starting over

gus1225 · 03/05/2006, 07:39 AM

I completely tore down my 29g reef tank back in october. I was just never happy with the way it looked and I had serious algae problems that nothing would get rid of. I really miss it now, so decided to start all over again. I would love to have some ideas or pics if anyone else has a 29g. I would also like some suggestions on where to order coral online.

This is the equipment I have for my tank:

aqua-c remora skimmer
orbit lighting 2 65w with moonlights
ebojager heater
phosban reactor
several powerheads

I was previously using oceanic salt, but I think I'm going to try something else.

Thanks,

Michele

LOTUS50GOD · 03/05/2006, 07:51 AM

Algea was not a factor of your salt... Do you have a RO/DI unit? Algea is a consumer of nitrates.... Keep your nitrates to a minimum and you will not have an algea problem.

How old are you bulbs? What kelvin rating are they?
Nitrates + bad bulbs = algea everytime....

ek9vboi · 03/05/2006, 07:51 AM

good luck! took me a while to get my aquascape looking decent and nice.

Once I start to introduce corals and a few fishes, it will look better. Oh yeah make sure you get 1 white and 1 blue bulb so that u can have a 3 stage lighting system.

moon -> antics -> antic & whites -> antics -> moons -> off

fishman805 · 03/05/2006, 07:52 AM

Glad you're reconsidering and starting over... I was going to put up a shot of my 37gal reef tank ( which was also a "start over" ) but realized I have no "new" pictures.... Although a little taller than a 29gal, it's still got the same dimensions length and width wise.... Here's just a taste of my "starting over" ..... I will post pictures of how it looks today ....just a few months later...

Bob

gus1225 · 03/05/2006, 08:00 AM

I've replaced the bulbs every six months, I have an rodi filter - 0 tds. I was testing my tank regularly nitrates = 0, phosphates = 0, silicates = 0. I have no idea about the kelvin rating - how do I find that out? Thanks for the replies

LOTUS50GOD · 03/05/2006, 08:09 AM

In laymens terms the kelvin rating (K) will measure the amount of blue in the bulb... most aquariums will have a K rating of at least 10k up to 20k....

With 0 nitrates it would be very difficult for algea to grow, what test kit were you using.... I have seen variation of results from test kit to test kit.... The one I use is Salifert and seem to have good results

gus1225 · 03/05/2006, 08:18 AM

All my test kits are from salifert. Even though the ones I had been using were still good, I ordered new ones but still got the same results. This was why I took down the tank. There was no explanation why I had so much algae. I'm hoping that by starting over I will avoid this problem.

fishman805 · 03/05/2006, 08:33 AM

I was in the same boat you were.... litterally

I thought I had done everything right and still had algae out the whazoo..... What I did the second time around was to put all the LR in a 30gal rubbermaid can with a lid on it and left the rock in there for about a month ( after cleaning it off by swishing it around in fresh SW ) I had a powerhead and a heater in the tub with the rock and that's it.... I wanted to clean off the rock of any algae... It worked for me and after setting it up again ( as you can see in the pic ), I had a clean slate starting out.... The tank has been running for several months and I've had "NO" algae.... I did not really have any diatoms either....

I am planning on posting some "today" pics so you can see how my method worked out for me.... I think your phosban reactor is a good idea too... although you can also use it as a place to run carbon as well ....

I'm running a large 24" HOB fuge as well as running a Fluval 404 canister filter on this tank ... I put a MaxJet 600 on the back of the tank behind the LR blowing up to keep dutritus from accumulating and I only put the sand around the front and sides of the LR but not under it..... ( for what it's worth ... )

Bob

fishman805 · 03/05/2006, 12:59 PM

Her are the pictures of how the tank looks today.... And here's a link to my thread on the tank

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=661818

Here are the pics....

Bob

gus1225 · 03/05/2006, 06:27 PM

I was thinking about getting a HOB fuge. How do you like yours? I was a little worried about the weight of it and the tank cracking. Do you think it's worth the extra money? I don't dare put a fuge under the tank because I live in an upstairs apartment and if it would overflow I'd be in serious trouble.

I've also been considering using VHOs instead of PCs. I'm very confused about the whole lighting issue. Everyones opinions are so different. Any recommendations from experience using either of these would be very helpful.

