Unorthodox ways to do things
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Agu
Premium Member
My newest tank 24X24X12 has less than 10 pounds of live rock in the display, but that's not what's unorthodox (there's about 30 pounds of live rock in the sump).
The sand bed is less than 3/4" deep. During water changes I siphon out the top layer of sand and replace it. Sometimes a whole section of sand is removed and replaced. Tank is only a few months old but every time I remove sand it's gross, smelly and disgusting. Old sand is cleaned,dried and recycled.
I know people are going to recommend going bare bottom but I just don't like the look.
The sand bed is less than 3/4" deep. During water changes I siphon out the top layer of sand and replace it. Sometimes a whole section of sand is removed and replaced. Tank is only a few months old but every time I remove sand it's gross, smelly and disgusting. Old sand is cleaned,dried and recycled.
I know people are going to recommend going bare bottom but I just don't like the look.
jacob.morgan78
New member
Is it true that people have peed in their aquarium to help it cycle?
I do know a couple of people that claimed to do this.
Dyraxe
New member
Just stand farther back and eat some asparagus for a nice pungent effect. :lolspin:
Agu
Premium Member
Not an uncommon practice in the freshwater side of the hobby. But they don't pee, they urinate in their tanks, it's more scientific sounding
.spamreefnew
New member
if you think about it,,,pee is just plant food....
Great thread! Paul, I too take some bottom mud/sand whenever I go to the beach every few months, along with some of that great Gulf NSW. BP put some additives in there I don't care for much, but it's pretty clean again down here. Anyhow, really enjoying this thread. Any unorthodox ways of fragging corals?
Eric the half-bee
Passer of gasses
Paul and fellow RCers, I'm enjoying this thread. The history and experience is priceless. I've found as well how much my posse tolerates swings in salinity. My skimmer has gotten crazy more than a few times and totally done it's job dumping much wet skimmate. My ATO does it's job as well. I've seen my salinity drop to 42 ppt in a day and none of my animals appear stressed or worse for the wear. I simply add more salt over a few hours to bring it back to 53. Thankfully, my animals do well despite my intervention or lack thereof.
dallasg
Reefing from South Africa
i would stand inline for a copy
jacob.morgan78
New member
me too!
Are those numbers backward or are you doing some sort of hypersalinity?
Eric the half-bee
Passer of gasses
Nope, I used the wrong values. I meant to write 53 mS and 42 mS. My goof.
My neighbor was chargrilling some oysters one time a few years ago, and I got a fresh one from him that I put in the sump. It had been iced down but recovered and opened up a bit. It lived for a couple of days, but I think the icing took its toll. That or my system not being adequate for it.
I've taken snails and hermit crabs, even a sand dollar, and put them in the tank. The snails have done fine, though on occasion have eaten an astrea or two. The hermit crabs get too big and crabby.
Anyway, I relate all this because it is unorthodox by today's standards, but maybe not in the past.
I've taken snails and hermit crabs, even a sand dollar, and put them in the tank. The snails have done fine, though on occasion have eaten an astrea or two. The hermit crabs get too big and crabby.
Anyway, I relate all this because it is unorthodox by today's standards, but maybe not in the past.
I'm not really started in the reef side yet, but I am looking to get going....
On the fresh side I top up all my tanks with straight tap water. It probably kills off some of the bacteria but I've never had a problem doing that.
Also, in all my tanks I go down to the local river and pick out rocks for them, I also dig up about a pint of sand and add it to the sand bed.
Does it help? I dunno, but I don't understand why the freshies don't do the live sand/rock that the salties do. My tanks are doing great and every time I add a rock from the "wild river" my fish pick at it for a week so I know there's something on their they like.
On the fresh side I top up all my tanks with straight tap water. It probably kills off some of the bacteria but I've never had a problem doing that.
Also, in all my tanks I go down to the local river and pick out rocks for them, I also dig up about a pint of sand and add it to the sand bed.
Does it help? I dunno, but I don't understand why the freshies don't do the live sand/rock that the salties do. My tanks are doing great and every time I add a rock from the "wild river" my fish pick at it for a week so I know there's something on their they like.
Paul B
Premium Member
I feed my fish and corals fresh clams. I would feed them fresh oysters but I like oysters too much for me to give them to my fish
I also love to eat clams so many times I eat the clams and the fish get mussels. Of course I also like mussels so pretty soon the fish will be on a vegetarian diet. :spin2:
Dont get me started on calamari. Actually I am hungry, time to go to the seafood market. :fish2:
