New 90G Setup

[JeffMW]

Hello all. I have been poking around here for some time now just learning and reading up on different aspects of this new hobby that I have picked up. I love it already and don't have anything in my tank other than sand, water, and salt. I am getting much closer into actually stocking this tank up and would like to ask for opinions on where to go next, what can live and prosper well in my tank setup, maybe some changes I should make, and just some overall coverage of how I am doing and where I should go next with this project of mine.

Oh yeah...I love this site. I have not found so much information in one spot as I have here on this hobby as I have done here.

Well lets get to it shall we...below is my setup.


- 90G All Glass MegaFlow Overflow Aquarium with 2 returns and one drain.

- LifeReef Wet/Dry Trickle Filter System with bioballs removed and an added carbon mat. (Interested in doing a Berlin next.)

- MagDrive 500 in sump pump. (Handles the return.)

- ASM Mini G Skimmer in sump with pump included.

- Marineland Stealth 250 Heater in sump and Stealth 100 in tank. (Maintains consistent temperatures between 76.8 and 77.2.)

- Lifegard digital thermometer in tank and generic one in sump.

- Coralife PowerCenter with 8 outlets. (4 on timers and 4 constants.)

- Seio M620 Super Flow Pump. (Debating on grabbing another for the other end of the tank.)

- IceCap Industries Inc Model 430 Electronic Lamp Driver. (I believe this pumps out over 300 Watts of power to the two bulbs.)

- Lighting -- Ultraviolet Reources International
Super Actinic/VHO-1 S136
Aquasun 4/VHO-1 S176
(Both are 4ft bulbs.)

- Indo-Pacific Black Sand (60lbs.)

- Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix with a salinity level of 1.026 to 1.028

- My Premium Fiji Cured Live Rock (150lbs. over a 2 day delivery.) will arrive this Thursday from premiumaquatics.com (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=L-FIJI-CURED&Category_Code=Liverock)

If posting links to other sites is wrong please forgive as I am unaware if that is the case here at RFC.

Well that is about it. I dump a few drops of Genesis into my water whenever I top it off to remove the chlorine and at this point have done nothing to ensure that the alkaline, calcium, nitrate, and other levels are to their correct levels just yet since I was waiting for to add the rock before doing that. I am also planning on ordering a calcium reactor, but I am unsure if that is necessary for me or which route to go with that endeavor at this time. Some information in that regard would be great.

I plan to do a full blown coral/invert/live rock/all the cool stuff tank. The fish will not be the primary focus of my environment and I am very eager to learn more about what my setup will be able to handle. I would love to do clams and other stony corals that just look beautiful, but would like to first ensure that my setup will handle the environment that I would like to build. If it will not then upgrade what I need to make it work basically.

Well I look forward to seeing where this community can take me and this thread and look forwarding to meeting some folks here. Thanks in advance and for all the information RFC has already given.

Jeff

Also if pictures are needed/wanted please let me know and I would be happy to take a few and post them.

[amike5]

I'm not familiar with all the equipment you have listed, but I did notice a couple things:

1) Why are you putting one of the heaters in the tank? Part of the purpose of a sump is to have your equipment in it.

2) Are you going to have a refugium in your sump?

3) A mag 5 is going to be underpowered I believe. With your headloss, you will be lucky to push 200 gal/hr. I used a mag12 on my 95 gallon. I wouldn't go any lower than a mag7.

4) If your going to have any stonies you will need at least 4 of those powerheads, or 2 bigger powerhead, or a closed loop.

5) I'm not familiar with the light, but you would want to make sure it's enough for stonies and clams.

Good luck and happy reefing!!!

[scrmbld33]

1) Why are you putting one of the heaters in the tank? Part of the purpose of a sump is to have your equipment in it

you can also put them in the overflow

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9517296#post9517296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amike5
I'm not familiar with all the equipment you have listed, but I did notice a couple things:

1) Why are you putting one of the heaters in the tank? Part of the purpose of a sump is to have your equipment in it.

