Marine Nano -- Live Sand
padeen
fish. I've read a bunch of websites and almost always I seem to see
live rock, live sand and a protein skimmer as the basics. Yet I go to
the LFS and they say forget the deep live sand bed, it's discredited,
and we don't sell live sand anyway. There's only one LFS and am a bit
concerned the couple of staff that know marine may be a reinforcing
each other's prejudices rather than bringing in new information.
I see the science behind a deep live sand bed, it sort of feels right
(ha, how's that for scientific rigour), so am a wee bit suspicous when
the LFS person who doesn't sell live sand says DSBs are discredited. I
may be being unfair to them, but it goes against what I see on
websites.
Also, cost is a big factor, including maintenance. The LFS is
strongly recommending a sump, but I'd like to avoid it if possible,
mainly because it seems like an added complication for a nano.
Lighting, too, would prefer to avoid hard-core expensive fixtures.
Then again, I have exactly zero experience in marine so could be
talking out my hat.
Stock will be soft corals initially and eventually one, two or three
fish chosen for colour and movement. I like gobys, I guess the
ubiquitous clown, but really anything that's bright or interesting.
I have the choice of an 18", 2' tank or a 3' tank. Space is sort of
an issue and so is ease of maintenance. What do you think?
(Gill, if you're up for an email discussion on nanos, I'm keen!)
Gill Passman
On Mar 12, 12:16 am, "padeen" <nick.cole...@gmail.com> wrote:
> (Gill, if you're up for an email discussion on nanos, I'm keen!)
Yes....I am very much up for a discussion of this....but sadly not
tonight as it is well past midnight and I am just browsing......
I have very strong opinions about the sale of live sand.....you buy
live rock...you supply a sand bed....hmmmm....very quickly you get
live sand....and the stuff normally on sale has sat in bags for weeks
and I doubt the benefit, although as I've never tried it I could be
wrong.......
Will answer you in more depth in my morning when I am
awake.....snore, snore, snore....hmmmm....someone ask me
something....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Seriously.....back with you tomorrow - anything I can do to help but I
am no expert....
Gill
Melissa Phillips
sand bed. I think a deep sand bed has its benefits and its faults.
Its harder to keep clean, if its not turned then it can create dead
spots and cause problems. You can buy critters to turn it for you,
that like to crawl through or burrow through it. People who keep sps
around here prefer a bare bottom tank. Easier to clean.
For lighting if you just want softies then having regular fluorescent
bulbs should work fine for you. If you can fit 4 bulbs and have a
shallow tank that would be best. Although by the time you buy the
fixtures and special bulbs it may be almost as costly as buying pc's or
vhos. I know several people who use a pc for their white light and a
double bright fluorescent fixture for their actinics using bulbs like
coral sun bulbs (by zoomed).
Altum
On Mar 11, 5:16 pm, "padeen" <nick.cole...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm toying with the idea of setting up a nano reef with a couple of
> fish. I've read a bunch of websites and almost always I seem to see
> live rock, live sand and a protein skimmer as the basics. Yet I go to
> the LFS and they say forget the deep live sand bed, it's discredited,
> and we don't sell live sand anyway. There's only one LFS and am a bit
> concerned the couple of staff that know marine may be a reinforcing
> each other's prejudices rather than bringing in new information.
>
> I see the science behind a deep live sand bed, it sort of feels right
> (ha, how's that for scientific rigour), so am a wee bit suspicous when
> the LFS person who doesn't sell live sand says DSBs are discredited. I
> may be being unfair to them, but it goes against what I see on
> websites.
I don't know. I had about 1.5" of aragonite in my 10g reef and my
nitrates were low enough that I'm sure I had denitrification going
somewhere. Back then, people were just starting to even add substrate
to reef tanks.
> Also, cost is a big factor, including maintenance. The LFS is
> strongly recommending a sump, but I'd like to avoid it if possible,
> mainly because it seems like an added complication for a nano.
> Lighting, too, would prefer to avoid hard-core expensive fixtures.
> Then again, I have exactly zero experience in marine so could be
> talking out my hat.
I didn't have a sump; just an oversized HOB filter. The heater was in
the display. A sump is nice, but a luxury for small tanks. Lighting
is a place where you do need to spend a little. Without decent
lighting, you really don't have a reef tank.
> Stock will be soft corals initially and eventually one, two or three
> fish chosen for colour and movement. I like gobys, I guess the
> ubiquitous clown, but really anything that's bright or interesting.
Sounds nice. Polyps like mushrooms, star polyps, and xenia are also
nice in nanos. Back when I was into marine, people were putting
centropyge angels into 20-30g tanks. I don't know whether they're
still in favor.
> I have the choice of an 18", 2' tank or a 3' tank. Space is sort of
> an issue and so is ease of maintenance. What do you think?
I'd say get the biggest marine tank you can fit and light
effectively. Stability is a HUGE issue for marine organisms and a
larger tank will have smaller fluctuations in temperature, salinity,
and water quality. You already know from freshwater that maintaining
a 3' tank vs an 18" tank is only another bucket during water changes
and maybe a little more glass to scrape.
--Altum
Gill Passman
On Mar 12, 8:56 am, "Altum" <Pt.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mar 11, 5:16 pm, "padeen" <nick.cole...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I'm toying with the idea of setting up a nano reef with a couple of
> > fish. I've read a bunch of websites and almost always I seem to see
> > live rock, live sand and a protein skimmer as the basics. Yet I go to
> > the LFS and they say forget the deep live sand bed, it's discredited,
> > and we don't sell live sand anyway. There's only one LFS and am a bit
> > concerned the couple of staff that know marine may be a reinforcing
> > each other's prejudices rather than bringing in new information.
>
> > I see the science behind a deep live sand bed, it sort of feels right
> > (ha, how's that for scientific rigour), so am a wee bit suspicous when
> > the LFS person who doesn't sell live sand says DSBs are discredited. I
> > may be being unfair to them, but it goes against what I see on
> > websites.
>
> I don't know. I had about 1.5" of aragonite in my 10g reef and my
> nitrates were low enough that I'm sure I had denitrification going
> somewhere. Back then, people were just starting to even add substrate
> to reef tanks.
I have a crushed coral substrate in my Nano - looking at the packet it
says it contains algal oogalites.....The substrate is around 1cm
deep.....I will be going deeper when I get the new tank. The sand is
certainly "live" now - fascinating to see the little creatures
scurrying around in it at lights on/off - there are some burrowing
snails in there as well - nassarius snails - but I don't see them too
often. My advice is to forget about buying "live sand" it will become
live soon enough when you add the live rock.
>
> > Also, cost is a big factor, including maintenance. The LFS is
> > strongly recommending a sump, but I'd like to avoid it if possible,
> > mainly because it seems like an added complication for a nano.
> > Lighting, too, would prefer to avoid hard-core expensive fixtures.
> > Then again, I have exactly zero experience in marine so could be
> > talking out my hat.
>
> I didn't have a sump; just an oversized HOB filter. The heater was in
> the display. A sump is nice, but a luxury for small tanks. Lighting
> is a place where you do need to spend a little. Without decent
> lighting, you really don't have a reef tank.
I don't have a sump either and am not planning on putting one on the
new tank either (although this will be predrilled so I can add one
later if I want to). A sump is a good place to hide equipment and also
to grow algae (seaweed) and little critters that can then be fed to
your fish and corals. It also increases the overall capacity of the
tank - allowing you to get more fish without increasing the size of
the display tank. The only reason I am toying with the idea of a sump
on the large tank is so that I can grow the algae/seaweed to remove
any residual nitrates/phosphates - of course the sump itself will need
to be lit to do this. I never even considered a sump on the Nano - it
did seem, as Altum says, a bit of a luxury....I've heard good reports
on the use of HOB filters on a Nano - including people using these to
grow algae/critters etc....
Lighting, is pretty key.....the 15 gall tank I used only had one T8
Flouroscent - I added two more - at the time I could not source any
T5's short enough to fit in the hood. I use a mix of marine white and
the actinics.....but another thing to bear in mind in a Nano tank is
that you are a bit limited for space and even with the lighting option
I took I have still had Corals that got too much light (including a
poor departed leather that got scorched).
