OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
Ah ok. I wasn't sure if more was better
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40b build (1 Viewer)
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Best thing to do is to do more research. If this is your first tank. Don't buy anything till you're positive about it. Start slow. If you want to start the tank go ahead, but make sure to only buy the basics.
My best advice is buy things that are proven. Don't buy twice. Buy quality equipment.
The basics will get you through the first year. Then you can look into other things.
My best advice is buy things that are proven. Don't buy twice. Buy quality equipment.
The basics will get you through the first year. Then you can look into other things.
OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
Yeah im finding more and more things that I didn't think of and im doing some research on them. I know for certain that I won't have filter socks as I want to have coco pods.
Honestly though as long as you have a Pod Hotel and/or a clump of macro in the sump there will be a near constant supply of pods that make it up to the tank. So once you have an established population in the sump, more than enough to support most wrasses and smaller dragonnets like the Red Scooter Blenny. To support Mandarins you will likely want to dose regularly even with an active population in the fuge, as well as make a feeding station for them. Well that is unless you get lucky and find a wild caught that will eat frozen prepared foods or one that's tank raised and will readily take frozen over live.
So yes you can run filter socks. You can run filter socks and have pods, in the display tank. Mesh socks are much easier to clean and last practically forever. I have been using the same pair of mesh filter bags for about 2 years now. When the active one is dirty (about 2 days) its a quick swap out, clean the dirty one using the hand sprayer in the sink and let it air dry. About every 6 months the mesh socks get an over night soak in a bleach water solution, rinse and then soak in RO water with Seachem Prime. The downsides to the mesh socks are the tank will not always be as clear. Mostly because the fine particulate passes through the mesh. As a result you would need to clean up the bottom of the sump every few months as detrius will build up in the fuge. If you have company coming over you can switch to the felt socks or add filter floss a few hours or the day before if you want water to look pristine.
So yes you can run filter socks. You can run filter socks and have pods, in the display tank. Mesh socks are much easier to clean and last practically forever. I have been using the same pair of mesh filter bags for about 2 years now. When the active one is dirty (about 2 days) its a quick swap out, clean the dirty one using the hand sprayer in the sink and let it air dry. About every 6 months the mesh socks get an over night soak in a bleach water solution, rinse and then soak in RO water with Seachem Prime. The downsides to the mesh socks are the tank will not always be as clear. Mostly because the fine particulate passes through the mesh. As a result you would need to clean up the bottom of the sump every few months as detrius will build up in the fuge. If you have company coming over you can switch to the felt socks or add filter floss a few hours or the day before if you want water to look pristine.
OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
So this is what I'm reading on what I should do. 3 in sandbed I can buy the reactors i want to have just not bring them on line yet and don't put any macro in the refugium for the first 3 or 4 months. I can dose the 3 mentioned tank jump starters and buy a bottle of ammonia to test if the tank is getting rid of it. I dont need the lights on or rhe skimmer running not sure if I need to have the power heads on or not. Weekly water changes of 10% and testing every week or every day not sure which. After 3 or 4 weeks I can start adding a cc and there after some test fish. Am I correct on that.
You don't have to use all 3 tank starters. I think pick one and go. Jus get the recommended amount for your water volume.
Glenn
Guest
Microbacter Dry Rock Bacteria Starter Kit
Everything needed for fishless cycling a new system with Dry Rock is in this kit! This kit is designed to be used with unseeded dry rock such as Marco Rock or artificial live rock replacements. Plain dry sand is recommended instead of so called 'live sand' which may have been seeded with...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
I used Brightwell’s start up kit with dry (no bacteria) rock and sand. My water volume is 46 gallons. It took three weeks for the initial cycle. The Microbacter Clean that comes in the kit is doing a good job of keeping the “ugly” stage under control so far. The tank is almost three months old with no problems or livestock loses. Just follow the instructions, be patient and quarantine EVERYTHING before you add it to your tank.
OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
Do you guys still quarantine when your getting corals and fish from a reputable dealer
Glenn
Guest
Do you wash fresh produce before you eat it, even though it came from a reputable grocery store? 
I guess it just depends on your level of comfort with the risk.
I guess it just depends on your level of comfort with the risk.
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OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
I guess it all depends on who you buy from and how they do things. If they quarantine their corals and fish then I dont think I need to do it when I buy it from them if the coral has full polyp extension and it looks healthy then I dont worry about it.
Very few LFS will QT their fish/corals. There's a couple out there that will for a small fee hold fish in a dedicated tank for 7 days for you. Even doing that there's an inherent risk of a new fish still being sick or carrying a parasite like ICK or Velvet. It is highly recommended to QT all new fish for at least 7-10 days (14 is better) before you consider introducing them to your main tank. You don't necessarily want to put the new fish into a QT tank treated with copper or some other form of medication unless there is a visible infection, but then why did you buy it if it was already showing signs of infection.
QT methods and treatment options vary depending on the fish their sensitivity to the various medications on the market, as well as what you are trying to eradicate.
The safest overall method is tank transfer as it uses no medications to treat the fish. It's used for fish that cannot handle copper treatments and works with the fish's immune system to overcome the parasite/illness. It does require two or more tanks to be setup, torn down sterilized after each use etc.
Copper QT treatments are good for ICK and Velvet but can also negatively impact the fish's immune system, opening them up for potential bacterial/viral infection soon after introducing them to the display tank. Other parasite QT treatments can consist of Prazi-pro, or antibiotics for other types of issues. At the very least all new fish need to be isolated for at least 7-10 days when you get them home to ensure you don't introduce something like velvet or brook to the tank, and inadvertently kill most if not all your fish.
QT for corals , highly recommended as they can carry a host of other parasites or nuisance algae along with them. Dipping new corals in a commercially available solution or with more advanced methods is at the very least a must do. You'd be amazed at how much can/will come off of a new coral when it goes into be dipped. I have seen bristle worms, flat worms, star fish. zoa spiders, and all sorts of other pests.
QT methods and treatment options vary depending on the fish their sensitivity to the various medications on the market, as well as what you are trying to eradicate.
The safest overall method is tank transfer as it uses no medications to treat the fish. It's used for fish that cannot handle copper treatments and works with the fish's immune system to overcome the parasite/illness. It does require two or more tanks to be setup, torn down sterilized after each use etc.
Copper QT treatments are good for ICK and Velvet but can also negatively impact the fish's immune system, opening them up for potential bacterial/viral infection soon after introducing them to the display tank. Other parasite QT treatments can consist of Prazi-pro, or antibiotics for other types of issues. At the very least all new fish need to be isolated for at least 7-10 days when you get them home to ensure you don't introduce something like velvet or brook to the tank, and inadvertently kill most if not all your fish.
QT for corals , highly recommended as they can carry a host of other parasites or nuisance algae along with them. Dipping new corals in a commercially available solution or with more advanced methods is at the very least a must do. You'd be amazed at how much can/will come off of a new coral when it goes into be dipped. I have seen bristle worms, flat worms, star fish. zoa spiders, and all sorts of other pests.
OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
If I dont have room for a qt tank can I get some one to qt them for me like some one from the club. I'm going to be in an apartment for a while.
OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
Ummm no I don't think I'm going to take the risk.
OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
Especially on expensive corals that I want to have
You’ll be fine!
OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
Is it possible to have an overbox outside of the tank after it's been drilled.
Are you talking about the old school internal+external box that has a u-tube connecting them?
Or the tank is drilled and you want an external box for the holes?
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Or the tank is drilled and you want an external box for the holes?
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OP
OP
H-D-Fatboy-16
Guest
No I mean drilling the tank and putting the box on the outside not on the inside.
Yes you can do that but there is well documented value to having an internal weir.
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