2) Are you going to have a refugium in your sump?

3) A mag 5 is going to be underpowered I believe. With your headloss, you will be lucky to push 200 gal/hr. I used a mag12 on my 95 gallon. I wouldn't go any lower than a mag7.

4) If your going to have any stonies you will need at least 4 of those powerheads, or 2 bigger powerhead, or a closed loop.

5) I'm not familiar with the light, but you would want to make sure it's enough for stonies and clams.

Good luck and happy reefing!!!

1) I put one of the heaters in the tank directly because I was having an issue with keeping the water warm enough. My basement stays rather cold and I figured that was the problem so I went ahead and put one into the tank. I was not as concerned with the looks being that the rock will most likely cover it. Is that an issue at all?

2) I don't think I will do a full blown reefugium or know exactly what all that would entail, but I do plan on dropping a few bits and pieces of my LR into the sump beneath the carbon mat.

3) The MAG5 was recommended by my LFS and I did actually have a MAG7 in the tank before, but it was for some reason too powerful and was draining my sump too quickly which is the reason I went with their advice and DGed it. Was this a bad move IYO or will it be ok?

4) I am glad you said that about the PHs. I was unsure how many pumps I would need to simply move water around so I will be sure to pick up some more this week. Any opinions on the placement? Maybe one high and one low on both the left and right rear sides of the tank? Would it be more efficient to pick up two larger ones and just place those in the left and right top sides of the tank?

5) According to a write up on this site I read the section regarding lighting and the VHO in the lights I have stands for Very High Output. That with the lamp driver I was hoping would do well for some clams and stonies, but will upgrade if necessary. I definitely want to do what is best for the environment growth. According to the article it stated that VHO lights are best for most life in the aquarium if I read it correctly.

Thanks for your inputs and I will definitely be enjoying this hobby the more I dive into it.

Do you have any experience with the LR from PA? Just curious as to whether or not they are as good as they boast on the site. From the pictures and feedback I thought they would be a great selection for LR and other products.

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9517513#post9517513 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scrmbld33
1) Why are you putting one of the heaters in the tank? Part of the purpose of a sump is to have your equipment in it

you can also put them in the overflow

Now that I did not know. I was nervous about doing that with the PVC and overflow casing so close that I was unsure if the heat would be a problem for those materials. If that is a safe thing to do then I will definitely stick it into the overflow casing to hide it.

Great tip!

[scrmbld33]

i have the titinium part in my overflow, no melting to date

[JeffMW]

I missed one thing in your post. Where you talked about the powerheads and said "or a closed loop." Is that not what my setup is considered currently? I was assuming that meant that the overflow and everything being inside the tank with the predrilled holes in the bottom for return and drain was considered a closed loop system. Is this an incorrect assumption/statement? If so what would a closed loop setup be considered?

[scrmbld33]

4) I am glad you said that about the PHs. I was unsure how many pumps I would need to simply move water around so I will be sure to pick up some more this week. Any opinions on the placement? Maybe one high and one low on both the left and right rear sides of the tank? Would it be more efficient to pick up two larger ones and just place those in the left and right top sides of the tank?

2 of these korilia 4 PH's would do great, i love them

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15955&inm=1&N=2004+22788+2035

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9517681#post9517681 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scrmbld33
i have the titinium part in my overflow, no melting to date

Sounds like a plan then. I have the heater in the picture below.

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/heater.jpg

Question...Is it ok to link to offsite pics here? I have this pic hosted on one of my domains, but I just wanted to be sure before I post anymore pics that are not being hosted on RFC.

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9517700#post9517700 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scrmbld33
4) I am glad you said that about the PHs. I was unsure how many pumps I would need to simply move water around so I will be sure to pick up some more this week. Any opinions on the placement? Maybe one high and one low on both the left and right rear sides of the tank? Would it be more efficient to pick up two larger ones and just place those in the left and right top sides of the tank?

