to do with color, it is the Kelvin temperature. I'd go with 14K lamps. Will give you decent color with a natural look.> If I get the bigger skimmer will it be to much? <Nope, no such thing as overskimming. If you plan on going to a larger tank later, it will be one less piece of equipment you will need to upgrade.> I want to eventually upgrade to a 120 down the road, and will need a bigger one then... <I like the Coralife clip on HQI fixtures. Sure makes working on the tank easier...no hoods to take off and no noisy fans. There is a fan in the Coralife unit, but I've never heard it yet. Nice thing here is that if you go to a larger tank you just buy an additional unit, no need to replace the entire hood. Another nice point is that they only run about $230 each with lamp/fan. If wife/aesthetics are a problem, then this would not be for you.> Thanks. <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
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