Tank Redo (Journal)...

[cbianco]

Hey All

Today starts my first day of my tank rebuilding process. My 24 Gallon NC has seen better days. At this point in time it is a bit over one year old. I have had major cyano bactieria issues three times and I don't want to deal with them again. I attribute these problems to my 3-3.5 inch sand bed.

I notice another member also redoing their tank (I forgot the members name but it was also a twenty-something gallon tank). I decided to jump on the band wagon. This is also the perfect timing for me to redo my tank because I will be moving within the next week.

I am looking for advice from everyone on every subject. Bombard me with information and opinions. :)

I will start my detailed account of rebuilding in the next post. In the mean time please feel free to comment on this project!

Thanks!

Christopher

*EDIT* I will start explaining my tear down and rebuild within the next FEW posts, lol.

[cbianco]

...

[Thunderkat]

I just set up my new Finnex M tank (20 gallon nano), it has a really really nice skimmer (comes with it) and the filtration system is AWESOME to say the least. I set up the Nano as a barebottom and it is really really ugly (my artistic and design skills are non-existent). It is aiptasia free and the cyano I did get when I first set it up is gone (my cowrie ate it all up). I do have flatworms though, treated tank twice with the medication and they are still there (starting to think they may be something else).

The only thing I could recommend for your cyano problem is add a skimmer, use activated carbon, and maybe add a small tiger cowrie (they eat cyano and hair algae like it is cool). I have read that when tiger cowries get large they may or may not develop a taste for soft corals but my big one that I got rid of never did (had to get rid of it because it loved plugging up my plumbing and causing the tank to overflow). I have read previous posts on the water you use so that is good and you have that well under control. You seem to have a good amount of live rock. How much light does your tank get and do you get any direct sunlight on it?

[cbianco]

I just set up my new Finnex M tank... it has a really really nice skimmer... [its] barebottom and it is really really ugly... is aiptasia free and the cyano I did get when I first set it up is gone... I do have flatworms though...

The NC is not the greatest canidate for a skimmer without modifying it. I do want a skimmer none the less :) . Why did you go barebottom? I personally hate the way a barebottom tank looks, almost unnatural. I have my share of atapsia and cyano, I can only hope to erradicate these problems in my resetup nano.


I have read previous posts on the water you use so that is good and you have that well under control. You seem to have a good amount of live rock. How much light does your tank get and do you get any direct sunlight on it?

My tank is stock (72 watts) but I talked to Chris at Nanocustoms.com and will be ordering an extra 36 watts to the tank. The tank does not receive any sunlight.

Thunderkat, how do you like the finnex tank overall? Was it worth the money (when compared with a NC)?

Christopher

[Thunderkat]

I LOVE the finnex M tank. It is really awesome, it would be even better if it was glass and not acrylic, I still have not bought the cleaning pad for cleaning acrylic but once I do it will be no problem. The skimmer it comes with is probably good enough for my 75 gallon, I like how it is set up so much that I want to get a 125 gallon and have mods put on it to make it similar to the Finnex M tanks idea for how they set up the tank (minus the low suction point).

I went barebottom because I just wanted to see what it would be like and because if I did use a sand bed it would have to be a shallow bed because the tank has low and high suctions. The high one keeps crud from floating on the surface and the low one was installed by haters that don't like plenums. I would be restricted to a max of about a 2" sand bed without a plenum.

I don't have any heat issues, I wanted my tank to stay at 82 degrees and it goes from 81.3 to 82.5, I can't account for the fluctuation, maybe just the way the heater is set up to keep the switch from hunting. I have to add about a third of a gallon of water once every 2 days for evaporation. Also with the good skimmer you would think there would be microbubbles but that is not the case. I did add a Maxijet 400 to the tank to get more flow but I am starting to think that was unecessary, I bought it before I even had the tank. I did not get metal halides either for the tank, right now just have pom pom xenia (which are recovering after nearly dying from the flat worm medication), mushrooms, 2 ceriths (the snail I thought died from the flatworm medication survived, it must have just eaten quite a bit and rested for 2 days), and a cowrie. There is also tons of copepods, a few brittle stars, and lots of little bitty planktony stuff running all over the place, and 3 very tiny flatworms(?).

There is a small skimmer you can get for the nanocube also. Nanocube skimmer (http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=cur_fission_ skimmer&Category_Code=s1&Product_Count=0)

The reviews for this skimmer don't seem to be very good from what I have seen on maast for it but hey, for the price it is worth a shot especially if you don't already have one. I also have seen a coke bottle skimmer on a link once but can't remember where it was. Anybody have a link to that?

