Trinituner Fish Keepers, Aquarists & Aquascapers...

[greenlime100]

I might add a couple more powerheads to my tank until I see the need for the vortechs... I going by raj this week so depending on the price I may buy one and add it in seeing that I want to go sps.

Whats some nice sps to start with ??

[HondaB20B]

like the montipora digitas, but i dont know what else he has right now. SPS requires strong lighting and your tank deep so you need to find out if your lighting good for that

[greenlime100]

Most of my coral will be going from the middle of the tank up... for way below I will leave mushrooms and other corals that need less light... so it will be a mixed reef... and yeah I rem you said about sps releasing somthing into the water that affects the lps but I would have to see how that goes as I add corals.

[greenlime100]

This one fell on the sand a couple of weeks ago... left it there.. and its surprisingly doing well... So i may stick it on the rocks near the sand bed.

[HondaB20B]

looks like a doughnut........edges looking like if its receding

[greenlime100]

LOL
yea that was when i had the brown algae... now its almost off the little rock and a piece is growing on the sand itself

[HondaB20B]

no what i meant was it not looking too healthy.......when doughnuts start to recede like that its normally downhill

[Kevin_45]

any tips on how to keep my tank clean and water clear...like good filters etc..

[greenlime100]

no what i meant was it not looking too healthy.......when doughnuts start to recede like that its normally downhill

lol man burst my bubble there yess.... Ill take it up and do a little inspection later, prob take a pic.
Not too worried tho.. wasnt a expensive coral and when I had it on top it always fell coral side down in the sand... a death wouldnt be unexpected for this one lol

[Kavir]

Hey guys, I need some T5 bulbs (24", 30", 36" and 48"), any ideas as to where I can get them locally?

[CSheppard]

where can i get a 30 or 40 gallon tank ? i'm looking for something 3ft+ in length. thanks in advance

[HondaB20B]

where can i get a 30 or 40 gallon tank ? i'm looking for something 3ft+ in length. thanks in advance

36" X 14" X 18".= 40gal. You can get that at any petstore

[greenlime100]

Yeah 40 gal is a popular thank.... you'll get that almost anywhere

any tips on how to keep my tank clean and water clear...like good filters etc..

Im guessing you have a freshwater tank.... depending on the size a simple hang on back filter would do just fine (get one suited for you tank size, preferably bigger) you may also want to use carbon in you HOB filter to eliminate any odors. Chemipure Elite is also another good media for HOB filter (can be used with both fresh and salt aquariums)

I know people also do a little water change once every 2 months or even more frequent... it all depends.

[HondaB20B]

Yeah 40 gal is a popular thank.... you'll get that almost anywhere

any tips on how to keep my tank clean and water clear...like good filters etc..

Im guessing you have a freshwater tank.... depending on the size a simple hang on back filter would do just fine (get one suited for you tank size, preferably bigger) you may also want to use carbon in you HOB filter to eliminate any odors. Chemipure Elite is also another good media for HOB filter (can be used with both fresh and salt aquariums)

I know people also do a little water change once every 2 months or even more frequent... it all depends.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=19

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=16

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=15

[greenlime100]

Good read there ^^

[HondaB20B]

saltwater reading stuff

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=141

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=144

http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=237

[CSheppard]

so far the petstores i've been too dont carry anything larger than 30x12x12 :/ i'll keep looking. anyone know the avg price of that

[HondaB20B]

so far the petstores i've been too dont carry anything larger than 30x12x12 :/ i'll keep looking. anyone know the avg price of that

where you located

[CSheppard]

in the east. arima

[HondaB20B]

Now came from by natures world in south and not too sure if people might be interested.

6" spotted gars ($400)
white tetras
hi fin banded sharks
bleeding heart tetras
black tetras
hi fin ruby red barbs

cant remember the prices of the rest

[HondaB20B]

in the east. arima

Hard luck, cant help you out there

[cichlidboi]

arite cool thanks again fishman, another thing u know where i could buy lld meanwell drivers the wired ones preferably but i dont mine the other one either. what about timers, lld pwm i believe i hadda use a controller if i wanna dim or it has another way?

I haven't bought as yet as I am still in the planning stages of my new LED build so I am not sure. Also don't use timers, look into a controller. My plan is to use my Apex with these drivers. The problem is that the Apex puts out a 0-10V signal and the LDD uses a PWM signal. The plan is to get a PWM harness from SteveLED's which converts 0-10V to PWM.

Look into an Arduino build, you can do some really cool things with them.

ok cool well i looking into an arduino build but i hoping i could find some sample code cause while i know a bit of code it might suck to right from scratch.

Check out the Typhon controller from BoostLed, its an arduino led controller with a screen and is already programed for $55.00
http://www.boostled.com/product_p/typhon.htm

ok so i check out the controller it cool but it only have 4 channels, wish it had atleast 5 but good controller nonetheless ill keep it in mind when considering my options.

[Reefplanet]

REEF ALL THE WAY!!!

[Reefplanet]

no one?? ok..

[greenlime100]

lol
yeah reefplanet... Reef all the way... once you go reef you never go back

[Reefplanet]

lol true dat!!

[Fishman]

arite cool thanks again fishman, another thing u know where i could buy lld meanwell drivers the wired ones preferably but i dont mine the other one either. what about timers, lld pwm i believe i hadda use a controller if i wanna dim or it has another way?

