btldreef
Moderator
Originally Posted by Garick
http:///forum/post/3202457
Brown could just be diatoms. Or Coraline dieoff (if the rock was cured/dried and not cycled) Stringy stuff could just be things that were growing on the rock or something from a hitchhiker if the rock was cycled.
+1.
The rock looks cycled to me with all that coralline on it. %%
(Especially the second picture)
The stringy stuff is probably from hitchhikers or a little bit of dieoff.
I wish the pic was clearer, but I also know how hard it is to get pics some times. I wonder what others will have to say as well. The stringy stuff, can you see like the beginning and end of the string or can you only see one end? is it possible that it's the leg of a small brittle starfish? I had a ton in my LR.
http:///forum/post/3202457
Brown could just be diatoms. Or Coraline dieoff (if the rock was cured/dried and not cycled) Stringy stuff could just be things that were growing on the rock or something from a hitchhiker if the rock was cycled.
+1.
The rock looks cycled to me with all that coralline on it. %%
(Especially the second picture)
The stringy stuff is probably from hitchhikers or a little bit of dieoff.
I wish the pic was clearer, but I also know how hard it is to get pics some times. I wonder what others will have to say as well. The stringy stuff, can you see like the beginning and end of the string or can you only see one end? is it possible that it's the leg of a small brittle starfish? I had a ton in my LR.
D
deadly_legend
Guest
the rock was about $9 a lb because it was cycled, then again, thats only 10lbs of the 25lbs i have haha, all the other wasnt like that, and cheaper haha. but i cant see the end to the white string, because it wraps around and into another hole in the same rock lol, but i turned my ligts off and going to wait a bit then turn em on to see if i see any hitchhikers, if i do id be rather happy tbh
but, the string hasnt moved at all since yesterday, sooo could it still be a brittle star leg?
btldreef
Moderator
Originally Posted by Deadly_Legend
http:///forum/post/3202499
the rock was about $9 a lb because it was cycled, then again, thats only 10lbs of the 25lbs i have haha, all the other wasnt like that, and cheaper haha. but i cant see the end to the white string, because it wraps around and into another hole in the same rock lol, but i turned my ligts off and going to wait a bit then turn em on to see if i see any hitchhikers, if i do id be rather happy tbh
but, the string hasnt moved at all since yesterday, sooo could it still be a brittle star leg?
It might be.
Rather than turning the lights back on. Leave the lights off and shine a flashlight here and there in the tank. You'll be more likely to catch the hitchhikers. Once you turn the lights on, you'll only have a couple of seconds and then most will dodge back into the rocks.
The cured rock probably has hitchhikers in it.
http:///forum/post/3202499
the rock was about $9 a lb because it was cycled, then again, thats only 10lbs of the 25lbs i have haha, all the other wasnt like that, and cheaper haha. but i cant see the end to the white string, because it wraps around and into another hole in the same rock lol, but i turned my ligts off and going to wait a bit then turn em on to see if i see any hitchhikers, if i do id be rather happy tbh
It might be.
Rather than turning the lights back on. Leave the lights off and shine a flashlight here and there in the tank. You'll be more likely to catch the hitchhikers. Once you turn the lights on, you'll only have a couple of seconds and then most will dodge back into the rocks.
The cured rock probably has hitchhikers in it.
D
deadly_legend
Guest
Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3202534
It might be.
Rather than turning the lights back on. Leave the lights off and shine a flashlight here and there in the tank. You'll be more likely to catch the hitchhikers. Once you turn the lights on, you'll only have a couple of seconds and then most will dodge back into the rocks.
The cured rock probably has hitchhikers in it.
time to find the spot light i got for christmas
http:///forum/post/3202534
It might be.
Rather than turning the lights back on. Leave the lights off and shine a flashlight here and there in the tank. You'll be more likely to catch the hitchhikers. Once you turn the lights on, you'll only have a couple of seconds and then most will dodge back into the rocks.
The cured rock probably has hitchhikers in it.
time to find the spot light i got for christmas
btldreef
Moderator
Originally Posted by Deadly_Legend
http:///forum/post/3202538
time to find the spot light i got for christmas
LOL, that'll work. Just don't shine for too long in one spot, and give it a few secs between each spot you look at, especially if it's really bright.
