A Plan & Some Questions

winyfrog1 said:
How big is the hang on refugium?

what is your flow ratio?

Do not put in a lemon peel angel if you want coral. They love lps and polyps
Click to expand...

My refugium is the medium size from CPR.

It's 19" long and 4.5" wide and about 16" deep. It uses a powerhead to pump water from the tank into the fuge and then a couple baffles and out the top through an overflow. Back into the tank.

I can post pics, but it's all cloudy right now. :shock:
 
The pics are in my gallery under Tank Pictures.

No laughing!!! :grumble: It's brand new.

I think I'm done with the LFS that I've been frequenting. They told me that I could not do a SW tank on a 30g tall. Told me I would spend $500+ on lights just to keep fish and rock. Told me I couldn't top off with tap water and I absolutely HAD to use RO water that they just happen to sell for $0.50 cents a gallon to top off. Told me I'd NEVER get any anenomes to grow in this tank--not under ANY circumstances. Told me NOT to put anything in my fuge until the tank was cycled.

I've spent $86 on lights for the tank. And about $40 for moon lights--which the LFS told me was a waste of time and effort because there was no way I could simulate the moon cycles.

They told me that I couldn't get enough oxygen in the tank to keep even a Damsel alive--that was today. I think with that powerhead and that canister churning the surface 24/7 I could keep a small SHARK in this damn tank. It's got to be just loaded with oxygen with all that surface disruption. Isn't that the best way to put oxygen in the tank? Churn the surface?

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Well, against their advice, I put about 1.5" of fine sand and finely crushed coral in my refugium tonight. I turned it on and the damn light too!! HAHAHAHA!!

Against their advice, I am using a mild DSB with about 3-4" of ground coral and about 1" of fine sand on top of that.

Against their advice, I'm using a skimmer. They told me that I should UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES--EVER use a skimmer in a tank with live rock and soft corals. :shock:

You guys are the best darn advice I could have ever got. I'm so glad I stumbled onto this site with a simple google search.

I know ya can't see it--but there's a 3" prawn in the bottom of that cloudy tank. I'm going to let it rot for a couple 2 or 3 weeks and when it's gone, my ammonia and nitrites should be ZERO.

What else do I need to do? I'll be itching to put some rock in this thing by the end of the month. :D

Should I skim while it cycles, or just let it cycle and then start skimming?
 
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I would NEVER top off with tap water. Even water conditioners cannot get all the heavy metals, phosphates and nitrates that come in tap water. Many people have algae problems because they use tap water for top off. A cheaper option is to use the RO water available at WalMart and grocery stores. Just read the bottles. As for the rest of it, I agree with you :D.
 
Really? I had no idea tap water was so taboo. :shock:

I might invest the $80 for my own RO unit. I've got a bad back (blew out L4-L5 and L5-S1 and had 3 surgeries in 2006)and I'm not exactly excited about carrying 5 gallon buckets of water to and fro. The LFS says they will sell top off water at 50 cents a gallon, but I'm in no shape to lift 5 gallon buckets of water into the bed of my truck. I got 9 pieces of titanum in my lower back already--I don't need an even dozen.

Did ya see the pics of the grey cloud? :mrgreen:
 
I agree with the fish store on the RO water but rest I agree with you.Surface agitation and good flow will increase oxygen.Your slimmer will add oxygen also.You can start the skimmer and add live rock now.No need to wait til the cycle is complete.

congrats
 
Yeah Tap is Bad
Before: Treated tap Water. = Algae bloom
(Lfs Sold me "RO" Water. After Testing It i found out it was Treated Tap
Pets010.jpg

AFTER : 3 weeks and several water changes later ( Real RO/DI water From another LFS.
Fish003-1.jpg


Can anyone See the Differance!
 
its amazing how much some lfs don't know, i've seen ours in town try to sell a bunch of crap to customers they don't need or try to sell junk equipment cause they won't stock atleast mid grade equipment. I think the guy who runs store believes he is only saltwater store around and no one will drive to others cause everything he gets as far as dry goods, equipment is marked up twice the price as online price like dr foster and smith or marine depot.
 
I'm buying my own RO/DI filter. Any recommendations on a good one for under $200?

I'm definitely done with that LFS when it comes to advice or help. They have nice fish and their tanks look really good. But they are very opinionated and think it's their way or the highway. I get enough of that crap flying RC airplanes. Not really in the mood to deal with that mindset with my fish tank.