[cbianco]

There is a small skimmer you can get for the nanocube also. Nanocube skimmer (http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=cur_fission_ skimmer&Category_Code=s1&Product_Count=0)

The reviews for this skimmer don't seem to be very good from what I have seen on maast for it but hey, for the price it is worth a shot especially if you don't already have one. I also have seen a coke bottle skimmer on a link once but can't remember where it was. Anybody have a link to that?

I have not heard ANYTHING good about this skimmer, :lol ! I am not sure if I want to risk purchasing it.

I personally love the design of the Finnex tanks. The only drawbacks for me is that it is acrylic. At this point in time I am not ready for an acrylic tank, I am too rough with my tank (well...somewhat rough :) ).

It is nice to see you having some success after going through all those problems with your 75 gallon. Have you posted pictures of your Finnex Tank yet? I would love to see it! Make sure to get a picture of the back of the tank also! :)

Christopher

[Thunderkat]

I tried too but the smallest I can get the size of the pic is too large for the website I want to link it with (over 500k) even after I chopped down the size. Pretty much the pics on nanocrafters are accurate except there is no blue bottom like I thought there would be, that is just the actinics.

[cbianco]

When you get a picture, make sure to annouce it! :)

Christopher

[sunvsat]

I have a 12g AquaPod and it has a sand bottom with 2in in front and about 3in in back. I use liverock rubble for most of my filtration in my first two chambers and I place a phosguard and purigen sock in my fourth chamber for one day a week. I do a 2gal water change a week and all is healthy and bright. My next upgrade will be a 70w MH added to the hood with 4 fans for heat. The sand is not the problem, find out what is feeding the algae outbreaks.

[cbianco]

sunvsat

I like your tank, lots of colors going on in there :) ! How old is your nano?

Christopher

[sunvsat]

The 12 is 7months old and the 29 is almost two years old..T hanks for the up on my tank......

[Thunderkat]

At this point in time I am not ready for an acrylic tank, I am too rough with my tank (well...somewhat rough :) ).

Christopher

I treat my tank like I would a woman (and I am sure most reefers do). I buy her nothing but the best things, I lovingly and patiently take care of any problems she might have, I slowly acclimate her to any changes, give her the best live rocks (diamonds), I give her a weekly partial water change, and put her on a stand so all can see and don't let her move from there :lol :lol :lol

Just kidding with ya, I couldn't resist the temptation to be bad!

[Thunderkat]

I just saw your tank Sun, very nice! Do you have metal halides on that? Got any tips for nanos for the rest of us?

[cbianco]

At this point in time I am not ready for an acrylic tank, I am too rough with my tank (well...somewhat rough :) ).

Christopher

I treat my tank like I would a woman (and I am sure most reefers do). I buy her nothing but the best things, I lovingly and patiently take care of any problems she might have, I slowly acclimate her to any changes, give her the best live rocks (diamonds), I give her a weekly partial water change, and put her on a stand so all can see and don't let her move from there :lol :lol :lol

Just kidding with ya, I couldn't resist the temptation to be bad!

I'm not even going to touch this! :lol

Christopher

[cbianco]

The first step in my journey is here!

I will be moving all of my corals to a friends (Mattk) tank. Matt has a empty 30 gallon that will be set up with only the bear necessities (i.e. to keep my corals alive). I will also be moving over my 2 Pajama Cardinalfish. I hope that they survive all this stress. :(

The trip from my house to Matt's house is a short one. We live within 2 miles from each other.

It will be quite interesting to see my tank with no corals. I am keeping my rock and I will be working with that later.

Remember, all comments are welcome and all advice is welcome! I could use it :) .

Thanks!

Christopher

[Richard]

Well, I'm not sure how you could hook up a canister filter to a nano cube but my advise at this point is go with this approach....

http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=17996

[cbianco]

Ok so its 3:00 in the morning and what am I doing, I'm writing my fellow MAASTards. Matt and I just finished up what turned out to be a major project.

Matt decided that he wanted to set up the tank (that I was moving the corals into) with a closed loop system. We started this project at 6:00 pm and at that time we began out journey to Home Depot, Lowes and eventually Wal Mart. All the pieces were gathered, cut, dry fitted and eventually cemented.

Mattk is now the proud owner of a 30 gallon show with a Mag5 closed loop system and I now have a place to store my corals for the next few weeks. All I have to say is that this system pushes some water around.

