Well GSP are the heartier stuff you could get, GSP are good for newbies if you rate it as a coral that wont die on you, but it is not a newbie coral when you consider everything else that comes with it, such as controlling the coral so it wont take over your tank specially on nano reefs , if the GSP is near your aqua scape it will just grow on every rock it touches and you will need to peel it off to control it or place a coral aggressive enough that will stop its growths like a frog spawn or torch. Good luck

Those of you with the sapphire aquatics protein skimmer.... is it easy to install / easy to clean out? I am a newb with this kind of thing, and want to make sure if I order it, I won't have any problems with installation or maintenance. Thanks!

easy to clean and take out. i usually use a toothbrush to clean out the left over build up stuff in the holder. yuckie!!

d'Espresso can you post some pictures of the skimmate produce by the skimmer and the bubble production as well, I haven't change my stock skimmer yet, can you believe it??? is been about a year and 2 months with that junk hahaha. I'm considering the Sapphire Aquatics, the Euro-Reef or the Tunze 9002 so I'm looking for some reviews on these skimmers.

Sure I can post it up later on. I'm still at work, it's been along day working 11hour a day from 10-9 everyday. But if you check out my thread on the 2 page or 3 page I have the skimmer sitting flush nothing stick out giving the tank the clean rimless look! I should have plenty picture there.

My Sapphire is still breaking in.

what model is that sapphire aquatics skimmer do you have? mine looks alittle different from yours. my pump is on the top side and i see in this photo that yours is on the bottom. did they remodel it?

Yes, they've changed the design I believe for most, if not all models, to have the pump on the bottom. Not sure when it started. I've only seen pics of the design you have and assume there are some changes in the dimensions of the unit as a result of the pump relocation.

Solana owners... what is the best way to clean out the back chamber? Right now I don't have a protein skimmer so all I have is the sponge back there, and there is a lot of stuff on the very bottom of each chamber I would like to get out? Is there another way to get it out, or should I just suck it out during my water change?

i am a new owner...tank is on my office desk, dont really have wood to anchor the pendant to. Anyone have any suggestions?

When you do your water change, just siphon the junk out of the back chambers. Just don't stir it up a lot because it will get your parms out of spec. I do this about every couple of months when I clean the return pump.



I think the change occured a couple of months ago. I changed out my skimmer body to the new design a couple of week ago and it works much better, more consistent skim. The skim cup and pump are the same.

Can you snap some pictures of the area where the tank is so we can have an idea of whats around it?
Otherwise, I'd have to suggest a different light that clips on.



How did you change out the body? Did they switch you? I have the first original body, and wanted to but he didn't let me unless I wanted to pay like $100?

Anyone have an hob refugium for the solana? I just got a spotted mandarin and want to start breeding some copepods to ensure his healthy diet.

Or do you guys think I could just turn my second chamber into a mini refugium and get codium and chaeto and just dump a crap load of pods in there and get a small light to help the algae grow, and the pods to breed? If that would work... would they be able to get into the display area of the tank? Please let me know! I don't want to starve my spotted mandarin!

anybody!?

i just don't think that will be enough pods for your mandarin in the long run. you may want to consider finding him a home if you can't get him on prepared food.

try nutramar ova... lfs can get it from Quality Marine. mandarins eat it well

I agree with MedRed... Get him trained on prepared food! There is a bunch of info here on getting them trained.

He is eating a little bit of mysis right now which is good, but I want the refugium to get him some natural prey as well.

So I think my plan is... I am going to get 2 (5.5) gallon tanks on the bottom of my stand. And run a pump going into my back chamber, to use the 2 small tanks as a refugium (and having the one going into the other on the bottom to eliminate micro bubbles) and in that refugium, put live rock, chaeto, codium, mud, etc. And then buy a pack of 1,000 pods and just let them breed in there, and slowly add them into the tank, a little at a time. And over time hopefully they would keep breeding and along with all that, and mysis shrimp feeding, my manadarin should be happy, and my biological waste should be taken care of. (If I do this... I am going to try to use all natural filtration (with the exception of the sponge) having no protein skimmer or anything. I think with the extra 10 gallon fuge in there, and the already 30-40lbs of rock, it would do a great job cleaning up.

watch for overflows...of both sump and display..

Why is that? (I mean other than the obvious of not wanting that to happen, is there good percentages of this happening or something along those lines?)

with the way you described it, it looks like it will be very easy to overflow not only your sump/refuge but also your display.

I am looking into a solana and there are only 2 ways of installing a sump I know of and one requires drilling the glass...not something I would want to do. the other would be a little riskier and involve an overflow box and suction

The other way, is putting on a hang on back filter that will directly flow into the 2nd chamber and the pump from the fuge will run into that hob filter. My lfs makes one that is a box that just flows into the tank and has a hole so that a pipe can run straight into it.

so you mean you won't actually have a sump, you just have like a cpr fuge then..

that is ok.

I thought you meant having a sump in your stand.


ALSO

What about stocking for a solana?
I already have 2 Picassos

Could I add a school of 5 chromis and a clown or flasher wrasse? I kinda what a potters angel too but in that small space :/

Personally, I am not a big fan of chromis. I would go with something more beautiful / peaceful and then progressively get more aggressive. Personally, my spotted mandarin is my favorite fish right now. He is hard to keep but he is such a cool fish. I also love leopard wrasses, and flasher wrassers are pretty cool too.

I really like angels, so that is a cool idea... but you got to be careful with the kind of corals you are adding / no clams and other crabs that the angels will demolish.

