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Lighting Decision A very close friend of mine has become a major saltwater fish fan. He has a 29 gallon saltwater tank with 2 clowns, a blue tang, <A little small for the Tang.> long-nose hawk, a hermit crab, and about 20 lbs of liverock. He has had the tank up for 5 months now and the fish are doing fine. He knows everything about the water levels and tests everything several times a week. My friend wants to put coral and plant life in the tank but neither one of us know anything about lighting. I wanted to get him the necessary lighting for his birthday, but I don't know where to begin. I have read the info on your website about the 3-5 watts per gallon and the different lighting types (PC, VHO, Halide). I also know that I need to decide on what types of coral and plants I'm going to get first. <Correct> My question is: Since this is all supposed to be a surprise, what kind of light fixture/bulb/wattage do I need for a 29 gallon tank just to get him started. Something that will be OK for most coral's and plants until he makes a decision on exactly what kind of coral he wants in there. <This is a difficult question. I hate to recommend lighting for no particular organism. A middle of the road option would be one normal output double bulb fixture with two 20 watt actinics and one power compact 55 watt full spectrum lamp.> Thanks, Kenneth <You are welcome. -Steven Pro> First Marine Setup Hiya Bob A friend of mine sent me the url for your site, and can I just say that it's an eye opener. I have been browsing your site now for about 3 hours and I'm still finding new articles. <Much there> I currently have two main tanks, the first one being a 100ltr cichlid tank (with a Sailfin plec and a couple of tiger barbs and 3 Clown loaches) which has been setup for about 3 months now. Tank two being a 160ltr tank which is sitting on my landing gathering dust. I have been keeping tropical fish now for about 6 months, with a fair bit of success, and it has now got to the point where I want to try my hand at Marine fish. <Ahh, a rapid pace!> Ok so this is the proposed setup, 160ltr tank with a Fluval 404 ext filter (400ltrs an hour) Berlin protein skimmer and possibly a Vecton U.V sterilizer, should I add anything or should I change any of the kit. <Lighting... perhaps a powerhead> Will I be able to use playing sand (if not what should I be looking for) instead of Live sand? I intend on "seeding" the sand with substrate from my LFS and a friends tank, but the question is how much will I need... <Do read through the WetWebMedia.com site re Marine Substrates... avoid "playing sand" that is silica based... not necessary to buy LS> I will be leaving the tank to mature for about 2-3 months, <A very good, sound approach> and I will be monitoring the nitrate etc etc very closely. If I went down the path of just fish and live rock will I need halide lighting, as I am planning to use 2 light strips in the tank hood (one blue and one 4,200k strip). <Do look for a bit "warmer" Kelvin rated lamp... more than 5,000 K> Sorry about the questions but I wanted to get things straight in my head (so to speak), before I go and make a stupid mistake. <No worries... enjoy the journey, its remembrance/reflection. The anticipation of these adventures, their planning is a huge source of enjoyment.> Thanks again Bob, Antony Stevens (Hampshire, England) <Be chatting, Bob Fenner> Up and running Hi all, I finally filled my tank on Tuesday and all has been up and running since then. <congratulations!> Today is Thursday July 4th and a couple of questions have risen to which I would like help of where to find answers. my tank set up is a 75gal with 2 Hagen 802 powerheads and a Eheim 2235 canister filter 2 250watt Visitherm heaters, 45lbs = 1in of CaribSea aragonite grade crushed coral for substrate. <hmm... do get some live rock too... a very wise investment> My questions 1. there are a zillion tiny bubbles (not tiny Tim singing) in my tank <well he's singing in my head now, thanks> I know they originate from the powerheads but should they remain on the inside walls of my tank? they are also all over the heaters and all the other tubes in the tank. is it just because there is literally nothing else in the tank? <exactly... fish/snail, invert activity will actively dissipate these in time. No worries> 2. when I take readings with the hydrometer I can get 6 different readings just from where I get the water in the tank. from 1.021-1.030 (top of the meter) is there a reason or a specific place I should be getting the water for this? <the salinity is the same throughout the tank... its those piece of crap plastic hydrometers that are the problem. Any bubbles at all in the test sample can throw the reading. I prefer floating glass hydrometers> I want to get some live rock but want to make sure everything else is ideal first. an empty tank is no fun. <live rock could and should be added as early as possible. It will help your cycle too if it is fully cured> Thanks in advance as always you guys are great. Colleen Pittsburgh, PA <did you visit us/Bob in Pittsburgh last weekend? He gave a talk at Elmer's Aquarium who graciously sponsored him. Bob visits Pittsburgh annually for a PMASI meeting as well for all those interested in the road trip and Pittsburgh hospitality tour. Best regards, Anthony from Pittsburgh. Home of the glorious Pittsburgh Steelers <G>> New tank filter questions I just purchased a 120 gal. tank with 4 holes