I am glad that all my corals made it out of my tank. I just hope that they are able to adjust and finally make the trip home.

My nano cube is bare and most of my live rock is in a Rubbermaid container with a powerhead.

Wish me luck and as always post some advice or your comments. I will be posting questions tommorow.

Thanks!

Christopher

PS I'm tired! :)

[cbianco]

Alright, its morning. :) I wasn't sure that I would wake up this morning after the late night last night.

I am hoping to clean my tank today (but my girlfriend wants to go to the strawberry festival). Anyways...

I plan on cleaning my entire tank out, aka a good scrubbing. I want to keep the sand that is currently in my tank but I am not sure of how to clean it.

I was thinking of puttting it in a bucket and rinsing it a few times. Then I was planning on baking the sand in the oven to both dry and "disenfect it. Remember that I was concerned about the cyano bacteria I had and this is the main reason that I am redoing the tank.

Also, I am concerned about how much sand I should put back into the aquarium when I set it up. I was thinking between a 1/2" and 1" would be good. All I know is that my 3"-3.5" sand bed seemed to cause me problems.

So I guess that there are two main questions here:

1. What do yall think about baking the sand in the oven? (How and will all the bacteria be killed when I do this?)

2. How deep should the sand be in my "new" tank?

Thanks for the help!

Christopher :)

[sunvsat]

As I mentioned before, I use between 2-3 inches with no problems. If everything else works right, the sand will not cause you problems....

[cbianco]

Why is nobody tagging along? :(

There are a few of us but we could use some more company in this thread! :)

*Now back to our regulary scheduled tank rebuild. *


As I mentioned before, I use between 2-3 inches with no problems. If everything else works right, the sand will not cause you problems....

From everything that I have heard, the general consensus is that the sand in a nano should be kept to a minimum.

If you don't mind me asking, what size tank do you have sunvsat?

Christopher

[MattK]

Have you started working on the rock?
The reason I ask is because some of the corals I'm holding for you are on large rocks. Just wondering if you planed on drilling them or If you had other plans for them.

[cbianco]

Have you started working on the rock?
The reason I ask is because some of the corals I'm holding for you are on large rocks. Just wondering if you planed on drilling them or If you had other plans for them.

It is funny that you mention that, I thought of that too. I know that the rock that has the GSP on it is relatively large. Also, the two rocks with the feather dusters are large. I may stop by and get them in order to rework my rock.

Thanks for the heads up! How are the corals looking?

Christopher

[cbianco]

:( I forgot to mention my loss to everyone. :(

I lost my TWO Cardinalfishes and my one flame scallop yesterday. Matt informed me that the temperature in the tank had reached 90+ degrees. I must have set the heater too high before I left his house late friday night. When Matt woke up on Saturday he noticed the extreme tank temperatures.

The good news is that all of the corals survived this heat wave, thank goodness!

Anyone want to donate a pair of Pajama Cardinalfishes? :)

Comments appreciated!!!!!!!

Christopher

[MattK]

The coral are lookin good. Everything has opened up and looks fine.
I forgot to ask you if you wanted to get the Cardinalfishes mounted.
But, it's too late, I sent them out to sea.

[Richard]

Why is nobody tagging along? :(

There are a few of us but we could use some more company in this thread! :)




I'm tagging along :) Always neat to see how a tank progresses. Don't forget to post pics.

[cbianco]

The coral are lookin good. Everything has opened up and looks fine.
I forgot to ask you if you wanted to get the Cardinalfishes mounted.
But, it's too late, I sent them out to sea.

Can I get a twenty-one gun salute? I'm gonna miss my Cardinalfish!

Christopher

[MattK]

Hey Richard,

The tank that the corals are in is the 30g drilled that you gave me. Just wanted to let you know that I put it to good use.

[cbianco]

Why is nobody tagging along? :(

There are a few of us but we could use some more company in this thread! :)

I'm tagging along :) Always neat to see how a tank progresses. Don't forget to post pics.

I'll get some pictures soon! Charging the batteries as we speak...err...post. :)

Christopher

[cbianco]

My sand has been baking for about an hour now and let me tell you, it stinks. My whole apartment smells like fish! :lol

The 24 gallon is empty and cleaned. The rock is in a Rubbermaid container with a powerhead. All my corals are at Matt's house. I am fiending for a fish tank right about now!

I AM ADDICTED TO CORAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christopher

[MattK]

Did you wash the sand first?

[cbianco]

Did you wash the sand first?

