Need advice BEFORE I set up!

[Sniperhank]

You could do that as well. But you stated you were having trouble keeping the nitrates down. I'd suggest not feeding your anemone. Their main food source is light and can't rely on being fed food to survive. So basically, don't bother. That'll help keep the numbers down in the future.

[Callen]

I'm so confused! I'm NOT supposed to feed the anemone?! I thought they needed chunks of meat at least once a week?

[Greenstreet.1]

I just feed the tank never the nem directly the those that part.

[Dav3]

Originally Posted by Callen

I'm so confused! I'm NOT supposed to feed the anemone?! I thought they needed chunks of meat at least once a week?

Not necessary to feed. As stated they get all of what they need from light. If you do feed them do it sparingly with a few pieces of small meaty foods like brine shrimp. But certainly not needed.

I actually have observed once my nems are hosted by clowns they rarely take anything offered anymore. I feed mine maybe once a month.

[Callen]

So back to one of my earlier questions: Should I use a gravel vac and/or siphon the diatoms and snail/urchin poo off the sand bed?

[TheTodd]

If you do, try to leave the sand alone. Just suck the stuff off the sand. Ideally, you have enough flow in the tank to keep stuff suspended so that filters/skimmers can grab it. You want dead spots non-existent or minimal.

[Callen]

A good point Todd. I have most of my flow at the top of my tank. Earlier in my thread someone told me to point my power head up toward water surface to help with pH.

I've been wondering if I had enough flow and what is the best way to tell. I have a koralia 4 (1200 gph) power head at the front of my tank on the opposite end from the overflow box and return. It is angled upward and toward the front of the tank so that it "bounces" off the front wall. Then of course I have the two black " pipes" that come from my return system. I have one of them aimed back around the overflow box toward the short side of the tank at the side wall and the other one aimed downward along the back wall.

When I add fish food it definitely circulates and goes all around the tank. But the flow is definitely not picking up poop from the bottom of the tank

Do y'all think I need to add another power head or rearrange what I have?

[TheTodd]

I'm trying to recall...its a 75g, right?

If so, you might want another Koralia or try moving everything around so that there is flow along the bottom to keep the poop suspended. Flow up on the surface helps for proper oxygen exchange, but could you aim the return at the surface and the Koralia lower?

[Callen]

Yes, It is a 75. Sorry you have to wade through all my narrative to figure that out!

When I get that koralia too low, it blows the sand everywhere, so I guess it is just trial and error to get it to the right spot.

I raised it up because the nem really doesn't like too much flow. It will move back under the rocks to get away from it....sort of opposite from what I read about them.

IF i added another koralia, any idea what size would I need? Maybe I can add it to my birthday and Christmas wish lists along with a nice big fuge and new skimmer

[Callen]

Happy dance! Got my RODI unit and refractometer in the mail today. Weekend install on the way! All suggestions welcome on where/ how to set up the RODI unit. I'm thinking laundry room faucet but not sure how to get the water to my 35 gallon Brute trash can that I use for mixing. Do I route the water directly to it somehow?

[carey]

I have a 50foot section of hose that I run from the garbage cans, where the rodi unit is, to the tanks. I use a mag pump and it takes just a few minutes for each tank. A bit longer for the 125g of course lol, but nothing too bad

[TheTodd]

To answer the "what size power head to get"...I would get whatever size you need to change a dead spot to an area that has flow. Its hard to say, because every tank is set up a little different with live rock and power head placement. My old 75g acrylic, that had filtration set up in back, only had the return going on the right hand side and one power head on the left (facing right). It took a lot of minor tweaks, but I eventually got it worked out to where there were no dead spots.

[Callen]

This begs another question: how do we define good flow? I thought I had it, but obviously don't. Food circulates around the tank and appears to reach all areas. I see the algae swaying in the breeze, but poop and diatoms sit on the sand and don't circulate at all. When the anemone was out front and not hiding in the rocks, it had steady movement, which I suspect i is why it retreated.

I know it is probably trial and error but what should I be looking for?

[Sniperhank]

I define good flow as being able to feed the tank and no food landing anywhere. Same can go when your inhabitants poop. You run filtration to remove this stuff, so if it all settles on the bottom or in a corner you need to make some adjustments. It's those dead zones that can cause problems later on.

[Callen]

New topic: converting to a fuge. Early in, y'all recommended I convert my wet dry system to a fuge. At this point it's not even started, but I want to move that direction. I don't think I have enough room to convert my present tank..... Or maybe I just don't " see it" yet.

As my nitrates are steadily climbing and I don't have a single fish in the tank, I'm thinking the bio balls are probably contributing. I've debated taking them out and cleaning them. When I opened it up and looked at them, they aren't visibly dirty or gunky so I let it be for now.

I looked into purchasing a refugium, but I refuse to pay $300 for an acrylic box. That's just crazy!

This will be a DIY Fuge. I have plenty of room under my tank in my stand to put something of a decent size. I see a lot of people using 40 gallon breeders. My question for the group is what size is best for a 75 gallon DT. Also need to assume that by December I will have a new protein skimmer and that needs to figure in to the configuration. Don't know which one i will get, so I'd like your suggestions on that too. I've read that I should go a size larger than tank size.

[Sniperhank]

Could simply take the bio balls out and put a clip on light there.

[Callen]

RODI install help needed!

Didn't get it done last weekend, so taking it on this weeked. Still don't know how to get water to my mixing can. I've got the setup with the 3 gallon storage tank and water dispenser that mounts to the sink. Surely there is a way to re-route the water after the DI unit before it goes into the storage tank? MAybe some sort of switch that will let me direct the water to the mixing can vs the storage tank?

Any ideas/suggestions? Photos would help too

[Greenstreet.1]

Originally Posted by Callen

RODI install help needed! Didn't get it done last weekend, so taking it on this weeked. Still don't know how to get water to my mixing can. I've got the setup with the 3 gallon storage tank and water dispenser that mounts to the sink. Surely there is a way to re-route the water after the DI unit before it goes into the storage tank? MAybe some sort of switch that will let me direct the water to the mixing can vs the storage tank? Any ideas/suggestions? Photos would help too

Get a T or Y with a shut off on it. You will be able to fill both at the same time or one on and the next off hope that helps.

[Callen]

Found the install video on BRS thanks to another users advice. The install was super easy and I recommend it to everyone! Love the new setup!

[Callen]

Post quarantine question: my 2 fish have been out of QT and in the DT for about 3 weeks now. Everyone is fine and dandy. I am ready to add another fish or two. I never drained the QT but I turned off the bubble filters. Can I empty the water replace with fresh and reuse the sponge filter? Or do I need to start with a new one?