2 of these korilia 4 PH's would do great, i love them

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15955&inm=1&N=2004+22788+2035

Nice. I like the price on those as compared to the Seio's. I will have to pick some up after I get the rock placed into the tank.

[scrmbld33]

Question...Is it ok to link to offsite pics here?

yes and links to sites as long as your no profiting from them

closed loop would be seperate from your over flow, basically a pump taking water out and pumping back into the display, some people drill holes in the back wall of the tank for this or get spray bars

[scrmbld33]

oh yea and

[welcome]

[JeffMW]

Thank you for the clarification on the closed loop system. I think that will have to wait until I upgrade to a 200 something gallon setup. Once I get the hang of it with this and learn by trial and error then I plan to step it up a bit. Of course that will be after I purchase my home.

Nice smilie and thank you for the welcome. It appears to be a great community here and I am glad that I found it. Much better people it would seem then some of the folks I ran into during my days web designing for PHPNuke and other web graphical art.

[scrmbld33]

the best tip i can give you is research first, buy second, always ask about equipment/livestock on here, someone on here probly has or had it and can tell you if its crap or not

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9518110#post9518110 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scrmbld33
the best tip i can give you is research first, buy second, always ask about equipment/livestock on here, someone on here probly has or had it and can tell you if its crap or not

The biggest questions I have right now are...

A) Calcium reactor or no? If yes then which one would you all recommend? I have looked through a magazine that I am subscribed to and there are so many to choose from it can be confusing. If I do get one will it sit outside of the sump?

B) What is my current lighting setup right now good for? How far can I really go with what I have?

Those are my two biggest concerns right now. I am doing a lot of reading on reef safe inhabitants and the levels that everything needs to be at for a reef tank so I think I am getting a good handle on that, but will definitely post what I come up with BEFORE adding inhabitants to the environment.

[amike5]

A) I would wait on a calcium reactor. It will be a little while before you have significant calcium depletion in your tank. This will give you a chance to try other methods such as Randy's 2 part and such for dosing calcium and alk.

B) Do you have a link for the light you are looking at? If you are going to have stonies or crocia clams, Metal Halides are your best bet.

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9518852#post9518852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amike5
A) I would wait on a calcium reactor. It will be a little while before you have significant calcium depletion in your tank. This will give you a chance to try other methods such as Randy's 2 part and such for dosing calcium and alk.

B) Do you have a link for the light you are looking at? If you are going to have stonies or crocia clams, Metal Halides are your best bet.

A) Do you have a link to that 2 part on dosing calc and alk? That would be great.

B) I have broke down exactly what is running right now.

Lights -

LIGHT URL (http://www.uvlco.com/aqualamps.htm)

Super Actinic R (VHO)

FR40T12/03/VHO 40/03/V 110W 48"

Aquasun (VHO)

AQUASUN 4/VHO 4/AQ/V 110W 48"

Ballast -

BALLAST URL (http://www.uvlco.com/aballast.htm)

I have the model 430 with 2 lamps right now.

[amike5]

Here is the link for the 2 part supplement.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

If you have enough wattage, like 600 total or so you may be good to go. Some people feel that certain clams though require MH lighting, but I am not sure the accuracy on that.

[PatMayo]

A lot of clams do best in MH although some folks keep em under PC's.

Regards,

Pat

[JeffMW]

I am not sure how much wattage would be currently coming out of that setup or how to check it.

[amike5]

The bulbs you listed were 110W, right? So, 5 or 6 total bulbs should be good.

