NEWBIE 200 gal build diary
- Thread starter rlablan
- Start date
bullitr
Active Member
if you invest on a larger skimmer rated for 4 x more if possible and also add more flow to the bottom of the tank. by doing this i believe you don't have to do a lot of water change!i used to change my water every 4- 6 months with no issues not algae bloom and i clean my glass every 4 days or so! currently i have a lot of sps but i have not do any water change for a while because most of my corals are thriving .salt are very expensive!
rlablan
Active Member
Yes salt is expensive!! and I buy the cheapy stuff!! lol
We plan to get a skimmer that is rated for like 300 gallons but it is this italian made really expensive yada yada yada monster..... It's like 500 bucks though and I only see them on the REALLY NICE setups.... nothing gets past this bad boy and it's been recommended to me many times. We plan to order it in the spring if we can wait that long... I just need to start my new job..... no more fish tank stuff besides salt, and food until then. lol
I have also already redirected my flow and how that that will start to do the trick... I can't seen a real change though? Honestly, I have some phosphate sponge in the tank, I think I will put more...
I also think that it is coming up on my time to change the RO DI filter. It's been about a year since we moved in and installed it. Do you replace those every year? right?
I dk.... I am just getting really frustrated with waiting for the stinking company to ship that mop! They get 1 more day (tomorrow) and then I am filing a claim through visa... I paid for faster shipping and it's been a week!!!! 2-3 business days my bum!
credit card FTW!
We plan to get a skimmer that is rated for like 300 gallons but it is this italian made really expensive yada yada yada monster..... It's like 500 bucks though and I only see them on the REALLY NICE setups.... nothing gets past this bad boy and it's been recommended to me many times. We plan to order it in the spring if we can wait that long... I just need to start my new job..... no more fish tank stuff besides salt, and food until then. lol
I have also already redirected my flow and how that that will start to do the trick... I can't seen a real change though? Honestly, I have some phosphate sponge in the tank, I think I will put more...
I also think that it is coming up on my time to change the RO DI filter. It's been about a year since we moved in and installed it. Do you replace those every year? right?
I dk.... I am just getting really frustrated with waiting for the stinking company to ship that mop! They get 1 more day (tomorrow) and then I am filing a claim through visa... I paid for faster shipping and it's been a week!!!! 2-3 business days my bum!
credit card FTW!
bullitr
Active Member
Originally Posted by rlablan
http:///forum/post/3138624
Yes salt is expensive!! and I buy the cheapy stuff!! lol
We plan to get a skimmer that is rated for like 300 gallons but it is this italian made really expensive yada yada yada monster..... It's like 500 bucks though and I only see them on the REALLY NICE setups.... nothing gets past this bad boy and it's been recommended to me many times. We plan to order it in the spring if we can wait that long... I just need to start my new job..... no more fish tank stuff besides salt, and food until then. lol
I have also already redirected my flow and how that that will start to do the trick... I can't seen a real change though? Honestly, I have some phosphate sponge in the tank, I think I will put more...
I also think that it is coming up on my time to change the RO DI filter. It's been about a year since we moved in and installed it. Do you replace those every year? right? %%
I dk.... I am just getting really frustrated with waiting for the stinking company to ship that mop! They get 1 more day (tomorrow) and then I am filing a claim through visa... I paid for faster shipping and it's been a week!!!! 2-3 business days my bum!
credit card FTW!
i used I/O $ 40 per box makes 200 gallons
buy a msx 300 its has a italian sicce 2500 pumps great skimmer it used to have one its only $400 !
check you tds reading if above 10ppm its time to change it some people think its already too high (most change their at 2- 5 ppm) but i am cheap.hehehehehe
http:///forum/post/3138624
Yes salt is expensive!! and I buy the cheapy stuff!! lol
We plan to get a skimmer that is rated for like 300 gallons but it is this italian made really expensive yada yada yada monster..... It's like 500 bucks though and I only see them on the REALLY NICE setups.... nothing gets past this bad boy and it's been recommended to me many times. We plan to order it in the spring if we can wait that long... I just need to start my new job..... no more fish tank stuff besides salt, and food until then. lol
I have also already redirected my flow and how that that will start to do the trick... I can't seen a real change though? Honestly, I have some phosphate sponge in the tank, I think I will put more...
