dano

Thanks to all for the explanations and offers... when I get a chance I will examine all the processes more carefully and post what the issue is/was (hopefully). I still haven't figured out how to post a picture so that may have to wait. Thanks again. Dano

Thank you all for your help, though I'm still not understanding it... my home tank which overflows the sump... has an overflow compartment in back left corner in which there is a tube and a float which goes up and down on the tube. As far as I can tell, the water flooding the sump is coming from this tube and not from the return flow to the tank... though I will check that. When I get home tonight I will try to give it a better inspection to see if I can figure anyting out. Thanks again

I don't have a good understanding of how the overflow works and I have issues with both my tanks. MY home tank used to be fine but for some reason, when I turn off the return pump for cleaning/water changes/power outage, my sump overflows. It did not used to be this way - it would rise up in the sump but still stay a couple of inches below the top - and I think it has something to do with the plunger thing-a-majig (what is the proper term?) in the overflow. My office tank has a problem with the plunger thing-a-majig that when ther is enough water in the sump to cover the return pump, the plunger raises above the top of the tank and I have to lift up the plastic cover on that part of the tank so as not to push down on the plunger (creating noise and bubbles). Any ideas/explanations appreciated. Thanks. Dano

Thanks for the responses... yes, removed the stinkey goo.. haven't checked parameters and still working on getting the protein skimmer pump to work right. Good tips on keeping on with the health of the clam. I didn't notice any of those signs but I also haven't had much time to be checking on the tank lately so they might have been present. Thanks.

I had a clam for about 6 months and he/she was doing great, opening wonderfully and seemed very hardy. Then one day (of course, the day I walked in the door and my dog got his tail caught in the blinds, pulled them down, knocked over the TV, had my wife tackling him as the blind cord got tighter around his tail, causing him to release the foulest stench, with one kid screaming and the other asking me why the clam is all white) the clam was gone... shell completely cleaned out. Nothing left. The next day I did see a glutinous mass on the bottom of the tank.. none of the blue coloring of the clam... just white and a little tan. I figured it was whatt was left of the clam. So my questions are... do clams suddenly die suddelnly like that if it was water quality or lighting? I have seen some little white/grey starfish in my display tank which must have hitched in on a coral from the Children's Hospital auction. I always thought these were harmless though one seemed to be about a half inch big and I didn't know they got that big... Could he have eaten the clam? That fast? Any other ideas? Thanks. Dano

I was going to try to bring some frags to Doug (Bbartco) today as he is generously giving me some frags but he suggested I check with you first to see if you would want them. they are small. Yellow polyps, white sinularia, a leather branching whitish coral I don't know the name of. I hope to go to meeting today though my son just got invited to a birthday party today so I will try to stop by for a short time. Will you be there. Great thing you are doing . Dano

Iplan on coming by for a whilewith my 2 boys... will stay as long as they can handle it. Thanks. Dano

Chip, I bought one from Howard maybe 4 months ago or so which I think he had gotten from you. It is doing well ... no splits. Dano

Sara... this is what I could offer... I have a 15 gallon acryllic hex which you could have for a while and set up a temporaty tank for your four fish until your tank is ready. If you need some exttra live rock or sand to get the hex established i could provide you with some. I do have a tank running in my office in Bethesda but I would be concerned about the firefish getting too spooked by the other fish. And my tnak already has two clownfish. I live in VA but will be back at work on Monday in downtown Bethesda and could bring the tank and whatever else on monday. Good luck. Dano

I hope to come and would likely bring my 2 boys. Dano

Can't be sure I can make it...depends on wife and kid's schedules and needs but if all is going smoothly, hope to bet there for at least a bit and would be happy to help in whatever way. Thanks to all of you. Dano

thanks... I have a 72 gallon and was planning on putting it pretty high up. I just bought some bulbs from Dr. Fosters but think that especially if I am going to get a clam, I am better off getting some better bulbs as listed in this thread.

Thanks... so count me in and I will get whatever configuration you decide since I'm sure you are paying more attention to it. Dano

I would join a group buy but I live in Falls church and work in Bethesda and would need someone to drop it off closer. I enjoyed reading this thread as i also have a 4 x54 w t5. Any thoughts about raising a maxima clam under this lighting? Thanks. dano

I've been using a 50 watt grow bulb in mine... what do you use? Dano

Thanks for the response... no need for any more responses because I plugged it into the search and I already found much to read. Thanks. dano

My return Lifeguard Quiet One pump stopped working and I was planning on buyng a mag 9 to replace it but then saw a reference to a closed loop. What is it and how would I set one up? For someone who is pretty incompetent with plumbing, is it a good idea? I have a 72 gallon tank and about a 20 gallon sump. Thanks. Dano

Thank you all, very much, for your help and offers. If only I had a WAMAS for all the areas of my life. Rick very awesomely came over and figured it out and fixed it. The advantages and disadvantages of buying used setups... advantage... you don't need to figure out the plumbing as it comes already functioning... disadvantage... when something goes wrong I had no idea how it was put together. So what happened was that as I reatttached the tube to the sump to the overflow I was twisting it and it was already too loose. Since I didn't know what was nut and what was tube and what went where, I inadvertantly kept loosening it no matter what direction I turned it in. The gasket was still good and after taking it apart and cleaning out the silicone I put on the previous night (mistake), all it took was some tightening. So.. thanks again, all, and especially to Rick. You da man! and I am loving having a tank in my office. Dano

I just set up a used tank setup I bought for my office and the overflow piping to the sump is leaking. I was wondering if anyone who understands the plumbing might be willing to stop by sometime and help me figure out what I need to do. I don't think it is complicated, I just don't know plumbing. Thanks much. Dano

Do you have fans blowing air over tank or pulling air away from tank? Dano

Thanks for the replies... no individual reflectors on lights, just the reflector in the orbit fixture... haven't checked parameteres in a long time... have beeen doing water changes fairly regularly (monthly) for someone who has sometimes gone a long time without doing one.

does anyone know if corals can have ich? I have a small colony of brown zoos that have white dots all over them but my fish and the rest of the tank looks fine. I've wondered if I should take the zoos out for fear that they will eventually infect the rest of the tank if it is ich. Thanks. dano

A few months ago i was given some blue mushrooms and a month or two before that I bought some zoo frags and they are all losing their coloring... the blue mushrooms are looking red and the zoos are looking brown. I have a 72 gallon with a sump and 4x54 watt T5 (two actinic and two daylight) and two 40 watt actinic fluorescent bulbs. Thanks. Dano

update... when i returned home last night the tang had died ... 6 line and firefish still infected though still active.. I refilled the 15 gallon, acclimated the two fish and raised temp to 81. I'm slowly lowering salinity. Added another dose of RId Ich last night and fed this AM with garlic infused food. will keep updating if anyone is interested. And thanks again for all of the advice.

Thank you, Dave. A couple of questions... I was concerned that doing the Rid Ich and Hyposalinity would be too stressful and that I should only do one of these treatments at a time. What do you think? And I was gogin to raise temperature in tank to 80 -82 but then had concern about the aeration at the higher temperature because of the Rid Ich. Currently i am aerating from the water flow of the HOB filter and a tube connected to an air pump. I didn't want to use a wodden airstone thinking the ich may hang out in it but I think I have a plastic wand which I will attach when I get home tonight. And I'm thinking the 5 gallon bucket is too small for the three fish and should move them back to the 15 gallon maybe tomorrow. But then I will keep them there. Thanks . Dano