Aquarium Build Questions / Input

[Robert De Lisle]

* have a

 

[tyler1503]

If you do decide on mushrooms, just remember they can (not necessarily "will", but they are likely to) spread out of control and take over a tank. Mine are having babies every few weeks. Which in turn are growing larger and larger and are starting to have babies of their own. They can be a bit too easy lol.
But if your just wanting something easy and a bit more exciting than mushies, I would suggest candy canes, cynarina or even euphyllia. All awesome corals, that once acclimated to your tank should grow and thrive!

 

[Robert De Lisle]

Nice... I will look them up and see how they are. I also like those corals that look like saucers... Sorry, don't know what they're called. They look like mushrooms but they are hard?

 

[tyler1503]

They all come in different colour variants and growth patterns.
Look at hammer coral and torch coral. Both euphyllias, generally easy once acclimated to your tank, look amazing, but both have a nasty sting.
Sounds like your talking about a montipora capricornis. Or monti cap for short. I personally have never had experience, but I hear they're generally an easy SPS. Good light, flow and placement and their good to go. Like I said, I've never had experience with them, they're not allowed to be sold in Australia supposedly. But, assuming that's the right coral, someone else may chime in with some advice.
However, most people would recommend against adding sps to a new setup.

 

[Robert De Lisle]

Got the second power head up and flowing. I am impressed with how much more flow I have now. What a difference it made.

I just love all the brown alge on my sand bed (sarcasm)

 

[tyler1503]

Looks good.
What stage of the cycle are you up to? That algae should clear up soon, it's a normal part of the cycle

 

[Robert De Lisle]

I have no idea.... Hasn't ran a test on the params yet. I figured it would be best to wait another week and not waste the tests.

 

[Moonreef]

Those are diatoms, normal stuff. Your about midway through the cycle. It will disappear on its own over time. Don't mess with them for now.

 

[Robert De Lisle]

So I went and broke down a neglected tank this morning and it had two snails in it. I put them in my tank. You think they will be ok or should I pull them out?

 

[Moonreef]

I would test my water, worse case scenario they die from the nitrite or ammonia. We don't want that but if your at diatoms it should be ok....it won't hurt the tank. Just the snails.

 

[Robert De Lisle]

Thanks moonreef. If you would have seen the tank I pulled them out of....it was disgusting. The live rock is "cooking" right now because the smell was so bad.

Another question though. Has anyone ever used the quick strip tests? Are they ok to use?

 

[Moonreef]

I have never used them but as I understand, they are not as accurate as the test liquids. I do pool/spa stuff and I can tell you that the strips are nowhere as accurate as the liquid reagents. This is attributed to humidity and other things getting to the strips before use. Think about it this way, the reagent is dried onto the actual felt/cotton bud attached to the end of the strip. Any number of things could happen to that reagent as it ages and/or humidity gets to it to include small, I know it sounds like a stretch but I've seen it happen, but small condensed dried reagent flaking off that strip and not testing the water with the correct amount of reagent. Plus, it uses the idea that a "drop" of water remains on that bud glued to the strip. Hopefully the strips are exactly the same size with the exact same amount of media and reagent on each strip to test the water column of the tank and that the water drop that clings is the same as the water drop from the prior test. Sorry to sound like a mad man but maybe for a spot check I'd use them but as a new hobbyist I would buy the liquid reagents.

 

[Robert De Lisle]

Okay, thanks

 

[Robert De Lisle]

Good morning everyone,

I just picked up a 150 gallon reef tank. It has a center overflow. It has a 2 inch drain into the sump which goes through a sock. the next chamber has a skimmer (not sure which kind). the third chamber has a in water pump that tee's off to two returns. There was a second pump that came with the system. What would it be used for? It isn't connected to anything, its just sitting there.

 

[Robert De Lisle]

Here is the information that I have for the current set up:

150 gallon glass tank with built in overflow (center trapezoid, 2" drain and 2 1" returns) black silicone seams)
Cherry stand
Acrylic sump
asm g2 protein skimmer
quiteone 5000 return
phosban reactor
heater
All plumbing included

 

[tyler1503]

What's the water volume of the extra pump? I'm thinking the previous owner had extra reactors or something and sold them separately and didn't sell the pump too.

 

[Robert De Lisle]

I think I figured it out. It's the pump for the skimmer?

 

[Robert De Lisle]

Here's the question of the day. Why would my overflow sound and act like a toilet flushing?

 

[Mike O'Brien]

What type of overflow do you have in there ? Got a picture of it ? I use a durso type that is really quiet, but the newer way to go is with a silent overflow. I believe that requires two drain lines though.

 

[Robert De Lisle]