Good luck
http:///forum/post/3202538
time to find the spot light i got for christmas
LOL, that'll work. Just don't shine for too long in one spot, and give it a few secs between each spot you look at, especially if it's really bright.
Good luck
D
deadly_legend
Guest
Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3202552
LOL, that'll work. Just don't shine for too long in one spot, and give it a few secs between each spot you look at, especially if it's really bright.
Good luck
well i tried several times to find any hitch hikers but i didnt see anything, tried last night and then this morning before i turned on the lights, so either idk what im looking for, or they are good hiders, or i dont have any lol, atleast thats what im believing currently
http:///forum/post/3202552
LOL, that'll work. Just don't shine for too long in one spot, and give it a few secs between each spot you look at, especially if it's really bright.
Good luck
well i tried several times to find any hitch hikers but i didnt see anything, tried last night and then this morning before i turned on the lights, so either idk what im looking for, or they are good hiders, or i dont have any lol, atleast thats what im believing currently
btldreef
Moderator
Originally Posted by Deadly_Legend
http:///forum/post/3202785
well i tried several times to find any hitch hikers but i didnt see anything, tried last night and then this morning before i turned on the lights, so either idk what im looking for, or they are good hiders, or i dont have any lol, atleast thats what im believing currently
Could really be any of those things, lol
I'd keep trying. As the cycle continues you "should" start to see more stuff.
http:///forum/post/3202785
well i tried several times to find any hitch hikers but i didnt see anything, tried last night and then this morning before i turned on the lights, so either idk what im looking for, or they are good hiders, or i dont have any lol, atleast thats what im believing currently
Could really be any of those things, lol
I'd keep trying. As the cycle continues you "should" start to see more stuff.
D
deadly_legend
Guest
well, i am seeing more and more shell bits and small rocks and stuff lol, and im happy just seeing the brown spots, to me that means i havnt messed up to terribly yet, espically since its my first tank lol. But i will keep trying to spot some new life.
AND also, i know this will cause problems, so just asking ahead of time, i used tap water, from the bathtub, since thats the only thing close enough to the tank to get water, but, i was curious as to how bad you think i'll have with algea, since it is tap water and has the chemicals that algea seems to enjoy lol. Also, should i continue feeding my pet rocks or no? i have been every day just a small amount of flake food that came with the tank and stuff. soooo just a few more questions i had
AND also, i know this will cause problems, so just asking ahead of time, i used tap water, from the bathtub, since thats the only thing close enough to the tank to get water, but, i was curious as to how bad you think i'll have with algea, since it is tap water and has the chemicals that algea seems to enjoy lol. Also, should i continue feeding my pet rocks or no? i have been every day just a small amount of flake food that came with the tank and stuff. soooo just a few more questions i had
btldreef
Moderator
.
Originally Posted by Deadly_Legend
http:///forum/post/3202825
well, i am seeing more and more shell bits and small rocks and stuff lol, and im happy just seeing the brown spots, to me that means i havnt messed up to terribly yet, espically since its my first tank lol. But i will keep trying to spot some new life.
just be patient and keep checking, I started to see the most life after about 2 weeks. It all depends on how long the LFS had the rock, and how it was shipped to them and how they cured it. The LFS that I bought my LR from gets their rock shipped damp so there is very little die off if any and the rocks are loaded with critters. If your LFS receives dry rock, there may not be many critters left. Sometimes you get some critters in the LS as well.
AND also, i know this will cause problems, so just asking ahead of time, i used tap water, from the bathtub, since thats the only thing close enough to the tank to get water, but, i was curious as to how bad you think i'll have with algea, since it is tap water and has the chemicals that algea seems to enjoy lol.
Did you add any sort of primer to the tap water? Chlorine kills. If you continue to use tap which I strongly discourage, you need to test for copper and use a primer such as SeaChem Prime. I highly recommend getting RO/DI water from you LFS if they sell it. If they don't, or you want some other ideas, e-mail me. As for algae growth, it all depends on your water quality.
Also, should i continue feeding my pet rocks or no? i have been every day just a small amount of flake food that came with the tank and stuff. soooo just a few more questions i had
I would not be adding food. You have no CUC so its going to throw off water parameters. You're really just creating food for algae. Any critters that may have come as hitchhikers will survive just eating what's in the water for now.
