new to this site

[kwtowmaster]

Hello everyone in C.A.R.S. I'm new to this site and I like it a lot.I live in E.Granby so I was just wondering how does C.A.R.S. work.DO local people get together to discuse tank probloms and success storys?sell or trade frags?sell or swap lighs, filters ect.?how do I join ?how many people in ct already have joined?:rollface:

[Bruce]

Originally posted by kwtowmaster
Hello everyone in C.A.R.S. I'm new to this site and I like it a lot.I live in E.Granby so I was just wondering how does C.A.R.S. work.DO local people get together to discuse tank probloms and success storys?sell or trade frags?sell or swap lighs, filters ect.?how do I join ?how many people in ct already have joined?:rollface:

We do all of the above. We try to meet every other month at a member's house or local store. Next meeting is scheduled for 31-May at MickeyDee's house. Directions etc. will be available as the date pulls closer. Membership is $10 for the year. We also have our own web site at www.ctars.org.

Glad to have you aboard.

Bruce

[kwtowmaster]

Oh ya I got $10 I want in ,It would be nice to have someone local to bounce things off .and if someone could come and look at my tank tell me whats wrong and how to get on the rite path that would be GREAT.I noticed w/ the post about the LFS where the owner whent M.I.A there where a lot of people in ct here.how do I give $ thanx:D

[minh_han]

Well, you can give $ to me by Paypal....OH! You mean to join! ;) Don't worry, just come to the next meeting and pass over your $10. It helps to pay for the web site and sundry items. Bring more than $10 with you as well, b/c we usually have raffles for donated items. At the last raffle, people won candy cane corals, xenia, several mushrooms, colts, and a number of other things.

Just stick around here and there'll be a thread about the May meeting.

Tell us what's wrong with your tank. Maybe someone here can help.

[kwtowmaster]

Group sounds great ,now about my tank Let start w/ high po4 low ph 7.9-8.0 high alk 6 meg/l low calcium 380.I have a 150 gal. now I only Have 5 or 6 fish I had 25 small fish I only have 17 lbs of LR ,Im using 2 fluval 403 One big oceanic filter that runs though holes drilled from the bottom. wet/dry trickle filter /skimmer in sump.Soon after water changes I get gray wispy algae. things don't open up all the way . they dont look as they did at LFS.Im using 72 in. 640 watt ice cap light.Using ro/di water dosing w/ kalkwasser ,I'm just giving up w/ that cal. still low. no coraline algae just dark ugly algae.I know I need more LR. but that has to be done over time $$$ .I have some lace rock for a base .Mushrooms not opening,leathers not opening,feather dusters look weak and skinny.Dont get me wrong a few peices look good ,but those aren't the ones that bother me. thanx

[minh_han]

I try to tackle some of your listed problems.

1) The high phosphate is a concern. If you are really using RO/DI water, then I think your phosphate is from overfeeding your fish. This will in turn leech into your rock and stunt coral growth in the short and long term. Dripping kalk will help this, but you might need to do large water changes and use a phospate binder like rowaphos. The most important thing to do is not to overfeed your tank.

2) I don't have one, but if you read, you will find that most people do not recommend the wet-dry system. It seems it tends to cause a nitrate build up in your tank and promote unsightly algae growth. If you have bioballs, remove them one at a time over the next few days. Watch your ammonia and nitrate levels while you do this. Just use the wet-dry sump as a container for a sump with lots of LR and possibly a deep sand bed (DSB). That will help your levels a lot

I have to go, so I'll address the other problems in a future post.

[kwtowmaster]

thanx Im going to remove balls from w/d I thought I would get some LR first ,But it has to be done slowly .so I should start now.

[minh_han]

Ok, here's more stuff. Calcium and alkalinity are related but not the same. If your calcium and alkalinity are not in balance, then using a balanced product (puts the same amt of Ca and alk per dose) like kalkwasser will never solve your problem. Read this thread for a more complete answer: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

As for the LR, yes, adding more is a good idea. It is expensive, but there are ways to get it for cheaper. If you only have base rock, and there isn't much in your tank, you might consider getting some uncured rock to help your tank cycle and increase the bacteria and critter load in the tank. The best way to do it is to find someone who is ordering a shipment of LR and ask if you can tag on a few extra pounds to save some money. It ends up being about $4 to $5 a pound for good uncured rock. You can get a few rocks of a few pounds each to start your LR collection. I know ladymagicka (Danielle) is ordering LR for her tank. I've already asked her for about 5-10 lbs after she cures it a bit in her tank. Alternatively, the Boston Reef Society is getting a group shipment for Marshall Island rock, one of the better types of LR out there, for cheaper. You could throw your request in for 5 lbs or so to get you started. Finally, if you can find someone who is getting out of the hobby or is moving and can't take care of their rock, you can usually get it for really cheap, like $1-2 per pound, sometimes even for free if you come pick it up.