No. I though about it but I wasn't sure how to accomplish this. Sand seems to have a mind of its own when you add it to water.

How would have you washed it?

Christopher

[MattK]

You have fine sand right? I would have put it in a large container and flushed it with water. Fill it up with water, stir it around and mix it up, then pour off the dirty water. Do that a couple of times until the water is somewhat clear. I don't know if it's the right way but that's what I would have done. My sand is course so I used a strainer to rinse it.

[cbianco]

I didn't think about doing it that way! I did think about putting it into a strainer but the grains of sand are so thin they would have easily washed away.

What do you think the advantage is to washing the sand before I bake it? I am assuming that all the bacteria will be killed in the oven, correct?

Christopher

[MattK]

Yea you kill the bacteria but, your tank has been set-up for over a year and I pretty sure there is some settlement. I would just think getting as much of that out as possible would be a good thing.

[cbianco]

I attempted to syphon out as much settlement as I could from the sand. When I was draining the take by syphon, I stirred the sand a few time. Once the crud settled I syphoned the top of the sand. I am sure that this did not remove everything but atleast I made a small attempt. :)

Oh and BTW please don't remind me that my tank has been set up for over a year. :( I feel like I failed at something here. Regardless though I will try, try again! :) Is it "the second time is the charm?"

Christopher

[cbianco]

Here are a few sad pictures :( of my dismanteled tank. I think the picture/file names explain them well.

Christopher

[cbianco]

Here is a picture of what parts I will use for my return. I sort of assembled one as you can see in the left hand side of the picture.

Christopher

[cbianco]

I need to buy Two 1/2" NPT connectors in black. Do you have any? Do you know of anyone or anystore that carries these locally?

http://www.locline.com/products/half_index/images/51805p.gif

My want to buy thread: http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=posting&mode=editpost &p=183167

[hobogato]

i have two at home, but i dont know if they are the right size, i will check when i get home from work today.

[cbianco]

i have two at home, but i dont know if they are the right size, i will check when i get home from work today.

Awsome, I don't want to pay $10.00 shipping for $2.00 worth of parts :lol !

Let me know whats up [singing] "I'm so excited..." :)

Thanks

Christopher

[cbianco]

Ace thanks for the response but I found a pair of NPT Loc-Line connectors for my project! I appreciate the help :)

Christopher

[MattK]

I asked Louis at the meeting and he said he had some.

[cbianco]

I asked Louis at the meeting and he said he had some.

So I've heard... :lol

Yeah, Louis has a bunch of them and he is saving two for me. It is easiest for me to get to Louis's shop since I don't have a vehicle. I am going to pick them up tommorrow and maybe even drill the tank for the returns.

Christopher

[hobogato]

that's good because the two i have are the 3/4 " ones anyway, so they are bigger than what you are looking for.

[cbianco]

that's good because the two i have are the 3/4 " ones anyway, so they are bigger than what you are looking for.

I appreciate the offer and hopefully we can do business another time, lol.

I originally found various Loc-Line pieces at "insert pet store here" (I forgot the name, san pedro @ basse). All of the pieces at this pet store were also 3/4". It seems as if 1/2" is not a popular size to use in the marine aquarium.

Christopher

[MattK]

Forever Pets is the name of the store.

BTW, hey Ace great workshop! I wanted to build my own sump but I needed to watch someone else do it first. Ya know, pick up some tips before I screw the first one up.

[cbianco]

Thanks Matt.

Matt, you have a hundred tanks...why don't you just use one of those for a sump?

Christopher

[MattK]

Because none of them will fit in the stand.
Their either too long or too wide. I have some specific dimensions.
I've read all about how to do it but there is nothing like watching someone else do it first.

[cbianco]

Ahh, thats right. Your looking for a sump for MY 30 gallon correct? Make sure you make a nice sump if its going under my aquarium! :lol

Christopher

[MattK]

No, I don't think this one is yours :unsure ... This one doesn't have cyanobacteria. :ph34r :P :D

[cbianco]

No, I don't think this one is yours :unsure ... This one doesn't have cyanobacteria. :ph34r :P :D

No comment... :roll

Christopher

[MattK]

200!

[cbianco]

Ahh, thats right. Your looking for a sump for MY 30 gallon correct? Make sure you make a nice sump if its going under my aquarium! :lol

Matt

Told you its my 30 gallon! :lol

Christopher

[cbianco]

Today I went to Aquatic Warehouse and purchased the 1/2" NPT Loc-Line connector. I will be working on the tank later today!

