my tank

[Krish]

So I guess I'm not too stupid hey Gabbs(LOL). 50% should do the trick (or help a lot), even though 100% sounds sooo much better.

About scrubbing the rocks, don't do it in freshwater. When you siphon out the water for the water change, use the old tank water to scrub them in and then toss the water afterwards. I think with you just putting some form of lighting over your sump (even without even adding an algae like chaeto to start off with) you will notice a difference. I want to get some chaeto, but can't get it here so I just run my freshwater lights over my sump on an alternate photoperiod from my tank, and where the conditions are much better in the fuge section of my sump for algae to grow, all the algae just grows in there on its own and not in the main display. Then every week or two, I just suck it out of the sump and let it grow again.

 

[spongebob lover]

ok boys, then a big water change it is and you're not crazy Krish.. i am .
About the coral, sadly is gonna have to go i mean i really like the coral a lot but it's just to much and on top of that feeding every day is getting to my nerves even though i thought i would be up for it when i got it .

 

[Krish]

You may as well go bb while you're at it!:lol: What do you think Steve???

 

[spongebob lover]

You may as well go bb while you're at it! What do you think Steve???

LOL!!! that's what Colleen was telling me last night .... my sand !! no not the sand !!! .
I think that eventually i will do it , even though i really like my sand (my anemone likes his sand )

 

[Krish]

I like sand as well, but nothing beats being able to put flow anywhere in the tank and not have to worry about a sandstorm. Also, instead of all of the crap in your tank getting lost in the sand, you can see it on the bb and suck it up or let your pumps put it in the water column to be eaten by your corals or picked by your pre-filter or skimmer. It's a look that takes getting use to for sure, but I love it now especially with the white bottom. Do what you like best though. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise because really and truthfully, you will be the one looking at your tank more than anyone else. If I was in the area I'd clean that tank up for you! You'd think it was brand new!(LOL)

 

[spongebob lover]

I like sand as well, but nothing beats being able to put flow anywhere in the tank and not have to worry about a sandstorm. Also, instead of all of the crap in your tank getting lost in the sand, you can see it on the bb and suck it up or let your pumps put it in the water column to be eaten by your corals or picked by your pre-filter or skimmer. It's a look that takes getting use to for sure, but I love it now especially with the white bottom. Do what you like best though. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise because really and truthfully, you will be the one looking at your tank more than anyone else. If I was in the area I'd clean that tank up for you! You'd think it was brand new!(LOL)

dood if you were in the area, you and Christina would be here every weekend .
I can feel already the pain in my back from doing all those gals, but it's ok i will survive.
I know it's a look you have to get used to and i've been thinking about it for quite sometime.... may be i'll get that for my birthday even though i'm gonna miss my sand.

 

[Krish]

may be i'll get that for my birthday

LOL...It doesn't cost anything. You just suck it out

 

[wrightme43]

My tanks that have barebottom, run much better and cleaner than the ones that have sand. Those are only my experinces though. I had sand for a long time. My first tank had a deep sand bed. I did something that is not reccomened, but I would siphon out part of the bed, and put it in a bucket with a upsidedown power head and hagen quick filter. Here is what it looked like after over a year of operation. This was using a two empeorer filters and a prizim skimmer.

 

[Krish]

That looked cool Steve, but don't get any ideas(LOL)

 

[spongebob lover]

My tanks that have barebottom, run much better and cleaner than the ones that have sand. Those are only my experinces though. I had sand for a long time. My first tank had a deep sand bed. I did something that is not reccomened, but I would siphon out part of the bed, and put it in a bucket with a upsidedown power head and hagen quick filter. Here is what it looked like after over a year of operation. This was using a two empeorer filters and a prizim skimmer.

dood that looks awesome Steve .... a powerhead eh? .
Krish, it does cost money because my would have to buy something for the bottom so in case a rock falls it doesn't break the tank... because then i'd be screwed.