I know that live rock will likely cause another cycle. I'm hoping that if I let the tank cycle out first, then the live rock cycle will be only minor. I don't know what to do. I learned-- the hard way, when I was young --that patience is a good thing when starting a new tank. I don't think it will hurt anything to let the tank cycle first. I'm just hoping that if I already have some aerobic bacteria in the tank when I add the live rock that it will be a short cycle and the ammonia and nitrite won't spike too high.

Good news!!

The Current Fission Nano Skimmer is bubbling like nuts. I don't know how well it's actually going to skim, but she's pumping out bubbles like a soap factory. Kinda tricky to get it set to the correct height in the tank. Too low and it fills with water. Too high and it seams like the bubbles can't make it up the throat and into the collection cup. I'll get used to it.
 
You will find alot of good RO/DI units for under $200.Check here for some......Fish : RO & Deionization Systems

Its better to cycle now with live rock then to wait til the cycle is complete.This is really the norm.The live rock is the biological filter,the cycle will help populate the rock with beneficial bacteria.
 
Im gonna agree with everybody else on this one.
Your better off adding the rock either before or during the cycle.Unless you get 100% cured rock from a local store.

And next time a LFS trys to sell you RO water for 50 cents a gallon,tell em wal-mart has for 33 cents.
 
So, do I have enough filtration?

I know that the live rocks will provide some filtration, both aerobic and anaerobic

All I got is the skimmer and the refugium right now. Seams like not enough filtration.

The powerhead and the canister will provide water movement. But, I'd really like to get that canister off. It's kind of in the way of my whole "beautiful reef" idea. :grumble: It won't fit on the back anymore, with the fuge hanging on the back too.

I am going to purchase another powerhead for water movement inside the tank. Maybe two more. If I get rid of the canister, I need a powerhead up near the surface to churn the surface and help with gas exchange. I think I should place another powerhead low in the tank to provide water movement down near the mid-level or even bottom of the tank.

Do I need more filtration?

Should I continue to run the canister and fill it with bioballs? It sure does provide a lot of water movement. Maybe put a sponge over the intake to prevent muck and goop froom entering the canister? I know the bioballs will produce nitrate as they break down the wastes, but shouldn't my refugium take care of that?

I took the rotting prawn out of the tank this afternoon. It was REALLY starting to stink and my wife was complaining. I told her, "Honey, it NEEDS to stink so the biological bacteria can grow." She wasn't having any of it.

My tank is full of microbubbles. They are just everywhere. Is this okay?

Take a look at it today and tell me what you think. That canister is pretty much in the only spot it can be in. I could swap the protein skimmer and canister locations-- -but it seams like 6 of one ............

Pics:
Image of Tank - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Image of Tank - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Image of Tank - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
 
Once you add your rock,just move your power heads down and kinda hide them behind the rock.Just remember to leave enough room to take them out for cleaning.
As for power head placement.I would put one in each bottom back corner and aim them at the upper center of the front.Then place one blowing across the back of the rock work,and maybe one blowing across the front of the rock work.
The more chaotic the flow the better off your corals will be.
I would just take the canister off unless I wanted to run some carbon or polish the water.That way you still get good use out of it,but dont have to deal with it hanging on the tank all the time.
I also got a feeling that your going to have a lot of trouble with your skimmer throwing those bubbles.They'll make your tank look cloudy,and if theres a lot of em,they can cause problems for fish and corals.
 
And if you really want to hear your wife complain,,order yourself 45 pounds of un-cured live rock,and cure it in the tank.She'll wish you had of just left the shrimp in there.
 
Once you get another powerhead,I would go ahead and take the canister off.The great thing about a HOT canister is that it could run on apart time basis later on.You know,if you need to run carbon,phosphate remover later on.The skimmer,fuge and eventually the live rock is plenty of filtration.In most cases,skimmers need a break in period(1-2wks)before microbubbles becomes less of an issue.You can try some kind of sponge filter on the outlet of the skimmer,maybe that will help.

Tank looks great and good luck.
 
would the skimmer fit in the refugium? i don't know how effecient it would be in there, but it would un-clutter the tank.
 
oh yeah, the canister filters return coming in above the water level will cause micro bubbles. raising the water level will probaly reduce the bubbles.
 
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