>
> > Stock will be soft corals initially and eventually one, two or three
> > fish chosen for colour and movement. I like gobys, I guess the
> > ubiquitous clown, but really anything that's bright or interesting.
>
> Sounds nice. Polyps like mushrooms, star polyps, and xenia are also
> nice in nanos. Back when I was into marine, people were putting
> centropyge angels into 20-30g tanks. I don't know whether they're
> still in favor.
I would add capnella and button polyps (Zooanthus sp) to Altum's list
- both are thriving in my tank - I found that they prefer the bottom
of the tank rather than areas with higher light.
Centropyge Angels (aka Coral Beauty) - want one, want one....Yes, they
are still very much in favour - I've been researching them for my new
tank - the only downside I've found is that they do not mix too well
with any other marine angels...
>
> > I have the choice of an 18", 2' tank or a 3' tank. Space is sort of
> > an issue and so is ease of maintenance. What do you think?
>
> I'd say get the biggest marine tank you can fit and light
> effectively. Stability is a HUGE issue for marine organisms and a
> larger tank will have smaller fluctuations in temperature, salinity,
> and water quality. You already know from freshwater that maintaining
> a 3' tank vs an 18" tank is only another bucket during water changes
> and maybe a little more glass to scrape.
>
The bigger the better as Altum says.....I have found it so frustrating
that I no longer have much space for anything else....(but I still do
occassionally squeeze something in)...stability is also an issue with
the smaller tank - I'm still not sure how hot my little tank will get
in the summer and exactly how I will cool it.
As for other equipment not touched on already in this thread - a
protein skimmer IMO is a must - there are cheap air pump driven
options available that do a good job - but they are a bit of a PITA -
I guess it is a matter of suiting budget. Another thing that you will
need is powerheads to get a good circulation going......good water
movement is another essential....
Clean up crew are also another essential - but are fascinating in
their own right - just make sure that what you buy is reef friendly...
On the bright side with a Nano you can go out and buy all the small
frags and resisting the larger expensive ones gets pretty easy once
you start running out of space. My capnella and xenia were both small
frags when I bought them 6 months ago but you would never have thought
so if you looked at them now....
Gill
Marco Schwarz
> I'm toying with the idea of setting up a nano reef with a couple of
> fish.
> 18", 2' tank or a 3' tank
Well life rock is life rock and will be life rock where ever it is
located while so called life sand will be life sand as long it's
located into the Sea..
The micro fauna of life sand put into plastic bags will start to
change respectively will die soon..
> I've read a bunch of websites and almost always I seem to see
> live rock, live sand and a protein skimmer as the basics.
Well.., personally I'm no friend of much too much small _fish_ tanks..
> Yet I go to
> the LFS and they say forget the deep live sand bed, it's discredited,
> and we don't sell live sand anyway.
Well there is a big difference between a running life sand bed in a
set up tank and so called life sand in a plastic bag but these guys
didn't seem to know the difference..
> Also, cost is a big factor, including maintenance. The LFS is
> strongly recommending a sump, but I'd like to avoid it if possible,
> mainly because it seems like an added complication for a nano.
> Lighting, too, would prefer to avoid hard-core expensive fixtures.
Hmm., we don't speak about common marine nanos - we do speak about a
nano reef tank..!
> Then again, I have exactly zero experience in marine so could be
> talking out my hat.
cu
Marco
luca
> > Yet I go to
> > the LFS and they say forget the deep live sand bed, it's discredited,
> > and we don't sell live sand anyway.
>
> Well there is a big difference between a running life sand bed in a
> set up tank and so called life sand in a plastic bag but these guys
> didn't seem to know the difference..
DSBs seem to be one of those controversial topics for which there is
nowhere near consensus (to me that's a far cry from being
'discredited'). I too got the impression that LFS tend to discourage
you from a DSB setup. In a couple of instances, just 1-1.5" of sand,
or better no substrate at all, was recommended instead. Perhaps, with
so many things that can potentially go wrong in a reef system, they
try to eliminate a potential source of problems...?