Thanks Louis.

Christopher

[Louis]

You're welcome!

Lookin good, post more pics!

[cbianco]

Lookin good, post more pics!

I never got the oppurtunity to work on the tank yesterday. My dad bought a 30 gallon tank and stand. He plans on setting up a freshwater tank. I helped him reseal the tank and we spent about an hour online trying to find a set of hanging shop lights to put over the tank. I hope to get to the tan today and if I do I will post some pictures.

Comments always appreciated.

Christopher :)

[cbianco]

Working on tank, expect pictures! :)

Christopher

[cbianco]

Alright folks here are the pictures... :)

[cbianco]

More...

[cbianco]

And more...

[MattK]

Looks great. You're gonna have plenty of flow. Are you going to use one pump for the right side?

[cbianco]

Right now I have two Rio 600 (~200 GPH). The left return is run off of one pump and the two right returns are run off of the other Rio 600. I plan on purchasing another, higher volume pump for the two returns on the right side.

Anyone have any suggestions for the new pump anyone?

Christopher

[MattK]

Rio 800 maybe?

[hobogato]

i like the mag drives a little better than rio, i have had both, and the rio seems to slow down more with less age, and mine wore out pretty fast.

mag7 or mag9.5

[cbianco]

Rio 800 maybe?

This is what I was thinking, possibly even larger. I wanted to look at some other brands as well.

Christopher

[cbianco]

i like the mag drives a little better than rio, i have had both, and the rio seems to slow down more with less age, and mine wore out pretty fast.

mag7 or mag9.5

Ace, a Mag7/9 would be awsome! 8) The only problem is that I was looking for something that would fit into the back of my NC. Matt has a Mag5 (I think) and that thing is huge, it is nice though!

Have any suggestions for a pump that will fit into the NC? (I will get the dimensions for the rear chamber and post them.)

Christopher

[hobogato]

the mags dont seem that big, but i am comparing to a rio 1100. i just know that the mag12 has a ton more output than the rio 1100.

[cbianco]

Here are the dimensions to the back chamber...

[cbianco]

the mags dont seem that big, but i am comparing to a rio 1100. i just know that the mag12 has a ton more output than the rio 1100.

The Rio 1100 looks like it will fit, lol. It is 4.25" x 2.5" x 3.25". (Found at: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=TA3140 )

The Mag 5 doesn't look like it will fit. It is 5.0" x 3.8" x 4.2". This includes the Mag 4, 3 and 2, they are all the same size. (Found at: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=DN1125&ast=&key= ) :(

Christopher

[blueboy]

i just had a rio burn up on me the other day. it was my mixing pump, i don't know how old it was, but i'm sure glad i was home! i saw a flash of light come from near the tank, and heard a wierd buzzing sound, went to check it out, and my new batch(30G) of water smelled like electrical fire, so, dump it out and start mixing a fresh batch, again. third batch in a week!

[cbianco]

i just had a rio burn up on me the other day. it was my mixing pump, i don't know how old it was, but i'm sure glad i was home! i saw a flash of light come from near the tank, and heard a wierd buzzing sound, went to check it out, and my new batch(30G) of water smelled like electrical fire, so, dump it out and start mixing a fresh batch, again. third batch in a week!

Ouch! I am glad to hear that there was no fire.

I have had pretty decent luck with my two Rios up till this point. I know that many have had bad luck with Rios. Someone has to have the good luck, right? :)

Christopher

PS: I hope that I didn't speak too soon...

[cbianco]

Sorry for the delay on updates everyone. I have been moving and cleaning (Thursday to Saturday) and I spent the day with family on Sunday. I will resume working on my tank this week :)

Christopher

[MattK]

So, with all this spare time doing non-reef stuff, did you decide on what pump you're going to use?

[cbianco]

So, with all this spare time doing non-reef stuff, did you decide on what pump you're going to use?

Spare time? I wish, still deciding on the pump. I don't have internet access at the house so my research had come to a near stand still. I will resume internet access on Tuesday (so they say) and thus my research will resume. :)

Christopher

[falcondob]

Christopher,

From everything I have read I would stay away from Rio. I know there are lots of people who swear by them. But, the few horror stories of meltdowns and everything in the tank dying is enough reason for me to stay away from them. Just my, not very worthy, 2 cents...

[cbianco]

Christopher,

From everything I have read I would stay away from Rio. I know there are lots of people who swear by them. But, the few horror stories of meltdowns and everything in the tank dying is enough reason for me to stay away from them. Just my, not very worthy, 2 cents...

