WheresTheReef

I am thinking about buying a maxima clam and just researching a little. A concern I have is that my one spot foxface kicks up sand every couple days when it gets startled. Most of the sand settles pretty quickly, but I blow off small particles off of my corals. Also, I like to blow off my live rock during water changes to make sure there is not detritus settled there. This produces cloudy water for a little while. Will the sand/dust hurt a clam? Thanks in advance!

Was left over from medical treatment. Not sure where else to get them. Might try a vet office or rite aid might have them. Might help if you explain what you are trying to do.

I'm lucky to have only had a few of them. I boiled a little water in the microwave and injected the aiptasia in the mouth with a hypodermic needle. I injected each for a few seconds. Never saw them again. The needle can get deep into rock holes as well. Maybe something to consider in case more pop up in your tank on a rock that can't really be removed.

How's the build coming along?

An air stone only works if your CO2 levels aren't elevated. My tank is in the basement so my co2 levels are an issue. My pH was running around 7.4 for around a month and my sps started to show stn. Lost a few corals. A couple days ago I ran a line outside into a diy carbon filter and into the skimmer intake. My pH now runs around 7.8ish. Another issue I had once was a bacterial bloom that also coincided with low pH. Is your water cloudy (little whiter than usual)? My kh was also around 7.45 @ 1.025 sg. I elevated my sg to 1.026 with reef crystals and my kh is now around 9.

Not likely for a small tank, but you can do the 3D glasses trick to find out. http://www.salt-city.org/showthread.php?9542-How-to-tell-if-glass-is-tempered

Got some already listed + Green Frogskin & Green Slimer

Thanks for you comments. I plan to have my son help every step of the way. He is super excited!

Sounds great. Not ready just yet. I am planning to order an overflow box, drill the tank, and build the stand between this week and the next. Thanks, I learned that with the first tank.

I currently have a 40g breeder mixed reef that has been running for about 1 year. It has inspired my 6yr old son to get a tank of his own. He would like nemo (of course) with an anemone (e.g BTA), shrimp, and a few easy corals. I have a 20g long that I want to start up for him. Do you recommend starting with dry rock or buying used rock? I started my 40 with dry rock and went through the diatoms, cyano and all the crappy stuff that goes along with it. If going with used rock, would you use a bleach/acid wash to kill all the stuff off to avoid leaching and unwanted hitchhikers? I am thinking of running my son's 20g separately next to my 40 until it is established, but eventually tie it into my sump for ease of maintenance. Would you instead recommend to tie it in from the beginning? I am concerned about it messing with my 40 (especially those darn sensitive colorful sticks aka. SPS). Any advice from your experiences is greatly appreciated.

When does the 40% off sale end? Thanks!

+1 I had a tank on carpet and it made me nervous when my kids ran by and the tank rocked enough to move the water. I ended up moving the tank to the basement where the carpet padding is thin and there is no swaying.

What do you guys do with the acid or bleach solution once you are done?

You consider building a stand? How about just a small cabinet to enclose the sump + possibly an ATO container? It could sit right next to your tank. If it's in your dining room you don't want it to be an eyesore. You will never hear the end of it from you wife LOL. When you figure out the tank size, Petco is having its $1/g sale til July 12.

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Pretty cool. I hope you have success this time around. You might contact the people who kept the zoo's invert house and/or baltimore aquarium for any help. I would think that a tight fitting lid would be helpful to keep it from escaping.

For the future, might consider using a turkey baster to blow off any possible detritus that may have settled right before your water change. Not sure if others do it, but I always seem to have stuff blow off where I thought it was somewhat clean.

Is there anything growing near their base that is irritating them? Sometimes hair algae or other stuff touching the corals can irritate them enough to cause stn from the base. I had that happen. Do you notice any small bite marks that may indicate a pest? Lighting change can stress them but I wouldn't think 2x T5s would do that. Keep an eye on them. You may need to frag then above the stn line to save them if it progresses.

I like the longevity of LEDs. One less thing to have to remember to change out. I'm sure I tossed some bulbs with some life still on them trying to guess when I should replace them. I waited too long the first time and there was an obvious color shift when I replaced them.

Those lights are pretty intense so I would bring the channels down as you get closer to the water. I have 90deg optics and my corals started bleaching at 25%. Better to start a little lower and bring then up slowly based on how your corals react.

What kind of corals do you have? I also have a 40 breeder and the it2080. I have my light channels maxed at 15/12 for now since my corals wanted to start bleaching. I plan to ramp up slowly. My light is hanging 6-7" from the surface.

I run carbon in a media bag and swap out every 2 weeks. I used the carbon calculator on BRS's website to figure out how much to use. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator

Either 1st exterior connector woud work. Most drains that I have seen using tees use a bean-animal style drain (3 drains). I prefer the elbow since it is the lowest profile and uses less parts. There are many ways to do it. Some examples: With elbow: 90 elbow (slip)-(slip)bulkhead(thread)-(thread)90 elbow(slip)-pipe-(slip)union(slip)... With tee: 90 elbow (slip)-(slip)bulkhead(thread)-(thread)connector/nipple(thread)-(thread)tee-(slip)-pipe-(slip)union(slip)...

Great job with the tank.

I would assume that a tight dry fit would be ok, but I will let someone else with experience with a tee + cap address that question. I just used an elbow (like you are planning for your returns) for the drains on my herbie setup. By making small adjustments with the gate valve, you are trying to closely match the return water flow rate in the pipe. This keeps the water level right above the primary drain to prevent air from entering the pipe with the water. No air = no gargling sound. Are you planning to use elbows for the inside of the drains' bulkheads? I didn't see them in your diagram. Using them helps keep the water level above your primary drain and just under your emergency drain. Point the primary drain's elbow down and the emergency drain's elbow up.