Some advice, please

maxmurano · Mar 5, 2016

Hi!
My name is Cat and I live in Montreal Area, Canada. Nice to meet you all!
Because I'm a "greenhorn" in the field I'd like to ask you few questions about the SW tank:
#1. when you clean up the tank [when you do the water change] do you syphnon the sand too? Or you leave it there so not to disturb the barcterial environment?;
#2. why the SW tanks/reef tanks are always not covered? [or - at least - this is what I saw watching your pictures posted here...] What will happen if I will add a canopy/hood at my tanks?
#3. I have a bigger tank, about 40 gallons, a hexagonal aquarium - and besides two powerheads I have a AquaC protein skimmer [nano]; I do weekly water changes [about 5% of the volume]. There is no sump, filter or so. Is it OK for the tank to run that way [I mean - my way; just with a skimmer]?
#4 when you want to add pictures at your post/thread do you upload the images here, or you upload the pictures on a different server and you link those pictures here?

Thank you!

kimba · Mar 5, 2016

Hi Cat,
Welcome.
I don't always vaccum my sand, but occasionaly I will sweep over just the top to clean it up.

I have a nano cube, and it has a hood. I think it's just preference that some have hoods and some don't. If you add a hood, I think you want to make sure it is good for salt water (correct lights, chillers if needed etc)

My tank does not have a sump, I have a nano surface skimmer, I run purigen in one ofmy chambers on top of a sponge and that is all the filter/ skimmers I have.

there are different ways to post pictures. If you click upload a file, you can get a picture off your computer, tablet or whatever. Or you can go to photo hosting website and copy and paste the link.

hope this helps

kschweer · Mar 5, 2016

Welcome to R2R!!! You should be able to get away with just live rock and a skimmer depending on your bio load. Many people do not cover their tanks so that there is gas exchange at the surface. I do not regularly vaccum my sand I think it's best to leave it be.

maxmurano · Mar 5, 2016

@kimba
@kschweer

Thank you both!
So I have that hexagonal & tall tank [~ 40 gallons] and I just started a pico [2 gallons only!] with corals and a clown fish inside. The clown was installed there just for acclimating; he is too small and if I will add it into my hexagonal it will be swallow by the Rock Fish that I have there.
Now I have a question for "kimba":
# what is that "purigen" you've mentioned there?

Regards,
Cat

kimba · Mar 5, 2016

Purigen is great. 1 bag will treat 100 gal and it costs like 7-8$. It helps with nitrate and nitrites, remove impurities from the water and can be revived to use again and again (with Prime). Check it out on line, I really like it

cameronh · Mar 5, 2016

Welcome to reef2reef!

Diesel · Mar 6, 2016

All good points already brought up.
All I can say is this forum will give you all the info you need all you need to do is read up to it and educate yourself as much as possible.
Telling you how to do it is great but telling yourself why you do it is better.
The best move you already made is by joining R2R

maxmurano · Mar 6, 2016

Thank you, "kimba"! How big is your tank? Do you have some pictures of it somewhere here, on R2R?

@Diesel & @cameronh = Nice to meet you all!!! Thank you for the warm welcoming!

skyedale · Mar 6, 2016

Hello/Bonjour to another Canadian,
Welcome to Reef2Reef or a.k.a.

KJ · Mar 6, 2016

Welcome to R2R

maxmurano · Mar 6, 2016

@skyedale = Hi, buddy! Ca va chez toi?
@KJ = Thank you! Honored to be here!

kimba · Mar 6, 2016

maxmurano said:
Thank you, "kimba"! How big is your tank? Do you have some pictures of it somewhere here, on R2R?

@Diesel & @cameronh = Nice to meet you all!!! Thank you for the warm welcoming!

I have a 12 gal and yes, I have things posted everywhere. But here is a pic so you don't nave to go lookin. I just got a new tank in December. Just starting to get coraline growth.

maxmurano · Mar 6, 2016

Wow! Beautiful!...
It's a Red Sea tank?
And - by the way - my hexagonal tank I've started on November 14th, last year; and now the coraline is everywhere...
I'll post tomorrow [March 7] some pictures of my both tanks [hexagonal & pico]. Any advice will be more than welcomed!

Thank you!