My First Attempt At Marine (cheap Custom Tank 80ish Litres)

[creg]

hmm ill see how things go, can always add a skimmer later if needed

 

[creg]

wouldnt mind an external skimmer but as you can see from the first pic there is an inch rim of glass all the way around the tank so i dont think it would be possible. dont want to have an internal as i will already have lots of equipment in the tank.

 

[creg]

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[gregswimm]

wouldnt mind an external skimmer but as you can see from the first pic there is an inch rim of glass all the way around the tank so i dont think it would be possible. dont want to have an internal as i will already have lots of equipment in the tank.

The answer is a sump. Fish aren't nearly as sensitive to nitrates as inverts but I can see you having trouble with your PO4 and NO3. These 2 fuel algae growth but you may be able to use this to your advantage by growing macro algae to keep these in check although it may be unsightly in the display.

The LFS by my house has a 50(ish) gallon bowfront with roughly 8-12 fish under 4" and lots of soft corals. I checked out the filtration and they have a 45(ish) gallon sump FULL of chaetomorpha. The lights stay on the sump 24/7. The tank looks good, nice growth, good colors and little micro algae.

Check out denitrification methods such as deep sand beds, LR denitrification and export.

 

[creg]

could i not just throw some cheato into my main tank?

ill be putting rowaphos in my filter to deal with phosphates

 

[gregswimm]

It could, but you would need a good bit (more then fist sized) and have rather strong light on it. Chaeto will survive under low light but it will grow very slowly. Dosing iron can increase its growth rate.

Many people don't like the look of chaeto in the DT, but it is a great refuge for various pods. I keep a fist sized ball in my DT in the back out of view, but it often comes loose from a crab foraging through it; very annoying to have a ball bounding through the tank.

Dosing carbon can help with both phosphates and nitrates by fueling bacterial growth. Vodka, vinegar or sugar are common methods.

 

[Xraymark]

Yeah, Some people dose the water column with redsea NOPOX to keep nitrates/phosphates and alage in check. Some people swear by it. Seemed like too much work to me LOL.

I heard good things about JBL Bionitratex to reduce nitrates only. I'm using that at the moment and takes 3 weeks to start working. Just throw it in the external and leave for a year. Too early yet to see if its working.

 

[gregswimm]

Yeah, Some people dose the water column with redsea NOPOX to keep nitrates/phosphates and alage in check. Some people swear by it. Seemed like too much work to me LOL.

I heard good things about JBL Bionitratex to reduce nitrates only. I'm using that at the moment and takes 3 weeks to start working. Just throw it in the external and leave for a year. Too early yet to see if its working.

Carbon dosing is cheep, easy and safe. I dose 1.5ml of 5% white wine vinegar once per week. I keep my KH on the high side (12-13dKH) and there is no impact on pH.

I don't see the point of a product like that, seem like a waste of money. Who knows how some of these products will impact your tank. Products like phosguard have been known to cause toxic levels of Aluminum in a system, killing fish and inverts. With a good aged DSB, and export methods such as chaeto farming, algae scrubbers, and carbon dosing, you shouldn't need half of the products.

I have even been dosing phyto (Nannochloropsis and Isochrys galbana) and have noticed nitrate, and phosphate reduction as well as a large increase in copepod population and larger feather dusters. If you decide to dose phyto, stay away from bottled phyto in stores. Stored phyto should be shaken daily(if not several times a day) and refrigerated, if not the phyto will die and you will be pouring ammonia in your tank lol.

If you are concerned in the amount of work in dosing various chemicals, you may want to rethink starting a salt tank

.

 

[Donya]

phosguard have been known to cause toxic levels of Aluminum in a system, killing fish and inverts.

Sources? I have only read of problems involving various corals and physical contact with the medium itself as particulates - and it holds for any Al-based remover, not just phosguard. Or is that what you were meaning? I've never heard/read of it having any adverse effect on fish.

 

[gregswimm]

Yes, Al based media in general.

http/www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/7/chemistry#section-7

I can't find the rest of my sources . Essentially the problem arrises when the tank pH drops below 8.0 Al will become more soluble. The sudden drop in phosphate may also be a valid stressor.

 

[creg]

4 tubes

blue and purple

whites

got 6kgs of live rock and added my sand

 

[creg]

whats this?

some nice coraline algae (i think) on the rocks

 

[betta fish]

Looking good, the critter looks like a mini brittle star a good hitch hiker

 

[creg]

oh thats a shame, last i saw he was being sucked into the external filter

 

[Xraymark]

Looking good creg. Cool lights.