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New to the hobby? Here are the Basics

melev — Sat, 10 Apr 2021 16:22:55 +0000

New to the hobby? Here are the Basics melev Sat, 04/10/2021 - 19:22

Thinking about setting up a saltwater aquarium?

Family members now yearn for their very own Clownfish or Tang, especially after Finding Nemo came out. With a little information, your family can have beautiful marine fish that will live for years to come. However, marine fish are more complicated than buying a kitten, a hamster, or a gold fish. Hopefully this small list will help you in your endeavors:


False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris) Photo by Greg Taylor	Hippo Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) Photo by Greg Taylor

Tank size does matter. Even though you may have found a small fish, it needs room to grow and to roam about. A clownfish can be happy in a 10 gallon tank, but a 20 or 29 gallon tank will allow you to add more creatures in the future, giving you a beautiful piece of the ocean in your home. Tangs are herbivores, and need a lot of room to swim. Bare minimum for this fish, when a juvenile, is a 55 gallon aquarium. Some need a 75 gallon, or even a 125 gallon! Tangs love to swim long distances quickly, and to put them in a smaller environment will cause them stress and they can die from stress-related illnesses (such as “Ich”).

Type of Water. To avoid nuisance algaes growing in your tank, it is recommended to get Reverse Osmosis De-ionized water. You can often times buy this kind of water at the fish store where you found your saltwater pet. You can also buy RO water at your supermarket, as well as distilled water. What you don’t want to use is tap water from the sink. It contains elements that are detrimental to your saltwater tank. Chlorine, Phosphate, Nitrate, Fluoride and more are readily detectable in tap water, but your saltwater tank needs pure water to keep your fish healthy.

Salt. Marine salt is readily available at most pet supplies, and Instant Ocean is very popular and easy to find. When you are setting up your tank, or when you do water changes, you always mix the salt in your water before you add it to your tank. You’ll need a hydrometer, which gives you a “salinity reading” to mix the salt to the correct level. To gauge your mixing, use ½ cup of salt per gallon of water, but test it with the hydrometer. You want your salt level at 1.026 sg (specific gravity), and your water’s temperature at that reading should be 78 degrees. As water evaporates from your tank, you only need to add new RO or distilled water, because only water is evaporating from your tank. The salt is still there. Adding saltwater would only increase the salinity of your tank and cause problems for your fish.

Heater. Your tank needs to have a stable temperature. 76° F to 84°F is your allowable tolerance. Keeping it between 78-82°F is the ideal. A small reliable heater will keep the tank from cooling too much at night (especially this winter). A small fan blowing across the top of your tank will avoid overheating during the summer months.

Food. Many marine fish will eat Flake food, which you’ll be able to find at the fish store. Tetra is popular. You can also purchase frozen foods at the fish store to feed your fish. Remember, Tangs are herbivores, so they will not want meaty foods, but rather algae based foods. Frozen Spirulina Enriched Brine Shrimp, Frozen Mysis, Frozen Blood Worms, Frozen Plankton are all good choices, and you can rotate through these over the period of a week, mixing their diet nicely. These foods come in trays, frozen in cubes. One thawed cube is sufficient for a few fish, so avoid overfeeding. You should see all the food consumed in 5 minutes. If you see food after that, you’ve fed too much. Feeding once a day is enough, unless you have a Tang. Then feeding twice a day
is better, as these fish graze all day long in the wild. A good choice for feeding tangs is “Nori,” which are sheets of dried seaweed that you can clip to your tank and the Tang will rip off pieces and eat them.

Lighting. Most tanks come with a single "Normal Output" fluorescent bulb, which is sufficient for fish. If you desire greater variety of items, such as corals or anemones, you’ll need far more lighting to allow them to thrive, let alone survive. When you get to that point, then your options will be VHO (Very High Output), PC (Power Compacts), or MH (Metal Halide). These will be very costly, but your inhabitants will respond with healthy growth. These lights are not necessary for tanks with a few fish, however. Buy a simple 24 hour timer to plug in your lights, so they run about 10-12 hours a day.

Water Tests. Most important of all, saltwater tanks must be tested weekly to make sure your water is healthy so your fish will remain healthy. For a simple fish only tank, you’ll want to test pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Your pH should test around 8.0 to 8.3. Ammonia should read 0 before adding any fish, and so should your Nitrite. Nitrate should be 20 ppm or less, and the best way to keep these down is regular water changes. Another important test is Alkalinity, which tests your water hardness. This should be between 8 and 11 dKH. Also, be sure to double check your salinity weekly to make sure it has remained stable at 1.026ppm.

Filtration. This can vary quite a bit, but many like to use "hang on tank" filters. Just make sure the filter you buy will match the tank size you’ve chosen. You don’t want a tiny filter on a 55 gallon aquarium. Many people in the saltwater hobby prefer natural methods of filtration, which involves the use of “live sand” and "live rock." Putting 4" of aragonite-based sand in your aquarium will create a great natural way of DE-nitrifying your tank, which keeps the nitrates down. Buying curedlive rock is also extremely valuable, but costs are high. 1 to 1.5 lbs per gallon is recommended, and cured live rock will cost between $6 and $8 a pound! However, the live rock will be filled with tiny creatures, featherdusters, worms and more that all help eat the waste that occurs in your tank, keeping your system clean and healthy.

Protein Skimming. This is a fail-safe way of keeping your water clean and pure. There are many types of protein skimmers on the market, and some are great and some are worthless. The two highly regarded ones are made by Aqua C and EuroReef. For a small aquarium, the Aqua C Remora will do a good job of pulling out waste before it can decay into ammonia and nitrites, which are both toxic to your fish. For a larger tank, like a 55 gallon for a Tang, you could get the Aqua C Remora Pro. What the skimmer does is inject air into a column of water in the unit, which creates tiny micro bubbles that carry Disolved Organic Compounds (DOCS) out of your tank and into a collection cup that you can pour out and rinse quite easily. An added benefit of this device is it adds oxygen to your tank. Unlike a freshwater tank, saltwater tanks don’t need an airstone pumping bubbles into your tank. A good skimmer will cost you between $150 and $200.