I have heard the stories of the Rio "mishaps" myself. I have had decent luck except for the fact that they loose their "pressure" quickly. I was looking into one of the smaller Mag pumps but they are fairly expensive. I am looking for an inbetween pump. :)

Christopher

PS Time for school, talk to everyone later!

[hobogato]

first hand experience with two different rios of different size ( 800 and 1100 ). bubbles and black smokey water along with burning wire smell and slight shock. wont ever have another one.

[LoneStar]

Both of my smaller rios wore out in less than a week and fried. Will never buy one again. If you looking for a space saver, there is the mini-jets made by maxi-jet brand. Not sure what gph your looking for, but they fit in smaller places. check marinedepot.com

[cbianco]

first hand experience with two different rios of different size ( 800 and 1100 ). bubbles and black smokey water along with burning wire smell and slight shock. wont ever have another one.

Ouch! Glad you are alright! How old were the pumps?

Christopher

[cbianco]

Both of my smaller rios wore out in less than a week and fried. Will never buy one again. If you looking for a space saver, there is the mini-jets made by maxi-jet brand. Not sure what gph your looking for, but they fit in smaller places. check marinedepot.com

I looked at both the "Mini's" and the "Maxi's." I know that these pumps are great but I am looking for a bit more flow. I was thinking a 200 gph pump and a 400 gph pump. The larger one is for the side that is split into two returns. The smaller one is for a single return. Also, I want the pumps to fit into the back of my Nano-Cube. The dimensions for the Nano-Cube rear chamber are on the previous page.

Christopher

PS Now I am really going to school! :lol

[weizer896]

I started my 24gal AquaPod over again.Everything went to sh :o t so I started over. All my corals were doing great but I could not keep a fish alive :( I added an extra powerhead and changed the direction of the flow because I thought it might be an oxygen problem,but everytime I checked my perimeters my Ph was so low it did not register, my amonia was high,nitrates high,nitrites high. The only thing that was good was the calcium :roll So...I added 3 more inches to my sanded (making it 5in) and made new water,threw in a shrimp and started to recycle.It's been 2weeks and am going to cycle for 12weeks to make sure everything is perfect this time :D

[hobogato]

first hand experience with two different rios of different size ( 800 and 1100 ). bubbles and black smokey water along with burning wire smell and slight shock. wont ever have another one.

Ouch! Glad you are alright! How old were the pumps?

Christopher

yeah, it was a very slight shock, but enought to scare me a little. the two pumps in question were one year and two years old.

[thedude]

Ok two things come to mind reading this thread:

1. Re-using old sand after baking

I don't think this is going to accomplish what you want it to. Cyano bacteria in any aquarium means an excess of nutrients. This usually occurs when wither not enough flow is in the aquarium, or two much food or bioload is present. IME, all of us overfeed as we all like to have fat fish.

To the problem, phosphate has the tendency to bind to calcium. If high levels of undissolved organics lead to cyano, then these organics are also present in the sand bed. I personally, would not reuse any of the sand from the old aquarium, and start with a new bag. Why not start fresh when a bag of live sand only costs around 30$?

2. Rio Pumps

As others have stated, I've been shocked to hell by Rio pumps of all sizes. I've also read too many horror stories of tank meltdowns associated with these pumps. My advice to you would be to use a mag pump externally in a closed loop fashion (www.melevsreef.com). You could even use the returns you already drilled as the outlets and to take it one step further, use a SCWD. This would also eliminate any heat put off by these pumps.

John

[cbianco]

Ok two things come to mind reading this thread:

1. Re-using old sand after baking

[...]

2. Rio Pumps

[...]

John

Hey John

I'm back online :) .

I decided to use a very limited amount of the old sand after a good cleaning and baking. My original tank had 3-4 inches of sand my new tank will only have a 1/2 inch of sand. I should be able to combat any crud in the sand through water changes.

Does eveyone hate Rio and their pumps? I have had good luck with their pumps so far. Any new pump that I buy will NOT be a Rio but this is due to their deteriorating (sp?) flow rate. :)

Christopher

[thedude]

Once you get shocked by a rio, you have a tendency to never want one again lol.

[cbianco]

The tank is filled with water and salt :) . As mentioned earlier, I used only a half inch of sand from the previous tank.

The two Rio's were used on the right hand side returns. That means that each return on the right-hand has one Rio 600 connected too it. The return on the left side is not yet working. I will need to purchase a new pump for this return. I hope to do this in the near future. I posted a picture of the returns for refrence.