drilled in the bottom 2 at each rear corner. Tank size is 48x24x24.What would be a good quality filter system that would serve me well <that will depend entirely on your intended livestock and stocking level. Without overfeeding, very large fish or overstocking... a natural system with a lot of live rock (1-2 lbs per gallon), a protein skimmer and a carbon/canister filter would be very fine> and is there a place to buy a complete ready to go system. <many places including the folks here on the WWM site. Custom Aquatic, Marine Center, etc> After talking to the two stores in my area (which I consider reputable) my head is spinning like Linda Blair's. I understand that you are not a true fan of the wet/dry filter system. <they are good at what they are designed for (nitrification) but produce too much nitrate. Only recommended with very heavy fish loads where nitrate will be a lesser evil> What if any are my options. <live rock is the very best filter by far> I love this new tank and plan to piece it together slowly. <excellent... you will succeed with such patience> Thanks for any help you can give, oh by the way my wife is slowly warming up to this new tank and she is the one who found this wonderful web site, gotta love that. Thanks again Lenny <our best regards to you in your endeavors. Anthony Calfo> Setting Up a New Marine Aquarium Bob, <Steven Pro answering a few questions before going off to work.> I am just getting started setting up a new 90 gallon saltwater tank to house the growing fish in my 29 gallon. I have a small wet/dry sump (about the equivalent of one you would use for a 55 gallon) with an 1800 pump. I have also opted for a Quicksand QSA-1 fluidized bed filter to help take up the slack of the wet/dry. <The only brand of fluidized bed filter I like, but this is the smallest one. Not much help for the undersized W/D.> I also plan to use live sand and some live rock. I also plan to put on a SeaClone 100 protein skimmer. <Not a good choice.> Cost is an important factor and though I've heard some bad I've also heard some good about this skimmer. Do you think that this arrangement is workable for my system? <Not really.> Also what would be your recommendations for switching the fish from my present aquarium? <I would move them all at once. Livesand, liverock, filters, fish, water, and top-off with new water that has been well mixed.> I had planned to cycle the new tank with damselfish. Once cycled and salinity and temperature are the same I had planned to swap water between tanks for a week or so before I transfer the fish. Is this a recommended practice or can you think of a better way for the fish to adjust to the chemistry of the new tank? <Like I said above, I would make the new tank the exact same as their old tank and then just top-off with new. In that way, it will be like a large water change. The fish stay in their water the whole time.> I currently have a banded shark hatchling (hatched in my 29 gallon) and a fu Manchu lionfish. <You really need a tank much, much, much larger (3' x 3' x 9') for the shark. I hope the person that sold you the shark egg for a 29 gallon tank gets trapped in a broken elevator at a refried bean festival. -Steven Pro> Transitioning to a New Tank Greetings WWM Crew (especially those in the 'burgh) <Why hello! Steven Pro in today.> First set of question's) concerns transitioning my 30 gal FOWLR to my soon-to-be 55 gal reef. In my 30 gal, I currently have about 20-25 lbs of live rock, seemingly in good shape - a lot of nice bright pink and purple coralline - small growths of other live stuff - and it doesn't smell like my 16 y.o. son's room :->. I also have a live sand bed, bottom inch or so is crushed coral (I did this before I found WWM - won't do it again) and the top three inches is fine sugar size aragonite, <Really doesn't sound too bad to me. Sort of a plenum like system. I would not replicate, but would not worry too much about it either.> seeded with spaghetti worms and a whole bunch of other goodies from ILFS. The sand bed has been up and running for about 3 years. Crabs and sand stars keep the SB in good shape. <All good.> My current, tentative transition plan (looking for your input) is: 1. Purchase 50-60 lbs of live rock 2. Cycle live rock in the new tank (water changes etc.) After the tank cycles, place about 3-4 inches of dry sand into the new tank 3. Scrape the top two inches or so of the current tanks sand bed and place on top of the dry sand in the new tank 4. Possible purchase of additional live sand? 5. Move the LR from the current tank to the new. 6. Monitor all levels and move livestock (Achilles Tang, crabs, stars, etc) after all levels are proper. <Sounds good.> I'm thinking this process should take 6-8 weeks? <Perhaps less.> Thoughts? Ideas? Other suggestions? Prayers for success? <Sounds like a solid plan. Good luck with it.> Second part concerns the Sultan of Saltwater's (Mr. Fenner of course) upcoming trip to the 'burgh. I mistakenly deleted the e-mail with the link to the site that has the details. I know it's in Monroeville at the Palace Inn, 6/29 I believe. If you could provide the link again, I would greatly appreciate it. And yes, I would like to take the 'burgh dudes up on their offer for some possible tours. <The Pittsburgh Marine Aquarium Society, Inc. is hosting Bob. The webpage is www.pmas.org I am the President, Anthony the Treasurer, and we would gladly welcome anyone that wanted to come check it out. Your first meeting is free. After that, if you like it, we ask you to join.