Seeking Help As An Amateur

[seffieuk]

After all the tropical fish said to me in a dream... it's ok Josh you can move us.

so its full steam ahead

 

[JoshuaA]

After all the tropical fish said to me in a dream... it's ok Josh you can move us.

so its full steam ahead

Only if my heaters lock on I guess!

 

[woody88]

Hmm interesting as I only have room for 2

Well the project is starting to gather steam I've just acquired a 60L replacement tank for the tropical fish which can be moved, the Fluval 205 is up and running (to test for leaks on tank and filter) and then in the next week or so I might transfer them over after I sifted out the tropica substrate from the big tank. A little sad that this is the end of the journey for that tank though a new one begins soon. After all the tropical fish said to me in a dream... it's ok Josh you can move us.

Juwel Rio 125 will now definitely be the tank to use!

Did you have any probs with your 205 when you first set it up and primed it.

I've got a brand new one still in the box. I tried it once, manually priming it and I couldn't get the blooming thing to pump the water back through the outlet.

Think it maybe faulty. Dont even know what LPH the pump is!

 

[JoshuaA]

The fluval 205 is an interesting filter, firstly I'd make sure the ribbed hoses are sealed into the rubber tube on the intake pipe and outlet properly, if the hose is bending at too much of an angle it just opens a small gap up and air goes in making your priming pointless. Further more I would say the priming is a ballache but maybe 10-20 rapid pumps will start the siphon off, it will most definitely not start off the one or two the manufacturer claims. I doubt it's faulty, just not the greatest design for the siphon part.

In one case I took the aquavalve off, sucked the water through and placed it back onto the filter and locked it. It worked a little messy but sometimes that siphon just doesn't want to help you out...

Edit: Oh and if you did get the filter filled but it wouldnt pump out there is a limit on how far it will pump back up as it's not a very powerful impeller. I think it is something like just over a 1 metre for the water level is max distance it can be.

 

[Funkoid]

How would I position a skimmer in such a tank?

Admittedly I don't fully understand the way they set up. Is there an in line hose using a pump and pumping the good water back in whilst removing the "skimmed" water into a reservoir. Is this independent completely of my filter using air pumps and hosing or does this need to be on a huge turn over also and some how intergrated?

Something like this?

I'm running a rio 125L at the moment with a hydor slim skim nano, if fits in quite well and is doing a decent job so far.

 

[JoshuaA]

How would I position a skimmer in such a tank?

Admittedly I don't fully understand the way they set up. Is there an in line hose using a pump and pumping the good water back in whilst removing the "skimmed" water into a reservoir. Is this independent completely of my filter using air pumps and hosing or does this need to be on a huge turn over also and some how intergrated?

Something like this?

I'm running a rio 125L at the moment with a hydor slim skim nano, if fits in quite well and is doing a decent job so far.

Do you mind taking a picture of it in the tank? I'm trying to minimise the amount of clutter inside the tank and am looking into a hang on back/side skimmer at the moment but the Slim nano you just mentioned seems more value for money than a hang on.

Salt... Should I buy premade salt water from my LFS and warm it up at home or should I buy a tub of salt and RO from my LFS. How many KGs of salt does it take to say make... 100L of salt water?

 

[Uriel]

Depending on the salt 800-900 grams for 25l of RO. So 3.4kg of salt for a 100l approx.

 

[JoshuaA]

Depending on the salt 800-900 grams for 25l of RO. So 3.4kg of salt for a 100l approx.

Can't believe it's so much!

 

[fishy55599]

i was surprised first time too

 

[JoshuaA]

Anyone got any suggestions for what brand salt then?

 

[Uriel]

Reef Crystals and D and D pro reef Salt I see mentioned alot. I use Kent which is also fine. As long as you get a good name Brand I think salt is salt. There are lots of chemical analysises out there of different salts but I shouldn't get to caught up in it.

 

[JoshuaA]

So something like this will do nicely . I'm assuming I can keep this good for a very long time without it perishing, after all it's just salt right... If it makes 160 Gallons then after the first 30 gallon batch it will have 130 Gallons worth left to last on water changes, that's quite a while...

 

[CrazyAirborne]

dont buy from that site tho! ive heard nothing but bad reports. its usually too good to be true from them.

 

[ALW]

Anyone got any suggestions for what brand salt then?

Its a matter of each to their own. Brands include

Kent
Instant Ocean
D&D H2Ocean Pro
Red Sea
Tetra
Seachem
Tropic Marine

 

[Uriel]

Yeah that would be fine but as others have said I've heard shoking things about that site.