Starting 10g nano... !

[WarOrks15]

it is the hard stuff they use for ug filters. i ahve a ton of it around the house but never really used it.

 

[steve-s]

The airline tubing siphoning isn't quite ringing a bell lol... Pic would def help!

Gonna need to wait on this 'till tomorrow night, roomates out with the camera. Sorry about that.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

No prob

 

[Guest]

In the meantime, while you're getting that pic for me on "rigid airline tubing" (How do I 'siphon' with airline tubing?) ... I have a question about HOB filters on qtanks...

A few posts back, when I asked about cleaning Qtanks or whatever, and asked what to do with the HOB used on the qtank when I put it away, you said

If you use any meds, might be an idea to just reserve the HOB as a QT only filter to prevent mishaps down the road. If copper is used at any point then it should definately remain QT filter.

If I do use any medications on the QT tank, after putting it away, tossing the used filter media and letting airdry for some time, I still don't put it back on the display tank for a week (one of the first steps of the quarantine process) with media in it, and then transfer it over to the QT tank? How do I get 'seeded' (from the display tank) media etc, over to the QT tank then?

 

[yaksplat]

you can make the same moonlight for $10 if you're crafty. Check out the diy section.

Jim

 

[steve-s]

In the meantime, while you're getting that pic for me on "rigid airline tubing" (How do I 'siphon' with airline tubing?)

The same way you would use a hose to syphon water out when doing water changes or "borrowing" gas from the neighbours car. . Only difference is to be sure to allow the rigid tubing to suck out any food or detritus that has fallen to the bottom of the tank. The attached flex airline tubing drains into a watse bucket and dumped.

... I have a question about HOB filters on qtanks...

A few posts back, when I asked about cleaning Qtanks or whatever, and asked what to do with the HOB used on the qtank when I put it away, you said

If you use any meds, might be an idea to just reserve the HOB as a QT only filter to prevent mishaps down the road. If copper is used at any point then it should definately remain QT filter.

If I do use any medications on the QT tank, after putting it away, tossing the used filter media and letting airdry for some time, I still don't put it back on the display tank for a week (one of the first steps of the quarantine process) with media in it, and then transfer it over to the QT tank? How do I get 'seeded' (from the display tank) media etc, over to the QT tank then?

If you purchase another HOB to run independantly, then you can simpley "steal" the media from the HOB on the main tank and place it in the HOB on the Q tank or double up the media on the main tank. That is if you use the media for the mian tank. You can just add it a week before needed when buying new fish if you don't. You can easily go from the display tank to the QT but never the other way around.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

Hmm
Instead of bothering with the rigid airline (which I still don't fully understand how to do..which part would I suck to get water up and how would it go back down into the bucket for disposal etc?:S) to remove detritus from the Q-tank, could I just go with a regular Gravel Vac and remove the excess food etc and perform a water change at the same time?


Thanks so much for all your help, steve-s!

 

[steve-s]

Hmm
Instead of bothering with the rigid airline (which I still don't fully understand how to do..which part would I suck to get water up and how would it go back down into the bucket for disposal etc?:S)

The flexible hose end....

to remove detritus from the Q-tank, could I just go with a regular Gravel Vac and remove the excess food etc and perform a water change at the same time?

You could but this is something that must be done after each feeding or when you see anything "foreign" that needs removing. When feeding every other day, it could be fairly disruptive to the fish. Here's the pic, mabye that will help.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

Ohhhhh

I see now(I think)! You just put the rigid airline tubing down into the water, suck up on the flexible tubing end, then before the water reaches the top, you take the rigid part out and dump water into bucket, performing a water change as well as removing detritus?

 

[Guest]

Along with the previous question concerning how to suck out detritus with rigid tubing, I think I've put together a comprehensive process for quarantining that I'd like some feedback on:
---------
Quarantine Tank(left running all the time...much easier than continually having to take it down, then set it back up again etc):
10g tank
50w Heater
Powerhead (to keep pH at 8.2)
Eggcrate lid
-Hold wanted fish at pet store
-Run a HOB Filter [filter floss media] on the main tank for a week
-Fill q-tank with water from main tank
-Add ornaments for fish to hide (Pipes)
-After a week, transfer HOB to Q-tank
Adding fish to q-tank:
-Acclimate normally, drip q-tank water into bag until 4x amount of original water
-Net fish into Q-tank
-Leave there for 3-4 wks.
-Do frequent water changes from a DIFFERENT bucket than main tank(water param kept same in both buckets)
-Feed sparingly, bi-daily
-Siphon extra food out with rigid airline tubing
~
>Upon using meds, before quarantining or treating fish again:
Clean HOB and 10g tank by:
-Soaking in vinegar and hot water ~12 hours
-Empty
-Soak in hot water~12 hours
-Soak in hot water ~12 hours again

