step by step from fresh to a reef

[1979camaro]

out of curiosity, are you using a standpipe in your overflow? if you are, a little leak probably wouldn't have mattered...

out of curiosity whose pump are you using? is it going to be able to fit in the slot you made for it in the sump? or will you have to use it externally?

i hope this doesn't come across as nitpicking/questioning your planning, i just always like to see how other people are designing there systems for future inspiration

 

[Gouramiman]

im not using a stand pipe in the overflow. i was useing a viaaqua 1800 pump. i just won a new one on ebay. its a rio hyperflow (1290)i got it for $49.99. and yea it will fit in the slot i made. it said on the auction the dimentions. its ok i do the same thing

 

[Gouramiman]

i guess i should change my signiture

 

[1979camaro]

yep...you probably should...proclaim your saltyness proudly

good pump

 

[wayne]

I know you're strapped for cash but you should think about getting a really decent return pump. Neither Via Aqua or Rio have great reps for reliability, and compared to heating or lighting, a main pump failure is a much bigger disaster

 

[S.Reef]

I have a rio for a return and it wrks fine. Personally had very good experiences with it...knock on wood.

 

[aresgod]

I hate rio's....they are the bane of my existence

 

[yamahaguy06]

really aresgod, i was going to buy two Rio's for my tank to give it better cuculation. So what other powerheads are out there?

 

[1979camaro]

hagen makes pretty good powerheads...seio is often considered the industry leader but they are flippin expensive

 

[aresgod]

I have maxi-jets, and I have no complaints, but that is just my personal opinion, I really just dont like the RIO's because mine were wicked noisy

 

[yamahaguy06]

lol yes so is mine and it is a little 50, now are those hagen powerheads fully submergable? I need to st them up like half way down the tank because I have a tall hex tank.

 

[1979camaro]

we had a big debate about the hagens 4 months or so ago (so maybe not "just"). according to the manual/sticker on the powerhead it is not fully submersible...but many of us are/have run them fully submersed for a long time without incident

 

[KahluaZzZ]

I bought 2 aquaclear powerheads when i began. I decided to get more 'cause i found them efficient and tough. I noticed that a 301 is now named a 30. But the 301 is much better than the new 30 ! The 30 have very thin plastic, and got a bad one. I'm careful when i wanna clean them, they look very easy to break.

I you can get the old numbers like 101,201,301,402,802...that would be great

 

[KahluaZzZ]

no there not supposed to be submersible, but they're all underwater with no problems so far.
BTW with the aquaclwar 402 and 802 , you can switch the flow's direction..it's helpful to get the junk stucked it without opening it. Smaller aquaclear powerheads can't.

 

[Gouramiman]

well my neaighbor has had the rio's on his 125 gallon for a couple years with no problems at all. a little noise is not so bad. besides my fans will certainly drown that noise out(they are terebly loud, but terebly powerful)

 

[Gouramiman]

i am haveing a debate with my neighbor right now and i thot u guys could help. do single ended metal halides have to be burnt behing glass? i know the de one do. but im prety sure that they dont.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

don't know but with no glass, imagine is some water splash on the bulb.
The temp diff...ouch. Maybe the glass is thre to catch uv too... simple glass block that.

 

[1979camaro]

glass is important

 

[Gouramiman]

do you guys think that a single 175 watt bulb will be able to get the whole 3 ft. of my tank without makeing it have the spot light look? or would 2 bulbs defenitly be better? because if i get 2 bulbs its going to be a magnetic ballast. but if i get one i would get a electronic wich i would rather have over a magnetic. What do you guys think of magnetic balasts? good, bad? i have heard mostly bad but need some more info.

 

[Gouramiman]

LIFE

well my neaighbor was cleaning out all of the dreadful hair algea in his tank soo i he gave me some to set up my refugium. its been set up and running scince sunday with no disasters yet. after testing the water yesterday i decided it was time for some life(besades a clump of hair algea) soo off to the lfs. i got one damsel. i know it might be a little early for fish, but most of the water was out of my neighbors tank. i also decided to go with only on 250 watt mh. i found a retro kit link
for $159.95. today im going back to the lfs to get some lr.