Taking the plunge

[Cichlid-dude]

I have had luck catching fish with a fish trap in the past. When i want them out ill use that.

 

[apet66]

I have had luck catching fish with a fish trap in the past. When i want them out ill use that.

Great idea, the fish and you will appreciate that low stress method!

 

[Cichlid-dude]

So ive cut lighting down 2 hours a day and im feeding every 2 days and the cyano is almost gone. Just a few small spots here and there. I guess i was feeding too much and leaving the lights on for too long.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Ok so i havent updated this thread in a while. I bought two taotronic 120watt fixtures for my tank. Im about ready to get some corals, just easy ones for now. Probably some shrooms or something. My question is how far above the tank should i have my lights? I have them 11" above the water right now, will this be sufficient?
Also what is the best way for me to acclimate them to the led lighting? Should i use screen? Thanks in advance for anyones help. Im new to the saltwater game and the coral part is making me worried!

 

[Jmkb02]

Ok so i havent updated this thread in a while. I bought two taotronic 120watt fixtures for my tank. Im about ready to get some corals, just easy ones for now. Probably some shrooms or something. My question is how far above the tank should i have my lights? I have them 11" above the water right now, will this be sufficient?
Also what is the best way for me to acclimate them to the led lighting? Should i use screen? Thanks in advance for anyones help. Im new to the saltwater game and the coral part is making me worried!

Did you buy the dimmable LEDs? 11" should be ok if you can dim them when you add some new corals. If not you may have to do some ingenuity to block most of the light as you can easily bleach coral with too much light.

 

[Ingy]

Here's a fact about light transmission thru water and glass in an aquarium. Once light enters the water coloum from above, little will escape unless it hits an object that will absorb and reradiate it. So until the light hits a coral, fish, rocks or substrate (or anything else in the tank) it is stuck there. When it hits the glass sides it will reflect back into the tank if the angle is below about 80 degrees. UNLESS those sides are painted in which case the angle of refraction is low enough that it will be absorbed.
This fact can be observed by the aquarist thru 2 very simple tests. First, look down into your tank from above. When you look towards the sides you will see a reflection of your corals because of the very high incident angle between water to glass to air. This angle of incidence is the same when traveling from the corals to your eyes or from the lights to the corals.
The second very simple test is to look up from around your tank thru the tank and try and see your lights. You may only see the lights At the very edge of your tank from the bottom, if at all.

I also mentioned this is not true for a painted glass wall (back). Another simple test (other than simply looking at the back wall) is to look across a corner from front to side. When you gently press your finger against the side you cannot see it due to a microscopic air layer between your finger and glass which maintains the angle of incidence water-glass-air. Wet your finger or press it hard and you remove the air which gives a significantly lower angle of incidence based on water-glass-solid.

So to make a long story short (too late), raise your LEDs just high enough so that the brightest light enters the tank.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Did you buy the dimmable LEDs? 11" should be ok if you can dim them when you add some new corals. If not you may have to do some ingenuity to block most of the light as you can easily bleach coral with too much light.

I dod not get the dimmable ones. Im thinking that the 11" will be ok and ill dimm it down with some screen over the top of the tank.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Here's a fact about light transmission thru water and glass in an aquarium. Once light enters the water coloum from above, little will escape unless it hits an object that will absorb and reradiate it. So until the light hits a coral, fish, rocks or substrate (or anything else in the tank) it is stuck there. When it hits the glass sides it will reflect back into the tank if the angle is below about 80 degrees. UNLESS those sides are painted in which case the angle of refraction is low enough that it will be absorbed.
This fact can be observed by the aquarist thru 2 very simple tests. First, look down into your tank from above. When you look towards the sides you will see a reflection of your corals because of the very high incident angle between water to glass to air. This angle of incidence is the same when traveling from the corals to your eyes or from the lights to the corals.
The second very simple test is to look up from around your tank thru the tank and try and see your lights. You may only see the lights At the very edge of your tank from the bottom, if at all.

I also mentioned this is not true for a painted glass wall (back). Another simple test (other than simply looking at the back wall) is to look across a corner from front to side. When you gently press your finger against the side you cannot see it due to a microscopic air layer between your finger and glass which maintains the angle of incidence water-glass-air. Wet your finger or press it hard and you remove the air which gives a significantly lower angle of incidence based on water-glass-solid.

So to make a long story short (too late), raise your LEDs just high enough so that the brightest light enters the tank.

Wow lots of info there. Thank you for the help ingy!

 

[Cichlid-dude]

My neighbor gave me a black long spike sea erchin( think thats what its called) and it is going to town on the pesky brown algae. Would post a pic but for some reason it wont let me. I deleted some photos and still wont let me. Anyone know why?

 

[Riverhawk]

You prob meant black long spine urchin..and watch those spines..if you get hit..they break off real easy and embed themselves(ER anyone..)

 

[Cichlid-dude]

I fed my kole tang some nori today and he did something funny hes never done before. He acted like he was hunting the nori. He would sneak up real slow behind the rock i had the nori atatched to, and all of a sudden he would dash out and snatch a peice and take off like a bat out of hell. It was pretty comical to watch. Next time i see him doing it i will record it.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

So ive heard a ton of different veiws on stirring the sand around in a reef tank and even siphoning it. Ive heard that its the worst thing you can do and another person has told me to do it to free up any detrius in the sand. So is there a right answer to this question? Should you stir up and even siphon out the sand bed or leave it be?

 

[Jmkb02]

So ive heard a ton of different veiws on stirring the sand around in a reef tank and even siphoning it. Ive heard that its the worst thing you can do and another person has told me to do it to free up any detrius in the sand. So is there a right answer to this question? Should you stir up and even siphon out the sand bed or leave it be?

I would not stir it at all! There is so much beneficial bacteria that you would just loose. If there is any dieters on the sand, you may need more flow in that area so it won't settle.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Is this red turf/hair algae? It seems to grow very well in high flow areas and my nitrates are 0 and phosphates is at 0.5. I tried brushing it off with a toothbrush but this stuff is on there very good.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Woops forgot the pic lol.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

I want to get an anenome for my clowns. What is the prefered anenome for perculas? Is there a certain kind they like more?

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Also i have tiny little bug like creatures crawling on my glass. Are those pods?

 

[Wolfsblood]

I believe perculas like carpet and magnificent anemones. Little bugs...sounds like pods.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

I dont really want a carpet anenome, i hear they eat fish and i dont want that.

 

[Jmkb02]

My percula loves both my anemones. A RBTA And a long tentacle.