I haven't bought as yet as I am still in the planning stages of my new LED build so I am not sure. Also don't use timers, look into a controller. My plan is to use my Apex with these drivers. The problem is that the Apex puts out a 0-10V signal and the LDD uses a PWM signal. The plan is to get a PWM harness from SteveLED's which converts 0-10V to PWM.

Look into an Arduino build, you can do some really cool things with them.

ok cool well i looking into an arduino build but i hoping i could find some sample code cause while i know a bit of code it might suck to right from scratch.

Check out the Typhon controller from BoostLed, its an arduino led controller with a screen and is already programed for $55.00
http://www.boostled.com/product_p/typhon.htm

ok so i check out the controller it cool but it only have 4 channels, wish it had atleast 5 but good controller nonetheless ill keep it in mind when considering my options.

That's why I will be sticking with the Apex and converting the signal with a harness. The Apex comes with 4 channels but can be expanded by adding modules. Each module adds 4 more. Steve's conversion harness can handle 4 channels each. I am planning 6-8 channels depending on my final design.

[HondaB20B]

Taken from Reef Central................... Its really an interesting read

Dirt-simple chemistry MUST-knows for tank health

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to start very slow, very basic, and work toward the lesser known things.

1. your salt mix is not just salt. It's dry seawater. And that means not only salt, it's calcium, magnesium, iodine, selenium, boron---read the label on your salt mix.

2. evaporation never evaporates the minerals. It only evaporates the water.

3. animals and plants suck up part of the minerals. So TWO actions unbalance your tank---evaporation increases the mineral concentration---and animals and plants take the minerals they need and leave what they don't. This means certain minerals run lower and lower and certain ones don't---they just pile up. As you add more fresh ro/di (water that's ONLY hydrogen and oxygen, with NO minerals) your tank gets no more minerals. And your shortage of what the animals and plants are using most gets bigger and bigger. Water changes, 20% a month, replenish the missing minerals, but they're alway playing catchup.

4. Salt mixes are NOT all the same. Reef salt contains a high amount of what corals need AND what fish need. Marine salt for fish-onlies is lower in calcium and other minerals. That's why the price difference.

5. Now---the nitty gritty of chemical balance in your tank. First, the balance is set by your salt brand. The more you mess with that, the worse your water. Translation: don't go dumping supplements into your tank unless you've got the corresponding test. They don't sell these things together because they don't run out at the same rate, but your lfs should stress, with every supplement---you need a test. And you need a logbook. If you turn up a shortage, you dose until you put the RIGHT amount into your tank, with a little leeway; and you test again next week to figure out how fast that's running low. And you dose to stay in the 'good zone', NOT as make-up after your water's gone wonky. Dose to the TREND of the numbers, the way when you're balancing something in your hands, you don't let it swing way to one side before you correct it back to center. There is NO one answer to these things. Every tank is different. And staying in the center of a 'good numbers' zone is best: that gives you a little leeway in either direction.

6. THREE readings go in 'lock' to keep your water good. These three are: the alkalinity of your water, the amount of calcium in your water, and the amount of magnesium in your water. Those of you with freshwater experience are used to tracking PH. Alkalinity is the thing most reefers track. Get it between 8.3 and 9.3 on the KH scale, and don't angst over the ph.
The second reading is your Calcium level. It should be between 420 and 500. Below that---your snails' shells start dissolving. And your fish's bone and muscle suffer. The third reading is Magnesium. All you people who want coralline to grow---just keep this one at 1300. But it does a lot more than supply coralline. It LOCKS the other two readings in a 3-way balance. Keeping everything in that relationship will make everything happy.

7. Remember that business about plants and animals using up minerals? Calcium and magnesium are the ones animals use bigtime. Plants---use phosphate and nitrate. Yes, even those chemicals are useful. Plants grow like mad with phosphate. Grow them in your sump, divide the mass in half periodically and get rid of it, and you've just tossed a lot of phosphate and nitrate. That's what a fuge does. And the reason not to use conditioned tapwater? City water grows plants. Algae. A lot of it. The conditioners don't remove phosphate.

8. Dosing: you must dose to keep your calcium supply up if you have stony coral. Hand-dosing is just fine if you don't. You should be able to keep up with the mineral consumption problem if you have fish and softies, including anemones. Just stay in the target range, and do your water changes.

If you have, or want to have, stony coral, you need to get onto that calcium situation the minute you put them in the tank. They come in 'asleep'. Given good lighting (a requirement for stony coral) and correct chemistry---they'll put out a finger to feel the water. And they'll start waking up. Hungry---because they've not eaten in a while. And what they want is calcium. A lot of it. They'll suck it right out of your salt mix, until your snail shells start dissolving. So you have to put it in. 3 little coral frags can take heaping teaspoons worth of calcium supplement---daily---and at nearly twenty dollars a jar, this could get ruinously expensive. But there ARE cheap ways to give them what they need. Kalk drips are the cheapest. They can fully supply a 50-60 gallon packed reef. Above that you get into calcium reactors, which can supply much larger reefs. There is also the Balling method. And 2-Part. Tank size and coral load will determine what you need.

9. aging tank: reading all this should tell you that the older a tank gets, the more little imbalances and shortages it accumulates. Age has benefits, but it also has problems. I recommend, at least every couple of years, an aggressive program of semi-weekly 20% water changes, so you can sort of re-set the balance. It's my own notion, but I think it does a bit to replenish the things far down the list of reef-salt ingredients.

[greenlime100]

nice read there honda... reefcentral, I have to keep an eye on my magnesium with my coralline growth.

[HondaB20B]

Aquarium Chemistry: Tap Water in Reef Aquaria

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/1/chemistry