> Keep up the great work folks!!! ~David in Kittanning, PA <Hope to see you there. -Steven Pro> New Tank Set-Up Mr. Fenner and faithful crew <faithful Antoine in your service <G>> I was hoping to get just a little input on the setup I'm hoping to get up in the next few weeks. It is a 75gal rectangle tank eventually to house a Volitans and a snowflake eel, <good hardy choices... although the lionfish is likely to outgrow the tank in the long run. You'll be OK in the 2-3 year picture... but the 5 year picture is a little squeaky with an 18-24 eel and a beefy lion that can easily sail past 12" long> we are deciding on all the other inhabitants with this in mind. <hmmm... other fish for the tank? Some Volitans can actually approach 2 feet long. You need/should want to plan for adult sizes. They mature and grow quickly if you care for them well. If a bigger tank is certain in the near future...OK. Else, do enjoy these tow fish for 2-3 years sans company> question is mainly regarding the setup. 75 gal tank with a Eheim 2235, 2 zoomed 228 powerheads, <hmmm... if you bought the powerheads already... I'll be interested to hear what you think of them after some use. Else, do consider larger powerheads or a water pump. Not enough flow here with these pumps and the Eheim alone (detritus accumulation, algae problems, etc)> protein skimmer (brand undetermined), <what is your budget for this piece... looking for a size or style recommendation?> 25-50lbs of live rock to start <the more the better.. a wise investment> eventually 75+, a 3-4 inch sand bed hopefully seeded with some live sand, a 300watt Visitherm submersible heater, <2- 150 watt or 200 watt heaters would be better/safer than one 300 watt (all seem to fail/stick in time and you would be less likely to cook a tank)> Instant Ocean for the salt. <my fave!> Question here is does this seem ok is there other recommendations that you would have. <as above... mostly stronger flow and more live rock. And a quality skimmer is priceless... please don't skimp here. I like Euroreef, Tunze and Aqua C brands at the top of my list> Thanks for all your help and such a WONDERFUL BOOK and all the time that you spend answering questions. <indeed, CMA is a treasure trove! Do pass along what you learn to others in kind> Colleen <kindly, Anthony> New Tank Hi all, <Steven Pro in today.> I am new to the hobby and love your site. My new 72 gallon, bowed front, All-Glass aquarium tank with pre-drilled holes will be arriving this week. I also ordered the SeaLife Systems Pro 150 gallon wet/dry filter with built in protein skimmer that skims the water before passing through the wet/dry . The lighting that I ordered with the tank consists of 2 55 watt (total of 110w), 9325? Kelvin, power compact lights. I want to populate the tank with fish, Fiji live rock, a few sea anemones (for my future clownfish), and a few hermit crabs. First question: Have you heard anything regarding the efficiency of the SeaLife Systems Pro wet/dry filter's built in protein skimmer? <No, not particularly, but generally all in one units are not the best.> Second question: Is it true that it is advantageous to skim the water before passing it through the wet/dry so the bio-balls don't get coated with dissolved organics? <Yes true, but for a different reason. It is best to remove those dissolved organics with the skimmer before the W/D reduces them into nitrate.> Third question: Will the lighting I have be sufficient for the Fiji live rock and sea anemones? <Rock yes, anemones no. Please read this article before purchasing any anemones, http://www.reefs.org/library/article/r_toonen8.html> Fourth question: I read the importance of providing full spectrum lighting: Is this lighting considered full spectrum? <Sounds like it.> Fifth question: Can I add the anemones as soon as the tank is cycled? <No> Sixth question: I read on your site all I need is approx. 1 lb of live rock/10 gallons to start the cycle. Is this really all I need to get things going? <To start the cycle, sure, but not enough for me to aquascape to my satisfaction nor to provide enough hiding spots/cover for the fish.> Seventh question: I do not plan on purchasing a quarantine tank yet. <Very bad plan.> I have heard the benefits of giving all new fish a fresh water dip before introducing them to the main tank. Should the dip be given as soon as I get the fish home and then placed in the main tank? Or should I acclimate the fish first to the new tank water conditions (i.e float the bag in the tank, slowly add tank water into the bag) and then give the fish a dip and release him into the new tank? <The later scenario.> Sorry for all the questions. I greatly appreciate your time. Thanks, Jeff <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>
Reef Set-up Question..., Sand Making Tank Cloudy Follow-up Thanks Steven, It's starting to clear up nicely. I turned on the heater and the other two maxi-jets. That actually seems to clear it faster. Thanks again, I'm sure I'll be writing back soon with more questions. Dan Wallace <Glad to hear it is getting better. When you have more questions, feel free to fire away. One of us is usually around. -Steven Pro> Re: Sand Making Tank Cloudy To Steven Pro All Glass tanks with built in over flows the lower vents can move sand all over the tank. a cover 9 in high in front of vent as to make return water go over and down will help stop this. Cover should be 1/2 in away from vent. RGibson <Thank you for the info, reminder, and tip. -Steven Pro>
