Maroon Looking Anemone on Live Rock?

[KSum89]

Someone please tell me what this is

Its directly in the middle of the pic, idk what that mouth looking thing is beside it either.. (on your right)

 

[ezy33]

Will it retract when it's touched, is it soft or hard? Check this site Xtalreef

 

[KSum89]

No, it doesnt retract and its soft

- i dont think i see it on that website

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Looks like the stem of red grape algae, actually a very pretty algae

I have some in my seahorse tank sump, was in the main display area but I think something ate it.

 

[Purevil21]

Beautiful, see I told you someone would be able to point it out for you Ksum.

 

[KSum89]

Thanks... Will it still continue 2 grow?

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

It should, I've read that they like strong lighting but it grows fine in my sump which only has a regular growing bulb from home depo on it.

 

[KSum89]

Ok so will my newly discovered urchin eat it? I hope not cuz that would look nice in my tank. 

 

[joy13]

That is on the urchins menu.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Yes it is a possibility, mine seem to leave all macro algae alone except cheato, but there is still a chance yours will love it.

Oh and that mouth looking thing is just the skeleton of a dead coral.

 

[dollabill420]

Looks like the stem of red grape algae, actually a very pretty algae

I have some in my seahorse tank sump, was in the main display area but I think something ate it.

That's an algae? I like it (only got FO freshwater) could you explain what a sump is, I thought I mite have known till you said you had a light in it. Thanks if you see this lol

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

A sump is basically another smaller tank that sits underneath your main tank. There is an overflow box in the main tank where to water drains down to the sump and then a pump in the sump that brings the water back up. The extra water volume helps keep the tank more stable and you can hide your heater in there. It's also an excellent place to put a skimmer (which can be too large for the main tank if it's not a hang on the back one). They are also used to grow macro algae and keep extra live rock which both help filter the water, and to help keep a good population of pods (little bugs that the fish like to eat). If you want to grow macroalgae you usually put some sort of light on the sump, most algaes don't need alot of light so a standard lamp should be fine. The sump is usually split into multiple sections (one for the pump, one for the skimmer, one for whatever else you want to put in).

Hope that helps a bit haha

 

[dollabill420]

That's sweet I assume only used on saltwater? Wouldn't mind describing the overflow box on the tank(gravity fed?) for me could ya? Would a pump in the tank to the sump then a pump from the sump also do the samething (if the box is gravity fed) as an overflow box, sorry bout all the q's lol trying to learn salt to an expert level before get into it

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

yes generally only saltwater uses sumps, thought I don't see why FW couldn't, I love keeping the heater and such hidden.

So there are basically two ways to do the overflow box, add one to a regular tank like this one (no drilling required)

Or to get your tank drilled, you can order them like this. Basically the water flows through the cracks there at the top and there is a tube at the bottom of the tank that is drilled through and plumbed in.

The drilled can also look like this (this is our big tank, It will be built into a wall so the overflow box wont be seen, our sump is also beside the tank instead of underneath it)

This one is still drilled through the tank but all pipes are on the outside.
This photo shows it a bit better. (second pipe still needs to be plumbed in)


They are gravity fed, I suppose you could try with two pumps but the problem would be trying to get them to pump at the exact same rate, near impossible I'd say. One would always be slightly faster and end up emptying the one area before the other could fill.

 

[dollabill420]

Thank you very much kind sir lol

 

[dollabill420]

I thought tempered glass couldn't be drilled? Or are your tanks older

 

[Mike-words]

With 2 pumps it would be asking for trouble. With a gravity feed system the pump has full control over how much water returns to the sump

 

[dollabill420]

With 2 pumps it would be asking for trouble. With a gravity feed system the pump has full control over how much water returns to the sump

Yeh be making it more complicated really, so what ever the sump pump puts in to the tank always comes out through the overflow box at equal rates? I'm still not quite sure how the water gets intothe overflow box down to the sump, do you have to drill holes into the side of ur tank that flows water into ur box then down a pipe to ur sump box then from the sump to the tank via a water pump?

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

You do have to be careful if drilling it yourself and I wouldn't even attempt it if it was a tempered glass. It's best to buy one predrilled or to get someone to do it, well I would anyways lol I wouldn't trust myself to drill a tank.

So the water level in the tank sits just above the comb like slits in the plastic, causing the water to overflow into it. There is then a pipe that has an opening lower that the water level in the main tank which drains the water into the sump. The water then goes through a series of compartments and eventually returns up to the tank from a pump, this return water goes up a separate pipe and acts basically like a powerhead, spitting out the water and causeing some movement. The comb like cuts helps ensure that no fish get sucked over the overflow.

Here is another picture that I just found on google that shows the compartments of a sump.

You can build the sump however you want it with as many sections as you want. The up and down movement through the sections helps get rid of any bubbles.

 

[dollabill420]

Yeh I watched a buddy drill tempered and it spider cracked the whole panel was pretty sweet but ruined it for building a tank with it lol