Rascal

Just out of curiosity, was that wavemaker connected to a GFCI? If so, I wonder why it didn't trip?

Only when I've been supplementing the fish food with garlic. It's a long strech of airline - 3-4 feet, with no dips so there isn't any residual skimmate in it after it drains and I have plenty of time to get out of the way before the gunk starts coming out of the end.

Chris: I had the same concern. So what I did was just drill a hole in the lid and stick 1/4" airline in there so it goes all the way to the bottom of the collection cup. When I want to empty it but don't feel like taking the cup off I just suck on the other end of the airline to start a siphon and stick it in the sink. That way I have the convenience of a semi-auto drain when the cup needs to be emptied but I just don't have time to do it, without worrying about emptying the sump.

Fish: That's not a bad idea though. What if you cut a section of PVC in half lengthwise and then put one piece on each of the struts? You could also just try some air duct tape. Not the generic duct tape but the expensive stuff you can find in the aisle with all of the air duct parts. It is very thick and highly reflective (also highly conductive probably though). The advantage would be if it did start to rust you could just remove it and apply a new piece of tape. I use some of this to protect the cords in my canopy from the halide heat. No rust in 18+ months now. Either way I like the idea of a fan blowing when the halides are on to cool things down a bit.

Good idea. The reducers were a quick and easy way to check if this would make a difference, but the best solution IMO would be to use locline or something like it. Gives you lots of options in terms of directing and focusing the flow, depending on whether you use open or flared nozzles, Y fittings, etc. . . .

Submitters: Mike Sprano, Rascal Location: My tank Camera Used: Nikon D300 (my dad's) Subject: RBTA with green mouth

Glad that worked. My thought about the ball valves was not actually that you would use them to control the flow, but that it would give you a way to change your plumbing later on if you ever decided you wanted to modify something for whatever reason. Without them, I don't think you'd want to go unscrewing those true unions with a full tank of water in there.

As long as you don't bump it next time you're underneath the tank working on that plumbing. I'm with flowerseller on this one. Not enough lateral support for my comfort level. But then, you're (Chubakkah) a GC and the only thing I knew about construction before building my stand was how to build bunkers strong enough to withstand a SCUD missile impact -- so I wouldn't be surprised if my designs tended to be on the "overbuilt" side. As far as the CL: IMO the problem is probably not too little flow but not enough velocity and therefore currents. I don't think it is so much that you are experiencing significant head loss due to friction, it is more the fact that you are dividing it by 4 and especially the fact that your outlets are 1" wide. Even with 0 head loss, 300 gph through a 1" outlet isn't going to feel like much, and it isn't going to move much water very far from the outlet (so it isn't going to create lots of currents that bounce off of things and each other and give nice turbulent flow). My advice would be to reduce the size of those outlets and see what effect that has. Simple way to do this would to stick a 1" - 1/2" reducer bushing in the end of them. This will increase the pressure the pump has to push against and therefore reduce the flow, but the increase in velocity might give you more of the effect you are looking for. The best way to determine if your flow is adequate for your needs (whatever those may be) is to put something in your tank that will react to the flow like a piece of food or something. Also, do you have ball valves b/n those true unions and the bulkheads underneath the tank?

You could also just use super glue gel and skip the epoxy.

Zero reported nitrates doesn't mean zero nitrates, just that whatever is there gets used up so quickly that test kits can't detect it. I know my heavily stocked system produces a lot of nitrate - because if it didn't I wouldn't see so many air bubbles being released by my DSB (converting nitrate to Nitrogen gas) and my chaeto wouldn't grow so fast. But a test kit still shows 0. Many others achieve the same or better #s using the bare-bottom approach. Either methodology, properly employed and combined with good source water + frequent water changes + good skimmer + not over-feeding + time for your tank to mature, can get you to 0 nitrate.