Marine System Set-Up <Cheers, Russ! > I very much look forward to reading your book! I'm hoping it will help me select specifically which species I'd like to house in the 75 gallon that I'm just now setting up, allow me to provide a proper environment for them to prosper in, and understand coral propagation in general. <Yes, my friend... I have faith that you will not be disappointed. The text is very comprehensive after all. And it is very wise of you to consider that stocking requires due thought and information gathering. It is a common flaw (that leads to great problems in the long run) for aquarists to fill a tank randomly with all types of coral from all parts of the reef (LPS, SPS, 'shrooms, Buttons, etc). It seems to work for a year or two but ends up being rather difficult to succeed with in the long run.> I've been involved with keeping small freshwater tanks for years. However, I've caught the "reef bug" and I think I've really always had salt water circulating in my veins! <Heehee... agreed, my friend.> I've built a DIY stand, gotten a Euro reef skimmer (oversized for the system... a good thing), <Outstanding!!! Top of the line brand and performance as far as I'm concerned!> gotten the return pump (Mag 7), have the RR Oceanic 75 on-order from LFS, <Heads up... the Oceanic (and most mfg tanks) are notorious for undersized overflow holes. Don't be too surprised to hook up your mag drove and hear an awful gurgling sound... undersized overflow holes. Case in point... I have four 1" drains for my mag 9 and they are running at scary high capacity.> and am building a refugium modeled after the one shown at Carlo's barrier reef ( http://www.carlosreef.com). Okay, so I'm acquiring things slowly and probably a little bit backwards... but I'm having fun! Still have to figure out additional circulation, <If you can afford it... I like top-mounted Gemini pumps or Tunze Turbelles... they are discreet, strong and very lob lasting. I know folks with Turbelles 15 years old! DSB > (probably 5") composition, livestock/species > selection, and so on. <Yes... 5" or deeper. > One of the biggest decisions I'm wrestling with, before I build a DIY canopy, is lighting! (No big surprise). I'm 99.5% sure I'm going the SPS route, and I'd rather not have to "upgrade" later. It looks like a MH/PC combo for me --> PC only for aesthetics <admittedly cool to have blue actinics... all reef halide bulbs have enough or too much blue wave in them> Probably PFO ballasts driving two Iwasaki 65K 250watt-ers, <The very best all-purpose bulb IMO > and an Ice-cap on two or more 110watt VHO URI's -- housed in PFO reflectors: Would that be "too much"? <You really need to go hardcore SPS to need 250 watts MH even in the 3 year plan.> Actually, I mean would it be "unnecessarily expensive," due to ongoing electrical costs, for most SPS? <Hmm... Do they really require this much light to prosper? Definitely not... many sps and most sps will fare fine or better under 175 watt halides (10K Ushios or AB then) > Would I be better off with a pair of 150 or 175 watt > MH's? I'm afraid I'd be "under-powering" some SPS in this size/depth tank. <Not much of a concern... many 250 watt and even 400 watt MH reef tanks are wasting electricity/light by not cleaning glass canopies weekly of dust/salt creep etc or by not using chemical filtration media weekly or full time to reduce yellowing agents which temper clarity and light penetration.> If better off with 150/175, would you recommend bulb/ballast brands and wattage combinations? I'm hoping your book will help me understand the corals better, and their individual lighting requirements. I guess I was just wondering what your "gut feeling" tells you about a pair of the Iwasakis vs. other pairs of MH's you might suggest? <Honestly... as much as I favor creatures that enjoy the lower end MH light, most people want sps and clams for more than half the tank. If this is you and you are going to minimize LPS (bubbles, hammers, elegance, octopus, fox) and corallimorph/mushrooms... then I would say do the 250 watt Iwasakis after all.> Oh, and thank you, Bob Fenner, Steve Pro, and everyone else at WWM, for already answering many of hobbyist's and my questions. You guys are really great at helping hobbyists reach decisions when Internet research leaves many of us otherwise confused. -Russ <It is indeed our great honor and pleasure. Kind regards, Anthony> New Octagonal Tank Setup Hi Bob Just stumbled onto your website doing some research for my tank that I am about to pick up from my LFS. Of all the reading I have done it would appear that I have probably picked the worse type of tank one can purchase?? <No. A bit harder to landscape, perhaps to maintain, but an interesting shape, sufficient surface area... given appropriate circulation, filtration provisions.> Anyhow, I have ordered it and due to my room constraints this is the most practical type of tank I can have. The dimensions of my octagonal tank is 52cm in diameter and 130cm tall - I have calculated this to be approximately 65g. I have only bought the tank so far, nothing else. I am hoping to start a salt water tank with fish only using live sand and live rock. Could you please advise me on the possible best type(s) of filtration, lighting and substrate for this type of setup? <Mmm, this is all posted and gone over on WWM. Please take the route of reviewing, making notes of what is there; writing back if you have questions, concerns, suggestions.