new reefer. couple questions

[jck9]

hey guys im new to this forum and the saltwater hobby. i have a 55 gal reef. all softies, mostly leathers. i have two questions
how do i get the most realistic water flow? some of my leathers lean one way
why does my bta not bubble up? and once every couple days its shrivels up to almost nothing. is this normal? it still eats( every couple of days-silversides)
hopefully someone can help me out. thanks

[michaeldaly]

Your most realistic flow could be created by using a wave-maker, or devices like sea-swirls and tunze wave-boxes.

It's quite normal for a BTA to not bubble up. Nobody is quite sure why some d and some don't. It might have to do with lighting. Some people even think that BTA's bubble up due to stress.

The shriveling up to almost nothing every few days is also completely normal, they do this to expel wastes and regulate their salt concentration.

[jck9]

thanks appreciate the help

[BradsOcean]

agree with michaeldaly! :)

[papagimp]

55g is kinda small for a wavemaker in my opinion, just because the way they work. I have a 55 stocked with multiple corals and have had a very hard time trying to replicate the "natural" sea motion using only powerheads. Possibly look into wave timers. I am currently using a seio 1500gph on my 55g and it's seems to be the closest I've come yet. My corals get a nice swirl one way then the next.

[650-IS350]

for a cheap wave maker you could use a couple of MaxiJet 1200's on a wavemaker or timer set up...

[Wett Hands]

I plan to put one of these in:

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_wavemakers_scwd_squid.asp?CartId=



Can't wait to see how it works in my 75. I have heard that their performance drops drastically if not kept clean. We'll see...

[650-IS350]

You can even check out the new HYDROKORIALIS on marinedepot... not cheap nor too expensive.. but low heat and energy consumption with all around flow...