Just wanted to say hello to everyone. Jack (sirreal63) pointed me in this direction to answer any of my saltwater questions. I live in Sikeston, MO and have known Jack for some time thru a car-related club in the STL area. I am fairly new to the hobby, had my tank about a year now. I have a 75 gal. tank with a 120w Coralife power compact light and 2 moonlights. I have live rocks and some tufa rocks as well as live sand. For filtration, I have a Marineland Emperor 400 & 280 as well as a Aqua C Remora HOT skimmer. I have 2 150w Stealth heaters and a single Maxi-Jet 1200 powerhead. My fish are 3 green chronis (had 4 but one commited suicide), 2 False Percula Clowns, an algae blenny, and a Royal Gramma Basslet. I also have some hermit crabs and 2 snails. Just recenly I started getting a ton of small white brittle stars and have tons of small featherdusters all over the place. So far no corals or anemonies until I get better lighting, but I have been doing alot of reading into it. I hope that all my questions on here wont make me look too dumb. And I hope to see some great looking reef tanks in the future. My wife has family in the stl area and we visit regularly. Hope to meet many of you someday!
Hello All
- Thread starter WhiteysTA
- Start date
StupidsReef
Premium Member
Welcome to SLASH!!!!!!!!! Nice to meet you! Don't think for one second that your questions might make you look dumb! We have all started out the same way, Jack has done you a favor by pointing you this way. It's what we loved to do....To help others like us, we've all been there. You ask anything and as much there's no such thing as a dumb question.
Welcome to the other family Sean...as I said earlier there is a wealth of information on RC and it would take years of reading to learn it all. That is where this group comes in...most of the people here have been doing this a long time and are always willing to help out.
Tell your lovely wife I said Hi.
Tell your lovely wife I said Hi.
StupidsReef
Premium Member
You stated you were look for new lighting, If I may offer JMO. If you can afford it and its worth it to you T-5's are a really good way to go. Intense light, you can have many diffrent PAR's of light, Bulbs are not to costly, Last longer than MH's, Very low heat and wish I had them LOL. MH is the second best way to go. Good bright lighting, Punches deep into the water, High on the heat end and pulls more on the amps and the Bulbs last for a least a year, But over all much much better than PC or VHO's alone very good lighting indeed.
If I might ask you a question, How is the Aqua C Remora HOT skimmer working out?? I've never seen one in action.
If I might ask you a question, How is the Aqua C Remora HOT skimmer working out?? I've never seen one in action.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8982965#post8982965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capncapo
Welcome to RC and the SLASH forum.
We want you to know that we accept people for what they are ... hence, Jack is even welcome here.
LOl Capn...isn't it past your bedtime? Remember..clap on, clap off.
Thanks for the replies and for the info on the lighting! I've been contemplating t-5's over MH's, but have heard that MH's are the way to go. Good to hear another side. As for the skimmer, it works really good, but is a bit noisy. I got the preskimmer and drain kit for mine. Its the Pro with a Rio+ 1400. Only problems have been the preskimmer because it doesnt go onto the pump very well and only the top thumbscrew will touch the pump to hold it in place. I may have been sent the wrong preskimmer box, dunno. I know the drain kit saved my butt!!! I forgot that I put stress coat in the water with my new fish and it almost overflowed my gallon jug under the tank! All in all it skims all kinds of nasty brown/green crap from the water. The preskimmer has to be watched if the waterlevel drops to keep from scavaging out the pump. But all in all I like it.
StupidsReef
Premium Member
"I forgot that I put stress coat in the water with my new fish" That's a new to me. I've never heard of putting the stress coat into SW to add a new fish?? I'm not saying don't do it, Just I've never done it or heard that you should do it. Maybe letmegrow could chime in for more info on that, He would know all about that.
I've never had your type of skimmer I was just wondering. And if it's working good that all that matters.
I've never had your type of skimmer I was just wondering. And if it's working good that all that matters.
Stress coat has aloe in it and it will make a skimmer go nuts. I never use the stuff.
Capo...just in case you you fall and can't get up you can at least have the lights on with your clapper. I am going to start a thread to get you one of those bracelets that will let you call 911 if you fall and break a hip.
Sean...the Remora will work even better with a mag3 pump but the microbubbles will be a lot more in the tank.
Capo...just in case you you fall and can't get up you can at least have the lights on with your clapper. I am going to start a thread to get you one of those bracelets that will let you call 911 if you fall and break a hip.
Sean...the Remora will work even better with a mag3 pump but the microbubbles will be a lot more in the tank.