> I am in no hurry to have everything in place - I will wait for as long as necessary to ensure that everything is stabilized before actually acquiring any fish. Thx in anticipation. Jeff from Brisbane, Australia <Of all places, was just down in Toowong a few weeks back, and visiting with a friend and his parents in northern Brisbane. Bob Fenner> New Tank I have just recently set up a tank and am currently just cycling the water and about to add my first fish. I have three main questions: To mature the water, the people at my pet shop have suggested putting in a couple of mollies or damsels. If I do this and they die, should I remove them immediately or leave them in to create some bacteria. <Better not to do this at all. You can cycle your tank just with liverock. Start here and work your way out through the various linked files for more info http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm> Secondly, if they live, at what point can I add more fish? <Generally, about one month between additions. Test kits for ammonia and nitrite can confirm the cycles.> Thirdly, can you give me a list of a good community to put into my tank. It is 48" x 24" x 24". I want to make sure I don't put in too many aggressive and territorial fish. Also if you could suggest the order to add these in, I would greatly appreciate it. <There are far too many great fish for me to recommend your entire tank. Best for you to educate yourself and start with a wish list of sorts and we could help you whittle it down.> Thank you for your time and your excellent web site. Scott <You are welcome. -Steven Pro> Skilters Hi Bob <Hello> I was told today that I
would need a skilter for my saltwater tank. I haven't a clue what
this is, what it does or where to find it. Can you help?? <This is a
brand name for a line of combination outside power filters and
skimmers. A protein skimmer, aka foam fractionator is an important tool
for improving water quality in captive marine systems. Please use the
Google Search tool on the bottom of: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ and/or
read through the article on Marine Physical Filtration:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marphysf.htm and the many FAQs beyond on
Skimmer Selection. I encourage you to delve into the hobby, reading a
good general book or two, chatting on line or browsing the hobby
bulletin boards if you have time/interest. Bob Fenner> Dianne Opinion on Setup Hi my question of the day? In my 50 gallon reef tank I have 53 pounds of live rock, 2 true percs clowns, one small sea horse, one purple tang, one powder brown tang, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp, 2 star fish, 20 or so hermit crabs with 12 Turbo snails, 3 big coral ex long tentacle plate coral, 3 small coral, one Maxima clams, 2 MAXI-JET 1200 POWER HEAD 295 GPH, one over flow filter, one canister filter with a sea storm attached to it, for lighting I have 175 watt MH 5500K with 2x30 watts fluorescent actinic lamps. Is this tank ok? <The seahorse and fluidized sand filter seem inappropriate. Other than that, I do not see anything else that jumps out. But, you did not include species of starfish, hermit crabs, powder brown tang, or corals and no water quality parameters. Talk to you later. -Steven Pro> Canister & Sand Advise Steven, Following up on your recommendations on a filter. I decided to take the plunge and get the canister filter instead of a hang on. It'll be here tomorrow!! I went with the Fluval 404. I looked at the Eheim which had a flow rate of 250 gph and cost $148.99. I shopped around and found the Fluval for $89.99, and it has a flow rate of 340 gph! While I respect your advise, a buck is a buck! <Fluval are a fine enough product. Eheims are better, but there are far worse choices out there.> The unit comes with all the media, which I don't necessarily intend to use. I was going to use the foam that comes with it. Instead of the Fluval Carbon, I'll use Chemi-pure. I don't intend to use the ceramic rings. On your advise, I ordered some Poly Filters and intend to use those. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. <Sounds like a good plan.> Shortly after writing the below, I awoke to find my Purple Tang on the dining room floor. Apparently he jumped. Considering the problems I have been having, I am sure it was probably because of an ammonia or nitrite spike, though I have not ruled out suicide! In the future I'll stay away from the Tangs for this tank (80 gallons) as in hindsight I feel they require more room. <Double check your hood for large gaps. Tangs are not notorious for jumping like wrasses. It may have been a water quality issue, or fighting, or something else that caused your Tang to "seek" new accommodations.> The way I have decided to approach the problem with the accumulated detritus in my aragamite bed is to continue to vacuum it during 10-15% water changes every few days. What I am doing though is to remove the wide diameter end of the hose. In this way I'm sucking up much of the sand along with the detritus, but I really don't care at this point, I just want it out. <Ok> One thing I am finding is that there is a lot of larger material in the bed that I believe has been retaining the detritus. When I first started the tank, I had placed crush coral on the bottom. Just prior to placing the rock in, while the aquarium was already filled with water, I decided to remove the coral and go with aragomite. I took much of the coral out, but I didn't make a point of getting it all. Then, when my live rock arrived, I found that some pieces had been damaged in shipment. I had taken some of the rubble, and just mixed it in with the bed. Another bad idea! Thus my fine aragomite was studded with detritus magnets! I hope, using the above method, in the next few weeks I will have removed all the detritus. I will need to replace the sand lost in the vacuuming process I have decided to stay with a shallow bed). I know you suggest 'fine' aragomite sand. Could you define 'fine'? <Grain size like sugar, example CaribSea Aragamax.