I also think that it is coming up on my time to change the RO DI filter. It's been about a year since we moved in and installed it. Do you replace those every year? right? %%
I dk.... I am just getting really frustrated with waiting for the stinking company to ship that mop! They get 1 more day (tomorrow) and then I am filing a claim through visa... I paid for faster shipping and it's been a week!!!! 2-3 business days my bum!
credit card FTW!
i used I/O $ 40 per box makes 200 gallons
buy a msx 300 its has a italian sicce 2500 pumps great skimmer it used to have one its only $400 !
check you tds reading if above 10ppm its time to change it some people think its already too high (most change their at 2- 5 ppm) but i am cheap.hehehehehe
jar_lou
New Member
I had a TERRIBLE cyno outbreak, sand, rocks, even some coral's started to get covered. I got some phosban, and also some phophate removal sponge that you could cut to size. Also did 75% water changes 4 times in 2 weeks. Come to find out the MH bulbs I had JUST put in, were not producing at the right spectrum, used my friends light measuring device to figure that out(can't remember what it was called) anyways, I put in some new and "better" MH bulbs, and in 2 weeks, it was all almost gone. Of course I did more water changes, fed less, and syphoned out whatever I could. Cyno SUCKS!!! Water temp and flow are also big culprits in cyno. Not sure what you have circulating in your tank, but from what I have read you haven't had cyno probs before, so your water flo is probably fine. Do you check your RODI water for nitrates before you put it in?
rlablan
Active Member
Jar- I did check it a long time ago... I haven't recently.... My nitrates are like between 0-5, always.
Where can you get 200 lbs of IO salt? I just buy it by the bucket but it only does 160 gallons and it's 55 bucks!
I don't have a device to check my lights... the bulbs are new so... I dk... My corals certainly like the light though.
I do have phosphate sponge granules that are in a bag...
I plan on doing another water change in a few days, on schedule and diong some more syphoning.
My tank looks so bad!!!!
Thanks for the info Jar! I appreciate it!
Where can you get 200 lbs of IO salt? I just buy it by the bucket but it only does 160 gallons and it's 55 bucks!
I don't have a device to check my lights... the bulbs are new so... I dk... My corals certainly like the light though.
I do have phosphate sponge granules that are in a bag...
I plan on doing another water change in a few days, on schedule and diong some more syphoning.
My tank looks so bad!!!!
Thanks for the info Jar! I appreciate it!
lareefkeeper
New Member
I just found this thread and read it all. I am sorry to hear about you troubles with your system but your brother is right it happens to us all and as long as you learn from it, then it's worth it. To toss in my .02 cents, I would not add any further live stock until you get these ich/disease issues resolved; otherwise you will continue to lose live stock and more importantly money!!
+1 on the MSX skimmer, I have the 200 model on my 180 and it works great (make sure if your placing it in your sump that it is at a working water level of 8" or no deeper than 9". Many will tell you that your skimmer is your life source and frankly I haven't seen anything that contradicts it.
Lastly, really do your homework on the fish. DO NOT IMPULSE BUY!!!! It will burn you in the end. There are a lot of great articles on the web talking about how best to introduce multiples of species together so they best get along. Stick with it, you clearly have the drive and the knowledge will continue to come with the mistake/emergencies.
1 day of planning and research will save you countless hours/days of messing with your system instead of enjoying it. GOOD LUCK!
+1 on the MSX skimmer, I have the 200 model on my 180 and it works great (make sure if your placing it in your sump that it is at a working water level of 8" or no deeper than 9". Many will tell you that your skimmer is your life source and frankly I haven't seen anything that contradicts it.
Lastly, really do your homework on the fish. DO NOT IMPULSE BUY!!!! It will burn you in the end. There are a lot of great articles on the web talking about how best to introduce multiples of species together so they best get along. Stick with it, you clearly have the drive and the knowledge will continue to come with the mistake/emergencies.
1 day of planning and research will save you countless hours/days of messing with your system instead of enjoying it. GOOD LUCK!
rlablan
Active Member
LA-
HAHAHA he is not my brother
That made me laugh....
Thanks for the comment! I really like to hear what people think about it all, so thanks again for sharing.
The ich problem is under control... It was actually just a bacteria infection and the whole trigger with ich..it wasn't ich.... That's a different story. haha..... poor achilles tang...
The cyano sucks but it's okay... it is a learning experience and it is truly a good lesson. Taught me to feed less and change more water, scrub a little more and change things that needed changing.
There will be a skimmer purchase but again, not until incomes are stable again (for me.)
I think I can live without it and if it isn't working, then... I guess I will have to order one. boo...
When the skimmer is purchased, we are also changing some things... We are thinking of either upgrading the sump pump and the closed loop pump, or just upgrading the sump pump and then getting a wave maker setup of some sort... The only one I've researched is the koralia set up that uses regular power heads.... We will see... and any suggestions on that would be great!
I CLEANED THE ACRYLIC!!! IT"S BRIGHT AND SHINY!!!!
HAHAHA he is not my brother
That made me laugh.... Thanks for the comment! I really like to hear what people think about it all, so thanks again for sharing.
The ich problem is under control... It was actually just a bacteria infection and the whole trigger with ich..it wasn't ich.... That's a different story. haha..... poor achilles tang...
The cyano sucks but it's okay... it is a learning experience and it is truly a good lesson. Taught me to feed less and change more water, scrub a little more and change things that needed changing.
