The easiest way to rinse sand is to put it in a typical 5gal bucket (or any other deep container) but only in a thin layer. I prefer using a fish tank as it's easier to see when the water is clear. Get your garden hose and do a couple prelim rinses. Fill the bucket with water, stir it with your hand, then empty the water. After that, just put the end of the hose at the bottom of the container and let the water run. You don't want the hose to be too powerful or pointing straight up, as it will splash all your sand out. Just arrange it so the sand can't really settle on the bottom, then go inside and have a snack, masturbate, or take a nap. In about 15min or so, the water should be crystal clear and the sand should be ready for your tank.
My Tank With Not As Many Mistakes
- Thread starter heirfaus
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Ok this changing of substrate while the tank is running, I do not recomend it. It gets cloudy and buildup in the old substrate is creating a dust layer on the LR. And the fish don't like it. I have one casualty so far. A blue chromi. I think he couldn't handle all the excitment. I gotta get new batteries for my camera.
Oh and I did check the wattage on the bulbs. I have 2 19 watt bulbs
That needs to get fixed fast I'd say. The hood was probably meant for freshwater. 
Oh and I did check the wattage on the bulbs. I have 2 19 watt bulbs
That needs to get fixed fast I'd say. The hood was probably meant for freshwater. 
Lynden
a "fish hater"
Maybe so, but one will get a far nicer look with stronger lights, as the LR will grow spectacularly.
Yeah, 2 19watt bulbs on a 55gallon is a little on the light side no matter what you keep. Those are probably simple T8 or T12 tubes which really wont cut it. If you're looking to keep costs down, look at smaller T5 or PC fixtures. Check with local reef clubs (people might be selling used cheap) or ebay for lights. Generally much cheaper than an LFS
Lynden
a "fish hater"
Let's put it this way; at my LFS there is an "All-glass aquarium" PC (Power Compact) Flourescent light fixture, 110 watts, for a whopping $400
The one that I got from eBay (Jebo/Odyssea Brand, of which I am very impressed with
) is 260 watts, complete with LED moonlights, for a far more reasonable $200. But either way, you will have to spend quite a bit on lighting in a reef tank.
For safety, I would reccomend PC's over T5's; T5 lights have been documented catching fire.
-Lynden
Its all about personal preferance, some people do not like a very brightly lit tank. And it will save on electricity bills. All i am saying is if he is not keeping corals or other zooanthelea symbiotic animals, then there is the option of keeping the lights he has until he decides to upgrade.
p.s Live rock does not 'grow'. Calcerous algea grows on the rock (coraline) which would grow quicker under stronger lights.
HELP!!!!! My over the back filter is SO noisy all of the sudden. I need to get a new filter and I have no idea what to get. I want something VERY quiet and something with GOOD filter quality. I don't want to spend a fortune right now, so any advice would be very appreciated.
Thanks!!
PS I'm going on vacation and I hope the filter doesn't die when I'm gone.
Thanks!!
PS I'm going on vacation and I hope the filter doesn't die when I'm gone.
Lynden
a "fish hater"
You know what i mean.
You could get a Fluval 404; to me, they have proven themselves to be very quiet, incredibly effecient, very customizeable (my favourite part
) and incredibly reliable. However, they are expensive and require regular maintanence to avoid becoming veritable nitrate factories.For an inexpensive option, get an Aqua Clear 40-60, also known as 300. I used that, and another filter with a similiar gallons per hour rate, on my 55 gal. tank. Very reliable, very quiet (if you keep it clean), effecient, and customizeable.
-Lynden
Is it a rattling type of noise, or a thrumming kind of noise? It could just be that the inlet of the pump has become airlocked for some reason.
Lynden
a "fish hater"
When I had my refugiums, I had to be very careful not to introduce sand particles into the impeller housing. If they got in, a wretched noise would ensue.
andywg
Bored into leaving
Being one of a number of people who have suffered from the inability of the Fluval x04 series to actually stay sealed, I cannot recommend them at all. I have had major leaks, CFC had no end of troubles on his Fluval cannisters, and a scout of the forums will find a number of people who have suffered from Fluval malfunction.
That is not to say they all fail, but when keeping expensive livestock, do you really want to take that risk? (Hence why no sane people buy Rio powerheads.)
If you do stay FOWLR then, to mis-quote Notorious B.I.G.: "Mo' watts, mo' algae". If you up the wattage of your lights and have nothing in there (such as corals) to use up the energy then you are most likely just creating more energy for pest algae to flourish.
In a FOWLR the lights are purely asthetic, and considering a large number of the fish caught spend times at depths in excess of 10m, having dim lights will probably feel a bit more natural to them.
That is not to say they all fail, but when keeping expensive livestock, do you really want to take that risk? (Hence why no sane people buy Rio powerheads.)
If you do stay FOWLR then, to mis-quote Notorious B.I.G.: "Mo' watts, mo' algae". If you up the wattage of your lights and have nothing in there (such as corals) to use up the energy then you are most likely just creating more energy for pest algae to flourish.
In a FOWLR the lights are purely asthetic, and considering a large number of the fish caught spend times at depths in excess of 10m, having dim lights will probably feel a bit more natural to them.
Well, back from the trip and everything is still alive. Chestnut, you hit the nail on the head. I realized that when scooping the old substrate out and gently putting in the new stuff it was kicking a little up. this is the rattle, grinding noise. It goes away after a few hours.
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