Input on equipment ... - Page 2

**Damon** · 10-03-2006, 08:31 AM

Orbit fixtures are better quality. They come in larger sizes with more moonlights and fans.

gdwb10101 · 10-03-2006, 08:36 PM

I use my biowheel filter only for mechanical filtration. Not even necessary. Most of the time I dont even have the pads in to collect the dirt, only when im cleaning up. Just have it as a really expensive powerhead. But i plan on transforming it into a HOT refugium and buying another power filter so i can have more fuge. Also I have the prizm protein skimmer (DO NOT GET THIS) for free so im upgrading to the coralife needle wheel or aqua-c remora

I know you will probably read this in other posts, but please consider buying metal halides. It will save you alot of money in the long run if you plan of upgrading your reef to include hard corals and clams.

Like Reefneck said, try to get a drilled tank, mine isnt drilled and I can't stand not having a sump for a fuge. Personally, I would love to have a 40g+ refugium under my 55. I think that fuges are better than wet/dry filter systems when dealing with reef aquariums.

I use a DSB, deep sand bed, I think it works great, but you should get a general consensus from other reefers about that. Don't get a canister filter, its a waste of money. Try to buy most of your live rock at one time, because its easier to move around. Guess thats it for now

**Damon** · 10-04-2006, 09:01 AM

bump. This is one of the best threads I've read in a long time. DOnt wanna lose it

Ice · 10-04-2006, 01:12 PM

Well - ya got me to thank !

Now I have a good question for all :
Since I have now decided on going with the orbit fixture (probably the 30 inch or 36 inch if tank allows it), what type of coral would I be able to put in the tank ? Will the orbit be able to be sufficient for soft poylp corals, mushrooms, and others ? I'm looking to add a starter coral pack such as these : http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_...cfm?pCatId=714

OR these : http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_...fm?pCatId=2033

Or even these : http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_...fm?pCatId=2319

When can I add these ? Before I add the fish or anytime after ? I know it's usually best to wait awhile before jumping into adding them to the tank.

**Damon** · 10-04-2006, 01:29 PM

Coral selection will depend on tank size but you should be able to keep softies, most lps and a few sps depending......... I could be wrong though.

harif87 · 10-04-2006, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdwb10101

Like Reefneck said, try to get a drilled tank, mine isnt drilled and I can't stand not having a sump for a fuge. Personally, I would love to have a 40g+ refugium under my 55. I think that fuges are better than wet/dry filter systems when dealing with reef aquariums.

You dont need a drilled tank to have a fuge. If your tank isnt drilled all you you need to buy is an overflow box. It just hangs over the side of your tank and lets water overflow into the box and then down into the sump. Fuges are a great way to keep nitrates down.

Ice · 10-04-2006, 01:33 PM

Well, I was just in ebay and found a nice complete 30 gallon tank w/ hood & stand. I already made the bid and the best part of it all : it's located in Syracuse and they will deliver to Utica & Rochester area if I win it !

**Fishfirst** · 10-04-2006, 02:06 PM

Yes to the first two links... a No for the last link you gave. Acros need intense lighting and around 15-20X turn over. Montipora however might do okay, probably won't grow like a weed like they do in metal halide situations but won't die either.

Ice · 10-05-2006, 08:16 AM

Just to let you know the specs on the tank on ebay I found and bidded on. It's a 30 gallon Long (36L x 12W x 17H) and come with a granite grey stand. Looks nice but willhave to wait and see what happens. I got to thinking, the long version seems like not alot of room to play with width wise. Heck even if I won the bid, I can always re-sell it locally for double the price if I don't like it.

gdwb10101 · 10-05-2006, 01:32 PM

about the drilled tanks, you don't need them, but its much better if you have them, because you don't have to worry about an overflow.

Ice · 10-06-2006, 08:27 AM

I just wanted to double-check & triple-check on something to be safe. I was reading The Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium by Nick Dakin last night. In the Setting up the Aquarium chapter, he talked about setting up an intake line on one side of the tank and a water return line on the opposite side (both are hooked to an external filter - canister?) he also mentioned installing a Fluidized sand bed filter as well. Not sure what that is or necessary. Anyways, it did show it was a live rock with live sand tank set-up.
I guess what I want to know is how do you mature the tank (before adding the fish/inverts) for a few days to bring the reading of ammonia & nitrite level to zero with just a protein skimmer, heater, & powerheads ? I realize the live rock is the biological filtration system but how can the skimmer take the waste out if there is no fish in it yet ? I know I may sound like a broken record or beating it a dead horse about this, but are you sure I don't need an external filter ? What about a Fluidized sand bed filter ?
When maturing the tank with live rock / live sand, do you recommend to run the lights on a timer as you would before any livestock are added ?

