Converting to a reef... Can I do it?

[Tswifty]

Hey I'm about to order the 3 female lyretail anthias from Saltwaterfish.com tonight

I'm going to add a cleaning crew too...

Any recomendations, it's for a 55g:

Snails
-Nassarius
-Turbo/Astrea
-Conch?

Crabs
-Blue Leg Hermit Crabs: (will they hurt corals?)

Thanks!

 

[chatyak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10947824#post10947824 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Here's a picture of the new layout. Water is being pumped into the refugium by a powerhead right now until I can re-plumb the intake from the display tank and "T" it off. The Aqua C EV-90 skimmer is supposed to get here Friday, so looks like I have my to do list for the weekend.

1. Pick up and Re-Plumb intake
2. Install Skimmer & pump
3. Punt SeaClone out window
4. Sell Trigger to LFS, and pick up some new livestock for the QT Tank. (I'm thinking 3 Lyretail Anthias... anyone have any experience with them?)
5. Pick up mineral mud for old fuge section.
6. Test & record water levels in tank

I just noticed this. hahah

 

[chatyak]

Blue legs from what I have read and researched can be rather nasty when it comes time for new homes / more food (ie. your snails). I would suggest the red scarlet hermits as they seem to be better behaved.

Nassarius are good at keeping the sand bed stirred and I would suggest to add less than needed.. you can always add more but if you add too many you will wind up with a bunch of dead critters.

 

[Aquarist007]

blue legs red legs purple legs hermits are a problematic mix with snails sooner or later.
Cleaner shrimps perform alot of the jobs hermits due and they are not as problematic with snails

 

[Tswifty]

The UPS guy dropped me off a present today!!!

 

[chatyak]

Nice. Which model? I plan to get that as well.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10959272#post10959272 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
The UPS guy dropped me off a present today!!!

trade you 50 hermit crabs for it :rollface: :rollface:

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10960251#post10960251 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chatyak
Nice. Which model? I plan to get that as well.

AquaC Ev-90

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10962187#post10962187 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
trade you 50 hermit crabs for it :rollface: :rollface:

haha... Throw in a Mystery Wrasse and an Adult Emperor Angel and you got a deal... haha :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Tswifty]

Weekend Update:

Finally the filtration system is 99% complete. I'm prob gonna do something with the old fuge area, but not to soon.

Water testing tomorrow... This outta be fun


Special thanks to Cap'n for providing me with all the information I needed to get this done, and to Doe for providing the AquaC Ev-90.

Thanks again guys... Next project once the water is in line, is the fun part... picking all the livestock to add!!!

 

[Tswifty]

Won't be getting much of anything done next week... The UPS guy dropped these off today!!!

Go Tribe!!!

 

[Tswifty]

Water levels... Not too good, but expected because of crappy SeaClone...

Currently I'm having some trouble with the AquaC Ev-90, it keeps overflowing, but I'll know more in a few days... trying a few troubleshooting measures.

Anyway here we go:

Acceptable:
pH: 8.0
Salinity: 1.022
Alkalinity: 3.5
Calcium: 360

Bad Numbers:
Phosphate: 0.5!!! Supposed to be .03
Nitrate: >100!!! Supposed to be <10

I'm going to do some large water changes over the course of the week when I get some time, and retest prob Wed and Sat.

I need to get my Salinity & Calcium up... and my Phosphate and Nitrate WAY DOWN!!!

 

[Aquarist007]

Are you sure about that nitrate reading? seems really high for what you did(assuming you just altered the sump)

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10966755#post10966755 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Weekend Update:

Finally the filtration system is 99% complete. I'm prob gonna do something with the old fuge area, but not to soon.

Water testing tomorrow... This outta be fun


Special thanks to Cap'n for providing me with all the information I needed to get this done, and to Doe for providing the AquaC Ev-90.

Thanks again guys... Next project once the water is in line, is the fun part... picking all the livestock to add!!!

you need a valve on the left side also for emergency measures --case you want to shut off the flow from the main tank entirely

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10970979#post10970979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
Are you sure about that nitrate reading? seems really high for what you did(assuming you just altered the sump)

I can check it again... It's a Salifert test...

The new plumbing started running Saturday night. I'm having problems getting the skimmer to skim though... the manual says it takes a few days though. I'll test it again and post the result in a little.

 

[Tswifty]

Yeah just tested it... still showing >100

 

[Aquarist007]

did you dump the sump water after you removed the fuge?

 

[Tswifty]

Nope... Def didn't... should I have?

 

[Aquarist007]

that's probably where the spike in nitrates came from

 

[Tswifty]

Gotcha... My ball of Chaeto... I actually don't think that's what the LFS sold me, is starting to look kind of brown... is it dying... if so, what do I need to do?