I will try to post picks of my setup so far later today.

Christopher

[cbianco]

I purchased a Maxi-Jet 1200 for my left side return today. I will be installing it in a bit. Wish me luck, lol.

Christopher

[cbianco]

As some of you know I am getting settled in to my new place (two weeks now).

My girlfriend and I bought ourselves a new present. It is really nice to see movies the way that they are meant to be seen!

[cbianco]

The new TV is located close to my other two favorite things... my computer and my tank! :)

Christopher

[cbianco]

Enough babbling on my part already :) ...

I filled my tank with water. I have installed the Maxi-Jet 1200 for the left side return. The new Maxi-Jet pushes quite a bit of water.

I now have started to rebuild my rockwork. The "thing" that you see in the center is a juice/Kool-Aid container. I dremeled out the bottom of the container and cut off the handle. I also cut out many various holes for both water and animals to pass through to the center.

My first layer of rock is reinforced. I used plastic closet hangers. I cut the hangers to appropriate sizes and drilled holes in the rocks. The hangers go through the middle in a criss-cross direction.

By reinforcing the bottom of the rockwork I hope to provide additional stability once I build it up to the top (run on sentance ? :) ).

The middle container gives the rock some support and helps to keep the upper rock from falling over.

I know it looks unsightly now but once I finish my rockwork and add corals the middle container should be out of site.

Special thanks to MattK whom helped me to come up with this idea.

Christopher

[LoneStar]

I'm sure you will love the maxi-jet 1200. Nice little pumps that really push some water. Just clean it every so often, so that the impellor does not get frozen. And for knocking on Rio pumps, I would say their smaller models are the worst. I have had a 2100 for awhile now and that pump has held up great. It seems their larger pumps are built better. Also, their Seios are built very well too.

Oh and I just use the 1200 to pump RO water and the 2100 to mix saltwater nowadays :)

[cbianco]

I'm sure you will love the maxi-jet 1200.

I love the Maxi-Jet already. I have heard nothing but good things about these pumps.


Oh and I just use the 1200 to pump RO water and the 2100 to mix saltwater nowadays :)

Lucky you :P

Christopher

[cbianco]

FYI... I posted a pick in my last post on page 6. I forgot to add it earlier. The pick is of my rockwork and the rebuild using the container.

Christopher

[MattK]

How's the tank coming along?

[cbianco]

How's the tank coming along?

The tank is coming along good! As you know Matt, I recently picked up additional rock from you. The rock that I brought home, worked nicel with what I built up so far. I need about an additional ~20 pounds of rock in my tank to complete the rockwork.

Good news is, the few corals that were stuck to the rock I recieved from you are doing great. The only corals that were affected seemed to be a patch of button polyps, that have bleached out. The color seems to be coming back to the button polyps a bit though.

I hope to be able to buy my additional rock by the end of the week. Without a vehicle I have to make plans with others to get to the LFS, sometimes it is tough. Additionally, I have had quite a few end of year projects to complete (Matt, want to write a paper for me?).

All in all, I am happy with my tanks progress! :)

I am also excited to complete it and get the corals home again! :)

Christopher

[MattK]

No, I don't want to write a paper. Ask Gary.

[cbianco]

No, I don't want to write a paper. Ask Gary.

I am sure that he doesn't want to write a paper for me either. :roll

Christopher

[cbianco]

Are yall ready for an update?

Pictures are only minutes away... :)

Don't get too excited, I'm still not finished, but soon... :)

Christopher

[cbianco]

Hey All

So I took a trip over to Fishy Business today. I have not been to the store since they moved. I went there with the intention of buying some live rock and I certainly did. Unfortunately, Jason only had a few pieces that would fit in my cube. I took all that would fit (except for one akward piece).

I have two pieces of large Tonga and some Fiji. Nicely shaped rocks but they have no coraline, not to worry though, coraline is in the plans :) .

Well here is what I have so far. Enjoy and thanks for looking!

Christopher :P

[cbianco]

...

[MattK]

100

[cbianco]

Hey All

This morning I stopped by Aquatic Warehouse to pick up some more live rock. Although Louis didn't have alot of live rock in stock, he had some great pieces that would fit into my plans perfectly. I purchased some Tonga live rock and a bit of Fiji live rock.

