Aquascape constructive criticism

Ecoscape Reef Rock
The Random Flow Generator® Nozzle by VCA
Jump to Last
ikanayam said:
Google white hair algae. I have something similar to what you describe. Seems to grow in the underhangs and not so much in the open.
Click to expand...

Yes! And it spreads! I increased the flow, and I'm going to get a controllable power head and a wave pump I believe! What's some good ones that are not $300 like mp40? Also, I'm buying a return pump BC I have a acrylic sump box someone gave me with an overflow box and I've just got to buy stuff to go inside the sump! I figured, adding more and better flow and extra filtration will help! Any kind of way to figure out exactly what kind of return pump I need or any would do?
 
Deltec
alanbetiger said:
At the end of the day it's your tank, so it's a good aquascape if you like it!
Having said that as far as personal opinion I would say it's a bit too symmetrical. I prefer you'r rework. Have you googled The Golden Ratio? I failed miserably at doing it because I couldn't get to some aspects of the tank and I did a rush job. Search google images "the golden ratio reef tank" and there's quite a few good examples and some diagrams to help as well. Basically on both sides of the arch if you can mimic the ratio of 1:1.6. Both in height and width. For example one side could do a 6 inch wide and 6 inch tall structure and the other side you do 9.6 (say 10 even) inch wide and tall structure.
Click to expand...

Yes I read an article on the golden ratio! I'm ddf going to finish, just really need to buy more rock, but going to find out what is going on with this white fuzz stuff growing and spreading it seems like everywhere!! It seems to have started when I sucked up I think a white long blob of maybe a sponge? I dunno, they seem to pop up everywhere....its white and long And skinny and tube like....
 
Also, with the tax refund, I was going to buy new lights, right now I have t5s and everything seems to love them but was reading that LED are much easier and cheaper! I was wanting the best and was curious if two kessil a80 tuna blue would be enough for my 75g if I positioned them right. The spread is about 22" but not sure about how far down it would reach. Only have zoas and palys and softies, one rbt and one sps
 
WWC
Justin..GO DAWGS!! said:
Wow jeez very expensive, in that case, buy me some lights!! Lol haha
Click to expand...

Expensive, yes. But worth it because it’s also got your main return pump, power heads, controllers and power center. Also came with the lighting brackets. Now if they’ll finish the app, it’ll be great. Here’s the lights setup in my garage. Set at 100% blue, 30% white.

58431DC1-FEB1-402F-AE6D-567EC9C032D3.jpeg
 
Avast
Nutramar Foods
Deltec
Food for thought, I'll take pizza. If you place corals that draw your eye away from center of the arch, it will not seem so empty. I think you did a good job of this without coral. Maybe a flat piece of montipora on top of the arch. As it grows it will make it more cave like.
 
lapin said:
Food for thought, I'll take pizza. If you place corals that draw your eye away from center of the arch, it will not seem so empty. I think you did a good job of this without coral. Maybe a flat piece of montipora on top of the arch. As it grows it will make it more cave like.
Click to expand...

Never I've really had any sps, just got a stylophora the other week And it seems to be doing OK, just waiting on taxes so I can buy a return pump and plumbing parts for a sump box I have to set up extra filtration with a hob overflow box....also either a couple new power heads or a power head and a wavebox. But need advice BC I need more flow to keep detritus suspended so I can filtrate it better into the sump for better water quality ....difficult without a drilled tank
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
1WildBill said:
That last pic of your scape looks great.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm thinking about moving the left bottom side of the arc down and forward a little so it will sit on the little rock and go up to the right where it is now, think it will take a lot of the main look from the infamous arc away just a little! Thanks everyone for your suggestions and tips! Really helped a lot! Will post pics when done and get my wavemaker and controllable powerhead!

Also, if I'm adding this sump to my tank, the guy that had it before I'm guessing didn't have the last little short piece of acrylic that's supposed to go inside, I believe its called a baffle. But it didn't come with one. Should I buy a piece of thick acrylic to fit here and glue it down in the sump?
IMG_20180129_142729_hdr.jpg

Also, I'm setting this up soon to have extra filtration BC I really need it, what would be some good things to put in here, as I've never had a sump before! I've heard of people not adding any kind of pads for mechanical filtration, but sounds like it would be beneficial if there were pads in the first chamber to catch anything....
 
Get a better a picture of the entire sump from above and from the front.
Sumps can work with just two sections (at least it's easier with two instead of one open entirely open sump) but some have three. I can't tell from this photo. But the simplistic version is one section is for your drains to flow into which will fill up and then overflow into a second section where your return pump will be. The drain section would stay constant and you would see the effect of evaporation in your return pump section. So that is where you would determine how/many to do your top off water. So whether or not you would want another wall is up to a lot of variables. Size of pump. Whether or not you use a protein skimmer, size and placement. Many people put multiple walls up to prevent bubbles getting into the return section. The three basic section sumps have a drain, refugium (both of which stay at a constant height), and the return section with the pump where you will have a variable height (hopefully only slightly variable if you have a Automatic top off instead of doing it by hand every so often) from evaporation/top off
 
alanbetiger said:
Get a better a picture of the entire sump from above and from the front.
Sumps can work with just two sections (at least it's easier with two instead of one open entirely open sump) but some have three. I can't tell from this photo. But the simplistic version is one section is for your drains to flow into which will fill up and then overflow into a second section where your return pump will be. The drain section would stay constant and you would see the effect of evaporation in your return pump section. So that is where you would determine how/many to do your top off water. So whether or not you would want another wall is up to a lot of variables. Size of pump. Whether or not you use a protein skimmer, size and placement. Many people put multiple walls up to prevent bubbles getting into the return section. The three basic section sumps have a drain, refugium (both of which stay at a constant height), and the return section with the pump where you will have a variable height (hopefully only slightly variable if you have a Automatic top off instead of doing it by hand every so often) from evaporation/top off
Click to expand...

Well, it looks like one open sump, it also looks like there used to be a baffle there but either broke off or the guy using it before me broke it off....not sure, but I was wanting extra filtration, so mechanical filtration would be ok in the first big section the drain comes in? Is there something I can buy that's big enough to fill up that whole section to catch every kind of detritus or microalgae? Also, I'm not sure what size return pump I should buy. I've heard to buy low flow ones, and large flow ones but just not sure.....I'd like to have some chaeto but seems like I wouldn't have much space u less I fill up the bottom part with filter pads and chaeto on top where the drain comes in with lights mounted under my tank? Can water come straight down onto chaeto? Here's some pics
IMG_20180129_133543_hdr.jpg

IMG_20180220_001150.jpg
 
Ecoscape Reef Rock
Man I’ll be honest that’s gonna be a difficult one to easily modify which out someone walking you through it in person and you might be better getting a cheap used one at a LFS. My second sump is 25 gallons and it was $25 in the used section. Like you said it pretty much is just one open sump which means as far as return pump and drains the whole sump will go up and down so you have more work to do figuring out the logistics of wverything
Read up on basic dumps a little more
http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/what-is-a-sump
Is a good starting point and he has lots of articles about different types of sumps.
 
Ecoscape Reef Rock

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
See comments…

New Posts

Reef-Mart
Top Shelf Aquatics
World Wide Corals
Chewy.com
Nutramar Foods
Dinkins Aquatic Gardens
Deltec
Tidal Gardens
TCK Corals
New Posts
Back
Top