Coralline Questions & 125 setup questions for our experts

[wisebonzai]

Hello guys,

You guys are so helpful and wonderful...I really hope nobody minds if I impose a few questions?

There is some bright red coralline forming on one powerhead. A few specks...maybe 2 " square when all rounded up. I took down the 29 yesterday and incorporated it into the 125, which I am still setting up. Everything is running, my fish are in and was glad to see coralline was forming, as the powerhead/tank was just set up recently.

If using Purple Up, and t5HO and combining them with 2 3' 96watt blue/white CF (that means on each side are 4 T5HO with 2 blue, 2 white, and one CF with one blue and one white 96watt) will it support the coralline?

I also read recently that to get coralline to grow, you need to have it seeded if either you only have a small amount in the tank or there just isn't any at all. Does anyone have any coralline they can scrape off that they would be interested in selling or trading for something?

We converted the wet/dry into a refugium and am adding a second fuge onto the other side today or tomorrow. Where do you put your skimmer in this type of setup? There isn't room for it in the conversion fuge, and the other is going to be only 10 gallon size tank unless I can find a 20 short/long tank instead.

Coral death toll is really bad from the heat. I have lost my 21" (measured) by 14" tall giant colt coral and his two huge friends. They were un-salvageable. If anyone has frags of soft corals or things they want to sell out reasonably, would you please let me know so that I can try to restock? I'd like to add more green items, yellow, some blues and some colorful items...less brown.

We are building a DIY chiller for the summer. We have a few weeks of reprieve coming, and fortunately, I can get it done in that time, or we can find one reasonably or trade for aquariums or aquarium supplies.

My montipora I loved so much, that was so beautiful, floated right off of its body the day after Micaiah and Josh left. All the brown fell off from the heat. Like I said...talk about devastated...I'm there.

Well, you live and you learn.

Anyway, if you guys could answer the lighting/coralline info question and whether or not the DIY chillers work, and what you think about using fans in addition to that (if they would help or not and what to use, how many, etc.) I'd sure appreciate it.

 

[nova62]

hey renee diy chillers from what i have read dont work very well.yes fans will help with keeping the heat down.also try getting a window ac for just that room thats what i used in my fish room before i got a chiller it worked good all last summer.as for your coraline your lighting should be fine but you also need to keep your calcium up that is what makes the coraline grow

 

[wisebonzai]

Thankyou for the info, and I'm so anxious to show you guys what I've done with the 125 (in spite of the fact that it's bare and has little coral in it - write me aside if you want to see the thread on the tank setup that's on another online community I own, because all the images are there, and I will send you a link to that.). I had a booboo, however...promise not to laugh? Þ

I filled up the tank, put the rock in, moved the 29 gallon into it, put all the fish into it for about a week prior to today and then last night, I discovered that under the 75, there is absolutely no way the sump was going to fit. I should have put it in first, but it would have yielded issues further down the line, in cleaning it out or upgrading it if I had chosen to do so in the future anyway, so I cut one of the side supports off with a hacksaw, refilled it and added a small chunk of wood to make up for any difference in height, and then put it back once the fuge was in.

I ended up converting the tru flo 180 into a fuge. On the other half will be a second fuge with the skimmer and stuff in it (if I can figure out how to fit it in there) and instead of using the 29 as a fuge underneath, I am now looking for one of those 20 longs to put under and to make a second fuge out of so I can have dual corners going.

So, I've put the wood back and you cannot tell it's been removed. It was a tedious, tiring process to make it still look great when done, but, it works.

 

[wisebonzai]

 

[NorCalReef]

I like the way the cave looks in the middle. Is that your return pump on the right side, halfway up?

 

[wisebonzai]

Yes. I've elevated it, because that way it will let me know if the fuge gets low by blowing bubbles, before it gets too low to flow well.

I've inverted the wet/dry cover to sit it on, and the lid is now used as a hole for the outflow to go through, separating it from the UV filter, which used to keep falling into the water the way we used to set it up. Now it will not do that (although I burned out a bulb and so I have to replace that next).

Underneath the return pump is a little hermit crab, who grabs and eats any debris that gets in to there, and there is a separator between the area where people would put a sponge so that the water will not suck through it.

I don't know a lot about refugiums, but I tried very hard to make this one right. My other one is a 10 gallon, homemade, and worked out okay.

Also, on the right side of the stand will be the skimmer in another refugium, and the other overflow will be hooked up. I am going to have to build a DIY chiller to put in there, as my tank in the livingroom overheated so bad it killed nearly all my coral, but we have it in an air conditioned room now.

I like the grottos. They are really neat, because the fish hang out in them.

Thankyou for the compliments. I am sure you've already heard this a million times but your aquarium images are breathtaking. I cannot wait to get enough mushrooms going in mine to do it justice...they are my favorite coral.

 

[NorCalReef]

I see that a guy in Sac is selling a 1/3HP chiller for $300 with a pump. That is a good price for a Chiller. If you have a little cash that would be the way to go.

A chiller is one of the best things that I did with my tank. It only fluctuates around 1.5 degrees. I think that puts the livestock under less stress due to the temp staying constant

 

[wisebonzai]

It's a very good deal.

 

[wisebonzai]

I needed to add something...Bill, since you're on here, I bought some kalkwasser and was considering starting it in my aquarium with a nice drip like Scott made. I really like his setup. If you are still around so late (I am a late-nighter also), I'd like to know if you think it would make my coral grow better and the coralline? Also, what mixture would you use? I heard 2 teaspoons for a gallon and mix with distilled white vinegar, but then I read the vinegar defeats the purpose, because it nutralizes it chemically.

I understand kalk is vitally important

 

[NorCalReef]

Most people that see my tank ask what supplements I add to get the results that I have had. I add very little and just do consistant water changes along with heavy skimming and a refugium. I do add calcuium at times.

I have read up on kalk but never had the need to use it. Sorry I can't answer your question.

 

[ros_sco]

Renee,
I would only start dosing Kalk if you have a lot of LPS and SPS corals that are utilizing your calcium. If your calcium and alkalinity levels drop between water changes, then a calcium/alk source is needed and kalk is a very good one if it is dripped.

 

[wisebonzai]

Ros_sco, I have built a kalkwasser drip and plan to do just that, if you think this is a tank that may lack in it. This is the type of corals I have.

Here was my tank a week ago, before the coral opened up. Justin and I had spent the evening taking out the rock the eve before, removing aobut 100 lbs and adding fiji live instead, and the coral wasn't open, but this is what I am dealing with coral-wise.

This is under the tank's setup.

I have also removed the 2 center powerheads, as they aren't increasing flow enough to make a difference. What I have are 2 1200 maxi jets and the seio, plus the 2 returns. I am unsure as to whether this is enough flow or not.