**Fishfirst** · 10-06-2006, 10:37 AM

lol, its okay to be confused... we enjoy it... jk

Seriously though... when you get liverock, it almost always has some die off... creating an ammonia source for that bacteria that lives within it to feed off of. And the sponges/corals/invertibretes you get hitch hiking on the rock also go through metabolic processes, creating more waste. Which also feeds your bacteria. Once ammonia and nitrites are at zero for a few days... then you can add your clean up crew...

The fluidized bed is unnecessary as well as an external filter... this is where the salties differ from the freshies, and its important that you understand that nitrates are the enemy in marine systems (which the fluidized bed and external filter will make)

BTW have you ever considered a quarentine tank?

Ice · 10-06-2006, 11:03 AM

Aw, hell yeah - I have considered setting up a quarantine tank !

Thank you for finally clearing that up for me. Now I totally understand why the external filter & fluidized sand bed filter is not needed. All I need to do is mature the tank with the live rock & live sand before actually buying any livestock for a few days using only the heaters, skimmers, & powerheads; correct ? The ammonia & nitirites level has to read zero for 3 - 4 consecutives days, right ?

**Damon** · 10-06-2006, 12:15 PM

Tank maturation will depend on several things.......
1. Quality of liverock. Purchasing dead rock or rock in poor shape (dont skimp on shipping) will lead to more dieoff and more time for the tank to mature.

2. Substrate. DSB provide more biological filtration but have down sides to them as well. Bare bottom offer nothing in the way of filtration. A lot of food for your fish and other critters will live in the sand bed also (coepopods).

3. Skimmer. A good quality skimmer will remove the excess nasties before they can break down in the tank.

I went cheap on my liverock and most of it was base. Took a month before I felt secure to add a cleanup crew. Purchasing all premium rock will shorten this time considerably but cost a lot more.

Ice · 10-06-2006, 01:28 PM

Been thinking about getting premium Fiji live rock myelf. I am well aware with the live rock having to be cured first before adding to tank. See my topic link on live rock for more. As far as sand goes - I'm going with the Arag-Alive.

Although what grade should I get is another question I need to ask. Which grade is better ?

**Fishfirst** · 10-06-2006, 02:01 PM

a mixture seems to be the best route as far as sand sizes... some smaller stuff some coarser stuff.

CollegeReefer · 10-06-2006, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ice

Been thinking about getting premium Fiji live rock myelf. I am well aware with the live rock having to be cured first before adding to tank.

Actually the best thing you can do with uncured rock is place it in your tank right away and let it cure in your tank.

Reefneck · 10-06-2006, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CollegeReefer

Actually the best thing you can do with uncured rock is place it in your tank right away and let it cure in your tank.

As long as nothing is IN the tank. Otherwise you'll kill everything.

**Fishfirst** · 10-06-2006, 03:07 PM

lol I think thats what CR was going for

CollegeReefer · 10-07-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishfirst

lol I think thats what CR was going for

Yeah, knowing that ice is just planning his tank i knew he woudln't have any livestock in his tank yet. Good point thogh Reeneck.

10-03-2006, 08:31 AM	#21
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	Orbit fixtures are better quality. They come in larger sizes with more moonlights and fans. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

10-03-2006, 08:36 PM	#22
gdwb10101 Newblit Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Miami Age: 19 Posts: 251	I use my biowheel filter only for mechanical filtration. Not even necessary. Most of the time I dont even have the pads in to collect the dirt, only when im cleaning up. Just have it as a really expensive powerhead. But i plan on transforming it into a HOT refugium and buying another power filter so i can have more fuge. Also I have the prizm protein skimmer (DO NOT GET THIS) for free so im upgrading to the coralife needle wheel or aqua-c remora I know you will probably read this in other posts, but please consider buying metal halides. It will save you alot of money in the long run if you plan of upgrading your reef to include hard corals and clams. Like Reefneck said, try to get a drilled tank, mine isnt drilled and I can't stand not having a sump for a fuge. Personally, I would love to have a 40g+ refugium under my 55. I think that fuges are better than wet/dry filter systems when dealing with reef aquariums. I use a DSB, deep sand bed, I think it works great, but you should get a general consensus from other reefers about that. Don't get a canister filter, its a waste of money. Try to buy most of your live rock at one time, because its easier to move around. Guess thats it for now __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-2X8l49uQ

10-04-2006, 09:01 AM	#23
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	bump. This is one of the best threads I've read in a long time. DOnt wanna lose it __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

10-04-2006, 01:29 PM	#25
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	Coral selection will depend on tank size but you should be able to keep softies, most lps and a few sps depending......... I could be wrong though. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

10-04-2006, 02:06 PM	#28
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,506	Yes to the first two links... a No for the last link you gave. Acros need intense lighting and around 15-20X turn over. Montipora however might do okay, probably won't grow like a weed like they do in metal halide situations but won't die either. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

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10-04-2006, 01:12 PM	#24
Ice Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Age: 43 Posts: 523	Well - ya got me to thank ! Now I have a good question for all : Since I have now decided on going with the orbit fixture (probably the 30 inch or 36 inch if tank allows it), what type of coral would I be able to put in the tank ? Will the orbit be able to be sufficient for soft poylp corals, mushrooms, and others ? I'm looking to add a starter coral pack such as these : http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_...cfm?pCatId=714 OR these : http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_...fm?pCatId=2033 Or even these : http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_...fm?pCatId=2319 When can I add these ? Before I add the fish or anytime after ? I know it's usually best to wait awhile before jumping into adding them to the tank.

