Mar. set-up?  11/24/05
Hello,
I was wondering if this was a good setup for a 55 gallon tank:
50 lbs live rock
40 lbs live sand
1 Kole Tang
1 Valentini Puffer
1 Tomato Clown
Thanks Mark
<... please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
Bob Fenner>

Almost Ready to Make My Big Purchase
I am new to the marine aquarium, and I am almost about ready to dive in.  You guys have been very helpful so far, and the CMA was a fantastic resource.  Here is my set up, and forgive me first off with the size and no sump, but money and space are a big issue.  I will be setting up:
1) a FOWLR
2) 40 gal breeder w/ 40lbs. of LR
3) Aqua C hot skimmer w/ the 1200 maxi jet
4) 2-3 powerheads
5) HOT filter w/ carbon that will run 3-4 days/month for mechanical & chemical filtration.
Live stock:
1) pair of percula clowns
2) Royal gramma
3) 3 yellow tail damsels
4) Cherub angel
5) various cleaners (shrimp, hermits, snails, brittle stars)
6) Feather dusters
>>Nix the damsels and your stocking list will be safer, they could get aggressive with the clowns and that little angel.  Consider instead Chromis, small cardinals, or neon or clown gobies (small gobies).
>Here are my questions:
1) Should I use a shallow sand bed >1 inch or a DSB <5 inches?
>>Since you're going with no sump, I suggest a DSB.
>2) I am not planning on buying live sand due to the purchase of LR, is this ok?  Will the LR make the sand live?  
>>This is fine, it is likely this is how the purchased live sand became live in the first place.  Cure the l/r first, then place in display, then add sand (aragonite or other calcareous is preferred), seed with piece of shrimp to start cycle and feed sand and l/r.  When readings get to zero and nitrate is low, then you can begin stocking.
>And is aragonite a good selection or should I use crushed coral?
>>For DSB, sand is preferred to crushed coral.
>3) Due to cost and heat output, I would rather not use compact fluorescents, are NO fluorescents (one 10,000K and one actinic blue) ok?  
>>Not familiar with N/O's that have a Kelvin rating of 10,000K, but if they exist they should be fine for the most part.  Coralline algae does need available calcium, so aragonite would be preferable, as is good quality l/r.  
>Can I get coralline algae growth from this or do I need compacts?  Do compacts throw off a lot of heat?
>>I believe that it isn't the lights themselves that put out so much heat as it is the ballast that does.  To the best of my knowledge the ballast can be located somewhat remotely, depending on the setup of the power compacts.  It is my opinion, however, that in the long run you'll be happier with the pc's.  Contact a good lighting supply, such as hellolights.com (or one of our sponsors) and ask them these questions as they ARE the "experts".  Best of luck to you!  Marina

Pumps N' Polyps
Good Morning Boys! Thanks to Anthony for quick response to the question I asked in my past life when I was known as Wylde_At_Heart and he was Runs In Tight Shorts. Thank you for responding humorously and not just assuming I was crazy. 
<that would then make you humorous and me crazy... no one will be surprised among my friends, though... don't worry>
Or assuming I was crazy but playing along anyway!;-)(Hmmm.. not really helping my cause here huh?) 
<I don't know... I'm sitting here sucking down Yukon Jack through a straw like it was oxygen and answering e-mail. Bob keeps me locked down to this chair here and feeds me applesauce with a slingshot on occasion>
Well, now I'm known as Laura, a little boring I know but I thought it had a nice ring to it. 
<not at all... very charming (a serious and lucid moment for Antoine here)>
So, once there was a little boy (32) who wanted a fish tank. He bought a used 55 gallon that came with protein skimmer and pump. He bought everything the fish store would allow him to put in it and only went off of their advice, never consulting this silly little book his girl friend (this is where I come in) had purchased for the cause 
<does your boyfriend do crack cocaine, or is he just Republican?>
called The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. A few days passed and the little boy found other toys and lost interest in his tank. His girl friend joined the WWM cult and is now doing her best to figure it all out. (Okay back to first person).
<Oh, goodie! We'll be up to three cool chicks with shaved heads in our cult/crew now :)>
I have been reading a lot about skimmers and filters. I think the one we have is "a hang-on-tank, airstone-driven, counter-current skimmer" going from pic on pg. 85 of book. The filter says AQUASTOP SYSTEM and FLUVAL 404 on the top - hope this means something to you. Due to the outbreak of what I learned from FAQ's is Diatom I want to make sure this system is good enough. 
<the Fluval is a very fine canister filter... the skimmer... hard to say. Likely to work fine if you are willing to make small daily adjustments>
I understand this cycle is necessary but for the future I also understand it is important to have a proficient filtration system. In layman terms how do I tell if this is good enough for my tank? 
<basically by watching how fast the water chemistry changes (pH decreases or any ammonia/nitrite spikes)>
Please forgive my ignorance in this matter. 
<ignorance is a blissful state before enlightenment.. no worries... keep learning!>
How long should it take for this to go away? 
<depends on how well the skimmer works. If daily and dark skimmate is produced, a matter of just a few weeks>
I learned this a.m. that insufficient water movement may prolong the presence of the Diatom - 
<OH ya... big-time>
if I were to increase H2O movement is there anything to worry about? 
<no problem as long as it is mixed up and not too one-directional>
Is it possible to have to much movement? 
<unlikely>
Also the Sun Polyps... If I were to move them closer to the top of the tank they would perhaps be stimulated to come out for more than just "dinner time" correct? 
<absolutely, yes! They are not bothered by light and they can be trained by daily introductions of food juice for a few weeks... just a small amount at the same time each day>
WWM has said that the light is not bad for Sun Polyps, they are not nocturnal, but also that they should be put towards the bottom of the tank. 
<yep... all true. It leaves space for the light lovers and spares the sun polyps a little if a nuisance algae gets ugly>
What are the draw backs to putting them higher up? 
<the need to protect form being overrun by algae>
Thanks again for all your time and keeping me in good humor through all my nervous jitters. 
<my pleasure and purpose>
Hope to see Anthony when he makes it out to L.A... BEST WISHES TO ALL, Laura
<excellent! I'm looking forward to it... I hear they have a coral frag swap planned around that time :) Best regards, Anthony>

