confusion

[drunkenclown]

Hey everyone looking for some advice/clarification/opinions on a few things I'm having trouble grasping.

1. Glass tops- yes or no

I'm afraid of fish jumping and I think it helps cut down evaporation and I'm afraid without them my light fixture could get damaged I hear a lot of people say they are bad especially with t5 fixtures because they deminish light penetration and par and they don't allow good air flow over the water surface.

2. Filter socks and sponges- yes or no

I feel like the added benefit of their mechanical filtration abilities outweighs the risk oh them becoming nitrate/phosphate traps or factories and with proper husbandry you can avoid this from happening

3. Calupera prolifera, rock rubble n two fishes refugite mud in fuge

Some people suggest running clean sump just phosban reactor n skimmer others have fuges like mine what's better n why? How long should fuge light be on for this capulera 24/7 or 12 on 12 off or reverse of dt? What are the chances of it going asexual and wiping out my tank?

4. Testing and dosing?

I've been told I should be testing on a regular basis by some people and others say just stick with a routine that works and stick with it because stability is more important than chasing numbers but then again is this why some people complain that certain things don't do well in their tanks. Is it worth dosing ph, two part Alk & cal, mag, Aqua vitro fuel and a couple drops of lugols or am I wasting my money?

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to add anything I might have missed.Mods please move if in wrong forum. Hey mods anyway sk8er or someone could come up with some kind of sticky similar to this post with pros/cons of doing different things.

 

[reepher315]

1. Glass tops are ok most use screens or no top at all.
2. if you keep up with filter sock changes they have a bennefit. If not yes they become nitrate and detrius traps. Also trap copepods.
3. I use reverse DT on my fuge. Have ran 24/7 for cheato but not calpulera.
4. I suggest testing and dosing if you keep coral.

 

[phenom5]

1. I prefer no glass top. Traps heat, and reduces light (salt creep). If you are worried about jumpers...http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/diy-aquarium-screen-top-kits-1-4-netting.html#

2. I prefer no to socks and sponges. As reepher mentioned, they tend to become detritus traps, and become more work than they are worth.

3. I don't run a fuge. But back when I did, I found cheato a much better choice than caulerpa.

4. I would do for Ca and Alk and test daily until you get it dialed in...if you need to supplement Ca and Alk. You may be able to get away with kalkwasser. I would not dose for pH or *** Aqua Vitro or Lugols.

 

[Reef Frog]

Lugols is iodine I believe. If so I would not dose that. Your salt mix should provide what you need.

 

[billdogg]

I pretty much agree with all of the above.

Glass tops - had them for years and swore by them until one broke at which time I did DIY screen tops. Won't ever switch back to glass

I go without mechanical filtration of any sort. Once again, had it, got tired of cleaning it and just a bit lazy so it became more trouble than it was worth.

Careful with caulerpa - If it goes sexual or spreads to the DT you'll never get rid of it

If you are not testing for it DON'T DOSE IT!!! In a new system you shouldn't have to dose anything but as it matures, especially if going with with Stoney corals, calcium and alkalinity will be used up, as will magnesium to a lesser extent. At that point you will have to decide how to supplement. I use BRS 2 part and am quite happy with the results and the ease of use.

 

[drunkenclown]

Absolutely devastated had a major tragedy today.

The reason I started this thread was because as I near two years in the hobby and one year with my current setup I wanted to make some improvements in my system and my husbandry. Well long story short this has been the longest and worst couple of days in my short lived experience in this hobby. To start I got the brilliant idea of replumbing my system with hard pvc. Now mind you Im a pool guy and can plumb anything to do with a pool with my eyes closed so I thought no big deal. Big mistake my bulkheads leaked total fail.

Now here is where the tragedy happens. I somehow knocked the temp sensor out of my dt tank and it fell between the tank and wall therefore was sensing the air temp of the room n not my tank thus cooking almost my entire tank. Lost most of if not all of my corals and even worse yet most of my fish only have my hippo tang, yellow tang, gold bar maroon clown and my yellow watchmen goby all my shrimp are dead as well as countless others

Temp was 95 got it down to 84 after changing 40 gallons as fast as I could. Out of salt for tonight and exhausted

So upset with myself I'm at such a loss right now so disappointed and depressed right now.
Feel terrible and guilty I had so much pride that I made it this far without a major tragedy and this was totally avoidable and all my fault.

 

[dosdiverz]

Hang in there brother and keep your chin up. We weren't meant to be perfect. I am so sorry for your loss. I've only been doing this for two years myself and I can understand your frustration. If I could offer you some advice I would tell you to not be so hard on yourself.

I hope you stick with it.

 

[billdogg]

Absolutely devastated had a major tragedy today.

