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nitewindes

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Posts posted by nitewindes

    Need Help Planning Next Tank - not a DIY person :-(

    in Tank Builds

    Posted

    Well, it appears I am heading toward the 112 - 150 gal range... YIKES! I am thinking a cone shaped skimmer, (ease of cleaning), a sump and refugium. That way I will be able to put lots of live rock in the sump and not have to bombard my display with it. I like the look of a little open space. Corals, softies, leathers, bubbles, torches. Inverts: basic CUC and really want clams. Can LED handle clams or do you have to have metal halides?

    Or.... will clams and softies be at odds with each other lighting wise? Maybe one at one end of the tank ?? Ideas?

    I am thinking a tank controller and auto top off. Wave maker and plenty of flow .. Other thinks I am forgetting? If I keep going, I may have to drive around in my tank with as much as its going to cost.. ha ha ha. Oh well! Its only money. :-) Anybody hazard a guess at the price range I am at?

    I am off to find a copy of The Reef Aquarium....

    NEW BioCube UV Sterilzer w/ extra bulb!

    in Hardware

    Posted

    I just purchased a UV sterilizer by BioCube for my 14 gal tank. It really can't fit on the 14gal. (too tall by a teesy bit). I think it really needs to be on the 29 gal version.

    See it here:

    http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4393+24041&pcatid=24041

    Paid $45 for the sterilizer and 40 for the additional bulb.

    Make me an offer... Having tank issues and hoped this would help.... DARN!

    Can meet someone at 183 & 35 junction (where I work) or live in Leander.

    Need Help Planning Next Tank - not a DIY person :-(

    in Tank Builds

    Posted

    I would really love to do a more natural approach to the system if that is possible. I like the idea of rocks and sand in the tank and plants in the refug all being in a balance. Using natural methods for controlling aptasia and other things. In general, how often do you guys check water quality? Once per week or less or more???

    My current test kit doesn't test for calcium. only ph, ammonia, nitrate and nitrate and kh. Should I be testing for calcium too? I do water changes every two weeks about 15%+.

    The biggest problem I have with my tank currently is the Anthelia which takes over at the drop of a hat. I trim it back each water change. But the toxins put off from that set my tank back every single time. I wish I could rip it out the rock it is on altogether, but it is on my biggest rock at the base of my whole tank.

    How do you guys manage trimming corals that put off toxins??

    Thanks everyone for your input! It is helping me SO much!

    Need Help Planning Next Tank - not a DIY person :-(

    in Tank Builds

    Posted

    I am thinking 36-40 wide due to space available. Higher off the ground better. A bit taller than average and deep enough to do a reef right. I would have LPS and soft corals, zoa,s etc... and a few fish. I am guessing this puts me in the 80-100 gal range but not sure. At that size, I am guessing I will need a sump and refug...???

    If I piece together my own system I will need major help in what to choose and how to get it setup.. That is the only reason I was thinking an all-in-one.

    Need Help Planning Next Tank - not a DIY person :-(

    in Tank Builds

    Posted

    My only experience with reef tanks is our current all-in-one nano systems. (1 JBJ and 1 BioCube)

    I realize the limitations of our current setup and my difficulty in upgrading what we have any further.

    So, over the next few months I am going to begin to plan for a larger tank. I have been looking at RedSea and Marineland only because they seem to have all in one type systems that I can add skimmers and etc.. pretty easily. (or so they seem). Is this a fact or are you really better off starting from scratch and putting your own system together?

    I know I want LED's but other than that, just a system that I can maintain.

    If you don't have the do it yourself gene, how does one best take on this task? Hire someone? .... then the question is who? Do the local stores offer this service of consultation and installation? Is there a mentor program of sorts??

    Knowing what you all know looking back, what would you recommend?

    I am already reading whatever I can to try to learn. But the water chemistry is freaking me out a little bit. I do the normal tests on my biocube, but realize if I go bigger I have to get a lot better at it. Maybe I need to volunteer to help clean someone's tank in exchange for knowledge??? Ideas??

    Thanks, guys!

    Debbie

    Nano Cube Crashes

    in Emergency Discussion

    Posted

    My husband has a 29 gal Nano Cube. He is the less is more kind of attitude. Not big into water changes or changing anything really... But his tank has been absolutely the same for over a year. He had a tomato clown pair and a damsel, the usual cleanup crews and the only corals were xenia and anthilias<sp>? He had a bit of green plants growing but not much (culerpa I think).

    Anyway, I have been bugging him to pull out lots of the overgrown stuff and generally clean the tank up so we could add some newly purchased zoas.

    He cleaned up good, I guess because he called me and said he yanked out lots of the anthilias and moved around his rocks to get at it. Stirred up a mess of sand I guess. He took a nap and waited for the water to clear.

    When he woke up the tank was brownish and everything was dead. He is so broken hearted. The mommy tomato clown would eat out of my hands.

    He did a ton of water changes and now nitrate and nitrite are zero. He added some carbon to the filter (Thanks, Pham for the idea). Now we are just waiting to see how things shake out...

    Question is where to go from here?

    1. We have been wanting to redo our tanks with that cool looking shelf rock. But it is not live and I don't know how to cure it so it wouldn't freak out our tanks. Or does it matter with his now?

    2. Any idea what may have caused it? I thought a nitrate surge from moving the rocks too much... ??

    3. What should our recovery plan be??

    Thanks everyone! I know you all understand how heartbroken he was to find the little clowns laying next to each other in the rocks... Makes me cry to think about it.

    Debbie

    Getting rid of out of control coral

    in Reef Keeping

    Posted

    I have a hitchiker that is similar to a pulsing xenia but I think it is different. At any rate, this thing is the PITS! I have tried:

    pulling it off the rock by hand (too slimey and only briefly damages it (like for a few minutes) then any pieces that fall in the tank come up as new ones.

    Cutting it back to the rock with scissors (any pieces not caught sprung up new ones) Within a couple of days it is growing right back.

    One of the small rocks it is on I can ditch. But it is growing on my largest piece of live rock in the tank. I could get this rock out of the tank if there were a way to treat it so the stuff wouldn't grow back.

    The other rock it is on, I can't take totally out of the tank because it has a really pretty sponge growing on it...

    Oh, and BTW, when this stuff comes out of the tank I have to get rid of it PRONTO or it will make me throw up.. REALLY NASTY smelling stuff.. Just a pain all around.

    HELP!! Any ideas really appreciated!

    Debbie

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