Tank Set-Up
Dear Mr. Fenner et. al.,
<<Et al today - JasonC here...>>
Top of the morning to you ! How is it ?
<<It's afternoon now... but so far so good.>>
I have several questions and some experiences to share:
<<Fair enough.>>
Firstly, the hardware:
20G 24"x15"X13" tank, Hang-on-back Penguin Filter w/bio-wheel, Penguin 155 gph powerhead, 100W Marineland heater, 2x55w Jalli PC Unit 7100K & 10000K lamps w/independent switches and cooling fan
The software:
22lbs Fijian LR, 2 lbs. Base Rock, 2" LS, 1 Heteractis Crispa, 1 Premnas Biaculeatus, 1 Cirrhitichthys aprinus, 1 Sarcophyton Sp., 1 Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, 1 Physogyra lichtensteini, 1 Palythoa sp. 1 Astrea, 3 Turbo Sp. and 2 Clibanarius digueti.
Water Params:
PH ~ 8.2, N02 0, N03 0-5, NH4 0, CA 400, ALK ~ 4 meq/l, TEMP 78(nite) - 81(day),Photoperiod 12 Hrs, Water changes 10-15% weekly.
Additives:
Iodine @ 1 drop/day, Seachem Reef Calcium, 2 Caps/week for Coralline growth.
Food:
Kent's Phytoplex for the Toadstool, Frozen Mysis Shrimp and assorted frozen marine food from San Francisco Bay. (I know I should be going with DT's with regards to plant plankton ~ soon!). Kent's Gallic Extreme was soaked with food during a minor ich breakout.
Phew...
After about three weeks of introduction, the clown has finally started "Sleeping with the Anemone"! What a sight! Also started feeding the Green Open Brain, Polyps and the Bubble. The Brain and Anemone is fed once a week and the Bubble 3-4 / week per Anthony Calfo.
I also had an ich breakout, so I used Kent's Garlic Extreme for about 3 weeks and it worked. No signs of it today! Fishes are healthy although the Hawk didn't show any signs at all during the breakout. Hardy little sucker!
I couldn't believe how much the Brain could consume. I applied target feeding (turned off the powerhead, filters) and it consumed approx. 4-5 pc.s. of mysis shrimp. It has 2 mouths (much like the mighty "sarlacc" in Return of the Jedi), but used the bigger one to consume the food. The polyps also captured the floating shrimp with no problems. I have nothing much to say about the bubble, except it's a pig just like the Anemone.
Problems:
I have lost 3 Turbos over the course of 1 week. With the intro. of the new PC's, I have green algae bloom. It may be good as the snails are grazing on it. Also, prior to installing the PC's, I had a little coralline bleaching from leaving the lights on (15W 10,000K) for 3 straight days - not too bright on my part huh!. At present, the white bleached area has been totally covered with green algae. I read one book @ Barnes and Noble and the author says it's healthy. 
<<What's healthy, the macro algae or the coralline?>>
 I have read and re-read your faq's on algae, but nothing really specific on green micro algae. It can't be Cyanobacteria can it? 
<<It could be.>>
 I do 10-15% water changes weekly and am catholic about it. 
<<Not sure about the inference...>> 
This is not a hobby for me anymore, but more of a lifestyle! I am thinking that the snail's "packed it in" from the photo shock. 
<<Possible, it could also be a Darwinian selection against.>>
 I mean, they never used to like the standard 15W bulb. They would start crawling all over the tank once the lights went down. Nevertheless, I did perform some degree of acclimation with the PC's. Had only one lamp turned on for about a week and then went full strength afterwards. I have now reverted to the one lamp. (the 71000K color temp.). Would you suggest I add an el-cheapo skimmer like Lee's. 
<<Any skimming is better than none, but I would consider something a little more worth while.>>
I was toying with the idea but was kinda dubious as I have plans of throwing in a clam (derasa or maxima) shortly.
<<You don't have the proper lighting for these.>>
Apart from that, everything is just dandy. Please advice.
<<You got it.>>
Hope you all have a great day! Thanks for all the time and advice thus far. Best regards, Mimi
<<Cheers, J -- >>

75g Reef
Hello again 
<<Hi John, Lorenzo here standing in for the rest of the crew off to MACNA>>
I have asked you a couple of questions lately and you have been very helpful. I have a couple of questions today One of the problems I was having was a smell in the sump water.
<<Something died.>>
 I looked for a source and have been unable to find, then I got to thinking (stand back :) 
<<Sitting back...>>
The live rock I purchased from a LFS was not fully cured
 <<There ya go... lot's of little stuff died>>
 and I guess I will be curing in my tank 
<<Exactly, and is okay, just keep up with the water changes, make sure your skimmer is kept clean and fully operational>>. 
just wondering if this could be the source of the smell.
<<No doubt about it.>> 
rock itself does not smell bad to me.
<<A good sign!>> 
nitrates are about 5 ppm , ammonia is at zero. nitrite is at .01 
<<Not good, do some water changing, perhaps 10-15% now, again tomorrow if levels aren't better>>. 
rock has been in the tank for 4 days now 
<<halfway done...>> 
today I noticed worms that are alive have come out of the rock and turned white and died within 24 hours 
<<Too much nitrogenous wastes, as mentioned above>>.
I use ro/di water salinity is 1.023
 <<Very good>> 
also I mentioned my return pump (which I tested today from my overflow is returning around 700 gallons an hour) coming from the basement is a mag drive 950 you told me that I might want to upgrade. just wondering what you would suggest. 
<<Depends on the size of the tank. Iwaki's are great, but a bit noisy. Mag's are okay too, but maybe he was saying yours is too small?>>
 Last question: other than waiting about a week for chloramines and chlorine to dissipate from make up water and salt water for water changes what do you suggest I use. 
<<You mention you're using RO/DI... those processes remove Chlorine/Chloramine 100%>> 
I cant find the ingredients to these products to figure out which one is safe to use. 
<<Kordon's Amquel is fine in a pinch (if you don't have RO/DI on hand!)>>
Thanks for everything, John S.
<<Welcome and cheers, Lorenzo>>

Re: Custom Aquarium
Bob, Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
<You're welcome>
If you don't mind I would like to ask you one more question regarding the tank described below.
<Okay>
Because of its depth I am looking for ways to minimize the need to do gravel vacuuming. I have 2 ideas to achieve this and was wondering if you could give me your opinion.
Idea 1:
While relying on an overflow, sump, bio-tower and protein skimmers for filtration, I was thinking of including the concept of a reverse-flow undergravel filter for some or all of the pump water returns. I would elevate between 1-2" of crushed shell gravel 1-2" off the bottom of the tank using egg-crate lighting louvers and a 1/8"x1/8" in plastic screening. My water returns would be below the gravel's surface. I would also have a 1-1/2" bulkhead and valve in the bottom/center of the tank which I would use to drain water during a water change. The idea here would be to drain out debris which may have accumulated below the gravel.
<I would use smaller screen mesh... like the inexpensive fiber material at large hardware (Home Depot, Lowe's) stores... and at least two such bulkhead drains... maybe three, evenly spaced>
Idea 2:
This idea is basically the same as the above except my water returns would be distributed above the gravel but toward the bottom to encourage an upward water circulation. I would put a few water return ports below the gravel with a valve that I can open during a water change. Dumping water below the gravel would stir up debris which settled there and I would at the same time drain water through the bottom of the tank.
In both cases the water returns would be plumbed in such a way as to prevent drainage during a power outage.
<... I would only rely on gravity here>
Do either of these ideas sound like they have a chance of working? Do you see any obvious flaws with this idea?
<Much more to discuss from the get-go... the type of life you'd like to have most importantly... using the substrate as a filter medium has many drawbacks... and has been largely misplaced by sumps/refugiums... Please read over all the filtration material posted on our root web... perhaps starting here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/filtration/marineFiltr.htm 
Bob Fenner>
Once again, any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Mike Spizzirri

Another novice in need
Hello WWM crew,
Found your website recently after I decided to get back into keeping an aquarium again. Wish I had access to your site back then. It's just wonderful. 
<<I'm glad you find it useful.>>
I was hoping to get a second opinion from you in regards to what my LFS is setting me up with. 
<<Sure.>>
90gal acrylic tank
Euro-fil 24" sump
two SEDRA 5000 return pumps(500gph)
Berlin hang on skimmer Rio 2500 pump)
9w UV (Rio 800 pump)
<<I think you can safely skip this item, and instead use the money to build a separate quarantine system for all those fish you want to place.>>
80 lbs live rock
@ 3 inches coral sand
4-55w Fluorescent
4-55w Actinic
I've been doing a lot of research lately and found so many different ways to go which all appear acceptable. I plan on starting out slowly and eventually ending up with a few fish, some invertebrates and some of the easier to keep corals. My biggest concern is with the SEDRA pumps and lighting. Is this enough to support the corals? 
<<The pumps are fine, although you may find at some point you need more circulation inside the tank - a couple of powerheads would take care of that. As for the 'corals' - you didn't list any so there's no way for me to give a concrete answer about the lighting. The corals you desire to keep will dictate your lighting needs.>>
Thank for your help. Keep up the great work. I am now an avid WWM reader.
<<Ahh, glad to hear it. Cheers, J -- >>

