New 5 Footer Reef Setup

[Tanzy]

If you want calcium to be higher than the pH must come down to 8.3

Don't worry about trying to generate high pH for corals, they do it naturally with photosynthesis. The coral will use up the carbon dioxide in the micro-layer of water around the polyps and the pH will rise high enough for them to use the calcium.

If you can't get the calcium and alk balanced then perhaps you might be adding the additives too fast and is causing a local area of high pH that results in calcium and alk precipitation.

[Phang]

Would it mean then that the first step to correcting everything is to gradually increase KH to the desirable level, once there, check Cal levels and make ammendments and everything should br fine????

Barracuda, like to share how magnesium helps in calcium retention???

BTW, got the 1 and 1/4 inch Gate Valve from Hai Cheong Plastics yesterday.... hahaha very funny, the lady spoke of how recently a number of guys have been going down to her to find equipment for fish tanks.....

Spoke of this tall guy with glasses wanting Schedule 80 stuff and racks made from pvc pipings welded to plates.......

GUESS WHO"S THAT?????

PS, might be DIYing the Calcium Reactor now... saw the parts... roughly for a 1 1/2 ft Reactor costing around $50....

[hongqixian]

The first step is Magnesium. Can be raised with Epsom salts from pharmacy. Then kh a day later and finally calcium.

[Phang]

The first step is Magnesium. Can be raised with Epsom salts from pharmacy. Then kh a day later and finally calcium.

What does Magnesium do????

[chanbi]

Phang, i thought of setting up a 1.5' tank in my office but i intend to have a overhead sump/refugium (hide in the cabinet). So does Hai Cheong Plastics do specially make to order plastic sump (limited by space of 30cmx60cmx28cm). Else have to go with glass which is much heavier.

[Phang]

I think Hai Cheong only deals with PVCs...

their clear PVCs not very clear leh...

Why not try Acrylics...???

AT did direct met to a Acrylic design shop previouisly, in fact, they are doing the body for my skimmer now.....

I think it's Yeo Soon Hin Plastic..

Blk 633 Veerasamy Road....

Can also try Sam's Fishy Business.... at Aljunied....

His workmanship pretty good ..... deals with glass though...

And if you are not so particular about looks, recommend buying those ready made acrylic tanks... come in a number of sizes and drill holes or like me burn holes .. attached a coupling and link it to your mains...

Wala...a modified sump/ refugium... that's cheap and good...

[chanbi]

Phang, thanks for the quick reply. As i am limited by the height, those that i scout around cannot fit my need. Yes, i intend to drill holes to overflow back to the small main tank..

[Phang]

Sam's able to do it... spoke to him before about something like that....overhead refugium....

However if tank is not so big, could settle for thinner glass resulting in reduced weight....

[BarraCudaTM]

Hi phang,

magnesium will coat the calcium surface of sand, rocks to prevent free calcium ions on coating it

if there is too much free calcium ions, it would want to combine with carbonate to form calcium carbonate which is not solutable, adding magnesium to around 1200mg/l would able the calcium to bond with the magnesium thus reducing free calcium ions

the acid released when aerobic bacteria breaks down ammonia and nitrite will break the bond between magnesium and calcium

if everything is in equilibrium, calcium and magnesium will bond and break at the same rate.

[Phang]

Barra,

Thanks for the explaination.....

Now where does the alkalinity of water comes in the retention of Calicium ions????

[Phang]

Just placed a order for my main tank.....

My funny coloured clam....

[Phang]

Hi guys,

Latest Update...

My main tank's coming in tommorrow

Finally settled for a 66 by 30 by 27 inch tank with 6 inches partitioned off as external over flow...

[clowntrigger]

Phang, remember to post the pictures of your new tank, before and after you put in the stuff.... look like you will have a very busy weekend and also backache weekend

[Phang]

Will do .....

Pictures of the Live rock racks for main tank.....

[Phang]

As we are waiting for pics of my main tank..

update you guys with pics of my sump tank....

