400g system from scratch pictorial
- Thread starter pclausen
- Start date
pclausen
New member
I got a Sequence Hammerhead. I had it on a mouse pad at first which didn't do much to quiet it down. I now have it sitting on a folded towel which is much better. The biggest difference however, was switching from a rigid return line to using flex-spa.
It took all night for the tank to clear, so I had to just blindly sit the rocks back in the tank since I didn't want them sitting in vats overnight with no heaters or circulation.
Tank is 100% clear again (even with the CL running at full blast), so tonight I'll pull the rocks out one final time and carefully mix/spread the sand, then do my 4th aquascape attempt.
I plan on ordering detritivore kits from Inland Aquatics and IPSF tomorrow. I also just made Reefmonkey's 2nd annual trade list before the cut off last week, so I hope to have a pretty diverse sand bed.
Should I wait a little before ordering a cleanup crew to allow the sand critters to establish themselves first?
It took all night for the tank to clear, so I had to just blindly sit the rocks back in the tank since I didn't want them sitting in vats overnight with no heaters or circulation.
Tank is 100% clear again (even with the CL running at full blast), so tonight I'll pull the rocks out one final time and carefully mix/spread the sand, then do my 4th aquascape attempt.
I plan on ordering detritivore kits from Inland Aquatics and IPSF tomorrow. I also just made Reefmonkey's 2nd annual trade list before the cut off last week, so I hope to have a pretty diverse sand bed.
Should I wait a little before ordering a cleanup crew to allow the sand critters to establish themselves first?
WILDTHING
New member
pclausen said:
I definitely would, esp if you plan on adding crabs. Just a word of advice that I have heard about packaged clean up crews, many contain snails that are temperate so will live for a bit in your tank but eventually succumb to the constant high temps of our tropical tanks. Dr Ron has some articles that discuss which are which. There are some that not only will live in your tank but also reproduce. Also if you decide to go with crabs(menaces to DSB,IME) add as few as possible, and buy some extra shells if they don't come in the "package" Beware of sand sifters, they are sifting for the animals that make your sand live. You probably know all of this already but I thought I'd post it just in case.
colleen
WILDTHING said:I definitely would, esp if you plan on adding crabs. Just a word of advice that I have heard about packaged clean up crews, many contain snails that are temperate so will live for a bit in your tank but eventually succumb to the constant high temps of our tropical tanks. Dr Ron has some articles that discuss which are which. There are some that not only will live in your tank but also reproduce. Also if you decide to go with crabs(menaces to DSB,IME) add as few as possible, and buy some extra shells if they don't come in the "package" Beware of sand sifters, they are sifting for the animals that make your sand live. You probably know all of this already but I thought I'd post it just in case.
colleen
For a DSB, no crabs at all? Also, no starfish? Let me know.
Albert
WILDTHING
New member
I'm sorry Albert, I don't think he has ever made a recommendation about a specific company. There is a lot of good info in this poll thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=494227&highlight=poll
or you might go to his forum and check out some of his articles. You can order your clean up crew by the piece from some places.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=494227&highlight=poll
or you might go to his forum and check out some of his articles. You can order your clean up crew by the piece from some places.
asnatlas
New member
avansickle said:
avansickle, are you speaking of a Red Brittle Star ??
Red Brittle Star (3rd one down)...
Shawn
keefsama2003
In Memoriam
probably a linkia of some sort.
pclausen
New member
Once my detritivore kits get the sand bed teaming with life, I plan on getting the Total Reef Care Special #2 from reeftopia.com. It includes the following:
100 Astrae snails
36 Cerith Snails
12 Nassarius Snails
100 Blueleg Hermits
2 Emeral Crabs
I don't think that amount of crabs are going to kill my sand bed anytime soon assuming they have other things to feed on.
Things didn't go quite as smoothly as I had hoped for last night with the sand bed and aquascaping. The sand had settled and the water was clear, but it clouded back up again quickly as I pulled the rocks out. I then leveled the sand some, which really fueled the sand storm. So while I was waiting for the storm to settle, I cleaned off this thin film of sediment that had settled on the rocks with a tooth brush. This revealed very nice coraline coloration, more than I remember them having originally.
However, the sandstorm never did settle (I waited a total of perhaps 6 hours). I didn't really want to sit the rocks back in the tank since they would just get that film all over them again, so I let the rocks sit in the vats overnight. I did throw a powerhead in one vat and a air hose into the other. I hope that won't cause my cycle to start all over again.
Anyway, the tank still wasn't clear this morning, but I didn't want to leave the rocks out of the tank all day with little aeration and no heat, so back in the tank they went. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the water will be clear by tonight and that I'll be able to pull the rocks back out without starting the sand storm back up. If so, I'll go ahead and run the toothbrush over them one more time, and then to my (hopefully) final aquascape for a while.
If the water clouds back up again immediately when I pull out the rocks tonight, I'll have to figure out some sort of curing vat for them after all and then carefully sit them back in the tank once the storm settles again. I'll hold off on ordering my detritivore kits until I get through this phase.
That Southdown/Old Castle sand sure has a lot of fine silt to it that will cloud the water at the drop of a hat. I use silica sand in all my fw tanks, and they don't have this problem at all. The skimmer is pulling out a lot of it, as is the canister filter. That film is all over the fuge and sump walls as well as all other surfaces in direct contact with the water. I'm wondering if I should bother to clean it or if it will just dissolve on its own in time?
When the water is clear, it does look very nice and bright, but I hope I won't be fighting these cloud/sand storms indefinitely.
