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Innovative Marine Aquariums

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halfpint

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would like to purchase a new refractometer. Any recommendations?

 

Get one with ATC (automatic temperature correction) and make sure it's meant for saltwater aquariums, not a generic one that may have an inappropriate scale (like Brix).

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ooo ooo, i have a list:

 

1. Stability is key

2. Bigger = easier to keep stable

3. Ammonia -> Nitrites then Nitrates

4. Ammonia and nitrites need to be zero before anything

5. When in doubt wait 2 weeks

6. When stocking only add critters once a month

7. At least 1lb. of rock per gallon

8. Live sand is not needed, it will be seeded from live rock

9. Put as much sand in as is pleasing to the eye

10. No crushed coral. Anywhere.

11. Tonga, Fiji, Marshal etc. Whichever looks best to you

12. Less fish = room for error when the unexpected happens

13. The unexpected will happen

14. Yes you are probably overstocked

15. No anemones under 25 gallons.

16. No tangs unless you have a bigger tank to move them to later.

17. Good stuff doesn’t come cheap

18. You get what you pay for

19. Refugiums aren’t required

20. Refugium > no refugium

21. Chaeto is a nice macro algae to use in a refugium

22. Skimmers aren’t required.

23. Skimmers are nice

24. Good nano skimmers are(in no particular order):

a. Cora-Life Super Skimmer

b. Remora

c. ASM

25. Skimmer and a refugium are both good additions

26. Yes a Remora will fit on a 10gal.

27. Water-changes weekly are a very good idea

28. Change 10%-20% water a week for good results

29. IO is a good salt

30. So are pretty much all salt brands

31. Light 8-12 hours a day is a good idea

32. No your Ph doesn’t have to be 8.2

33. Ph of 7.8 is fine

34. Ph of 8.4 is fine

35. Don’t add any supplements without testing

36. This includes Ph buffer

37. Rule of thumb: 1 clean up crew critter per gallon

38. Stability is key

39. Get a refractometer already

40. MH or T5’s for clams and acropora

41. 250W of MH is probably a little overkill

42. PC’s can probably be used for everything else

43. 6500k yellow light

44. 10000k white light

45. 20000k blue light

46. Use RO water

47. RODI > Distilled > RO > whatever else

48. Don’t use bottled drinking water

49. Don’t use spring water

50. Don’t use tap water

51. Cyano problems (red slimy algae, grows everywhere)

a. Less feeding

b. 8 hour lighting period

c. More flow

d. More water changes

e. Vacuum your sand already

52. Don’t let the snail rot in your tank

53. Don’t feed primarily brine shrimp (good for treats once in a while)

54. DT’s only if you want more pods or have clams

55. Flakes are fine, frozen is probably better

56. Variety is best for fish food

57. 10x-20x you tank volume water turnover rate is a good number to aim for with your powerheads

58. Turbulent flow > direct flow

59. Have at least two sources of water flow for best turbulence

60. When in doubt refer to rule #1.

You can tell this is old because #15 is BS.
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...
SantaMonica
This might be of use...


Nutrient Export


What do all algae (and cyano too) need to survive? Nutrients. What are nutrients? Ammonia/ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and urea are the major ones. Which ones cause most of the algae in your tank? These same ones. Why can't you just remove these nutrients and eliminate all the algae in your tank? Because these nutrients are the result of the animals you keep.


So how do your animals "make" these nutrients? Well a large part the nutrients come from pee (urea). Pee is very high in urea and ammonia, and these are a favorite food of algae and some bacteria. This is why your glass will always need cleaning; because the pee hits the glass before anything else, and algae on the glass consume the ammonia and urea immediately (using photosynthesis) and grow more. In the ocean and lakes, phytoplankton consume the ammonia and urea in open water, and seaweed consume it in shallow areas, but in a tank you don't have enough space or water volume for this, and, your other filters or animals often remove or kill the phytoplankton or seaweed anyway. So, the nutrients stay in your tank.


Then the ammonia/ammonium hits your rocks, and the periphyton on them consumes more ammonia and urea. Periphyton is both algae and animals, and is the reason your rocks change color after a few weeks. Then the ammonia goes inside the rock, or hits your sand, and bacteria there convert it into nitrite and nitrate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.


Also let's not forget phosphate, which comes from solid organic food particles. When these particles are eaten by microbes and clean up crew, the organic phosphorus in them is converted into phosphate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.


So whenever you have algae "problems", you simply have not exported enough nutrients compared to how much you have been feeding (note: live rock can absorb phosphate for up to a year, making it seem like there was never a problem. Then, there is a problem).


So just increase your nutrient exports. You could also reduce feeding, and this has the same effect, but it's certainly not fun when you want to feed your animals :)
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  • 4 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

lol

It was 2007! It was good advice for the time imo. ugh, kids =p

You're probably overstocked anyways. meh. Good luck with the tank though. I forgot how-much of a dick nano-reef could make out of a person (I was one).

  • Like 2
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It was 2007! It was good advice for the time imo. ugh, kids =p

You're probably overstocked anyways. meh. Good luck with the tank though. I forgot how-much of a dick nano-reef could make out of a person (I was one).

Way to come back from the dead! Of course I am overstocked and you guessed it right. I am one of the biggest dicks on NR :rolleyes:
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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi guys! Thanks for all the help so far! I'm starting my 3rd week of cycling a 14G BioCube. I have diatom bloom going on and I want to rinse the filter cartridge. Can I rinse with tap water and stick it back in the tank, as long as I drain the tap water off good???????? I'm such a NOOB!!!!!!!!!! :P

 

Yeah wash it very lightly but with lukewarm water and then shake the water off but don't let the cartridge dry out otherwise you will lose a lot of the bacteria. Jay

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  • 3 weeks later...

Great thread, thanks to all posters. As a self appointed smart person can I add "Check the date of a post you are responding to" ;)

 

And: sixline wrasse can jump out through the feeding port of a nanocube overnight with the lights off :(

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  • 6 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Old_Reef_Dude

I enjoy reading through the "Beginners Discussion", as I always read something, and find out about something I never knew before.

This Forum has Monster Amounts of info. There are folks on here that forgot more, than I will probably ever know.

As far as my two cents, Nano Reefs, whether 1 gallon, or more, are a challenge for everyone! That's what makes them fun!

Getting them set-up, if done right, is a pretty simple task. Research is the key, and following directions is a must.

Keeping the Nano Reef pristine is the challenge.

I do like Oogie's post. Oogie stated to get everything running, and of course, not leaking before you add salt is a huge statement. I cannot tell you how many times I have had myself, or a friend, get a tank set-up and find water dripping OUTSIDE the tank the next day, after all salt, fish, rocks, sand, filter, protein skimmer, etc., etc was running. Ouch!

A little patience goes a long way! :D

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