Originally Posted by Deadly_Legend
http:///forum/post/3202825
well, i am seeing more and more shell bits and small rocks and stuff lol, and im happy just seeing the brown spots, to me that means i havnt messed up to terribly yet, espically since its my first tank lol. But i will keep trying to spot some new life.
just be patient and keep checking, I started to see the most life after about 2 weeks. It all depends on how long the LFS had the rock, and how it was shipped to them and how they cured it. The LFS that I bought my LR from gets their rock shipped damp so there is very little die off if any and the rocks are loaded with critters. If your LFS receives dry rock, there may not be many critters left. Sometimes you get some critters in the LS as well.
AND also, i know this will cause problems, so just asking ahead of time, i used tap water, from the bathtub, since thats the only thing close enough to the tank to get water, but, i was curious as to how bad you think i'll have with algea, since it is tap water and has the chemicals that algea seems to enjoy lol.
Did you add any sort of primer to the tap water? Chlorine kills. If you continue to use tap which I strongly discourage, you need to test for copper and use a primer such as SeaChem Prime. I highly recommend getting RO/DI water from you LFS if they sell it. If they don't, or you want some other ideas, e-mail me. As for algae growth, it all depends on your water quality.
Also, should i continue feeding my pet rocks or no? i have been every day just a small amount of flake food that came with the tank and stuff. soooo just a few more questions i had
garick
Member
There are a few places to get a fair "RO/DI" system that will only run you about $90 for a single RO, double DI filter system at 100GPD. The biggest issue with tap is the Phosphates that they use to keep the water pipes from rusting.
Phosphates can feed many unwanted things, algae most of all and Cyno Bacteria (more like a red algae but still considered a bacteria) and these things can smother everything else in your tank along with being a pain to get out.
BTL is very right but always is
Feeding your live rock is like giving dog food to your driveway. IF all of your rock is cycled then its useless. Your best bet is to simply check your water params for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, phosphates, KH, PH and I think Calcium (Those last three to keep your coraline algae happy and growing).
Phosphates can feed many unwanted things, algae most of all and Cyno Bacteria (more like a red algae but still considered a bacteria) and these things can smother everything else in your tank along with being a pain to get out.
BTL is very right but always is
Feeding your live rock is like giving dog food to your driveway. IF all of your rock is cycled then its useless. Your best bet is to simply check your water params for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, phosphates, KH, PH and I think Calcium (Those last three to keep your coraline algae happy and growing).
btldreef
Moderator
Originally Posted by Garick
http:///forum/post/3202878
There are a few places to get a fair "RO/DI" system that will only run you about $90 for a single RO, double DI filter system at 100GPD. The biggest issue with tap is the Phosphates that they use to keep the water pipes from rusting.
Phosphates can feed many unwanted things, algae most of all and Cyno Bacteria (more like a red algae but still considered a bacteria) and these things can smother everything else in your tank along with being a pain to get out.
BTL is very right but always is Feeding your live rock is like giving dog food to your driveway. IF all of your rock is cycled then its useless. Your best bet is to simply check your water params for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, phosphates, KH, PH and I think Calcium (Those last three to keep your coraline algae happy and growing).
Thanks
http:///forum/post/3202878
There are a few places to get a fair "RO/DI" system that will only run you about $90 for a single RO, double DI filter system at 100GPD. The biggest issue with tap is the Phosphates that they use to keep the water pipes from rusting.
Phosphates can feed many unwanted things, algae most of all and Cyno Bacteria (more like a red algae but still considered a bacteria) and these things can smother everything else in your tank along with being a pain to get out.
BTL is very right but always is
Feeding your live rock is like giving dog food to your driveway. IF all of your rock is cycled then its useless. Your best bet is to simply check your water params for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, phosphates, KH, PH and I think Calcium (Those last three to keep your coraline algae happy and growing).Thanks
D
deadly_legend
Guest
alright well i will look into finding an RO unit for sale around here
And by any change, does anyone know how to build a sump/refuge? because i was thinking about trying to build one if i could find a way to...thought about buying one or two 10g tanks and turning them into one or the other.
Water Tests, the two i got from the LFS.
