clown tanks

[WDLV]

I can't really hang lights over the bench I have setup.

Why not?

As far as cycling goes.. if I'm doing just a barebottom tank with a HOB filter. I don't need to introduce anything else but a piece of shrimp to add amonnia correct? The bacteria show up by themselves

I would add a pair of clowns or other hardy live marine organism to cycle it.

 

[president89]

I would add a pair of clowns or other hardy live marine organism to cycle it.

Really? You'd put your pair of breeding clowns in to cycle a tank? Do you do any water changes during the cycle? I would think the clowns wouldn't be able to handle it.

 

[Jersey Bounce]

My next issue is going to be the actual lighting. I can't really hang lights over the bench I have setup. I might just get some acrylic/lexan from HD and lay a piece the same width as my strip light. IF i had build a stand, I could have mounted the lights on the bottom of the shelf above the tanks. Darn! Maybe I"ll make a small frame out of 2x4's just so I can hang a shoplight.

Is your bench going to be against a wall? If so, you might be able to use some of those metal shelf brackets (like you sometimes see in closets, etc.) mounted on the wall and hang the lights from those. I had done that in my old house for a few things and it worked out great; it was a lot quicker and easier than building anything out of wood, and was also far less visually obtrusive.

As far as cycling goes.. if I'm doing just a barebottom tank with a HOB filter. I don't need to introduce anything else but a piece of shrimp to add amonnia correct? The bacteria show up by themselves.

My "preferred" way to begin the nitrogen cycle in such a tank is to borrow a piece of live rock along with either a smallish random fish (clown, damsel, pajama cardinal, etc.) from another tank. If you don't have any other tanks to borrow from, you might be able to borrow from a friend or from your LFS if they'll let you return it for credit later. Just a suggestion.

 

[WDLV]

I have put a proven pair in a cycling tank... just last month.

I do regular WCs during a cycle, but it's really up to the individual. If you don't DO WCs, it spikes higher and ends faster. If you do WCs it lowers the spike and lengthens the process.

 

[president89]

Is your bench going to be against a wall? If so, you might be able to use some of those metal shelf brackets (like you sometimes see in closets, etc.) mounted on the wall and hang the lights from those. I had done that in my old house for a few things and it worked out great; it was a lot quicker and easier than building anything out of wood, and was also far less visually obtrusive.

It's against a concrete wall, which makes utilizing the wall hard. Are you talking about the brackets for adjustable shelving?

I'm thinking of just making a i---i shape with 2x4's so i can hang the lights. I might even make a second shelf for additional tanks. I just didn't want to lay the striplighting right on the eggcrate because the lights will be exposed to the water that way. I also I didn't want to hang the lights from the ceiling.. because they'd be hanging 4 feet down with chain. I'm almost considering buying a 48" strip light, and getting 48" of clear acrylic and lay it on top of that. The only problem with that is, it'll be a pain to feed the fish, having to lift the light, the acrylic and then my eggcrate off each time.

 

[president89]

I have put a proven pair in a cycling tank... just last month.

I do regular WCs during a cycle, but it's really up to the individual. If you don't DO WCs, it spikes higher and ends faster. If you do WCs it lowers the spike and lengthens the process.

I might go with your suggestion. Maybe i'll buy a piece of live rock, and break it up into 4 pieces just to add to the tank, then when I'm done, I'll remove the rock. Probably not necessary.

1 question concerning cycling/HOB/barebottom tanks.. what happens when I replace the filter cartridge. Wouldn't take essentially remove all the bacteria from the tank? Usually the bacteria live in sand/rocks.. but since I won't have any.

 

[Jersey Bounce]

It's against a concrete wall, which makes utilizing the wall hard. Are you talking about the brackets for adjustable shelving?

I was thinking of something kind of like this that would mount to a wall or stud without needing the vertical standards or rails.

But if your wall is concrete, you'd need a hammer drill, concrete bit, and concrete anchors, ... so doing what you said here:

I'm thinking of just making a i---i shape with 2x4's so i can hang the lights. I might even make a second shelf for additional tanks. I just didn't want to lay the striplighting right on the eggcrate because the lights will be exposed to the water that way. I also I didn't want to hang the lights from the ceiling.. because they'd be hanging 4 feet down with chain. I'm almost considering buying a 48" strip light, and getting 48" of clear acrylic and lay it on top of that. The only problem with that is, it'll be a pain to feed the fish, having to lift the light, the acrylic and then my eggcrate off each time.

...would probably be easier! I like the additional shelf idea, because then you'd have room for more tanks.

BTW I wouldn't recommend using the silver eggcrate someone mentioned earlier. I've seen the metal coating flake off when exposed to saltwater spit/spray.

 

[president89]

I went with the standard white. If I feel I need to expand, I can build a nice rack. Where these tanks are only 10/15g, they won't be hard to move if I change my mind. I can just setup new tanks, switch the fish and then move the tanks over. I probably won't go that far though. I have room underneath the bench for tanks, and making an upside U shape for a shelf would be fairly simple.