I also know Nek (Ken) just redid his tank and has taken a lot of LR out. Unfortunately, it's out of the water and dead, but it would be good as base rock after it's been seeded. I'm sure he could get you some of that for really cheap, if he lets you pay for any of it at all. Base rock would be good to put into your sump for biological filtration and to cut down on the bubbles getting into your return pump.

Try to get a picture of the stringy stuff you're getting after a water change. It might be the stuff released by a particular type of snail that uses a "cobweb" to catch food. Alternatively, it might be mucous your corals are releasing in response to stress.

If your tank is not doing well, mainly b/c you don't have the right setup in there yet (like a DSB and enough LR), you might want to consider finding a reefer to temporarily house your livestock until your tank stabilizes. This is particularly important if you're getting uncured rock, as it might cause an ammonia spike and kill your more sensitive critters and corals. I myself have done this with an SPS frag that was given to me. It wasn't doing well in my tank, so I gave it to Eric to keep it for me for the time being until I could upgrade my lights and stablize my tank a bit more. I have a fairly empty tank (125G), and I could help in that area with your mushrooms and leather, as well as your feather duster, if you need. I could even help with the fish as long as they are reef safe and would not be too difficult to take out once they're in the tank. I just don't want to take apart the entire tank to try to extricate a recalcitrant damsel or something. Once your tank is better equipped to handle life, you could take all your livestock back and give them a healthier home. I know you're new at all of this, but the message you will here over and over on RC is to do TONS and TONS of research for everything. Don't buy or get corals or other livestock until you know exactly what their requirements are and if you have what it takes to keep them healthy. This is not a reprimand, just an exhortation. :)j

Well, that's enough for one post. I'm getting typer's cramp. Will post more when time and energy permit. Best of luck to you.

[kwtowmaster]

Minh thanx for reply I found a place on line that will sell me LR cured next day air .I saw pix .they were very nice.lots of color purple, orange and lots of looked like corals or plant life on it the cost was $360 that includes shipping.what do you think .good deal and jump on it or wait and shop?Thanx again

[minh_han]

Depends on how many pounds of LR you're going to get for $360. If it's about 50#, then you're still paying $8 per pound. And no matter how much it's cured, if it's shipped next day air, you'll still get die off. If you're going to go with cured rock, I would suggest you buy locally. JP at Justphish.com and Paragon Aquatics in Haddam both have LR at around $5 a pound, depending on the type you want. The advantage to doing this is: 1) you get to pick out your own pieces if you're going for a certain look 2) you will only be transporting it one or two hours out of water instead of two days, so you'll save much of what's alive on the rock. The advantage to uncured is that you pay less money per pound usually and there's more life. But, you have to be putting it into a new or relatively new tank w/o lots of sensitive life in it already, and you have to be prepared to deal with the ammonia spikes to save as much life as possible. Those are my thoughts.

[kwtowmaster]

Sorry I forgot to add weight thats a 100 lbs it looked good. I dont know how but you could look at a pix of it on ebay item #2317097940,I would post pix here but I don't know how.Ill check out the places you told me.The rock seemed like a good deal seeing how I paid $100 for 17 lbs uncured .I puy it in my 35 gal hospital tank.

[Dazed1]

Originally posted by minh_han
Bring more than $10 with you as well, b/c we usually have raffles for donated items. At the last raffle, people won candy cane corals, xenia, several mushrooms, colts, and a number of other things.



I probably should'nt take too many raffle ticket's like last time :o .

But yes, it's a lot of fun, and help . :)

[minh_han]

Mayur, you deserved all you got. Luck of the draw. Just remember, when they all grow out, you'll have a chance to donate them to the raffle and have other people win too. :)

As far as the LR, I went on Ebay and looked up the description and it's 25 lbs for $95. That's 3.80 a pound and not too bad. It might be the way to go if you can't find a cheaper deal. It's a bit less expensive than the local vendors I think, but you might want to ask JP. Just remember that there will always be further die off b/c of shipping, no matter how much the rock has been cured beforehand. Just watch your ammonia levels carefully.

