Goodness! To Eclipse? Or Not to Eclipse?!

[TSUcowgirl]

Alrighty y'all, I'm in my second year of college but FINALLY in a stable place [ no more moving back home and to the dorms for this girl !] I've decided to get back into aquariums [well, as many as my tiny apartment can hold ] so I'm gathering up old things [from back in my Highschool days when I was hard-core into 'tankin' ] and starting fresh! I have a 20 gallon w/ most of the basic SW equipment.

 

I tried my hand at SW about 2 years ago but did little more than a 'lil LR and some damsels. Now, starting all over, I feel like a dang kid 'n a candy store! There's SO many more choices than I realized back then. I've been reading and re-reading every thread on this site, all the articles, and cracking a few books at home. But more often than not, I'm finding books leave out important RL situations and problems [for those of us who don't have thousands to spend on our beloved 'lil hobby!] So in the coming months I'll be posting bits 'n pieces of questions as I 'venture' into the nano world! -squeek!-

 

Firstly [and please don't hollar at me if I've missed any of this in an article ]

 

The Eclipse Hood system, I've been really interested in getting one since my previous hood was just a run of the mill store pick up. I found out [unfortunately a 'lil too late] that all those holes and what not in the back for the filters let my precious salt escape....and coat the walls, carpet, anything in its path! -eek!-

So I thought an Eclipse might help solve this problem, but it seems the opinions on this hood are varied...greatly. Any feed back would be greatly apprieciated!

[ I envy those of you who are do-it-yourselfers! and can build those babies nearly out of scratch.!]

 

Next, [not time to tie me to the whipping post, yet, I hope]

Protein Skimmers. Seems the opinions on this are just as divided. It seems many people feel for aquariums 20 and under its not necissary? And if it is, to go for a low cost [Like a Lee's]..but then comes the 'You get what you pay for...'

 

Lastly....well..actually..I guess thats it...for now...tehehe

 

Thanks a bunch y'all =)

xoxox,

From the Cowgirl.

[Jahkaya]

No Eclispe, IMO. You will always have salt creep. That is the Nature of the Beast. Elcipses are difficult to retro and their best feature, Biowheels are mostly useless in Reef tanks. Please Cylce with Live Rock and Hang on Back skimmer are great, even for a 20. CPR and Aqua C are some of the good ones. Skimmers are not necessary, but they sure do help.

[Crakeur]

skimmers are absolutely not necessary and, in my opinion, a beginner shouldn't even consider them. They remove many elements from the water and can result in your needing to dose chemicals and that is not something you need to be doing. Weekly water changes will suffice for a beginner.

 

I have absolutely no experience with the eclipse but I will say that Jahkaya's comment about retrofitting the lights should be seriously considered. You will want to get the best lights that you can afford that will best suit the animals you plan on keeping.

 

 

welcome aboard.

 

Now can we tie you up to the whipping post? please?

[TSUcowgirl]

Oh! Thanks very much for the advice on the Eclipse. It just seemed so cute and neatly put together. [sorry, I'm very much a girly-girly and like things neat and tidy.] No mistake though! I don't mind gettin' down and dirty sometimes

 

Oumf. Retrofitting...I'm skeered alright. -deep breaths!- Wheres that book...umm...Nano's for Dummies?

lol

 

And yes, I -demand- to be tied now. Please?

 

 

xoxox,

The Cowgirl.

[DeskJockey]

Yeah I would avoid the eclipse systems....they look good but theres so much that has to be redesigned, its just not worth it. Not to mention if your a neat freak then your not going to like how easy they scratch. One wrong move and you have one more scratch to ignore when your trying to enjoy your tank.

 

I kinda disagree with crak on the skimmer issue. A skimmer can help make up for some noobie mistakes like infrequent water changes or over feeding. Dont get me wrong its not going to fix everything that you do wrong but it can help in some cases.

 

and ughhhhhhh how about a bed post instead?:-* :angel:

[Jahkaya]

Well, then we will be sure to send you the Nano reef Cami and Thong and you can send pics of yourself tied to the post.

 

Crak - got any spare change?

 

If you are looking at the 20 gallon and are not into retrofitting (installing the lights yourself into a canopy) you may want to look into a 2x65watt PC fixture that goes right on top of your tank with cute little legs that look nice and clean. Though I prefer Halide, This may be an Ideal way to start out. No too much money, enough light for a wide variety of corals and no "do it yourself" invloved. I do agree with Crakeur that a skimmer is by no means necessary and it would be much easier and safer to change out 2-3 gallons of water a week than attempting to do multiple tests and dosing. I am just Biased because I so badly need one at this time.