[scrmbld33]

heres the light i use over my 90, with 2 x 250 14k hamiltons and 2 x 110 actinics, plenty of light

http://www.hamiltontechnology.com/shop/index.php?task=show&cat=4FT+Deluxe+Metal+Halide+with+Fluorescents

[eckrynock]

[welcome]

Always fun to put a tank together. Hard to have it be your first. Glad you are doing some research. I am in the process of redoing my 90. Was this equipment given to you as part of a system or are you buying it independently on your own? I only ask because an ASM mini and 2 VHO bulbs are way underpowered eq. for a 90. It sounds like you only have (2) VHO bulbs for that tank? That will not be nearly enough for sps or clams. If you want to have stony corals and clams, you will most likely want to add (4) T5 bulbs or (2) 250watt MHs to the tank and use the VHOs for actinic purposes only.

I'm confused. Is the the entire display in the basement or just the sump? I'm guessing the entire display since a mag 5 would not pump anything at 10' of head. Your mag5 should be fine as a return from the sump. I'm sure the carbon tray is nice. A refugium is not difficult at all. If you're adding some live rock to your sump, just get some chaetomorpha algae from a club member or somewhere and put it in there with a light over it as well.

I bet that black sand looks awesome. PA has sweet looking rock, you will be pleased. They are my LFS! I love that place. Good luck and keep the questions coming.

[JeffMW]

So obviously my light setup is not going to accomodate what I would like to do. Would the below setup be better or would you recommend another...?

New Light Possibility (http://www.hellolights.com/48aqpr2x15hq.html)

I have also placed an order for two of those other PHs mentioned above and will be upgrading my skimmer within the month based on recommendations here. Do you have a recommended skimmer for my setup?

Basically I got a great deal on the initial equipment and I am working around it. I got the brand new tank...unused...the stand and hood with lights and the filtration system...only the sump...for a mere $400. So I have just been learning and building with what I have.

Yes I currently only have the 2 VHOs and figured after some reading that it was inadequate for what I wanted to do. I dont want to go cheap on the lighting so if the above link will be better then I will go with that.

The entire display is in the basement. As stated above I did go with a MAG7 at first but it just drained my sump way to quickly so I went with the MAG5 instead. I still have an issue with water evaporation that I am looking into, but I am unsure as of what else to do at this time about that.

Chaetomorpha algae? Where do I pick this up, what is a club member and what kind of light will be nice for this area of my sump? Also what will this do for my inhabitants/environment.

You are one lucky individual to have PA right close to you. I am very excited to get the rocks in and you are correct about the sand. It is just beautiful! I will post some pics after I have the rocks in there sometime towards the end of the week.

Thank you all for the great tips and recommended upgrades!

[hansmatt]

I have a 90, with 2 icecap 440's each running 2 110wVHO's, works fine for most everything, even clams, though I'd start off with t5's given the chance.

I really like my ehiem 1260 return pump. Silent, low power, good flow.

I like the ER skimmers, the 135 would be excellent in your system, or an older 6-2 or something equiv.

[amike5]

The new light fixture is a good choice. The algae you can get at an LFS or someone you know or come across that has some. A daylight flouresent bulb or strip light will work, almost any lighting will be ok for your refugium. The algae absorbs the phoshates, nitrates, etc from your system providing cleaner water for corals, etc. It is also a great place for pods to reproduce freely in case you get a mandarine, six line wrass, or any other such fish that primarily feed on pods.

[eckrynock]

Jeff,

I would not get the light setup you have linked. You already have 2 VHOs. Those two VHOs will be plenty of actinic lighting for your tank. VHOs are much better than PCs in that respect. I would chose a retro fit metal halide system that you can mount in your canopy. For less than the amount of money that coralife setup would cost, you could get a very nice MH setup. Reflectors are KEY, I've learned that. I am going to try the lumenar mini knockoffs (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CV-L3mini&Category_Code=Coralvuehalide) from coralvue. These things put out a ton of light. With a dual 250watt ballast and a couple of lamps, you're looking at around $600.

Skimmers..... depends on your wallet. I'm springing for an H&S A150-F2001 with my bonus this year. :D So, if you have the cash, I would suggest Deltec or H&S or ATI Bubblemasters. Euroreefs are kind of middle of the road plug and play skimmers. ASM and Octopus skimmers are also nice and can be modified to run even better. Just check the threads around here for skimmer picks.

