going reef

[SassyAngel111]

Ok guys and gals, I have one other ?, about two yrs ago I had this tank set up as a salt tank and got frustrated since I was going to this one lfs that the staff is paid on commision, but anyway my question is I have about 20lbs of rock that had been out of water for about 2 yrs, can I still use this if I was to cure it, or would it be best to pitch it and just keep getting fresh lr until I am satisfied with look that I am looking for in my tank.

 

[ColdFish]

Hmm, I would think that you should be able to re-use it provided that you give it a good scrubbing and a rinse. Curing shouldn't be necessary since you cure to allow die-off to occur, and rock that has been dry for that long shouldn't have anything on it that is in the process of dieing. No idea on the best way to clean it up though. Anybody?

 

[AMANIQU77]

Wow, that's some sorry skimmer. No disrespect intended at all. I am actually outraged by whoever sold that to you. It looks like a tube with an airline and airstone inside. That's not even considered a skimmer anymore.

Don't go cheap on the skimmer. I did and it wasn't cool. I got a Prizm and it is working fine with me. However, I should've invested money on it.I would've been skimmer much finer than I am now. With that said, I am still getting dark coffee colored gunk in my collection cup.

 

[SassyAngel111]

amaniqu77, I know that is one of the sorriest skimmers also, but I should be receiving my new corallife skimmer today (I have a feeling that was some of my failure the first time as well as the live rock that we had bought from a lfs that did not tell us that it was not cured, along with the chemicals that they said that we needed). I just wish that I had found this site back then, but I am on my way to a very healthy tank. Even thinking about getting my first coral today since I have to go the the lfs that is about an hour away.

coldfish, I think I might still set it in some prepared sw that I have in a rubbermaid tub for about a week just to make sure.

Thank for the help.

 

[tecwzrd]

I’d have to agree with Coldfish on the light scrubbing and rinsing. If the lr was only out of the water for a couple of days you might get some die off but after two years it’s just dead rock now. You can “cure” it but if you don’t see any nh3 after a day or two then it should be fine to add to the tank.

With NO lighting you will be extremely limited on getting corals. Also if your tank isn’t at least 6+ months old I’d hold off until it is for it to stabilize a little more.

Most anemones need lots of light (2 to 5 watts per gallon) preferably with some blue spectrum provided by actinic light bulbs or higher temperature metal halide lighting.

Tube anemones are one of the few that do well in low light levels. They are nocturnal and should be fed chopped fish and shrimp every other day or so. They build a tube out of mucus and detritus found on the substrates they inhabit. Tube anemones are found in all the warm water oceans of the world. Their long tentacles have a powerful sting and therefore should be kept away from other anemones and corals. They are not used as hosts by clownfish.

While some inverts from low light regions are fairly easy, some can be very difficult and extremely challenging to cater for - especially the
azooxanthellate forms. You'll still need to ensure that ammonia and nitrite levels stay at zero, and that nitrates and phosphates are kept very low.

Hara’s site has good info on low light corals and their needs.

 

[SassyAngel111]

ok but would a jbj cfl 55w with a 6500k daylight and a 55w blue spectrum be ok.
Thanks

 

[tecwzrd]

If it’s a standard 29 gal tank size of 30 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 18 ¾ then the lighting you have would be ok for low to medium light corals.

Most anemones would survive in the short term but would probably die over time from not getting enough light.

Still there are tons of corals to choose from so I would stick with easier to care for Polyps, certain leathers, Candy Cane Coral, shrooms, & zoos to start with and if you upgrade lighting/experience then the harder to manage corals could be gotten down the road.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i had that skimmer, it was the biggest pile of crap ever! it needed constant adjusting, cleaning, new wood stones ........it was a mess. im glad youve upgraded.

 

[SassyAngel111]

Ok guys I got my corallife skimmer today and I can not get the water level below the collection cup, and when I do then I have no dry or even wet foam, it seems like that when I put my finger over the little vent tube that goes into the filter basket then the water level will go down and then I get the foam. HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!! please.

 

[tecwzrd]

I assume you are using it as a hob. You want the water level about 4”-5” below the collection cup and don’t worry about getting any skimmate for the first couple of days or so. It takes a little while for the skimmer to break in but eventually you should be fine.

Are you using the stock pump that came with it? Do you have any photos you can share? Did you checkout www.tylermerrick.com’s website as far as adjusting the CSS?

