stevil

I had a Mag 12 on my 90 gallon powering my single return. It was way too much return flow, and my overflow couldn't keep up... well, i guess it could, but it was EXTREMELY loud (gurgling). If you are using it to divert water multiple ways, or have a long head, maybe your experience will be different. I can't comment on internal v external, but I know it kept my water HOT when I was using it just to circulate my water-change water.

Update. I tore apart the nano with the full intention to add her to my main display but there is no sign of the mandarin at all. Perhaps alien abductors came. This is mystifying since last night she was there and fine at ~10:00, but at 6:30 this morning there was absolutely no sign. I came home from work and tore the nano apart, but found nothing. I find it hard to believe she jumped out since the lid is extremely tight and there is no dried up carcass to be found (and no, I have no cats or other free-roaming animals). I can see mysteriously losing a fish in a main tank since there are plenty of places for a carcass to wash into and clean-up crew (or other fish) will happily take care of body disposal... but in a 12 gallon nano with effectively nothing??? Anyway - I have collected some excellent advice for future reference. I am certain I'm ready for a mandarin from a main display perspective, but didn't think through the quarantine process. Next time I'm going to: Make sure I have a wad of "sacrificial chaeto" charged with a load of pods Have ready access to live brine shrimp (low quality food is better than no food) Have ready access to blood worms Also, am possibly thinking of having a supply of copepod culture ready: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/breeder2.htm

Thanks all. I intend to do so - actually I tried this morning but the fish was MIA in my nano... really not sure where she could be, there aren't many hiding places, the tank has a very tight lid and the only other creature in there was a porcelain crab that I transferred this morning. FYI to validate all your fine advice Bob Fenner agrees . I sent this question into wetwebmedia as well.

I'm a bit more concerned. The mandarin is active and moving around, but is definitely looking thin. her belly is curved inward. I've attempted to target feed cyclopeeze, pellets and mysis, but am not seeing her eat those things. She still picks at the glass occasionally and seems to like hanging out in the macro algae or on top of the tank's return nozzle. I've siphoned off a couple of turkey basters of pods from my sump (tens of pods, not hundreds) and added to the nano. Any more ideas?

I picked up a healthy looking mandarin last night from centreville aquarium. It is currently in quarantine in my 12 gallon aquapod. He's nibbling (i think) at some algae on the glass, but it could be pods. The aquapod nano has live sand, a couple chunks of live rock and was nearly completely filled with water from my main tank over the past 2 weeks as I've done water changes (approx 10 gallons through water changes, 2 gallons of fresh salt water). I have a ball of chaeto in the nano that was in my sump and some dragon's tongue macro algae as well. My main tank has a ton of copeopods in the sump, overflow and throughout my live rock. I believe the chaeto ball had a small colony of pods in it prior to moving it into the nano. My main question is how to keep the mandarin alive/fed while in quarantine? I'm hoping I can entice it to eat pellets or something other than live pods, but I also don't want to move it to my main tank too soon and risk my main tank with some kind of unknown LFS infestation. I'm also thinking of adding some zooplankton/phytoplankton (dried and DTs) to the nano to help feed the pods. Additionally as I do my next water change I'll take 5 gallons from my main display and add it to the nano. Also was thinking of splitting the chaeto ball in half, adding one half to my main tank for a day or two and then swapping it out with the other one, rinse and repeat every 2-3 days. Wet-web Media mandarin FAQs suggested a 2 week quarantine period. Any comments, suggestions or ideas?

Good - Where is the eel now? Not totally sure, but you'll want to bring the temp down slowly down and keep it between 78-84. Exact temperature shouldn't matter at this point, but make sure it's stable. That is a good plan. You may want to continue to do this - even a gallon a day for a while. Don't know. I'd wait 4-6 weeks and test every few days, just to make sure things are stabilized. Do you have a basic test kit for pH, nitrates, nitrites and ammonia? Coralline may already be there and natrually grow over time. Your lighting and tank conditions will determine how readily it grows. I would look for some coralline encrusted rock from an established tank. Don't by "purple up" or any other additives - no need. You don't need to have coralline growing everywhere before you get fish, but you do need to make sure your tank is cycled and will not cycle again. It will take many months, maybe years, for coralline to cover everything. I would go window shopping, but I wouldn't buy any livestock just yet, especially not fish. Maybe get some cleaner crew (crabs, snails) next weekend at the soonest. Questions: Do you have lights? What kind? Is there a sump? Do you have a protien skimmer? Is there adequate flow in the tank, particularily is the surface of the water agitated for oxygen exchange?

