switching, not upgrading

[crunk]

well in a way it is an upgrade. i want to move everything from my FW stock 10 gallon with everything from my reef flat-back hex. i either want to move over my 96 watt retro or buy a 70 watt Mh set-up. do you think this is a good idea? the reason for this move is the depth (front to back). in the reef tank, there is only space to go up, but in the stock 10, i can put rocks in back and front, not just a "wall." any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated. thanks.

-crunk

[Steve973]

What types of animals will you be keeping in it? That will be a factor that will determine your lighting situation. Or you lighting situation will determine what animals you keep. If your FW tank has ever been treated with a copper-based medication, don't use it for a reef tank. Since it's a 10 gallon tank and they are extremely cheap, why take the chance? You could get a new one and be absolutely sure.

[crunk]

i don't want to buy a new ten gallon because i alredy have a ten gallon i can swith with. plus, the flat-back has a stand and overflow on it and i can't just put this one to the side. it's kind of confusing, but do you get what i'm saying.

[crunk]

anybody else have some thoughts on this topic?

[crunk]

well i did it. water is still cloudy so i don't quite know what it looks like yet. soon i will be adding a 4.16 liter fuge. now i got to build a canopy and figure out where i can get some of the suction cups to hold on a rio 600.

[crunk]

does anybody know where to get the suction cups for a rio 600 or have some extra ones somewhere.

[crunk]

well i guess this forum was a dud.

[bikinibottom]

I don't think you were very clear on what you're trying to accomplish. No one knows what you had in your old tank, or what you're putting in your new tank. The forum is definitely going to be a dud for you if people are forced to guess what you're talking about.

[crunk]

can you help me be more specific. i was basically asking for advise on an easy way to take all the FW stuff out if a ten gallon tank and switch it with the contents of a flat-back hex ten gallon tank. in the ten gallon flat-back hex, i had a RBTA, ric, shrooms, zoos, featherduster, and a false perc, and a yasha hase goby.

 

i switched it all and everything is doing good and i'd like to post a pic, but still working on the rocks.

 

also, i still need to find a suction cup so i can stick my rio 600 on the glass and not on a pile of rocks.

 

if anybody has questions or suggestions, please post.

[bikinibottom]

The concern mentioned above is that the tank that was holding your freshwater stuff may be contaminated with copper, which invertibrates can't tolerate. If you ever dosed your freshwater tank with medications then it's likely that there was copper in the medications. Even if you wash the tank out very well, copper can reside in the silicone and then leach out into the water later, slowly poisoning your animals. I would get a copper test and then test at least once a week to make sure that copper isn't in there.

 

My other concern would be that there will be a small cycle if the LR was out of the water for any amount of time. Additionally, the sand bed was disturbed and may need to re-establish itself. I'd keep a close eye on the water parameters during the next week or two. If ammonia and nitrites start going up, make small water changes so you can save your animals.

 

As for the suction cups, there is usually an order form in the box for suction cups that fit the particular powerhead. Since you probably don't have the box and order form anymore I'd look somewhere like Marine Depot and see if they sell them separately.

[crunk]

i recently bought the standard ten gallon so i know it isn't contaminated and the live rock was out of the water for a second because i put it in a bucket. good idea about marine depot, i haven't checked there.

[crunk]

i'm almost done with my canopy, i started when i got home and now i just need to paint it.

[bladze]

ummm 70W mh is plenty of light. I have on my 12 gal and it is bright.

[crunk]

i think i'm going to stick with my pc since i can't find a cheap 70 ballast and i don't want a 150 watter because that's just silly.

[yoshiod9]

i'd rock a 150 20k over a 10g anyday. but seeing how i have an excess of 70w bulbs, i have to stick with that. =) the cheapest you'll be able to pick up a 70w ballast is around 50-60 bucks. about a year or so ago they were going for like 30-40...damn capitalists!

[crunk]

i'm trying to find one for around $50 near mw so i wouldn't have to pay for shipping.

[crunk]

me*

[superman]

i am now superman and nolonger shall be known as crunk

[superman]

alright, some action. after this thread went boring, i didn't pay much attention, but now i'm back. so a couple of things have happened, my feather duster lost its feathers because a rock fell on him and sand got down his tube. also, mt anemone went cruising around last night, wound up next to the powerhead and is now missing abot 1/4 of its tenticals and 1/10 of its foot. luckily it didn't get it to badly but that is only because while this was going on, my clownfish was asleep in the anemone and got sucked over the powerhead intake causing it to not be as powerful and the anemone moved away.

 

couple of questions, i'm running carbon and did a 50% waterchange, how long before i can add another clown and how long do you think it'll take to get healed and for the duster to get its feathers back?

[superman]

any thoughts, i was planning on going to the lfs to get some corals and inverts but now i'm kind of rethinking it now.

[superman]

just got back from the lfs, i got a horseshoe crab (tiny little guy), a combo zoo rock, and a clam. the guy at the lfs had it in a nano cube dx and it was doing fine on the sand so i took it and i plan on putting it on some rocks. it's a red with faint brown and i'm going to try to keep it from going brown. wish me luck.

[Withers]

That horseshoe crab probably won't make it, but you're welcome to try.

 

How big is the clam? If he's pretty small, you will need to dose phytoplankton for him to feed on. Good luck.

[superman]

he's around 3" and i will feed him and put him as close to my 128 watts as possible. the lfs had him in the tank for around 2 monthes in the sand so i think he'll be fine.

 

why don't you think the crab will make? there is lots of stuff for it to it on my sand bed.

 

also just found a flower anemone hitchiker. it's about the size of a quater. seems like a got a good deal at the lfs today.

[superman]

i've been acclimating for a little over an hour and i'm going to put the specimens in my tank soon. i also got a pound of the finest live rock i have seen for sale while i was there. i think i got a small sun coral hitchiker and another rock was almost covered in halimeda.

[superman]

i just put everything in and it looks great. the clam opened right up and looks happy. i'll be recording my experiences with the clam over the next few weeks on this forum.