100 Astrae snails
36 Cerith Snails
12 Nassarius Snails
100 Blueleg Hermits
2 Emeral Crabs
I don't think that amount of crabs are going to kill my sand bed anytime soon assuming they have other things to feed on.
Things didn't go quite as smoothly as I had hoped for last night with the sand bed and aquascaping. The sand had settled and the water was clear, but it clouded back up again quickly as I pulled the rocks out. I then leveled the sand some, which really fueled the sand storm. So while I was waiting for the storm to settle, I cleaned off this thin film of sediment that had settled on the rocks with a tooth brush. This revealed very nice coraline coloration, more than I remember them having originally.
However, the sandstorm never did settle (I waited a total of perhaps 6 hours). I didn't really want to sit the rocks back in the tank since they would just get that film all over them again, so I let the rocks sit in the vats overnight. I did throw a powerhead in one vat and a air hose into the other. I hope that won't cause my cycle to start all over again.
Anyway, the tank still wasn't clear this morning, but I didn't want to leave the rocks out of the tank all day with little aeration and no heat, so back in the tank they went. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the water will be clear by tonight and that I'll be able to pull the rocks back out without starting the sand storm back up. If so, I'll go ahead and run the toothbrush over them one more time, and then to my (hopefully) final aquascape for a while.
If the water clouds back up again immediately when I pull out the rocks tonight, I'll have to figure out some sort of curing vat for them after all and then carefully sit them back in the tank once the storm settles again. I'll hold off on ordering my detritivore kits until I get through this phase.
That Southdown/Old Castle sand sure has a lot of fine silt to it that will cloud the water at the drop of a hat. I use silica sand in all my fw tanks, and they don't have this problem at all. The skimmer is pulling out a lot of it, as is the canister filter. That film is all over the fuge and sump walls as well as all other surfaces in direct contact with the water. I'm wondering if I should bother to clean it or if it will just dissolve on its own in time?
When the water is clear, it does look very nice and bright, but I hope I won't be fighting these cloud/sand storms indefinitely.
Beverly
New member
It will take a few days for the dust to settle in your tank, so be patient 
Having the LR in the display tank will help the dust settle more quickly, ime, but the rock will then be coated with dust. This isn't a problem overall, and the dust can be basted off the rock.
Clean your mechanical filter material often so it doesn't clog. I would clean glass surfaces, but that's only because I'm a neat freak
Ahhh... the joys of a new sandbed
Having the LR in the display tank will help the dust settle more quickly, ime, but the rock will then be coated with dust. This isn't a problem overall, and the dust can be basted off the rock.Clean your mechanical filter material often so it doesn't clog. I would clean glass surfaces, but that's only because I'm a neat freak
Ahhh... the joys of a new sandbed
Guys,
I really love this thread b/c I am going through the same concerns. Another problem I am having is that one side of my tank is bare bottom and another part is 7 in. deep...ie. Not level...
Besides adjusting the returns, is there anything else I could do to keep the sand level?
Albert
I really love this thread b/c I am going through the same concerns. Another problem I am having is that one side of my tank is bare bottom and another part is 7 in. deep...ie. Not level...
Besides adjusting the returns, is there anything else I could do to keep the sand level?
Albert
Morgandy
New member
What I did was after the big particulate settled, and it was just now cloudy to an extent, I took cheapo hang on filters with media and carbon, extended the uptake tubes a little further down, and ran those for 1-2 days. It really worked. But, with 400gal you'll need several, or one big one. I've done this with all my tanks and it works great.
scotty1234
New member
pclausen said:
You should be able to leave the rock in the tank and blow it off with a torkey baster every now and then. Much easier than taking the rock out of the tank and scrubbing it.
pclausen
New member
Beverly, I'm not sure "joy" is the first word that comes to my mind regarding this new sandbed.
I have been religiously cleaning the glass a couple of times a day as I don't want to allow too much to build up. I really like my hammerhead magnet. That sucker is strong even on this 1/2" glass.
I'm running 6 micropads in the canister now and boy do they get fouled up quickly. I've cleaned them out 4 times already since Sunday night. The skimmer cup also fills up w/ this grey paste stuff rather quickly.
I have a plan as far as the rock work. Once I get the foundation pieces embedded in the sand, I plan to not pull them back out again. This way, the only pieces I'll be removing for a swish now and again will be pieces that are all above the level of the sand.
Albert, my sand remains quite level and doesn't seem to shift much at all even with all pumps running. I don't have any jets pointing down towards the sand bed. For the most part they are pointing towards each other. I do have currents at the bottom through. When I clean the bottom of the glass, it often results in some fine sediment being released which is then carried away by the flow. I think it is a balancing act to get some current at the bottom, but not enough to cause the bed itself to shift.
I have been religiously cleaning the glass a couple of times a day as I don't want to allow too much to build up. I really like my hammerhead magnet. That sucker is strong even on this 1/2" glass.
I'm running 6 micropads in the canister now and boy do they get fouled up quickly. I've cleaned them out 4 times already since Sunday night. The skimmer cup also fills up w/ this grey paste stuff rather quickly.
I have a plan as far as the rock work. Once I get the foundation pieces embedded in the sand, I plan to not pull them back out again. This way, the only pieces I'll be removing for a swish now and again will be pieces that are all above the level of the sand.
Albert, my sand remains quite level and doesn't seem to shift much at all even with all pumps running. I don't have any jets pointing down towards the sand bed. For the most part they are pointing towards each other. I do have currents at the bottom through. When I clean the bottom of the glass, it often results in some fine sediment being released which is then carried away by the flow. I think it is a balancing act to get some current at the bottom, but not enough to cause the bed itself to shift.