Tree: Some semi-random thoughts on the issue. For me the key is diversity -- lots of different critters from various sources so that hopefully every niche is filled. I also try, when possible, to favor things that will reproduce on their own and reach stable populations in the tank. Ceriths, stomatella varia, mini-stars, spaghetti worms, bristle worms, fan worms, pods of all sorts, and other infauna of the DSB are all good examples of this. I would guess with your growing bristle star population you probably don't have a problem with detritus break down. I also like nassarius for quickly getting at any uneaten morsels -- plus they are just cool to watch. Sea cucumbers (the reef safe kind) do a very good job at cleaning the surface of the sand bed. Stay away from "sand-sifting" stars -- they prey on sand bed life. You are right to do a lot of research on snails before adding them to your tank, as a lot of them for sale in the hobby are really temperate species that don't last very long in our tanks. It is always a good idea to ask where they were collected from before buying them. In addition to ceriths and nassarius, I have a few trochus, and probably hundreds of nerite -- which I really like. I removed all hermit crabs from my system last year before doing an interceptor treatment for red bugs, and decided to keep them out after that to see what the effects would be. My snails appreciated the change. I recently added a few mithrax crabs to help with a bubble algae problem, knowing the risks. I may come to regret that decision later. One parting thought -- if you ever get to do any diving or snorkeling, or even just beach combing in or near a reef, take note of the density of clean-up crew critters you find if you look closely enough. They are literally everywhere.

What you have looks like something my tank had at about the 3-5 month mark - same time as I was having lots of problems with HA. It was fuzzy and really liked to bind to the sand. Very fast spreading but relatively easy to remove. Same solutions as above (everything you can do to get nutrients low) but also just keep pulling it out as much as you can. If it's the same stuff, it is ugly as heck and a real PITA, but it's not a tank killer. It will pass in time, and everything you did to achieve pristine water conditions in the meantime will pay dividends later, especially when it comes to SPS. P.S.: GFO = granular ferris oxide - a phosphate remover.

I don't think there is one. Don't bother with test kits for phosphate IMO, just continue to do everything that you know will maintain optimal water quality with low nitrate and phosphate and wait it out. This tank is not that old. Algae blooms like this are normal. It doesn't hurt to make sure your RO/DI is working as it should (a TDS meter is the only way to know), nor would it hurt to run some GFO if you aren't already. But probably your best weapon is the hardest to deploy . . . patience. You have a well designed system with very good equipment. Keep up with water changes and syphon as much of the cyano / red algae / whatever out when you do. It will pass in a month or so and be a distant memory. IME as well. Hold off on the chemical cure.

Thanks. There's a lot to be said for benign neglect I guess. There's also a lot to be said for having a dialed-in Ca reactor, auto top-off through a kalk reactor, and a system that makes it easy to do a 20 gal water change in 10 minutes, especially when weeks go by in which 10 minutes is all the time you have to spend on the tank. Still, water quality has definitely suffered, so I do have a bubble algae problem now. If I didn't have 3 tangs I'm pretty sure I'd have a HA problem too. For the most part the corals have done OK and continued to grow, although I think the colors could be better if my water was cleaner. It's the more time intensive things like changing water filters on the ro/di, more water changes, keeping the skimmer cleaned, etc. . . . that I have really had to let slide. But it could be a lot worse, and in the greater scheme of things, it is just a fish tank. My daughter really loves watching it though.

A few more shots - these were taken 3/1/08: FTS: Thought this was a cool angle - side view with reflection. Some others:

Only big objection I would have is to the pair of cleaner wrasses. From what I have read they are obligate cleaners - meaning it is hard to get them to eat anything else - and therefore it would be difficult to get them enough to eat in anything but a huge, heavily stocked tank. Then again, I believed what I read and never tried one myself, so I can't speak from experience. I do have a few of the other fish you are considering though. A small hippo will be fine for a couple / few years, but you will not want to get rid of it then after getting so attached to it. From how long it has taken to get this tank going, you'd better start working on the inevitable upgrade now. A yellow would be a better long term choice for a 75, but I understand. The only knock on flame angels are that some of them are polyp and clam nippers. Mine stays away from my clam and most of my sps, but seems to have a taste for pocilopora. Thanks to dbartco I have 2 pretty good sized pink poci's in my tank. The flame takes a nip of them fairly often, but it has enough else to eat that they aren't really sufferring to much for it. If I had gotten the fish when they were just small frags though, it would probably have been a different story. I love bi-color blennies, but I have had 2 that had a taste for sps, and could do a lot of damage. I love six lines and probably would not have a tank without them. Hardy, pretty, interesting, reef safe. Great fish. Longnose hawkfish are reported to eat ornamental shrimp. Especially if you are going to get a tang, I would recommend you get at least 2 (maybe 3) cleaner shrimp and skip the hawkfish. I would also recommend a couple/few neon gobies. IME they are great biological cleaners and very hardy. Tangs love 'em. One last thing -- I have had more success with a crocea clam than several attempts at maximas, but that could just be me.