This is one interesting article on DSB I found in my research:
http://ronshimek.com/Deep%20Sand%20Beds.htm
As usual, all depends on who are you going to believe. :-)
Luca
padeen
delivery of otos and talk about nano systems. They have a soft coral
display tank that has been the owner's special pride. He wants to try
the new Red Sea Max marine setup and had just decided to sell this
display that very day. Tricked-up 2' Tank, plumbed sump attached to
the back, heater, filter, power heads and all stock(!!) for US$300.
Done! And I had to fight off two other people who wanted it too.
There's a lesson there: the quick and the dead, the quick being me
who brought his credit card with him ;).
Yowza, I'm the owner of a fully developed and mature soft coral
setup. I pick it up this weekend. I'm going to get familiar with
this before I do anything more. Currently it has no substrate and
I'll leave it alone until I know what I'm doing.
Thanks for all the advice. I'm excited about it, probably more than
it warrants, but don't you just love it when things come together like
that.
Nick
Gill Passman
On Mar 13, 12:56 pm, "padeen" <nick.cole...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Yowza, I'm the owner of a fully developed and mature soft coral
> setup. I pick it up this weekend. I'm going to get familiar with
> this before I do anything more. Currently it has no substrate and
> I'll leave it alone until I know what I'm doing.
How exciting - well done.....I find midweek visits to the LFS often
let you see the bargains or the good stuff before the crowds at the
weekends :-)
Personally I would go with the substrate - don't put it in until
you've got the rockwork sorted...
>
> Thanks for all the advice. I'm excited about it, probably more than
> it warrants, but don't you just love it when things come together like
> that.
>
Looking forward to all those pics that you are going to post once you
have it up and running ;-)
What livestock did you get with it?
Gill
> Nick
carlrs
I NEVER sold live sand, only CURED live rock. My opinion is that live
sand is a gimmick. I have heard the statement that live sand will kick
start nitrification and de-nitrification and this is simply not true
(at least in my opinion).
I kept hundreds of marine aquariums with all sorts of system variation
and can say that there is no ONE system you should have. A sump
certainly would be useful in the way Gill expressed, however it is not
essential. A Mud Filter would help, however it is not essential. I
will probably start a firestorm with this comment (which is why I no
longer frequent reef groups): that is there are more myths in marine
keeping than in any other aspect of aquarium keeping.
Here is a couple:
*Myth; A protein Skimmer is essential; not true I have kept dozens of
marine/reef aquariums with low nitrates and healthy inhabitants
without them.
*UV Sterilizers will kill all beneficial bacteria and organism; not
true, again I have NEVER seen this happen (also UVs are also not
essential, although useful)
Even with lighting you can have the best lighting in the world but if
it is blocked by glass (polycarbonate or quartz is best for a lenses)
or calcium deposits it will do you no good.
As Altum stated even an oversized HOB filter (such as a large Aqua
Clear) can make an excellent Nano filter (I have even converted an
Aqua Clear 500 into a small mud filter).
Carl
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Basic_Saltwater.html
luca
This is exciting, sounds like a very good deal too. Congrats are in
order! :-)
As Gill said, don't forget to take plenty of pictures....
Luca
luca
wrote:
> I could not agree more with Gill here.
>
> I NEVER sold live sand, only CURED live rock. My opinion is that live
> sand is a gimmick. I have heard the statement that live sand will kick
> start nitrification and de-nitrification and this is simply not true
> (at least in my opinion).
Fair enough.
> I kept hundreds of marine aquariums with all sorts of system variation
> and can say that there is no ONE system you should have. A sump
> certainly would be useful in the way Gill expressed, however it is not
> essential. A Mud Filter would help, however it is not essential. I
> will probably start a firestorm with this comment (which is why I no
> longer frequent reef groups): that is there are more myths in marine
> keeping than in any other aspect of aquarium keeping.
Carl, nobody is saying that the stuff they usually sell in plastic bag
as 'live' sand is even useful. As a matter of fact, the author of the
article I was linking to says so himself.
What he (and others) see as beneficial is a deep sand bed that has the
right characteristics, and is populated by the right critters.
I'm just trying to learn here... no need to shout.
Luca
Gill Passman
On Mar 13, 2:39 pm, "carlrs" <c...@americanaquariumproducts.com>
wrote:
> I could not agree more with Gill here.