Do you guys have any problems with Home Depot Shoplights over these salt tanks. The bulbs are exposed in most of them.

 

[WDLV]

I might go with your suggestion. Maybe i'll buy a piece of live rock, and break it up into 4 pieces just to add to the tank, then when I'm done, I'll remove the rock. Probably not necessary.

1 question concerning cycling/HOB/barebottom tanks.. what happens when I replace the filter cartridge. Wouldn't take essentially remove all the bacteria from the tank? Usually the bacteria live in sand/rocks.. but since I won't have any.

Well, the filters I use have a built in bio filter cartridge. You really shouldn't use a filter pad with the intention of having it as a biofilter... even if the reality is that it does wind up providing some of your bio-filtration. It shouldn't be your goal. Also, I don't know what overall effect it really has but I use soapstone tiles in my tanks for the clowns to hide under and potentially lay on. I was using flower pots but found that they trapped too much detritus for my liking. Soapstone tiles tend to be very porous and probably do retain some nitrifying bacteria.
If you look at most basement clown breeders' tanks they tend to be dirty having hair algae and cyano in them. This has its own filtering properties and some breeders seem to think that blue-green cyano is a source of nutrients to the pair.
If you look at the tanks of some commercial breeding operations they tend to be the same way to some extent. Inland Aquatics uses a lot of macro algae in their systems and usually have sand in them as well. They pretty much use all natural means to filter their systems and have for many years.
Places like ORA tend to have the clean looking sterile systems.

My system philosophy just replicated to some degree what I've seen in other successful systems as well as adding a few tweaks here and there that are based on my own experiences. This is in no way fully perfected and never will be. There's always something new to try.

 

[president89]

You use the x45 HOB's right. I have 4 of them coming my way. So these filters have 2 medias, not just one. Well that's a good thing. It would be a nightmare if the tanks kept cycling over and over again.

Soapstone tiles. What are those? Are they used for flooring, or bathrooms? I don't see any tiles in your basement setup. They look like flowerpots to me =). Is there an updated picture somewhere?

 

[WDLV]

This was burried in there.

I was using flower pots but found that they trapped too much detritus for my liking. Soapstone tiles tend to be very porous and probably do retain some nitrifying bacteria.

 

[WDLV]

I get them at HD. They come in different sizes. I use the 6" for clowns and the 2" for frag mounts.

 

[president89]

What dept? Are they flooring? Are they used to tile the sides of bathrooms. Sometimes.. like you know about the eggcrate. HD doesn't always put things where you think they would.

 

[WDLV]

Was in same section as other tiles. Best to ask a sales associate from that department.

 

[president89]

I'm going to head in there and see what I can find.

 

[president89]

Home depot doesn't carry it anymore. The guy in the tile aisle said it was discontinued. I went to a tile place.. and they can only order it in 12x12 squares for $10 a tile. Man. I suppose I could use all sorts of stuff. Is there anything that I should be absolutely weary of? How is slate?

 

[Jersey Bounce]

Because of the way slate is formed naturally (compression of silt and minerals in bodies of water) there's a risk that there could be heavy metal deposits between the layers which could eventually leach out into the water.

I use either clay flowerpots, their saucers, or ceramic tiles that have a matte (not glossy) finish. You can get cheap-o ceramic tile for less than $1 / sq.ft. at H.D., Lowe's or Menards.

 

[WDLV]

because of the way slate is formed naturally (compression of silt and minerals in bodies of water) there's a risk that there could be heavy metal deposits between the layers which could eventually leach out into the water.

I use either clay flowerpots, their saucers, or ceramic tiles that have a matte (not glossy) finish. You can get cheap-o ceramic tile for less than $1 / sq.ft. At h.d., lowe's or menards.

+1

 

[president89]

I grabbed some ceramic tiles at HD. I'm going to have to check for the glossy finish. I think I was thinking the more plain I get the better.

Here is my next dilemma. These tanks are in the basement. I'm in New England. I think at the very worst in the winter, the temps might hit 50degrees F. I've got 50watt jager heaters.

I guess my backup plan for that, might be to block off that section of the cellar with 2x4's framed with a clear plastic and a small space heater with a thermostat to keep the temp in that section nice and warm. That could also be a problem if the thermostat becomes faulty. I'll cook the fish.

I also wanted to comment on the ex45. I don't have it running, but wow is the plastic on this thing flimsy. I feel like If I sneez the parts come off. =). That's how they save .10 a unit.

 

[president89]

Wow my thread is old. I"ve now moved, and I'm resurrecting my clownfish setups. I just setup a hybrid approach to what I was using before. I have a whisper x45, a marina breeding box setup as a fuge with chaeto in it, and a piece of live rock. I'm waiting for a mini algae scrubber to come in the mail. I might replace the fuge with that.