Bleigh's 60 gallon cube

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Bleigh

Bleigh

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It’s on!!!!

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Bleigh

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So, I’ve got a light program set up. I’m testing the ph and salinity to make sure they’re the same. Temps are close. Is there anything else I should do before I start moving stuff?
 

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So, I’ve got a light program set up. I’m testing the ph and salinity to make sure they’re the same. Temps are close. Is there anything else I should do before I start moving stuff?
Alk ?
 

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Hello,

Lol @Bleigh omg one day I’m going to die and I will be famous only for my nephews using my sump as a toilet. But with all the dear friends it has brought me, I’m glad it took place lol, errrr to an extent. Just in case people are curious, my bathrooms all bloody three of them are upstairs. Why are they all upstairs? Why couldn’t the home designer put a bathroom on the lower floor. Because he failed common sense in college lol that’s why. But yeah sump is still off limits and still hate putting my hands in there lol, it’s just bloody dreadful, and I can actually handle a lot lol.
 

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Thank you! It’s fun! Can’t wait to do the really big one I have planned. But figured this would be good to work out all the kinks and decide what I like and don’t like.

What is the purpose of having sand in the refugium. I honestly didn’t question it when I saw it on algae barn. But now I’m wondering why they say to add it to the fuge.

Back in the days when controlling nitrate and phosphate was difficult- a refugium with deep sand was an option for Nitrate to be converted to NO2 and off-gas. Also served a place for pods to grow safely, and as soil to plant caulerpa. Personally I find it becomes a mess and if ever disturbed can release a devil's brew of toxic waste.

Since Chaeto has supplanted caulerpa, and we have methods that are "too good" at lowering Nitrates and phosphates, my personal opinion is to keep it clean and not use sand. As I mentioned- I use a refugium on my Frag system and simply put a layer of pond matrix on the bottom (you could also use the brightwell bricks, live rock rubble, etc.). Pods multiply like crazy in the matrix and it stays clean. This leaves a ton of room for the Chaeto to tumble.

On my main system, I don't even have a refugium- So far I've not encountered issues maintaining nominal levels of Phosphate/Nitrate (0.02-0.1, and 10-20) and no algae problems to speak of. I have a pax bellum Chaetomorpha reactor if need be standing by, but thus far not needed.

So some advice on the new system- I would get my rock in there and keep the lights off for 2 months. Let the microfauna population really explode. Then turn on the lights at a low level (mainly blue) and ramp up slowly while you add fish. Try a few test corals and then increase your lighting to its final levels slowly over a few weeks. It's hard but going really slow will blunt much of the "uglies" and really let the ecosystem mature and stabilize.

PS. It will unfortunately lower the traffic on your build page.....at least it did for me lol! Or maybe I was just boring ;Dead

Cheers! It's all coming together phenomenally!
 
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Bleigh

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Back in the days when controlling nitrate and phosphate was difficult- a refugium with deep sand was an option for Nitrate to be converted to NO2 and off-gas. Also served a place for pods to grow safely, and as soil to plant caulerpa. Personally I find it becomes a mess and if ever disturbed can release a devil's brew of toxic waste.

Since Chaeto has supplanted caulerpa, and we have methods that are "too good" at lowering Nitrates and phosphates, my personal opinion is to keep it clean and not use sand. As I mentioned- I use a refugium on my Frag system and simply put a layer of pond matrix on the bottom (you could also use the brightwell bricks, live rock rubble, etc.). Pods multiply like crazy in the matrix and it stays clean. This leaves a ton of room for the Chaeto to tumble.

On my main system, I don't even have a refugium- So far I've not encountered issues maintaining nominal levels of Phosphate/Nitrate (0.02-0.1, and 10-20) and no algae problems to speak of. I have a pax bellum Chaetomorpha reactor if need be standing by, but thus far not needed.

So some advice on the new system- I would get my rock in there and keep the lights off for 2 months. Let the microfauna population really explode. Then turn on the lights at a low level (mainly blue) and ramp up slowly while you add fish. Try a few test corals and then increase your lighting to its final levels slowly over a few weeks. It's hard but going really slow will blunt much of the "uglies" and really let the ecosystem mature and stabilize.

PS. It will unfortunately lower the traffic on your build page.....at least it did for me lol! Or maybe I was just boring ;Dead

Cheers! It's all coming together phenomenally!
That makes a lot of sense. I won’t do sand in the fuge then. My goby disturbs every corner of the sand regularly, so if here’s anything to release, he’s done it. ;Sorry

My corals are all stinging each other cause they’ve grown so much. I’m not sure I have the luxury to let the tank sit for 2 months before moving any corals over. Unfortunately.
 

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That makes a lot of sense. I won’t do sand in the fuge then. My goby disturbs every corner of the sand regularly, so if here’s anything to release, he’s done it. ;Sorry

My corals are all stinging each other cause they’ve grown so much. I’m not sure I have the luxury to let the tank sit for 2 months before moving any corals over. Unfortunately.

I don't use sand in my fuge. Not to hijack the thread but I have to ask; must chaeto tumble to be effective?
 

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I don't use sand in my fuge. Not to hijack the thread but I have to ask; must chaeto tumble to be effective?
No, mines a floating mat, it’s super effective. I do flip the mat every 2 weeks or so, but unsure if that’s necessary.
 

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02A7BA1C-1AAD-417C-9760-20964E149DFF.jpeg


I have a question about this configuration, specifically the white elbows that make 180 degrees and turn back down under the water line.

Basically, this is a siphon functioning as a hose over the side of the tank when doing a water change.

I have tried this configuration, albeit, not in an overflow box. The problem I have is that the water flows out quicker than the pump can return it to the DT.

How do you balance flow with this configuration?
 

cromag27

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02A7BA1C-1AAD-417C-9760-20964E149DFF.jpeg


I have a question about this configuration, specifically the white elbows that make 180 degrees and turn back down under the water line.

Basically, this is a siphon functioning as a hose over the side of the tank when doing a water change.

I have tried this configuration, albeit, not in an overflow box. The problem I have is that the water flows out quicker than the pump can return it to the DT.

How do you balance flow with this configuration?

you need a gate valve to control the drain flow. this isn’t my favorite overflow style as you’re not creating a full siphon.
 
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