[Phang]

At a closer distance.....

[Phang]

And from another angle....

Notice the Sailfin Tang....

[Phang]

And of course the coral that everyone is interested in...

The Roti Prata... Cyarina.

[clowntrigger]

Phang, very impressive on your rock rack........ From the way I see it, you will be able to save lots of KG of rock and money Keep the posting of your new tank in the coming weeks, espically when the rock work is up.

[Phang]

Clown trigger,

Will do.... but should be a while esp now when Live Rock prices are sky high....

imagine the amount of LR that I would required for the main....

[Tanzy]

That's not Cynarina spp, looks like Scolymia spp. or something else.

[Phang]

Hi Guys,

Now as I'm awaiting the arrival and setup of my main 5 footer reef, was wondering of what kind of fishes to place in it....

As I intend to keep mostly SPS and LPS (80%) and Soft corals (20%)...... would like to get species that won't pester them from striving ....

Current fishes in my sump would be a Maroon Clown, Sailfin Blenny and Sailfin Tang.....

in the Reservoir is a Longfin (which I would very much like in my mains)....till I identify it as reef safe...

Was thinking of this combo....

1) pair of tomato clowns

2) either 1 purple tang or 1 powder blue..

3) either 1 chervon or 1 Achilles tang

4) 4-6 anthias...

5) Might place the Sailfin Tang from sump tank into mains....

6) 4 cleaner Shrimps

7) 2 Blood Shrimps

8) 1 filament flasher Wrasse

9) 1 fairy wrasse....

Any comments ????

BTW, how large do the Powder Blue and Achilles get??

[chanbi]

Hi Tanzy, how do u differentiate Cynarina spp vs Scolymia spp.? Thanks.

Phang, typical PBT and AT will max out at ~8" in a tank. And i definitely prefer the PBT vs PT as i like the way this fish swim around. But it is not as hardy as the PT.

[Phang]

Hi Chanbi,

Thanks for the infor....

Might need more advice from you as I have never tried keeping these fishes before....

Only Tang that i kept are the regal and sailfin...

and do understand that those I mentioned that I'm interested in are the more difficult ones to keep...

Hope to have the most 2-3 tangs in my tank but do not want to make mistakes so got to learn from you more experience reefers....

Any others willing to give advice to someone who has limited experience with the more difficult to keep species???

Thanks.

[chanbi]

My personnal experience (quite limited, i only have 5 Tangs) is that it is not that hard to keep Tang provided have the following:

1. The fish is not drug or injure through transportation (esp. the mouth).

2. That is why, it is important that the fish is not too skinny and is eating

at the LFS. When i said eating, must be really eating well. I have learnt

my lesson the hard way when the LFS tells me it is eating and when

feed with frozen bs, did show some interest but not really eating and i

folishly bought it home and soon it bid "bye bye'... (but of course there

is this question of how many LFS are willing of demonstrating whether

his fishes will eat?)

3. So when the fish do eat, by feeding it food with garlic for every meal for

the first 1-2 weeks, it will help to build up their resistant to fight iche

which is very likely to show up but will be under control (could be cos' i

do not do FW dip etc..).

4. And of course lastly, a least stressful environment as much as u can

provide. And it will be harder and harder as more tangs are added (they

will likely chase him for the first 1-2 days). But putting it in a quarantine

tank (those small one that can be hook up to the main tank) will help as

they get to see each other and hopefully can "made friend". And i

personnally will only do that for 1-2 days as i find that it is still a stressful

environment (the small quarantine tank w/o LR etc..) and the new fish

may not like it..

Hope the above can help u.. But i guess a lot still depend on luck (ie. whether u can find criteria #1).

Oh yes! one more thing on PBT. So far from those LFS that i have talked to, to choose a PBT, try not to get one that is very colourful (or the face very black). Chance is that it is under a lot of stress which cause it to bring out his colour. So i go for the pale looking PBT (but of course it must look alert) and seem like i do have some luck...