What not to buy: A DO NOT buy list for your reef.
- Thread starter inkblue
- Start date
- Location
- Marine Park
Yes plus stress coat changes the viscosity of salt water. It will cause your skimmer to produce many times the bubbles that it normally would, thereby overflowing it.
Natural dechlorination is easy, put the water that needs to be dechlorinated in a bucket and let it circulate with a powerhead for about an hour and it is will be dechlorinated. Or RO/DI it.
If you ever noticed when you use it your protien skimmer goes nuts as well and can overflow.
Poly aqua should be added to this list as well.
There have been some that claim that the use of products like this may in fact lower the disolved oxygen content of the tank water as well.
If you ever noticed when you use it your protien skimmer goes nuts as well and can overflow.
Poly aqua should be added to this list as well.
There have been some that claim that the use of products like this may in fact lower the disolved oxygen content of the tank water as well.
Psycho graphic
Trouble Maker!
- Location
- Somewhere on the East Coast
Here lies the problem. you all assume everyone has an RO unit. I know a good percentage of people are running their tanks without one. So going by your answers Epoxy should also be on this list as it can make skimmers go crazy also.
Psycho graphic
Trouble Maker!
- Location
- Somewhere on the East Coast
I did read your post, I was not singling you out there were a few posts on this subject.
- Location
- Marine Park
I think the point of this thread wasn't to establish "the right way" of doing something, after all most of us do things differently and most of them are successful. I think that the thread was for people to give advice on products that newbies should stay away from or purchases that we later regretted.
I doubt anyone would tell a new comer to go and buy some stress coat. For fresh water applications I agree it is a good product. For a reef or marine setup I would advise to spend that money elsewhere. Newly mixed saltwater is VERY caustic and thus needs to be mixed and "aged" so that the chemical reaction has time to occur and more importantly finish before it touches living animals. During this mixing and aerating any chlorine will leave. Therefor, adding a chemical dechlorinator isn't necessary.
I doubt anyone would tell a new comer to go and buy some stress coat. For fresh water applications I agree it is a good product. For a reef or marine setup I would advise to spend that money elsewhere. Newly mixed saltwater is VERY caustic and thus needs to be mixed and "aged" so that the chemical reaction has time to occur and more importantly finish before it touches living animals. During this mixing and aerating any chlorine will leave. Therefor, adding a chemical dechlorinator isn't necessary.
Hey no worries...Powersweeps do a good job on my tank. But hey, whatever works for some people might not necessarily work for others.
- Location
- New Rochelle
This tank was destroyed by attempt to dechlorinate a large amount of water with additives for emergency topoff (I don't recall exactly which one) and it might be due to the product been sitting around for a long time. So be careful about what you put in the tank.
- Location
- New Rochelle
- Location
- Upper East Side
The remora line is ok but the EV line isn't worth it IME. The pumps required to make them perform use up so much electricity that you'd be better off with a beckett based skimmer. You're much better off, in this price range purchasing a needle wheel skimmer. If you don't mind the wattage that one of these take then consider a beckett skimmer.
Ah Fred, I believe I have YOUR aquaC EV skimmer.
And it's worked really well for me - but I'm running the EV120 on a small tank, which is probably part of that. I have found that I need to clean it frequently to keep the skimmer really churning. I've also started running it on a manifold from an external pump (so one pump returns and drivers the skimmer) which gives the skimmer the added power without adding a second pump to my system. So if one of these comes up at a good price, I don't think it's a bad choice. I agree with you point about the full price though - if you're going to drop $300 on a skimmer, there are better products in that price range.
Nano-tanks - any brand. Forgive me Chief but you are not a beginner. Beginner's should try to stay away from nanos. They should probably also stay away from very large tanks ( arbitrarily anythin over 75 gallons but that is debatable ) just because the larger the tank, the more expensive to start and maintain and the more maintainance required which can turn a newbie off. Even if the maintainance doesnt do it, if the newbie decides for whatever reason it isnt the hobby for them, they are out a lot more money than if they started with something around 50-75 gallons, which is reasonable on the wallet but also large enough to avoid nano pitfalls. ( How's that for runon sentences ).
I agree Nano's are not good for new people. Too little water volume and too much can go wrong too quickly if you over react and or dose inappropriately. They are very easy to overstock as well. So Nano's are a No no for people fresh into the hobby I would say too.
- Location
- Philippines
any DO NOT BUY Livestock suggestions
:fish: :starfish: :lobster: :snail:
:fish: :starfish: :lobster: :snail:
- Location
- Marine Park
Anemones and tangs come to mind.
Alligators are illegal in NYC not only because of the danger they pose but because there is no where for them to go. The Bronx zoo doesn't want anymore, they have enough. So you buy an 8 inch baby alligator and it's cute. You keep it until it's about 3 feet long and realize that you can no longer care for it so you try to give it to someone who can. The problem is that there are 50 people just like you and not many places that can care for a 3 foot alligator. So you let it loose at Brighton Beach at 4am.
Most tangs are the same way, you get a small blue hippo and you keep it until it's 6-9inches and then you realize that you're never going to be "ballin" and that 1000 gallon tank you've been dreaming of isn't happening either. You try and sell it to someone. Your LFS already has 4 "show" sized tangs that they can't give away. They've had them for 6 months and now they're just going to kill them. The only dude you know with a 1000 gallon tank doesn't need anymore tangs, he already got tons for free from suckers like you. So what do you do with your tang? You "set him free" ala Finding Nemo. I'm not passing judgment by the way, I've set many a fish "free". I'm just stating the reality of keeping baby large fish.
Anemones almost never live. Most people rent them for a short period of time:
today: "Mine anemone never moves and is a model citizen"
6 months from now: " 2 RBTA for sale"
Anemones move and they sting everything in the tank. If you're cool with that good, if not get something else.
Moorish Idols,
These all die except Paul's but his is magic and eats drywall and avocado. Do not try at home.
Batfish
also a goner
Alligators are illegal in NYC not only because of the danger they pose but because there is no where for them to go. The Bronx zoo doesn't want anymore, they have enough. So you buy an 8 inch baby alligator and it's cute. You keep it until it's about 3 feet long and realize that you can no longer care for it so you try to give it to someone who can. The problem is that there are 50 people just like you and not many places that can care for a 3 foot alligator. So you let it loose at Brighton Beach at 4am.
Most tangs are the same way, you get a small blue hippo and you keep it until it's 6-9inches and then you realize that you're never going to be "ballin" and that 1000 gallon tank you've been dreaming of isn't happening either. You try and sell it to someone. Your LFS already has 4 "show" sized tangs that they can't give away. They've had them for 6 months and now they're just going to kill them. The only dude you know with a 1000 gallon tank doesn't need anymore tangs, he already got tons for free from suckers like you. So what do you do with your tang? You "set him free" ala Finding Nemo. I'm not passing judgment by the way, I've set many a fish "free". I'm just stating the reality of keeping baby large fish.
Anemones almost never live. Most people rent them for a short period of time:
today: "Mine anemone never moves and is a model citizen"
6 months from now: " 2 RBTA for sale"
Anemones move and they sting everything in the tank. If you're cool with that good, if not get something else.
Moorish Idols,
These all die except Paul's but his is magic and eats drywall and avocado. Do not try at home.
Batfish
also a goner
Do not buy damsels to cycle your tank. You spend a long time aquascaping, everything looks a nice as you can make it, you buy a few damsels and put them through hell during the cycle. Well, guess what? Those damsels are going to get their revenge once you start putting in other fish into your tank. They will establish that the tank belongs to them and everyone else is an intruder. When you try to get them out: So long aquascaping, hello rubber maid containers and a 6 pk.
Avoid the head ache. Cycle the tank with a few small pieces of uncured rock. Check your levels and when things are status quo start with the hardier of the fish you want to put in your tank.
Avoid the head ache. Cycle the tank with a few small pieces of uncured rock. Check your levels and when things are status quo start with the hardier of the fish you want to put in your tank.
- Location
- poughquag, ny
Do not buy a Blueberry Gorgonian. < agreed. had a powersweep myself. you have to clean them regularly but like it otherwise. dont buy a condy anenome unless you like fish coming up missing,
saltysupply
Reefer
- Location
- Orlando Florida
wild corals, aquaculture and frags do best, Moorish idols, any cheap skimmer
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