Michele

fishman805 · 03/06/2006, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gus1225
I was thinking about getting a HOB fuge. How do you like yours? I was a little worried about the weight of it and the tank cracking. Do you think it's worth the extra money? I don't dare put a fuge under the tank because I live in an upstairs apartment and if it would overflow I'd be in serious trouble.

I've also been considering using VHOs instead of PCs. I'm very confused about the whole lighting issue. Everyones opinions are so different. Any recommendations from experience using either of these would be very helpful.

Michele

Well to answer your first question about the weight of the HOB fuge. The way it's designed kind of negates the "cracking" concern since the weight is distributed across the whole back of the tank and is held steady on four points.... I really don't think it's a concern at all.. at least I've not seen any problems....

As far as the VHO's ver. PC's.?? You're going to have a hard time finding a 30" fixture that uses VHO's... You could retro-fit anything to fit your needs and I have considered making a lighting fixture using 2 150watt MH's and 2 96watt PC's with a couple of moonlights thrown in for good measure or just going with a 36" pre-made fixture, but then I'd have to contend with 3" hangover on each side which IMO would look kinda hoaky.... I really don't know why the manufacturers have not come up with any more 30" lighting fixtures then they have

There are alot of us that use 29/37gal tanks for reefs and would really prefer something more intense but 130watts so far seems to be working for me....

Bob

gus1225 · 03/06/2006, 09:24 PM

Today at petsmart I saw an oceanic 50g show tank that is 30" long but higher and deeper. I live in an apartment and the tank would have to be 30" or less. I'm thinking of maybe selling the 29g tank, stand, and lighting and going with that instead. I'm wondering if maybe my algae problem was caused by the pc's even though my bulbs were replaced every 6 months - so I think I would go with the vho's and retro-fit a hood. The 24" bulbs are 75w each. I'm still trying to figure out how many bulbs I would need to keep mainly soft corals. Would I need a fan for the hood? I'm not sure how hot vho bulbs get. Decisions, decisions.

Michele

OnTheReef · 03/06/2006, 09:59 PM

If your power compacts get smoking hot (and most will without ample ventilation and cooling fans), their spectrum will degrade rapidly which will encourage algae growth. But most algae problems resolve back to nutrients of one kind or another: dissolved organics, detritus in dead spaces in the circulation system, light falling on nutrient rich areas such as the bottom of overflows which continually reseed the algae are all sort of "hidden" algae problems I have had to contend with in the past.

03/05/2006, 07:39 AM	#1
gus1225 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 105	starting over I completely tore down my 29g reef tank back in october. I was just never happy with the way it looked and I had serious algae problems that nothing would get rid of. I really miss it now, so decided to start all over again. I would love to have some ideas or pics if anyone else has a 29g. I would also like some suggestions on where to order coral online. This is the equipment I have for my tank: aqua-c remora skimmer orbit lighting 2 65w with moonlights ebojager heater phosban reactor several powerheads I was previously using oceanic salt, but I think I'm going to try something else. Thanks, Michele

03/05/2006, 07:51 AM	#2
LOTUS50GOD Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,210	Algea was not a factor of your salt... Do you have a RO/DI unit? Algea is a consumer of nitrates.... Keep your nitrates to a minimum and you will not have an algea problem. How old are you bulbs? What kelvin rating are they? Nitrates + bad bulbs = algea everytime.... __________________ Vertex Alpha 300 Skimmer, AI SOL Blue, Neptune Apex Controlled 360 gallon Reef Current Tank Info: born 6/26/2008- 340 reef + 100 fuge, 300lbs of figi LR

03/05/2006, 08:09 AM	#6
LOTUS50GOD Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,210	In laymens terms the kelvin rating (K) will measure the amount of blue in the bulb... most aquariums will have a K rating of at least 10k up to 20k.... With 0 nitrates it would be very difficult for algea to grow, what test kit were you using.... I have seen variation of results from test kit to test kit.... The one I use is Salifert and seem to have good results __________________ Vertex Alpha 300 Skimmer, AI SOL Blue, Neptune Apex Controlled 360 gallon Reef Current Tank Info: born 6/26/2008- 340 reef + 100 fuge, 300lbs of figi LR