Re: Sick fish and general tank upkeep
Anthony,
<cheers>
Thanks for the reply and all the great knowledge. 
<My pleasure>
Here's a quick update... I disassembled the tank so as to catch the fish and QT'd them all last night. I was not sure if I should treat one or all so I decided on the group. 
<very good... some work but an admirably direct approach with which I concur>
I figured that a round of antibiotics would not be too detrimental to all of them. 
<agreed>
To top it off I gave each one a short fresh water dip on the way to the QT "just for good measure". Is the FW dip and medicating all of them okay or am I harming the ones more who are not showing outward symptoms? 
<no worries... it serves the greater good. No harm to the ones that haven't shown symptoms yet>
I used Kanacyn as the antibiotic. I see that you recommended a Furan based med - is this safer, should I switch?
<Kanamycin is a gram positive anti-biotic (not broad spectrum( and as such is weakly effective or likely to help (most infections are gram negative and respond to broad spec meds like Furan). Unfortunately, once you start a dose you cannot stop prematurely for fear are contributing to a resistant strain of bacteria that could come back to haunt you later. Use the full dose of Kanamycin but be prepared to add Furan-based drugs in 3-5 days if necessary>
You stated that the Banana Wrasse and the Toby (a Valentini puffer) are not good together. 
<long term>
The Wrasse is about 2.5 times the length of the Toby (about 4 inches) and I do not think he is yet mature. 
<adult banana wrasses reach 30cm (see fishbase.org) and "Feeds mainly on shelled benthic invertebrates (crabs, shrimps, gastropods, bivalves, brittle stars, sea urchins), also on polychaete worms and fish eggs." As adults they eat urchins that are much larger and harder than your squishy little Toby. They simply are incompatible in the long run>
He has a fairly small mouth and has left the Toby to himself for the last 5 months. 
<heehee.. small mouth, that's a hoot :) Ahh... at some point in time Mick Jagger did too>
The only thing that he seems to kill are the cleaner shrimp I tried to introduce a while back.
<yes, my friend... do browse fishbase.org for the one page primer on any fish you might consider in the future... it tells you the basics>
He's not too aggressive but does like to do close fly-bys of his tankmates.
<he is young and hasn't become sexually mature yet, at which time... look out. Don't get me wrong... I love the fish. But you have what will be a very large and aggressive fish on your hands in the 3-5 year picture>
The Toby completely ignores him and seems most interested in chasing his mirror image in the glass all day. Do you think that there could be a long term compatibility problem with these two? 
<yes>
What should I look for as the signs? 
<the Toby hanging out of the wrasses mouth... ah-thank you>
The Toby is my favorite (cheap but a great entertainer) and I would not want anything to happen to her.
<agreed... puffers of all kinds have such wonderful personalities!.
I think you had it right on with the water quality issue. The person taking care of the house was not familiar with the adjustment of the skimmer and it was reported (after I was back) that the skimmer did not produce a drop of output. 
<yep... and with you knowing what that can produce in a day, and knowing that it concentrated instead... ba-da-boom-ba-da-bing>
I also have a canister filter but I bet this was the reason for the algae bloom as well as the bacterial infection in the tank. Even though ph, ammonia, nitrates and nitrites test okay do you think that this is the probable cause?
<yes, possibly... the accumulating organic matter degraded water quality and was simply unsanitary. Bacteria count rose no doubt>
Protein skimmer adjustment question. I have a Red Sea Prizm Pro Deluxe skimmer which seems to work well when properly adjusted. 
<that is so cool!!! I didn't know you had a magic wand?!? Wow... that would be really handy for the rest of the Prizm owners in the free world... unless of course you have been feeding cheeseburgers to your tank and you have so much DOC that a blowing through a straw in the aquarium produces skimmate <G>>
The issue is that it seems to need constant adjustment to keep it "producing" or from wet foaming all the water out of the tank. 
<agreed... the design is inherently flawed. The time you have lost playing with that skimmer has been spent many times over when leveraged against the cost of a Euroreef, Aqua Sea, Klaes, etc>
There is a very fine line and it needs tweaking every day. Is this normal. 
<yep... on Prizms. I have little regard for them and if you browse the message boards you could get buried in complaints. We get a good half dozen weekly. With the Seaclone and Berlin, we hear more complaints than all others combined>
It is fairly obnoxious and makes like difficult! 
<yep... get a better skimmer my friend and never look back. Money on the top shelf skimmers is very well spent. You can literally get a Tunze or Euroreef adjusted the first time and never adjust it again for months... just clean the cup out>
Is there some general trick to adjusting these things? 
<unfortunately... the trick is finding a skimmer under $200 that is even worth $10>
Are there any skimmers out there (hang-on or under tank, no sump) that work without the need for adjustment? 
<Remora or Remora Pro for Hang on... Euroreef for sump models IMO>
I am really starting to hate the Prizm for what it "did to me" on my vacation.
<join the club... no... really, there is a club>
As always, my fish and I are in your debt! John
<mark the debt on ice and we'll check it at the end of the year. Kind regards, Anthony>

Outside reef in North Carolina
I have an old hot tub that I want to use as a reef tank or just to cultivate
liverock. I have it set up with salt in it but I can't figure out how to keep the
water temp down. It goes up to 90 degrees and by the next morning it is about 75 to 80 and sometimes gets a little over 90. I have a way to keep the temp up to around 75 to 80 but I can't keep it from going up too high from the sun. Can I at least put the live rock in it with it that hot? Any help with this will be appreciated.  Thanks, Brian
<it is a challenging dilemma... and one that will be somewhat expensive to pull off at any rate. One of your best bets will be to enclose the hot tub (if close to the house) in a lean-to/atrium like fashion... a sunroom if you will. Then you can harness the climate control in the house and supplement the venting of heat with a mini greenhouse fan and shutter controlled by a thermostat. Peruse greenhouse supply places for such information. Similar ideas and sources are listed in my Book of Coral Propagation. Best regards, Anthony Calfo>

Re: outside reef in north Carolina
Do you think it would be ok to put the liverock in it for now? We just dropped it down in the deck so maybe it will stay a little cooler since the bottom is always in the shade.
<From your previous description is sounds to me like the temperature swings would do far to much harm to the life on the live rock. My advice would be to start on a good foot with assured temperature stability. Aggressive protein skimming (two skimmers) will also allow you to enjoy the many benefits of natural sunlight with little or no fear of nuisance algae. Best regards, Anthony>

New Setup
Hi Bob,
I'm in the planning/dreaming phase of setting up either a 120 gallon or 180 gallon setup. Is there any benefit to buying a wet/dry filter and removing the bio-balls versus buying an empty aquarium to act as a sump? 
<Yes... generally a bit more expensive than just making a sump out a tank, rigging your own overflow... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/index.htm >
If you buy a reef-ready tank, submersible return pump, and in-sump protein skimmer I don't see the need for an expensive wet/dry filter.>
 Do these units help control water flow or reduce bubbles?
<Some do... with baffles, overflows, intake filters/pads of various sorts... you can arrange all this yourself as well>
Also, have you had any experience with E.T.S.S. or Precision Marine for protein skimming? Are they similar in quality/performance?
<Have had exposure to both lines. Our opinions on skimmers are posted on WetWebMedia.com>
On a side note... I would like to thank you for your advice and quick responses to my questions. Your advice has definitely made my fish/inverts happier animals. It's also nice being able to see them thanks to your advice on algae control. I used to have a SEVERE algae problem, but was able to reduce phosphates and raise calcium/alk. Now my tank is being overwhelmed with coralline algae.
<Great to hear of your successes>
Thanks for your time and excellent advice, Jeremy G.
<Bob Fenner>

Reef questions
Thanks for answering some questions. 
<our pleasure>
First of all should I be changing more water? 
<depends on the bioload, but small weekly water changes are close to ideal for most systems (10% minimum weekly)>
Do corals have a natural lifespan?
<yes... quite long (decades) in most cases. Some are theorized as having an indefinite/indeterminate lifespan>
Is VHO necessary or not, my local shop just runs regular fluorescent bulbs and the corals seem to thrive? 
<good heavens... VHO will at least be necessary...perhaps metal halides depending on your species selection. While I don't even agree with your shop using normal output fluorescents, they get away with it because the corals are held (suffering to meet their compensation points for photosynthesis most likely!) for just days to a few short weeks. Very few coral will survive for months under such week lights unless they are very hardy and the water is very shallow. NO lamps are only good for 8-12" of water with corals>
You mentioned my tests , well all are accordingly to the book. I don't treat this hobby light heartedly, I really get upset when something goes wrong. I have even done magnesium tests and they show OK. If anything has gone wrong would the fish not be the first to show signs?
<not at all... all animals have various tolerances and responses. All bets are off on who responds first>
Have I got the right corals for 'VHO maybe to much light? 
<good heavens... too much light is uncommon with most aquarists and arguably not even possible if you have VHOs over 24 or more inches of water>
I know that I have a couple of bristle worms, but they say not to worry about that as some are good, except for the fire worm , 
<I agree entirely>
which I don't think I have. I do stock a brittle sea star but I don't think he is a problem. 
<unless he is a green brittle (predatory) they are all very good and safe>
One thing I did notice is that I have to add turbo snails and blue legged hermit crabs regularly as they seem to expire and disappear.
<you may have a predatory shrimp or crab>
Roger has been a great friend and has helped me out with a lot of problems. I hope he will mend and get back to normal, a lot of bad breaks........If you need more info please let me know, and I greatly appreciate your interest in my situation....Thanks for now, Bev Parker
<best regards, Anthony>