 

What type of animals do you intend on keeping?

[Crakeur]

DJ, my point was that a strict schedule of weekly water changes eliminate the need for a skimmer and by having one you open the door for complaceny (see my tank - I never do water changes). No water changes lead to chemical dosing. Chemical dosing leads to mishaps. Mishaps lead to death. Death leads to ahhh you get the point.

 

Jah, stop offering my cash for thongs and camis (cowgirl, email me, we can discuss that in private hehe).

 

Where the hell did I put those silk ties? Ah yes, right next to the paddle and the oh, was I thinking aloud again?

 

a cowgirl that likes to get down and dirty? yeah, you'll do fine here. come over to the JCT sometime y'hear.

[DeskJockey]

>>I am just Biased because I so badly need one at this time.<<

 

Im not understanding that comment (but then again it is the end of the day).....you say they are by no means necessary ....yet you need one badly? ???

 

I should have mentioned that they are NOT necessary and it can be done without one (I dont have one on my nano) .......but high nitrates, cyano, and hair algae tend to plague beginners which is often from over feeding and lack of maintenance....IMO if you still do water changes, run a skimmer and you dont have TONS of calcium loving corals then you should be fine without having to test for trace elements.

[TSUcowgirl]

Mercy! Y'all are awful helpful [and this is just the begining ]

 

I suppose I'll just have to debate w/ muhself about the protein skimmer. I'm going back and forth on which sort of powerheads I should get [ to replace my old dinkered out ones].

 

The more I look into this, the more I realize how little I actually have. To go bare basics...I've got the 20 gal. A nice [cute] oak stand, undergravel filter, dinky hood, penguin old skool filter. I've been looking at other peoples tank lists and gotten some good ideas on powerheads, filters, etc...but feel free to add your .02 cents on your fav. products...or least fav. for that matter.

 

As far as animals. Um.

Well I'm thinking just the basic cleaners Sand Sifting Sea Star[from my understanding they sift thru the sand nicely. ] Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs, Turbo Snails or Margarita Snails[??] Just to keep things 'pretty' =)

 

Later on down the road I'd like a clown [or a mated pair] or a damsel or two. Mebe a 'lil shrimpy dood. Basically anything that I can't kill just by looking at it.

 

I'm used to horses and cows...so dealin' w/ these 'lil buggers is going to be....interesting. lol.

 

 

Pictures?! Um..bedposts? Handcuffs, whips, and chains...oh my!

 

Btw. Please feel free to Instant Message me to chat about Nano's or whatever else.

 

xoxox,

The Cowgirl.

[Crakeur]

ditch the undergravel filter.

 

all you need is live rock, live sand, heater and powerheads (and lights of course).

 

the 20 that you have was it salt or fresh water and was copper ever used in the tank? if so, clean it real well.

 

um, and uh, yeah whips, chains and uh, somebody wake up the gimp

[TSUcowgirl]

Before I moved on up to school I gave it a good 'ole scrubbing with vinager. And as far as I can remember I'm 99.9% no copper ever graced that tank.

 

And the undergravel filter, well..mercy...what do the powerheads I keep hearing so much about go on?

 

I feel like 'm gettin' dumber by the minute. lol. Bless all y'alls hearts for having patience w/ me.

 

xoxox,

The Cowgirl.

[Jahkaya]

In regards to the Skimmer:

 

DJ;

 

My Tank is still new, 8 months, and I am fighting off hair algae, I have added a hefty clean up crew, been doing nearly bi-weekly water changes, cutting my feeding of fish down to two or three times a week, ran Phosphate remover, lessened light cycle, and Trates are 10PPMs or less. And After use of the Oral b My hair algae has slowed in growth but not stopped. I am now convinced that skimming will be the final weapon to win my war. Though it is not necessary, I am convinced that my nutrient levels in my tank are way to high and this will be key to finishing off my opponent. My friend (yes I have one or two) and I both obtained Identical Derasas at the same time and both have VHO lighting. Niether of us feed phtyo, but mine has grown twice as much in the past three months. Acros in my tank color up completely differently (green, instead of pink) then in his (large skimmer). I attribute all this to high nutrient levels.

 

Phew.

 

And, Cowgirl:

 

When I said Animals, I meant what type of corals did you plan on keeping? Have you taken a look around at some yet. IMO they are what make a reef tank.

