Mike's newest disaster...
- Thread starter sfsuphysics
- Start date
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
So water change, or adding some ammonia binding chemicals could help out?
roostertech
Guest
+1 major water change. Stuff like Prime would only bind for 48 hrs and you would need to add a lot for that level of ammonia.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Well had no time to do a water change, checked today and we seem to be at around original Gatorade color which looking at the saltwater card (not freshwater) is about 0.50 ppm, so something big time happened in the past week. Of course it does make me keep thinking I forgot to add the second reagent and that's why it's so low now 
But now need to see if I have an old nitrite kit, or at the very least a nitrate kit.
And of course need a temporary tank to put some rocks up, and a place I can drop my fish into. Still haven't given up my tank idea, although I think I'm going to shrink it a bit to 7 feet long.
But now need to see if I have an old nitrite kit, or at the very least a nitrate kit. And of course need a temporary tank to put some rocks up, and a place I can drop my fish into. Still haven't given up my tank idea, although I think I'm going to shrink it a bit to 7 feet long.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Ok extremely minor update... WE'RE BACK!
I believe I managed to secure more classes in another department, so more money, health insurance is a go! (the most important thing for me, money strangely is not), and best of all I might still have my similar wide open schedule.
The downside is I still haven't had much time to finish..aka do... the floor in the room. I mean how do you move fish out of an 8 foot long "frag" tank and then move the tank when you don't have any place to move to? So I'm going to withhold making a tank purchase until I get a feel for "I could finish in this amount of time..." (wife told me all baby & livable house construction/restoration comes first... and it's hard to argue with that)
First the ammonia of the rock, well last post is in October so yeah that's all good now
I do have a 40g breeder tank (undrilled, so in tank skimmer) and I'm having a bit of an issue with water chemistry I think. Soft corals are meh... just had a ricordia detach from a frag plug and float who knows where. And there's quite a bit of algae growing on the glass, which I can't for the life of me figure out where the nutrients are coming from since there's no feeding going on in that tank.
I believe I managed to secure more classes in another department, so more money, health insurance is a go! (the most important thing for me, money strangely is not), and best of all I might still have my similar wide open schedule.
The downside is I still haven't had much time to finish..aka do... the floor in the room. I mean how do you move fish out of an 8 foot long "frag" tank and then move the tank when you don't have any place to move to? So I'm going to withhold making a tank purchase until I get a feel for "I could finish in this amount of time..." (wife told me all baby & livable house construction/restoration comes first... and it's hard to argue with that)
First the ammonia of the rock, well last post is in October so yeah that's all good now
I do have a 40g breeder tank (undrilled, so in tank skimmer) and I'm having a bit of an issue with water chemistry I think. Soft corals are meh... just had a ricordia detach from a frag plug and float who knows where. And there's quite a bit of algae growing on the glass, which I can't for the life of me figure out where the nutrients are coming from since there's no feeding going on in that tank.
rygh
Guest
There will be misc leftover nutrients from rocks, plumbing, and pretty much anything.
If you just scrape algae, it dies, nutrients go in the water, algae then simply re-grows. You have not truly removed the nutrients.
You need to get nutrients to 0. Not easy. And not something you really want anyway once you add coral and such.
If you just scrape algae, it dies, nutrients go in the water, algae then simply re-grows. You have not truly removed the nutrients.
You need to get nutrients to 0. Not easy. And not something you really want anyway once you add coral and such.
Coral reefer
Past President
Lots of bacteria growing and dieing?
Flagg37
Guest
Right, the corals need some nutrients to thrive.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
So now the double edged sword dropped.
Seems I'll be teaching multiple summer school classes next (this?) summer, which gives me a huge paycheck (low 5 figures) so cash flow is not a problem (although we are still looking at getting a new car... damnit!). How is more money a problem? Well when the hell am I going to fit in working on the room to get it ready for a tank!?
Either way, it's a minor problem, I am going to get my tank!
Now to get all the specifics, do I go 36 or 30" wide? 36" means a door frame needs to be cut out (no biggy)
Do I go 7 feet or 8 feet? Or do I scale back and do 6 feet? Rich's tank looks pretty damn nice for being a 5 foot long 150 gallon tank.
Do I go low iron glass on any of the panes?
How am I going to do the overflow? Do I let them cut holes on the back/sides and then do a thin semi-coast to coast style? Or should I just keep things simple with a low profile (e.g. Ghost overflow)?
Am I going to get this up before the SF tank tour next year? (not if I never get around to doing the floor!)