Circulation. Using a few power heads in your tank will move water throughout the tank. If you can avoid “dead” zones in your tank, nuisance algae will be less likely to grow. Cyanobacteria, for example, grows in areas that are stagnant. Pointing the output of a powerhead toward the surface of your tank to cause the water to ripple will help with gas exchange. This means oxygen will get into the water, and carbon dioxide will get out. This also keeps your surface nice and clean, and avoids stagnant or oil-like scum from accumulating on the surface of your water.

Cycling the tank. Unlike a freshwater tank, it takes time for a saltwater tank to be ready for a new fish or other creature. Once your tank has been set up, you’ve added your sand, filled it with saltwater, turned on the heater, started the filters, now you can add your live rock. What your tank needs is bacteria, and you need to breed it before your new pets are added. A very easy way to do this is to buy one or two uncooked cocktail shrimp from the deli at the supermarket. Just throw them in the tank and let them rot. As they do, bacteria will grow as a result. Ammonia levels will rise in the tank over the period of a week or 10 days, then it will suddenly drop (you’ll observe this with your Ammonia test kit), and Nitrites will rise quickly over a period of another few days. Finally, the Nitrites will drop off completely (reading 0 with your Nitrites test), and Nitrates will begin to register on your Nitrates test kit. As soon as your Ammonia and Nitrites tests both read 0 on the matching test kits, it is safe to add the new fish.

Patience. As you add fish to your tank, you increase the biological load in your tank. It can only accept so much at one time, so it is far better to add new things very slowly to your tank, rather than all at once. That way the beneficial bacteria in your tank can increase to handle the new load and not create a sudden Ammonia spike in your tank. By adding things slowly, the tank, the water, and the natural filtration will adjust for the new load. Remember, a new pet will require you to feed a little more, and that fish will add waste for your tank to absorb, so you need your natural filtration to keep up.

Janitors. Adding a few snails and small hermit crabs will help keep your tank clean. The snails will eat algae that grows on the glass or rocks, as well as the hermits. They also will consume excess food and waste the accumulates in your tank, helping keep things clean. You can not add these janitors until your tank has fully cycled. If you see a snail that is upside down on the floor (or substrate) of your tank, take the time to flip it back over, or a hermit crab will eat it and take the shell as its new home.

Caution when handling. Make sure your hands and your equipment are clean. Never put your hands in your tank if they have soap or hand lotion on them. Never clean any equipment with soap. Buy a new sponge that does not have “anti-mildew” additives, and keep it with your saltwater stuff, where it never will be used with soap accidentally. You can often times clean things with a mixture of common white vinegar and hot water, to remove calcium deposits.

There is much more to learn as you become more familiar with your aquarium and its needs. This is just a brief overview to help you quickly see what is involved, and online forums are designed to help any that want to have marine tanks in their homes. Ask questions, use the search often, and read as much as you can, and you too can be successful. Which in turn will make your family happy with their own piece of the ocean.

Additional Reading:

What does it cost to set up a reef tank: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.php/167-What-does-it-cost-to-set-up-a-saltwater-reef-tank

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Frag Tank Setup

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:04:46 +0000

Frag Tank Setup melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 22:04

My frag tank is 22" x 13" x 8" with a 1" Durso drain in a 5" x 5" corner overflow. The locline feeding into the frag tank is adorable, I've never seen such tiny locline before. It's got a 1/4" outlet. The tank holds just under 10g of water. (Note: this tank ran from 2011 to 2015)

Using sliced Marco Rock, I decorated the tank with a solid surface to place corals in the bottom and siliconed a few pieces to the back and right wall to hide what would otherwise be seen through the clear 3/8" acrylic. The tank is being lit with Reefkoi's Evolution LED fixture, Generation 3 I believe. With the whites and blues on, it's in the 14,000K range.

This tank is situated at the end of the 400g tank under the external overflow. Water is being pumped into it from a manifold off the sump, so all of its filtration & dosing needs are cared for. All I do is feed it and enjoy.

April 2013:

February 2014:

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Past Tanks

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:02:07 +0000

Past Tanks melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 22:02

Since 1997-1998, I've been maintaining saltwater tanks. It started with a 29g, if you don't count the 20g Long that I had when I was 11 years old. A trip to the island of Morea allowed me to snorkel in a lagoon for days on end, forever instilling in me the desire to enjoy what our oceans contain. This section of the site provides information about my current tanks as well as those that I ran previously.

Click on any image to get to the matching tank.

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Bubble Tip Anemone in the 29g Reef over the years

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:58:36 +0000

Bubble Tip Anemone in the 29g Reef over the years melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 21:58

Within a few months, the Bubble Tip Anemone doubled its original size... but that is only where this story starts.

Sadly, one of my dear Percula Clowns jumped from the tank one night and perished. I'd had him for about 3 years, and felt sad for the other Clown, who'd be lonely. They always swam in tandem, never straying apart. After that loss, I'd begun to look for a new clown to add to the tank, but instead opted for this nice anemone.

I purchased this Bubble Tip Anemone (BTA) about two months ago. It was light green in color and very delicate. The first day that I put it in the tank, I placed it on a level spot that I hoped would be a showcase spot. However, within a couple of hours, it moved, crawling underneath the live rock, completely hidden in a cave. Of course, I was dismayed. However, in a couple of days, it had worked its way up through the crevices of the live rock, and displayed its bubble tipped tentacles.

It really appeared squished in that location, but I really couldn't do anything about it. For a couple of weeks, it stayed there and I did my best to feed it where it resided. It responded nicely to the food. However, the clown fish ignored it completely. After about 14 days, the clown began checking it out, and soon became convinced that the anemone was its new home! Because it was so small, the clown had a hard time swimming "in" it.