There will be a skimmer purchase but again, not until incomes are stable again (for me.)
I think I can live without it and if it isn't working, then... I guess I will have to order one. boo...
When the skimmer is purchased, we are also changing some things... We are thinking of either upgrading the sump pump and the closed loop pump, or just upgrading the sump pump and then getting a wave maker setup of some sort... The only one I've researched is the koralia set up that uses regular power heads.... We will see... and any suggestions on that would be great!
I CLEANED THE ACRYLIC!!! IT"S BRIGHT AND SHINY!!!!
marchingbandjs
Member
sounds good... i think ima move my DT thread somewhere i get no view where it is... i have a lot to update but theres no point now lol... strangely my cyano is dying .... lol its almost completely gone and i did nothing
rlablan
Active Member
Well, I thought that cyano would eventually die off once it used all of the food in the water? I dk... But I removed like tons last night and then I did a 50 gallon water change instead of 20. I changed my filter media and it was sooo nasty! I just put that media in like 8 days ago... I guess I will need to change the media that often, until I get a skimmer.
Oh well! My tank is clean now and that is all I care about! It looks awesome... I got so tired of seeing it all brown and nasty and disgusting.
Who wants pics of new aquascaping and fishes?!?!
Oh well! My tank is clean now and that is all I care about! It looks awesome... I got so tired of seeing it all brown and nasty and disgusting.
Who wants pics of new aquascaping and fishes?!?!
marchingbandjs
Member
me
melypr1985
Member
i do! i do!
lareefkeeper
New Member
Hope you had a good dinner, and glad to hear your tank is clean again. In regards to your upgrade question I think it is always good unless your turnover is something ridiculous like 30x your volume. I use 3 Maxi Jet 1200's with the Sure Flow 1600 upgrades (2100 gph/ each) and they are hooked up to a Red Sea Wavemaster Pro. All in all it only costs about $250 and that buys all equiptment listed above. Food for thought, good luck with your project!
rlablan
Active Member
I know, I know... no pictures... few reasons why... for some reason my photo software decided to be a brat and the pics aren't coming out right... my poor mac...
and also.... I am frustrated!!!!
I finally bought a phosphate testing kit and I do not have any phosphates... It's like barely above zero.. but I still have tons of cyano!!!
I am manually removing it the most that I can... EVERYDAY!! And it's back... I do have phosphate sponge in the sump and I am also running carbon.
I have cut down my feeding to once a day, some times not even that. And I am feeding 1 cube of either angel formula or emerald entree soaked in multi vitamin solution.... I leave the sump off during feeding but the closed loop and koralia on and I watch carefully to make sure all food is eaten, only adding a little at a time. I also put very small pieces of seaweed in the clips almost every day, once a day. I have approximately 11 small fish (most under 3 inches, 2 of them are about 5 inches).
Can't someone tell me what I am doing or not doing to get rid of this cyano... I don't know what to do to get rid of it and it doesn't seem to get any better!!!!
and also.... I am frustrated!!!!
I finally bought a phosphate testing kit and I do not have any phosphates... It's like barely above zero.. but I still have tons of cyano!!!
I am manually removing it the most that I can... EVERYDAY!! And it's back... I do have phosphate sponge in the sump and I am also running carbon.
I have cut down my feeding to once a day, some times not even that. And I am feeding 1 cube of either angel formula or emerald entree soaked in multi vitamin solution.... I leave the sump off during feeding but the closed loop and koralia on and I watch carefully to make sure all food is eaten, only adding a little at a time. I also put very small pieces of seaweed in the clips almost every day, once a day. I have approximately 11 small fish (most under 3 inches, 2 of them are about 5 inches).
Can't someone tell me what I am doing or not doing to get rid of this cyano... I don't know what to do to get rid of it and it doesn't seem to get any better!!!!
melypr1985
Member
i feel your pain. I too battle the cyano algea. but what can ya do? I haven't found anything that works yet.. sooo.....
rlablan
Active Member
Yeah, everytime I feel like I am making head way, I wake up the next day and it's worse!!! I just remove more and try again... I have replaced the phosphate sponge and all that numerous times to avoid it releasing more phosphates... I just don't know what to do... and not there is this stuff with the green cyano and I just don't know what to do.... argh!! I don't even know what the green stuff is?!?! It's in my sand!!
melypr1985
Member
there is apparently a chemical that alot of the local guys around me have used and none have had any problems with their livestock and corals afterwards. most of them used it like 6-8 months ago and still haven't had a problem with their cyano aglae coming back. I will look back and find out what the name of it is. I plan on using it in my tank too. these are all people that say "never use chemicals!" but they all say this is one chemical they will use no mater what anybody sais.
Pretty good reviews in my oppinion.
Pretty good reviews in my oppinion.