December 31 2009:
Nitrate - 8
Alkalinity- 3.5
Ammonia - 0
Salinity 1.028 (went home and switched out 2g of SW with FW)
Nitrite - 0
Ph - 8.15
Phosphate - 0
Calcium - 250
January 8 2010
Nitrate - 3
Alkalinity- 3.5
Ammonia - 0
Salinity 1.028 (Going to try and change out another 2g of water....otherwise dont know what to do)
Nitrite - 0
Ph - 8.20
Phosphate - .05
Calcium - 375
I also stopped feeding the rock, and took the hint not to do it from you all (oops) But, the white stringy thing has disappeared somewhere in the tank (no idea where) and the diatoms/brown stuff has been spreading to all my rocks and starting to spread to a spot in the sand now. Also was wondering what lighting i should get, this has been a big debate for me...its been either lighting or a tattoo for my bday, and i decided with lighting, since its more important to me, and was wondering what type of lighting to ask my mom/dad for. was thinking a 250w MH pendant that ive seen online, but not 100% sure how i would set it up... but any suggestions will help and be appreciated! but this is basically whats been going on this week.
Side note, rather off topic, but does anyone know that the little wrench symbol is in the car? because that light came on while i was driving to the LFS today (i figured it was because i was in the ice and snow)
when i left it wasnt on anymore, but just making sure thanks!
Water Tests, the two i got from the LFS.
December 31 2009:
Nitrate - 8
Alkalinity- 3.5
Ammonia - 0
Salinity 1.028 (went home and switched out 2g of SW with FW)
Nitrite - 0
Ph - 8.15
Phosphate - 0
Calcium - 250
January 8 2010
Nitrate - 3
Alkalinity- 3.5
Ammonia - 0
Salinity 1.028 (Going to try and change out another 2g of water....otherwise dont know what to do)
Nitrite - 0
Ph - 8.20
Phosphate - .05
Calcium - 375
I also stopped feeding the rock, and took the hint not to do it from you all (oops) But, the white stringy thing has disappeared somewhere in the tank (no idea where) and the diatoms/brown stuff has been spreading to all my rocks and starting to spread to a spot in the sand now. Also was wondering what lighting i should get, this has been a big debate for me...its been either lighting or a tattoo for my bday, and i decided with lighting, since its more important to me, and was wondering what type of lighting to ask my mom/dad for. was thinking a 250w MH pendant that ive seen online, but not 100% sure how i would set it up... but any suggestions will help and be appreciated! but this is basically whats been going on this week.
Side note, rather off topic, but does anyone know that the little wrench symbol is in the car? because that light came on while i was driving to the LFS today (i figured it was because i was in the ice and snow)
garick
Member
Lighting is based on what you plan on doing with your tank and your tank dimensions. If your tank is unusually deep more lighting will be needed to reach its depths if its shallow it can take less to do the same job. 250 watts is a lot for a 34 at almost 7 watts of light per gallon and overdoing the lighting can raise your temps especially using MH bulbs which might require you to find a way to cool the water even having to get a chiller or even cause coral bleaching if the corals are not properly acclimated.
Sounds boring or troublesome but researching the corals you want and checking their requirements can save you a lot of expense and costly losses in the future. Also MH bulbs cannot he handled by bare hands without reducing their lifespan or blowing them altogether (this includes getting water on them, residue and other stuff like dust).
T5's can do really well, any VHO's and even more toward the future they are working to make it so that LED's can provide immense lighting even more so than MH's and produce little to no heat and use far less energy (though right now there a little unstable and costly initially)
As for the salinity level. I find it best to go with allowing your salt to mix with your water overnight in a bucket adding it directly into the tank can burn things and may force the salt to break down very slowly over time keeping your SG higher than it should be. You can add in a heater if need be to make the water warm and use a powerhead to mix the water. After 24 hours you can use a hydrometer to check the levels to see if it suits you.
However to reduce your salt level, You must add in FRESH water. Trading salt water for salt water will take forever and may never reduce your salt level however diluting it with fresh will help lower it quickly.
Phosphates should be watched, they cause algae blooms so small water changes often can help, as well as using a RO/di filter, or filter media in your system that absorbs it (not %100 on this but certain macro algaes in a refuge can reduce nitrates and phosphates while keeping your main tank clean)
Sounds boring or troublesome but researching the corals you want and checking their requirements can save you a lot of expense and costly losses in the future. Also MH bulbs cannot he handled by bare hands without reducing their lifespan or blowing them altogether (this includes getting water on them, residue and other stuff like dust).