However, as you can see here, the anemone has grown nicely, and the clown can now dive into it and enjoy its protection. These pictures on this page were taken before the lighting was turned on for the day, and it was quite extended from the crevice it chose to attach itself to.

I feed the anemone about every three days a variety of food, and hope to encourage it to continue to grow larger and larger. Perhaps I'll be lucky and it will split in two. I've read that this can happen in captivity for many reef mariners, and I'm wanting to see this first hand.

This picture was taken from below to give you an idea of the height it was extending. At this point, this mature clownfish could almost completely hide in the tentacles.

Given time, good water conditions and choice feedings, this animal should grow nicely and make its presence known.

July 27, 2002

The bubbles are very apparent on this delicate creature.

Sept 6, 2002

The growth continues. Now the BTA dwarfs the clown AND the flame angel. Still small feedings every 3 days.

Oct 20, 2002

The BTA is trying to tell me I need a bigger tank a.s.a.p. (grin)

Nov 27, 2002

I'm feeding less, maybe once a week now. It eats anything else - flake, mysis, brine - whatever the fish don't catch quickly enough.

Feb 26, 2003

Late January to early February 2003 I had a fear that my BTA was declining. I saw a lesion near the mouth, and it had reduced in size by one third. I started to feed pieces of food again, thinking it simply wasn't getting enough nutrition from the fish food it captured daily.

I also added a wavemaker to the system, and the very next day the anemone showed a huge improvement. That was about 10 days ago and the above photo shows how large the anemone is. The waves hit the BTA every seven seconds, and I really believe it has helped this animal improve.

July 30, 2003

14 months since it was purchased, the BTA seems quite happy in its home. The clown is always nearby.

On July 31, my anemone spawned!! Click here to view that event.

December 31, 2003

19 months old, the anemone has shown some change in the shape of the tentacles. It also has looked deflated more often than not, but I'm beginning to believe that can be attributed to a lack of food. I'm guarding the anemone during feedings to make sure it has the full opportunity to eat without disturbance.

January 18, 2004

A new clownfish was added to the tank to mate with the 6 year old Percula. They are getting along just fine and the anemone doesn't seem to mind at all.

March 10, 2004

My Bubble Tip Anemone split, the proud parent and its 'clone' remaining near one another. Here are the details.

June 13, 2004 - The BTA turns two years old!

Three anemones are viewable. They have better days at times, and other times they deflate quite a bit. The challenging thing is to feed them without the clown fish being bothersome. I use nets to protect them during feedings currently.

November 10, 2004

The BTAs were moved into my 280g reef, and under MH lighting and tons of current, they split again. I have 5 baby BTAs in my tank now, all from the original bubble tip anemone I bought so long ago. They are all quite small, but seem to be growing slowly. I'm not trying to rush their growth, and they are fed a piece of shrimp about once a week. The clown you see is a male Ocellaris that is 1.5 years old. The female Percula is now 7 years old, and loves her choices of homes. She isn't in this shot, but was nearby. If you look very closely at the spot just to the left of the "4." you'll see a brand new clutch of clown eggs that the female laid earlier that day. They are bright orange, and there are about 100 eggs there. More details.

September 11, 2005

Much to my surprise, this page hasn't been updated in almost a full year! How did that ever happen. Well, as you can see above, the BTAs are still with me. There are three that are still on the same piece of LR, and the mated clownfish continue to lay a clutch of eggs every two weeks like clockwork. The female True Percula is 8 years old now, and the male False Percula is 2 1/4 years old. No longer do I feed the anemones. Every night when I pour in the nightly dinner for the fish, the anemones catch what they need, and continue to grow ever so slowly, which is fine with me. You can see the size of the anemones if you compare them to the fish and the Mean Green zoanthids at the base of the image. At this point, the original anemone is 3.5 years old, and the clones are over a year old. They never make bubbles any more, but each tip is bright pink for some reason.

October 22, 2006

Another year later, and the three BTAs continue to thrive in that same spot. The clowns continue hosting in it, and they lay a clutch of eggs every 14 days. This picture was taken while the pumps were off.

May 2, 2007

August 1, 2007

I discovered that one of the BTAs split, so now there are four in my reef. Hopefully it will stay put because I would prefer they don't go wandering into my reef. As of this date, the original BTA has been in my tank for over 5 years.

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29g Reef

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:53:29 +0000

29g Reef melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 21:53

29 gal Saltwater Tank Established 9/98, moved twice with no losses. Taken down seven years later when the 280g was set up in 2004.

Hardware:

Remora Protein Skimmer powered w/ MaxiJet 1200
Closed-loop with Mag 7 and the SCWD wavemaker. It rocks
(3) 55w Power Compact Lights by Hamilton.
2 ballasts supply power for three 50/50 actinic/daylight bulbs. 11 hrs daily - regulated by simple timers.

14.5 gallon Sump/Refugium - because "Dilution is the Solution to Pollution"

Water & Additives

100gpd Melev's Reef 5-stage Reverse Osmosis/DeIonized water
Kent or Oceanic Salt - 1.026 ppm - water changes as needed (~10g per month)
B-Ionic 2-part formula; dosed 20 ml per day, each part
Test Kits: Salifert
pH Pinpoint Monitor - Quickly know pH at a glance any time of day.
ATC Refractometer - extremely accurate way to measure salinity
Digital Thermometer: 79° F (average)
See DIY Extras

Live Biological Filter

Approx. 75 lbs of Fuji Live Rock (some pictures don't reflect all the live rock that has been added)
3" bed of crushed aragonite
2" sugar fine sand bed with Cheatomorpha (Macro Algae) in refugium

I built the stand myself, using 3/4" Birch wood. The front was capped with Ash for a smooth look, routed to round the edges. The stand was built like a bookcase, with a 1/4" birch backpanel recessed into the wood to prevent racking. It was sealed with polyurethane.

