All Eclipse 12 users. (tank setup q's)

[Purple Haze]

About to setup an Eclipse 12...... (first sw tank btw)

 

I'm curious as to what everyone is using for;

 

1. Filtration

2. Circulation

 

Thanks for the help!

[Guest samson]

Well, I don't have a 12, but i have an Eclipse 2 over a 20gl. I am using 2 PHs, a Maxi jet 400 and a 600. The 600 cuts across the rock above the tank and the 400 is aimed down along the back wall behind the rock. I am using the filtration that came wiht the hood, but no filter media and no bio-wheel, so basically it si just for water moevement. Ocassionaly, maybe once a month i put carbon in there for 24-48 hours and then remove it. I also clean out the filter media bed of waste with a turkey baster. The waste can build up in there. That's about it besides LR, I have 27lbs and a 2.5" sand bed.

[Korbin]

I have the filter running and a minijet 404.

I took the carbon out of the filter pack and took out the bio wheel.

[chufa]

I have the filter running (with the carbon and the biowheel), plus one Rio 90 powerhead on the opposite side. 20 lbs of live rock and 20 lbs of live sand. No skimmer.

[Guest samson]

Chufa,

 

have you had the filter and bio-wheel running since setup? Do you see any effect on your nitrates? I can't get mine down past 20. I don't use either the filter or the bio-wheel.

[Korbin]

I have no nitrate problems using the filter floss w/o carbon.

[Guest samson]

do you wash out the filter floss or change it out monthly? do you Eclipse brand or buy generic floss?

[Korbin]

I use the filter pack that came with the eclipse. I wash out the floss once in awhile. Whenever it starts getting backed up with crud. Maybe once a month. You would be surprised how much brown water rinses out of those things.

[Guest samson]

I have used the filter with the carbon removed. i washed it it too and yes, there is some interested stuff that gets washed out!

 

I can't seemt o fiugure out my nitrate won't drop. Well, one reason suggested is that my rock is still experiencing die off. thetank is still relatively new, i started in March, so i guess that's possible. Anothr reason is over feeding, which I try my hardest not too. i also change water once a week at about 20%

 

I haven't had much luck keeping shrooms, they seem to just stay closed, i do have a feather duster and it's doing amazing well. I have not tried any other corals fo fear that they may not do well in the nitrate range i have. My brother-in-law keeps his 55gl wiht a variety of corals, anemome, plates, etc and his nitrate is at 40. So what's up wiht that>?

[Korbin]

How many fish do you have? I only fed my tank a little bit once a week before I got my fish. Even with my fish the nitrates are still low.

 

My tank had zero nitrates about 1.5 months after starting it. If yours has been running since March, the nitrates should have stabilized by now. It probably has something to do with too much bioload too soon.

 

Or maybe something died in the back of your tank. Like a snail. That happened in my 3 gallon, and my nitrates were through the roof even after like 30 25% water changes.

 

Maybe add some macro algae and harvest it once in awhile. I would get one of those floating clear plastic 'livebearer" fish breeding things and put the macro algae in that so it doesnt take over your tank.

[Guest samson]

I have had several deaths (a clown, a firefish and a cleaner shrimp) in the tank due to a power failure over a 100 degree July fourth weekend this summer.

 

At the moment, i have a cleaner shrimp, 1 banggai cardinal, 1 blue devil damsel and 1 psuedochromis....snails, hermits, etc.

 

I feed daily a mixture of homemade fresh fish, but very small amounts and they usually get it all.

 

I am overboard?

[chufa]

samson, sounds to me that you are overstocked. I keep only 2 fish, a yellow tail damsel and an ocellaris clown, both small. I think 2 fish is about max for a tank this size.

 

My nitrates are somewhat less than 20 ppm. I change the filter cartridge about every month. I had both the cartridge and biowheel running since setup. My tank is young (2 months), so I will give it more time before I worry about nitrate. Some people say 20 ppm is bad; some say it is not bad at all, even for corals and other inverts. So far I have not had any deaths or health problems, except for the frogspawn. But I think that the frog's problems are something else.

[Guest samson]

I figured i was borderline overstocked, but with weekly water changes i hoped to combat that issue.

[MrConclusion]

I have an eclipse-1 on a 10 gal tank, with retrofitted 2x28 watt PC lights. I use the built-in filter plus a Micro-Jet pump for circulation, which is moderate to low in this tank.

 

I use the bio-wheel, with no nitrate problems. I change 2 gallons per week (distilled + Reef Crystals), and I have some macro growth that gets exported from time to time.

 

I also use the marineland filter/carbon cartridges most of the time, I just remove (and take the opportunity to rinse it) when adding invert foods.

 

I guess I was a fish only guy for too long to be able to run without filtration. I'd have night terrors just thinking about it running with no media. Call me crazy. I'm just proud that I've resisted the urge to put a skimmer on that tank!