Reef aquarium
I love your website and bought the book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist". I have a couple of questions about starting a reef tank. I have a 125g glass aquarium with 125 pounds of live rock and 1.5" of live sand. 
<with intermediate sand levels (1-3") regular stirring is necessary or the addition of vigorous sand stirrers is necessary (Phalaena gobies, White sand stars, goatfish, etc). I find this level of sand too difficult to maintain. Less than one inch would be easier... or more than 4" for deep sand bed dynamics (denitrification) is my advice>
I have a Eheim Pro II filter and a red sea protein skimmer. 
<do consider that many folks struggle to get this brand of skimmer to produce daily dark skimmate... read archives here at wetwebmedia.com or message board feedback on this brand. Consider Aqua C, Euroreef or Tunze instead>
My lighting is my next purchase. I have a RO Lighting with two aqua glo 35 watt bulbs, not clearly enough. I also have a Volitans Lionfish. My tank is two weeks old and my levels have been stable from the start. I have lots of purple and red algae and even some bubble algae starting to grow. What should my next step be to heading down the road of a fish/reef aquarium. 
<read here for lighting guidelines: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm >
I also have 2 pouches of Phoszorb in my filter. I want to have soft corals such as anemones and mushrooms. What else do you think my system will require to get there?
< the brightest lights you can afford likely. 2-3 175 watt 10K Aqualine Metal Halides bulbs would be the best bang for your buck. A better skimmer will also be necessary. A good book too... see Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals or my Book of Coral Propagation. Best regards, Anthony Calfo>
Thanks, Ian Roff

Re: Hogs, Tangs, Clams and more...
You guys are really fantastic with your turnaround time on replies! Anyway, a few quick follow-ups. 
<<Well thank you - we certainly do try.>>
As you can probably tell, I have a few tanks, and am debating what to put into them. The 50G uni is going to be a clownfish habitat- If I upped the lighting with another 65W SmartLight, would I be able to add a derasa, and would I be able to keep either a bulb tip or a long tentacled anemone? <<I really wouldn't attempt either one with this lighting... it's still not really intense enough.>> 
I'm happy to keep the star polyp, leather and mushroom idea if not. 
<<I think this is your best bet.>>
The bigger tank raises some other questions. I'll be doing it in either a Caribbean or Hawaiian/Polynesian biotope. The Caribbean fish are great, but not as colorful as the h/p type. And if I did Caribbean I would want to use the Tampa bay LR. Great stuff, but quite expensive due to the density.
For H/P choices the least expensive Fiji I can find is about $3/pound-
semi-cured- Foster's and smith's. The Marine Center has Marshal Island base for $1.99/LB plus shipping, which I could top off with the primo stuff. How much rock would I need in a FOWLR 125 for biological filtration if I'm planning on running a skimmer and a 30 G refugium in addition to a sump for heaters, etc. 
<<Usually about one pound per gallon is about right.>>
If you were going to go with the dry rock routine, what kind would you use, and where would you get it from? 
<<Eh? I wouldn't go that route, I'd really try to get hold of live rock, and if you mean uncured live rock... I would just cure it in a Rubbermaid bin with a skimmer and some lighting.>>
Thanks again, Chris
<<Cheers, J -- >>

75g Reef
Hello again 
<<and hello to you - JasonC here.>>
I have asked you a couple of questions lately and you have been very helpful. I have a couple of questions today One of the problems I was having was a smell in the sump water I looked for a source and have been unable to find, then I got to thinking (stand back :) The live rock I purchased from a LFS was not fully cured and I guess I will be curing in my tank. just wondering if this could be the source of the smell. <<Perhaps.>> 
rock itself does not smell bad to me.
 <<Perhaps not... if the rock isn't stinky, then it probably is not the source of the smell. You never did mention exactly what type of smell it is...>> nitrates are about 5 ppm , ammonia is at zero, nitrite is at .01. rock has been in the tank for 4 days now today I noticed worms that are alive have come out of the rock and turned white and died within 24 hours. 
<<I would expect some of the fauna to die off... it will be replaced in time.>> 
I use ro/di water salinity is 1.023 also I mentioned my return pump (which I tested today from my overflow is returning around 700 gallons an hour) coming from the basement is a mag drive 950 you told me that I might want to upgrade. just wondering what you would suggest. 
<<Unsure of the reason for the suggestion - how large is the main tank? Perhaps you just need more water turnover? The Supreme Mag pumps are a good value for the money... I wouldn't think you'd need to upgrade unless you weren't getting enough flow. Are you sure you're getting 700 gph? I'm not sure the Mag pumps are good at head heights over 8 feet. You may need a pressure-rated pump if you are moving water from the basement to the floor above.>>
Last question: other than waiting about a week for chloramines and chlorine to dissipate from make up water and salt water for water changes what do you suggest I use.
 <<For what? To remove chlorine and the like? How about Novaqua.>> 
I can't find the ingredients to these products to figure out which one is safe to use. 
<<Most are pretty safe.>>
Thanks for everything, John S.
<<Cheers, J -- >>

New to saltwater setup
Hi, I am very new to the saltwater aquarium situation. I went to my saltwater fish store, and felt like I was bombarded with many suggestions, but none of my questions were really answered. My Mom gave me a Blue Devil, a feather duster, some snails, and hermit crabs. I brought them home and put them in a 55 gallon saltwater tank with some live rock. However, I do not have any idea what kind of food to feed them, what kind of light they should have, etc.
<The damsel should be offered a dry stable food plus some occasional frozen foods; mysis shrimp, plankton, and some mixed primarily vegetable matter food (such as Ocean Nutrition's Formula Two). The snails will eat algae. The hermit will eat just about anything they can get. The feather duster needs phytoplankton, baby brine shrimp, and other fine foods since it is a filter feeder.>
I have also noticed in several of other questions something about a skimmer for the tanks. What is this?
<A protein skimmer is a piece of filtration equipment.>
Is it necessary?
<Yes>
I have many years experience with fresh water, but any help you can give me about salt water would be much appreciated.
<I would strongly urge you to get Mike Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium." It is inexpensive, not too long, and will give you a strong beginning in your education.>
In a few months I would like to have more life in my tank, but I want to know what I am doing so that it all survives.
<Education is the key.>
Thank you, Kim H.
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

New hobbyist (Marine Set-Up)
Hi Bob your website is awesome and I have been reading it for about a week now. The lady at the aquarium store told me about your site. 
<Good for you, and her>
I have had my tank for about a week now and just wondering if there is anything that I am missing. I bought a 125 gallon tank. I have a Eheim Professional II filter with all the Eheim media.
<I really like these units, have two myself>
A Hagen Thermal Pre-set heater which I am finding won't keep up with the temp.
<Mmm, Hagen has many fine products... this is not one of them. Look into Ebo-Jager or Aquarium Systems as a replacement>
It will only keep it at about 76. 
<... what is the wattage... do you only have one?>
When I first filled the tank I put in live sand and 125 pounds of live rock. I also used 118 ml of cycle chemical. I have a Red Sea Protein Skimmer. After four days I checked all my chemicals PH was 8.2 ammonia nitrite and nitrate were all 0. I went and got a Volitans Lionfish from the store, the Marine Biologist there said it would be okay. The Marine Biologist at the store said I would see an ammonia spike when I put the fish in. It has been four days my ammonia level has gone up to .35 ppm but my nitrite and nitrate levels are still 0.
<As they should be... please read over a/the standard story re nitrogen cycling establishment... in books... WetWebMedia.com>
I was wondering if this means my filter is being colonized properly or is there something wrong? 
<Likely nothing wrong>
The cycle product is supposed to help with setting up bacterial strains in the filter is this true?
<That's the spiel>
Is there anything else that I am missing? Thank you for your help!
Thanks, Ian Roff
<Can't tell from here... Please read over the Set-Up of marine systems areas of WWM:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/index.htm 
that will be... very... time... consuming. Bob Fenner>

