Pies

Hevalump Your problem is simply that your tank has not cycled, and you have added fish while the tank is now cycling. Removing the fish will help, but the tank is going to go through it anyway, its more a case of the fish survivng the cycle than anything. Amonia is deadly, so water change it out is easiest (30% water changes every 2 days perhapps until it reads and stays at 0. You mentioned cycle. I personally think this stuff is 'snake oil' but since you have some may as well keep using it. It may help kick start the bacterria and thus reduce the time for the tank to cycle. Have a search around the net or any book for an explaniation of how the nitrogen cycle works. The bottom line is you did not wait long enough before adding fish, however all is not lost. Keep testing the water and you will be fine. Nitrozorb etc, not many people use these products I, I know I don't. Just concentrate on the basics and all will be well. Get a good book and find a good site with lots of info and you will be sweet. Good luck Pieman

Matt Lighting. For a tank that you want heavly planted and useing c02 etc, the more light you can use the better. My tank is 450 front to back and I have 4x 4ft tubes and 1x 3ft (bow fronted won't allow another 4ft). I reccomend that you use as many tubes as possible. I would say no less than 4, but you should be able to fit 6 over that tank. Bulb selection is as important as anything else, and I STRONGLY reccomend buying the tubes from an electrical whoesaler and not the pet shop. As for tubes in the 6000 - 6500 kelvin range, they will know exactly what this means. This will give you the best results for plants, and look the most natural. As for what to use, I agree the Arcadia units are well overrpiced. I would just use something you can wire up yourself or buy pre-made untis from somewhere like www.sog.co.nz. Also reflectors make a big difference, so get these too. I have personally been using this system for quite some time and its works perfectly. Infact I have had to remove the many plants as I got sick of pruning them twice a week. Good luck and would love to see some pics. Pies

Thickness glass. 12+mm. Filteration. I think Ira is on a 'sump kick' at the moment, but since he has not used one I would consider this option very carefully. Not that I am against a sump, but it requires some planing. I have been helping Caryl design one and she now understands some of the difficulties and problems in running one. After that being said, a sump is a good, cost efficient and practical option. Just understand the poblems before blindly going down the sump route. Also hard to answer the question of filteration without knowing what it is exactly you are planing on keeping. Personally I am a 'more is better' person, my 4ft runs 4 cansiter filters. Some may say its overkill but its looks great, the water is crystal clear and there is little to no algae. So its all good. I also feed this HEAVLY OVERSTOCKED tank about 6-10 times a day. Good luck with your tank project. Pieman.

I have just commisioned a tank to be built for me. Its made of 10mm glass. It has 3 holes drilled for plumbing (25mm holes). It has no lids but does have center braces. Reinforcing across the bottom edges. Custom lid (no centre brace but 2 mid braces) all included. I also have some 'bulk head' fitting to have fitted. This includes them being glued in (but does not include the item themself, at about $15ea). Tank Dimentions 980Lx450Dx600H. Cost $100.00 incl GST. Will be ready to be picked up on Monday. No plywood in site Anyone in Wellington is likley to get a similar deal and I can put you in touch with him as required. Professional tank builder. NOTE: All glass is 2ndhand recycled glass. New glass is available but does add significiently to the cost. Tank will be water tested for 24hrs prior to pickup (delivery not included!) Pies

Cleaning the glass is a real hastle too. I only clean the front now, and have to do it every day. If I don't, the next day its obviously cloudy and has a film with snail bites through it. IRA: No diatoms on the glass yet? Best get some light on there.

I use them with my Fluval with no problem. I put it to you that you are doing it wrong... Traditional U bends are OK if you have a traditional glass backed tank, but for anyone who has a little more customisation these are 100x better than a ridgid U pipe. The thing I don't like is the outlet thingie. Why is it so weirdly shaped? That this is wack! As for the 'ribbed for her pleasure' hose. I like it. It keeps light out, and have you seen how CHEAP it is to buy? Like serious have you seen? Its a bargin, even compared to that horrid clear PVC stuff. And much better (doest get stretched like the others). I even like it a little more than the Ehiem stuff, whats that worth now? About $45 a metre from last time I looked... naff. Fluval have their act together with the new 404. I would buy another. And it comes with media. 8.5/10. Piemania

Cool. Looking good. How often do you clean your glass? You obviously clean the front, back and sides. Must be a bit of work. I clean my glass daily. I tried cleaning the back but with my rockwork it doesn't really work out. How about some sump/skimmer pics? And a zoomed out pic of the tank on its stand etc to give us a better idea of its size and surround. I never get sick of seeing photos so keep firing them through Pie

Reef - Most of the Germans are doing it? I doubt it. Piemania

I only just realised that it was made of ply with glass only along the front. Is that safe? More to the point is it reef safe? Man that would have made a great reef tank!

