REEF Noob!

rchilders01 · 04/08/2013, 04:34 PM

Ok, so here is my first post!

Specs:

46g Bowfront
55lbs LRock
CPR Back pack Hob Skimmer
Marineland 36"-48" Reef ready Led
Reef Keeper Lite controller

Water Para.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium 480 ppm
Phos .25 ppm
PH 7.9 - 8.2
Alk 11

So, I started this tank first week of March with cured live rock, fluval 406 cannister and sea clone 100. I ditched the cannister filter cause it was a pain in the rear and could eventually store nitrates (which scared me). Than i ditched the Sea Clone cause its a serious piece of crap. I bought cured live rock from the LFS and cycled. I got my first HA bloom and detritus bloom a couple weeks ago.

Now I just have my liverock and skimmer. I do not have a sump and I stock 2 Clowns. 1 Frogspawn and 1 Trumpet coral. I am swithing up the lighting at the end of the month to be able to accomodate sps cause my marineland light is poop too! My question is my build for my sump I am having done by Lifereef in Sept. I am seeing after the Hair Algea disappeared I am growing a green slime type algea on the rocks. I use my lighting 12hrs a day than switch to moons at night as my PH swings still quite a bit. I watch my feeding usually some cyclo-peez every 3 days and than pellets in morning and some brine shrimp at night.

As I'm adding nutrients I do not have a way of exporting them. Besides the lighting what can I use to get rid of this Algea. Reason why I am getting the Kessils as well is that I can run them on my RKL which I can use to maybe run the lights 10hrs. I have a feeling this and maybe some slight overfeeding is the issue. What can i do to export nutrients. I do not want to get a fuge and have no place to grow cheato. I was gonna put a phosphate reactor and GFO in the sump but I wont have that till sept.

Any ideas on where I should go from here this algea looks like crap! Dont get me wrong it's not to crazy but I don't want It getting out of hand. Oh, and I forgot to add I bought a spectrum Ro/Di! So no tap water but I did start the tank with Tap.

Thanks,

Ron

gonefishing99 · 04/08/2013, 06:10 PM

some snails would help.

kjardine519 · 04/08/2013, 06:17 PM

Starting the tank with tap water isn't helping tour problem, that will increase algae for sure, plus there may be traces of copper in the water which is bad for the coral. How long after the initial fill did you use tap water

rchilders01 · 04/09/2013, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjardine519

Starting the tank with tap water isn't helping tour problem, that will increase algae for sure, plus there may be traces of copper in the water which is bad for the coral. How long after the initial fill did you use tap water

Never, I bought a spectrum and have done water changes with ro/di ever since. However, I have figured out what it is. Green coraline algea! After two weeks of research I looked at many photos and tried ro scrub it off with a new tooth brush. Nothing happened. Snails do not take care of it so I have come to the conclusion its not slime its actually good stuff. Its brite lime green.

Cymonous · 04/09/2013, 07:30 AM

That is good to hear it is coraline. You may end up with some algae though if you don't export those nutrients. You may also want to cut down your lighting to at most 9 hours a day for your main lights.

You could build your own sump with a regular tank and add baffles instead of waiting till sept. This way, you can get a skimmer added to your tank sooner than later.

rchilders01 · 04/09/2013, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cymonous

That is good to hear it is coraline. You may end up with some algae though if you don't export those nutrients. You may also want to cut down your lighting to at most 9 hours a day for your main lights.

You could build your own sump with a regular tank and add baffles instead of waiting till sept. This way, you can get a skimmer added to your tank sooner than later.

I have a CPR backpack that is producing wonderful amounts of skimmate. I blow off my rocks daily and than skim wet. Checked 48 hrs after my last water change and phosphate still reads .25. The problem with building my own sump is that I don't really trust any pre filters. The tank is obviously not drilled so after doing a lot of research and obviously having crappy dimensions cause of the Euro tank, Jeff @ lifereef will be charging me a nice chunk of change for a custom build with a new skimmer (which is set and forget from what i read). Aside from all that I'm putting money away for those new Kessil 360N which I am very excited about. To top that off I blew about 400 bucks on crappy lighting and "THE DREADED SEACLONE"

So, for now does everything seem safe with this skimmer and live rock only? I have a CUC which consists of 15 Blue legged Hermits and a Peppermint and 15 Astria snails they been in about 3 weeks now. Fish going strong about 3 weeks as well. Only shift Im seeing is the PH swing. Which, as of the last water change I started using a buffer in my water to help maintain it as it likes to drop to sometimes as low at 7.7 @ night. Oh, and I forgot to mention I'm using argonite about 2 inch sand bed.

The plan is Kessil by beginning of May 2 a360N and berlin sump in Sept. with new in sump skimmer. The guy i bought the back pack off modded it with a needle wheel and some beast pump. (not sure what it is but its a powerhouse).

coralsnaked · 04/09/2013, 09:56 AM

So it looks like you will be trading the HOB filter/skimmer for a HOB overflow? Then building your own sump and adding a new skimmer. Sounds great! A simple 3 compartment sump with 2 baffles should do it for you. Some people like a sock drop and others wet to dry sponge. But basically you want the water to fall into 1st compartment then up flow to the next so the baffle between should be perorated at the bottom accomplish this. Then the water should overflow into the 3 compartment so the baffle should be perforated at the top to accomplish this. To combat the PO4 I would add a GFO / GAC reactor to the sump as well as a skimmer.

rchilders01 · 04/09/2013, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coralsnaked

So it looks like you will be trading the HOB filter/skimmer for a HOB overflow? Then building your own sump and adding a new skimmer. Sounds great! A simple 3 compartment sump with 2 baffles should do it for you. Some people like a sock drop and others wet to dry sponge. But basically you want the water to fall into 1st compartment then up flow to the next so the baffle between should be perorated at the bottom accomplish this. Then the water should overflow into the 3 compartment so the baffle should be perforated at the top to accomplish this. To combat the PO4 I would add a GFO / GAC reactor to the sump as well as a skimmer.