I run it continuously. Believe it helps keep nuisance algae down and increase coral growth and color.

O.K. Yeah, . . . totally fine. Probably. If you are looking for data and calculations, you can probably make more sense out of something like this than I ever could: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrp/fplrp445.pdf I started trying to figure it out once, got a headache, then gave up and just went to home depot and bought more floor jacks.

It'll be perfectly safe as long as it remains on the second floor. It's when it falls through and lands on the first floor that you'll have problems. : Just kidding. Perpendicular to the joists and along a load bearing wall and you should be OK. From what I've read when problems do occur it is usually sagging, not catastrophic failure, so be sure you check the tank's level when you set it up and then periodically every so often thereafter. FWIW: I have a 150 running parallel to 2 joists above a crawl space. I supported the joists with 4 floor jacks on cinder blocks. It has held up fine after 18+ months but I am pretty sure the floor jacks are supporting some of the load. I have a remote sump so the total load on my floor is probably slightly less than you are talking about and with a slightly bigger footprint (5x2). Based on my experience, I would not put a tank that size parallel to the joists without being able to provide additional support. One last thing to consider has to do with stand construction and placement. Assuming your floor joists are 16" apart and your tank is 48" long, the length and placement of your stand could make a big difference in how well your tank is supported. For example, if your stand distributes the weight across 48" and you put each end 1/2 way between two joists, your tank would be evenly supported by 3 joists. But if your stand distributes the weight across 50-52" and you placed it so that each end rested right on top of a joist, it would be fully supported by 4 joists. [edit: my primitive diagrams didn't work, so you'll just have to picture it. ) If you've ever lifted a heavy object (like a tank) with three other guys and then had one of them let go, you have an idea of how much of a difference this can make.

I does sound like you are now on the right track - which is why you shouldn't have waited 9 months to post. A couple more thoughts: A check valve is not needed on the closed loop, because water will never move "backwards" in the system. What is needed are very good true unions and ball valves on each side of the CL (closed loop) pump. It should go like this: intake --> BV --> TU --> CL Pump --> TU --> BV -- > outlets to tank. Easiest way to do this is to get combination True Union Ball Valves. For this purpose. This will allow you to take the pump offline for service / replacement without having to drain all the water in your tank. I like to put another ball valve right after the bulkhead too, in case you ever decide to replumb things. IMO a check valve is not a reliable way to prevent an overflow to your sump when your return pump is turned off. Better is this: make sure at least one of your return outlets is near the surface of the water in the tank. That way when the power to the return pump is cut off and the return plumbing starts to back - siphon, it will only draw a little bit of water back into the sump before it starts to suck in air - thus stopping the siphon. You can also do this by drilling a little hole in the tubing just below where the water level will be (called a siphon break), but holes can clog. Another option instead of drilling more holes in the tank for your return (from sump) plumbing is just to route this over the back of the tank, switching to locline or something at the end. As for the pump question, you first have to figure out how much total flow you want in your tank and then how much flow do you want through your sump / filtration. There is a wide range of what will work -- anything in the 500 - 1200 gph range -- depending on what you are trying to accomplish and how you have it set up. I personally favor slower flow through the sum (5-7 x tank turnover) just because there are less noise and bubble issues that way and you still get plenty of filtration. Opinions on this will differ.