I got about 10 litres of Bio-Balls (a mixture of bio-balls and other similar media) from a member of the Auckland Reefkeeping club for nothing! The advantages of having a reef tank, all the nice friendly people willing to help you out The Hutt Pet Centre is about the best shop we have in Wellington and don't foget, show him you FNZAS afiliated club card and get 10% minimum off, including things already on special! Pieman

All I know is its glued not welded. But the glue 'melts' the plastic together into a bond that lasts forever (and ever). I am going to ring around and find out. I think this is the way to go. Cutting it accuratly will be the next trick. Anyone got a bandsaw I can come over and use for an hr? Dark: Maybee you should come over 1 night and help me work out a few bits and pieces. I think this is a goer OPERATION SUMP TANK So go and start reading about sumps! Your foray into marine tanks is about to begin! Piola

I am looking for someone/somewhere to make me an acrillic tank. I a mfairly handy and would be happy to make and glue it myself but am unsure where to get it from and what glue to use. This is for a sump for my marine setup. I am going to need to drill several holes in it for plumbing and thought the acrillic is just going to be easier. Size approx 3ft. Numbers, places or volunteers please? Cheers Pies

A tank of that size can easily be made out of all glass. There is a thickness calculator on this site somewhere but I think 15mm is what you will end up with. I know several people with 8ft plus tanks that are bigger (deeper and higher) all glass no problems. I just built a 5ft (1600mm) tank myself out of 10mm glass no real problems. My advice would be to think about the lid design. That is where your lights will be/sit and where your braces will be accross the top. Brace location is pivitol esp if using metal halide lights. Also if you are going to be lighting it with fluros, make it a little over 8ft, just so there is enough room for 2x 4ft tubes to run the length of the tank, if you know what I mean? Sounds like a great project though so good luck with it, and of course it is going to be a Marine tank right? Pies

Interesting. Brown sugar or white sugar? It is possilbe that your nitrates spiked after your 'heating' incident because of dieoff, thus some re-cycling happened and the sugar thing is just a coninsidence? Especially as you had 0 nitrates prior to the heat problem? Still if it worked or you think it worked then thats what its all about. Are you planing on dosing again? Ohhh and how about some more tank & coral photos? Cheers Pieman

Got the photo. Had to squint my eyes and use my imagination. If its not a bristle worm it could be a penut worm. Again harmless! I wouldn't worry about it at all. There are all sorts of weird monsters in there! Good luck

Alisha Here is what a Bristle Worm attack looks like: Hurt a little but there was a lump and it itched for weeks! Here is a pic of a bristleworm at night when taking photos of a coral. Hope this all helps. I would love to see some pics of your tank. And don't foget, if you havn't already, to get your name to NickS and be added to the 'reef club' that is being started. Cheers! PieMan

021 455 946. Send it down It is most likley are bristle worm. They come in different sizes, appear red/brown and have little white spikes down the sides. Don't touch them as the spikes HURT when they get stuck in you finger! As for it being bad or not, I say not. I have millions & millions (ok maybee not millions but heaps) in my tank and am unaware of any damage they have done or can do. In the 'old days' people said they were bad, not anyway. They are excellent scavangers and a positive addition to the tank in my opnion. There are a couple of varities of bad ones, but you would be very unlucky to have one. How about some pics of you tank and some more info? Cheers and good luck. Pies

Thanks Layton. Well its the day after and the tank looked fine this morning, polyps out and all well. It is curculating slowly through the sump and ALL water is being skimmed then dumped into my 'carbon filter'. I suspect there will be no problems the worst should be over. So now its just a case of crossed fingers than it doesn't come back. It was interesting how many died. I was surprised by just how many were floating in the water, thousands. I didn't think I had that many especially after syphoning them away. So my initial verdict on the Salifert product is positive. Perhapps a little to early to be singing its praises but if you have these little sods and need to get rid of them, this is perhapps the only garanteed way. Thanks to everyone who contributed or offered to help. Cheers Pies

