2nd Half Package Prep

[tonyh67]

The second half of my package is due to arrive within the next couple days. The back wall and HOB fuge is looking pretty nasty and one of the powerheads is getting covered with the green hair algae...but I can also see the pink/purple algae starting. Should I clean this all up, or will the clean-up crew be able to take care of it? The sand and rock look great...

[hdtran]

Stick a sponge filter on the intake of one of your powerheads, and scrape the hair algae. No need to be an obsessive neatnik about it.

After a day or two, you can take the sponge filter out & rinse off the crud.

The cleanup critters (esp. the hermits) will go to town on your algae--if they can reach the algae...

Don't worry about the HOB fuge, just clean it up once in a while so light gets to the bottom.

[doliver]

I have the first half in as well, but have very little algae in my tank, probably because I've only been running the lights for a few hours a day? Should I start running full lights and get an algae base in there before I order the second half?

[hdtran]

doliver,

Leave the lights at 4-5 hrs/day until your second half is in, then, begin increasing the lights (by 1 hr/day) until you're as lit as you want to be.

Hair algae and cyano occur naturally; hopefully, the macroalgae (Caulerpa something-or-other and the red macro) will outcompete the hair & cyano before the hermits eat it all up. Then, the water chemistry becomes unfavorable for the hair algae, if we're all lucky.

[tonyh67]

Hy,

I would be interested in your thoughts on my lighting...or anyone else for that matter. Since I put the first half in a month ago, I have been running two 24" actinics for 5 hours...and then an hour in combination between with one 175w metal halide. I don't consider my algae growth to be excessive or out of control at the moment. Lights are 10-12" above the tank.

[hdtran]

Sure.

What size is your tank? (Not gallonage, but LxWxH)? I'm sure you've posted it someplace, but I'm too lazy to use 'search'...

My guess is 5 hrs actinic including 1 hr MH is fine for first part. You're probably eventually go to, say, 10 hrs actinic (or even 12) with 4-6 hrs MH?

Hy

[tonyh67]

29 gallon, 30"Lx18"H.

[hdtran]

Yowza, you've got a ton of lighting!

You'll be great (except for having to top-off :) ). You'll be able to grow anything. It may take a while for your coralline algaes to figure out which are the high lighting varieties, but you should be fine.

[tonyh67]

I wanted to have too much rather than not enough. Like you said about growing anything...I wanted to have that option. I hate buying something and then thinking "gee I wish would have...".

[hdtran]

Well, except for the tank size, which is on the small side, you could even keep a crocea clam with your lighting...

I personally find two VHO actinics + 1 MH a bit too blue for my taste, but that's taste (I like anchovies on pizza). You've got plenty of photosynthetic power for rocks, corals, algaes, and anemones. Make sure you've got plenty of water flow & enjoy.

Reefers never have sufficient lighting unless they need to wear SPF30 sunblock & sunglasses to watch their tanks :) and they never have sufficient flow unless they can surf in their tanks :)

Hy

[tonyh67]

With just the actinics on it is a little blue, but when the mh powers up...what an incredible scene. :)

Speaking of flow. I got the 2nd half of my package this morning. Two Maxi-Jet 900s should be moving enough water around shouldn't it? There is a lot of rock in there. Should there ever be a reason for 3 powerheads in a 29 gallon? There is also flow from the HOB fuge return.

[hdtran]

Two maxijet 900's in a 29g is fine. See my comment re surfing :)