Jeff@Tri-Point
Member
Anyone have saltwater reef tanks? I got lots of questions for you guys! (nana)
Anyone selling anything?
Anyone selling anything?
Saltwater Tanks
- Thread starter Jeff@Tri-Point
- Start date
Jeff@Tri-Point
Member
well.. well... now...azeli73 said:
1. Protein Skimmer HOB I got this Via Aqua venturi system... I installed it yesterday and i don't know what to do because the collection cup either gets filled with water... Theres foam inside the chamber... atleast i think so. Doesn't get filled at all... What is the collection cup suppose to look like?
2. Lighting.
I have a 60 gallon tank that is like 39" x 14" x 14"
I just got a current usa orbit PC 2x96 fixture w/ moon lights.. Is that enough to start up a reef tank? Would it be okay to get another PC fixture?
3. Refuguim HOB
I got a CPR Refugium last week and I put a spagehtti algae in there.. It hasnt gotten lighting for like 3 days now. My light that i came in for it was the wrong one.. it was (2) 6700 blubs instead of (1) 10k and (1) atintic. How long will the algae last for? Also Im afraid of my acrylic melting on the refugium from the 18watt PC fixture. Is it possible to put a piece of glass over the acrylic so the fixture can sit there?
Here's a thread from earlier this year on the exact same topic:
http://www2.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48109&highlight=saltwater+tank
http://www2.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48109&highlight=saltwater+tank
Here is a great forum that will surely answer all your questions. Nice friendly people there.
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb
Works for me whenever I discover new things in my tank. Which seems to be everday on the live rock
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb
Works for me whenever I discover new things in my tank. Which seems to be everday on the live rock
Protege5Gurly
Member
Your best bet is to do research on reefcentral.com
Your skimmer cup shouldnt have water in it -- its not adjusted properly -- but it also takes a few days to "set in". The cup should be filled with nothing but nasty looking foam.
Your 2x96 watt lighting (guessing its a dual bulb setup with a 10000K and 03 Actinic in each socket) should be OK AT BEST for things like candy coral, bubble coral, frogspawn, GSP, shrooms, rics, zoos, some leathers, xenia, etc. No clams. Anemone's will also do fine with what you have. I would still add more light -- with what you have your at like 3.2 watts per gallon you want more like 4-5.
Your algea will be fine ... and the acrylic shouldnt melt with the 18 watt.
If this is your first tank (it seems like it is) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take your time adding stuff.
Im hoping you are using live rock and sand to start the tank. Let it run for a few weeks to cycle the dead/dying material from the rock. Your tests should ALL read 0 before you add any fish. When that time comes, add fish/corals SLOWLY to the tank so the tank can adjust. The acclimation process for fish is also pretty involved. The same goes for corals.
What salt are you using? I recommend the new Oceanic salt, but if your close enough, I hear Scripps Pier has a hookup to get natural seawater which is VERY VERY Good (many people swear by it).
Pe@ce
Your skimmer cup shouldnt have water in it -- its not adjusted properly -- but it also takes a few days to "set in". The cup should be filled with nothing but nasty looking foam.
Your 2x96 watt lighting (guessing its a dual bulb setup with a 10000K and 03 Actinic in each socket) should be OK AT BEST for things like candy coral, bubble coral, frogspawn, GSP, shrooms, rics, zoos, some leathers, xenia, etc. No clams. Anemone's will also do fine with what you have. I would still add more light -- with what you have your at like 3.2 watts per gallon you want more like 4-5.
Your algea will be fine ... and the acrylic shouldnt melt with the 18 watt.
If this is your first tank (it seems like it is) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take your time adding stuff.
Im hoping you are using live rock and sand to start the tank. Let it run for a few weeks to cycle the dead/dying material from the rock. Your tests should ALL read 0 before you add any fish. When that time comes, add fish/corals SLOWLY to the tank so the tank can adjust. The acclimation process for fish is also pretty involved. The same goes for corals.
What salt are you using? I recommend the new Oceanic salt, but if your close enough, I hear Scripps Pier has a hookup to get natural seawater which is VERY VERY Good (many people swear by it).
Pe@ce
Jeff@Tri-Point
Member
i just ordered another 2x96 watt PC 10k and 03 atintic.. ive been doing research and i can't afford the metal halide. The tank has been running or about 2 years but havent thought about reef and thats what im going for. thanks for your information on the protein skimmer. I will have to look out for that. Is it normal for my protein skimmer to start sucking a lot more bubbles into the collection cup when i stick my hand in there?Protege5Gurly said:
I have about 80lbs of LR. Im acutally jsut using regular salt like read sea.. or maybe coralife.. will that be fine? Whats the correct procedure to mixing your own salt.. like how long ar eyou suppose to wait for the sal to dissolve and etc...
garretts77
Member
- :
- 2007 WRX VF39'd
The skimmer should take a few days to cycle. Mine took about a week to get to where I don't have to adjust it too often. When it is "good" it should fill up with dark sludge, it's mostly algae and pollutants from the water. My collection cup is only about 20 oz or so but I only have to empty it once every couple of weeks. I have't got up to the reef status yet. I have about 60lbs of live rock though. I just can't afford the lighting to support inverts. However I recently had an explosion of little baby star fish. I have a 55 gallon tank that is like 48 inches by 13 I think, and just sitting in one place without moving anything I counted 85 starfish. They were just stowaways on the rocks from some point, but I haven't bought aby new rocks in months... weird...
As for the lights, I lent my book with all of that info to a friend and haven't seen it for a while. I don't remember...
As for the lights, I lent my book with all of that info to a friend and haven't seen it for a while. I don't remember...
garretts77
Member
- :
- 2007 WRX VF39'd
Oh, and I get my water from Birch Aquarium here at UCSD. It is the same water that all of the shops sell for like $0.60/gal here, except it is free. I have used coralife before, but the problem with that is that you mix in all of the crap that is in your tap water. If you can buy some DI water to use instead, that will be much better. The instructions are on the package...