> As always, your guidance is much appreciated. <You are quite welcome. -Steven Pro> Emperor Aquatics Skimmer I was just wondering if anyone can help me set my skimmer. Here's a link for the pic http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03045.jpg It's made by Emperor Aquatics (have no idea what the model is). I've have visited Emperor Aquatics but could not find the model I have. I have left them an e-mail several times but no reply. It is a Venturi skimmer currently I have a 250 gallon/hour water pump. But it seems not to be working? Do I need a higher pump? If so what would the recommended pressure? Thanks, Steve <The best option I can give you is go to the Emperor Aquatics page and find the model closest to yours in dimensions. They give exact measurements for all their skimmers and recommended pumps here http://www.emperoraquatics.com/aquafoam.html -Steven Pro> Emperor Aquatics Skimmer II & Tank Setup Questions I just wanted some advice! <Which I gave you. I cannot divine the dimensions of your skimmer from a picture. You should measure it, match it up to the graph at the bottom of the linked web page, and use the recommended pump.> I'm currently redoing my whole tank. I've been out of the hobby for about two years now and want to get back. I have a 180 Gallon tank (not reef ready), with a wet/dry filter rated for 300 gallon made by Amiracle, Magnum 350, and an Emperor Aquatic skimmer Venturi style. The tank has been cycled for three months now with a Kole tang. Alkalinity level is at 1020. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate are near zero. I'm not sure what my substrate is. I was advice to either remove my current substrate and replace with fine sand or add sand to it. <Your substrate appears to be a crushed coral aggregate.> I've always had FO tank but now I would like to add more life to the tank. I was given an advice to stop using the wet/dry and buy some LR. For now I would just like to have a moderate reef or fish with some inverts. I want to see some crabs, shrimp, feather duster, polyps, and mushroom among the fish community. (not sure if possible) I like the mandarin goby and some wrasses as well. <Mandarins are challenging, but possible in a 180 gallon tank if suitable tank mates are chosen. You can find much more about their particular demands under their FAQ file on WWM.> What would be the best setup? <My list for a reef tank is a follows: Purified Source Water Appropriate Lighting System DSB - around 6" of sugar grain size sand Liverock - visually filing 1/3 to 1/2 of the tank when stacked/arranged properly High Quality Protein Skimmer Sump And most importantly, a good library of books> The following links are my tank and it's setup 180 gallon tank http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03039.jpg Wet/dry http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03043.jpg http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03049.jpg Skimmer/Magnum/water pump http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03045.jpg Substrate http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03038.jpg http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03054.jpg http://nissannx.info/images/dsc03055.jpg I hope this helps out with giving me a sound advice! Thank you sooo much for all your help, Steve Lotho <You are welcome. -Steven Pro> New Tank Setup Hi guys, First I want to let you know I love your web site! I have found the answers to a lot of questions. My husband and I are upsizing our 55g reef to a 125g. In the new tank we have used only R.O. water with Instant Ocean. We have approx. 2-2.5" of .5-1.5 mm "new" aragonite sand and plan on moving the "live sand" from our existing tank which should bring the depth up to about 3". We also have a 20g sump which will also contain live sand, some undecorative pieces of live rock and Caulerpa. (The sump will have its own separate lighting system and will be lit when the tank is not) Our lighting system for the tank is 4 96 watt pc bulbs- two ultra actinics and 2 10000k daylights (a retro fit kit we are building the canopy for). <Seems a little low, but depends on what you wish to keep, what you currently house in your 55, and what the 55's lighting is.> We are running a 15 watt UV sterilizer in-line and have built "The ugliest protein skimmer ever" from a DIY web site which says the foam production is incredible. <Many DIY, ugly skimmers are very productive.> (Obviously we are trying to cut a few of the costs by doing things ourselves) Our water analysis right now (without anything in the tank) is 0-ammonia, 0-nitrite, 0-nitrate, pH-8.4, Alk-4. I don't have test kits yet for calcium, oxygen, or phosphates. <I would purchase in that order, calcium first and so on.