The top section was built like a cap for the bookcase. This aquarium was adjacent to my sofa and the stand had to fit the spot, while the tank needed a few extra inches. Knowing water would drip down over time, I expected the cap to take the brunt of the damage, leaving the stand unscathed. I liked the easy access of the shelves to hold related supplies, and didn't want a front door.

Fortuitously the lower section was the perfect size for the sump & refugium. I cut out a hole for the refugium light to shine through. Holes were drilled through the 1/4" back panel to accommodate the plumbing running up to the aquarium.

The canopy was made to match, providing a nice looking piece of furniture at a comfortable height to enjoy the livestock. The stand was 36" tall, the same height as a doorknob. I prefer to stand in front of my aquarium and not have to bend down to see the reeflings.

The base of the stand had adjustable feet. When installed on carpeting, the tack strips that keep the carpet secured near the wall would pitch the stand forward at an angle, but by adjusting the front feet I was able to level the aquarium and improve stability.

I designed and built the stand and top from 3/4" birch. Stained and sealed, it has held up beautifully for years. The canopy was built to allow access to the tank while still providing light during feedings/servicing.

This older picture gives you an idea of the tank. Much has changed, including replacing my 20w fluorescent with 3 x 55w Power Compacts. The lighting made such a striking difference that my creatures showed vast improvement and growth in subsequent weeks.

One of my first inhabitants was a Percula Clownfish. I'd had a pair for years, but sadly one jumped out of the tank. Instead of buying another, I researched bubble tip anemones. I bought a BTA which the Clown loves to co-exist within. View their progress with more photos!

Night or day, the clown is always nearby. Only during feedings will it stray away, allowing me to feed the anemone bits of shrimp or Formula One.

The Blue Damsel is one of the hardiest fish. One of my larger Blue-legged Crabs. This tank contains about 20 or more of them, to munch on the algae and other organisms.

This Cleaner Shrimp has been seen cleaning the Flame Angel. My Coral-Banded Shrimp stakes its territory regularly.

The Clown Goby has entertained us and avoided the jaws of a Lion Fish (who vanished, literally!, after 5 days.) The Goby is resting on one of over 40 red mushrooms that have grown throughout the tank. (Note: We lost the goby, likely to the BTA. Cause of death unknown, no remains found.) A Longnose Hawkfish keeps bristle worms under control.

This very colorful fish (esp. blue!) is a Mandarin. The Golden Wrasse has overcome its shyness.

Here are a few button polyps. I hope they reproduce and spread out. For now, they are simply growing slowly.

My Pulsing Xenias were nearly eradicated by a rock crab. However, a small cluster grew from nothingness, and fought for survival. I purchased a small rock with 3 green-tipped anemones (seen to left), which have grown into 18. See a Majano anemonia split in two. Note: These little colorful guys multiplied like Tribbles, and have since been eliminated.

A couple of months after I installed the Power Compact lighting, the Xenias grew to where I no longer count the blossoms. Three stalks are visible now, but they haven't spread outward yet. The Flame Angel was added on 7/06/02, whose color now makes the Percula Clown look pale by comparison.

Algae eaters: I've got Turbo snails, Margarita snails, Astreas and a couple of Keyhole Limpets that have doubled in size. Hermits help as well.

7/16/02: Colt Coral (Claudiella sp. or Alcyonium) - this soft coral gently moves with the current

September 27-29, 2002: MACNA met here in Ft Worth, Texas. At the show, corals were available for purchase, and I couldn't resist giving them a home!

9/27/02: This 1.5" frag is Pocillopora, with a soft pink hue.

9/29/02: I got lucky, and grabbed up this 5" Acropora. It is yellow, and has two small crabs in its branches.

9/29/02: Light green in color, with yellow tips, this 2½" acropora extends its polyps fully after lights out.

9/27/02: The first day, I had to buy a clam. My intention was to buy a derasa, but all those specimens were huge, and my tank simply didn't have the real estate to hold it. I talked it over with Joy of Harbor Aquatics, and along with the input from others, decided my PC lighting could feed this 2½" Maxima adequately. It is purple from the side view, but if you look down from above, it is aqua-blue! It is 4" from the surface of the tank to give it the best lighting intensity.

On the same day I added these new corals, I decided to remove all the anemonio mejanos from my tank. I originally purchased a rock with 3, but like tribbles (star trek reference), they were multiplying exponentially. Over 40 of them were on my upper rocks, with no end in sight. Working for a few hours, I weeded them all out until the live rock was clean of them.

11/27/02 - Updated pictures show growth

This little colony of Pom-Pom Pulsing Xenias is new, completely on its own from the original parent colony.

If you scroll up a little to compare this picture from the one two months ago, the growth is amazing.

I can't tell if this green Acropora has grown, but it hasn't receded either. The Maxima moved on its own from the upper rock to the crushed coral substrate, and continues to display vivid blue coloring.

Look closely, and you can see the polyps extended within the center of the branches

12/04/02 - News

I have some hair algae problems I've been dealing with, so today I decided to take a small piece of LR that had a small Colt Coral attached, and put it in the 55 gallon tank to see #1) what the tangs would do, and #2) to see how the colt would respond to the water conditions. Well, in less than 30 minutes, the tangs ate every wisp of the algae, and the colt looked just as happy as it was in the 29 gallon tank.

This tiny "frag" of zoanthids was given to me by a member of DFWMAS. I simply glued it on to a smallish rock with super glue gel, and put it in the tank. Within a day, it looked like this!

