well, sence my 29 is a nano...........

firedad720

firedad720

Member
i have a couple of ???'s, that i've asked before but can't seem to get anwsered.
i want to up grade my lighting, i have a florecent (sp?) with a 50/50 bulb just added 2 weeks ago. but i am lost on the different types and uses of lights. anyone give me any ideas?
also i am haveing a problem with nitrates, emperer 400 as filter. would adding a fuge help this? is a fuge just live sand 5-6 inches and live rock pluse plumbing of course? or is there more that needs to go into a fuge to work.
thanks rick
 
sammystingray

sammystingray

Active Member
Lighting depends on what types of things you want to keep in the tank.
The fuge?.......Macro algae.....this is mostly why fuges need light. Macro algae will use nitrates and phosphates for fertilizer, and as you trim back the algae to sell or throw away....you are removing pollution from the water.....excellent choice to use one. Fuges also provide excellent places for pods and such to breed, and this creates plankton for the tank. Not to mention that a fuge will add water volume to make the tank more stable.
 
zack schwartz

zack schwartz

Active Member
HEY
Lighting for your tank as sammy said depends on what you want. You could try a PC hood if you wanted to keep softies or even maybe an lps. MH if you wanted to go all out with clams and sps.
The lighting you have now could work great with the fuge. I found a problem with cyano in my tank and added a refugium and now it is all gone :)
 
grouperhead

grouperhead

Active Member
A perfect fuge for your tank would be one of those little 7g mini-bows. The light they come with isn't the best, but you can replace it with a higher wattage pc bulb to ensure growth of macro. Get a little sanbad, some lr rubble, and chaetomorpha ssp. (won't reproduce.)
I've been looking at a 175w mh setup for my 20 for a long time now. I have a 65w pc smartlite on it now, and it's not the best of lights for what I want to do.
With mh lights, you would have no problems with clams, sps, and lps. They could be too strong for some softies though. VHO could be used in the same manner as the mh, but there is a big debate on thriving/surviving with clams and sps under VHO.
The big question on lighting is what YOU want to do. If you want mainly softies, you don't need VHO or mh, but if you want clams, the stronger lighting is a must. What fish are currently in the tank?
Bo
 
grouperhead

grouperhead

Active Member
I mainly want a clam (or two.) Possibly a few sps frags (humilis, samoensis, a few others..), a brain, and some blastos. Maybe a few zoo colonies as well. But as I said, I really would like a nice maxima and probably a good looking squammy. Bo
 
firedad720

firedad720

Member
thanks sammy, zack & Bo.
sammy do you buy the micro algae, or does it appear like diotombs(sp?) did.
Bo i have a orange perk, maroon clown, and a fire shrimp. my trates stay around 20 give or take. they only drop between 15 - 20 when i do a 4 gallon water change once a week. i was feeding twice a day, and my trates were 40. i only feed once a day( to much still?) now.
i want to add 1 more fish and 2-3 more shrimps. i wasn't sure of the bio load, so i will add the fuge first to lower the trates. i hope they lower anyways. the fish will be either a golby of fire fish.
as for corals i have a rock with mushrooms right now, they are in the process of turning back to green. they had been brown, untill i changed bulbs. i still have a lot of research to do, before i will know what coral and anenimies(sp?) i want to keep. my tank is just over 3 months old, so i want to wait awhile before i add any of them. just want to get ready for when my tank matures.
thanks rick
 
firedad720

firedad720

Member
also i was thinking of useing a 20-25 gallon plastic tub for my fuge that way i almost double my water amount in the system. any suggestions for or against would be happily considered.
thanks rick
 
zack schwartz

zack schwartz

Active Member
Macro algae is something you can buy from most lfs it is usually called calurpa, Bang guy has a lot i believe, check in the classafieds.
 
overanalyzer

overanalyzer

Active Member
I have 150 watts of VHO lighting over my 20 gallon now - bought a workhorse balast (WH7) from local place and run two 24" bulbs. I grow some different types of algeas in my tank - a nice red one that kickster gave me and a hunk of halimeda - since adding the halimeda I have 0 trates - and I figure whatever calcium it sucks up I replace in my weekly water changes. PLanning on maybe getting a squamosa clam eventually .... ways down the line .....
I have a blasto frag that has grown nicely.
 
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