 

[Krish]

Krish, it does cost money because my would have to buy something for the bottom so in case a rock falls it doesn't break the tank... because then i'd be screwed

True...Should be cheap though. Trade your sand for a piece of starboard

 

[wrightme43]

I guess the best way to handle this, is to make a list of the changes you want to make to your system. Think about which ones will be most cost effective, and benificial to start with, and in terms of labor.
If you are going to remove all of the rock to scrub it anyway. It would be a good time to convert to barebottom, or to replace your sand bed.
I am not very good at explaining things so here goes.
If your tank is growing algae like that, the rock, and sand bed are more than likely full of detirius, phosphate, and other junk.
The first time you scrub the algae off, and do a large water change, you are going to remove a good portion of it. If you remove the sand bed, its going to take out even more. At that point if you install the phos reactor and media, you are going to remove even more.
So there you have removed alot of junk, but the stuff in the rock is going to see that the water has less of it, and try to dissolve back into it. Also the algae is going to try to take this stuff up and use it as food. Thats its job, it wants to live just as bad as anything else on the planet. So it would be good to have a skimmer to help get organics and such out of the water, and a chaeto fuge to outcompete the algae in your tank.
Once a tank gets to the point where a lot algae begins to grow in the tank, its a lot of work to get back to where you want it.
When I first got my chaeto is grew very quickly, then I got a phos reactor as well. Now I dont get hardly any alage in my tank, and my chaeto barely grows anymore. My phos test (salifert) has no change in color. My nitrate test no change in color.
So basiclly any food for the algae is used by the algae, taken up by the skimmer, converted to gas by the live rock, or absorbed in the phosreactor, or shiphoned out as detiruis into a filter sock.
Heck it might be good to get some of Lukes cheato. Its growing well in his tank for him. Or even better, try to get some from three or four different people so you have some different kinds.
I hope this helps some.

 

[wrightme43]

you can use the white cutting board at lowes. I just use a circular saw, or my table saw, then silocone it down to the bottom, and seal around the edges.

 

[wrightme43]

Oh and the best thing, I have found to take sand out, is the square collection cups they use at the fish store. Cost about 7-8$

 

[Krish]

Well...There you have it! First class info from a Pro for free! I use to use a regular fish net to remove my sand or if I was taking out water as well as sand, I'd use a big tube and siphon both out together. Just don't flush the sand like I did though...The toilet doesn't like that too much

 

[spongebob lover]

Thank you very much .
One thing, since i have a tank instead of sump, can i just put a rock and the chaeto in there? with the lights or would it start growing into my heater and pump in there?

 

[wrightme43]

Well...There you have it! First class info from a Pro for free! I use to use a regular fish net to remove my sand or if I was taking out water as well as sand, I'd use a big tube and siphon both out together. Just don't flush the sand like I did though...The toilet doesn't like that too much

You didnt. LOL
When I was in the navy. My apartment caught on fire from a electrical short in the ceiling. It destroyed pretty much everything we owned. Killed all my fish too, except a oscar.
Well the apartment complex, tried to say we started it, the fire marshall said nope, seeing as I lost everything, and went back into it while it was on fire to get the cat, and turn off the main crkt brker.
There were no functional fire alarms in the building, I knocked on all the doors and told everyone to get out, the place was on fire.
They apartment complex told me it was just too bad about my stuff, they were not responsible. They did give another apartment, with nothing in it though. I also still had to pay my rent like nothing had happened. I was young and dumb and didnt have renters insurance so it was a huge loss. When my wife and I got transfered to norfolk, we dumped the whole litter pan of clumping litter down the third floor toliet. It was wrong and I am going to hell for it, but its still funny.

 

[wrightme43]

No chaeto is fine, I dont have a seperate fuge in my home tank, just a light over where my heater, and return pump sit. The cheato floats on top. It doesnt attach to anything.

 

[spongebob lover]

You didnt. LOL
When I was in the navy. My apartment caught on fire from a electrical short in the ceiling. It destroyed pretty much everything we owned. Killed all my fish too, except a oscar.
Well the apartment complex, tried to say we started it, the fire marshall said nope, seeing as I lost everything, and went back into it while it was on fire to get the cat, and turn off the main crkt brker.
There were no functional fire alarms in the building, I knocked on all the doors and told everyone to get out, the place was on fire.
They apartment complex told me it was just too bad about my stuff, they were not responsible. They did give another apartment, with nothing in it though. I also still had to pay my rent like nothing had happened. I was young and dumb and didnt have renters insurance so it was a huge loss. When my wife and I got transfered to norfolk, we dumped the whole litter pan of clumping litter down the third floor toliet. It was wrong and I am going to hell for it, but its still funny.

LMBO!!! :lol: Steve .

No chaeto is fine, I dont have a seperate fuge in my home tank, just a light over where my heater, and return pump sit. The cheato floats on top. It doesnt attach to anything

Thank you very much dood, i mean the Chaeto is gonna have to wait just a tini little bit but i guess i'll be getting it .

 

[Krish]

LOL Steve!!! I flushed a lolly pop stick before as well and the plumber had to remove the whole toliet to get it out. I flush anything man...If the garbage is too far then it goes in the toilet:lol: