Mitch529 Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 Just started my first ever reef tank. Been a lurker on the forums here for a long time and finally took the plunge! Aquapod 24 with 150w Sunpod on a Oceanic Biocube 29gal Stand 2 Maxi-Jet 900 1/2 inch tubing and 2 Hydor-Flo's (still need to remove the L connectors) Visi-Therm 100w Stealth Heater Coralife Digital Thermometer All filter media removed, using some filter floss in right chamber now. Planning on building a HOB fuge & skimmer. Just picked up 19lbs of LR from our LFS and put it in yesterday afternoon along with 20lbs of Carib Sea Tahitian Moon sand. Now its time to wait for the cycle And I actually have a couple of questions about my tank (I purchased it used locally). In the right rear chamber I am using some poly-fill stuff as filter floss... Now I have this stuffed in right under the overflow grate with all of them blocked except the top most one to achieve some surface skimming. I am afraid the poly-fill is going to fall down in the chamber and get sucked into the pump, granted it has not fallen yet I am still worried it will happen. So is there some type of filter compartment I am missing or something? Or Possibly a grate/shelf that goes in the rear chambers? And where should the water level be in the rear chambers I have it just under the edge of the false wall but its easily 2in lower in the chambers. Also can anyone recommend anything else I should be running in my rear chambers? I was going to put LR rubble back there but since I will be going with the HOB fuge I figured that would be much easier to clean as I can barely reach my arm down in the rear chambers. Link to comment
avalanche1201 Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 first off, to NR! Hope you enjoy your stay and you find alot of ppl here very helpful, patience is just needed sometimes looken good so far. What I will be doing w/ my AP24 is turn chamber 1 into a fuge. For the LR Rubble I may just toss it into the back but I was thinking of making shelves out of PVC and egg crate. This way I can have LR on different Levels along w/ cheato etc (may just toss it back there though) You are not missing any other chambers, but you could get some eggcrate (light diffuser) and cut it and silicone it into place at the baffles so your filter floss cant get sucked into a pump hth Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 7, 2007 Author Share Posted July 7, 2007 Well instead of the HOB fuge I was thinking about turning a chamber into a fuge (sure would be cheaper)... But I have a pump in each chamber I guess I could move the pump up to the top of the chamber and make a wall around it so it cant suck up any cheto etc.. Link to comment
ssirishpride Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 the eggcrate would prolly work really well. the water level in mine was always changing. sometimes lower than the display, sometimes the same level. Link to comment
avalanche1201 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 what you could do mitch, im prob gonna do this is plumb the second pump through the dividing wall so i can still use chamber 1 as a fuge Link to comment
ssirishpride Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 it will work (plumbing through the divider) was my first dremmel expierence. made hell of a mess. but once it cleaned up it worked as planned. i have also run a hose under the divider for a time also. as for the HOB, it did cost a bit but has worked flawlessly from the get go, skimmer and all. Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 9, 2007 Author Share Posted July 9, 2007 Well I have actually been working on a design for a HOB fuge + skimmer. I am going to pick up some supplies this week and get to work. I just cannot justify spending $300 for some acrylic Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 Found a nasty little hitchhiker in my tank today, though it was extracted successfully =D Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 12, 2007 Author Share Posted July 12, 2007 First signs of life! I was moving changing my aquascaping a bit last-night and found these 2 little guys. I checked out reefs.org Hitchhicker FAQ and figured out one is a mini brittle star and the other is an astrea snail. Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 Well the tank is completely cycled now, all levels have been stable for the last week so I got a CUC yesterday. 3 Astrea, 5 Nassarius, 4 Scarlet Hermits, and 1 Emerald crab. Going to wait a couple weeks to get a cleaner shrimp and probably first corral. Link to comment
divecj5 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hey Mitch...sounds like things are coming along with the tank. I am getting ready to get a 150w sunpod for my BC29 and just wondered if you're experiencing any heat issues with your tank or if you have a fan blowing across the tank or anything. Things look great in your tank and glad to hear things are coming along. Congrats on your slew of snails and crabs Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 Haven't had any heat issues so far, we keep our apartment around 72ish and the tank stays around in the middle 79s with the light off, with it on it hovers around 81. It doesn't fluctuate too bad but we turn the a/c up when we are not home and it will hit around 82. I am going to pick up some fans most likely these, then I wont have to worry about extreme fluctuations in the temp. Edit: Though the fans will probably add to my top off already evaporate ~1/3gal a day (open top) Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 Here are some pictures from today, everyone is doing good after being added to tank. The Emerald crab is still hiding in the rocks took me forever to find where he ran off too, also the Scarlet Hermits are kinda boring they have hardly moved they just kinda chill where they are at picking at pieces of sand. Of all of them my favorite are the Nassarius snails they are so cool watching burrow in the sand and pop out, though they are not too graceful... I have watched them scoot right off of a rock a couple times, seems like they like cliff diving, good thing they can turn themselves over. But the Astraea snails cannot be beat with their cleaning, from the second I put them in the tank they have not stopped cleaning my glass & LR. I only bought 3 of them and I am now thinking I should have gotten a couple more. The LFS didn't have any Cerith Snail's which I wanted also, but they are supposed to get some on thursday so I may pick some of those guys up then. Should I pick up any more Astraea snails? Stock count: 3 Astraea 5 Nassarius 4 Scarlet Hermits 1 Emerald Crab Oh right and the pics Link to comment
crad190 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 be careful w/ the emerald crab. i had a real problem w/ mine consistantly knocking over my frags Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 be careful w/ the emerald crab. i had a real problem w/ mine consistantly knocking over my frags I will keep an eye on him, he's pretty small so it would have to be a tiny frag for him to knock over but I will watch him as he grows. Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Latest addition: Semi-ATO 1 - Rubbermaid 2gal container (make sure you silicone the big top lid on or it will leak) 1 - Toms Aqualifter 1 - Digital Timer w/6 settings Misc. air line hose & stiff poly hose 1/4" Everything fits like it was made just so I could build a cheap ATO. Full Stand Shot: just so you can see how it fits, barely takes up any room. Just FYI: the Aqualifter pumps about 1cup in 5.5mins from where its located to the top of my tank (24AP on 29BC Stand). Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Well i was walking past the tank and noticed one of my snails going for a ride on the Hydor Flow I wonder how he made it on there lol, now to watch him try to get off... And flip him over if he falls on his back, dumb astraea snail Link to comment
Ronin3310 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Tank is looking great!!! Yeah those snails end up in some pretty odd places. I was wondering what are your stocking plans? Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Tank is looking great!!! Yeah those snails end up in some pretty odd places. I was wondering what are your stocking plans? Thanks! As for stocking plans... probably a few more snails I wanted some Cerith but the LFS was out so I will most likely get a couple of those guys and a few more Astraea. I am going to for sure get a Skunk Cleaner shrimp I love those guys. As for fish I am unsure right now, most likely a true perc pair and maybe a goby/pistol pair. I am reluctant on corrals and livestock right now... we are moving to a new place (current Apartment decided to get crazy on the lease renewal) in September and I'm going to have to break down the tank, so I want to make it as easy as possible. The most I will add until we are moved will be some small zoo or shroom frags. I am also going to be adding a couple pounds of LR I want my total to be somewhere around 25lbs in display + a few pounds of rubble in my HOB Fuge. Going to be ordering acrylic etc... for the HOB Fuge I am building end of this week most likely, I will post some pics + plans once I get around to building it. Link to comment
Ronin3310 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Yeah if you are going to be moving their is no point in putting a bunch of things in your tank. Stocking plans look good i am going to be picking up some true percs next week perhaps, and maybe some softies, zoas, and some shrooms. What made you decide on getting the black sand? I really like the look of it, very volcanic!!! Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 I got hooked on the back sand after seeing a few tanks and how it makes the color of the corrals and everything in the tank stand out. I'm really happy I went with it, love the look. Link to comment
Ronin3310 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Well GOOD LUCK with you tank!!! If you have a chance check out my 40 gal truvu! Link is below! Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Well the emerald crab has been moved to the number 1 favorite spot! He just made quick work of a patch of bubble algae, now if he can just find the other small patch! Link to comment
ssirishpride Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 my emerald has been on strike latley. booo! Link to comment
Mitch529 Posted July 21, 2007 Author Share Posted July 21, 2007 Here is a sneak peek of what I have been working on lately Link to comment
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