Seems I'll be teaching multiple summer school classes next (this?) summer, which gives me a huge paycheck (low 5 figures) so cash flow is not a problem (although we are still looking at getting a new car... damnit!). How is more money a problem? Well when the hell am I going to fit in working on the room to get it ready for a tank!?
Either way, it's a minor problem, I am going to get my tank!
Now to get all the specifics, do I go 36 or 30" wide? 36" means a door frame needs to be cut out (no biggy)
Do I go 7 feet or 8 feet? Or do I scale back and do 6 feet? Rich's tank looks pretty damn nice for being a 5 foot long 150 gallon tank.
Do I go low iron glass on any of the panes?
How am I going to do the overflow? Do I let them cut holes on the back/sides and then do a thin semi-coast to coast style? Or should I just keep things simple with a low profile (e.g. Ghost overflow)?
Am I going to get this up before the SF tank tour next year?
(not if I never get around to doing the floor!)
roostertech
Guest
8'x36"x36" is like ...500g+ o.0
Maintaining tank at that size is a pretty huge time commitment. IMO it is better to keep it a bit smaller so you can pay attention to each bit a little more. On the other hand, 8' tank you can house those really nice tangs.
Maintaining tank at that size is a pretty huge time commitment. IMO it is better to keep it a bit smaller so you can pay attention to each bit a little more. On the other hand, 8' tank you can house those really nice tangs.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
no no no no not 36" tall, I think I'm set on 24" tall max. I am tempted by a 30" tall tank, but in my experience 24" is tall enough that my armpit won't get wet if I do anything on the bottom
Coral reefer
Past President
7 or 8 by 30" if external overflow. 36" if internal. Go external bean animal though. I do like the 29-31"tall tanks. Just gotta have a bit lower stand.
rygh
Guest
It depends on what you consider ideal.
If you like tank totally full of corals (Like Rich), then you want something in the 120G range.
That seems like a sweet spot on stability / effort.
If you like larger fish - go as big as you can.
If you like a more open aquascape - go as big as you can.
For a large tank, dual overflows works pretty well, one in each back corner.
Back corners are useless anyway.
A coast to coast on an 8' tank seems a bit overkill. Eight feet of overflow??
Low iron on the front might be worth it for glass that thick.
If you like tank totally full of corals (Like Rich), then you want something in the 120G range.
That seems like a sweet spot on stability / effort.
If you like larger fish - go as big as you can.
If you like a more open aquascape - go as big as you can.
For a large tank, dual overflows works pretty well, one in each back corner.
Back corners are useless anyway.
A coast to coast on an 8' tank seems a bit overkill. Eight feet of overflow??
Low iron on the front might be worth it for glass that thick.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
I need to look at tanks to get a feel for what I want I think. I believe Kris' is 7' x 30" x 27" tall or something like that. I'm not sure of any LFS that have tanks that large on display, I recall Neptune had some tanks for sale, not sure sizes though, I need a visual feel of the tank. I mean the acrylic one I have now is 8' x 3' x 1.5' and while it gives me a feel for length and width the height just falls flat especially since it's on the floor.
Look at the very first post, it's going to be 2 side viewable inside a fishroom "in wall" style. I have an entire length and a smaller side as possible overflow locations. I wasn't thinking full coast to cost, but more a 4' on one side 2' on the other, a very thin weir that is the internal overflow box that leads to where the external box is located (and a couple holes connecting. So in that sense you'd have a "corner" overflow. I dunno if I'd have to draw a picture to show this. Of course I could just drill my own holes when I need it for the exact location I want, but never drilled holes on a vertical surface before.
Look at the very first post, it's going to be 2 side viewable inside a fishroom "in wall" style. I have an entire length and a smaller side as possible overflow locations. I wasn't thinking full coast to cost, but more a 4' on one side 2' on the other, a very thin weir that is the internal overflow box that leads to where the external box is located (and a couple holes connecting. So in that sense you'd have a "corner" overflow. I dunno if I'd have to draw a picture to show this. Of course I could just drill my own holes when I need it for the exact location I want, but never drilled holes on a vertical surface before.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Oh neat, I'll have to try and find a way to get down there to take a peek at it, I think at least 2 of the dimensions and the overflow should help me decide a bit.
What's that price say on it? 3000? 3999? For the whole setup. It's a bit overkill for what I want as it's rimless so probably a bit thicker than normal which explains the price.
What's that price say on it? 3000? 3999? For the whole setup. It's a bit overkill for what I want as it's rimless so probably a bit thicker than normal which explains the price.