 

[SassyAngel111]

Ya I looked at that site and I have everything set except for the pvc pipe. The problem is that if I cover the vent hole and shut off the water out put valve then the water is even with the collection cup ring, then if I adjust the needle-wheel pump valve then I will get some foam, but when I uncover the vent hole and open the water out put valve and then open the needle-wheel pump valve then I have water half way up the collection cup, then when I adjust the needle-wheel pump valve to where it is almost closed then I get no microbubbles inside the skimmer.

The pic show that I have the out put valve closed complety and the needle-wheel closed half way.

Just does not make since.

 

[ColdFish]

These skimmers seem to be temperamental until after the break-in period. I have the 125 model and it was driving me nuts when I first started it up. Microbubbles all over the place, and tons of wet skimate. Pay attention to what the instructions say as far as setting the heights on various stuff and let it run for a couple days before you get too worried.

Does it have a drain hole in the collection cup? If so and you start getting a lot of wet skimate, you may want to place a bucket under it and attach a piece of airline tubing so it can drain into the bucket. I had to do that with mine. Was getting tired of emptying out the cup.

 

[SassyAngel111]

I had followed the instructions to a tee put when I open both valves though I get water going all the way to the to of the cup lid, so right now I have the red knob ( for the water level) off completely. Oh also is that to much bubbles going up the skimmer or is it fine.

 

[ColdFish]

I can't comment specifically about the 65 model, but when I set my 125 model up I also follwed the instructions exactly. Mine produced a lot of clear wet skimate for something like 2 days before it settled down. They need to build up a thin layer of scum inside before they can be adjusted properly. If it's foaming into the collection cup when you think that you have it adjusted properly according to the instructions, then it probably just needs to run a while and break in. I'm assuming here that the foam is rising up kinda steady but not "pouring" into the cup. If you can adjust it down so that the foam level is halfway up inside the collection cup, that may be the best you can do right now. Somebody else just went thru this same thing with the 65 model, I think it was pkremer. You might want to catch him on-line or PM him for how his break-in period went.

The pics look fine actually. If the water level will stay steady the way it is in the pic, i would just run it right there for 48-72 hours.

 

[tecwzrd]

The pics look fine actually. If the water level will stay steady the way it is in the pic, i would just run it right there for 48-72 hours.

Agreed the photos look almost identical to what I experienced for the first 3-5 days. I use mine in the sump but that shouldn’t be any different. For the first couple of days you will experience very little true skimmate but eventually you will be able to kick the bubbles up a bit more.

 

[SassyAngel111]

So then it is fine then to have the water going up further than the cup band?

tecwzrd, I forgot to answer your question yes the measurment for my tank is what you had posted. But what I was wondering if I was to go with a 65w 10000k daylaght bulb and a 65w blue would that make any difference on what I would be able to have as far as coals? Or should I just think about getting a different light altogether?

Thanks for all of the info, and sorry if I sound a little dumb but just want to do it right this time.

 

[tecwzrd]

So then it is fine then to have the water going up further than the cup band?

Slightly but keep it as close as possible. It’s not the water so much as the wet foam that is going up right?

I was wondering if I was to go with a 65w 10000k daylaght bulb and a 65w blue would that make any difference on what I would be able to have as far as coals? Or should I just think about getting a different light altogether?

That’s only a 20W increase which wouldn’t change the initial recommendation for low to medium light corals.

You also can not just change bulbs from 55W to 65W without also changing out the housing for them. Ballasts are designed solely for the bulb it’s intended for.

As far as changing them out you could opt for MH if you just have to have high light corals/inverts like certain anemones or clams for example.

Adding a 175W 10-12K MH light to your existing PC lighting (Changing your PC lights to both 03) would be the most effective way. Still would run you around $160 with bulb and shipping plus you would have to make a DIY canopy to house them all.

You could buy a MH/PC hood ready to go but then you are looking at $250+ for a 30” setup.

 

[ColdFish]

So then it is fine then to have the water going up further than the cup band?

Think I see a possible point of confusion. In the pics, the water is not entering the cup. That straight section of pipe is not considered to be part of the cup even though it is attached to it. When you actually start skimming, you're going to want to raise the foam level so that it is actually just inside the cup. Where you have it adjusted to in the pics is probably the perfect spot for it to break-in at