RE: Fish Tank Crisis (marine set up, anemones, calcium, maintenance...)
Good Afternoon WWM Crew! Hope you're all having fun!
Anthony has been helping me with this on going crisis which may now have a happy ending. We had the 55gal. filled with bad choices...
<I recall seeing this correspondence (as moved about on WWM). Antoine is off on a junket (he REALLY seems to be enjoying traveling about, chatting re coral prop.), so I'll respond.>
So we took back: Sweetlips (they had two more at the store already)
Coral Beauty, Both anemone's, Hammerhead Corals, and both Nudibranchs. We are left with: Male/female Anthias, Brittle star (light green all over), neon velvet damsel, two clowns, marine Betta, one coral, several shrooms, and several feather dusters. Questions FOR THE ALL KNOWING:;-)
You suggested only one anemone, why?
<One or none... in the wild these animals are almost always widely separated as individuals... or if there seem to be a bunch in one place, these are often genetically identical (from dividing, splitting)... anemones "don't play well together"... chemically or physically... and their "sparring" in small closed volumes in captivity can be a source of real trouble... is this enough of an explanation?>
Will our Star want to play with our anemone? 
<Hopefully not... but this is a very small "world"... and the way things go, "the bigger the better" with aquariums... diluting effects, stability... all increase more than arithmetically with increasing size of systems>
It seemed he was with our last one...
The pet store said we should give Calcium daily when we had two coral and that it was good for our fish too.. Is this still a good idea?
<Yes... but... and... with test kits... knowing what you're up to... Too much to give a "complete" answer here... I encourage you to read over books, WWM re alkalinity, calcium... what they are, significance, adjustment, testing... before getting products, administering them>
How do we know what and when to supplement. Have been up late every night, even falling asleep on/with Bob's book and he say's ideally foods will give everything - but supps. good idea....for us?
<Likely so... with the biomineralizing life you have... size of system... but do get/use test kits... it may well be that you'll have "enough" of what your organisms need/use per the make-up of the seawater, lighting... w/o supplementing>
When we first started with the calcium as soon as the liquid hit the water it looked like a snow storm in our tank but last night it didn't, do you know why? Is this normal?
<Not normal as in desirable... but does happen due to imbalances in the existing water... again... a bit too much background necessary to give an overall explanation here. Please read through the WWM FAQs files re calcium supplementation and pH/Alkalinity>
I learned from The book taking into consideration the selection of fish we have, that our tank would benefit from a few more scavengers. Is there any harm in bringing "several" snails and hermit crabs home at the same time?
<No harm if the system is stabilized (not new), and there's sufficient food material for them...>
The book also mentions that it is a good idea to purchase cleaner shrimp of the Lysmata Genus for our Anthias... Will our Beta eat them (the shrimp of course)?
<Not likely... but the Sweetlips would have almost for sure>
How can we be sure our Beta is getting the proper nutrition?
<Observe it feeding>
We have a Rio Aqua Pump/Powerhead (90) that we are using for H2O movement but again I think our tank would love and flourish with more, my boyfriend doesn't agree.... PLEASE, tell me I'm right, I love being right, I wanna be right just this once.. :-) No really though, what do you think? Thanks again, for saving the day... as always, Laura
<More circulation would be better. Bob Fenner>

Skimmer & Pump
To One and All:
I currently have a 90 gallon AGA with 1 overflow tank with 2 triggers, and a puffer. (I am aware that when my fish get older a larger tank will be obtained). FOWLR. Approx. 90 lbs. of live rock. I have an AMiracle wet/dry with 90% of bio-balls removed, running a Mag 9.5 return pump and a Magnum 350 canister. My question concerning the skimmer. I plan on purchasing the Aqua-C EV180 after reading yours and others recommendations. I could barely place the skimmer inside the sump due to return pump taking up space. Should I place the pump outside the sump, or pump in and skimmer outside?
<I would place the pump outside and the skimmer inside.>
I am also thinking of upgrading the return pump in sump from 9.5 to Mag 12. Can the overflow and return lines handle the flow.
<I am not sure if one overflow box could handle this flow, at least quietly. Do check with Supreme regarding what size line the Mag-Drive 12 needs to pump its maximum flow rate. The rate will vary with the diameter of pipe.>
AGA states 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 hole per overflow.
<This sounds more like the holes vs. the bulkhead fittings.>
It is approximately 4 feet of return height.
<You should be able to find the correct information from Supreme.>
Thanks for the response.
Regards, Mendy1220
<Have a nice day. -Steven Pro>

Setup- Reef Sump area
Whuzzzzzz Up!
<How are Youuuuuuu doing?>
I wanted to run my setup by you guys to see if I forgot anything important before I finalize everything.
I'm having a 180 gallon tank made (6x2x2) with eurobracing.
I want to run a closed loop with an AmpMaster 3000 flowing through holes (big enough for 1.5" pipes) drilled in the bottom with piping that I can put the height of the intake and return where it's best.
<be sure to have dual shut-offs and quick disconnects for this closed loop so that you can service the pump in the future without draining the tank>
Also, I want to put a center overflow with holes (big enough for 1" out and .75" return) to run around a 1000gph pump through the sump/refugium. 
<no a chance of a 1" line handling 1000gph... you'll need at least a 2" drain and that still might be noisy>
I've attached a drawing of what the sump will look like, hopefully you can see it. Basically, it's setup so that you can run fast water through one side and put a small powerhead to run a slower flow through the refugium.
<best if the raw water enters the skimmer chamber first>
The guy making the sump and skimmer is Andy @ myreefcreations.com. I don't know if you're familiar with him, but I've had enough acquaintances with his products to be very comfortable with everything he's making me. The skimmer (MR-2) and it's pump (Mag18) will be plumbed into the sump because I think it's a cleaner look and to avoid heat transfer from the pump.
This tank is going to be mostly a predator tank (eel, emperor angel, radiata lion) with some soft corals, mushrooms, etc.
<good luck with the adult angel and corals... a bit of pot luck. Best bets are Gorgonians for their noxious taste to fishes>
I'm gonna put lots of liverock. What I would like to know is: Does the setup sound OK?
<as per above>
Would you use a DSB?
<yes... in a refugium or in tank>
Any other types of filtration?
<I like dual skimmers cleaned alternately for high bio-load systems like a predator tank... this way skimmate production is rarely interrupted>
Good enough flow?
<1000pgh is way too slow in my opinion to keep detritus in suspension here>
Do you need a calcium reactor for a setup like this (no hard corals, very regular water changes)?
<nope>
What macroalgae should I get for the refugium? 
<many choices here>
I always see you guys advise against Caulerpa, 
<agreed... but a heavy bio-load like this is a good excuse for Caulerpa is you are willing to be a slave to it, feed it and harvest it systematically. Iron feedings are said to help but careful with iron and the scaleless lion>
so I'd like some good stuff to use and still be able to feed the trimmings to the angel and a tang.
<depending on the eel... I'm not so sure you have room for the tang after you leave space of the 12"+ adult sizes of the lion and angel (smallest safe eel being a snowflake at 18-24")>
What else would you stick in the refugium?
<the possibilities are endless...>
Thanks for all the time and effort you guys give to the hobby! Ken
<our great pleasure... best to you, Anthony>

Marine aquarium set-up, cycling
Hi, I have a CPR protein skimmer/bio-filter that's only good for up to 60 gallons. I have a 150 gallon and I am going to build a wet/dry or a osmosis filter for it, 
<Two very different pieces of gear, different purposes.>
I am wondering if I should start cycling the water now with just that and then in a little while put the other filter on, or should I just wait till I have everything? 
<I would start now... the longer the system runs before adding livestock, especially with live rock, the better>
One more question when adding salt to a new aquarium do I still have to mix it in a separate container?
<Not if there is no life present. No live rock, sand...>
Thanks for your time, Chris.
<Be chatting. Bob Fenner>