>
> I NEVER sold live sand, only CURED live rock. My opinion is that live
> sand is a gimmick. I have heard the statement that live sand will kick
> start nitrification and de-nitrification and this is simply not true
> (at least in my opinion).
I just fail to see how bagged sand can remain "live" for very long, if
at all.....sand becomes live naturally anyhow so why bother spending
the money....
>
> A Mud Filter would help, however it is not essential.
I looked at one of these at the LFS - it was on the top shelf
gathering dust and very, very expensive......I liked the theory but
hated the price.....and I'm afraid put it down to being a luxury item
and possibly just yet another way of fleecing reefers.....Now if it
was cheaper (and by that I mean a lot cheaper) I might have a
play...but for now it is a No Thank You
> I
> will probably start a firestorm with this comment (which is why I no
> longer frequent reef groups): that is there are more myths in marine
> keeping than in any other aspect of aquarium keeping.
My feeling is that a lot of these myths are generated by those wanting
to sell expensive equipment that is non-essential. I was put off reef
for a long time by just reading about the paraphenalia that was deemed
essential for running a successful tank and then glazing over - not
only because it was overly high tech but also because it put a reef
tank outside the budget of most.....I am very refreshed to see, read
and hear stuff breaking down these myths - PFK is running a great
series of articles that do just this.....My LFS are now very much into
selling and advocating the Berlin Style method of keeping reefs and
are about to set up their main display marine tank in just this
way.....
>
> Here is a couple:
> *Myth; A protein Skimmer is essential; not true I have kept dozens of
> marine/reef aquariums with low nitrates and healthy inhabitants
> without them.
>
Having seen the crud that I empty out of my Protein Skimmer I think I
prefer to think of it as an "essential" - I do acknowledge that there
are other methods of bio-filtration that can be used - including the
good old fashioned method of frequent water changes
> *UV Sterilizers will kill all beneficial bacteria and organism; not
> true, again I have NEVER seen this happen (also UVs are also not
> essential, although useful)
And Protein Skimmers can also remove micro-organisms......I'm not
convinced on UV Sterilizers although understand the concept behind
them. I would imagine that their main benefit will be when initially
stocking the tank and adding fish - but I've also read that cleaner
shrimps are pretty good at removing parasites as well....
>
> Even with lighting you can have the best lighting in the world but if
> it is blocked by glass (polycarbonate or quartz is best for a lenses)
> or calcium deposits it will do you no good.
Very true, and lets not forget the dreaded salt creep as well.....
Gill
Altum
maintenance routine from the owner?
--Altum
On Mar 13, 5:56 am, "padeen" <nick.cole...@gmail.com> wrote:
carlrs
> as 'live' sand is even useful. As a matter of fact, the author of the
> article I was linking to says so himself.
> What he (and others) see as beneficial is a deep sand bed that has the
> right characteristics, and is populated by the right critters.
> I'm just trying to learn here... no need to shout.
>
> Luca
Sorry, I did not think I was shouting, only making a point.
Carl
carlrs
> gathering dust and very, very expensive......I liked the theory but
> hated the price.....and I'm afraid put it down to being a luxury item
> and possibly just yet another way of fleecing reefers.....Now if it
> was cheaper (and by that I mean a lot cheaper) I might have a
> play...but for now it is a No Thank You
I have always made DIY mud filters (the only hard part is the mud,
however where I use to live going down to the beach and finding a
muddy tidepool worked and even clean dirt would probably work in
time).
I recommend making your own out of a sump or even an Aqua Clear 500
which I have a description on my filters article.
> Having seen the crud that I empty out of my Protein Skimmer I think I
> prefer to think of it as an "essential" - I do acknowledge that there
> are other methods of bio-filtration that can be used - including the
> good old fashioned method of frequent water changes
Rinsing a sponge pre filter will have similar effects (not letting it
sit with nitrifying bio debris), a mud filter, live sand, or live
rock. I should also note that many Protein skimmers are not always
reliable and often take constant attention (often more than just
rinsing a sponge off every few days).
> And Protein Skimmers can also remove micro-organisms......I'm not
> convinced on UV Sterilizers although understand the concept behind
> them. I would imagine that their main benefit will be when initially
> stocking the tank and adding fish - but I've also read that cleaner
> shrimps are pretty good at removing parasites as well....
