MY 40gl plan!!

[toastiireefs]

??

[lanman]

umm ok i got skimmer- should i clean it out more regularly?

 

i currently have no fishies.. just a mantis- i want out (its growing..) and a purple gorgonia who has been struggling and has not opened in a while...

and a bunch of occulina and claddacora (either or?) that was on the rock

i have RO/DI water from Endless waters. they just havent delievered my lasst 5gls or so..

and i didnt understand that last statedment with the ferris oxide (or iron oxide sry i was happy i knew what it was)

so what do u do? and what should i buy? the GFO? and place small amounts in my tank?

im going to scales in about an hour.. i dont want to have to make another trip to the fish store before school starts

He is talking about 'phosban' or 'phosphate remover' - there are many different brands, but they are the same. Options are to put a 'bag' of it in a place where you have good water flow (where your water comes into the sump, for example), or get a phosphate reactor; it's basically a tube and a pump - the pump moves water through the tube (which has the phosphate remover in it), and back out into your sump.

 

NOT something you need to worry about immediately. If you have satisfactory skimming, and satisfactory water movement - and the rest of your parameters are close, eventually your phosphates will probably drop. Remember - nothing GOOD happens fast in your saltwater reef system. Take it slow and easy; use a gentle hand.

 

bob

[toastiireefs]

thank you!

i got some phosguard and a media bag- in case

i got egg crate to block my intake so no future fishies can get out

[Rascal]

GFO = rowaphos, puraphos, phosban, etc. . .

The other type of media for removing phosphates is aluminum based and is not as effective plus it will leach phosphates back into the system once exhausted.

 

Bob (lanman) is probably right that this isn't something you have to worry about right now. On the other hand, based on my experience if I had it to do over again I would do everything I could to stop that hair algae in its tracks before it really takes hold. If you have a good skimmer, don't overfeed, and perform regular water changes with good source water, but the hair algae is still spreading, running some GFO in a reactor is something you might want to consider.

[lanman]

GFO = rowaphos, puraphos, phosban, etc. . .

The other type of media for removing phosphates is aluminum based and is not as effective plus it will leach phosphates back into the system once exhausted.

 

Bob (lanman) is probably right that this isn't something you have to worry about right now. On the other hand, based on my experience if I had it to do over again I would do everything I could to stop that hair algae in its tracks before it really takes hold. If you have a good skimmer, don't overfeed, and perform regular water changes with good source water, but the hair algae is still spreading, running some GFO in a reactor is something you might want to consider.

 

Absolutely - in my 45-gallon tank, I had some kind of brownish-green hair algae that would NOT quit. I did end up putting a bag of phos remover in the sump. It helped, but cutting back on the lights made the most noticeable difference in the short term. Since I've moved to the 58-gallon tank, and a much better and bigger skimmer; I don't have an algae problem at all. Macro OR micro.

 

bob

[toastiireefs]

Absolutely - in my 45-gallon tank, I had some kind of brownish-green hair algae that would NOT quit. I did end up putting a bag of phos remover in the sump. It helped, but cutting back on the lights made the most noticeable difference in the short term. Since I've moved to the 58-gallon tank, and a much better and bigger skimmer; I don't have an algae problem at all. Macro OR micro.

 

bob

 

 

hmm can i put the media bag in the big empty part of the skimmer- or is that a really stupid idea

[lanman]

hmm can i put the media bag in the big empty part of the skimmer- or is that a really stupid idea

I think not... don't want to mess with skimmers; that might make it skim wet or something.

 

Just hang it (only fill it up halfway or less) where your return falls into the sump, or something like that. Somewhere there is moving water. We're still waiting for pictures

 

bob

[toastiireefs]

i really wanted to take a lot of pictures as the process continued but- my camera sucks- and the picture sucks-

 

so does someone want to come here with a camera remove my mantis shrimp and take pics for me

[toastiireefs]

here are some pics\

 

but for some reason they arent uploading

 

h/o

[toastiireefs]

lets try again

 

that was before algea took over and

now.. i have a LOT of calerpa! which looks soo nicee-

 

the corals arent doing amazing.. not positive why- (they were find for a while... prolly a cycle occured)

 

my emerald i see munching happily away

Edited August 28, 2007 by toastiireefs

[bigJPDC]

pretty cool tostii - I have a life-sized mj1200 on my screen! Nice surface agitation, should be awesome.

 

How about pushing the rocks off the the sides and making a trench?

[toastiireefs]

hmm (yea sry that picture really sux it was the only one that would load)

 

i tried to scape it so there is like a little ground circle in the middle- there are lots of caves everywhere around the scape- there is a garden- (hairalgea) and a lagoon

there is an "apartment building" (where the mantis currently takes residency), a cliff and other cool areas-

 

im also really scared of moving the rocks around i dont want to hurt anything

[lanman]

hmm (yea sry that picture really sux it was the only one that would load)

 

i tried to scape it so there is like a little ground circle in the middle- there are lots of caves everywhere around the scape- there is a garden- (hairalgea) and a lagoon

there is an "apartment building" (where the mantis currently takes residency), a cliff and other cool areas-

 

im also really scared of moving the rocks around i dont want to hurt anything

You can put a nice 'garden' in the open spot; maybe some brain coral, blastomussa, chalice, other bottom-lovers.

