hypertech

If a mandarin has ick spots, its not doing well. Mandarin fish are generally pretty resistance to ick. With a newer setup, its going to be hard for a mandarin to find enough food. So, unless you know and saw it eating frozen, it was probably starving out. MIA fish is not unusual. A small fish can dissappear pretty easy with no sign especially if you have a decent clean up crew.

It sound like the tank is slightly out of level and just draining on the low side. When you hook up a real return pump, it will raise the tank water level a little bit and both will start draining. Now, if you have a leak and the overflow area is filling without water going over the top you need to fix that. Otherwise you will probably have a back siphon/draining problem when the power goes out and your sump will overflow.

I added a toby puffer to my mixed reef this weekend. I figure, as long I am pushing my luck, why not push it a little farther. Anyone have a suggestion for a smaller butterfly that is reef safe "with caution" to consider. Here is the stock list in my 75g now: 2 true percs (host their anemone and don't swim around all that much) 2 ku pang damsels a small mckosker wrasse a one spot rabbit fish a YWG a green mandarin fish a pygmy angel a toby puffer to be added: 1 tang (something like a tomini, a scopes, a kole, etc) 1 flame angel (going in last)

To light a huge or just a work light? I put a couple under cabinet lights in my stand for work lights.

I've been fighting it for a long time too. I thought CO2 (low pH) might be contributing because of my CaRx (pH is generally around 7.9-8.1 when its running), so I shut it off for a while to let the tank pH got up - didn't seem to make a difference for me.

Which model is that?

From the front, through glass, it probably just looks brown......

So, feed them at night and when the lights are out for now. In case you haven't noticed yet - clown fish can be weird. And, when they stop this weird behavior, they'll probably start another one.

If you do get it, don't buy an ice cap. Buy one that is currently manufactured. I think Coral Vue picked up the line of ballasts.

Nah. I generally start it, go do something like clean skimmer. By then the spike is done and I switch it over. I have the ro plumbed to a storage bin. The storage bin has a pump in it and I pump the water over to a top off container in the stand.

Its significant enough at my place that I installed a bypass and I dump the product water until the TDS spike comes down. Then I pass it to the DI cartridge. I used to have to replace about every 2 months and now its more than a year before it needs to be changed.

Youll burn DI resin faster that way too. A container is a better and safer way.

I agree. A drilled tank is much much better than a tube overflow. And, as long as you are at it, look for a 75 ready ready. About the same dimensions but a few inches wider. It makes it much easier to aquascape and work in the tank.

Think about it. The water will pool up until it is as deep as the highest baffle it has to go over to get to the next chamber. If you are worried about running dry, get an ATO. You can also probably remove the right two baffles and increase the size of the next chamber.

You need to cut the first one and the third one. If you were to look at my sump closely, you might notice that I had to lower the water level about an inch. I just went at the baffle with the dremel. I cut to about an inch from the edge and then made a veritical cut from there to remove the material from the baffle. While it may have looked nicer if I had remove it and cut it down with the saw, etc. This solution was fast and easy.

To lower the water level you need to cut the baffles shorter. The one on the far right looks to be the highest but you might need to cut down that one and the first one. Or, put the skimmer on something to lift it up so it isn't submerged as deep. I don't know what skimmer that is, some can have the output submerged some not. If you search around you can usually find review threads with water depth recommendations for the different models of skimmers. Edited to add: sometimes new tanks just do this too. It took a couple weeks for mine to settle in and stop overflowing when I set this tank up.

Salinity is fine. I run my tank at 1.026. At the same time, 1.024-1.025 is fine also. You'll find a lot of fish only and fish stores running lower yet to reduce salt costs.

You don't need any CUC until you have something for them to clean/eat. A few scavengers like hermits, nassarius, etc can be helpful to eat excess food when you start feeding. A shrimp is good for that too, but I wouldn't recommend adding one just yet. What kind of clowns? If perc (true of false), I'd add the pair now. If something else, I wouldn't out of concern that they will be aggressive with the next additions. I would not add a tang at this point as they are more sensitive to water quality and your tank is still young.

How long has it been? If its been 2 weeks and you are reading nitrates, you probably just missed it. As long as the nitrates are reasonable, I'd probably add a fish and monitor for a few more weeks just to make sure before adding more.

You could always pee in it. I don't think I know anyone who has actually tried that method. So, if you do, let us know how it worked - no pictures though.

My tank has 1" and 3/4" holes. I used the big 1" for the main drain (siphon) and small 3/4" for the backup. I wish I had gone the other way. It works fine, but I'd have more margin for error with the extra capacity if the emergency were the larger drain. If I ever replumb (and feel like ordering a new valve), that's how I will do it.

First post says it is going to be run as a full siphon (like a Herbie). The size of the pipe is irrelevant because it will be restricted down to match the return pump flow. If you over size the pipe and valve, you'll just have to close it more.

I've never seen all plastic ones at home depot or lowes. Make sure it doesn't have any brass parts inside. You are going to restrict it anyway, so I think you'll be fine with the 1".

Maybe I misunderstood your post. I thought you were saying calibrating with 1.026 was bad practice. Mea culpa.

I disagree. Its best to calibrate these things with a solution that is near the point of interest. I could care less if its accurate at 1.010. I want to know if 1.026 reads correctly. If I calibrate at 1.026, then I know that point is correct and when it reads 1.026, that's what I have - not 1.022 or 1.030 from some scale error even though its accurate at zero. I want to know 1.026 is right when it says that.