I am not convinced on the merrit of the addition of Vodka, sugar etc reports are sketchy at best. I would say that if you think it works and are happy with the results then good luck. I would point out dozens of featured tanks of RC etc that don't use them and have fantastic coral growth and colour. Something to keep in mind. There is no doubt that coral colour is affected by Nitrite, Nitrate, amonia and Phosphate. I have never had a reading on Nitrite, Amonia, or Phosphate. But I do suspect they are there. A fludised Rowaphos reactor is a posibility for me. Nitrates in my tank have crept from undetectable to about 3-5. I have noticed a darkening of my coral that co-insides with this reading. 0 Nitrates are the name of the game for sure. Sulpur denitratifiers work, have few disadvantageds (other than cost & low PH/KH) but one is not on my radar. Reducing the Nitrates is, but I suspect there are better methods (DSB). Only my thoughts but I am trying for as natural as practically possible. And would be tempted to try a 'eco sysem' reef next time (skimmerless or WAY under skimmed). Silicates feed the diatom. I have never seen diatom blow of anything, it is a golden 'rash' that is easily wiped off but no amount of current will remove it, maybee you are confused with Cyno? Pieman

That colony was grown for a piece about finger nail size. That pic has the polyps retracted, sometimes it looks quite hairy/fuzzy. Also in the photo its only slightly swollen, sometimes its twice as 'puffy' other times its as half as puffy and looks quite skinny. I'd be keen to see some photos of the sweepers, as I am woundering if mine is perhapps a different sp. than others. I know I have 2 similar but different types. Be also keen to see some comparisons on colour. Mine used to be more of a lime green, but over the past few months has become far more metellic in apearance. Anyone who is interested in a frag enchange on this coral let me know. fast growing stoney. Loves current and light. Bright green, stunning coral. Lduncan - If its the one reef had I have seen it, and yes it is a monster. PHOTOS!

How about my MUTHA Hydnophora colony? I have another large piece of this coral fragged from this. I have also given away/swaped 3 reasonable sized pieces and have another frag on the go. One of my favirote corals, these things are D.E.A.T.H on wheels. So far everything they have touched has died. Some report sweeper tenticles, but I have yet to witness them, if anyone has photos of this I would love to see him. This photo is not the best but I couldn't resist as there is the little blenny looking at me saying 'stick your hand in the tank and I will bite, go on I dare you'. Agro little beast these things. Anyone who sais they are friendly or reef safe is lieing. Mine bits me every time I stick my hand in the tank, it will also wrestle food away from a hawkfish. It has eaten 2 leathers so far, and I notice its biting at the one Adam gave me.

Well I dosed Salifert Flat Worm Exit (SFWE) tonight... First I drained as much water into the sump as possible. Filled it to the brim. I then got into the tank and syphoned out as many flatworms as possilbe. Thousands came out, in about 35 litres of water. By now the water line in the tank is about 2 inches bellow the over flow combs, I am guessing less than 550 litres counting displacement. I then dosed 2 caps full (enough of 650 litres) of SFWE. Watched, nothing! A few minutes later NOTHING! Hrmmm. Ring JetSkiSteve and whilst nattering, I start to see the water colum fill with flatworms, hundreds of them. The fish seems fine through this, perhapps a little skitish, but I fed a little dried shrimp which they gulped down. So good news there! While this is happening I take the time to disconnect the skimmer for a complete clean (getting a little slimy in there) and make my 'carbon filter'. Basically an ice cream container with a hole in the bottom, full of carbon with floss and a stocking on top. I also decided that for the next 24 hrs ALL water will pass through the skimmer, then out into the carbon filters to the sump before being re-circulated. About 2 hrs later everything is back to normal and I am just about to hook everything back up and what do I see? A few flatworms have survived? It was at this point I decided I would dose again! The same dose! So here I am sitting in front of the PC watching the last of the flatworms DIE! Will report back with part 2 later...

More polyps out! This time from the same colony as the acropora in my top photo. Looking good if I do say so myself

Here is a pic of an Plate Acropora. This is a small frag about the size of a thumbnail. It is a metellic green colour. Plate Acropora are considered quite difficult to keep long term. Often surving for only a few months before going browner until they either slough, rtn, bleech, slump or find some other way of dieing. All the same rules for Acro apply BUT with LOTS more water current (go the streams) and some say more light. I have seen these corals many times in the wild and they seem to inhabit the tops of any bommies but grow in similar locations to other Acropora, but perhapp in more exposed places (read more current). I personally belive the seceret to keeping these corals is water flow, lots of it and random sweeping currents. I have had this frag for about 3 weeks. I am happy as it has shown growth by encrusting its base. I know the mother colony is still alive but 1 of the other frags taken has already died.

Reef - I've already killed one clownfish this week... Besides then I would have to get a Blue Hippo Tang & a Yellow Tang to complete the Nemo set... O wait!