9/03 - A Change Occured

My prized Acropora sp. doubled in size in the one year I owned it. However, the red mushrooms in my tank grew even faster, and encroached on one coral after another. The Colt coral has looked compressed and unhappy for over two months, the Caulastrea (Trumpet Coral) was stung and killed, and the Acropora sp. began to show signs of distress at its lower branches. I decided to remove the rock with the heaviest population, to protect the livestock.
However, once that was removed, I couldn't balance the Acro in its former spot. So I placed it about 4 or 5" lower than it was used to, and faced it toward the viewer. Within days, parts of it were lighter green, which I assumed were signs of adjustment. Within two weeks, the coral's coloration had shifted to this state -- over 85% of its branches! The coral was consumed by a 'boring' algae that gets into the skeleton, and died. This is my first SPS loss, and I'm very sad to see such a beautiful creature succumb so quickly, especially since I was trying to protect its interests in the first place. This is the last good shot of my Acropora sp. Click here to see "A Total Loss".

On 9/21/03 I picked up these two new pieces for my tank, Porites and Psammacora:

5/19/04: - Over the past 8 months, a lot has happened in this tank. To summarize, the BTA split twice and is currently still not done. The baby clone (BTA) grows daily and looks like it will soon open up in a nice spot in the front corner of the tank where the previous BTA was for almost two years. Chiquita, the Lemon Meringue Wrasse died after 18 months, and has not been replaced. Various corals have been introduced in the tank to replace a few others, and a baby Ocellaris was added to be a buddy for the 6-year-old True Percula Clownfish.

If you are looking for news, be sure to read my Reef Log for thoughts and updates. Another good page to look at on my site is this one because I link many webpages by category. I hope this proves useful, along with the Search feature available via the navigation bar.

The biggest obstacle I suffered from for years was high nitrates. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to resolve it permanently. I'd tried Nitrate Sponge, to absorb the excess. I'd added nitrate reducing chemicals. I tried to cut back on the volume of feedings. Finally, my local fish store (LFS) suggested I make much larger water changes until my readings were better. So I changed 10 gallons of water every 2 days for a week. Suddenly the problem was solved. And that was 9 months ago. Also, during my last move, I removed my undergravel filter. The water has remained consistently stable ever since. Lesson learned: Change the water until the nitrate reaches the optimum level. Anything else will not work, because you have to reach the lowest level possible to maintain a lower level. Learn more.

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29g Canopy Design

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:49:48 +0000

29g Canopy Design melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 21:49

The 29g needed a nice looking canopy. It replaced the standard plastic light fixture the aquarium used previously, and had to house the power compact bulbs. Since I was building it myself, and the lights were also a DIY project, I designed it so the canopy would flip open completely to provide easier access to the tank and not be blinded by lighting.

Once it was built, I used a compressor and laquer applicator to spray coat after coat of varnish to give it a high gloss finish. Between coats, I used steel wool to burnish the surface smooth. This process took days because the rain made the work area exceedingly humid. In the end, seven coats were applied and it lasted for the entire life of my reef.

Top view of the canopy. Note the hinge was hidden. You might prefer to screw it flat on top.

The canopy opens, folding back and resting on the rear section. Lighting on both halves allows me to see when working on the tank. Both reflectors shield my eyes so I'm not looking into the bulbs.

The canopy rests on the plastic frame of the tank, and completely hides the plastic when closed.

This angle lets you see the single 55w bulb in the front half. The rear section has two 55w bulbs.

Not much to see, but the mirror allows you to see the back somewhat. Note that the rear corner's design. Same on both ends.

Side view from the left.

Rear view of canopy, as well as the rest of the tank.

Dimensions

31 7/8" long. 6" tall. 14.5" wide.

Front section is 6 1/4" wide.

Rear section is 8" wide.

30" brass piano hinge.

A 3/4" x 3/4" rail was mounted inside the canopy on the sides and front. Glued and screwed, this is what rests on the aquarium frame, and supports the canopy.

This was stained with Golden Oak stain, and varnished with an oil based polyurethane inside and out.

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29g - Closed loop in an undrilled tank

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:46:16 +0000

29g - Closed loop in an undrilled tank melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 21:46

I wanted to run a closed-loop system on my undrilled 29 gallon aquarium. My goal was to use the SCWD WAVEMAKER, and be able to replace two MaxiJet 1200 powerheads. This is how it was plumbed:

It is hooked up to a Mag 5 pump, with 3/4" thin wall PVC and Schedule 40 connections. The cap (upper right) is how to prime the pump. Once filled, screw the cap back on. Be sure to use teflon tape on all pipe threads!!!

This had to fit a 25" span, around a hang-on-back Remora protein skimmer, and under an overflow box.

The pipe with numerous holes drilled in it is my intake. The reason for this was so that if some type of animal were to crawl on it or get sucked against it, it could still pull itself off the pipe and continue on its way. That section is removable for cleaning. The 1/8" holes are evenly spaced every 1/2" for about 9", running up all four sides.

The returns are the only thing not glued on, so they can be turned to direct the flow differently if needed. Everything else is glued firmly to avoid any micro air bubbles.

Both returns are in the rear corners. The other return you see near the left front is from my sump & refugium.

2/28/03 - I've been getting quite a bit of email about this project, so I'm going to add more detail.

What is that black thing in the middle?

That is the SCWD Wavemaker by 3iQ. Click here for more details by the makers themselves. You can buy it almost anywhere - your LFS, Ebay, or even the For Sale area on Reef Central. They range around $40 each, and they are water driven. Non-electric, it can be used submerged or externally. Flow rates: 50 gph - 1400 gph. Inlet and Outlets are 3/4" barbed fittings, so you'll need some 3/4" vinyl tubing and hose clamps to connect it. I wrote a review on reefcentral.com

What is that thing with the cap for?

That is where water is added the first time to prime the unit. Be sure to use teflon tape on those threads to seal it air tight. Turn on the pump, and all the air will be blown out of the lines in the first 10 seconds. You will not need to reprime the closed loop unless you remove the pump or SCWD for maintenance. Even if you turn it off, it will restart as long as you do not remove the cap.