Was afraid of that. Could you tell us a little more about the type of standpipe this is? Is it a true durso (like this: http://www.dursostandpipes.com/ ; http://www.dursostandpipes.com/PopularModi...2/Default.aspx)? If so (or even if its more of a stockman style), there are a couple of ways to control the water level in the overflow. First, you could increase the flow from the return pump. This will raise the water level in the overflow until the drain flow increases to match the rate of the return pump. The reason the flow through the drain will increase is due to increased head pressure from the rising water level. A gate valve really helps to dial in the flow from the return if you go this route. The second method is by reducing the drain capacity of the standpipe itself. One way to do this is by changing the size of the air hole in the cap. No hole at all will create a siphon - a bad idea because it will result in a repeating flushing sound. The bigger the air hole --> the less of a siphon --> the slower the flow through the drain. Same principal as above: at some point the water level in the overflow will rise because the flow from the return slightly exceeds the flow through the drain, until the latter catches up due to increased water pressure, and then they will balance. The problem can then become that you get too much of a sucking sound through the air hole and/or too much noise from the air and water mixing at that point. This is when the tubing idea can really help. The other way to control the flow through the drain is with a gate valve on the drain + a secondary unrestricted drain above the water level in the overflow to serve as a back-up ("Herbie" method: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=344892). For most "reef ready" tanks, this will only work if you use both bulkheads in the overflow chamber for this purpose and then route the return over the back rim of the tank. HTH

If I understand it correctly, you have a 1250 gph pump sitting in the sump which feeds 4 x 1" bulkheads at the front bottom of the tank (the returns). Then you have 2 x 1" bulkheads at the top which are connected to tubing/piping which empties into your sump (the drains). If so, this is not a closed loop. A closed loop would have the drains connected directly to the intake of the pump, which usually sits outside of the sump. A closed loop system has no effect on the water level in your tank whether it is off, on, or anywhere in between, no matter how powerful the pump is. This is because all of the water remains in the loop no matter what. Before I get to your question, I see another potentially huge problem. How do you keep all of the water in your tank from draining through those 4 bulkheads when your return pump is off? A check valve? A 1" bulkhead should normally handle 600 gph of water (although this can be pushed by turning it into a syphon - doesn't sound applicable here). Since your 1250 gph pump is likely putting out considerably less than that due to head loss, in theory your system should not be overflowing unless the drain lines are restricted somehow. Are you sure you have 1" bulkheads, and not just 1" holes in the side of the tank? What are you using for tubing?

That's interesting. Have you notice increased aggressiveness with the temp change? I am not so sure it would be a good idea to pull the fish and put it in a 10g. The stress of capture combined with drastically changed environment combined with much too small quarters just might prove to be too much for it. If you thought one of the other tangs was a source of stress for the yellow, maybe you could remove that one for a while, but from what you've described that doesn't seem to be the case. Therefore if I were you I would just keep trying different stuff until you can get it to eat something. This may mean overfeeding, in which case you will need to step up the water change schedule. It is also possible that the fish has just lost the will to eat. Sometimes there just isn't anything you can do about it. I know it isn't pleasant to watch, and I hope that isn't the case. Maybe the temp change just threw it into a temporary funk?

1. You should add the T and don't fully submerge the exit pipe. 2. The taper is important. It is what makes the venturi work. 3. The amount of flow through is important, but I have no idea what is recommended for a G-6. Experimentation might be a good idea here. 4. No idea. Sorry. 5. IMO the improvement in performance of the mesh vs needle wheel is worth it even if if does mean you have to replace the impeller more often, or the whole pump for that matter.

Personally I would not put superglue on it. That looks like an awful lot like an ORA tricolor valida to me. If so IME it does need a little longer than that to acclimate to new conditions. I wouldn't move it just yet though. I think you are on the right track with the eggcrate. For acclimating a single coral without affecting the amount of light in the rest of the tank too much, I like to put a 6-8" strip of eggcrate across the tank from front to back and then place 3 or 4 squares (6"x6") of gutter guard on top of each other directly between the coral and the light to provide some shade. You might need to put another small piece of eggcrate on top of the gutter guard to keep it from curling up due to the heat from the lights. Assuming the coral is doing OK, you can then just remove 1 square per week and then the eggcrate. It this doesn't work then I would consider moving the coral lower.