 

bob

[toastiireefs]

You can put a nice 'garden' in the open spot; maybe some brain coral, blastomussa, chalice, other bottom-lovers.

 

bob

 

are those ok under HOT-5?

[lanman]

are those ok under HOT-5?

I reckon... they all do great in my 58 - under my 6x39 T5 fixture.

 

bob

[toastiireefs]

I reckon... they all do great in my 58 - under my 6x39 T5 fixture.

 

bob

 

nice ok i didnt know that!!

 

what do ppl think of a beaded anemone- or LTA, or a small sebae

[toastiireefs]

hmm-

 

so i think i might buy a fish soon...

im soo nervous buying a fish

 

i think some of my hair algea problems is also cuz (the side with the hair algea) is near a window and i think thats also the reason for the amazing calerpa growth.. hmm

but im gonna put a bit of phosguard in my sump just untill it gets under control.

 

i rearragned my rocks- so its looks less like a "pile of rocks" and more caveish

and cool

 

but how do you keep the rocks from falling down if a fish were to swim heavily near it?? or hit it or something.. or an anemone walking around

 

how do they stay put- even if they dont move in the position they are in how can you guarentee that they wont fall later

[treesprite]

an avalance killed my cleaner shrimp. One thing also with the rock, animals move around the substrate and it can cause the rocks to collapse from underneath rather than the rocks simply falling, so make sure they are secure in that was as well

[toastiireefs]

all the rocks are secure on the bottom.. however if they were to move the rock on the bottom that would move a rock on top that wouldnt be good...

 

but how do u keep them together or secure? can you use epoxy or something? but wouldnt that include taking the rock out of the water?

[lanman]

all the rocks are secure on the bottom.. however if they were to move the rock on the bottom that would move a rock on top that wouldnt be good...

 

but how do u keep them together or secure? can you use epoxy or something? but wouldnt that include taking the rock out of the water?

 

People do everything from drill holes and put in plastic dowel rods, to super-glue, to epoxy. Main thing is to make sure everything is relatively stable. Barring an earthquake, most fish aren't going to hit a rock hard enough to tumble it. Of course, if you get some really really big fish, I guess that's a possibility. Also - be sure the rocks on the bottom are IN the substrate, rather than sitting on top of it - just in case you ever get a 'burrowing' fish or animal.

 

bob

[toastiireefs]

People do everything from drill holes and put in plastic dowel rods, to super-glue, to epoxy. Main thing is to make sure everything is relatively stable. Barring an earthquake, most fish aren't going to hit a rock hard enough to tumble it. Of course, if you get some really really big fish, I guess that's a possibility. Also - be sure the rocks on the bottom are IN the substrate, rather than sitting on top of it - just in case you ever get a 'burrowing' fish or animal.

 

bob

some are slightly lin the substrate.. so can i use epoxy inside the water like without taking the rock out? is that possible? or am i talking crazy

 

 

AH my nitrates are like SUPER high

 

its prolly from all that detris that built up in in the pre filter for the pump.. should clean that out more often

[lanman]

some are slightly lin the substrate.. so can i use epoxy inside the water like without taking the rock out? is that possible? or am i talking crazy

AH my nitrates are like SUPER high

 

its prolly from all that detris that built up in in the pre filter for the pump.. should clean that out more often

 

There are two-part 'clay-like' reef epoxies that won't set up for a while, even underwater. Put a ball of it between a couple of rocks, squish it down so it's pushed into crevices in both rocks, and it should help a lot. It won't actually 'glue' it - but it's like putting mortar in there. I'm sure there are a lot of ways. Surprised people haven't responded. One rock I bought had some kind of a 'rubbery' cement on one side of it, from aquascaping - but I don't know what it was. It's still on the rock, because it was stuck very well; I couldn't get it loose.

 

bob

[treesprite]

the problem with connecting them though, is that if something happens that you need to get something out or off of a rock, you would have to deal with the whole thing (for example, a mantis hding in a rock....)

[toastiireefs]

the problem with connecting them though, is that if something happens that you need to get something out or off of a rock, you would have to deal with the whole thing (for example, a mantis hding in a rock....)

 

 

thank you both!

 

yea i thats the bad side of the rock glueing..

 

but i think the mantis died.... i havent seen it in a while and it isnt covering its hole for a couple days... it could have moved.. but idk.. there hasnt been any type of spike... except from the nitrates.

 

yea but i think i might pick up some epoxy reef stuff... cuz my rocks are really loose... they are staying where they are with normal flow and everything.. but if i were to have something knock into it it will fall

[toastiireefs]

hmm so i added a bit of phosguard (by seachem) (supposed to be a PO4 and sillicate control... but) my hair algae hasnt changed- my calerpa is fading and cyno is reappearing...

 

hmm i didnt add the whole dosage of it to let the life get used to it i washed it off - i thought pretty well...

should i add more?

 

my emerald crab is chompiing away- i might get more of them they are kinda cute