[kwtowmaster]

Just called JP left message to get price on 100 lbs,

[Dazed1]

Originally posted by minh_han
Mayur, you deserved all you got. Luck of the draw. Just remember, when they all grow out, you'll have a chance to donate them to the raffle and have other people win too. :)

As far as the LR, I went on Ebay and looked up the description and it's 25 lbs for $95. That's 3.80 a pound and not too bad. It might be the way to go if you can't find a cheaper deal. It's a bit less expensive than the local vendors I think, but you might want to ask JP. Just remember that there will always be further die off b/c of shipping, no matter how much the rock has been cured beforehand. Just watch your ammonia levels carefully.

Yes, I agree. And hence why i fragged my ricordia. Plus since I've just started my tank with coral's, its a good way to get more to give back more. :)

[kwtowmaster]

JP won t have enough rock for a couple of weeks,paragon sounded like he had nice stuff but a little pricey for buying in bulk $6.75 a lbs .I 'm still going to keep eyes & ears open.

[Dazed1]

Originally posted by kwtowmaster
JP won t have enough rock for a couple of weeks,paragon sounded like he had nice stuff but a little pricey for buying in bulk $6.75 a lbs .I 'm still going to keep eyes & ears open.


Check your PM's ;)

That place has quite a few pic's in their forum section of user's who've bought stuff.

[minh_han]

If that's the case on the LR, then you should probably go for the 25# for $95.

And Mayur, I know you're going to share, b/c you're already going to share one with me, of which I'm very appreciative.

[ez1ez]

I've heard horror stories about ebay liverock. like taking 5 days to ship..dead rock then...try justphish.com he's in waterbury..you won't be disappointed, good luck.

[jdmarano]

kwtowmaster

Liverock is probably the best investment you can make in your tank right now. If you want, I'll be getting some of the MI LR that Minh mentioned that's posted on the BRS forum. It's cured, doesn't have much growth on it, but it's only $2.50/lb. Just make arrangements on the BRS site for however much you want and I'd be happy to bring it back to CT, you'll just have to pick it up in South Windsor. If anyone else is interested just let me know.

Marine Depot Live also has 50lbs of Fiji LR (I think cured) on sale for ~$145 shipped, they are reputable and you probably won't find much of a better deal elsewhere.

It didn't sound like you are running any skimmer, you may want to look into that soon as well. You can find a lot of info on skimmers on RC, but you'll probably find Euroreefs and Aqua-Cs getting most of the "brand" name accolades and with Lifereefs and Myreefs getting a lot of support from the dedicated enthusiasts as well. If you are handy, you can also make some nice DIY skimmers.

If you are not overfeeding the phosphate problem could be directly in correlation to annother additive or even the salt you are using. I hear that SeaChem makes a good phosphate absorer.

Follow the advice below as well, and keep us posted on the progress of your tank.

[kwtowmaster]

ok at the risk of sounding like a bird brain what whats MI LR ?and BRS site?I am running a skimmer in sump( don't know how good it is)but its there.yes Im intrested in live rock I called a place in haddam off rt 9 somewhere exit 7 they said they had some nice stuff lots of growth and color .that will be a weekend trip.so maybe I could mix and match .use the plain LR as a base .One of the places Minh told me about.but the pretty rock is $6.75 a lbs

[kwtowmaster]

I almost forgot this weekend I did water change took a peice of poly filter out of sump I had it on top of bio balls.It was red I guess that means it was removing iron.Is that good Iron it was taking out or bad ?:confused:

[kwtowmaster]

alright ,one more bad thing i noticed.Im useing aqua Lab dip strips for nitrate ,nitrite.Did test nitrate was slight 40 mg/l. nitrite had reading of zero,then an hour later when I go to throw a way the strip .It had a nitrite reading of 1.0 mg/l.I dont know if it's from laying around or what but it sould be 0 not 1.0 what the heck ,this SUCKS:eek1:

[minh_han]

I bet you anything that your tank is not doing well b/c it's not stabilized and is still cycling. There are frankly just so many things that are not ideal. I would take out the poly filter. Don't worry too much that it's red. It likely isn't iron. that much iron would only come from a ship you sank in your tank. ;) It's more likely to be cyano. Then take the bioballs out one at a time. You have nitrate b/c the aerobic bacteria on the bioballs immediately convert the ammonia in your tank into nitrate. That will then fuel an algae or diatom bloom, which then breaks down and starts the cycle all over again. Once you have the bioballs out and a DSB started (or enough LR for 1-2 lbs per gallon of tank space), the nitrates will come down. Alternatively, you could do a water change. Just remember to let your new sea water sit for a day or two, as it seems to equilibrate somehow and not be as bad as freshly mixed water.