Is your unit hanging off the tank? Isn't it too heavy?

No, it is not hanging off the tank. I measured it so it could sit on the back of the stand, and the pipes are 1/2" above the backwall of the tank to avoid vibration noise. I thought I'd need a mousepad under the pump to avoid noise, but it wasn't necessary.

Would you make any improvements on this setup, now that it is installed?

Yes. I wouldn't drill any holes in the returns. They are unnecessary. If the unit is powered off, the water has nowhere to go, so back siphoning isn't an issue. However, let me add that by having anti-siphon holes in the returns, if the pump ever leaks or your plumbing breaks, the tank will not drain lower than those holes. So if you do use them, be sure they are submerged about 1".

Also, I would add another coupling to the inlet, as well as a couple of ball valves after the outlets from the SCWD. That way when you do need to remove the pump for servicing, you can close those valves and keep the water in the return lines, unscrew the two couplings and pump can be cleaned. You could easily remove the SCWD as well if it needed cleaning out (or soaked in vinegar water as part of your maintenance). I would also add a 'T' at the inlet with a ball valve on it, to drain the water in the pump before removal. Here's a drawing of these modifications. When I get around to it on my own unit, I'll make the changes and take a new picture, but for now this will have to suffice.

Do you have to re-prime the pump when the power goes off?

No. The water never leaves the loop, only a little water in the return lines drains due to gravity. When it restarts, only a little air is sucked into the unit and is quickly blown out one side or the other for a few seconds. (Be sure to use teflon tape on the threaded connection of the cap to create an air-tight seal.)

I noticed you are running a Mag pump externally, but I've heard they will leak?

I have run Mag pumps submerged and externally. I've not had any leaks, nor any vibration noise. I did see some salt creep, but not enough to take it apart. I didn't touch my closed loop for 6 months, and it ran perfectly the entire time. Here is a good tip for servicing Mag drives when taking them apart for cleaning (maintenance).

What about using a Mag 7 instead?

9/30/03 - After running the system with a Mag 5 for six months, I replaced it with a Mag 7 and I'm very happy with the results. The Mag 5 and Mag 7 are identical in size, so no adjustments were necessary. It doesn't sound any different than the Mag 5, and is virtually silent. If yours is a bit noisy, try unplugging the pump for about 5-10 seconds for any trapped air bubbles to rise within the plumbing and plug it back in. I think cavitation might be occuring, and this is an easy fix. 4/07/04 - Want to see a video? ~~49 seconds (4.2 meg download)~~ While I was changing the water, I realized you could see the flow quite easily because air mixed into the output. With the tank full, there are no bubbles and the only indication of flow is the movement of my amemone and any soft corals.

What sized plumbing should I use?

The Mag pump comes with printed instructions that state to double the outlet size to determine the plumbing needed. The Mag 7 has a 1/2" outlet, and the pvc needs to be 1". If you use 1" plumbing, you'll get better flow than if you used smaller I.D. (inside diameter) pvc. Now that brings up a new problem, in that you need it to get smaller for the SCWD, and then ramp back up to larger pipe to avoid constriction. So you'll have to find "bushings" or reducers to make things work. Or use larger flexible hose: Slip on a small piece of one size on to the SCWD outlets to act like a small collar, then slip the next size hose over that, clamping it securely. Metal hose clamps can be used in dry areas, but not if the connections are submerged.

Here is a picture of the unit installed on the back of my tank. I figured you'd like to see it in action, rear & side view.

This is a great solution for in-tank flow, if the tank is drilled or not. The cost of the plumbing, pump, and electricity used need to be considered - you may prefer to use Vortech pumps instead, as these take up very little room in the tank and add diverse flow patterns.

Assembly here: https://melevsreef.com/my-tanks/29g-how-build-scwd-closed-loop

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29g Sump & Weir

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:38:24 +0000

29g Sump & Weir melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 21:38

After years of deliberation, I decided it was time to expand the limits of my aquarium. I'd studied up on "Wet/Dry" systems, "Sumps" and "Refugiums." Following the advice of others, I investigated those various types of systems, and determined that a sump with refugium would be best suited for my 29-gallon tank's stand.

The benefit of adding a sump to my tank is that it allows me to add more volume (of water) to my existing set up. This dilutes the potential situation more, giving me a little more leeway as things progress a little slower. Toxicity can't rise as quickly and water conditions should remain stable longer. Another benefit is it allows me to move things out of the tank, such as the heater.

Due to space constraints, my CPR Bakpak protein skimmer will remain on the tank, although many people like to put their skimmer in the sump as well.

I designed my sump with a refugium on the right side, and the return on the left. Below are a couple of pictures of the sump as it was built. One error was caught by another reefer (Thanks Kev!), and has been fixed, even though the picture doesn't show it.

Full set up with sump installed

This tank is 12" tall, 22" long, 14" wide. It can hold roughly 14.5 gallons of fluid.

The water will enter through the small box in the right back corner. From there, it will flood into the larger area that will soon be filled with live sand and macro algae. It exits that chamber via a bubble trap, and accumulates on the left side. From that chamber, a submersible pump will pump the water back up to the tank.

This is called a "weir". It will hang on the wall of the tank, half inside and half outside. The water will flow over the wall of the tank, and drain via flexible tubing into the sump/refugium located beneath the tank. This picture lets you see the basic design. It is 8" wide, has a 1.5" trough inside the tank, and a 3" trough outside. It still needs the necessary plumbing parts connected to the larger side, and then it is complete.

I was able to bend the 1/8" acrylic by heating it up with a propane torch. And it was rather fun, actually. The acrylic was glued together with Weldon #16, which was rather messy, but #3 was out of stock unfortunately.

The cost of the acrylic and glue was less than $70. Just to buy the weir/overflow box from a mail order outfit would have run me about $66, or at my local fish store (LFS) it would have been closer to $100.