T5's can do really well, any VHO's and even more toward the future they are working to make it so that LED's can provide immense lighting even more so than MH's and produce little to no heat and use far less energy (though right now there a little unstable and costly initially)
As for the salinity level. I find it best to go with allowing your salt to mix with your water overnight in a bucket adding it directly into the tank can burn things and may force the salt to break down very slowly over time keeping your SG higher than it should be. You can add in a heater if need be to make the water warm and use a powerhead to mix the water. After 24 hours you can use a hydrometer to check the levels to see if it suits you.
However to reduce your salt level, You must add in FRESH water. Trading salt water for salt water will take forever and may never reduce your salt level however diluting it with fresh will help lower it quickly.
Phosphates should be watched, they cause algae blooms so small water changes often can help, as well as using a RO/di filter, or filter media in your system that absorbs it (not %100 on this but certain macro algaes in a refuge can reduce nitrates and phosphates while keeping your main tank clean)
D
deadly_legend
Guest
Originally Posted by Garick
http:///forum/post/3205073
Lighting is based on what you plan on doing with your tank and your tank dimensions. If your tank is unusually deep more lighting will be needed to reach its depths if its shallow it can take less to do the same job. 250 watts is a lot for a 34 at almost 7 watts of light per gallon and overdoing the lighting can raise your temps especially using MH bulbs which might require you to find a way to cool the water even having to get a chiller or even cause coral bleaching if the corals are not properly acclimated.
Alright, well, i really dont want to overheat the water or bleach the corals i plan on trying to get, so do you think a 150 watt fixture would probably be the best idea? and personally, id like to have 4 daylight and 4 actinic lights, and maybe even some lunar? but thats just what i was thinking. And i dont know the dimensions, because i didnt have a change to write them down on paper before the box of the tank got pitched, but i might be able to find them online somewhere, since ive sent alot of messages to friends on myspace and such lol.
Sounds boring or troublesome but researching the corals you want and checking their requirements can save you a lot of expense and costly losses in the future. Also MH bulbs cannot he handled by bare hands without reducing their lifespan or blowing them altogether (this includes getting water on them, residue and other stuff like dust).
Personally, i love doing research on this stuff. i absolutely love it..and basically its what i do at school if i have any down time (which is alot since i only have 3 classes i actually need, others are just because i cant come every other day currently) but, i've made the lists, and found the lighting needs, and several take low lights, but alot take high lighting, which are the ones there are more that i want to get (they outnumber the low light ones) and ruining a MH bulb doesnt sound to fun...thanks for the warning
T5's can do really well, any VHO's and even more toward the future they are working to make it so that LED's can provide immense lighting even more so than MH's and produce little to no heat and use far less energy (though right now there a little unstable and costly initially)
What size T5 do you think would work? im just worried about getting the right about of lighting, i know for sure its 30" " in length, found that from a message and because i was looking at a 30" Light and was told that the bulbs were a couple inches shorter than the actual 30"s, so i didnt get them when i could.
As for the salinity level. I find it best to go with allowing your salt to mix with your water overnight in a bucket adding it directly into the tank can burn things and may force the salt to break down very slowly over time keeping your SG higher than it should be. You can add in a heater if need be to make the water warm and use a powerhead to mix the water. After 24 hours you can use a hydrometer to check the levels to see if it suits you.
alright, well, i will do this when i do my water changes but, its rather late (oops....) since when i added the water the day i started my tank i just added the salt to tap water in a 1g jug (took a while to fill the tank) and mixed it with a wooden spoon until i couldnt see any crstyals on the bottom of the jug.
However to reduce your salt level, You must add in FRESH water. Trading salt water for salt water will take forever and may never reduce your salt level however diluting it with fresh will help lower it quickly.
Well, i did change out 2g of SW for 2g of freshwater the first time, but i guess my luck just fails, or because of what you said in the paragraph before its taking a while for all the salt to break down in the tank..probably the second one.
