A few questions

[Semi newbie]

Okay here goes: Please just excuse me if these are really dumb questions but I thought I should ask since you guys have been so helpful before.

1.) I just set up a refugium in my sump. I only have a ten gallon sump due to the shape of my cabinet (44 gallon pent). I have the 10 gallon divided into three sections. The water from the tank goes into the first section with the skimmer, then into the middle section with the Calupera and live rock, then into the third section with the return pump. I have noticed that the section with the Calupera gets a lot of bubbles on the surface of the water and sometimes a slime. The water flows through something like those cross stitch plastic things and not up and over Plexiglass. Do you think the flow is too low? I know low flow is good but is there such a thing as too low?

2.) Some of the red macro algae got an area of white on it so I removed that part fearing it may be preparing to go sexual. I also took a handful out to feed to my fish and no one wanted it. The emerald crab ate some but not much. Do you find that your fish eat it or do you just prune it and throw it out?

3.) I am getting a new light fixture soon. A prism pendant, 400 watt MH with two 32 watt PC actinic. I know it is a lot of light in some people's opinions but I want to try clams and I want to maximize color on any and all sps's I try to keep. This will be a huge jump in intensity. How do you suggest I acclimate my tank to it?

4.) I have a slight Cyano problem, I think, and want to try cutting back on feedings but I am unsure of how to do this with out starving my fish and corals. I have a sun coral ( I know a no no but I bought it before I knew that it was a hard one to keep and the people who sold it to me told me no different.) It has grown and extends its polyps fully in hopes of a meal every night. I feed DT's about 3 times a week along with some flake food and the other nights I do a cube and target feed some of the corals. I have a skimmer running all the time( CPR in sump) and I empty it about once a week. My nitrates were 10-20 prior to adding the refugium, it has since come down to almost nothing (at least by my kit)

Sorry this is so long. I figured I would try to get it all in one as opposed to starting 40 threads!!!!:rolleyes:....Lynn

P.S Gary, I was searching around about Cyano and found a post by you that said you did not check your water parameters and let the inhabitants speak to you. Just wanted to say that is my ultimate goal, to be able to read the tank that well. You are my hero!

Thanks everyone...... Lynn

[Zmann]

1) If bubbles are building up in your second compartment its because gas is coming out of solution. It slows down so much in that second chamber that its giving the bubbles time to come up. Which is actually a good thing. The slime is from the bubbles bringing nutrients up out of the water column. This is only my opinion. Basically if your bubbles are not reaching your third chamber and going up your return I wouldn't worry about it to much.

2) I had good luck with my macro algae not going sexual by running the light 24 hrs.

3)Acclimate the lights by keeping the fixture a little high off the tank at first and lowering a little every few days.

4) You can still feed your sun coral with out over feeding your tank. Take Playfairs Idea of spot feeding with a plastic cup over the coral with a small hole in the top to feed through. Ask Playfair for a better explanation.

5)I don't believe at all that you should wait for your corals to tell you that your water params. stink. Do the tests. By the time your corals speak to you it could be to late. Lots of people have dead corals using that theory.:rolleye1:

[Playfair]

I second Zmans comments. Cyano is pretty normal in tanks under a year old, there probably isn't too much you can do about it. Backing down on feedings is one thing (I cut down on DT's at the first sign of an algae outbreak), removing it via siphoning when it gets thick enough is another.

Your sump sounds nice! I got rid of the film on my water by either 1)"skim" off the top somehow, or 2) break the water surface by dripping into it, which mixes the film in with the other water.

Do you have that "tang heaven" red algae? Where did you get it? I've never had much luck keeping it long term, heard that it likes lower temps. When it dies it also turns white, and fish hate it.

As far as 'reading' your corals, that's kind of like rescuing your kids after they start screaming instead of taking preventitive measures to protect them.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Thanks for the compliments,Lynn.I'm in agreement with Dave and Jamie on the answers to your intelligent questions.You are getting a very nice lighting fixture- what 'k' is the 400watt MH lamp? Regarding 'red slime',a bane of ALL aquarists: Controlling cyanobacteria is not rocket science.It is a learned talent,however.Just remember -it's appearance is simply the result of reaching the threshold of organic load that will allow it's growth in any given system.And we ALL have different systems and parameters,so the threshold is different for each individual system.I don't believe any of us perform "tests" to combat cyano- other than visual cues.The visual absence or presence of cyano IS the 'test'.But I do like that 'hero' stuff! ;)

[Semi newbie]

I totally agree that I am no where near the point of being able to even consider reading my tank like that. I was just saying it impresses me that there are people who are so in tune with what is going on that they can do it successfully. I also know there are a ton of people who try to do it and like playfair said respond to an issue only after their kids (corals) are screaming!!!!! I have to report my frogspawn didn't make it. I tried to break the coral skeleton because the stuff, whatever it was, was spreading, and I think it was too much stress for it. It is not completly dead yet but it doesn't look good. I think I am going to try the branching kind next. I have heard that these are a little less prone to infection???? What do you guys think of that statement, true or myth? I really like the look of the frogspawn, so I hope I can do it right!

As far as my new lights, I am very excited. It is 65k with the pc atinic bulbs!!!!:p All I have to say is I better love them or my husband is going to kill me!!!!

The algae is the red macro and I have green in there as well. I got it from CF. I really want it more for the purpose of Nitrate reduction than anything else. I noticed today that some of it has been eaten off the veggie clip, so who knows...The sump is small but I am hoping it will be sucessful, I am trying to use what I have!

If I cut back on DT's do you think my sun coral will be alright? I also have a feather duster which feeds off the DT's.... right? I don't want them to starve. The Cyano is not bad but it it not very pretty and I don't want it getting out of hand!!!!

[Playfair]

Unlike what CF tells you, your sun coral and the duster do not directly "eat" DT's. The phytoplankton feeds smaller creatures who breed to create food that they eat. I feed my sun coral small seafood pieces.

Speaking of Frogspawn (or torch), I have a couple of color combinations of the branching kind that could be fragged, contact me if you are interested in getting a "deal" :)