Reeftanks6 90g reef build thread ( pic intense)
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Reeftanks6
Active member
OK the heater that is in the main tank is a 300w and is all they way up at 89 degrees. I think it warms about 80g. Then i have the small heater in the basement which is rated for a 20g tank and is doing fine down there. The heaters go on and off.
MR PALM BEACH
New member
Is your tank almost ready for some live stock yet?
Reeftanks6
Active member
Yes it is almost ready when i get the light and temp up then i will accumulate the perculas.
melev
Well-known member
Hold off on the livestock.
You need to remove the phrase "it is doing fine" from your vocabulary. It indicates that all is well, yet your other posts clearly state there is a problem.
All the water in the entire system should be the same temperature at all times. Are you using different thermometers to determine that there is a problem between upstairs and downstairs?! If yes, put both in the upstairs tank and measure the water for 5 minutes. Then take them both downstairs and measure the water of the sump for 5 minutes. Then take both and measure the temperature of the water in your refugium.
They should all match.
Your heaters should be coming on at the same time and turning off at the same time.
You did not state the size of the downstairs heater. How many watts is it? 300w should be enough for your entire setup, and it doesn't matter what the number on the heater states. What matters is the water temperature of the system.
Most of my heaters are set around 76 - 77F, but they heat the water to 79-80F. The reason they do that is because the numbers on the heater rarely match reality, in my experience. Once the tank temperature is where I want it, I turn the heater off so the light clicks off, then turn it up slightly to make the light flick back on, then twist it down again enough to shut off the light (and heater). That is the set-point, and it doesn't matter what it says on the heater.
You need to remove the phrase "it is doing fine" from your vocabulary. It indicates that all is well, yet your other posts clearly state there is a problem.
All the water in the entire system should be the same temperature at all times. Are you using different thermometers to determine that there is a problem between upstairs and downstairs?! If yes, put both in the upstairs tank and measure the water for 5 minutes. Then take them both downstairs and measure the water of the sump for 5 minutes. Then take both and measure the temperature of the water in your refugium.
They should all match.
Your heaters should be coming on at the same time and turning off at the same time.
You did not state the size of the downstairs heater. How many watts is it? 300w should be enough for your entire setup, and it doesn't matter what the number on the heater states. What matters is the water temperature of the system.
Most of my heaters are set around 76 - 77F, but they heat the water to 79-80F. The reason they do that is because the numbers on the heater rarely match reality, in my experience. Once the tank temperature is where I want it, I turn the heater off so the light clicks off, then turn it up slightly to make the light flick back on, then twist it down again enough to shut off the light (and heater). That is the set-point, and it doesn't matter what it says on the heater.
Reeftanks6
Active member
OK melev. I do not know the watt of the heater in the small tank downstairs. But i will try to find out for you. This is what i will do. I will use the upstairs heater and turn the knob untill the light goes off then turn it up untill the light goes back on then go from there.
maroun.c
New member
I would make sure the tank upstairs is at the desired temperature when you do this. As Melev suggested compare both thermometers in the same tank close to each other so that you exclude the possibility of a faulty thermometer to start with. themn make sure the tank is on an OK tevel before you set your heater to stop at that point.
Reeftanks6
Active member
OK i will do that
Reeftanks6
Active member
UPDATE!!!!
OK so i went to the LFS today. But before i did all of this i checked the temp of the tank and it is at 77.5 degrees. I want to see if i can keep this stable for a couple days which i should be able to do. Ok back to the LFS. I went there got the sand and you know every time you go to the LFS you have to look at the fish and what do you know there is this nice 4-5 in foxface and he is fat and has good color. As i am watching him i think i am going to get this fish for my new tank and i did. I asked the LFS to feed the fish and the person who worked there fed him some pellets he destroyed the pellets barley let anyone else get them. So i took him home. Got home put him in a 5 gal bucket filled it up a 1/4 way and then dumped him in. He was doing great i was excited. Then i went to the doctors and this is why i dont have any pics of him during the accumulation. After 2 hours of accumulation i put him in the tank. The sailfin laid back for a little and then realized that there is a new fish in the tank have to check him out and sure enough did he check him out. Know 2 hours later they are swimming together fine but a little tail whacking from here and there. Got the sand as well. 20lb bag of Aragonite Live Sand. Did not settle all the way yet but here is some pics of the new foxface and the sump sand.