> I am assuming that they would all be in a normal range at this point. I am afraid that if we begin to transfer items from the established tank we will damage the biological filtration going on there and we will have a potentially toxic ammonia bloom in the new tank. <Not if you do not shock your animals, liverock, and sand. Match temperature and salinity and you should be fine. You can just cover the rock and sand. All the fish and inverts should be slowly reacclimated as if you just brought them home.> We have several varieties of mushroom corals, green star polyps, and yellow polyps in the established tank with a few feather duster worms. <All fairly low light demand animals and your PC's should be ok for them.> We only have two fish, a gold striped maroon clown, and a barber pole goby (I rescued him from a store before he was another fish's dinner). We have a generous clean up crew including, 4 Mithrax crabs, 1 sally lightfoot crab, a huge coral banded shrimp, 1 large red foot snail, several turbo snails, bumble bees, conchs, and hermit crabs. What do you think the next logical step would be for our transfer? My husband likes the idea of buying some "new" live rock either cured or uncured and allowing it to help establish the biological filtration in the new tank. <I would do this first. Then move everything else over in one days work.> I realize that we will need more live rock because we only have about 80 pounds in the 55g. <No need for too much more. 125 pounds total of Fijian or similar density rock should suffice.> I am tentative to the point of paranoia about this new tank and could really use some advice. Thanks, Susan <Good luck and enjoy, Steven Pro> New Tank Setup II Hi Steve, I just wrote about our new 125g tank and you said that the lighting for our new tank seemed a little low. (4 72" 96 watt PC bulbs, 2-ultra blue actinics and 2-10,000 K daylights) How can we improve upon this? We were hoping to bring some clams, stony corals, other soft corals, and anemones into the tank. <For SPS and clams you will need about 500-700 watts. My preference would have been to use three 175 watt MH's, but since you already have the PC's, adding two 175 MH's or four more 96 watt PC's should give you the light they need.> In our current 55g we have 1 power-glo and 1 marine-glo (actinic). All of our mushrooms and polyps are arranged near the top of the aquarium and seem to be thriving. <Are they actually multiplying or merely appear larger. Many corals are able to swell to increase their surface area and thereby capture more of the available light. I have a 55 with fairly low light corals and I use four 40 watt lamps.> When they are transferred we hope to place them lower in the aquarium. Will this be okay? Thanks a bunch, Susan <I would look to increase your light or focus on lower light corals in the upper half of the tank. -Steven Pro> A New 92 Gallon Tank Hey Bob or Whom it may concern, :) I
bought a 92 Gallon "All-Glass" Corner Aquarium about 4 weeks
ago. I filled it up with water and dead sand 2 weeks ago. Of course it
got cloudy, but cleared up in two days. I now have the Fluval 404
filter, a Sea Clone Protein Skimmer (Even though it's not
collecting anything yet), (2) 150W Submersible heaters, and a 902 Hagen
Powerhead (Question about that a little later) all running for about 3
1/2 weeks. 1 week ago I bought 20lbs of Live Sand and it looks great at
about 2 1/2 inches. 2 days ago, my water started getting cloudy, but
not too much, It's just foggy. Is this something I should worry
about, or is it just going through some sort of small cycling process?
<Probably free floating bacteria consuming some of the die off from
the lives and. Nothing to worry about now, as you have no fish.> My
levels for Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrate have slightly fluctuated from
.25 to .50 never zero, never more than .50. From my testing results, I
can't really determine any kind of Nitrogen process either, is this
because I don't have anything creating Ammonia yet? <You have
some things creating ammonia from the live sand, but not a lot. It does
not sound like you have developed the typical nitrogen
cycle/pattern.> My main question is: I have 90 pounds of Live Rock
and a cleaning crew (35 Astrea , 5 Trochus, 15 Scarlet Hermits, 20
Mexican Blue leg Hermits, 4 emerald crabs) coming on Saturday. Is it
safe to put it in the tank already? <The rock yes, the inverts
no.> Next Question: Do you think it would be better to trade in my
901 Powerhead for two smaller ones? The 901 Powerhead could move a
small rowboat! :) <Maybe. If you are handy, you could attach PVC
pipe the output and T that off in various directions.> Thanks, I
value your input greatly. Brian Zimmerman <You are welcome. -Steven
Pro> Tiny Bubbles... Bob, <Steven Pro here this evening as Bob is off in Australia and Anthony is refinishing his hardwood floors.> Love the your site!!! Lots of great info!! I have a problem with my system that I can't seen to solve, hoping you can help. Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles!!!! I cant seem to get rid of them??? I have a 75 gallon (Corner Over-flow) fish only system. Equipment: SeaLife Systems Wet-Dry 60, Seaclone Protein Skimmer, Supreme Mag-Drive Model 5 Pump, 2 Ebo-Jager 125 watt heaters and 2 Maxi-Jet power heads for in tank circulation. I ran this system in a 55 Gallon system for years with few problems (less the extra heater and protein skimmer). Unfortunately I had to shut it down because I lived in three different apartments in three years. I finally bought a house and time to set it up again. I cracked my 55 gal standard tank (no corner overflow, I just used the overflow box that came with the wet-dry) during my final move, so what an opportunity to go bigger!!!!. I also have a 48 x 12 inch classic oak stand which I didn't want to give up. But it worked out nicely because the 6 inches of overhang that the 75 gallon tank affords, I actually sunk into a wall for the "see-through" effect. In my old system I did not have the Protein Skimmer and just kept to hardy fish. Now with this show piece in my home there was no fooling around. I purchased the Seaclone and upgraded my old double strip 40 watt light to a High Output 110 watt light. With the old system I also could afford to keep the mag drive directly in the sump, unfortunately with the added heater, and skimmer pump, cost me some space in the sump. I connected the mag-drive outside the sump and everything fit great including the protein skimmer itself hanging on the outside of the sump. For the protein skimmer out-flow I built a "bridge" out of plastic so it would flow directly on to the foam filter next to the bio-tower to help stop gurgle and hopefully diffuse bubbles. All connections are tight, no runs, no drips, no errors. I just finished cycling but here is the problem: My return is constantly pushing a steady stream of fine bubbles into the system??? Every 10-20 seconds a larger plume of bubbles is emitted as well. The bubbles are beginning to become encrusted all over my decor as green and red algae begin to develop as well. At first I though it might be the protein skimmer so I shut it down but the problem seems to persist. I have played with the water level in my sump as well with no luck???? The corner over-flow return plumbing also has a anti-siphon hole on the "J" fitting at the top of the overflow. Could this be the problem??? Additionally the immersed power heads are also pushing out bubbles. Were they always there in my old system and I just couldn't see them because now I have a "see-through" set-up and better lighting?? It's not a major issue to me but it does seen to take away from the overall look of the tank. In fact a few friends have commented "What's with all the small bubbles??. Also are there any other issues in regards to the health of my marine fish that these bubbles might effect?? I hopping it turns out to be a quick fix!!! Any suggestions?? <The bubbles are coming from one of two places. Either the Mag-Drive in drawing in air prior to the impellor or your return line has a pin hole leak which is acting like a Venturi. Try placing a sponge over the intake of the Mag-Drive (they come with one usually) and see if that makes a difference. If not, look at all the connections in the return line.> Thanks for all your help. John Carrara <You are welcome. -Steven Pro> P.S. For those readers who are thinking of buying a corner overflow tank as well as a Snowflake Moray Eel (I'm sure you know where I'm going with this) make sure you seal that overflow up tight. Trying to remove an eel, that you can't see by the way, from your corner overflow that's sunk into a wall is a 3 hour living nightmare!!! <A good point.> From brackish to marine Hey there. <Howdy partner> Had a brackish water tank running successfully for a couple of years, slowly added salt 'till I reached 1.021, added a protein skimmer...old residents have come along fine, (Monos, knight gobies)...new additions (damselfish) have been doing well since arriving a month ago...question: the substrate is regular, freshwater-aquarium gravel. Does it need to be changed to something coral-based? Is it harmful to the water? <not harmful generally... just not helpful as a buffer for the alkalinity of the water. You'll just want to pay closer attention to the pH and alkalinity of the system than most people. test twice monthly and correct as necessary> Did a water test with an at-home kit, all seems well. <pH of 8.5-8.5 by day, no lower than 8.3 in dark night?> Also wondering what the next step should be in terms of completely making the change to a marine tank (or if I am there already).... <already there> What livestock is hardy, can I try to introduce... thanks for all the wisdom <do read the beginner FAQs and articles in the WWM archives. For fish, though... wrasses are generally colorful and hardy. Clowns, Pseudochromis are great too. Really a lot to choose from... your preference. Kind regards, Anthony> Lighting Hi Bob and experts, Getting a new tank soon (4x 2 x
2-1/2 ft). I need to know whether a metal halide or a VHO Fluorescents
is preferable if I'm intending to make a reef tank with hard and
soft corals. Danny <without trying to skirt this controversial
issue... there are seemingly as many ways to light a reef aquarium as
there are various invertebrates needs. Your best success will be
realized best if you narrow your focus and make a short list of
invertebrates then determine their needs. Much has been written on this
topic in the WWM FAQ archives and beyond. Please do ponder all of the
many options with various invertebrates (high light SPS and clams, low
to medium light LPS corals and corallimorphs, etc). To give you
something to chew on though... for an all-purpose reef light... you
couldn't go to far astray with 2 175-watt Ushio or Aqualine 10,000K
bulbs. Aesthetically and spectrally they don't even need
supplemental blue light! That's it... just two sexy halides.
Halides also are the most economical when considering the things that
matter...PAR, bulb life and intensity/penetration. Best regards,
Anthony>
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