I like hawk fish too, but they are more aggressive.

Well I would like to have a schooling fish.

And I've had a mandarin before but I won't again as they don't take tank moves too well and this tank will be moved in the future.

Im not sure where to put this question, I hope here is ok.
I received a MP 10 today. I would like to put it in the 2nd chamber of my solana as apparently most do.
question 1:
dry dock why? so IF the water rises in that chamber the pump is protected?


question 2: has anyone ever considered putting the pump in a zip lock freezer bag? freezer bags are water tight and the thinness would allow the pump to still hold aginst the magnet? just make sure the zip lock area is above the tank water line? anyone see a reason this would not work??

Thanks shan

there was a guy on RC who used a ziplock freezer bag. Utlimately its really what you trust more dry dock or freezer bag.

Its to prevent the pump from getting water damage when return pump is turned off or if water is splashed over the side

I did try using the freezer zip lock bag one time and boy oh boy i FFFF it up big time. i was very upset at myself for trying the zip lock back method. I left the bag there for one day after receiving it in the mail the day before. it was going all good until it rain that day that the power line went out at my apartment. i came home to a soaked brand new MP20 being dead. So i didn't seal it tight because i thought the motor needed air circulation in to keep it from getting hot.

So yeah i don't recommend you trying that ziplock freezer bag. The drydock was the same and that is why i am guessing why stevie t does not make them anymore.

I just got a moonlight attachment today. Seriously the best $40 I ever spent. The colors the corals give off under that thing are incredible. Anddddd it makes a good night light too

Where's the pictures of your moonlight?

haha I have two tests this week, so I don't have too much time to snap pictures, but this weekend I will definitely put some up!

so espresso, is having the MP on the side the best place?

To answer that question, I am positive that it is a good location to leave the mp on the side plus you don't have to worry about your mp being flooded.

Do you guys think adding a mp10 on the bottom side of the tank will be to much flow? Will it be to much to have an MP20 on top right side and MP10 on bottom left side?

Hi,

For the guys/gals with the Solana and running RKL w/ SL-2 (module)... where are you sticking your probes? Chamber 3?

I have the Tunze 9002 w/ mod cup in chamber 1, I'm planning on building a fuge with cheato, chemi-pure, floss etc. once my tank has cycled. So, all I really have left in the back is chamber 3... MJ900, iTemp, and ATO floats are located there now. I assume it is okay to run both the DA Salinity and pH probes back there as well?

I appreciate any input as I am new to the SW hobby.

Thanks,

lachapr

ill post pics of my Solana when i get rid of all my hair algae!

ATL Web,

If you don't mind me asking, what moon light did you purchase?

-Pete

I got this one. http://www.marinedepot.com/Coralife_Aquali...ILTFIML-vi.html

coralife aqualight.

The attachment isn't the best....I have to put it on top of my cover because it doesn't stretch far enough to play on the back glass, but the light on it is incredible for the price and it is really awesome viewing the tank under the light.

Thanks.

So stocking for a solana?

2 Picassos Clownfish
1 Tailspot Blenny
1 McCoskers/Flasher Wrasse
what else?
nothing?
Potter's Angel?
Coris?
Clown Fairy Wrasse?
5-7 Small Chromis?

I don't have the SL2 (have SL1), but I place my probes and stuff (pH probe, temp probe, and 2 float switches) in chamber 3. Note - I don't have any top off bottles there, because I have an ATO system.

Bryan

For people with fuges in the 2nd chamber, how does that work for you? Do you think it has a noticeable difference? I was debating getting 2 5.5 gallon tanks for a fuge that would go into an overflow and try to breed some pods and what not in there, but I have been feeding my mandarin mysis shrimp and he is already getting chubbier / looking happier since I got him. So I think I could just get some good codium and chaeto to help out with filtration, and not go through the trouble of a sump.

Does anyone have any walk through of materials / ways they set up their second chamber fuge? please let me know!

Also, my pump can get noisy and then I always have to move it so it isn't touching sides, and I even put a sponge around it so that it doesn't hit the sides and make noise, but it still somehow moves and makes noise? Does anyone have any tips for the best place to put it? Thanks! (Right now I have it places on the bottom)

Anyone in this thread good with graphics? We should have a banner for all us solana owners

Thanks Bryan. I also have pulled out the bottles and I am using the RKL for the ATO. I have yet to put in the probes as I am still in the cycling stage. I will be putting everything in chamber 3 once I am able to.

lachapr

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anybody else had some more pictures of info on some of the skimmers that we can use in the solana. What do you guys think is the best skimmer out there, the Sapphire Aquatic, the Euro-Reef Nano, or the Tunze Nano doc 9002. I'm thinking about buy one of those this week so pls give me some good info about then..... If you have some pics of the skimmate pls post it. Thanks again

I say get you a blue tang. Lol jk

I have the Tunze 9002 with StevieTs mod'd cup. I am still in the cycling stage, but the Tunze is super quiet. I will post some pics of my skimmate once I have more bioload. Also, you can't use the magnet on the Tunze, so I had to build a eggcrate box for it to sit on. No complaints thus far...

lachapr

What does StevieT's mod'd cup do? Also, why doesn't the magnet work? haha sorry for all the questions.. I am just thinking about ordering one of these sometime in the next week.

Put me on the list please..bought a used 34 gallon Solana 3 wks ago and just ended my cycle.

I'm also a newb to the hobby, so hoping to learn as much as possible from this place!