It is true intiall stocking is useful, however they are aid in the
breakdown of organic matter (somewhat similar to Protein Skimmers) aid
in Redox. This said, I would be starting my own myth to say they are
essential although I required them for my service customers as I was
could not afford to guarantee my work when I was not there but for
once a week.
As for cleaner shrimp, I have seen many a case of Crytocaryon with
these present (although UVs are no guarantee here either)
Another filtration idea I used is live rock fragments in place of bio
balls in wet/dry filter.
> Very true, and lets not forget the dreaded salt creep as well.....
>
> Gill
Good point!
Marco Schwarz
> > > Yet I go to
> > > the LFS and they say forget the deep live sand bed, it's discredited,
> > > and we don't sell live sand anyway.
> > Well there is a big difference between a running life sand bed in a
> > set up tank and so called life sand in a plastic bag but these guys
> > didn't seem to know the difference..
> DSBs seem to be one of those controversial topics for which there is
> nowhere near consensus
ACK but don't forget I'm an older (practical) supporter of sand
substrates, biofilm theory, mud buffer theory and mud filtration in
freshwater, brackish water and saltwater. ;-) And relating to bio
filtration there's finally _no_ difference between freshwater,
brackish water and saltwater..
Well set up substrates have of course a lot of benefit to the
(aquatic) system..
> (to me that's a far cry from being 'discredited')
Hmm.., are you personally familiar to sand substrates..?
> I too got the impression that LFS tend to discourage
> you from a DSB setup.
ACK.
> In a couple of instances, just 1-1.5" of sand,
> or better no substrate at all, was recommended instead.
Maybe in the (native) English speaking world but not in mine..
> Perhaps, with
> so many things that can potentially go wrong in a reef system, they
> try to eliminate a potential source of problems...?
Good point, Luca..!
In my mind sand beds seem to need some _time_ to be(come) a beneficial
factor..!
> This is one interesting article on DSB I found in my research:
> http://ronshimek.com/Deep%20Sand%20Beds.htm
> As usual, all depends on who are you going to believe. :-)
:-) ;-) :-)
cu
Marco
luca
> > DSBs seem to be one of those controversial topics for which there is
> > nowhere near consensus
>
> ACK but don't forget I'm an older (practical) supporter of sand
> substrates, biofilm theory, mud buffer theory and mud filtration in
> freshwater, brackish water and saltwater. ;-) And relating to bio
> filtration there's finally _no_ difference between freshwater,
> brackish water and saltwater..
>
> Well set up substrates have of course a lot of benefit to the
> (aquatic) system..
I'm glad to hear that Marco. :-) I guess you mean a bit more by
'practical', do you care to explain?
> > (to me that's a far cry from being 'discredited')
>
> Hmm.., are you personally familiar to sand substrates..?
Unfortunately, my experience with saltwater tanks is entirely at the
'research stage'. :-) I'm just trying to figure out as much as I can
before setting up a reef tank, one day... I read about the potential
value of DBS in a couple of books, and in several other instances, so
Nick's question sounded like an interesting one. For the little I can
understand, the theory behind them makes sense. Funny thing, I find
both subscribers and non-subscribers into the DSB theory to be very
confident, perhaps they're both right. :-)
> > In a couple of instances, just 1-1.5" of sand,
> > or better no substrate at all, was recommended instead.
>
> Maybe in the (native) English speaking world but not in mine..
Next time I'm back in Italy will be interesting to see their different
'spin' on aquarium things. Here in Vancouver, of the two stores I
browsed that specialize in SW, both didn't recommended implementing a
DSB. The explanation they gave was basically that a DSB becomes 'a
mess' after a while. Like I said, I don't have any insight one way or
the other. Am I correct in assuming that your experience is that a
DSB *may* be working as advertised when properly setup / maintained?
Luca
Greg Wade
Sorry for the late reply. I'm way behind in my emails. Its taken me 3 days to get through the last weeks worth. Anyways ...
