Bifferwine
I am a girl
Yay! Fish can be real jerks sometimes, can't they?
Leslee's 29gal
- Thread starter Leslee
- Start date
Rcpilot
Reef enthusiast
IT'S ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!!! :^:
Really cool!! Thought she was surfing the great magic carpet in the sky for eternity and - POOF - she shows up again!!
It's gonna be a good day tater.......
Really cool!! Thought she was surfing the great magic carpet in the sky for eternity and - POOF - she shows up again!!
It's gonna be a good day tater.......
Smitty
Reef pro
Wow, I'm happy for you!
U4BOYZ
Got Fish?
Glad Margarita has reappeared. Maybe she was hiding because she was hungover. She is a margarita afterall! Hehehe
yote
In Memoriam
Glad to hear Margarita finally decided to quit shackin up and come back:D
Thats good news.
Thats good news.
Leslee
Reef enthusiast
I am SO sick of cleaning the HOB filters! I am supposed to be spending time enjoying my tank and not scrubbing the pain in the neck filters!
If I get a HOB skimmer, is that enough as far as filtration goes? I have about 45 lbs of live rock in the tank.
I have an iron stand and a sump just wont work right now. I am still nervous about having to figure out an overflow box and all of that!
I saw Margarita again today and boy did she eat like a piggie! When I dont have to go to grad school after work I get home earlier and I usually see her for a bit! But now popsicle is hiding a lot too! I wish I didn't have 2 super shy fish!
If I get a HOB skimmer, is that enough as far as filtration goes? I have about 45 lbs of live rock in the tank.
I have an iron stand and a sump just wont work right now. I am still nervous about having to figure out an overflow box and all of that!
I saw Margarita again today and boy did she eat like a piggie! When I dont have to go to grad school after work I get home earlier and I usually see her for a bit! But now popsicle is hiding a lot too! I wish I didn't have 2 super shy fish!
Reefrookie
Not so new anymore!
A HOB skimmer would work fine for you. And like you said, it would be a lot less work.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
An HOB skimmer would take the place of all your other filters. Just avoid the junk brands like Sea Clones and Red Sea Prizms.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
bjohanson1234
.........
I just got an Octo BH2000. It is overkill for the tank but It will also move to any larger tank I get down the road. There is a BH1000 model that is rated for I believe 75 gallons or so.
Brian
Brian
Leslee
Reef enthusiast
Well today was a day of a lot of work on the tank!
I went to ACE and got the hose I needed to get to connect to my drain fitting on my new Aqua C protein skimmer. I decided to go with this one over the Octopus skimmer that Brian suggested because the tank is in my bedroom and noise was an issue. I am thinking about the Octopus skimmer for the 22 gal nano cube I have.
I tested the water on my tank:
Salinity: 1.023 (should I raise this?)
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 160 :grumble:
Ammonia: 0
pH: 7.8
I did a 13 gal water change and when the water settles I will retest. Then I hooked up the new protein skimmer and put in place of one of the three HOB filters I have. I cleaned the 2 remaining HOB filters and changed their carbon. I figure I will ease out of them.
The skimmer isn't producing any bubbles into the stem of the collection cup. Is that because it is still breaking in?
I need to start to think about new lights for the tank. I want to start in the wonderful world of corals and I need to get a good light! I also want to buy a refractometer. I know I need one of those! I am also thinking about buying more live rock for the tank. I have about 45 lbs now I think I lost count. But I think I could use a little more.
I went to ACE and got the hose I needed to get to connect to my drain fitting on my new Aqua C protein skimmer. I decided to go with this one over the Octopus skimmer that Brian suggested because the tank is in my bedroom and noise was an issue. I am thinking about the Octopus skimmer for the 22 gal nano cube I have.
I tested the water on my tank:
Salinity: 1.023 (should I raise this?)
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 160 :grumble:
Ammonia: 0
pH: 7.8
I did a 13 gal water change and when the water settles I will retest. Then I hooked up the new protein skimmer and put in place of one of the three HOB filters I have. I cleaned the 2 remaining HOB filters and changed their carbon. I figure I will ease out of them.
The skimmer isn't producing any bubbles into the stem of the collection cup. Is that because it is still breaking in?
I need to start to think about new lights for the tank. I want to start in the wonderful world of corals and I need to get a good light! I also want to buy a refractometer. I know I need one of those! I am also thinking about buying more live rock for the tank. I have about 45 lbs now I think I lost count. But I think I could use a little more.
