30G Setup.

[mr_X]

i would buy the remora skimmer, instead of the urchin. a couple dollars more and alot more skimmer.

that 6700k bulb is great for your macros, but i'd go with a 10k for your corals. the 67k will come off looking real yellow. the 10k will be white light. the tank will look alot better.

no silica sand. aragonite is good.

 

[shavo]

you say no algea in the display, do you mean algea on the glass?

also I would use stronger glue for the cutting boards than silicon

 

[Ansphire]

Mr_X.. I need an in sump skimmer, that one is hang on back... Can you recommend one for the sump?

I don't like that 67k.. I was going to use the ballast for an actinic compact fluorescent....

Slavo... Yup I mean the glass and the plastic tubes and powerheads.

What kind of glue do I need to use??

 

[jahorgos]

I just replaced my 6700 with 10K and the difference is awesome.

 

[shavo]

i would use a marine glue, home depot they have it for like boats and stuff like that. something strong i think the silicon would give after while.
maybe i am wrong but X's old fuge the plastic dividers actually bowed and it looked like the silicon was about to give. that is why he went to cutting boards, lol

if you turn on your lights you will have algea on the glass, plants in the fuge do nothing to help that. they do consume nitrates and phosphates which helps out alot, but if the lights are on you will have algea.

 

[Snowboarda42]

Ansphire,

I have the Aqua C Remora and it kicks butt. You can either hang it on the back of your tank or on the back of your sump.

As for the Macro Algae question, it will help consume nitrates and phosphates, which nuisance algae feed off of as well. You ARE going to get hair algae for a little bit after your tank is done cycling.

I just put 8 Mexican turbo snails in my tank two days ago and they've consumed about 90% of my nuisance algae already. I'm borrowing 4 from a friend so I'm going to end up with only 4 total. The rule of thumb is 1 per 10 gallons. They work QUICK. I personally wouldn't bother with any hermits or other snails, as they don't work 1% as hard as the mexicans do (that sounds stereotypical doesnt it?).

Also, to help keep your water clear and pure, I would look into carbon and phosban. I added 20lbs more sand about 4 days ago and the water was WAY cloudy. No more than about 2 hours later it was back to crystal clear. I run black diamond carbon 24/7, change it monthly. Phosban is similar to carbon, except that it absorbs phosphates only. I run it 24/7 also, and change it monthly.

For powerheads, I don't know what your price range is, but look into Maxi-Jet Powerheads, and you can modify them easily to make them flow ALOT more.

For sand, I have seen a VERY successful reef set up with silica sand. It houses billions of worms, bugs etc. Here's some pictures:

Personally, I still wouldn't use the silica sand. Look into aragonite. Its easy to find relatively cheap too.

Here's some links to look at:

Skimmer:
http://proteinskimmer.com/productsnew.htm

PhosPur:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 004+113810

BlackDiamond:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 004+113805

MaxiJet Mods:
Buy the mod here:
http://www.mjmods.com

or make it yourself:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showt ... did=717034

Sand: I use this, make sure you get the reef sand, not the reef substrate.
PM me if you want the link to where I got it 40lbs at $50
http://www.naturesocean.com/live_sand.htm

 

[mr_X]

that company that makes the maxijet mods is not sending any right now. they took a friend of mine's money and made him wait a month just to return it.

i don't think you'll need to modify a maxijet1200 for a 30 gallon tank anyway. 8O

i also don't think you need to run carbon 24/7, for some say that it removes all the important trace elements in your water.
if you want to run carbon, run it for a day or two at a time.

silica sand is not going to hurt your worm and bug population, but it may give you algae issues. here is an article that may influence your opinion:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... eature.htm

and lastly, i don't want to seem like i am picking on Elliott, but if you hang a remora on the back of your sump- your sump will have to be pretty full. i'm not sure this can work, if you are keeping your sump alittle lower than the surface to create a "buffer zone" incase the power goes out and the display starts to drain.
my tanks' sumps are filled about 3/4 full, and in the event of a power outtage, the drainage will stop at "almost full". - just consider that before you invest in a HOB skimmer for the sump.
i saw this, and thought of you-
http://cgi.ebay.com/ASM-MINI-G-PROTEIN- ... dZViewItem

although the shipping for this particular auction is crazy expensive, this would be awesome for an in-sump skimmer for a 30. :wink:

i just bought a remora for my girlfriends 30 gallon. seesm to work pretty well. :wink:

 

[Ansphire]

My sand has to be white as heck!!l....

 

[Ansphire]

If I was to use VHO.... How many watts would I need and how many K's??

 

[Ansphire]

Most Important... where can I find these?.. All I seem to find is 48"

 

[mr_X]

what are the dimensions of your tank?

 

[Ansphire]

36" x 12" x 16-1/2....

I think Imma get another Compact Florescent actinic, and put both in the tank for now, one 67k and the actinic,,,

Then later when I'm ready for the corals i will get the MH...

 

[Snowboarda42]

Woops i'm stupid and fixed the no hotlink thing above

 

[mr_X]

here is a cheapy- http://cgi.ebay.com/36-Inch-Power-Compa ... dZViewItem

another- http://cgi.ebay.com/ODYSSEA-36-192W-Aqu ... dZViewItem

if you wait until may 11th, that company "hombby" that makes the real cheap hqi fixtures will have their new inventory. you will be able to get a halide/pc/LED fixture cheap. :wink:

 

[mr_X]

also...i did a search on 36" vho fixtures, and it seems that hamilton is the main producer of those, which means $$
unless you make your own retro deal-
http://www.hellolights.com/36daybulbs.html

 

[shavo]

hey the link you supplied for the maxijet mods may be legit, I went through TRITON Aquatics and got the run around for 25 days just for him to send me my money back after he gave me excuses like "there is an issue with the design", "I sent them to the wrong address" , and "my secretary forgot to mail it" nobody support triton aquatics!

the modkit site you supplied is not the one I went through. lol I still didn't get any mod kits yet

 

[mr_X]

oops
sorry elliott and mjmods.com!

 

[Ansphire]

Hey, some people keep on saying that If I get metal halide, that will be too much and will fry my tank.

I dunno, what kind of Light do I need for the Anemone and a couple of soft light coral?

 

[mr_X]

we have a 250 watt halide on our 30 gallon cube + two 65 watt actinics, and everything seems happy so far. i have zoos, ricordia, xenia, and clove polyps in there so far.

 

[Ansphire]

Do you use a chiller to keep the water cool?