Upgrade questions
Hello gentlemen,
<<And good day to you sir, JasonC here...>>
Although by now I'm sure you guys are desensitized to the praise I just wanted to thank you for the wealth of knowledge that you guys supply to us neophytes. I've been religiously reading the site FAQ's and of course TCMA and whatever else I can get my hands on in my idle time. Surprisingly enough I've come up with a couple questions of my own :) . As far as history goes I recently upgraded from a 50 gal. (that had been up and running for over a year) to a 80 gal.. My brother lost interest in his which is how the upgrade came about. (sucks for him but a real money saver for me) 
<<I hear that...>>
 So as far as contents go I have about 50+ pounds of the mature live rock I took from my 50 gallon and another 30 pounds or so of base rock that I added with the upgrade (of course hoping to make it live rock). I have 2-2"damsels, 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 cleaner shrimp, a cleanup crew of 30 or so various critters that I add to every time I go to the LFS, and intentions of adding a coral beauty and a purple tang. The fish are great but I think my real interest is gearing towards the soft corals (not that I plan to neglect the fish or anything). 
<<No worries.>> 
So far I have 3 rocks of various polyps (white star, button) and mushrooms (lavender, pink, purple), a 6" green finger leather, some trumpet coral, and some xenia. All under 4-48" VHO bulbs. My questions are these. In my haste of putting up the new tank to take advantage of the gracious opportunity from my brother I added new aragonite along with the live sand from my 50 gal to exactly the wrong depth of about 3"+/-. I was wondering if I could add some new sand and aragonite on top of the existing sand bed to get to the desired depth of 4+ inches or if that would be detrimental. 
<<Would not be detrimental at all and it's probably better to add it now rather than later.>> 
I thought about adding it slowly over the course of a month or so and dispersing it evenly by blowing it around with a turkey baster (which has become a handy tool for me blowing sediment and stuff off my rocks as it settles...a tip from my uncle). 
<<Turkey baster for cleaning -> good. Don't know about spreading sand with it though... would probably be better to add in large lots, and perhaps even better with the livestock out - it's going to be difficult to avoid clouding up the tank so you might as well get it over with.>>
 That was question one. Question two is that along with the tank I inherited a nice wet-dry. Right now I am just using it as a sump with about 15 to 20 gallons of water to house my heater and ETSS skimmer. I have yet to set up the trickle filter with the bio balls for fear of the nitrate factory they have been dubbed.
 <<Takes a little while - you could do for the interim, but if reef tanking is where you want to be, best not to bother.>>
I've been dabbling in an ingenious way to modify it into a refugium but am now steering away from that idea. I now have my eye on this sweet setup at the LFS that has a sump with a large area for a nice refugium and also a separated part for my large ETSS skimmer. The setup retails for about $220. I think I like it. Does that sound like a better idea?
<<It's an alternative idea, not sure if it would be "better" - sump/refugiums don't really need to be complicated. I use a 35g Rubbermaid bin on my 180 - think it cost me $15. Not exactly a refugium, but it wouldn't take much more to make it so. It's your choice and your wallet.>>
The reason I'm opting for a refugium is that I fear I might not have enough filtration being that all my rock I would not consider live and the inability to keep my sump level from fluctuating about 2 inches every 2-3 days is inhibiting my skimmers performance. 
<<The water level thing is easy to address - I use a float valve made by Knop which just opens up to a reservoir via gravity feed - again, doesn't really need to be fancy. The non-live rock think will remedy itself in pretty short order [month or two], especially if your other live rock is in good shape. The non-live rock might not grow coralline right away, but it will liven up quite quickly.>>
 I've noticed a little of a brown algae bloom on the substrate and glass (I use RO water from the grocery store for water changes and top off). <<Could be dust from the new sand and rock. Will pass in time.>> 
Also I have no mechanical filtration in line nor have I started with the supplements yet as all parameters seem ok. 
<<I wouldn't supplement much unless one of your tests indicates that you should.>>
 Would you recommend I change that? 
<<Anything beyond coarse filtration in a reef tank is optional... that does mean you need to clean your pumps more often, but not really a big deal and beneficial if you do build a refugium in the circulation path.>> 
Thanks ahead of time for your efforts. Oh yeah, the new tank has been up for about 6 weeks and water changes of 10 gal or so every 3 weeks (although I intend for more that is usually how it works out in my real life). <<Funny... same way for me. No worries.>>
Thanks again, Dominic in the Great Northwest
Cold water diving is fabulous in case you haven't got the chance to yet.
<<Hey - I live in the Great Northeast and would you believe it, I cold water dive quite often, and you're right - it is fabulous. Although diving without a wetsuit is quite the luxury too. Cheers, J -- >>

Kent products
Hi again
<cheers, my friend>
I bought your book from Amazon, but it is going to take like 15 days before I receive it in Colombia. I am really looking forward to read it. 
<I hope that you enjoy it and find merit there too. Read it in good health :)>
sorry I didn't bought it from you but I find after setting my order that it was available trough your web page.
<no worries at all>
I would like your advise in Kent skimmer and wet/dry rocking filter.
<I'm sure that you can find a much better skimmer. Are any of the following brands available to you: Aqua C, Euro-reef, Tunze (first choices), Turboflotor, Klaes are also good. And regarding the Wet/Dry... I would suggest that consider making one yourself. They are simple and you can make one that will serve your specific needs better and save money by building it. Many DIY plans on the internet including here:  http://www.ozreef.org/diy/index.html 
there are about a half dozen links to plans at the very bottom of this long page. Best regards, Anthony>
Best Regards, Andres Saravia

Ideas, Thoughts and Opinions (marine set-up)
Good Evening all!
<<And good morning to you, JasonC here...>>
Currently I have 2 tanks that have been up and running for several years with very little coral/fish loss and another that was set up this weekend using rock from one of the established tanks (60) - I guess I'm just lucky or maybe the tanks inhabitants are! Please bear with me while I bore you with a little history of my tanks....
It all began with an impulse purchase in 1993...
Since then, I have had 55 gal (reef), 60 gal (reef), 20 gal (reef using a very modified Marineland Eclipse2 hood) and a 92(All-Glass corner tank with bow front) - I may have left out a tank or two here or there but I digress... all the tanks use VHO or PC lighting for an average of 7 to 9 watts per gallon (lousy way to measure- I know). For skimming I've got a RedSea Berlin XL's (60), CPR back PAKs (55 and 20).
These tanks have all been run using the Berlin system -as soon as I figured out what contributed to the nitrate problems in a reef tank (circa 1994) - my LFS - got a large trash can full of bio balls/plastic thingies!! I always hated the look of a bare bottom tank - I rarely like bare-bottomed people and they come into the world that way- I began to move away from the crushed coral scene to the Jaubert and now I'm contemplating a move to the deep sand bed philosophy with a refugium.... I've taken so many tanks through so many changes after reading and thinking that I'm reluctant to rush into any more! :~0
So here are my questions..
1) for the 20 gallon tank would a 2 inch sand bed suffice?? it has about 30-35 pounds of rock in it and hopefully the CPR backpak2 is enough of a skimmer - I have few other options unless I add a sump.
<<Two inches certainly wouldn't qualify as a "deep" sand bed, and unless you are willing to up it to four or five, you'd be better off with just one inch.>>
2) for the 55 & 60 gallon tanks would a 3 inch bed suffice?? they have
130-140 pounds and 120-130 pounds respectively hopefully the CPR Bak Pak and the red sea Berlin is enough of a skimmer. I am willing to change the CPR on the 55 and add a sump if necessary.
<<Same deal - one inch of substrate serves as decor. Two to three inches serve as a detritus trap. Four to six inches will work as a natural nitrate reduction system.>>
3)What type of detritivores would be a good combo and can you give me any stocking level ideas for the detritivores? 
<<These things typically arrive on live rock and populate to useful levels. You could add Nassarius snails to this natural mix, but there's not really a practical "level" to suggest.>>
4) Is GARF grunge what I need to order?
<<I've read articles both pro and con on this material. I do believe they ship it as a "live" medium so it would likely make a good jump-starter.>>
5) how do you get "good strong flow" without blowing the sand up against the glass? - I'm sure the answer is right in front of me but I'm pulling a big duh here! 
<<A layer of heaver material on top of the oolithic material.>>
New topic - off the topic of DSBs and onto flatworms - yeah - I got 'em
- well the tanks have 'em- they're the little red-brown multiply rapidly
causing ugliness to happen ones. I read through the faq and through the
postings here but it seems a bit inconsistent...or perhaps what appears to be inconsistence is really time lapse and changing of philosophies with regards to treatment/cure.
If the treatment is an animal fine - I just want to be sure that I will be able to sustain whatever I get once the infestation is removed... so if it is a very specialized eater where do I get flatworms to continue the new additions good health??? 
<<Typically, you don't... unless the infestation is such that there is a constant cycle of reproduction and consumption. People typically hand these predators on to the next person in need of flat worm control.>>
Final topic--- return pumps---
Currently the 60 has an external pump that is only rated at about 225 gallons at a 4ft head... along with two spray bars along the back of the tank each is pushed by a maxi-jet 1200 to create flow throughout the reef - I want to switch return pumps and I was thinking about a Lifeguard Quiet One... because it has the thermal shutdown feature and is ok to use with back-pressure. I want to restrict flow through a series of pvc elbows either 90's or 45's to create a horizontal spray bar that's about 4 in below the water surface that branches out into 3 vertical spray bars. That would of course remove 1 or possible 2 pumps from the tank - depending on how well the surface of the tank flow/ripple looks using this new contraption... I read on this site that the quite one pumps while good for freshwater are NOT so good for salt... Is this still true??? 
<<Still true, yes.>>
That's all I can think of for the moment but give me three more and I'll probable think of a few more! :~)
Thank you sooo much for any help, advice or clarification. Lisa
<<My pleasure. Cheers, J -- >>

