my 40 gallon breeder questions.

[iadubber]

i dont like how it transitions from the bubble chamber to the collection cup neck. the cone is nice, but the cup once in place creates a "step" before it can bubble up.

its become finicky with how it skims. i do periodically disassemble the pump to clean it, and still sometimes its wet, some times its dry, in terms of skimmate. ive looked at my skimmer before ive left the house to look around the lfs noting that my cup is half full only to come back an hour later and its overflowing, spilling back into the sump.

this was an ebay special and im hoping that a quality skimmer with a positive reputation will be better than what i have.

Sounds like my skimmer. I hate it. I have a cadlights 1150 and I can never get the dang thing dialed in.

 

[coffeetwitch]

ive got gfo running now and my algae has all but disappeared in the 3 weeks its been in service.

checked my nitrates. first time in a long time. api liquid test kit. nitrates are at 20 ppm. i would have thought running biopellets for 3 months now, it would have been less. i tested twice with the same results.

next water change is due for my tank this friday. ill check again then. if they have not reduced im pulling the pellets.


still saving for a better skimmer. other than that im really wanting to upgrade the size of my tank.

 

[Kio707]

You do a 10% pwc every week?

 

[Hondatek]

Might be time to get a red sea nitrate kit. It is easier to read then API and very accurate . You won't be disappointed with it.your probably a lot lower than your reading now with API I know i was

 

[AquaRick]

+1 on the red sea test kits. I really like them.

 

[coffeetwitch]

i do about 30 gallons every 2 weeks. total system volume is about 70 gallons once you add my sump into the mix

redsea test kit.... i did join carey's brs group buy for next week so ill pick some up.

 

[Hondatek]

When I got mine 3 tests with API showed 20 to 40 ppm . Redsea read 16 ppm everytime . All the API tubes were different shades of orange

 

[coffeetwitch]

neat. i will have to pick up some then. i would expect to get 0 ppm nitrate. ill keep running the biopellets until i can test with the redsea kit.

 

[Kio707]

Also try doing 10% pwc every week... Helps my tank.

 

[coffeetwitch]

weekly 10%? i can do 10 gallons a week no problem. do you ever do a big water change?

thanks gents.

again, if i dont test near 0ppm im ditching the pellets. i could use the reactor for gfo on my discus. fyi java wood is no good as an interesting freshwater driftwood.

 

[Hondatek]

I usually only change 20 gallons a week . I'm doing a full 32 gallon brute can tomorrow. Still not really a big pwc . I like more frequent smaller ones than doing massive ones personally . I'm shooting for the zero nitrates too lol. I'm at 8 right now.

 

[Kio707]

weekly 10%? i can do 10 gallons a week no problem. do you ever do a big water change?

thanks gents.

again, if i dont test near 0ppm im ditching the pellets. i could use the reactor for gfo on my discus. fyi java wood is no good as an interesting freshwater driftwood.

Nope. Just 10% each week. All my levels are normal, and cayno is gone.

 

[coffeetwitch]

ive got a 20 gallon brute and a 44 gallon brute. when sweetie pie had her 40gallon salt tank i would do half of the big brute for each tank every two weeks. used the 20 gallon as my drain can. split the 44 can up really well at half each. i guess i should step it up and do weekly.

ive got too many aquariums. seems like im always doing water changes. i dont know how carey does it.

 

[carey]

I'm actually right this minute doing a large, 40g or so water change on my 125g cichlid tank. It;s not so bad with the python, wish the salt tanks were that easy to do! LOL

 

[coffeetwitch]

i dont know how you mix all the salt that you need. let alone imagine what youre paying for salt on a monthly basis. and yes freshwater is so much easier! i still miss my cichlids.

new question. ill start off by saying ive got a banggai thats holding. im considering a black long spine urchin for my tank for if and when the fry are expelled from daddy. i have had some experience with the long spine urchin. i had one when i started saltwater, it ate all my coralline, and ive been battling dinoflagellates for so long that my coralline growth has been almost nil.

does anyone think that a long spine urchin would help with any possible recurrent outbreak of the dinos'?

im thinking about one because ive read they are to banggias as anemones are to clowns. i could catch the daddy and move him to another tank, but i dont want to stress him out and loose the eggs. no i am not trying to actively breed them nor do i want to, but i do want a couple for a small tank ive got running elsewhere in the house. the rest of them i would donate to the lfs.

also what are your opinions about upgrading this tank to a 75g or 90g "reef ready"
while i really like the size of this 40 breeder, its hard to find fish that a person would consider uniquely saltwater that are also appropriate for this size of aquarium.

 

[AquaRick]

It's iff on the dinos. I've seen it hit or miss. Maybe someone with personal experience can comment; I've just seen it off hand on other tanks.

As for the upgrade, I say go for it! Both sizes will do nicely. Maybe time for a tang?

 

[coffeetwitch]

urchins are interesting in their own right.

IF i did upgrade, it be a while down the road. yes time for a tang. and a magnificent foxface. among some other fish that ive been eyeballing for a long time. its a shame i was born with these good looks instead of money!

as far as the dino, the brs gfo has really helped. like i said in an earlier post, its all but gone. im just what if-ing on the cautious side.

 

[AquaRick]

Nice call on the magnificent foxface. Really cool fish.

 

[coffeetwitch]

Yeah it is. But I'm still operating on big ifs and maybes

 

[Kio707]

Just a tease and rubbing it in... Lol