here the sailfin is nipping at his tail. Then the sailfin darts across the tank
OK so i went to the LFS today. But before i did all of this i checked the temp of the tank and it is at 77.5 degrees. I want to see if i can keep this stable for a couple days which i should be able to do. Ok back to the LFS. I went there got the sand and you know every time you go to the LFS you have to look at the fish and what do you know there is this nice 4-5 in foxface and he is fat and has good color. As i am watching him i think i am going to get this fish for my new tank and i did. I asked the LFS to feed the fish and the person who worked there fed him some pellets he destroyed the pellets barley let anyone else get them. So i took him home. Got home put him in a 5 gal bucket filled it up a 1/4 way and then dumped him in. He was doing great i was excited. Then i went to the doctors and this is why i dont have any pics of him during the accumulation. After 2 hours of accumulation i put him in the tank. The sailfin laid back for a little and then realized that there is a new fish in the tank have to check him out and sure enough did he check him out. Know 2 hours later they are swimming together fine but a little tail whacking from here and there. Got the sand as well. 20lb bag of Aragonite Live Sand. Did not settle all the way yet but here is some pics of the new foxface and the sump sand.
here the sailfin is nipping at his tail. Then the sailfin darts across the tank
Reeftanks6
Active member
Sorry the first three pics are very bad sorry about that. I like the last one a lot.
MR PALM BEACH
New member
I like fox faces, they seem to by shy at first but give them a couple of days they will eating out of your hands 
Reeftanks6
Active member
Yes he is a little shy. But every couple minutes. He gets a little more excited. I also love foxfaces. Question how do you set-up an avater
Reeftanks6
Active member
Ok well this morning woke up checked the tanks. The 90g is at 75 degrees know. I think that my problem is that its the house temp that is bringing it down. But i could be wrong. The foxface is doing great.
RumLad
New member
Avatar - Go to MyRC at the top of the page, choose Edit Options tab, scroll down to bottom of page, click on change avatar. Upload a picture from your computer, or choose one of the hundred or so available from RC.
Easy.
Temperature - Did you do the measuring like Melev described? Is all the water consistent? Your house temperature probaly is what is causing the fluctuations between the early morning and night time readings. This is when your heaters should be pulling their weight. Were both of the heaters turned on and actively heating when the temp was 75? They should have been if they were set properly.
Nice fish BTW. get some hair algea growing to feed him
Also - I believe the correct word you need is "Acclimate" and not "accumulate" as you have been using. There is quite a difference.
Easy.
Temperature - Did you do the measuring like Melev described? Is all the water consistent? Your house temperature probaly is what is causing the fluctuations between the early morning and night time readings. This is when your heaters should be pulling their weight. Were both of the heaters turned on and actively heating when the temp was 75? They should have been if they were set properly.
Nice fish BTW. get some hair algea growing to feed him
Also - I believe the correct word you need is "Acclimate" and not "accumulate" as you have been using. There is quite a difference.
Reeftanks6
Active member
OK well the temp is still 75 and both heaters are running at 80 so ill see what happens over night. I know they both get big but they will be the biggest fish in the tank. thanks for all the comments. He is still a little shy but is pulling through.
RumLad
New member
Do the heaters ever turn off RT6? If they are always turned on, and you have them turned all the way up, then you need to rethink how you are going to heat this tank, because your current set-up is not working.
Please describe in detail how you are measuring the temps (time of day, upstairs/downstairs/both? Calibrated thermometer etc..)
Please describe in detail how you are measuring the temps (time of day, upstairs/downstairs/both? Calibrated thermometer etc..)
Bax
Premium Member
What size are your heaters? Maybe they are too small? I like to run several heaters so that if one fails I don;'t fry the or chill the tank.
And I am sorry for those purists who will only have back of the house heating in a sump but I spread my heaters around the system so if the main pump fails (which mine did due to a GFI interruption) you don;t loose the tank or fuge or frag set up or whatever. Heater my be ugly but if you do not have excellent ambient temperature control, (like me) they save lives!
And I am sorry for those purists who will only have back of the house heating in a sump but I spread my heaters around the system so if the main pump fails (which mine did due to a GFI interruption) you don;t loose the tank or fuge or frag set up or whatever. Heater my be ugly but if you do not have excellent ambient temperature control, (like me) they save lives!
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