Phosphates should be watched, they cause algae blooms so small water changes often can help, as well as using a RO/di filter, or filter media in your system that absorbs it (not %100 on this but certain macro algaes in a refuge can reduce nitrates and phosphates while keeping your main tank clean)
Well, currently, i dont have a refuge...and would like one, yes but not sure how to go about getting one and setting it up and the costs. Also, as for watching the phosphates i will make sure to do that closely, and i have decided to get the RO/DI when i can find one that fits my budget
Also another question, you wouldnt happen to know a way to get rid of micro bubbles would you? because i keep getting more and more of them...i think its the powerhead or the filter causing them...not sure
http:///forum/post/3205073
Lighting is based on what you plan on doing with your tank and your tank dimensions. If your tank is unusually deep more lighting will be needed to reach its depths if its shallow it can take less to do the same job. 250 watts is a lot for a 34 at almost 7 watts of light per gallon and overdoing the lighting can raise your temps especially using MH bulbs which might require you to find a way to cool the water even having to get a chiller or even cause coral bleaching if the corals are not properly acclimated.
Alright, well, i really dont want to overheat the water or bleach the corals i plan on trying to get, so do you think a 150 watt fixture would probably be the best idea? and personally, id like to have 4 daylight and 4 actinic lights, and maybe even some lunar? but thats just what i was thinking. And i dont know the dimensions, because i didnt have a change to write them down on paper before the box of the tank got pitched, but i might be able to find them online somewhere, since ive sent alot of messages to friends on myspace and such lol.
Sounds boring or troublesome but researching the corals you want and checking their requirements can save you a lot of expense and costly losses in the future. Also MH bulbs cannot he handled by bare hands without reducing their lifespan or blowing them altogether (this includes getting water on them, residue and other stuff like dust).
Personally, i love doing research on this stuff. i absolutely love it..and basically its what i do at school if i have any down time (which is alot since i only have 3 classes i actually need, others are just because i cant come every other day currently) but, i've made the lists, and found the lighting needs, and several take low lights, but alot take high lighting, which are the ones there are more that i want to get (they outnumber the low light ones) and ruining a MH bulb doesnt sound to fun...thanks for the warning
T5's can do really well, any VHO's and even more toward the future they are working to make it so that LED's can provide immense lighting even more so than MH's and produce little to no heat and use far less energy (though right now there a little unstable and costly initially)
What size T5 do you think would work? im just worried about getting the right about of lighting, i know for sure its 30" " in length, found that from a message and because i was looking at a 30" Light and was told that the bulbs were a couple inches shorter than the actual 30"s, so i didnt get them when i could.
As for the salinity level. I find it best to go with allowing your salt to mix with your water overnight in a bucket adding it directly into the tank can burn things and may force the salt to break down very slowly over time keeping your SG higher than it should be. You can add in a heater if need be to make the water warm and use a powerhead to mix the water. After 24 hours you can use a hydrometer to check the levels to see if it suits you.
alright, well, i will do this when i do my water changes
but, its rather late (oops....) since when i added the water the day i started my tank i just added the salt to tap water in a 1g jug (took a while to fill the tank) and mixed it with a wooden spoon until i couldnt see any crstyals on the bottom of the jug.However to reduce your salt level, You must add in FRESH water. Trading salt water for salt water will take forever and may never reduce your salt level however diluting it with fresh will help lower it quickly.
Well, i did change out 2g of SW for 2g of freshwater the first time, but i guess my luck just fails, or because of what you said in the paragraph before its taking a while for all the salt to break down in the tank..probably the second one.
Phosphates should be watched, they cause algae blooms so small water changes often can help, as well as using a RO/di filter, or filter media in your system that absorbs it (not %100 on this but certain macro algaes in a refuge can reduce nitrates and phosphates while keeping your main tank clean)
Well, currently, i dont have a refuge...and would like one, yes but not sure how to go about getting one and setting it up and the costs. Also, as for watching the phosphates i will make sure to do that closely, and i have decided to get the RO/DI when i can find one that fits my budget
Also another question, you wouldnt happen to know a way to get rid of micro bubbles would you? because i keep getting more and more of them...i think its the powerhead or the filter causing them...not sure
garick
Member
What sort of filtration did you say you have? skimmers can create bubbles if they are just being broke in as well as returns and other filtration if it is getting air in the lines or breaking surface tension. I think this can be caused by having a higher protein content in your water making it so that bubbles have a stronger surface tension and do not pop (Might be from feeding your rock
) Getting rid of them is basically a matter of fixing or eliminating the source after that they should clear up but you might try just fanning the spots where they are to dislodge them and let them float away and pop at the surface of the water.
