Need advice BEFORE I set up!

[TangoTank]

I support my local lfs but when it comes to pumps, pheads and rodi units buy online. Great service and prices with Dr foster and smith, champion lighting for higher end and hard to find parts and bulk reef supply. But sometimes you have no choice. I just spend more money at my three lfs on corals and fish.

I see you're in JUP! That's where I mostly grew up. What LFS do you use? I head that way occasionally. Was in Riley's the other day. They were super busy so I didn't get to interact w/ the people but I did get to see a lot of neat fish!

 

[TangoTank]

...I don't know if anyone asked this, but was that tank ever treated with copper based medication to treat ich?
If so, I would toss all of that rock and start from scratch. That copper may have settled in the rock and keeping sensitive inverts will end up being impossible.

Good point! Could you test the rock first as to not waste it?? Or if one doesn't plan to have inverts then just keep it & use it.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

I see you're in JUP! That's where I mostly grew up. What LFS do you use? I head that way occasionally. Was in Riley's the other day. They were super busy so I didn't get to interact w/ the people but I did get to see a lot of neat fish!

Riley's is a great place good people, keep their fish in quarantine for a week. Try to insure health fish. Oceans below off of US1 in north palm great people world of knowledge and honest. Fintastic great prices on the weekend can't beat them.

 

[TangoTank]

Riley's is a great place good people, keep their fish in quarantine for a week. Try to insure health fish. Oceans below off of US1 in north palm great people world of knowledge and honest. Fintastic great prices on the weekend can't beat them.

Thanks! I'll have to check those other two places out. So blessed we have so many SW fish places. Unfortunately, FW is so limited mostly to big box stores & 1 great store pretty close to me, love it.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Fintastic is off of Jensen blvd. we our blessed!!!

 

[Callen]

Thanks to you all!

@tango: ouch! Electricity and water always make me nervous.

@mr_X: I'll check on any treatments that may have been used. Knowing the previous owners will be handy! Thanks for that idea

@Daniel: I have no idea what a mag is or 1 " overflow. Where would I check? Is the pump part of the stuff underneath?

@rossv mentioned a power head.... Afraid I don't what that is either.

I told y'all I don't know anything about this!

Do any of you know where there might be a diagram or photo of a basic setup? Labeled parts would really help!

Or if I can figure out how to upload pics maybe y'all could help me figure out what I have.

At some point I'm gonna need to put it all together and get this thing started!

 

[mr_X]

Take pictures of everything and upload them to photobucket, then post the direct links to those pictures here. Just use the "Image" box at the top of this message typing box. It's the one that looks like 2 mountains with a sun or moon or something, second from the right.

 

[TangoTank]

Powerhead is basically a lil fan that suctions to the side of the tank or by magnets. It creates water movement in the tank so there's no "dead spots" so everything gets nutrients, oxygen, etc. especially the stuff that can't move on its own like live rock, sand, corals, etc.

Well, we know you have a built in overflow (from another thread)! Here's a pic, the sump/refugium doesn't have to be exactly like this & the protein skimmer may not be in that exact location or be that style. My protein skimmer is in the area w/ the return pump, I don't have a light source for the sump/refugium yet or Chaeto (plant material), I plan to. I don't have a bubble trap or heater (yet). I'd like to get a submersible one. I only have a HOB in the DT (display tank) kind.



I got this pic from another forum. I can't find the exact link as I'm looking at it on "images" on google on my phone.

 

[mr_X]

That's good, except you don't need a bubble trap before the refugium, but you definitely want one after it.

 

[Cjsanders757]

Fintastic is off of Jensen blvd. we our blessed!!!

Love em!

 

[Ericwm]

One question. If you are drilling for the return why don't you drill the overflow as well.

 

[mr_X]

One question. If you are drilling for the return why don't you drill the overflow as well.

Ha! I didn't even see that. Yes, that's a good question and I wouldn't recommend going through the trouble drilling, unless you were doing it for the drain, not the return!

 

[TangoTank]

One question. If you are drilling for the return why don't you drill the overflow as well.

Ha! I didn't even see that. Yes, that's a good question and I wouldn't recommend going through the trouble drilling, unless you were doing it for the drain, not the return!

If you're referring to my drawing... I just grabbed that from another forum b/c the OP asked for a diagram of how a tank is set up. It was the best 1 could find w/out drawing one myself. Definitely not my intended setup

 

[Callen]

I'm thinking this is the weekend to get set up!

 

[Callen]

I took inventory and I'm pretty sure I have a protein skimmer. The photobucket app didn't work so I can't post any pics for y'all to help identify.

Still a bit confused on how the sump and protein skimmer connect underneath. The protein skimmer and hoses sure look nasty. Lots of buildup and waste inside. My friend said that didn't matter?!

One if you mentioned getting rid of bio balls and replacing w a sick. Would that still work in this acrylic tank they are in ? Since no photo ill describe the setup: there are 2 connectors on top where hoses from DT join. Looks like water flows through there and is released over the balls. They sit on a white plastic grate then there is empty space below which is the bottom of the container. Its approximately 5 inches from bottom to the bio balls above. There is a sponge-type filter of some sort in this bottom space. On the other side of the filter is just an open top reservoir. I think the protein skimmer sits in here? This open area is where my friend told me to add the salt. But I think we've established that is not what to do.