This (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=AH-PREM-ATO&Category_Code=Dosers) is what I use for top off in my tank. I have a 10 gallon RO/DI tank that I fill about every 3 or 4 days.

Chaeto is just another method of nutrient export that keeps nuisance algae from growing in your display tank. Sorry, by club member, I meant if there is a local reef club in your area, one of the club members is bound to have some chaeto they could give you. This is the bulb (http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html) I use to grow chaeto in my sump.

Good Luck!

[JeffMW]

So I would have to get two of those lamps that you recommended there and one 250W ballast and then wire the 2 lamps into the ballast? I think that I would have an issue trying to mount those lamps into my hood as well. It would appear that if the coralife setup is good for what I would like to do then it is worth it...to me at least...to go that route if for nothing other than the simplicity of that process as opposed to the other. I could then move my VHOs over to my QT and learn in that arena with MHs.

It looks like I will need to look into some new skimmers very soon. I will post when I have narrowed my choices down and see what you all think.

I am on the phone now...from work...with my LFS finding some of the chaeto...lol.

Debating on the light situation now. I am weary of doing the ballast setup myself and having to redo that hood to accomodate the MHs.

Any other recommendations on the PHs? I am planning on ordering those mentioned above tonight.

[eckrynock]

Nothing wrong with the PHs you chose.

On the lighting. I was just giving you another option. Do what's easiest for you. Hamilton and Aqua Medic make nice hoods as well. I still would look for a hood combo that has VHOs or T5s over PCs. About the ballast, each lamp needs it's own ballast. So you could buy a "dual" 250watt ballast encased in one unit to run both lamps. Make sense? Sorry for the confusion.

Here is a much nicer setup for a little more.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AQ1831

[JeffMW]

You explained it very well actually. My confusion comes in to play when I would need to set all of it up in the hood. I think that it would lose me along the way hence the reason the entire setup in one big bundle appeals to me greatly.

No need to apologize. The only confusion is my own "ignorance" in this arena as of right now. I do plan to do some of my own projects like this with my QT and once I get the hang of it then implement those solutions on my live setup.

I do like that other setup you posted there. I think that I will go ahead and run with that setup.

FYI - No luck on the algae just yet. Man I need to move to an area with better LFSs. The smartest guy in this whole store is only 14 years old and can only work on the weekends. Everyone I chatted with said to wait until "Danny" is back on Saturday. lol

[eckrynock]

^
PA has chaeto. :D

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9526163#post9526163 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eckrynock
^
PA has chaeto. :D

Looks like another order will be placed...lol.

My LR will be on Thursday. CANT WAIT!

[JeffMW]

I just did some searching on PA and all I could find was this stuff linked below...

Algae (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=L-ALGAE&Category_Code=)

Are there any additives that I should be concerned with getting?

Also for the light solution you have recommended I have two questions...

Should I upgrade the halides to the 14K or 15K?

Are the moonlight LEDs present in the coralife system important? If they are good to have is there another way that I can add those to the environment in a different way since they are not included in the better setup?

[eckrynock]

Here's some chaeto at liveaquaria, but pricey

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2401

Check the livestock selling forum here on RC for people selling gallon bags of it for $10.

Moon lights are pretty much for aesthetics anyway. I love the look of my tank lit up by a few blue leds at night. I got my moonlights from "thelebos" on ebay. He even has a controller you can buy that will run the full cycle of the moon (dim leds to full and back again).

[SJGreene]

If your still looking for chaeto, check out http://www.premiumaquaticslive.com/

It's the "newer" livestock portion of PA.

[JeffMW]

Nice...I will catch him/her on ebay and see what they have for sale at this time.

I am hunting down the algae now so I can have it this weekend.

What about the upgrades to the MH bulbs? Any recommendations on those?