Dimensions of a tank are easy just measure left to right, front to back, top to bottom. This is to figure out what surface area your tank lights will need to cover because as your tank surface moves away from directly below your lights the wavelengths and strength can be greatly reduced. If however you are going for low light corals (LPS - Buttons and such) Major lighting will not be needed. If most of what your looking to have is high light. a 150 MH should do fine and you can get one of those that has a single or double MH with t5 bulbs and even moonlights all in one system (probably around $400 or better with all those options on one fixture) Your main concern with lighting is heat I think more than anything. Since high light corals can be acclimated into your lights up and down. However I think good t5's with VHO bulbs can match that light as long as the corals are up near the surface of the water closer to the lighting..
I think the best way to say it is Florescent lighting tends to distort the deeper into water it goes because it lacks focus so it does not have the penetration a MH or LED might. Whereas MH lights have MUCH stronger power and have special reflectors normally equipped so their wavelengths are able to penetrate much deeper hence why you use them on high light requirement corals or on tanks that are deep however you are trading efficency of power and low heat for a power hog that really puts out the heat. So if you can manage to get the same amount of penetration from a florescent as you would from a MH then the florescent would work just as well and with less heat.
As far as messing up bulbs. Normally a fixture or a bulb will come with a tool to make its changing easier and many MH light fixtures have glass or a compartment that houses the bulb protecting it from external problems so its no major issue.
Also I noticed your AK seems pretty low compared to your PH. Your dKH for a reef tank I believe to be around 8 to 12, however oddly enough it seems ph and alk are often very much related and affect one another unless your reading the test wrong and your CA needs to be around 400 to 500 for good coraline and coral health (again personal opinion). Are you using salt test kits or just walmart fresh water kits? a good test kit will be worth the money in the long run and save you from endless issues, problems, crashes and nightmares if used correctly PS phosphates in your tank can cause future issues.. I think it can stunt coral growth and stimulate bad algae and cyno to grow in your tank which can overtake everything and suffocate your good stuff to its end.
Finally, its just important to be patient. Have your tank ready before you invest in any corals, fish or otherwise. Make sure your readings are clean, you have a QT tank for fish and other inhabitants then let them remain there around 3 weeks in water from your DT if all is well then you can move them. a QT will save you much money and heartache in the long run. Oh and be sure to have extra RO water around in case you need to make emergency water changes. Personally I keep 20 gals of pure RO and 20 gals of Mixed water in case I need to make a major change to fix some issue with my water on either tank.
For corals your tank will require a higher water quality, for fish they can handle less than perfect water but either way.. just get your params right and know that it might take weeks or months depending on your equipment, water sources.
(If anyone thinks otherwise please feel free to correct me)
Dimensions of a tank are easy just measure left to right, front to back, top to bottom. This is to figure out what surface area your tank lights will need to cover because as your tank surface moves away from directly below your lights the wavelengths and strength can be greatly reduced. If however you are going for low light corals (LPS - Buttons and such) Major lighting will not be needed. If most of what your looking to have is high light. a 150 MH should do fine and you can get one of those that has a single or double MH with t5 bulbs and even moonlights all in one system (probably around $400 or better with all those options on one fixture) Your main concern with lighting is heat I think more than anything. Since high light corals can be acclimated into your lights up and down. However I think good t5's with VHO bulbs can match that light as long as the corals are up near the surface of the water closer to the lighting..
I think the best way to say it is Florescent lighting tends to distort the deeper into water it goes because it lacks focus so it does not have the penetration a MH or LED might. Whereas MH lights have MUCH stronger power and have special reflectors normally equipped so their wavelengths are able to penetrate much deeper hence why you use them on high light requirement corals or on tanks that are deep however you are trading efficency of power and low heat for a power hog that really puts out the heat. So if you can manage to get the same amount of penetration from a florescent as you would from a MH then the florescent would work just as well and with less heat.
As far as messing up bulbs. Normally a fixture or a bulb will come with a tool to make its changing easier and many MH light fixtures have glass or a compartment that houses the bulb protecting it from external problems so its no major issue.
