new tank
- Thread starter raymond2688
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Usually a reef tank does not contain plants as in the ocean plants don't actually grow on the reefs, coral does though and some may look like plants but are actually animals. There are some plants such as shaving brush and some grasses that are grown in saltwater but these are usually in tanks that have low flow and are set up for seahorses etc.
There are some types of macro algae that resemble plants such as halimeda and caulerpa but these can easily get out of control when grown in the main display and most people will put them in their refugium and use them as nutrient scrubbers as they will utilize some of the excess nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates.
There are some types of macro algae that resemble plants such as halimeda and caulerpa but these can easily get out of control when grown in the main display and most people will put them in their refugium and use them as nutrient scrubbers as they will utilize some of the excess nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates.
i tough you ditched the Filstar.. anyways, you cleaner crew? No need right now 'cause they're gonna die intoxicated from the cycling. When your nitrates are lower at the end of the cycle (like less than 15) you can try to put some snails in it (nassarius, bumble bees) and they'll help to clean the rocks and glass from algae. Hermits are scavengers and wouldn't last long in a brand new tank IMO.
Yeah that's the sad part of reefkeeping : The plants choices are limited.
I used caulerpa prolifera in the past
and although it was cute, my corals were a little bit irritated. Also once in, it's pretty much in forever unless you have a super veggie fish. It literally gets IN the rock, the roots are very strong. Halimeda is a better choice, but mine didn't last long 'cause i had a crazy junkie tang..also doesn't grow super fast.
2 bad you don't have a sump/fuge, you could try some plants to reduce pollution.
If you plan to get one eventually, keep in mind this one : Chaetomorpha
You only need a little, and it grows super fast, it's the best i've tested and it doesn't get in the rock structure. It's useful, not pretty..anyways it looks like clown's hair punk-colored
Yeah that's the sad part of reefkeeping : The plants choices are limited.
I used caulerpa prolifera in the past
and although it was cute, my corals were a little bit irritated. Also once in, it's pretty much in forever unless you have a super veggie fish. It literally gets IN the rock, the roots are very strong. Halimeda is a better choice, but mine didn't last long 'cause i had a crazy junkie tang..also doesn't grow super fast.
2 bad you don't have a sump/fuge, you could try some plants to reduce pollution.
If you plan to get one eventually, keep in mind this one : Chaetomorpha
You only need a little, and it grows super fast, it's the best i've tested and it doesn't get in the rock structure. It's useful, not pretty..anyways it looks like clown's hair punk-colored
Personally I find nothing wrong with a SeaClone Skimmer. I have a SeaClone 100 on my 75 gallon system and it does a great job. It's all personal preferece and how much money you want to pay. The more you spend doesn't always mean the better it works. I know someone who has an AquaC product and I was not too impressed with it.
well therefore zillions of bad reviews (on real reef fan sites!, not an online store) on the seaclone must be wrong. Not just a personal preference, a skimming difference! I switched to a ss3004 ( which is like 40$ more than the seaclone ) and got 5 times the skimming. Seaclone = cheap materials, may leak, tweak ring joints, bad design for a little maxi-jet, small cup, air intake clog. Use a DIY water bottle and stone skimmer, and you'll be more impressed. He's better off with the SWC skimmer, it's not even comparable. Also for a tank that big...seaclone 100 (yeah right handles 100 G..lol with no livestock) BTW 399$ for a skimmer isn't a huuuge price, and a Deltec like this would cost 600. Skimming and lighting = too important to be neglected. It's an expensive hobby, we all know that. I am a big fan of DIY, i like to save money when i can do it myself...but in this case, hi-grade acrylic rods for a skimmer costs a lot, and if you pile up the other parts, it costs even more. Anyways, i may be a skimmer's extremist, but if someone has inefficient filtration, he might end up with huge problems and post a kijiji ad to sell the tank. PO4 IN the rock isn't fun. I understand your point..you have a seaclone, you don't wanna hear bad things about it, and it's a good skimmer for you. Next week i'm buying a Civic, some say it's crap, and i don't wanna hear about it.
Well you may think $399 is not alot of money, but to me $399 is not so easily to be parted with. I work damn hard for my paycheck. I'm on a budget and my SeaClone works great. I don't neglect my tank. I am very religous about doing water changes every 2 weeks. Maybe when I win the lottery I can afford something else but in the mean time thats what I have and there's nothing wrong with it. Don't give me any **** about it cause you have no right to do so.
Hey i'm not rich either, i'm not contempling bad skimmers that's all. I simply pointed out many experiences i've had and witnessed with the seaclone, and said that a simple DIY would be more efficient than this one, and that sometimes you have to spend a minimum to get good filtration. I didn't say you were neglecting your tank..by example..i bought a seaclone, but didn't know it was crappy until i tested another one..didn't know = not on purpose so it wasn't because i didn't care, it was because my skimmer's experience was limited. Sorry if i sounded aggressive, my plan wasn't to humiliate you, but to avoid any advertising for this skimmer. I am not here to start a war.
could not sleep this morning so i got up and checked the tank........needless to say i was not happy i can hardly see in it....im thinking WTF this this is about to be a flower pot to or a fresh water tank. i am at my wits end why would the water go from crystal clear with amonia almost gone and nitrites and nitrates to a min. it is so cloudy i can harly see the LR. i am on a short fuse now.
BTW starting a tank is usually a challenge, and the tank needs to be matured. When i started i had all kinds of problems, and i learned the hard way. Don't quit the hobby, you'll eventually be rewarded. It takes time to have an almost maintenance-free SW aquarium, but i find it easier, in some cases, to keep it running (less cleaning) than some FW tanks.
i know it will be worth it when i get it right. it is just getting it. i went back and found the reciepts of my first purchas which was salt and that was july 7th 3 months and it is no more closer to cycling than it was when i started. and i know that i have gotten so bad advice and have not always done things the right way but 3 months. dont get me wrong i am in no hurry it is just frustrating.
thanks to all for the help
thanks to all for the help
That cloudiness looks like sand swirling around in your tank. Do you have some powerheads that are pointed too close to your sand causing it to get mixed up? What are your params reading at? Just some observations...Keep the light off during your cycling process. It's not really doing much at this poing except running up your power bill. Ditch the canister filter if you have not already. If you have the hang on back unit like what Kahlua suggested, you don't need the canister. Also if your tank does not cycle, I would recommend starting it all over. Do't do any water changes until you know for sure your cycle is over.
oh wow ditch the canister......i ditched the over the back because i was told it was not enough.....ok back to the power heads there are none pointing near the sand i think what you see is air bubbles from the power heads. i dont think it is sand because the setup remains the sand everything has been the same for months other than the rock placement which i flip every week or so.