90 Gallon Saltwater Build

[Heera]

What's is the benefit of laying down egg crate under the sand??

 

[TLTGF]

Filter socks are good for catching large particles from your drain tube before it gets sucked up by your return pump and put back into DT. Most people get 3 or 4, they are like $5 each at BRS. Then they rotate them throughout the week or so.

The eggcrate is used by some to stabilize the rockwork. Some shrimp and goby's like to burrow under the rocks and the eggcrate helps to make sure the rocks dont shift and fall.

 

[Heera]

Doesn't egg crate cause problems with junk building up since critters can't really go in and out of each square?

 

[TLTGF]

Honestly, I'm not sure, I've never used it!

 

[Sniperhank]

No. The eggcrate gets covered with sand. Besides things that burrow and bacteria, nothing will get down there. As already stated, it is to stabilize rockwork. I almost had a tragedy when my goby got to digging. Id recommend using eggcrate for any sandbed that is even slightly deep.

 

[Heera]

My sand bed will be 3".
I have tons of worms, brittle sea stars and snails that roam my sand bed. My only fear is that in low oxygen environment the bacteria would be doing its job but it will be impossible to keep each Square stirred.

Anyone have an deep sand bed with egg crate?

Don't have any goby but want to get one later. So

 

[Heera]

Anyone use wave master pro?

Is that any good? Would it help in this setup?

 

[Heera]

Wave master pro on Craigslist for 45$ is that a good deal?
It's about 1.5 hrs drive from my place

 

[Heera]

so I have red sea wavemaster pro, and 2 korilia 2 620gph

Would it setup work good or the wavaster only work with maxi jet pumps?

 

[mr_X]

No, you don't want that. The koralias are only good with their proprietary wave controller as far as I have heard. You don't need a wavemaker anyway. I would use 2 x 1400gph Koralias and call it a day. Those 750s will seem weak.

 

[Heera]

No, you don't want that. The koralias are only good with their proprietary wave controller as far as I have heard. You don't need a wavemaker anyway. I would use 2 x 1400gph Koralias and call it a day. Those 750s will seem weak.

Mr_X thanks for the chime in.

I already bought the wavemaker pro for 30$ today in the morning. So you are saying sell the wavemaker and all the 620 korilia power heads I have and just buy 2 X 1400gph and that will do it? Wouldn't it create linear flow?
What about random flow?

In brief what I will have; ( feel free to comment or make suggestions)
2x 175 hd, 2x135 watt power compact attenic lights; ( current USA)
90 gallon system with 40 gallon sump refugeium as I posted before. With cheto in refugeium with deep sand bed. Main goal of this To bring down nitrates.
Fish;
Yellow tank;
Small hippo tang ( will go in friends 240 gallon in October)
Royal gramma, 5 chromis, 2 clownfish,
Maybe; 1- carpenter wrasse, 2x pink anthias

Corals+ critters:
2 rose bubble tip anemone's (split) 15" and 4"
Anthilia's, Xenia, bubble coral, colt coral, hammer coral, zoa's, green star polyps;

Want to add;
Mushrooms ( red / purple), orange/ blue clam, large feather dusters 2,

Plz Suggest clean up crew in # and animals too.

 

[mr_X]

Koralias have a broad stream. They are not like maxijets or similar and throw water in a straight line. 2 of them pointed at each other and the currents from each bouncing off of each other will create plenty of random turbulence.
You might even need more than the 2 x 1400's, so I wouldn't sell all of the 620 gph ones just yet.
Did you already purchase the lighting? I would suggest the LED panels I am using over my current tank instead of the halides and power compacts. Much cheaper to run and no yearly bulb expense.
Check out my build thread (Doug's 250....now 300, in-wall build).

As for a clean up crew, just add some snails and such sparingly. Whatever you add will need food supplied for it, and in many cases, new tanks are void of food. Odds are more than not people are starving large amounts of snails and crabs and such.
Nothing cleans like a good algae scraper and a water change.

 

[Heera]

Koralias have a broad stream. They are not like maxijets or similar and throw water in a straight line. 2 of them pointed at each other and the currents from each bouncing off of each other will create plenty of random turbulence.
You might even need more than the 2 x 1400's, so I wouldn't sell all of the 620 gph ones just yet.
Did you already purchase the lighting? I would suggest the LED panels I am using over my current tank instead of the halides and power compacts. Much cheaper to run and no yearly bulb expense.
Check out my build thread (Doug's 250....now 300, in-wall build).

As for a clean up crew, just add some snails and such sparingly. Whatever you add will need food supplied for it, and in many cases, new tanks are void of food. Odds are more than not people are starving large amounts of snails and crabs and such.
Nothing cleans like a good algae scraper and a water change.

Thanks Doug. I have been following your build. It's awesome.
So I will not sell anything yet. I will wait until I am done than I will sell what ever is left over.

I will look into lights. Running on tight budget.maybe I will save over this year and get them for Christmas. Or after the sell off of extra stuff.

Clean up; I do have 10 nassarius snails, 10 cerith snails, 4 turban snails, 2 turbo snails and few more mystery snails,
Also seen some more small snails come out at night. Not sure they are good or bad? I will post pics next time I see them.

What's your take on hermit crabs? Just afraid to loose my snails.

Which brand of salt you use? How often u do water changes?
I use instant ocean salt and do 20% water change monthly.

 

[mr_X]

The hermits will kill the snails. I always use a different salt mix. Usually cycling through Reef crystals, Oceanic, Seachem reef, Red sea, Coralife....
I do about a 15% change a week.

 

[Heera]

Just got everything ready to do.
New 40 gallon saltwater made. New tank ready and leveled. New sand already in.
All I have to do in the morning is move all the rock and fish over. Yes I will test salinity, ph and temp of both waters before transfer. Salinity and temp I will match easily. How much of a variance in ph is ok.

Also I had siliconed in one baffle in the sump again. Touch with silicon hand few placed. Do I really have to clean with lots of water of direct salt water be ok?

 

[Heera]

Finally! I moved to my new tank

 

[Heera]

Beginning to move live rock in new saltwater halfway full.



Now half new half old water moved everything in.

As far as aquascaping or anything else. Feel free to make suggestions.

 

[Heera]

One the note of anemone's. This is the anemone splitting month. Mr_X had his anemone split not long ago. When I was moving things over I saw 2 instead of one. So total 3 now .

 

[mr_X]

Send me one.

 

[Heera]

Iol sure!
I live in Vancouver, canada if you want to pay shipping. I will send anemone free as a thanks for everything I have learned from u.