New Set up
Hi all-
<<Hello.>>
I am looking to buy a 75 Gallon Pre-drilled Aquarium with molded twin flow corner overflows from All-Glass. I can get but scarce information about trickle systems and the type of protein skimmer than can be housed in them. 
<<Well, I have one of these myself. You can "house" just about anything in the stand - really any protein skimmer that isn't too tall. As for trickle filters - not really of use on this type of system as they are designed for sump-type filters, and not really hang-on equipment. If you really want hang-on trickle filters, you might reconsider the drilled tank and save a couple of bucks, although you're really so much better off with a drilled tank.>>
With live rock and sand, a trickle system and a skimmer housed beneath, <<Oh, ok... I think we just differ over terms. All you need is stuff that will fit. If you are looking for brand-name suggestions, you should post this question on our forum: http://wetwebfotos.com/talk >> 
I still need powerheads and a heater and thermostat. 
<<Oh yes, for certain.>> 
What am I forgetting? 
<<Lighting, lots of live rock, and a separate quarantine system for the incoming fish.>> 
Do I need more filters?
 <<I wouldn't think so.>>
How much wattage do I need for a reef tank of this size?
 <<This all depends on what you want to keep - the word "reef" is just too broad a descriptor. Check this article out, I think it will be helpful:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm  >>
Thanks in advance?
<<Cheers, J -- >>

Visi-jet
Good Afternoon,
I have a question regarding my Visi-Jet protein skimmer. Yes, I hopped on the wagon and bought the least expensive model I could find, before finding out what a protein skimmer is and why it's important, also finding this web site.
<It goes back to the old adage, "good things are seldom cheap and cheap things are seldom good.">
I managed to restrict the quantity of bubbles escaping into the tank
by placing a piece of foam (a cut section of a powerhead intake) and
adjusting ever so slightly daily (with a pair of pliers) the force of the water to ensure only foam entering the collection cup. I have it to the point where I am collecting 1/4 to 1/3 of the collection cup on a daily basis.
<That is pretty good!>
My question is regarding the color. Unlike the coffee reference,
which I've read about, the color is a very light brown (tea--watered down).
<This is not good. This sounds far too watery to be truly beneficial.>
Is this unit actually skimming, or am I wasting electricity?
<It is skimming, but removing too much water. I would try turning the air down slightly.>
I understand I need to upgrade but due to funds, it might be a bit. Would I be better off replacing this with my bio-wheel filter?
<No, that is a completely different type of filtration. I would continue to play around with this unit in the meantime and search for DIY modification online from other industrious hobbyists.>
I also have a question regarding my falco hawkfish. A cool little fish that follows the children around the tank looking for a handout. He also made quiet a meal out of my hermit crabs. The question is can I get away with any type of crab?? Shrimp??
<In your case, it would seem no.>
Thank you for pointing me to the right direction towards Bob's book, and
also, the one by Mike Paletta.
<They are both great!>
I'm about halfway thru each and realized I need to slow things down a bit. And get into better fish only tank maintenance habits. As for pre-mixing salt water a week ahead of time. Does it need to aerate or circulated the entire week?
<Generally, I do so for a few days.>
My plan is, mix up the water, add some water from my tank, aerate, check salinity then cover.
<I would aerate (and dechlorinate in using tapwater) for one day. Add salt the next day. Then adjust salinity, pH, and alkalinity on the third day and use the fourth.>
Is spring water ok to use?
<I would prefer to see you use reverse osmosis or deionized water.>
So many questions, so much to read, but after finding your site a week ago, I've learned more than I had the past 4 years.
<We are glad to be of assistance.>
Just been lucky so far I guess. Thanks again, Dave K
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

New tank set-up
Hi folks-
I was hoping you could answer a question for me. I am in the process of setting up a 125 gallon FOWLR tank. The equipment (pumps, sump, and the rest) are in a closet in another room. Lots of plumbing. I have just been running freshwater while I have been getting things adjusted and leak checking.
<A very good idea.>
I shut it down for a week while we were away and I think the water has fouled a bit.
<Stagnant water gets a little funky.>
I drained the tank and sump and wiped them down. The plumbing under the floor in the basement still has a little water in it still and has been sitting for a week or so. Would it be ok to fill it up with freshwater again and add a LITTLE chlorine to clean out the lines and then use a chlorine remover?
<You could, but it is probably not necessary.>
Then use that same water for the salt mix.
<Yes>
Or would the chlorine in untreated tapwater be enough to clean it out?
<IMO, more than enough.>
The water is not real nasty but it smells a bit and there is a little slime on some surfaces.
<Draining and refilling should take care of that.>
Thank you again, Den
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Stocking 55g FOWLR
Dear Mr. Fenner et alia,
<<Greetings, JasonC here...>>
How do you do? First and foremost, I would like to commend you on a great job on WetWebMedia ! 
<<Well thank you, but I can't bask in all the credit. It is the result of work by many people.>>
I am in the process of building a 55G FOWLR. I am going to specifically rare the following Butterflies:
1)Forcipiger longirostris
2)Chaetodon declivis
3)Chaetodon ephippium
4)Chelmon rostratus
<<Oh my... a 55 is really rather small for these fish, even though there are only four. You really need 100+ gallons.>>
Succinctly, I believe that it will require a skimmer and a UV filter besides the usual suspects. However, I do not have the exact specs on the equipment I am going to purchase.
<<Everything except the UV... you can avoid this purchase and instead put the money in a quarantine system for the incoming fish. You can avoid most all parasitic disease issues with careful quarantine practices.>>
1) Best skimmer for a 55G? 
<<I'm a fan of the various AquaC models>>
2) Heater wattage? 
<<Depends on the manufacturer - check the back of the box.>>
3) Power-head GPH? (I will go with two)
 <<As much as possible. More is better. A good range to shoot for is 10x the system volume circulated every hour. This would include your re-circulation pump.>>
4) Lights wattage/Kelvin/Lumens? 
<<Matters not at all - fish could care less about Kelvin and wattage. These are really only important for keeping corals and other photosynthetic organisms.>>
5) Best UV filter for a 55G?
 <<None.>>
Other questions include:
1) The tank will come out of the box with a hang-over-the-back filter. Do I need this since there is already a skimmer and U.V. filtration?
<<Well... I didn't see you mention the live rock... [the LR part of FOWLR]. First and foremost you need a biological filter, which the live rock will provide. You will also need some form of mechanical filtration, which the hang on unit will provide.>>
2) Would I need a clean-up crew to augment the mechanical and biological filtration? 
<<Time will tell, it probably won't hurt.>>
3) Will a 2-inch sand bed suffice?
 <<No, this is a problematic depth. One inch or less, or five inches or more will keep you out of trouble.>>
4) Would you recommend a larger tank for the fantastic four? 
<<Already did.>>
Please advice and thank you in advance. Best, Mimie
<<Cheers, J -- >>