[JeffMW]

I found the algae and I am ready to place an order. They sell it in 1/4 lb packs so how many will I need to pick up?

Algae Link (http://www.premiumaquaticslive.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=64)

[eckrynock]

1 pack of algae will be enough. This stuff grows FAST!

14 or 15k is not really an "upgrade", just a different bulb. 10k bulbs are usually very bright white and some have a small hint of yellow. You could always call MD and see which brand of 10k bulb comes with that setup. XM 10ks are nice, as well as ushios to name a couple. 15k xms are not very good, don't get those. The phoenix bulbs are many people's favorites, these are very blue but have a lot of usable radiation for coral growth which gives you good color and good growth. So, really it's up to you. I would not spend the money to "upgrade" that setup since they are basically charging you full price for one phoenix bulb when you get 2 10ks with it already. Keep the 10ks and see if you like it, you can always change out bulbs later.

[JeffMW]

The algae will be here on Thursday and my new lights and PHs will be here next week.

I am stuck trying to find some kind of light for the reefugium area though. I am not sure if just some regular flourescent light...like you see at Spencers will work...or if I need something more specific.

Any recommended test kits?

[PatMayo]

I use Salifert test kits. They are one of the best out there.

At least they work well for me.

Regards,

Pat

[JeffMW]

I saw them at my LFS, but they only seemed to carry individual test kits. Is there a larger one somewhere that has all of the tests needed included in one kit?

I noticed in your sig that you have an ER 100. How does that skimmer do for you?

[PatMayo]

Salifert only sells the test kits individually. I have never seen them sold as a set.

The Euro-Reef works really well. Low maintenance and it pulls some nice dark green black foul smelling stuff.

I'm happy with my set up all around.

Regards,

Pat

[JeffMW]

Well I now I have my rock in there and WOW! PA is just awesome!

I will give more of an update a bit later and post some pictures for you guys to see how your help has come along in my setup.

[JeffMW]

Since my last post I have reorganized the rock several times, added rubble to the reefugium along with some macroalgae and started getting the dosing of calcium and alkalinity down while the nitrogen process cycles. According to my tests and the LFS tests I am dead on and doing very well with the cycling process. Ammonia level is normal...0...nitrites are a bit on the higher end, but closer to medium and the nitrates are high. Seems it is now nearing the end of the phase and according to the LFS it may be near complete around Friday or Saturday. I also went ahead and moved my one heater into the megaflow sump area of the tank so you can no longer see it.

My new lights and PHs are due in tomorrow so I will be prepping the hood tonight by removing the current setup and repainting the inside white.

The skimmer actually seems to be doing fairly well as of right now, but we will see what it does when it has more life inside the environment.

This time...I brought some pictures along with me. Myself and wife are still figuring out the ins and outs of the camera so bare with me there, but we will get it down eventually.

Input is welcome.

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank02.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank12.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank13.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank19.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank24.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank30.JPG

Sorry to post so many at one time, but I felt the need to catch up.

[JeffMW]

A few more pics...

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank38.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank41.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank43.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank49.JPG

http://www.jayssoftball.com/fishtankpics/fishtank51.JPG

I am also ordering my new RO/DI system tonight. I am going with the SpectraPure MaxCap RO/DI System, 90gpd w/ Pressure Gauge & Purity Monitor. I plan on hooking it up to my washer.

I am also happy to say that I am VERY comfortable taking my time with this process. I have seen PatMayo post all over the forums and emphasizing the fact that taking your time early will pay off in the long run and I have no problems right now simply enjoying my tank of saltwater. lol

[davidryder]

Nice work dude... it's looking nice. Good call on the mag 5 since you are utilizing your sump as a refugium, and will probably plumb your skimmer through it also.

I wouldn't worry about dosing right now. I wouldn't even test for anything until you are ready to get some corals. Then don't dose anything until your readings are low.

