Another Newbie

sandy1

sandy1

New Member
Can someone answer this question please. I am setting a new SW 55 gallon tank and want to be able to add corals at a later date. I have a CPR HOB Aquafuge with a built in skimmer. I have an Odyssea EX350 powerhead, will it work for this purpose and will that be enough skimming. I will be using live rock and live sand also. Thank you for any advice. Sandy
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandy1 http:///t/397154/another-newbie#post_3538857
Can someone answer this question please. I am setting a new SW 55 gallon tank and want to be able to add corals at a later date. I have a CPR HOB Aquafuge with a built in skimmer. I have an Odyssea EX350 powerhead, will it work for this purpose and will that be enough skimming. I will be using live rock and live sand also. Thank you for any advice. Sandy

Hello Sandy,

You need to consider the type of corals you want to shoot for... The light will be the most expensive piece of equipment on a reef.
 
sandy1

sandy1

New Member
I have a Marineland reef capable LED 48". I bought it some time ago but I am just getting started. I am open to suggestions on some of the easier corals to add when the water is stable.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandy1 http:///t/397154/another-newbie#post_3538860
I have a Marineland reef capable LED 48". I bought it some time ago but I am just getting started. I am open to suggestions on some of the easier corals to add when the water is stable.


Hi,

Are you ever planning to get SPS corals? Mushroom coral is easy but later on the SPS corals can't be with them. Easy corals are soft corals, mushroom, Kenya tree, Frog spawn, hammer and bubble corals to name just a few.

Get this book:


here is a sample page, click on it to enlarge it enough to see
 
sandy1

sandy1

New Member
Thanks for the info, I will check out the book. Did you have an opinion on the HOB CPR refugium question.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandy1 http:///t/397154/another-newbie#post_3538977
Thanks for the info, I will check out the book. Did you have an opinion on the HOB CPR refugium question.

Hi,

Sorry no, I have no experience with any of those brands on that equipment. The way I see it, any refugium is a good refugium IMO. I looked real hard at the CPR HOB, but went with the in-tank one instead...it was a great little fuge, and did exactly as it was supposed to. I gave one away, and then realized a few months later I needed it again, and re-purchased it. I don't use it at the moment, but I figure I better hang onto it.

The fact that I re-purchased the CPR in-tank fuge is testimony on how good it worked. So if the HOB is anything like the in-tank for quality, you should be pretty happy with it.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Quote:Originally Posted by sandy1 http:///t/397154/another-newbie#post_3538977
Thanks for the info, I will check out the book. Did you have an opinion on the HOB CPR refugium question.

I will not comment on that particular refugium.
But in general a refugium full of macro algaes will be the most important peice of equipment IMHO.
On my old 55g for instance I just crammed in 1/4" plastic grid lighting diffusers (egg crate) 3" in front of the back glass.
So the area between the back glass and egg crate formed a protected area where macros and pods thrived.
and also added a couple of 4' 2 tube utility shoplights behind the tank pointing forward.
in 3 weeks nitrates droped (from 80ppm-160ppm) to unmeasurable. Phosphates a few weeks later.
Meanwhile the fish like my tangs were constantly grasing on the macros the poked through the egg crate.
the tank ran for 6 years with no water changes, landscape rocks, sand and crushed coral, diy 2 part dosing for cal/alk/mag, and using untreated tap water.
still just my .02
 
scottbert

scottbert

Member
So is macro algae just as important in a reef tank as a FOWLR tank? I've got my 90g that I plan having a few tangs plus some other fish with coral. I like that egg crate idea as described above. I have power heads and a canister filter. Sounds like a pretty simple DIY project though. I take it that it can't do any harm? What are pods anyways?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottbert http:///t/397154/another-newbie#post_3539052
So is macro algae just as important in a reef tank as a FOWLR tank? I've got my 90g that I plan having a few tangs plus some other fish with coral. I like that egg crate idea as described above. I have power heads and a canister filter. Sounds like a pretty simple DIY project though. I take it that it can't do any harm? What are pods anyways?


Hi,

If you plan on corals, it's best to keep macroalgae in a refugium, they grow and could cover corals or take up space where you want to put corals, so having a little chamber for the macros to call their home is a good idea. Macroalgae are a natural sea plant (for lack of a better way of putting it), so they need light....they live on the nasty stuff that poisons our tanks...ammonia, phosphates, nitrites, and nitrates. They absorb that from the water to be able to grow...so the more nasty stuff in your tank, the faster it will grow. When you prune it down and remove the extra new growth (called harvesting) ... you actually are removing the stuff it absorbed to grow, out of your system.

In a FOWLR tank, there are decorative macros you can get. They grow slower, and add color and character to the tanks rock work. Some Macros are food for tangs, so if you keep them, you need a macro they don't like to eat. Check out Golf coast Ecosystems....they even have a little on-line book, so you can read up on the macro and it's care.

Your "live" rock, is sea rock with tiny living critters making a home in it. Copepods, isopods, amphipods, bristle worms, sea slugs and tiny micro serpent stars to name a few..... The fish love to nip and nibble them for snacks, they eat the wasted food that falls in the rock, and detritus and they love to live in macroalgae...thus keeping your tank all clean and healthy. The more live critters in the rock and sand, the better.
 
scottbert

scottbert

Member
So because I have tangs, will they eat some of the micro algae....I think my lfs has cheato (sp?) algae....will that be good for all?
 
socalnano24

socalnano24

Active Member
Chaeto is a great macro algae for a refugium. I am not familiar with fish eating it, but its great for pulling out phosphates and nitrates as flower described.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottbert http:///t/397154/another-newbie#post_3539052
So is macro algae just as important in a reef tank as a FOWLR tank? I've got my 90g that I plan having a few tangs plus some other fish with coral. I like that egg crate idea as described above. I have power heads and a canister filter. Sounds like a pretty simple DIY project though. I take it that it can't do any harm? What are pods anyways?
IMHO do it. I was totally amazed on the results.

Post are small "bugs" (grammarus is one) that fish like to eat.
 
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