The reason I started this thread was because as I near two years in the hobby and one year with my current setup I wanted to make some improvements in my system and my husbandry. Well long story short this has been the longest and worst couple of days in my short lived experience in this hobby. To start I got the brilliant idea of replumbing my system with hard pvc. Now mind you Im a pool guy and can plumb anything to do with a pool with my eyes closed so I thought no big deal. Big mistake my bulkheads leaked total fail.

Now here is where the tragedy happens. I somehow knocked the temp sensor out of my dt tank and it fell between the tank and wall therefore was sensing the air temp of the room n not my tank thus cooking almost my entire tank. Lost most of if not all of my corals and even worse yet most of my fish only have my hippo tang, yellow tang, gold bar maroon clown and my yellow watchmen goby all my shrimp are dead as well as countless others

Temp was 95 got it down to 84 after changing 40 gallons as fast as I could. Out of salt for tonight and exhausted

So upset with myself I'm at such a loss right now so disappointed and depressed right now.
Feel terrible and guilty I had so much pride that I made it this far without a major tragedy and this was totally avoidable and all my fault.

Really sorry to hear about your issues! If it's any help at all, we have all been there to one extent or another. I had a girlfriend watch my tank while I went on a long weekend (5 days)with the family. The first thing she did when she came over was to shut off the AC. It was the last weekend of July, outside temps were near 100. Boiled everything. Ironically, I had spent a lot of time thinking about our relationship and had decided that it just wasn't going to work out. Talk about icing on the cake!

Hang in there, stick with it, and learn from your mistakes

 

[pyithar]

i'm sorry for your loss. s**t happens in life. since you already have the experience and the equipments, you could start over easily. even a better tank than before. don't be so hard on yourself. it's just a fish tank after all. good luck rebuilding a new reef, and merry xmas!

 

[drunkenclown]

Hey guys thanks for the the encouragement. Trying to stay positive gonna hang in there and stick with it. Now I guess I have an opportunity to start over m change some things for the better and learn to ask for more help and listen instead of lurking. Have to decide if it's best to re-home my remaing fish n corals or what to do now.

I know it's only a fish tank but I also read I think on here somewhere and I feel this way myself...it's our responsibility to ensure that whatever we decide to put in our tank not only survives but thrives and can live the longest healthiest life possible and at least as long if not longer as they would in the wild. We have to all remember these are all living creatures and most of them are in very limited in numbers they are neither a sustainable or renewable resource and this becomes even more so important considering the fish that aren't,can't and never will be captive bred.

 

[JerseyGuy]

Good for you, hang in there man we're all pulling for you.

I've had a 75 gallon tank for 10 years and twice I almost quit. Once the tank started to leak in the middle of the night, 50 gallons all over the living room floor! I had to pull everything out and stick them in totes in my living room. Total disaster. But I was determined to fix it and I did, resealed the whole tank, filled it up in the garage, and it STILL leaked, I was about to give up, it was a mess. But I didn't, I redid the tank again, and it STILL leaked. But the third time (yes the third time) it worked and it's been running ever since. I was thisclose to quitting, but something just wouldn't let me.

I still have one of the fish that made it through the ordeal with me, he's a Cardinal named Cheech and he's like a good old friend. Oh the times we've had.

Now my tank has never been better and I can not tell you how proud I am for hanging in there and not giving up.

Good luck and Merry Christmas from North Carolina!

 

[pdiehm]

If I'm running a canopy I don't need a screen correct?

 

[drunkenclown]

From what little I've read and know I think screens are only to prevent jumpers so if you have a canopy that's enlcosed on all sides then no you wouldn't need a screen. I think

 

[phenom5]

Absolutely devastated had a major tragedy today.

The reason I started this thread was because as I near two years in the hobby and one year with my current setup I wanted to make some improvements in my system and my husbandry. Well long story short this has been the longest and worst couple of days in my short lived experience in this hobby. To start I got the brilliant idea of replumbing my system with hard pvc. Now mind you Im a pool guy and can plumb anything to do with a pool with my eyes closed so I thought no big deal. Big mistake my bulkheads leaked total fail.

Now here is where the tragedy happens. I somehow knocked the temp sensor out of my dt tank and it fell between the tank and wall therefore was sensing the air temp of the room n not my tank thus cooking almost my entire tank. Lost most of if not all of my corals and even worse yet most of my fish only have my hippo tang, yellow tang, gold bar maroon clown and my yellow watchmen goby all my shrimp are dead as well as countless others

Temp was 95 got it down to 84 after changing 40 gallons as fast as I could. Out of salt for tonight and exhausted

So upset with myself I'm at such a loss right now so disappointed and depressed right now.
Feel terrible and guilty I had so much pride that I made it this far without a major tragedy and this was totally avoidable and all my fault.

Ahh man, sorry to hear about your struggles. Unfortunately anybody that's been in the hobby for a bit has been there.

I lost a fully stocked SPS tank to the exact same issue, faulty heater stuck on, pushed my temp up to 95+.

Time to rebuild...bigger, stronger, fast, :thumbsup: