aquatop recife 40g new set up

[longbeachjw]

Guys
trying to get first hand advice on getting the maximum out of our new 40g tank. we are completely new to this and although we have a lot of guidance from our LFS and some friends information on this specific tank is very limited.

we've got out water cycled and we've began adding livestock. have 2 clowns, a engineer goby, and a damsel (huge mistake). added a mushroom and a zoey today.

everything seems to be working good in the factory set up.

what i'm trying to understand is what this basket's purpose is?
the factory skimmer. it is collecting but the its not collecting in the cup only the tube.
what's the water level supposed to be at? its not supposed to touch the lights right?

pics to follow.

 

[lapin]

Howdy
Waiting for pictures

 

[longbeachjw]

the plastic i pointing to in the middle photo.
does it go in front of the drains? if so it raises the water till the water touches the lights

 

[longbeachjw]

so far we have
1 blue damsel. kinda bullish but fun to look at. hasn't been a major ****** yet
2 clowns. aren't going near my anemone.
1 engineer goby

today added 2 peppermint shrimped, some hermits and snails.

4 corals. 2 mushroom 1 zoey. forget the other one.
been running since xmas. sped up with live rock and media from LFS
nitrites nill. nitrates holding at 30. probably do a water change tomorrow. 10 gals.

 

[longbeachjw]

 

[longbeachjw]

as of today

 

[longbeachjw]

Update
Added ai hydra 36
Added a torch.
lost blenny after week. Odd
Engineer goby agter 3 months very odd
Condy anome ate damsel. So condy had to go

fighting self inflicted 20ppt nitrates. Did a 50% water change. Was over dosing reef roids based on YouTube video.

 

[Neffly4u]

the little clear plastic piece is designed to go in front of the filter inlet. It brings the water level up so it will pull the skim off the top of the water as it flows into the black filter area where the sponge originally was. I don't use it because the water level is way to high for my liking so I just deal with more cloudy surface water.

also if your skimmer is not going into the cup its because the water level is too low. I would hook it to the divider glass rather than the back glass. this will lower the skimmer down enough to bring your skim into the cup. or just lower the tube down until it touches the cup and see if that helps

 

[longbeachjw]

the little clear plastic piece is designed to go in front of the filter inlet. It brings the water level up so it will pull the skim off the top of the water as it flows into the black filter area where the sponge originally was. I don't use it because the water level is way to high for my liking so I just deal with more cloudy surface water.

also if your skimmer is not going into the cup its because the water level is too low. I would hook it to the divider glass rather than the back glass. this will lower the skimmer down enough to bring your skim into the cup. or just lower the tube down until it touches the cup and see if that helps

Yah. Thanks for the reply it have since figured all that out.
got the included skimmer working pretty good now.
here is my filter that I want to replace with your designed contraception.

 

[longbeachjw]

the little clear plastic piece is designed to go in front of the filter inlet. It brings the water level up so it will pull the skim off the top of the water as it flows into the black filter area where the sponge originally was. I don't use it because the water level is way to high for my liking so I just deal with more cloudy surface water.

also if your skimmer is not going into the cup its because the water level is too low. I would hook it to the divider glass rather than the back glass. this will lower the skimmer down enough to bring your skim into the cup. or just lower the tube down until it touches the cup and see if that helps

I still haven’t fully decided on the skimmer extension piece. It lets you add more water. Probably like a gal more which maybe helpful.

 

[Neffly4u]

I still haven’t fully decided on the skimmer extension piece. It lets you add more water. Probably like a gal more which maybe helpful.

My biggest issue with the clear weir is it's a very small window of water fluctuation so if you don't have an auto top off and it goes too long without attention it will drop below the required water line and cause havoc where without it attached your intake is much larger

 

[longbeachjw]

Well we had our first massive failure.
velvet outbreak.
we lost a wrasse and a eginner Goby and a blenny over the course of a month. Thought wow but could figure out what going on. This might have been purely coincidental and unrelated but I then noticed what turned out to be velvet on my clowns. Our lfs was closed.
We lost one in 48 hours.
Called our lfs and he took in our 3 remaining fish for hospitalization. If they make it.
the second clown didn’t look too hot. The Cardinal was beginning to show spots of velvet. The watchman appears fine so might make it.
We are devastated.
Plan is to let tank go fishless for 60days. Let the parasites flush out. In the mean time keep adding coral and playing aquasascprw.

rip big clown.

 

[Neffly4u]

Well we had our first massive failure.
velvet outbreak.
we lost a wrasse and a eginner Goby and a blenny over the course of a month. Thought wow but could figure out what going on. This might have been purely coincidental and unrelated but I then noticed what turned out to be velvet on my clowns. Our lfs was closed.
We lost one in 48 hours.
Called our lfs and he took in our 3 remaining fish for hospitalization. If they make it.
the second clown didn’t look too hot. The Cardinal was beginning to show spots of velvet. The watchman appears fine so might make it.
We are devastated.
Plan is to let tank go fishless for 60days. Let the parasites flush out. In the mean time keep adding coral and playing aquasascprw.

rip big clown.

So sorry to hear about your tank. Velvet is nasty stuff hope the best for your remaining fishies in the mean time!

 

[longbeachjw]

Killed nearly all my fish but at least I can grow me some coral.
Duncan is multiplying like crazy. Added 2 heads in a week.

 

[longbeachjw]

Updated.
Since I went with @Neffly4u media basket for chamber 1 it freed up all my middle chamber.
so I made a refugium.
bought some chaeto and a cheap daylight suction led.
this will be my first experience with chaeto. Figure 12 hour light program. 9pm to 9 am.
see what happens.
may need to buy a better light.

 

[longbeachjw]

.

 

[longbeachjw]

I’ve been messing with the aquatop factory “gate”
Not modified it fills the display almost to the top.
I cut down the slits to drop the water level.
I gets some good surface action going and allows me to add about a gal of additional water.
Try it for a bit and see what happens.
Might cut it down some more.

 

[Tiwo]

How did you cut the "gate"? I'm having the same problem where it raises the water level way too high for my liking

 

[Neffly4u]

How did you cut the "gate"? I'm having the same problem where it raises the water level way too high for my liking

Depends on your tolerance for danger haha. I used a Dremel and the metal spinney bit (has to be a cutting bit or sanding bit or the acrylic will just gum it up. Then realizing my lines were terrible I used a chop saw, lined up the slit in the blade (standing up), lifted the saw, started it (so it didn't catch and Rip it off) and lowered it to my desired depth.

 

[longbeachjw]

How did you cut the "gate"? I'm having the same problem where it raises the water level way too high for my liking

Like @Neffly4u
Used a dremel cut off tool and just followed the line down. Then cleaned with a buff wheel. Took 5 mins.
Question is what is the best water level?