aquapod 24 new owner questions

[jardana]

Hello
I have some basic question about the aquapod I just bought.

What is the extra 6 inch wire on the back supposed to plug into?

I read about problems with heat in the posts. Are you guys all saying do not a heater if I plan on running lights only 6 hours in this tank. I was going to place a 75 watt in back chambers. I leave in NY and house temp average 68 in winter.

Someone mentioned in threads pulling out foam and bio balls that come with it, what do I put in place of it.

I also planned on placing Cemipure in pump area any comments.

This will be a reef with about 20 pounds of live rock, soft corals, sand, few small fish or seahorses (stop laughing on the horses).

Thanks in advance for help.
Sandy

 

[SugarFox03]

Hi Sandy, welcome to the addiction! I had that tank, but recently moved to a larger one.

I dont know which extra wire you are referring to, is it going to the hood, or the tank?

I would see how the tank runs temp wise during your cycle. I'd buy a 100-150w (or two 75w) heater just in case. I live in south florida, and I used my 100w heater when it got pretty chilly here. My temps stay between 78-80 all the time now, all I have to go is adjust my ac. I run my tank with a 150w MH, but it was the same light that was over my AP.

Remove the foam pads, bioballs and ceramic rings and replace it with live rock rubble, as much as you can fit!

Never used Chemipure, so others will have to comment on that.

I would also go with a little more live rock, around 25-30 lbs.

Also, I recommend switching out the stock pump for a MaxiJet 900-1200 (whichever fits better with your reef, some corals need lots of flow, some not so much). The stock pump is ridiculously unreliable.

Also, be sure to siphon out the bottom of the back chambers, lots of debris/detritus gets stuck back there and causes problems (the reason I moved to a larger tank!)

Good luck!

 

[Azial]

Welcome!

Well, I have never had a problem with heat off of the lamps and I even modified mine to add another 40 watt lamp.

Secondly, the 6" extra cable is the lunar lights. In the box is it's connector, I missed that sucker for like 6 hours I didn't notice it hidden in the box.

Some people will tell you to switch out the stock filtration some won't. Personally, I HATED it. I never got good flow. I swapped out the pump for a maxi jet and still no improvement. Finally I drilled 1/2" holes above the weir and the return and attached an Ehem Ecco Canister and I am so happy about it. and Chemipure is fantastic.

 

[Purple Penguins]

I removed my bio balls and pad and put in Filter floss and Chemipure and Purigen, been very happy with the results, although while your tank is going through its cycle I would leave all the Orig stuff in to collect up some of the nasty stuff filtering through your system, once your tank has finished its cycle you can remove all of it and replace it, I however do not recomend seahorses with anything other than seahorses, they should be in a species only tank purchased all from the same place and all the same breed, also when doing seahorses corals are not recommended due to the ability of stinging the horses to death also the live rock needed to be treated as well as live sand to eliminate hydroids if you decide to go with dwarf seahorses, In a 24 gal aquapod you actually should not put large seahorses as there is not enough room for them and as for dwarf seahorses there is to much room for them as they need hatched brine or copepods for food and they dont search for them, they wait for the food to come to them and thats a vast ammount of space for them, in a 3 gal picto you should put about 12 pairs of dwarf seahorses at minimum, as for heat in the 24 I have had no heat issues and I have a stealth heater in mine. Good luck

 

[jardana]

Thanks for the help with aquapod

Thanks for the help with aquapod

I appreciate the quick replies.

Mine did not come with lunar lights power supply I will go back to LFS and I should have known since there was no tape on box. I see the spot in the box foam that looks like it was supposed to fit.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Kissfan79]

I second the opinion on Chemipure. It has done wonders for my AP. As far as filtration...I took the blue foam filters and cut them into 1/3rds. I then place it just below the top of the overflow so it catches and crud going through. I got rid of the bio-balls and the ceramic rounds that it came with. I just run the cut foam filter and Chemipure. I have a heater that came with mine and I have never had to use it...even in the winter with the light system the AP comes with. Every now and then I'll through in a piece of poly filter.

Jim

 

[ALittleSalty]

On mine, I replaced the stock pump with a maxi jet 900, and made my own pvc spray bar. I like the flow and all of my corals have a nice gentle flowing motion to them. I also switched out my fan for a stealth fan after it died 2 months ago. Good luck Jon

 

[Bud's Reef]

Just as others have said, I replaced the stock pump with a MJ900 and took out the 90 degree elbow. This gave me better flow with the lower rated MJ than the original stock plus elbow. I also added a second bulkhead connector for a second MJ900 and then put spray bars running down each side of the tank. I replaced the original fan with a stealth fan and added a second one where they should have already put another one. I'm still not happy with the air flow and plan on taking it apart again to open the intake vents more and figure out a way to get the air to flow over the bulbs not just behind them.

I had to empty my tank yesterday because the silicone at the base of the bulhead wall came away from it and I started getting sand in the back chamber. I removed the old silicone and recaulked it on both sides of the wall. Still anxiously waiting for it to finish curing while all my critters are in temporary tanks and buckets.