03/06/2006, 09:59 PM	#13
OnTheReef Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 340	If your power compacts get smoking hot (and most will without ample ventilation and cooling fans), their spectrum will degrade rapidly which will encourage algae growth. But most algae problems resolve back to nutrients of one kind or another: dissolved organics, detritus in dead spaces in the circulation system, light falling on nutrient rich areas such as the bottom of overflows which continually reseed the algae are all sort of "hidden" algae problems I have had to contend with in the past. __________________ 100 gallon reef tank, 40 gallon sump/fuge combo with RDSB 2x ASM G2 with gate valve mod TLF phos reactor w/Rowaphos, Seachem Nitrate sponge 4x55w 50/50 actinic PC Current USA 0 amm, 0 nitrite, 0 n Current Tank Info: 50 & 100 gallon reef tanks

03/05/2006, 07:51 AM	#3
ek9vboi Registered Member. Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: South FL Posts: 3,027	good luck! took me a while to get my aquascape looking decent and nice. Once I start to introduce corals and a few fishes, it will look better. Oh yeah make sure you get 1 white and 1 blue bulb so that u can have a 3 stage lighting system. moon -> antics -> antic & whites -> antics -> moons -> off

03/05/2006, 07:52 AM	#4
fishman805 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Middle Georgia area Posts: 2,189	Glad you're reconsidering and starting over... I was going to put up a shot of my 37gal reef tank ( which was also a "start over" ) but realized I have no "new" pictures.... Although a little taller than a 29gal, it's still got the same dimensions length and width wise.... Here's just a taste of my "starting over" ..... I will post pictures of how it looks today ....just a few months later... Bob

03/05/2006, 08:00 AM	#5
gus1225 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 105	I've replaced the bulbs every six months, I have an rodi filter - 0 tds. I was testing my tank regularly nitrates = 0, phosphates = 0, silicates = 0. I have no idea about the kelvin rating - how do I find that out? Thanks for the replies

03/05/2006, 08:18 AM	#7
gus1225 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 105	All my test kits are from salifert. Even though the ones I had been using were still good, I ordered new ones but still got the same results. This was why I took down the tank. There was no explanation why I had so much algae. I'm hoping that by starting over I will avoid this problem.

03/05/2006, 08:33 AM	#8
fishman805 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Middle Georgia area Posts: 2,189	I was in the same boat you were.... litterally I thought I had done everything right and still had algae out the whazoo..... What I did the second time around was to put all the LR in a 30gal rubbermaid can with a lid on it and left the rock in there for about a month ( after cleaning it off by swishing it around in fresh SW ) I had a powerhead and a heater in the tub with the rock and that's it.... I wanted to clean off the rock of any algae... It worked for me and after setting it up again ( as you can see in the pic ), I had a clean slate starting out.... The tank has been running for several months and I've had "NO" algae.... I did not really have any diatoms either.... I am planning on posting some "today" pics so you can see how my method worked out for me.... I think your phosban reactor is a good idea too... although you can also use it as a place to run carbon as well .... I'm running a large 24" HOB fuge as well as running a Fluval 404 canister filter on this tank ... I put a MaxJet 600 on the back of the tank behind the LR blowing up to keep dutritus from accumulating and I only put the sand around the front and sides of the LR but not under it..... ( for what it's worth ... ) Bob

03/05/2006, 12:59 PM	#9
fishman805 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Middle Georgia area Posts: 2,189	Her are the pictures of how the tank looks today.... And here's a link to my thread on the tank http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=661818 Here are the pics.... Bob

03/05/2006, 06:27 PM	#10
gus1225 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 105	I was thinking about getting a HOB fuge. How do you like yours? I was a little worried about the weight of it and the tank cracking. Do you think it's worth the extra money? I don't dare put a fuge under the tank because I live in an upstairs apartment and if it would overflow I'd be in serious trouble. I've also been considering using VHOs instead of PCs. I'm very confused about the whole lighting issue. Everyones opinions are so different. Any recommendations from experience using either of these would be very helpful. Michele

03/06/2006, 09:24 PM	#12
gus1225 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 105	Today at petsmart I saw an oceanic 50g show tank that is 30" long but higher and deeper. I live in an apartment and the tank would have to be 30" or less. I'm thinking of maybe selling the 29g tank, stand, and lighting and going with that instead. I'm wondering if maybe my algae problem was caused by the pc's even though my bulbs were replaced every 6 months - so I think I would go with the vho's and retro-fit a hood. The 24" bulbs are 75w each. I'm still trying to figure out how many bulbs I would need to keep mainly soft corals. Would I need a fan for the hood? I'm not sure how hot vho bulbs get. Decisions, decisions. Michele