Koddie Doo
Czar of All ThingsAwesome
nice to mee the cyber you what kind of cars?
StupidsReef
Premium Member
Thought this might help. I could have used it when I first got into this hobby.
A word of warning: starting a marine tank cause a serious change in human behavioural patterns - looking dreamy eyed at your tank for hours on end; phoning your loved ones (or anyone!) in the middle of the night to tell them about a new polyp, worm, glowing thingy about 1mm long, ... which you have just discovered; not buying new clothes, furniture etc. because your tank REALLY needs that new light, filter, ROCK, etc.... Oh well, maybe you won't get hooked so badly.
Firstly, get some advice.
Most people’s main source of advice is the Local Fish Store (LFS). Petshops, LFS's, call them what you like, these shops all exist primarily to make money. If they do, they are successful, and the owners can live in comfort (or even grow rich ??). If they don't make money, they go bankrupt. They will always try to sell you the most expensive (often quite useless), items, preferably something which you will have to upgrade later (another sale for them...). And these are the good ones - the bad shops will also sell you incompatible livestock, or diseased fish, or even fish caught with poisons, knowing that they will die after a few days. They can then blame it on you (bad water quality, wrong filter..."you also need this UV steriliser to reduce disease..." and because you are not sure yourself, you inevitably buy more equipment (usually also useless). Get the picture..?? So BUYER BEWARE!
People on Internet discussion groups do not have any financial gain by what they recommend, and are usually impartial, but there is another problem lurking - Pride. "I use skimmer xxx, or pump zzz, this is the best, use it!" "Oh, I've kept 10 types of Angels, and 4 types of Damsels in a 50 gallon tank for the past 5 years, It’s EASY - you can do it too..." or even worse, "Oh, I am very successful with keeping anemones. They are easy to keep, I've had 5 in the last year..."
Advice in books is usually outdated. Details on the animals and plants tend to stay relevant, but "technical" issues such as filters, skimming, lighting, etc. tend to change rapidly, as new equipment and techniques are developed. So, before you decide on anything technical, query what the books say!
Whilst gathering your information, you must THINK. Is it logical, does it agree with what other books say, or with the views of "experts"? You must also get as many recommendations as you can, and then try to decide what is right FOR YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION. Even some of the most notable "experts" on the net, some even with PhD's, can't agree on "what is right" all the time. They do tend to agree on the basics, though, so if you get some "way off" advice, you should be wary.
A word of warning: starting a marine tank cause a serious change in human behavioural patterns - looking dreamy eyed at your tank for hours on end; phoning your loved ones (or anyone!) in the middle of the night to tell them about a new polyp, worm, glowing thingy about 1mm long, ... which you have just discovered; not buying new clothes, furniture etc. because your tank REALLY needs that new light, filter, ROCK, etc.... Oh well, maybe you won't get hooked so badly.
Firstly, get some advice.
Most people’s main source of advice is the Local Fish Store (LFS). Petshops, LFS's, call them what you like, these shops all exist primarily to make money. If they do, they are successful, and the owners can live in comfort (or even grow rich ??). If they don't make money, they go bankrupt. They will always try to sell you the most expensive (often quite useless), items, preferably something which you will have to upgrade later (another sale for them...). And these are the good ones - the bad shops will also sell you incompatible livestock, or diseased fish, or even fish caught with poisons, knowing that they will die after a few days. They can then blame it on you (bad water quality, wrong filter..."you also need this UV steriliser to reduce disease..." and because you are not sure yourself, you inevitably buy more equipment (usually also useless). Get the picture..?? So BUYER BEWARE!
People on Internet discussion groups do not have any financial gain by what they recommend, and are usually impartial, but there is another problem lurking - Pride. "I use skimmer xxx, or pump zzz, this is the best, use it!" "Oh, I've kept 10 types of Angels, and 4 types of Damsels in a 50 gallon tank for the past 5 years, It’s EASY - you can do it too..." or even worse, "Oh, I am very successful with keeping anemones. They are easy to keep, I've had 5 in the last year..."
Advice in books is usually outdated. Details on the animals and plants tend to stay relevant, but "technical" issues such as filters, skimming, lighting, etc. tend to change rapidly, as new equipment and techniques are developed. So, before you decide on anything technical, query what the books say!
Whilst gathering your information, you must THINK. Is it logical, does it agree with what other books say, or with the views of "experts"? You must also get as many recommendations as you can, and then try to decide what is right FOR YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION. Even some of the most notable "experts" on the net, some even with PhD's, can't agree on "what is right" all the time. They do tend to agree on the basics, though, so if you get some "way off" advice, you should be wary.
