help with refuge algaes

[wrasse326]

I got my new sump and rodi machine set up this weekend. I want to order some of the macro algaes for the sump. I was wondering what are the best ones? Which are the easiest to care for? I would like some that i can feed to my tangs. I'm thinking about using Chaeto and red gracilaria. Read that you can cut the red gracilaria to feed tangs.

Also, i just started the 9 weeks of my tank being fishless to get rid of ich. If i buy these and put them in my sump will i have to start the 9 weeks over?

And as for lighting.. it seems like in a lot of videos I've seen people use what looks like a reptile heat lamp on their sump. Is this what it is? Could I use this to make heat for the sump and light instead of a heater and regular tank light? If so I have reptiles and have an extra heat lamp and could get a bulb for it. What wattage bulb should I use for a 35 gallon sump and should it be a heat bulb or just light?
Thanks in advance

 

[Dav3]

I grow gracilaria in my fuge. grows fairly quickly. I throw away 75% once a month.. i have just a standard shop light(similar to reptile heat lamp) with i think a 40 watt power compact household bulb in it. yellow tang loves it when I put some in the tank. So do the emerald crabs who race across the tank when the see it.

 

[Dav3]

Also keep in mind you need a nutrient source for the macro to grow. I would wait till you have some bio load on your aquarium before adding any.

 

[wrasse326]

Well the tank has been set up for a long time. I just recently took out my fish to keep it empty for 8-9 weeks to let ich die off. And I still put food in for my choc chip starfish and crabs. Is this enough to make nutrients?

 

[Dav3]

I suppose so. Do you have any nitrate readings when you test your water?

 

[wrasse326]

Yea it's been between 20-40 and I was doing water changes once a week. That's when I decoded to try the sump and rodi machine because I couldn't get the nitrates down.

 

[mr_X]

Go to home depot and but a cheap clip on shop light. Like this-

No, this or any other light will not replace the need for a heater.

 

[wrasse326]

Well I was thinking if it was a reptile heat lamp those put off quite a bit of heat.

What the Heck is going on. I set the sump up Saturday. I filled it up with rodi water. It's the first bit of rodi water introduced to my tank. It's about a 35 gal sump. Today I turn on my fish tank lights and there's brittle stars dead all over the place and my turbo snail is dead. Did I put too much new rodi water? Salinity is where it always is. 1.024 well specific gravity. What could be the cause?

 

[mr_X]

So, you filled the sump with salt water, correct? RODI plus salt....and let it mix thoroughly before turning on the pump?

 

[wrasse326]

Well yea of course.. and like I said.. salinity is still where it always is and sump has been running since Saturday. I don't pour saltwater into the tank or anything until its completely dissolved. My choc chip starfish and crab (think its called a sally Light foot crab or something) and hermit crab are all fine.

 

[ezy33]

Was the sump water heated? Aged for 24 hours?

 

[mr_X]

A new salt mix?

 

[wrasse326]

It's the same salt mix. I always use Kent reef salt. And the water was from a 32 gallon brute trash can that was made Fri.. trash can was brand new and scrubbed and washed before we put fresh water in it. And I've used water that wasn't 24 hours old before and never saw this happen before. I did put a new bag of live sand in the sump after filling it if that would have anything to do with it.

 

[mr_X]

Possibly. If it was recently bagged it could have had some excess nutrients with it. I doubt it would be that substantial though.

 

[wrasse326]

And our cold water is never colder than 78 degrees. Fahrenheit. And that's what I keep my tank temp at. It's just weird. I did get a big bucket of Kent salt this time. It makes 200 gallons of salt water. I usually just get the little jug that makes 50 but the big tub was on sale half price. Could the salt of been old maybe? Does salt go bad? They don't sell the big tubs as fast as the little ones so could it of sat around too long?

 

[mr_X]

Na. I use nothing but the 160 and 200 gallon buckets and never have a problem.

 

[wrasse326]

Hm well I have no idea wats going on then. It's a new rodi unit. But I filled 2 5 gallon buckets with water that I dumped before I filled the trash can with it. How do I know if all if the membranes are working properly to know if it actually got the chlorine and stuff out? And did I throw out enough of the water before using the next water in the tank?

 

[mr_X]

you need a T.D.S. meter.

 

[wrasse326]

Ok I'll get one of those.. sure hope it's not the reason all this stuff is dying.. it seems like my choc chip starfish and crabs would of died too though

 

[wrasse326]

So I'm starting to think it's something just making all the starfish stiff? Because there's more brittle stars out and if I watch them closely I eventually see them move. And my choc chip starfish is stiff. He was in the same spot all day. I moved him onto a rock and he won't relax his legs. Still alive tho because all the little tentacle things in his legs are still moving. It's like he's just stiff. I'm wondering if maybe I just added too much rodi water and put them all into shock or something. Because this is the first time rodi water has ever been put in my tank and I topped off what had evaporated and filled the 35 gallon sump with it. So maybe it was too much for the first time?