 

Welcome to NR.

[Crakeur]

powerheads stick to the glass with suction cups. they suck, literally, and then they suck figuratively and the powerheads tend to fall so make sure you don't have any corals nearby that can be damaged (stupid powersweeps, bye bye 4 frags).

 

jah, what fish are in the tank? try feeding them less frequently, cut down the photoperiod and continue with your oral b scrubbing and you should see some improvement. Or, ditch it and start over hehe

[TSUcowgirl]

Well, this is going to sound odd. But many of the most beautiful corals...give me the creeps. They're squishy...and ..well, I dunno. I'm going to have to find something that's pretty...But I ain't afraid to stick my hand in the tank with. lol

 

Oh, and also something that won't die everytime I sneeze around it. Eek.

 

Crakeer =)

Thats what I thought [that they stick to the class] but I thought they needed the uplift tubes. I'm learnin' more 'n more by the minute.

 

xoxox,

The Cowgirl.

[Jahkaya]

Crak:

 

Note edit.

I only have two fish. Fire fish and sixline. Now I am sure the GP's I am feeding do not help (Crazy polp extension, though).

 

Oh and don't worry. I will probably ditch it. You see in our 950sq ft apt, I have agreed to only have two tanks. So far 20H and 18H.

Since the 20 is so friggen tough to work on (I have to remove the entire canopy each time I need to tweak the tank, help out a coral or scrub algea) It will be upgraded to a 60 my friend has donated to me. 4x110 watt VHO and 2x250 MH. I hope I don't need a chiller. I just have to make the money to buy the rock and the new sickness will begin.

[Jahkaya]

"They're squishy"

 

Looks like we got ourselves an SPS freak.

 

Time to go Halide, my dear. Nothing squishy about extremely colorful hard Corals.

[Jahkaya]

sorry for the Trifecta, but:

 

Cowgirl, It is not the corals you need to worry about when you stick your hand in the tank.

[DeskJockey]

So Jahkaya knows exactly what I was trying to point out. Sorry Jahkaya I dont mean to use you as an example but you kinda fit.

 

TSUcowgirl - most of the corals you'll find in our nanos are pretty hardy so dont worry about them being fragile or anything. If you can pick up Bornemans book on aquarium corals....and take a look through the members tank forum to get an idea of what we keep.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/forumdispl...hp?s=&forumid=3

 

Crakeer....hehehe

[audi206rs4]

down boys... stick your damn tongues back in your mouths...

 

hahaha!

 

i've never seen you guys this patient and helpful w/ a beginner! tsucowgirl... you have got to look like alyssa milano or something cause they are all being way too helpful!

 

hahaha!

 

good luck with the tank girl, that is, if you get out of this forum alive!

[TSUcowgirl]

Well, I'm tip-toeing into this. Heck, I won't even swim in the ocean I'm so frightened of things that squirm. My old LR had bristle worms pop up and I about half died.

 

So. Hard Corals it is. And what not. I just hope I don't pick up a 'lil 'ole frag one day 'n crumble it to bits. :/

 

xoxox,

The [slightly nervous] Cowgirl.

[Crakeur]

nobody likes them squishy so treat them right and your corals will remain upright, sturdy and they should grow bigger with proper care.

 

ok, sexual innuendo off.

 

agreed on the halide thing. if you don't want "squishy" corals, what were you thinking?

[Crakeur]

bristle worms, snails, crabs, pods, will all be in the rock and sand. learn to deal or get a new hobby.

[DeskJockey]

>>Heck, I won't even swim in the ocean I'm so frightened of things that squirm. My old LR had bristle worms pop up and I about half died. <<

 

ahhhhhh man, I guess it was too good to be true =)

I thought you don't mind gettin' down and dirty

 

audi206rs4 - yeah its kinda bad huh? hahaha

 

Now tiny just has to show up hahahaha

[TSUcowgirl]

lol. Well, I dunno what exactly to say...but bless all your hearts and thank you, thank you!

 

-ahem-..btw..I'm like 5'4''...120...blonde hair, green eyes...I like long walks on the beach...non smokers...etc.. lol!

 

Mr. D.Jockey.

Yay! Thanks for the link, darlin =)

[TSUcowgirl]

Crakeer.

I'm dealing w/ the whole...squishy..factor. lol.

I really apprieciate your input. =)

And from here on out, I'll be less girly. I promise.