VAreef
Reefing newb
wow I didn't know nitrates could go to 160. 1.023 is fine on salinity you can bring it up slowly by adding 1.025 salinity water in the many water changes you need to do to get the nitrates down LOL. I suspect your HOB filter may be causing you this problem though and once you get the skimmer and sump broke in and a few water changes done your tank is gonna be much more healthy.
andysgirl8800
Blenny Badlands
Wow. Nitrates 160? Have you got any inverts left? Nitrates take some work to bring down, but keep up with the improvements and you'll get there before you know it! I would also bring salinity up a smidge, slowly.
Leslee
Reef enthusiast
My inverts are all alive and well! Luckily!
I just retested and I got it down to 40. I am thinking I miss read and it was at 80? I am making 4 more gallons of water right now. Do you think it is better for me to just add it after it has been mixing for a few hours, or just wait?
You will probably laugh at me but I use an old HOB filter to mix my salt water. I took all the filters out so it just sucks the water up and it comes out. It is a filter for a 30 gallon tank so the water moves a decent amount. i don't have an extra powerhead for it.
I just retested and I got it down to 40. I am thinking I miss read and it was at 80? I am making 4 more gallons of water right now. Do you think it is better for me to just add it after it has been mixing for a few hours, or just wait?
You will probably laugh at me but I use an old HOB filter to mix my salt water. I took all the filters out so it just sucks the water up and it comes out. It is a filter for a 30 gallon tank so the water moves a decent amount. i don't have an extra powerhead for it.
Smitty
Reef pro
+1 VA and Andy
VAreef
Reefing newb
Shoot I just use a powerhead that the dog chewed up to mix my salt water.
Leslee
Reef enthusiast
Ok today I got the Nitrates down to 20. I am making more saltwater but I have class the next 2 nights after work and so that means water changes wont happen until Thursday night. I think I will take apart the HOB filters then and rescrub them again!
My tank is looking cloudy. I think it is the microbubbles from the skimmer. No bubbles up the tube yet on the skimmer. I know it only still the first 24 hours of it running but I thought I would have bubbles up the skimmer. It says 2 weeks to break in on the instructions but I have had some great advice from some awesome living reefs members and they say it can take even longer! I just want it to work so I don't have to keep doing water changes all the time.
My tank is looking cloudy. I think it is the microbubbles from the skimmer. No bubbles up the tube yet on the skimmer. I know it only still the first 24 hours of it running but I thought I would have bubbles up the skimmer. It says 2 weeks to break in on the instructions but I have had some great advice from some awesome living reefs members and they say it can take even longer! I just want it to work so I don't have to keep doing water changes all the time.
Reefrookie
Not so new anymore!
Drop the cup down just a bit each day and you will see large bubbles start up the tube. Let it there for a day or two, then drop it down a bit more. As the skimmer breaks in, the bubbles will get smaller and look more like foam
Leslee
Reef enthusiast
I have been dropping the cup a little bit everyother day. No Skimmate yet. I will test the water again tomorrow. I have been doing 4 gal water changes everyother day so hopefully my numbers will look better.
I was on spring break this past week and I was able to see my fish more! Its great! Margarita the wrasse who I thought died, has been out a lot! The Royal Gramma, popsicle, and Margarita seemed to be having a little territory issue today, and that seemed weird to me...havent seen that before between them! I have had them in there together for about 6 months now! Maybe thats why Margarita hides so much!
I just wish my fish besides the clowns were not as shy. I only see the clowns usually. I have been thinking about getting another fish for the tank. What do you think? Is 5 fish too many for a 29 gallon?
I was on spring break this past week and I was able to see my fish more! Its great! Margarita the wrasse who I thought died, has been out a lot! The Royal Gramma, popsicle, and Margarita seemed to be having a little territory issue today, and that seemed weird to me...havent seen that before between them! I have had them in there together for about 6 months now! Maybe thats why Margarita hides so much!
I just wish my fish besides the clowns were not as shy. I only see the clowns usually. I have been thinking about getting another fish for the tank. What do you think? Is 5 fish too many for a 29 gallon?
Hiker4twenty
Reef enthusiast
I have 6 fish in my 29 and most people will say that's ALOT....which it is. I only feed 1x every other day so I have a low bioload added to the tank. I also do large weekly water changes which helps. I have a fuge with TONS of chaeto and I'm sure that's the only reason my water params are still good with all those fish. I don't even run a skimmer any more because the coralife super skimmer I was using kept overflowing and got to be a big pain in the a$$.
Do you have a fuge on your tank?