Everything seemed to fit together great and all the pieces are stable (or so I think :lol ). I will be posting a few pictures of how my tank looks thus far. I do have a few small hole to fill in, but that it easy considering all the live rock rubble that I have. Also, my corals at Matt's house are mounted on rocks so the holes in my reef structure gives me a place to stick these guys :) .

Overall, I am really happy with the appearance of my tank. Now that I have experience (one year!) I know more or less what I wanted AND how to achieve the final product.

I am open for comments.

Christopher

[cbianco]

Ok, here are the pictures. Enjoy and let me hear those comments :)

[MattK]

How long do you think it will take for the GSP to cover all the rock?

[cbianco]

How long do you think it will take for the GSP to cover all the rock?

The GSP is a fast grower from my experience. As far as covering all the rock maybe a year or two. I don't want the GSP to completely cover ALL the rock, But it would look nice if it covered a good portion of the rock. I have other corals that I also want to grow on the rock structure such as the various zoanthids and the cabbage leather. I am thinking about putting the cabbage leather right on the top of the structure. I remember in my old tank the cabbage was happiest at the top.

So Matt, what do you think about the look of the rock structure that I am building up?

Christopher

[MattK]

Looks like a pile of rocks :P

Looks like the rock fits together well. Me personally, I like to have gaps a caves that the water can flow through in my rock structure.

[cbianco]

Actually, there are many holes in the structure so that critters can move about. I cut holes in the "Kool-Aid" container so that the water would flow "freely" as possible. I just hate seeing the container through the rock in places that it was not meant to be seen.

Either way I still like my pile of rocks :)

Christopher

[MattK]

So, I guess you didn't drill the rock and use the plastic dowels?

[cbianco]

So, I guess you didn't drill the rock and use the plastic dowels?

I only secured the base of the structure by drilling and using dowels. The upper part of the structure seems very sturdy. I figure that as long as the base does not shift around, then the upper portion should be ok.

Christopher

[cbianco]

Hello All

Yesterday I finally decided to purchase a new set of lights.

I made my purchase from Aquatic Warehouse. The two bulbs that I bought are 1. Arcadia 14000K 36 watt bulb and 2. Arcadia 420nm 36 watt bulb.

I am only used to having the JBJ 50/50's in my tank (10000K/7100Blue). These two bulbs make quite a difference. The 420nm bulb colors my tank a nice shade of blue that I have not seen with the JBJ bulbs. The 14000K produces a nice crisp white light.

Question: Do CFL bulbs have a burn in time?

Christopher

[hobogato]

Question: Do CFL bulbs have a burn in time?


i dont think so. that 420 nm is much better for color than the 460 from the 50/50 bulb.

[cbianco]

I was wondering if CFL bulbs had a burn in time like MH. I figured not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. :)


that 420 nm is much better for color than the 460 from the 50/50 bulb.

Tell me about it!!! The JBJ bulbs were just white. You couldn't see any blue in the bulbs. Now with the 420 bulb you can see lots of color. With any luck some of my corals may even flouresce (sp?). I am happy with the choice of bulbs.

BTW, have you ever seen a 14000K CFL bulb, lol?

Christopher :)

[cbianco]

I was wondering if CFL bulbs had a burn in time like MH. I figured not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. :)


that 420 nm is much better for color than the 460 from the 50/50 bulb.

Tell me about it!!! The JBJ bulbs were just white. You couldn't see any blue in the bulbs. Now with the 420 bulb you can see lots of color. With any luck some of my corals may even flouresce (sp?). I am happy with the choice of bulbs.

BTW, have you ever seen a 14000K CFL bulb, lol?

Christopher :)

[hobogato]

no - i have used 6700k, 10kk and 20kk.

[cbianco]

Cool, I have never seen a 20000K CFL bulb either. I am assuming that CFL bulbs above 10000 are not popular. I wonder why that is?

Christopher

[cbianco]

I went to CB Pets yesterday. It was my first time there, what a drive! :) CB had a much larger selection of livestock than I thought they would.

I purchased a peppermint shrimp to attack my aptasia. The peppermint seems to be content hiding behind my rockwork for now. Sooner or later he will get hungry <_< , I hope.

Christopher

[cbianco]

Hey All

I bought this today! It is a 2x36 watt retro kit for my nano cube from www.nanocustoms.com. I got a 10000k bulb and a actinic bulb. I have already modified my reflector so that this will fit properly. I'm excited, it has already shipped yay! :)

Christopher

http://nanotuners.nanocustoms.com/nanotuners/images/48wbig.jpg

Direct Link (http://nanotuners.nanocustoms.com/nanotuners/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=32)