8/20/02

The parts I ordered came in, and yesterday I set everything up. First I mounted the light above the refugium area, to feed the algae I'm growing. The idea is to keep this light on when the tank light is off... and by doing so, it will help the pH levels stay up where they belong. I will be doing some testing to see if this is indeed the
result, after a month or so.

You can see the sump now that the sand, water, live rock rubble and calerpa algae have been added. The water drains into the rear right corner, where the live rock rubble (smaller pieces) is located. It is used to cut down on the bubbles entering the sump. About the light... It is merely a small spiral fluorescent power compact. I got it at Home Depot, and it's 29 watts (that puts out 75w). They sell them as plant (grow) lights for about $7 each, and I put it in a small reflector hood that I bought for $5. It isn't building up any heat that I should be concerned about.

The sand is less than one 40lb bag of CaribSea Sugar Fine Sand, which cost $25 at the LFS. They gave me a cup of their established sand from the corals tank to seed the rest.

The Mag Drive 5 pump can move up to 500 gallons of water per hour, but to push the water 5 feet up and into the tank actually reduces it to 300 gallons per hour. Basically, it will move the volume of water in my tank 10 times per hour. I did add a ball-valve to control the flow, just in case, although it is currently running at about 90%. I also moved the heater out of the tank and down into the refugium area as well.

Sump after one month - The caulerpa has grown well. I've seen numerous creatures wandering across the plants, the sand, and the tank walls. One bright green slug is very interesting, but stays on the foilage. The insects are odd to watch, because it just seems these are what you'd see on land, not under water. I found a very small starfish (brittle star) near the front of viewing area, as well as a couple of bristle worms. Hair algae is also growing in the refugium as well.

The weir (overflow box) is really the most complicated part of the system, because it is designed to pull the water out of the tank, OVER the wall! Many have holes drilled in their tanks and drain it that way instead. These pictures give you a side view and a slightly better view of it in action. The water drains through a bulkhead connected to 1" ID flexible tubing.

Not much to look at, but this is the front view, right above the water line.

This is the bottom section, under water. You can see how the water is pouring into it. It then goes under that lower piece of plexiglas, and is sucked up and over the wall into the rear section.

To be honest, I'm not happy with my current weir, and will build a larger one to replace this one. It needs a larger area hanging on the outside, with higher walls to help keep the suction in the event that the sump turns off for any reason.

Right now, if the power cuts out, the water in the return line will suck some of the water out of the tank and into the sump, but not to the point of overflowing. However, if the weir can't maintain its suction (this one won't!), when the power does turn back on, the pump will keep pushing water up, but the drain line won't work. And the fishtank will then overflow, something I don't want to ever have to deal with! So I'll make a new weir very, very soon, perhaps this weekend.

8/26/02

Weir II: I'm going to number these things until I'm happy. Actually, I think this one will work just fine. I've changed the configuration from the last one. This one is 7" wide, the inner portion that hangs inside the tank is 3" instead of the original 1 1/2". This allows more water to flow into the chamber, compared to the previous one. (Due to its smaller area, it pulled the water downwards, possibly causing air to be drawn into the weir.) The outer chamber is now 5" wide, instead of 3 1/2". In addition, the outside section's walls are doubled in height to avoid water overflowing the edges when tinkering with it.

Two new additions:
1) A divider was added to the outer section, to assure the weir remains primed.
2) A small piece of rigid tubing was glued in the top of the weir. Airline tubing will go from that to a powerhead. This will continually draw out any air bubbles from inside the weir, keeping it fully primed at all times.

Click for DIY plans to build your own overflow, including description.

These pictures show the weir after it was glued together. After 24 hours of cure time, it was ready to install.

The new weir is just below the surface of the water. It draws in water nicely, but no real suction is apparent and thus no air is being sucked into the chamber! :)

The bigger weir works perfectly. I did have to insert a small spacer to balance the overflow box at the correct angle. It drains into a 1" bulkhead. By inserting a 90° pvc elbow, it reduced the slurping sounds.

When the power is cut to the system, the tubing drains back into the sump, raising the water level in the return area by 2.5 inches. The weir remains primed, the water held in stasis. Perfect!!!

The sump was replaced with a better stronger version, called the Model A, since it was the first. You can read about the Model A here: Model A

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29g Growth Progression

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:34:00 +0000

29g Growth Progression melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 21:34

Just for fun, I thought I'd document the various images I took of my 29g over time. Here's how it all started in 1998.

3 - 25 - 2002

Actually, I can't believe how boring my tank was for several years. I got back into the hobby once I got divorced, wanting to finally spend some money on myself. $400 later, I had my own 29g tank.. What shocks me is that I had the tank running for about 4 years and look at how sad it was. Btw, I still have one of these True Perculas (the other one jumped out!), and the Blue Damsel.

When I finally bit the bullet to upgrade my lighting, I had to build a canopy to match the original stand. This is when the obsession took over. I'd been reading and posting in rec.aquaria.marine.reefs (newsgroup) and visiting various LFS in my area. I can't tell you how many times I was told to go to Reef Central, but kept blowing it off. While ordering from Jeff's Exotic Fish on the phone, I was asked if I was going to attend MACNA since it was going to take place in Ft Worth. Not having a clue what it was, I turned to a thread on RC to find out just why I should attend. One of the members of DFWMAS convinced me to pony up the funds, and the rest is history. Now armed with vast amounts of information from MACNA, I was ready to tackle my own tank with so good solutions.

Below you'll see a major change in the tank. Pre-MACNA, I'd just built my own overflow box and sump. The other equipment was added in the next few months now that I knew what was necessary to keep a reef tank.

Specifics:

29g non-drilled tank
Closed Loop with SCWD
Aqua C Remora Protein Skimmer
3 x 55w PC lighting (50% daylight - 50% actnic)
Sump & Refugium fill with macro algae
Mag 5 return pump
Phytoplankton dosed every other day

10 - 02 - 2002

2 - 22 - 2003

You can see the new closed loop installed now.

2 - 28 - 2003

3 - 19 - 2003

The BTA and the Colt coral were both taking up large amounts of space.

7 - 30 - 2003

8 - 02 - 2003

The Colt coral shrunk back more over the next few months, until it finally was removed. I still have a frag of this today.

9 - 21 - 2003

11 - 27 - 2003

12 - 31 - 2003

1 - 10 - 2004

The BTA soon split after this image into 4 little ones.

5 - 18 - 2004

6 - 22 - 2004

In July 2004, the contents of this tank was transferred to a 280g reef.

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29g - How to Build a SCWD closed-loop

melev — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:29:02 +0000

29g - How to Build a SCWD closed-loop melev Wed, 07/01/2020 - 21:29

The plumbing of all this together is truly a jigsaw puzzle of pieces. I'll try to help you out. Basically, I stood in the plumbing aisle almost 2 hours figuring out what fit into what, and laid them out like a skeleton in my shopping cart so I'd not have to make a return trip. (Let me qualify that though... I was doing two separate projects on two tanks that same night. Shave off 45 mins. hehe)

You will need

(1) 10' pipe of 3/4" thinwall pvc. Thinwall will be 7/8" internal opening.
Full bag of 3/4" 90 degree elbows.
(2) 1/2 unions (see below)
(3) 3/4" couplings (threaded internally one one side only)
(3) 3/4" threaded straight hose barbs (3/4" threaded for pipe(NOT FAUCET), 3/4" barb .. make sure they match. The barb will fit tightly in tubing)
(3) 3/4" ball valves
(2) 1/2" nipples
(1) 3/4" nipple
12" of 3/4" vinyl tubing
(2) 3/4" Tee
(2) slip reducers (1/2" threaded on the inside)
(1) threaded 3/4" cap
(1) unthreaded 3/4" cap
6 hoseclamps (metal is fine, these will not touch water)
2 part glue (see below)
Teflon tape on all threaded nipples. Wrap teflon with the threads so it won't unwrap when screwing together.


3/4" ballvalve	3/4" slip cap	3/4" threaded cap	3/4" slip elbow	3/4" slip coupling	3/4" tee	3/4" threaded coupling	Teflon tape	3/4" x 3/4" plastic hosebarb

You want (2) 1/2" unions, both of which need to be attached to your pump. To do that (assuming you are using the Mag7), you'll need 1/2" nipples about 1.5" long (threaded on both ends, come in black). This way you can unscrew the unions to remove your pump easily to clean it. This is what one looks like, although mine is white:
You need (2) 3/4" to 1/2" reducer. They are called "bushings" at Home Depot. This little plastic piece will fit INTO a 3/4" coupling (no threads), and the center of it will be threaded to fit a 1/2" nipple. Here is a picture of it, but note that this picture does not display the internal threads:

You will need the two-part glue as well (purple cleaner and clear pvc glue... the standard stuff) to assemble it. I glued everything that was not under water. That stuff that is submerged doesn't need gluing as no air can get into it. Just rinse it out well before hooking it up to your tank.

You will need one foot of clear 3/4" flexible tubing, and 6 hose clamps. That is to connect the SCWD to rigid plumbing. You will also need 3 hose barb fittings. I used 3/4" x 3/4" (one end threaded to fit into a 3/4" internally threaded coupling, the other end to slide into the tubing. (Heat the tubing in your oven at 200F for 5 mins to make that really easy!)

From the pump going up:

1/2" nipple 1/2" union 1/2" nipple reducer (1/2" to 3/4") 3/4" (one side threaded) coupling 3/4'x3/4" threaded straight hose barb 3./4" vinyl tubing SCWD! Yay.

From the scwd going out:

3/4" vinyl tubing 3/4"x3/4" straight hosebarb 3/4" (one side threaded) coupling length of pipe 3/4" ball valve length of pipe elbow turned upwards length of pipe elbow turned toward front of tank very short length of pipe (1.5") elbow pointing downward short length of pipe elbow pointing toward front of tank that remains unglued / adjustable. Remember, this paragraph is doubled, as there are two outlets on the SCWD.

Water going to pump:

3/4" end cap (not glued) 9" length of pipe (not glued to coupling) 3/4" coupling 3" length of pipe elbow to back of tank very length of pipe (3.5") 3/4" Tee

----- from Tee you assemble two ways:

Down / toward the pump:

length of pipe 3/4" Tee

Up / away from pump:

very short length of pipe(1.5") 3/4" (one side threaded) coupling 3/4" nipple 3/4" threaded cap

----- from the lower Tee, you assemble two ways as well:

Toward pump:

3/4"x1/2" reducer 1/2" nipple 1/2" union 1/2" nipple pump!!!

Away from pump:

short length of pipe 3/4" ball valve - > short length of pipe elbow pointing down for draining.

These instructions are modified from the original picture, because I wanted to be able to close the system when I need to remove the scwd and/or pump for maintenance. It includes valves after the SCWD to prvent water from draining from the tank (the output lines), and allows the pump and SCWD to be drained once the top cap has been removed as well.

How to drill the intake tube:

Take your 9" 3/4" thinwall tube, and press a 3/4" tee on both ends. This will keep it from moving or rolling.
With a ruler and a fine marker, mark a spot every 1/2" along the top.
Flip it over, and do the same again. Now you have a series of dots on opposing sides.
Turn the tees 90 degrees, so your have the blank sides of your 9" pipe facing up again. Mark it every 1/2" again.
Flip it over, and do the same again. Now you should have a series of dots on 4 sides (3, 6, 9, & 12 o'clock)

I have an auto nailset, and left a small dimple on each mark before drilling. Home Depot sells a 1/8" drill bit with a special point to avoid the drill bit wandering. That will make it the easiest to drill these holes.

See pictures of the closed loop installed.

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