10-04-2006, 01:33 PM	#27
Ice Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Age: 43 Posts: 523	Well, I was just in ebay and found a nice complete 30 gallon tank w/ hood & stand. I already made the bid and the best part of it all : it's located in Syracuse and they will deliver to Utica & Rochester area if I win it !

10-05-2006, 08:16 AM	#29
Ice Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Age: 43 Posts: 523	Just to let you know the specs on the tank on ebay I found and bidded on. It's a 30 gallon Long (36L x 12W x 17H) and come with a granite grey stand. Looks nice but willhave to wait and see what happens. I got to thinking, the long version seems like not alot of room to play with width wise. Heck even if I won the bid, I can always re-sell it locally for double the price if I don't like it.

10-05-2006, 01:32 PM	#30
gdwb10101 Newblit Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Miami Age: 19 Posts: 251	about the drilled tanks, you don't need them, but its much better if you have them, because you don't have to worry about an overflow. __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-2X8l49uQ

10-06-2006, 08:27 AM	#31
Ice Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Age: 43 Posts: 523	I just wanted to double-check & triple-check on something to be safe. I was reading The Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium by Nick Dakin last night. In the Setting up the Aquarium chapter, he talked about setting up an intake line on one side of the tank and a water return line on the opposite side (both are hooked to an external filter - canister?) he also mentioned installing a Fluidized sand bed filter as well. Not sure what that is or necessary. Anyways, it did show it was a live rock with live sand tank set-up. I guess what I want to know is how do you mature the tank (before adding the fish/inverts) for a few days to bring the reading of ammonia & nitrite level to zero with just a protein skimmer, heater, & powerheads ? I realize the live rock is the biological filtration system but how can the skimmer take the waste out if there is no fish in it yet ? I know I may sound like a broken record or beating it a dead horse about this, but are you sure I don't need an external filter ? What about a Fluidized sand bed filter ? When maturing the tank with live rock / live sand, do you recommend to run the lights on a timer as you would before any livestock are added ?

10-06-2006, 10:37 AM	#32
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,506	lol, its okay to be confused... we enjoy it... jk Seriously though... when you get liverock, it almost always has some die off... creating an ammonia source for that bacteria that lives within it to feed off of. And the sponges/corals/invertibretes you get hitch hiking on the rock also go through metabolic processes, creating more waste. Which also feeds your bacteria. Once ammonia and nitrites are at zero for a few days... then you can add your clean up crew... The fluidized bed is unnecessary as well as an external filter... this is where the salties differ from the freshies, and its important that you understand that nitrates are the enemy in marine systems (which the fluidized bed and external filter will make) BTW have you ever considered a quarentine tank? __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

10-06-2006, 11:03 AM	#33
Ice Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Age: 43 Posts: 523	Aw, hell yeah - I have considered setting up a quarantine tank ! Thank you for finally clearing that up for me. Now I totally understand why the external filter & fluidized sand bed filter is not needed. All I need to do is mature the tank with the live rock & live sand before actually buying any livestock for a few days using only the heaters, skimmers, & powerheads; correct ? The ammonia & nitirites level has to read zero for 3 - 4 consecutives days, right ?

10-06-2006, 12:15 PM	#34
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	Tank maturation will depend on several things....... 1. Quality of liverock. Purchasing dead rock or rock in poor shape (dont skimp on shipping) will lead to more dieoff and more time for the tank to mature. 2. Substrate. DSB provide more biological filtration but have down sides to them as well. Bare bottom offer nothing in the way of filtration. A lot of food for your fish and other critters will live in the sand bed also (coepopods). 3. Skimmer. A good quality skimmer will remove the excess nasties before they can break down in the tank. I went cheap on my liverock and most of it was base. Took a month before I felt secure to add a cleanup crew. Purchasing all premium rock will shorten this time considerably but cost a lot more. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

10-06-2006, 01:28 PM	#35
Ice Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Age: 43 Posts: 523	Been thinking about getting premium Fiji live rock myelf. I am well aware with the live rock having to be cured first before adding to tank. See my topic link on live rock for more. As far as sand goes - I'm going with the Arag-Alive. Although what grade should I get is another question I need to ask. Which grade is better ?

10-06-2006, 02:01 PM	#36
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,506	a mixture seems to be the best route as far as sand sizes... some smaller stuff some coarser stuff. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

10-06-2006, 03:07 PM	#39
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,506	lol I think thats what CR was going for __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

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