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Here's my hints list for newbies


Aquariareview

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If kept clean and free from sand it shouldn't scratch the glass but I don't think I would use the steel wool either. That was written years ago and now there are better products like the magnet cleaners with razor blades attached them.

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That steal wool won't do any damage to the inside of my glass tank, while in between my magnets?

 

 

I'm not really clear on what magnets that would go between. 0000 steel wool is pretty fine, but I don't think I'd do it unless I was having problems with something.

 

He's talking about Scotch Brite Pads. They're usually green and you find them in the cleaning section of the grocery store.

http://www.scotch-brite.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotch-BriteBrand/Scotch-Brite/Products/Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U52300V2E0I02BK7KM0GT3_nid=B788N8K547gs7XLWLFJB1BglG9LRBCNNDCbl&prodID=B788N8K547gs&lang=en_US

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He's talking about Scotch Brite Pads. They're usually green and you find them in the cleaning section of the grocery store.

http://www.scotch-br...47gs&lang=en_US

 

Those are a different type of fiber, not steel wool. Either way, I'm not sure what magnet to put them between, unless it's on the algae scrubber magnet. I've had pretty good luck with the algae scrubbers and haven't really needed to supplement or replace the scrubbing action with something else. For the Coralline and spot algae, I just get out the scraper go with that every month or so.

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I would not use the green pads myself as that green stuff tends to come off of the ones I've used. I wouldn't want that floating around in my tank.

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I'm not really clear on what magnets that would go between. 0000 steel wool is pretty fine, but I don't think I'd do it unless I was having problems with something.

 

I think steel wool is supposed to help clean off corraline algae. However, this:

 

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/glass-cleaners/easy-blade-algae-scrapers-black.html

 

is very effective and IMHO another priceless hint for the newby to add to this great thread.

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  • 7 months later...

I didn't understand this hint:

 

Pile up small pieces of rubble / shells / etc in a corner of your tank and just watch the pods multiply. It becomes an in-tank refugium. You may have to rebuild it every-so-often but I setup my pile 2 weeks ago and have TONS of pods of different types as well as worms crawling all around it.

 

Can someone please elaborate? TIA

Edited by Rosco's Reefs
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I didn't understand this hint:

 

Pile up small pieces of rubble / shells / etc in a corner of your tank and just watch the pods multiply. It becomes an in-tank refugium. You may have to rebuild it every-so-often but I setup my pile 2 weeks ago and have TONS of pods of different types as well as worms crawling all around it.

 

Can someone please elaborate? TIA

 

 

The idea is that the rubble, or small peices of live rock create areas that your fish cant get to. So that means a safe place for pods, reefpods, copepods, in otherwords little marine bugs that live and grow nearly everywhere in the tank. Many marine organisms live with their entire diet being pods. Some wrasses, Dragonets and other fish only eat them. Meaning that they can decimate the population of the "pods" in a small tank, and sometimes even a big one. So having a safe place for the "pods" to reproduce and maintain the population levels keeps these fish alive. It is the most simple way to suppliment levels in an aquarium. I had a tank crash a couple months ago, and I purchased 6.5 lbs of live rock rubble. The little pods and small inverts that "hitch-hiked" on the rubble restarted the populations in my tank and boosted them. It only took a month for me to go from not being able to find any pods in my 75 gallon tank, to seeing them EVERYWHERE.

 

So basically your making it so that there is a place that your fish cant eat the pods("bugs") and making sure that the fish cant drop the poplation so much that it causes problems. Since the pods moev about alot some of them will at any given time venture out of the safety and be available for food. Its a natural way to provide relatively healthy supplimental food source that nearly any fish can enjoy. Ive seen my six line wrasse go nuts for them(a given since that is its favorite food), my royal gramma will pick them off when it sees them and seems to enjoy it, the engineer goby at its 7" length still enjoys the tiny treats. Even inverts will take an opertunity to feed on them.

 

Here are a couple links that describe pods in more detail than I have

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copepods

 

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/pestscopepods/a/aa061200.htm

 

I hope this helps

Edited by LanglandJoshua
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I clean glass for a living and the wool he said #0000 will never scratch your glass what so ever... but as for the metal eventually rusting in the tank i dont know... id put it there for cleaning then remove it great idea didnt even think of that

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The suggestion to create a pile of rubble (I used some nice shells that I boiled before hand) to encourage pod growth is working for me.

 

Jeff

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  • 1 year later...

Great Post! Thanks... I just got my 125g Tank/ 45G Sump this past Thursday.... I have a question about the pods you guys are talking about. I am getting Marco Rock and sand delivered tomorrow. (Great guys btw!) I don't believe either are "live". I bought a bottle of bacteria at Congressional to start cycling the tank. (Now don't laugh at me)! Will pods come from that or do I have to buy them?

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Great Post! Thanks... I just got my 125g Tank/ 45G Sump this past Thursday.... I have a question about the pods you guys are talking about. I am getting Marco Rock and sand delivered tomorrow. (Great guys btw!) I don't believe either are "live". I bought a bottle of bacteria at Congressional to start cycling the tank. (Now don't laugh at me)! Will pods come from that or do I have to buy them?

The bacteria will be good for your cycle, but won't include/produce pods. For those you'll either have to get some live rock/live sand that has them or buy the bottled version. The rubble pile is a good idea, one that I'll have to implement myself in the near future. Good luck and happy reefing!

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  • 1 year later...
(edited)

I fit great in the "newbies" catagory, these tips may seem obvious to more experienced people, but for people like me, there great help!

thanks Nathan!

Not at all Jake,

Some of Nathans tip I didnt even think of. For example, putting the hose infront of the powerhead.... I normally just place my hoe in the middle................

Anyways, this is a great general knowledge and if you need help or have questions feel free to ask.

Kris

Edited by kjamaya
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Agreed! Never saw this thread. Great info!

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  • 7 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Nathan,

 

Heck of a post guy!!!! You need an ice cold beer for this one!

 

Ummm. While the post is good, it's from 2004. 

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  • 5 months later...

#1 on the list: get a turkey baster.

 

I usually use one to start siphons, but because I keep forgetting to get a replacement, the last few water changes left me with a salty taste of tank water... I'm glad I'm not a sea creature.

 

Turkey basters can last an amazing long time for such inexpensive kitchen gadgets. I used the same one for about 8 years before the bulb finally split!

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  • 11 months later...
  • 3 years later...

wow I haven't seen this one. Seems like some stuff are a bit outdated. Some I would NEVER do (i.e. getting crud from the LFS .... I would rather get something from a hobbyist I trust). 

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