Also I noticed your AK seems pretty low compared to your PH. Your dKH for a reef tank I believe to be around 8 to 12, however oddly enough it seems ph and alk are often very much related and affect one another unless your reading the test wrong and your CA needs to be around 400 to 500 for good coraline and coral health (again personal opinion). Are you using salt test kits or just walmart fresh water kits? a good test kit will be worth the money in the long run and save you from endless issues, problems, crashes and nightmares if used correctly PS phosphates in your tank can cause future issues.. I think it can stunt coral growth and stimulate bad algae and cyno to grow in your tank which can overtake everything and suffocate your good stuff to its end.
Finally, its just important to be patient. Have your tank ready before you invest in any corals, fish or otherwise. Make sure your readings are clean, you have a QT tank for fish and other inhabitants then let them remain there around 3 weeks in water from your DT if all is well then you can move them. a QT will save you much money and heartache in the long run. Oh and be sure to have extra RO water around in case you need to make emergency water changes. Personally I keep 20 gals of pure RO and 20 gals of Mixed water in case I need to make a major change to fix some issue with my water on either tank.
For corals your tank will require a higher water quality, for fish they can handle less than perfect water but either way.. just get your params right and know that it might take weeks or months depending on your equipment, water sources.
(If anyone thinks otherwise please feel free to correct me)
D
deadly_legend
Guest
Originally Posted by Garick
http:///forum/post/3205257
What sort of filtration did you say you have? skimmers can create bubbles if they are just being broke in as well as returns and other filtration if it is getting air in the lines or breaking surface tension. I think this can be caused by having a higher protein content in your water making it so that bubbles have a stronger surface tension and do not pop (Might be from feeding your rock
) Getting rid of them is basically a matter of fixing or eliminating the source after that they should clear up but you might try just fanning the spots where they are to dislodge them and let them float away and pop at the surface of the water.
currently its just the basic hangon filter that came with the tank, and i dont have a protein skimmer atm, its another thing on the list of things to get...but i turned up my powerhead just a few seconds ago, just to see what would happen, and a TON of bubbles shot out in a stream, filled my tank with tiny little bubbles lol. but, the filter pours the water back in (duh right? lol) and i think the water going back in is the cause of some of the bubbles...
http:///forum/post/3205257
What sort of filtration did you say you have? skimmers can create bubbles if they are just being broke in as well as returns and other filtration if it is getting air in the lines or breaking surface tension. I think this can be caused by having a higher protein content in your water making it so that bubbles have a stronger surface tension and do not pop (Might be from feeding your rock
currently its just the basic hangon filter that came with the tank, and i dont have a protein skimmer atm, its another thing on the list of things to get...but i turned up my powerhead just a few seconds ago, just to see what would happen, and a TON of bubbles shot out in a stream, filled my tank with tiny little bubbles lol. but, the filter pours the water back in (duh right? lol) and i think the water going back in is the cause of some of the bubbles...
garick
Member
Just pouring water back in should not hurt it nor cause bubbles. IF however your power head is pumping air (and its not just gathering it from your HOB) then you might wanna try to find out just why your powerhead is making bubbles.
I personally use 1-2 HOB filters on most of my tanks to add to the flow, water volume and bio filtration. I even allow my pumps once a week to FLOOD my tank with a billion tiny bubbles and in a matter of a few minutes those bubbles are all gone so this will have something to do with your equipment and possibly your water chemistry. That or your water movement MAY be insufficient in making your water move enough to keep those bad boys popping (personal thoughts no fact on this one) I just know that I let my tanks flood with micro bubbles and they ALL go away in moments once my pumps are back all the way under water.
on a side note, check this beauty out it lets you use T5 MH and leds even gives you a chance to spot your MH where you want :
I personally use 1-2 HOB filters on most of my tanks to add to the flow, water volume and bio filtration. I even allow my pumps once a week to FLOOD my tank with a billion tiny bubbles and in a matter of a few minutes those bubbles are all gone so this will have something to do with your equipment and possibly your water chemistry. That or your water movement MAY be insufficient in making your water move enough to keep those bad boys popping (personal thoughts no fact on this one) I just know that I let my tanks flood with micro bubbles and they ALL go away in moments once my pumps are back all the way under water.
on a side note, check this beauty out it lets you use T5 MH and leds even gives you a chance to spot your MH where you want :
D
deadly_legend
Guest
wow...how much is that light?