Solana tank owner thread.

[Reefinabox]

I would think you would be better off with a dedicated light on the back of the tank to light that chamber. I'm not sure how much light the chaeto would really be getting from the fixture above the tank. It is also beneficial to have a dedicated light for your 'fuge so that you can run it on an opposite cycle to your main lights.

You also might want to think about removing the LR rubble....it can become a detritus trap unless you clean it all the time.

 

[zackdastack]

anyone else

 

[laverda]

Zack
I doubt you will get much growth, do to the small surface area the light will hit. I would light the refugium from behind and on an opposite schedule of the tank lights. If you have a heavier bio load, like I do, light it 24 hours a day.

 

[kmu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14644966#post14644966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demon16v
I'm running q MJ 900. The hose from the stock pump is to big. If I remember right the one I used has an OD of ½ with an inside diameter if 3/8.
The MJ 900 uses less watts then the MJ1200 (= less heat, with summer coming). The 1200 gives little gph over the 900 that it is not worth it. Unless you have an extra 1200 sitting around I would go for the 900.
The slower the flow through the back will give the skimmer more time to do it's job.

Im gonna get my maxijet 900 this weekend... where did you get hose that you used in your solana with the maxijet 900?

THX in advance

 

[kmu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14644966#post14644966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demon16v
I'm running q MJ 900. The hose from the stock pump is to big. If I remember right the one I used has an OD of ½ with an inside diameter if 3/8.
The MJ 900 uses less watts then the MJ1200 (= less heat, with summer coming). The 1200 gives little gph over the 900 that it is not worth it. Unless you have an extra 1200 sitting around I would go for the 900.
The slower the flow through the back will give the skimmer more time to do it's job.

Im gonna get my maxijet 900 this weekend... where did you get hose that you used in your solana with the maxijet 900?

THX in advance

 

[Reefinabox]

You should be able to get the tubing from Lowes or Home Depot

 

[GentleBen]

Wow, it took me two days to get through this massive thread parts 1 & 2. I just wanted to thank everybody for all the great information. I am picking up my Solana with 150W HQI Sunpod tomorrow and feel I really have a leg up on setup thanks to all you folks. This is my first attempt at salt water so wish me luck!
I'm getting the tank, stand, and light for $580.00. Does that sound about right. LFS owner is an old friend so I am taking his word for it.

 

[ximmortaldeathx]

tank + stand + Sunpod 150 for $570 is cost 4 sure.

take advantage and have him get you a better skimmer right away, that way you have to buy it down the road, almost everyone upgrades their skimmer.

nice to have good friends and welcome to RC!

 

[cerobbins]

I have been using an mj900 as my return pump for some time now. I just used a ziptie to attach the hose to the pump. Since the hose really never has to be removed to clean the powerhead I dont imagine running across a problem. Worse case scenario I just have to put new zip tie on the tube every couple of months.

 

[kmu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14690649#post14690649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cerobbins
I have been using an mj900 as my return pump for some time now. I just used a ziptie to attach the hose to the pump. Since the hose really never has to be removed to clean the powerhead I dont imagine running across a problem. Worse case scenario I just have to put new zip tie on the tube every couple of months.

So the stock hose fits on the maxijet 900 but a little loose?

 

[cerobbins]

That is correct. Mine seemed to be 1/8" to large. I used two zip ties on the outlet, and the hose is not going anywhere.

 

[cerobbins]

On a side note regarding return pumps I would actually have preferred to use a mj600 as the return pump. This would provide just a touch more than 5x tank turn over per hour. This is on the higher end of flow to allow enough contact time to allow skimmers to process the majority of the water that goes through the rear chamber. Since you probably aren't using your return as flow in your tank a slower return will be just fine. A mj400 wouldn't be a bad choice either if you have a skimmer that underachieves like most nano skimmers seem to. That is just my two cents worth though please decide for yourself. Hope that helps!

 

[kmu]

Well my solana is 34 days old and might be ready for some livestock..

Started with around 24 lbs of live rock and 14 lbs of dead rock, 5 lbs of live sand and 30 lbs of dry sand.

Do you guys think I should start stocking the tank? maybe a pair of onix perculas and some zoanthids and shrooms..

Did a 5g water change when the tank was 30 days old, will do another 5g water change when its 40 days old.

Should I start stocking?

 

[Reefinabox]

What are your water parameters? Have you been testing all along so that you know your cycle is complete?

 

[kmu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14694862#post14694862 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefinabox
What are your water parameters? Have you been testing all along so that you know your cycle is complete?

I know that what Im gonna say is against what most people believe or do around here...

On my solana I plan on not being a prisioner of test kits, dosing supplements, heavy water changes, bla, bla, bla...