As far as the abbreviations: MI LR is Marshall Island Live Rock. BRS is the Boston Reef Society forum (just like CARS). If you have other questions on abbreviations, you might find them on the abbreviations thread in the New To Reefing forum, or whatever it's called. The MI LR isn't a bad idea, and at $2.50/lb, you can't beat it.

[kwtowmaster]

Ok thank you ,I do have an out break of rusty colored algae.I just did a water change.a little while ago.removed a few bio ball yesterday and two more today ,I would also like to invite whom ever is willing from the group to come and look at the tank first hand.so I could get some tips and pointers,Maybe something will jump out at you .thanx

[dburr]

Mihn has given some great tips. A water change would be good. A big one. Maybe 1/3 to 1/2 volume. It is better than doing a bunch of small ones.
You said you have RO/DI, have you checked that water for purity.(Phosphate, ect...) IMO (in my opinoin) I would check that first.
How old is your setup?
What do you feed? How much/often? What kind of fish?
What kind of substrait? How deep?

Your nitrate reading of 40 is high. A water change will reduce that.
Taking out those balls will also help. Nitrate will have ill effects on corals.

The red stuff sounds like cynobacteria. That feeds on phosphates.
How much water movement do you have?

Any other info on the tank will be helpful, if something sticks out like things suddenly changed in the tank, post it.

HTH, DBurr

[kwtowmaster]

right now Im emptying my tank loosing all the lace rock making ro/di water( tested it it's good no po4 tds is 0) about to add sand rite now about 4 inches deep SD sand keeped about a half of a 5 gal. bucket of LS will add that after I add SD.feeding very sparingly 1 time a day.been running a little over a yr.I have a few gobys ,flame angle,flaming hawk,.removing bio balls and fluvals,adding 100 lbs of LR.I have two power heads after removing fluvals ill add more.thats all the info I can think of right now.

[amcarrig]

Has anyone considered saving big bucks by using "dead" rock to set up a reef tank? All of our members could pitch in and donate some sand to seed the rock and there would be no concerns about "bad" hitchhikers, etc. Just my $.02 :)

[kwtowmaster]

Im down :smokin:

[minh_han]

It's my understanding that not all the critters in LR and LS are interchangable. You need seeding of LR as well as LS to really have a good balanced system. But, I'm sure we all have some bits of LR that can help with the seeding. Of course, then you run the risk of inheriting baddies from anyone's tank, like flatworms. I know many members have them. In fact they're practically ubiquitous. I tried for a long time to dip my frags and keep them out, but when I went to glue a mushroom the other day and took the a piece of rock out, there were a dozen flatworms that dropped out, much to my dismay. Fortunately, my tank is not overrun with them. But, it seems my system has them now. :mad:

[amcarrig]

Hi there...just hear me out and tell me if this makes any sense. If you have to wait a month or more for a new tank to cycle anyway, why use expensive "live" rock? I agree that it adds some bacteria to the tank that can quicken the cycling process, but you can easily achieve the same effect by purchasing cheap base rock and adding a bag of bacteria and some garf grunge (if you're afraid of polluting your tank with flatworms & such from fellow reefer's sandbeds). Again, just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions :)

[minh_han]

As a whole, I would agree with Annick. Dead and base rock will do fine for biological filtration after it's been seeded. The only thing you'll lack is the biodiversity on nice rock. Although you do run the risk of getting undesirable critters (like mantis shrimp and rock crabs, not to mention aptasia and flatworms), you also have a good chance of getting really nice stuff, like hitchiker zoanthids, corals, and macroalgae. So, if money is a big issue, I would go with the dead rock and seed it route. If not, then uncured rock will not cost too much more and will offer interesting variety in the tank. It's all a matter of preference in the end...oh, and pocketbook too, I guess.

[dburr]

Garf:eek2: :( I added that grunge and got an apts with it. I feel safer with sombody's sand. If you know you don't have anything in your tank why not donate it. I'm in.

And as for live rock vrs. dead, IMO, a few peices of live on top of a bunch of dead. You will never see the rocks you bury and they will become live with the bacteria over time.

kwtowmaster: What kind of food do you feed?
I think some more water movment will help. I have about 14x turn over an hour myself. I may add 1 more PH too.

[kwtowmaster]

I feed flake sparingly,going to add a couple of PH's