This is a closed loop:

http://www.melevsreef.com/closedloop.html

It doesn't have to be that complicated, but you'll get the idea. You are probably going to want more flow in the tank and powerheads IMO are clutter.

That rock looks really awesome! check out www.floridapets.com for refugium stocking options as well as macro (I have been very satisfied with their service). Also, check ebay.com as they frequently have good deals on inverts.

Keep us updated, it's looking great!

[PatMayo]

Hi Jeff. Nice looking tank so far. Your heading in the right direction. I would get the 2nd light linked as well. If you get the 250 watt MH you will be set and be able to have whatever you want in the tank.

I have a couple of ideas for you. Buy a good heater controller. It's a more efficient way to control the tank heat. What you basically do is plug in the heaters into the controller and turn them all the way up. With the heaters set to high the controller actually controls them. I have 2 400 watt heaters in my sump controlled by a controller and it works like a champ. Keeps the tank right where it should be.

I also have a link to get a real good light to grow cheato. I'll link you to that also.

One other thing, you can use Randy's 2 part once you start dosing alkalinity and calcium. (It will be a bit before you actually need to.)

I'll leave you all these links.

But Jeff, now the tough part comes. Being patient. It gets exciting once things start coming together. Just keep reminding yourself to keep it slow.

I'll also try to find this neat link that talks about maturing a tank and how much more successful a properly matured tank is compared to one that is overloaded quickly.

Anyway, let me find those links.

Controllers
http://jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/HARDWARE_/Temperature_Controller/temperature_controller.html

Randys 2 part alk and calk
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm

Tank Parameters
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Sump light
http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html
The best light is at the end of the article.

The mature tank thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=249112

The above thead is a very interesting read. I would read it all.

Good thread on quarantine by a very knowlegable fellow.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

Anyway, good luck Jeff.

If I can help please feel free to ask, I'll give it my best.

Regards,

Pat

[JeffMW]

It looks as though the tank has completed its cycling process now. At this time though I am concerned with the large brown algae outbreak going on in the tank. Is this normal? I mean it is taking over the rocks and starting to get on the tank glass and sand as well. Is there something I should be doing to remove this algae or is it simply time to add a cleaning crew and let them do their thing? Some tips would be great for this issue as it is now becoming a concern. Thanks all.

[Nabob89]

As long as your cycle is over, a clean up crew is a good idea. Be sure to start small, then buy more critters as needed. If you get too many at once, many of them may day of starvation.

[JeffMW]

So will the clean up crew handle the algae issue or is there something else that I should be doing at this point to clear it up?

[eckrynock]

The clean up crew will help but most of the early algae stages will pass on their own, just be patient. ;)

[JeffMW]

Sounds good. I just wanted to be sure that the algae bloom was indeed normal according to what I have read. I wasnt sure if there was something I should be doing during this process.

[JeffMW]

This brown algae is still covering the rocks, but I am now starting to notice that the glass is constantly getting a coat of green algae all over. Is this normal as well? Should I dose something to make it stabilize? I am trying to keep it under control and once it slows down then I plan to give the tank a good cleaning and vacuuming before adding anything.

[PatMayo]

There is nothing to dose. Clean the glass and get a clean up crew now if you haven't already done so.

Regards,

Pat

[serum153]

oreo cookie sand...I like

[chrisqueenz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9671532#post9671532 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by serum153
oreo cookie sand...I like


I like it too

[JeffMW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9671179#post9671179 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PatMayo
There is nothing to dose. Clean the glass and get a clean up crew now if you haven't already done so.

Regards,

Pat

I was wanting to ensure the algae was nothing serious before adding the crew in at this point. Thanks for the info Pat...always a great help.

FYI - Hooking up that RO/DI system was interesting. It is working quite nicely now though. I managed to run the waste water line right into my washing machine drain. Worked out nicely.

Thanks for the compliments on the sand. I really like it as well.