Saltwater Tank Plans
Hello Bob and all the Crews,
<<And hello to you, JasonC here...>>
I've been spending hours at your web site and found it's extremely useful for hobbyists like us. This is the first time I'm writing to you. I recently bought a used 100 gal aquarium and planning to setup for salt water fish.
Here's what I have right now:
- wet/dry filter w/ bio balls (del rey 125)
- Berlin red sea (hang on type) protein skimmer
What I'm planning to setup:
- saltwater fishes and some hermit crabs and snails
- substrate: fine crush coral and live sand
- live rock
My questions:
- Should I use all live sand or use crush coral and sprinkle with live sand? <<Either/Or is fine.>>
- Should I or should I not use plenum? 
<<I wouldn't. A 5-6" sand bed can accomplish the same thing.>>
- Should I start the nitrogen cycle with or without live rock? And also should I leave the bio balls in wet/dry filter or not? 
<<I would use the live rock method to cycle, yes. Leaving the bioballs in should be left to testing. If you end up with nitrates that you can't get below 10ppm, bail on the bioballs.>>
- Normally I should keep skimmer off until the cycle complete but if I keep live rock from the beginning then should I turn on the skimmer also? <<Yes>>
- Even though it's not a reef tank but with live rock I do need more light but how much light do I need (wattage) and also type of light?
<<I would think some power compacts would be appropriate.>>
I'll wait for your reply before starting the tank. Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Dzung
<<Cheers, J -- >>

question for Anthony, or anyone else who wants to chime in
Well, I got an offer I couldn't refuse, a 135g tank, stand and hood, (plus a sump!) for a great price. now, to buy a house to put them in... (the lease explicitly states no aquariums over 55g).
<claim ignorance :)>
Now the question is what to put in it. I would kind of like to have "the best of both worlds". One side setup with suspended rock work to create an overhang effect, in the over hang would be non-photosynthetic corals hanging from the rockwork. on the top would be soft corals, xenia,
zoanthids, Dendronephthya, etc. I'd like to pick a few and have a number of them rather than the "garden effect" seen in most tanks. 
<agreed>
the other side would be an open sand area with turtle/manatee grass. You mention in BoCP that the plants are easy to get, I've only found a few sources, any ideas there? 
<sure... LA suppliers seasonally get Thalassia seeds sprouted which acclimate easily to aquariums. And from Florida, most any diver/collector can get bushels of seagrass for you cheaply. Mature plants transplant terribly though and take some trial and error... the key being very deep sand (5-6" min) and planting the grasses very gently at least 3" down>
I'd like to put LPS corals in that area. The aim is to replicate a grassy lagoon edge. 
<hmm... all the same shared water? sounds tricky.. really just a lot of feeding and A LOT of water changes>
Fish would be small, schooling species. I like the look of a lot of little fish vs. 1 big one. For lighting I'd
like to go with natural light (like the providers in previous email, btw. reading through the thread on RC, there's another company that makes a similar product, IIRC, slightly cheaper with a better
reflectivity, a few % points, but that makes a big difference - one calculation showed the end result was %83 of the light making it down vs %76) supplemented with "viewing lights" probably some NO tubes so I can get to see the tank when I'm home from work.
<all sounding good so far... care to chare the name of the better tube mfg?>
I was planning on a 6" sandbed, part of the reason for this is that one of the sources I found for turtle grass (billsreef.com) raises his in laterite. So I was thinking... (and we know how dangerous that is) of setting up the "turtle grass flats" somewhat differently. getting some inexpensive plastic sheeting (or something else non-toxic and non-biodegradable) and building a "planter box" setup inside the tank.
The tanks dimensions are 72"Lx18"Wx24"D (I missed out on the acrylic, it was 72x24x18, it was gone before the "ink was dry" on the post, nuts), I was thinking an area 26"L*14"W*5"D: bottom layer would aragonite sand (say 1" to allow for anaerobic bacteria, the next 2"-3" would be laterite (or some sort of high iron clay) topped off with aragonite sand. workable? 
<sounds interesting indeed... but I have concerns for controlling these nutrients... we are still on the heavy water change and dual skimmer mode IMO>
or would the infauna throw the laterite to the top?
<perhaps not so bad>
for current I would like to use either Turbelle Epumps hooked up and timed, 
<don't bother with timers so much... surge would be nice indeed, but timers are a waste of pumps... seek random turbulent flow instead>
or said Turbelle hooked to a Borneman surge device. 
<that would be nice indeed but takes some experimentation to tweak properly... also wreaks havoc with skimmers>
If using the surge, would it be better to have it going into the rock work end or the turtle grass side? 
<turtle grass>
Would 2 small surge devices be better than 1 larger one? 
<impossible to say without watching the impact of the rockscape on flow dynamics>
I was thinking of using the Turbelles because: a - they are plankton friendly for the most part, and b - the electronic versions have timers. 
< a very well made pump overall... I rank them very high>
I was thinking that during the night cycle I would throttle back the surges, simulating the generally "calmer" seas during the evening.
<wouldn't bother since we cannot produce even remotely similar surge (to natural) by day. Keep steady for maximum suspension of detritus and stimulation of plants/corals>
filtration would be the DSB, a DIY Ecosystem style setup, and (at least initially) supplemented with a skimmer. I'd definitely like to put a CA reactor on this. comments/thoughts welcome
<agreed with all except unnecessary addition of "mud" system... I'd rather have a plankton reactor or other style refugium... greater benefits>
(this is basically a scaled down version of my dream tank, minus the
mangroves on the other side of turtle grass. That particular little beauty would be about 25'L,6'W, and 4' deep... *g'ah*...)
<keep dreaming my friend! Hope is the greatest gift to man. Anthony>

CPR Overflow
Dear Bob & Crew:
Great site, learned more here than in my five other books.
<Shameless plug here, but keep an eye out for our first book in a three volume series. The series is called "The Natural Marine Aquarium" with the first volume being "Reef Invertebrates.">
Sadly, I found the site after the initial set up of my tank. I have a sixty gallon Oceanic glass, CPR Bak-Pak protein skimmer, Eheim 2235 Canister filter, UV, and two opposing power heads.
<Does not sound like too bad of a setup to me. You have some very nice equipment there.>
Livestock: Yellow-Headed Moray (aka Banded), Powder Blue Tang (impulse buy, I am aware the tank is too small and the fish problematic and mean),
<Problematic is an understatement, but do make notes as to your progress and add to the information on the husbandry of this species.>
two chocolate chip stars, multiple turbo snails. The tank has been up for four months and now the fun starts. First mistake, the tank is not drilled, and has no overflow although the stand and canopy are designed for bottom hole & over flow.
<Ok, definitely not a fatal flaw.>
Second mistake, I set it up without live rock. I have now purchased 45
pounds of live rock to supplement the 25 pounds of dead and 10 of live
that I currently own. I am curing this in my old 55 fresh tank that I
hope to use as an isolation and hospital tank in the future.
<All good, the addition of liverock, the curing in a separate vessel, and the hospital tank.>
Last mistake so far I did not purchase complete test kits. I now have all test kits, and have found low alkalinity and calcium.
<You have rectified the test kits, the alkalinity and calcium levels can be corrected easily enough with water changes and the use of a two-part additive like ESV's B-Ionic.>
I am now considering setting up a sump in order to have a safer place to put additives and in order to remove the heater, filter, and UV return & supply from the main tank. I hope to add the sump when I add the liverock (6 weeks hopefully). My question is whether I should use the CPR overflow or fully cycle the 55 and move the livestock to that tank and have the 60 drilled and modified.
<I would strongly vote for the drilled option.>
The CPR kit seems cheaper, but I am concerned about overflowing the tank in the case of a power outage. Do you recommend the CPR overflow, set up with the venturi powerhead primer, or do you think I should wait and save for the tank modifications,
<Wait and have it drilled.>
or should I just live without the sump,
<Or live without.>
and wait for my next bigger tank. Thanks for taking the time to read about my faults. James
<James, my friend, you are much too hard on yourself. A sump is nice, but not a necessity. And you have know educated yourself and are making/have made improvements. Good luck to you. -Steven Pro>