Well - I had no luck getting a reply there. Can anyone help me drill a tank? The back glass of the Aquapod is thicker than the front and I have read reports that it is not tempered. Would anyone recommend having the drain and the return in any particular place (e.g.) top v bottom? I'm planning to build a DIY durso-like pipe.

Yeah, the dummies book was good, but if there's any contradiction, I'd defer to the CMA.

Thanks. I just posted it on their forum: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101446

I've had my setup going for over a year - 90 gallon corner overflow with a 20 gallon sump, a skimmer, return pump, a heater, a couple of powerheads, live rock and live sand. Recently I've stepped it up, but I've been able to do it incrementally by building on those basics. Everything I needed to know to get going I found in three sources: Book: "The New Marine Aquarium, A step-by step setup and stocking guide". It's an easy read and pretty short. Book: "The Concientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner. I still use this over a year later. website: WAMAS.org Since you're already here, I'd recommend at least one of those books, but probably both. The first one will get you going, the second will also get you going, but keep you going too. Welcome, and good luck!

I recently picked up a 12 Gallon Aquapod. I'd like use it either as a refugium or as a satellite display tank for my main tank. I'm thinking it would be best to have it drilled, anyone with experience in this? I know there is some risk in damage with any drilling operation. I'd like to keep my options open for using it as a stand-alone tank in the future. Also if anyone has any other alternative ideas, I'd like to hear them.

I'm not sure... this is how I manage: I have a 20 gallon sump, which just needs to be about 1/4 full to keep all my pumps submerged, but I keep it a little under 3/4 full as 'reserve'. I use a float valve (which has never stuck) to control input from an 5 gallon bucket containing top-off water. Worse case scenario: my top-off sticks, 5 gallons get put into my 3/4 full sump, it can't flood. Absolute worse case: the worst case happens plus power goes out and the 1/2-1 gallon of water from my display tank corner overflow flows down, my sump is still only 100% full.

I have a pinpoint marine. It's great. I can't believe I went for almost a year without it. I can turn it on or off, or just leave it running all the time. I guess the probes need to be recalibrated about every 6-12 months, and possibly replaced in 18, but they are fairly cheap ($15?) and that more than makes up for the PITA chemistry set testing. Because it's so easy it's something that I actually pay attention to.

Can anyone help me identify these corals? I got them in a batch of other buys. Mystery coral#1 The seller said that he got it white, but when he added it to his tank it turned colors. It has been in the bottom of my tank for about 2 weeks. I've recently moved it to the top. I can see tiny polyps extended, they appear to be like a montipora cap, but this coral is definitely encrusting the rock. Mystery coral#2 Mystery coral#3 Mystery coral#4 Mystery coral#5

I had a mag 12 on my AGA with a Megaflow corner overflow. The flow was too much in the context that the overflow couldn't keep up and made a very annoying slurping and gurgling sound. I went back to a mag 7, and have increased the number of powerheads in my tank.

Tests from yesterday: pH at 7.99-8.09, Temp 79.4-80.4, Salinity 1.024, Alk, 1.75, Calcium 350, Mag 1005 Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphate from 1 month ago were all 0. Yes, I've added SPS lately - all within the last 2 weeks: Digi, mille, acro. None have been directly by the toadstool though. I also have another SPS (i forget exactly what kind) that was right by the toadstool for over 2 months prior though. EDIT: UPDATE: I added two SPS's from yesterday's meeting. Connecting the dots between your question and a statement from Howard in another thread, I will be doing at least a 5 gallon water change today.