Its gonna be a keep it simple design and maintenance reeftank with low bioload, easy to keep corals. For this Im gonna rely on the live rock, live sand, moderate skimming, once a month water changes and auto top off with kalkwasser.

 

[Reefinabox]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14696715#post14696715 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kmu
I know that what Im gonna say is against what most people believe or do around here...

On my solana I plan on not being a prisioner of test kits, dosing supplements, heavy water changes, bla, bla, bla...

Its gonna be a keep it simple design and maintenance reeftank with low bioload, easy to keep corals. For this Im gonna rely on the live rock, live sand, moderate skimming, once a month water changes and auto top off with kalkwasser.

So how do you intend to know if it is safe to put anything in your tank? Just wing it and pray the stuff stays alive? Use the old "the inhabitants will tell me" method while your livestock is getting stressed beyond belief? You asked the question "Should I start stocking the tank?" My answer as I'm sure many others will agree is no....never....not as long as you aren't going to do simple tests to make sure you are providing a safe environment for the inhabitants. You can keep a simple approach but there are certain things that can't be thrown to the wayside just because you don't want to be a "prisoner". If you feel like your tank is going to make you a prisoner then maybe you should tear it down and take up a different hobby like shuffleboard. At least that way you won't be killing anything.

 

[kmu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14696785#post14696785 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefinabox
So how do you intend to know if it is safe to put anything in your tank? Just wing it and pray the stuff stays alive? Use the old "the inhabitants will tell me" method while your livestock is getting stressed beyond belief? You asked the question "Should I start stocking the tank?" My answer as I'm sure many others will agree is no....never....not as long as you aren't going to do simple tests to make sure you are providing a safe environment for the inhabitants. You can keep a simple approach but there are certain things that can't be thrown to the wayside just because you don't want to be a "prisoner". If you feel like your tank is going to make you a prisoner then maybe you should tear it down and take up a different hobby like shuffleboard. At least that way you won't be killing anything.

Common, Im not a newbe around here...

What I can tell you for sure is that Im a newbe on the solana world where Im with no experience on how fast the solana AIO system can help promote or speed up the beneficial bacteria to help support bioload.

Yeah I can test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and tell you my cycle is over, its safe to start loading the solana, but is there a test that tells you how much beneficial bacteria you have? I dont think so... Only time and experience with similar systems are gonna be able to tell how fast I could stock the solana, and that what I really was asking.

Relax...

 

[cerobbins]

If you want to be successful I really think you should do some testing. On newer systems knowing your water parameters is very important.

I also think you will be better off if you do water changes weekly.

If your not willing to do occasional testing which only takes a matter of minutes then you may want reconsider the hobby. You can even just buy cheap-o api test kits and use those. They are not be best test kit on the market, but they will give you a good idea if you have ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates in your system. If you've spent seven years reefing I shouldn't have to tell you how important these paramaters are.

 

[Reefinabox]

Well said cerobbins....

To answer your question kmu, yes there is a test to know how much benficial bacteria you have.....3 of them actually. If ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates read zero then add a CUC and a fish or two. Test again in a week or so and if everything is still zero then add something else. The levels of those 3 things are your barometer for the beneficial bacteria in the tank. As far as your water changes once a month, you may be able to get away with it for a little while, but it will come back to haunt you. You just can't get away with so few water changes in such a small volume of water. What might have taken a month to build to dangerous levels in your 125 could take a week or less in the Solana. You seem to have a bit of the "I'm not a noob, I know what I'm doing" complex so why are you even asking questions? Especially questions that with your post count around here you should already know the responses you are going to get.

BTW, isn't there an old saying in reefkeeping that no two tanks are the same? If that is the case then what bearing would my experience or anyone else's with a Solana tell you about yours? Please don't try to reinvent the wheel or swim upstream. It will only make you bitter and very tired.

As far as me relaxing.....I'm as cool as a fan. Not my money that will be getting thrown away, just some poor helpless fish and corals.

 

[cerobbins]

To test for bacertia you will test for nitrate nitrite and ammonia. As the bioload increases in your tank more bacteria will develop because of the increased nutrients in the tank. This is why you add things slowly. Basically you have bacteria in your tank from die off from the rock, but probably not too much. When you add a fish the bioload will increase and more bacteria will develop with the additional waste produced by the fish. This process continues as you add more waste producing organisms. However, if you add too many things too quickly the bacteria will not grow quick enough to match the demands of the waste being produced. If this happens you will probably have an ammonia or nitrite spike and you run the risk of killing everything in your tank. So in summary ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate tests are you test for bacteria. Hope that helps!