One of you also recommended putting live rock in the sump? Would that be up where the bio balls are now or in the open section?

Should I set up a refuge instead or do sump and refuge go together?

 

[TangoTank]

Here's my overflow box. HA! My fish keeper sent me a pic as proof/explanation of evap which I'm amazed isn't very much!! I plan to clean out that intake pipe just haven't yet, it has a lot of coralline. This mundane pic makes me so happy... it's like as sweet music is to my ears!
<--fishtank nerd over here!

 

[TangoTank]

I took inventory and I'm pretty sure I have a protein skimmer. The photobucket app didn't work so I can't post any pics for y'all to help identify.

Still a bit confused on how the sump and protein skimmer connect underneath. The protein skimmer and hoses sure look nasty. Lots of buildup and waste inside. My friend said that didn't matter?!

One if you mentioned getting rid of bio balls and replacing w a sick. Would that still work in this acrylic tank they are in ? Since no photo ill describe the setup: there are 2 connectors on top where hoses from DT join. Looks like water flows through there and is released over the balls. They sit on a white plastic grate then there is empty space below which is the bottom of the container. Its approximately 5 inches from bottom to the bio balls above. There is a sponge-type filter of some sort in this bottom space. On the other side of the filter is just an open top reservoir. I think the protein skimmer sits in here? This open area is where my friend told me to add the salt. But I think we've established that is not what to do.

One of you also recommended putting live rock in the sump? Would that be up where the bio balls are now or in the open section?

Should I set up a refuge instead or do sump and refuge go together?

Sounds just like my sump! I'll attach a pic before I took out the bio balls. The white grate is called Egg Crate (some people put it on top of their open tanks to keep critters in). I left mine in the sump & put a small piece of live rock & rubble below the egg crate.

Clean the protein skimmer w/ 50/50 water & vinegar. Then you just remove & clean the top compartment w/ plain water every few days or so and you can leave it running as you do so. There's a powerhead that runs it (probably already attached to yours & just looks like it's part of it), creates the bubbles & there should be an adjustment for the amount & fine'ness of the bubbles. I set mine at medium, not big & not super little, works great now that I figured out how to adjust the bubbles. And it's a cheap 1!



Since my tank was already running, I left some bio balls at first when I put the live rock in as I believe in surface area for beneficial bacteria as I'm a freshy tank keeper to begin with. I didn't want to remove all the bio balls at once.

 

[Callen]

Made it to my semi-LFS last Saturday ( just 100 miles away!) Picked up a few replacement parts and 80# live sand. They advised me to set it up and make sure everything is running properly. If so, go ahead and add my sand and base rock , buy the live rock later. I looked at the Tonga live rock on blue zoo and ordered 40#. Should be here next Thursday. Some call it expensive but w free shipping it was cheaper by the pound than the rock at the semi-LFS and I won't have to drive the 220 round trip to get it.

The store was amazing, a field trip in and of itself! I asked about bio balls vs socks. Most if their tanks have bio balls. I didn't get a real clear answer on the pros and cons of each. I could still use everyone's advice on that topic.

While I was at the semi-LFS I had a gall bladder attack that landed me in the emergency room Saturday night. So here I am, 1 week later, sans gall bladder, and sans progress on my tank. The arrival of the rock on Thursday is my motivator to get my parts put together and get some water flowing! Hoping the family can help w that this weekend. Wish me luck!

 

[TangoTank]

Made it to my semi-LFS last Saturday ( just 100 miles away!) Picked up a few replacement parts and 80# live sand. They advised me to set it up and make sure everything is running properly. If so, go ahead and add my sand and base rock , buy the live rock later. I looked at the Tonga live rock on blue zoo and ordered 40#. Should be here next Thursday. Some call it expensive but w free shipping it was cheaper by the pound than the rock at the semi-LFS and I won't have to drive the 220 round trip to get it.

The store was amazing, a field trip in and of itself! I asked about bio balls vs socks. Most if their tanks have bio balls. I didn't get a real clear answer on the pros and cons of each. I could still use everyone's advice on that topic.

While I was at the semi-LFS I had a gall bladder attack that landed me in the emergency room Saturday night. So here I am, 1 week later, sans gall bladder, and sans progress on my tank. The arrival of the rock on Thursday is my motivator to get my parts put together and get some water flowing! Hoping the family can help w that this weekend. Wish me luck!

You had your gall bladder removed?? OMG!! Major surgery! Rest up!! As for the tank, it can wait.

About Bio Balls vs Filter Sock, there's no comparison. Filter Sock just catches detritus so it doesn't cause extra NitrAtes & Phosphates in your system as it makes the stuff that causes the NitrAtes & Phosphates easily removable. Bio Balls are a place for Beneficial Bacteria to grow but they also trap detritus which accumulate causing elevated NitrAtes & Phosphates. Using one or the other or both are preferences. The Live Rock will harbor all the Beneficial Bacteria you need, no need for the Bio Balls. But that's for you to decide & what you're comfy with! Good luck!! And feel better!!

 

[Callen]

Took on the sump as my cleaning project for the evening. Got the tank cleaned pretty well. How good does it need to be? Do I need to clean all of the bio balls? They've got a lot of dried brown crud on them. How should i go about that process? finally, do I really need to use rodi water w the vinegar when cleaning the DT? I used tap and vinegar mix. Was gonna take it out on the back porch and hose it down.