I'll admit I bought the live sand from the LFS when setting up my tank. I was just as skeptical as everyone else, especially after reading some of the articles (print and web). The owner grabbed a bag and sat it on the counter after shaking it around a bit. When the dust settled I was able to see the little critters running around. I checked and all the bags did the same thing. It was fresh off the truck. I was also advised not to go the DSB route unless I planned on getting critters that needed it. After the first 2" of sand the rest just becomes "dead" area and will harm the tank more than help it. So far its working for me I have ~ 2" of aragonite sand and love the color and texture. My nassarius snails help keep it churned up nicely. I also bought 1/2 of the rock "live" and the other half "dead".
I don't run a sump. My stand isn't built in a way that would support it. I do run a Fluval 404 canister filter, though. I am also starting to look into a HOB refugium. All of my water parameters are perfect except for nitrate and phosphate. These aren't actually in the "bad" range but just slightly out of whack enough to annoy me into buying yet another expensive "toy" for my tank.
The items I consider essential are the protein skimmer, UV filter, live rock, normal (canister, HOB) filter of your choice, RO water and lighting. Anything else is an optional extra that may or may not help you in your endeavor to keep your critters alive.
Figure out what space you have to work with, what critters you want to put in the tank and match the tank to their environment. If you get burrowing creatures that need 6" of sand then you'll have a DSB. Does your stand have space for a large display tank and a sump and/or refugium underneath? Can your floor support the additional weight? Are you getting clams or other high light requirement critters?
We suffer from MTS. We have a fairly nice reef tank that I add a small chunk to every other month. We have 2 slightly overstocked freshwater tanks. My wife and I are starting to plan a 120 gal. discus tank. We've got the bug. Its bit us bad. I'm glad the van doesn't have a trailer hitch or I might find a boat in my driveway. A friend once told me "A boat is a hole in the water that you throw your money into". I replied "A fish tank is a hole with water in it that you throw your money into". We laughed and attempted to scrape together enough money for another pitcher of beer while trying to justify what boat part / tank mate would have to wait until next check.
Nick - I've also noticed you should have your tank now and there are no subject lines mentioning pics of your new pride and joy. :-)
Its late here. I'm going to head for bed. I need to update my site with the pics of my new critters from over the weekend. I'll (hopefully) post them Tuesday before work along with a review of the light I purchased from http://www.aquatraders.com.
I'll also try to answer any questions/flames that may arise from anything I've posted here.
Enjoy,
Wade
http://fish.mdhowler.com
padeen
On Mar 20, 5:33 pm, "Greg Wade" <greg.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Nick - I've also noticed you should have your tank now and there are no
> subject lines mentioning pics of your new pride and joy. :-)
>
I've been too busy gazing at it in awe. ;)
I should have some spare time later today to give you all a bit of a
run-down. I'll post another message.
Nick.
Gill Passman
On Mar 20, 11:28 pm, "padeen" <nick.cole...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I've been too busy gazing at it in awe. ;)
It doesn't get any better with time.....lol - I just spent yet another
10 mins just gazing at my Nano....there is just something so
incredible about a reef tank (and don't get me wrong I love my
freshwater tanks as well) - it is the constant movement and
change.....there is nothing quite like watching the star polyps
swaying and the pulsing xenia just creeping up the rock but leaving
bits behind so the original rock is still populated......I am a little
worried that if the Xenia go much higher that they will be out of the
water but I'm guessing there might be some sort of survival mechanism
that might stop them - but 5mm below the surface is a little bit too
high for my liking (allowances for evaporation and all that)......then
I have the sea urchins....both trundle around the tank clearing up the
algae but also picking up hitchhikers.....I did get concerned when the
Feather Duster, Barry, was taken on a roller coaster ride all over the
tank....he didn't seem to care and was fully extended for the entire
trip - I guess he was getting his food for free without too much
effort.....one of the urchins currently has a red mushroom polyp stuck
on it.....it's been there for days - it doesn't seem to care and is
fully extended.....my only question would be where did the urchin find
it? I have never bought a red mushroom.......
>
> I should have some spare time later today to give you all a bit of a
> run-down. I'll post another message.
>
Can't wait to hear what you have got and your experiences and
observations......it is such an adventure :-) - I'm getting my 350L
tank in the next few days/week - I am just soooo excited......
Gill
> Nick.