Cardiak21

Thanks! Should I keep the sand in the refugium? I could switch it out with new sand.

So I got a 150g cube aquarium, did a fishless cycle using ammonia drops. Got the Amn to 0 and the Nitrites to 0 after a few weeks. Nitrates were at around 20 ppm. I decided to add some sand from my old tank to the refugium section of the sump on my new tank. Added some crushed coral rubble and base rock rubble to the refugium (light is set to night cycle). I did a nitrate test two days later, nitrates jumped up to around 40ppm. Did a 25% water change. Tested again, still 40 ppm. After a few days did another 25% water change and tested today 60ppm!!! Is the sand from my old tank a nitrate producer??? There is nothing alive (fish or creatures) in the tank, I added maybe 3 pieces of live rock (one rock did have some star polyps on it) from my old tank, but the majority of it was dry to start. Every time I've started a new tank in the past, I've always done it from scratch without bring anything from a previous tank. Should I take the sand from the refugium out? Im super frustrated. Please advise.

So I got a 150g cube aquarium, did a fishless cycle using ammonia drops. Got the Amn to 0 and the Nitrites to 0 after a few weeks. Nitrates were at around 20 ppm. I decided to add some sand from my old tank to the refugium section of the sump on my new tank. Added some crushed coral rubble and base rock rubble to the refugium. I did a nitrate test two days later, nitrates jumped up to around 40ppm. Did a 25% water change. Tested again, still 40 ppm. After a few days did another 25% water change and tested today 60ppm!!! Is the sand from my old tank a nitrate producer??? There is nothing alive (fish or creatures) in the tank, I added maybe 3 pieces of live rock (one rock did have some star polyps on it) from my old tank, but the majority of it was dry to start. Every time I've started a new tank in the past, I've always done it from scratch without bring anything from a previous tank. Im super frustrated. Thank you for your help.

I'll take it apart and clean it tomorrow. Hopefully that will help! Thanks

So recently my Aqua Remora Pro has been pulling more and more water instead of "guk". I have it set to the driest setting at this point and I have to drain it at least twice a day. It's basically pulling water that is barely dirty and practically see through. I replaced the pump about 6 months ago. Any ideas what's going on? Thanks

Hmmm maybe I'll try both. Thanks

Ahh thanks for the info. No i didn't use a commercial start up, is there one that comes recommended? I thought all that was needed was just a source for the ammonia to build and it would sort itself out.

I'm starting a brand new tank and im using dry rock with "dry" sand. I started off using a dead piece of shrimp to start the cycle and after a few days i pulled it out and am ghost feeding it daily. I am currently going through a diatom bloom. Current parameters are: Amn: 2.0 Nitrite: 1.0 Nitrate: 0 to 5, hard to tell with the color chart Day 11 of cycle. Do I continue to ghostfeed the tank? Will the diatoms disappear on it's own or will I need a CUC once AMN hits 0? Thanks

So I currently have an egg crate covering for my 72bow to keep fish from getting out. Now I've read that it can keep light out from a few different sources (though it's hard to see a difference with it on). So I'm trying to DIY with 1/4in bird netting. The problem is the BOW part, i can't seem to create a top that has enough structual integrity to stay as one piece. Do you guys have any ideas on how to create a top for a bow tank? Thanks mucho

I went to Home Depot and picked up the plastic egg shell screening (Same stuff people use for frags) and cut it to fit over my tank. Works great.

Hey guys, I'm still relatively new, so I have a question with regards to LED lighting compared to T5. Below is a link to a LED light system, I'm looking at the 36-48 inch one. Can anyone explain to me how the lighting amount is compared to say 6 x 54w T5's? Is it enough light for a reef tank? Thanks. http://www.petsolutions.com/storefront/fish/aquarium-supplies/lighting-power/fixtures/led/marineland-reef-capable-led-lighting-system/prodMarinelandHighOutputLEDLights.html Thanks

Any hardy fish that school? and what amount would be ok for a 72? I heard that chromis will eventually widdle down their numbers due to dominance. Any suggestions? Thanks

What should I do? Are they bad for the tank?

Hey all, So recently I found a large amount of various copepods on the glass of my tank. But now I've noticed that there are a few of these on the glass as well. This is the best picture that I can come up with, it basically looks like a starfish but it sticks to the glass. http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z112/Casper802/IMG_0162.jpg Does anyone have an idea what it is? My tank has been up for about 2 months now, had a diatom bloom a few weeks ago but it's gone. Then the pods started to appear, and then these. Thanks for the help.