That is correct it will be a variation of this without the chiller coils http://www.lifereef.com/lg_ber3.jpg. Than with the lights and the reactors I am assuming I should be good to go on the big money items for awhile. I'm crossing fingers. I am hoping i don't have to spring for a chiller this summer but if the power was to go out on an extremely hot day I could be screwed. So in essence yes, I will need the Hob filter that I am buying from Jeff as well. What do you think on the chiller? And can I hold of on getting the reactors till I put the sump in if my PO4 stays low? I can't get the sump built till Sept. So, I have about 6 months of running the system this way. The only thing I will be adding is the Kessills on a DA RKL controller. This way I have full control of the lighting and timers without being home. Right at the moment I work and lights are on from 7am to 7pm

Jstdv8 · 04/09/2013, 11:53 AM

In the meantime if you have no other filtration its water changes, water changes, water changes.
MY LFS has a 150g tank that has no mechanical filtration at all. Just a sump full of cheato and chulerpa, and he does a weekly 20% water change.
This tank is set up like this on purpose to show you what different filtration is possible.

04/08/2013, 04:34 PM	#1
rchilders01 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 12	REEF Noob! Ok, so here is my first post! Specs: 46g Bowfront 55lbs LRock CPR Back pack Hob Skimmer Marineland 36"-48" Reef ready Led Reef Keeper Lite controller Water Para. Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 Calcium 480 ppm Phos .25 ppm PH 7.9 - 8.2 Alk 11 So, I started this tank first week of March with cured live rock, fluval 406 cannister and sea clone 100. I ditched the cannister filter cause it was a pain in the rear and could eventually store nitrates (which scared me). Than i ditched the Sea Clone cause its a serious piece of crap. I bought cured live rock from the LFS and cycled. I got my first HA bloom and detritus bloom a couple weeks ago. Now I just have my liverock and skimmer. I do not have a sump and I stock 2 Clowns. 1 Frogspawn and 1 Trumpet coral. I am swithing up the lighting at the end of the month to be able to accomodate sps cause my marineland light is poop too! My question is my build for my sump I am having done by Lifereef in Sept. I am seeing after the Hair Algea disappeared I am growing a green slime type algea on the rocks. I use my lighting 12hrs a day than switch to moons at night as my PH swings still quite a bit. I watch my feeding usually some cyclo-peez every 3 days and than pellets in morning and some brine shrimp at night. As I'm adding nutrients I do not have a way of exporting them. Besides the lighting what can I use to get rid of this Algea. Reason why I am getting the Kessils as well is that I can run them on my RKL which I can use to maybe run the lights 10hrs. I have a feeling this and maybe some slight overfeeding is the issue. What can i do to export nutrients. I do not want to get a fuge and have no place to grow cheato. I was gonna put a phosphate reactor and GFO in the sump but I wont have that till sept. Any ideas on where I should go from here this algea looks like crap! Dont get me wrong it's not to crazy but I don't want It getting out of hand. Oh, and I forgot to add I bought a spectrum Ro/Di! So no tap water but I did start the tank with Tap. Thanks, Ron Last edited by rchilders01; 04/08/2013 at 04:48 PM.

04/09/2013, 07:30 AM	#5
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	That is good to hear it is coraline. You may end up with some algae though if you don't export those nutrients. You may also want to cut down your lighting to at most 9 hours a day for your main lights. You could build your own sump with a regular tank and add baffles instead of waiting till sept. This way, you can get a skimmer added to your tank sooner than later. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

04/09/2013, 09:56 AM	#7
coralsnaked Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin / Port Aransas, TX Posts: 1,479	So it looks like you will be trading the HOB filter/skimmer for a HOB overflow? Then building your own sump and adding a new skimmer. Sounds great! A simple 3 compartment sump with 2 baffles should do it for you. Some people like a sock drop and others wet to dry sponge. But basically you want the water to fall into 1st compartment then up flow to the next so the baffle between should be perorated at the bottom accomplish this. Then the water should overflow into the 3 compartment so the baffle should be perforated at the top to accomplish this. To combat the PO4 I would add a GFO / GAC reactor to the sump as well as a skimmer. __________________ Merry Skerry Current Tank Info: 1 G Nano jellyfish to 1200 G Bull Nose FOWLR featuring large Holacanthus and Pomacanthus

04/08/2013, 06:10 PM	#2
gonefishing99 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 20	some snails would help.

04/08/2013, 06:17 PM	#3
kjardine519 question master Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 121	Starting the tank with tap water isn't helping tour problem, that will increase algae for sure, plus there may be traces of copper in the water which is bad for the coral. How long after the initial fill did you use tap water

04/09/2013, 11:53 AM	#9
Jstdv8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 1,420	In the meantime if you have no other filtration its water changes, water changes, water changes. MY LFS has a 150g tank that has no mechanical filtration at all. Just a sump full of cheato and chulerpa, and he does a weekly 20% water change. This tank is set up like this on purpose to show you what different filtration is possible.