-Fill up tank again with water from Main tank
-Turn heater on (no water changes when unstocked....top off water when necessary)
-Leave HOB filter off
-When QT tank is needed again, put in seeded filter floss from Main tank into QT tank HOB
---------

Any corrections to be made in there??

 

[steve-s]

I see now(I think)! You just put the rigid airline tubing down into the water, suck up on the flexible tubing end, then before the water reaches the top, you take the rigid part out and dump water into bucket, performing a water change as well as removing detritus?

Close but instead of pulling the tubing out, just be sure you have a long enough length of flexible tubing so it can hang into a bucket. Just start the syphon by sucking on the soft tubing while the hard tubing is in the tank. Basically just vacuum out the detritus and uneaten foods.

-Fill up tank again with water from Main tank
-Turn heater on (no water changes when unstocked....top off water when necessary)
-Leave HOB filter off
-When QT tank is needed again, put in seeded filter floss from Main tank into QT tank HOB
---------

All good except for this last paragraph. If you do not need to treat any fish there is no need for a teardown unless the tank really needs a good cleaning. Until the next fish is ready to be placed in the QT, simpley add small amounts of food once or twice a week to keep the bacteria fed. If you plan to keep the QT running 24/7 it's also a good idea to keep it cycled. If you do a tear down and re-set up, seed it as before using new media and just feed the bacteria. As long as you have something creating ammonia, the bacteria will survive and your QT will remain cycled.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

I think I understand everything now thanks to you steve-s!! Thanks sooo much for your help!

Here is my overall rundown of everything needed (HEAVILY revised!! )
-----
10g nano reef

-10g standard tank
-Aragonite sand, 2-3"
-Live rock -cured, 12-15 lbs.
-Eggcrate Top
-Hydrometer
-50w Heater
-Two (Mini Jet 606) powerheads
-Aquaclear HOB filter with -Polyfilter (by Aquarium Systems) Media and -Surface Skimmer Attachment
-Coralife Aqualight- 1-96w Power Compact (96w 50/50 4-tube quad lamp) *on legs
-Light Timer
-Custom SeaLife MoonLite or DIY Cobbs LED Mood Lights into an AC/DC 110v 50/60Hz Adapter~set at 3v & 1000mA
-Kent Marine Sea Salt
-Kent Marine Buffer (if pH is too low)

1 Percula Clownfish
1 Sharknose Goby Gobiosoma evelynae
1 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Nassarius Snails
2 Cerith Snails
2 Margarita Snails

Possible Corals:
Mushrooms, Zooanthids, Polyps, Colt Corals, Leather Corals, Xenia ...

*Water Changes:
Plastic 5g bucket
Powerhead
25w heater
RO Water
-Use RO/DI water...mix salt ~ 1.023-5 salinity
-Sit overnight with equip on
-Test salinity with hydrometer
-Test pH ~ 8.2 (Add Kent Marine Aquarium Buffer if neccessary)
-Siphon out 1g of water from tank, into another bucket and dispose of this water
-Add premixed water
-> Top off evap. water only with RO water, not salted water!

Quarantine Tank (left running all the time):
10g tank
50w Heater
Powerhead (to keep pH at 8.2)
Aquaclear MINI
-Filter floss media
5g bucket
Sm Gravel Vac
Thermometer
Eggcrate lid
-Hold wanted fish at LFS
-Run HOB Filter [filter floss media] on the main tank for a week
-Position heater and thermom
-Fill q-tank with water from main tank
-Add ornaments for fish to hide (Pipes)
-After a week, transfer HOB to Q-tank
Adding fish to q-tank:
-Acclimate normally, drip q-tank water into bag until 4x amount of original water
-Net fish into Q-tank
-Leave there for 3-4 wks.
-Do frequent water changes with vac, from a DIFFERENT bucket than main tank(water params kept same in both buckets)
-Feed sparingly, bi-daily
-Siphon extra food out with rigid airline tubing
~
>Upon using meds, before quarantining or treating fish again:
Clean HOB and 10g tank (eliminating as much existing meds as possible) by:
-Soaking in vinegar and hot water ~12 hours
-Empty
-Soak in hot water~12 hours
-Soak in hot water ~12 hours again

-Position heater, HOB and thermom again
-Refill QT tank with 10g tank water
-Leave all equipment running (HOB--no filter media)
-When unstocked, add small amounts of ammonia a few times a week to keep cycled
-When fish are to be placed in QT tank again, put in seeded filter floss from Main tank into QT tank HOB
----

Any final changes?
Two thumbs up on this planned setup ??

 

[steve-s]

Just two points though. The ammonia source is fine if just using foods you would normally feed the fish, you do not actually need to add real ammonia. The rotting food will create the ammonia.

With the Kent salt I highly doubt you will have a problem with ph or alkalinity but do not add buffer simpley to fix a ph problem. If the ph is low, test the alk first. If the alk is up to par, adding a buffer will only be a bandaid and possibley cause more problems. In most cases with a proper alk and a low ph, the problem will be environmental not chemical but test the alk to be sure before adjusting it

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

So when I am checking the pH of the water, I check the KH (alkalinity) first (what would be considered "too low" for KH?) and what do I do if KH is too low?

 

[Guest]

If the KH is "too low", then do I then add the Kent Marine Aquarium Buffer (described as "pH Buffer and alkalinity or carbonate hardness (KH) builder")

 

[steve-s]

I would actually suggest you check both ph and alkalinity at the same time. Alkalinity is the measure of total carbonates and it's level reflects the waters ability to resist changes in ph. If both are low, supplimenting the alk with a marine buffer will most often fix them both but you cannot retest the ph for at least 12 hrs after each buffer addition to verify it's result.

If the alk is fine and the ph is low, then you will need to look at environmental causes. Normally from trapped CO2 (glass lid), low GPH, high DOC/pollutants, overcrowding, overfeeding, or too little air flow in the room itself. Typically opening a window will alleviate the problem.

The alk range will also depend on the CaCO3 load and it's relavence to Ca. A good goal for alk in a captive environment would be between 3-4 mEq/l but no higher than 4.5 mEq/l. NSW is actually 1.5 - 3 mEq/l but it is rarely enough to keep things stable in such a small environment.

If you'll excuse the title, I would suggest you read >>this article<<. It covers many of the basics and should give you a good grasp on what I've said.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

How's this then for water changes?

*Water Changespremixed)
Plastic 5g bucket
Powerhead
25w heater
Hydrometer
RO Water
Kent Marine Aquarium Buffer
-Use RO water...mix salt ~ 1.023-5 salinity
-Sit overnight with equip on
-Test salinity with hydrometer
-Test pH ~ 8.2 and KH (alkalinity) ~ 8-11dkH (Add Kent Buffer-one teaspooon in a glass of RO water-if both are too low)
-Siphon out 1g of water from tank, into another bucket and dispose of this water
-Add premixed water
-> Top off evap. water only with RO water, not salted water!


--
Otherwise, no other additives to be used (besides marine buffer - only if needed!!) Just weekly water changes as trace element supplementation!
All correct?

 

[steve-s]

All good but you really do not need to worry about the alk nor the ph with the Kent salt. Check to ensure accuracey but do not arbitrarily add suppliments without confirming the readings. Be sure you test no sooner than 12 hrs minimum (24 preferabley) after the correct salinity and temperature has been reached. In all honesty, the buffer will rarely be needed until (if) you start adding stoney corals. Regular weekly water changes will be your best allie, especially with a nano tank.

When the tank supports a heavier demand of CaCO3 based life, a two part liquid additive or kalkwasser may be needed to augment the water changes.

Cheers
Steve

 

[24 hours? NE!]

What's the best option for powerheads in these nanos? I've got a 12 and even though it looks like the stock jet moves water pretty good, I want to add a little more.

Any suggestions?

 

[steve-s]

I like the mini jet's for small tanks. I have a 606 in my 5 gal. Depending on how much you have now, you could even go to a Maxi jet 400 (106 GPH).

Cheers
Steve