Search results

My first RO unit was similar. It's really not a good performer. The "ice maker" pre filters don't do that good a job, and the RO unit itself is small. I highly recommend a full size unit. It's not that much more. Best of all, if you need to replace parts on it, they are easily available. You...

That's about right. The course pad does the mechanical filtration. the sponge block will provide some biological filtration. The open area can contain bags of chemical filter media, if needed. The bulk of the biological filtration is done by the live rock in the tank. I would also recommend a...

The best thing to to is get you own RO/DI unit. If you need 15 gal a week, even at .50 a gal, you'll spend 7.50 a week or $390 a year. A high end RO/DI unit is only going to cost you about $200. You'll pay for it in 6 months. Of course you do have to replace the filters from time to...

I'm assuming your doing the 210 gal reef you mention in you signature. My choice for T5 lighting would be option 3, since it's a lot more light, especially compared to options 2 and 1. This would give you the most light and still be a reasonable price. Option 1 is out of sight expensive, your...

IMHO, the only things that actually work for SW ich are copper and/or hyposalinity. They should be done in a QT tank, as you are doing, and the treatment maintained for 3 to 4 weeks. There are many good threads on the net about ich. A quick search will give you lots of information. However, a...

Since you don't have a lot of experience working with acrylic and the material is out of sight expensive, I recommend you get a small tank and modify that for your refugium. Yes, you will need to get a couple of holes drilled in the glass, but it's far less expensive and far less likely to cause...

If at all possible get rid of the damsels. As far as angles go, many of the dwarf angles, Centropyge species, can be reef safe. It's always a bit of a chance you take though. Some are model citizens, others are "rotten to the core", still others start out fine and turn bad later. You never...

You can still have an ATO system. You can either build a nice looking "box" to put next to the tank, and put the ATO water supply in there, or you can locate the water supply remotely, and use a powerful diaphragm pump, something like this (offsite link) -...

I'm really surprised you need 600w of heaters to keep the tank at the temp you want. For years I ran a similar setup, and a 250w heater did just fine, and the tank was in the basement. Of course, such an arrangement will work, but I think it's a lot more than needed. I do like the idea of...

You have two problems here. The first is you want a larger sump. The second is the damsels. To replace the sump, all you need to do is turn off the return pump, drain the water level in the tank down below the overflow, and then drain the sump and replace it. Retain the water drained for...

Unless you have extraordinary conditions, like keeping the tank in an unheated basement or garage, you should size a heater at about 2 to 3 watts per gallon. In other words you want about a 75 or 100 watt heater. That should be all you need. The old "rule" of 5 watts per gallon was way too much...

I'm not a fan of trickle or wet / dry filters on a SW system. The problem with them is that they are very good at the reduction of ammonia ->> nitrite ->> nitrate. What ends up happening is that this creates a massive nitrate buildup over time, and this in turn leads to massive algae problems...

I purchased my Remora from one of those "big-time" internet stores, Marine Depot I think. I'm sure you can find one locally if you call a few stores. OTOH, a few mouse clicks and a little bit of data entey get the thing shipped to your door in a few days, and sometimes at a lower price.

I wonder.... This is pure speculation on my part... People do tend to use a lot of scented candles and other such stuff. They do put things into the air, and a reef, especially an open top one would be a wonderful place to collect anything in the air. People also tend to have a lot of guests...

That's the key factor. The tank is going to be a FOWLR system. For a system like this all you need is enough light so the fish can see to eat. You could use a NO fluorescent light system, like they sell for FW tanks, or even a couple of shop light fixtures like they see at Home Depot and the...

Actually, I'm from Pennsylvania, just across the river. I'm interested in NJRC because most of the LFS stores I visit are in NJ, rather than PA.

I would have mixed feelings about a feedback forum. Yes, there are advantages in the area of letting others know how a transaction worked out. However, there are also a bunch of downsides. Here are a few of them... 1) It's an open invitation to a massive flame war. This is just not good on a...

I've got to agree with Hawkeye. An Aqua C remora pro or urchin pro would be an excellent choice for a 55 gal tank. I'd go with the pro models, since they process a bit more water, but are not that much more expensive. While we are on the subject, get yourself a better pump than ab Rio for your...

I guess I'll have to take your word for it for the time being. At about $50 a copy, I'm not about to spend that much to see a small section. Perhaps you or someone can scan the relevant section, and post it.

I would have to disagree with your statement, especially "If it is a reef tank he absolutely has to." You only need to supplement Ca and Alk if they system consumes them at a faster rate than water changes, alone, can replenish them. Now if you have a reef system really loaded with corals...