Trendkill
New Member
I am new to the reef world. I got a 36g bowfront about a year ago and my skimmer broke, then the glass on my light blew out and admittedly I've let it go to hell. Well I recently decided I am tired of looking at my Asterina/Aiptasia/Hair Algae/Some other unknown algae farm. I've not been doing water changes as I should and all of my crabs have died except for 1 and a snail.
I got the glass ordered for my light today. I got a hanging kit for my light today. When my husband gets home from work he's going to drill holes to hang it from the ceiling and spray paint the hanging kit black and I think we are going to try and hang the light and use it with out glass until the piece gets here. It will be about 2 weeks for the glass since they have to custom make it and temper it. The LFS said it would be ok to use without the glass because I don't have any fish in it.
I am meeting a fellow R2R member to pick up a used AquaC Remora HOB 75/100 skimmer in about an hour!
Shame on me, I went to the fish store today to get a peppermint shrimp to annihilate the Aiptasia but I had my water checked, my nitrates are over 200. I am sure it's because when my Pajama Cardinal died and I asked my husband to get it out and he didn't (he said it was stuck behind the live rock and he couldn't reach it) and it just decomposed in my tank....That's got a lot to do with it.
I am going to do a water change here in the next few days.
When I ordered my glass for the light today the guy said he can drill holes in my tank for me.
Some of the questions I have (so far) are:
1. Would it help lower the nitrates if I ran the skimmer a few days before the water change? We just had a baby and funds are tight so I'm trying to do the best I can with what I've got. I have the water already but I figured if I ran the skimmer a few days and let it do it's thing it would help improve the water quality and when I do the water change it will be better than if I just do a water change and use the skimmer. I have 15 gallons of saltwater for my water change.
2. If I got my tank drilled is an overflow box necessary?
2a. What would I use to cover the bulkhead so my fish don't get sucked through?
2b. How big do the bulkheads need to be? It's a 36 gallon with an Aquarium Life Support Systems sump and refugium (separate, not combo).
3. Do the Coralline Algae additive really work or is it all just snake oil?
Thanks in advance. I look forward to getting my reef together and making it awesome again.
I got the glass ordered for my light today. I got a hanging kit for my light today. When my husband gets home from work he's going to drill holes to hang it from the ceiling and spray paint the hanging kit black and I think we are going to try and hang the light and use it with out glass until the piece gets here. It will be about 2 weeks for the glass since they have to custom make it and temper it. The LFS said it would be ok to use without the glass because I don't have any fish in it.
I am meeting a fellow R2R member to pick up a used AquaC Remora HOB 75/100 skimmer in about an hour!
Shame on me, I went to the fish store today to get a peppermint shrimp to annihilate the Aiptasia but I had my water checked, my nitrates are over 200. I am sure it's because when my Pajama Cardinal died and I asked my husband to get it out and he didn't (he said it was stuck behind the live rock and he couldn't reach it) and it just decomposed in my tank....That's got a lot to do with it.
I am going to do a water change here in the next few days.
When I ordered my glass for the light today the guy said he can drill holes in my tank for me.
Some of the questions I have (so far) are:
1. Would it help lower the nitrates if I ran the skimmer a few days before the water change? We just had a baby and funds are tight so I'm trying to do the best I can with what I've got. I have the water already but I figured if I ran the skimmer a few days and let it do it's thing it would help improve the water quality and when I do the water change it will be better than if I just do a water change and use the skimmer. I have 15 gallons of saltwater for my water change.
2. If I got my tank drilled is an overflow box necessary?
2a. What would I use to cover the bulkhead so my fish don't get sucked through?
2b. How big do the bulkheads need to be? It's a 36 gallon with an Aquarium Life Support Systems sump and refugium (separate, not combo).
3. Do the Coralline Algae additive really work or is it all just snake oil?
Thanks in advance. I look forward to getting my reef together and making it awesome again.
