3 by 1.5 by 2

[tian1974]

Hee hee....

anyway, this is the new updates. The NSW and the Live Rocks are thrown in yesterday.

Here are some shots of the tank...

nice and that's a rather big piece of live rock you got there.

[pweesng]

nice and that's a rather big piece of live rock you got there.

thanks... those are actually 2 bucket worth of live rocks... taken from the tank of a friend... hoping to reduce cycling time...

[pweesng]

Sump Tank Set up...

[pweesng]

[qRight side view... Left side photo was taken badly... so i decided not to post it...

also, the lights are not in, that's why it looks a bit ugly

[digibee]

[qRight side view... Left side photo was taken badly... so i decided not to post it...

also, the lights are not in, that's why it looks a bit ugly

Hey bro, nice tank!

White color, swee!!

[desideria]

HAHAha do I see eggcrate there too? I sense the EGGCITEMENT. Congrats on the new tank...

Please do your water parameters checks with test kits every now and then to make sure that your cycling done. Try not to use fish la.... nothing would set your spirits crashing down if you see dead fish in your tank.. you want to throw in something.. THROW IN DEAD PRAWNS to help cycle your tank!!!

oh yes, and deshell them before you throw it in.

Desi

[pweesng]

He hee... no eggcrates in the water though. I dide consider your suggestion, but since i didn't want thick sand bed, i am not confident that the eggcrates in the tank can be covered... The eggcrate used in the sump is a lot easier to change.

Water test:

With 2 damn smelly prawn in the tank, i did a water test this morning.... ammonia is 0, nitrite is 1.5 mg/l and nitrate is 15 mg/l, using tetra testkit. i suppose the presence of nitrate at such early stage is probably because i am using live rocks and bio homes that has been sitting in a mature tank for the last 1.5 months couple with the use of NSW...

I think nitrite might head south to 0 in another couple of days.... hopefully...

LED lights:

I've just been told that the Gen 2 Maxspect will only arrive end of feb, so no show tank before CNY.

Water Temperature:

Also, in the morning the water temperature is about 30.5 degrees. At night it goes to aboue 28.5 degrees.

If i am only keeping some clown fish and some tanks, with no corals or anemones for the next few months, do i really need a chiller?

Skimmer:

I am pretty sure my skimmer is not set correctly. it did have a full cup of water in the skim cup this morning, and it is smelly... but i don't think there shoudl be that much water in it... will have to play around with it for a few more nights...

thanks in advance

[teebs]

He hee... no eggcrates in the water though. I dide consider your suggestion, but since i didn't want thick sand bed, i am not confident that the eggcrates in the tank can be covered... The eggcrate used in the sump is a lot easier to change.

Water test:

With 2 damn smelly prawn in the tank, i did a water test this morning.... ammonia is 0, nitrite is 1.5 mg/l and nitrate is 15 mg/l, using tetra testkit. i suppose the presence of nitrate at such early stage is probably because i am using live rocks and bio homes that has been sitting in a mature tank for the last 1.5 months couple with the use of NSW...

I think nitrite might head south to 0 in another couple of days.... hopefully...

LED lights:

I've just been told that the Gen 2 Maxspect will only arrive end of feb, so no show tank before CNY.

Water Temperature:

Also, in the morning the water temperature is about 30.5 degrees. At night it goes to aboue 28.5 degrees.

If i am only keeping some clown fish and some tanks, with no corals or anemones for the next few months, do i really need a chiller?

Skimmer:

I am pretty sure my skimmer is not set correctly. it did have a full cup of water in the skim cup this morning, and it is smelly... but i don't think there shoudl be that much water in it... will have to play around with it for a few more nights...

thanks in advance

For the skimmer, play around with the air inlet hose and also the skim cup position.

As for temperature if keeping fishes, you may not need a chiller. If not using a chiller, then get a large clip on fan (~20W) and use it to blow at the water surface in your sump. It should be able to bring the water temp down by 1-2 degs.

[pweesng]

For the skimmer, play around with the air inlet hose and also the skim cup position.

As for temperature if keeping fishes, you may not need a chiller. If not using a chiller, then get a large clip on fan (~20W) and use it to blow at the water surface in your sump. It should be able to bring the water temp down by 1-2 degs.

Thanks Peter,

can you advise ideally where should the bubbles reach until in the cup or the skimmer?

[pweesng]

For the skimmer, play around with the air inlet hose and also the skim cup position.

As for temperature if keeping fishes, you may not need a chiller. If not using a chiller, then get a large clip on fan (~20W) and use it to blow at the water surface in your sump. It should be able to bring the water temp down by 1-2 degs.

Thanks Peter,

can you advise ideally where should the bubbles reach until in the cup or the skimmer?

[craftsman]

Hi bro, congratulations on your new tank!

I noticed that your overflow pipe going into your sump has no ball valve? How do you control the amount of water going into your sump? Could this be the reason why you are encountering so much noise in the water rushing down?

[kelvin70]

Some Problem

The Skimmer... I don't know how to use! can someone give me some details?

Also, my tank down pipe (from tank to sump) the water is gushing down very fast, it creates a lot of noise. I have already tried using 3 stacks of wool at the landing, and i cable tied a wool around the pipe... but it is still noisy.

The return pump is a Ehiem 1262. It is also giving out some sort of vibration... how do you guys reduces the noise of the gushing water?

thanks in advance

Bro, u should add a Valve at the return flow ... look at the pix ,after adjusting the valve to half and no more gushing sound..this method is tech by bro mengyang...hope this will help

[pweesng]

Yah.... I thot of getting the tank maker to put a ball valve. That will definitely helps in terms of the noise.

The problem is that the return pump (after the head loss) is already about 10 times cycle for the tank volume. So I'm not sure if it's a good thing to slow it down further.

[craftsman]

Yah.... I thot of getting the tank maker to put a ball valve. That will definitely helps in terms of the noise.

The problem is that the return pump (after the head loss) is already about 10 times cycle for the tank volume. So I'm not sure if it's a good thing to slow it down further.

bro, just a 5 cents opinion... Can dis-regard if u dun feel it's useful.

The return pump and piping should just be straight up n no "L" joints. In other words, if it's possible, switch your Sump tank around, and your return pump is on the left side of your sump. So, you get no head loss. U should also get a ball valve on the return piping.

The overflow pipe, should come down n have a "L" joint to bring it across to the right side of your sump. A ball valve on the pipe as well. There are several advantages:

1. Reduce head loss for your return pump.

2. Reduce surge of water by ball valves in your overflow pipe

pls do consider, bro... Your tank maker why never advice u?

[pweesng]

bro, just a 5 cents opinion... Can dis-regard if u dun feel it's useful.

The return pump and piping should just be straight up n no "L" joints. In other words, if it's possible, switch your Sump tank around, and your return pump is on the left side of your sump. So, you get no head loss. U should also get a ball valve on the return piping.

The overflow pipe, should come down n have a "L" joint to bring it across to the right side of your sump. A ball valve on the pipe as well. There are several advantages:

1. Reduce head loss for your return pump.

2. Reduce surge of water by ball valves in your overflow pipe

pls do consider, bro... Your tank maker why never advice u?

Hi Craft,

thanks for your comments... i kind agree with you.. but the tank maker make like that, i also no choice leh...

let me see if i can get him to connect a ball valve now....

otherwise, nothing much i can do also...

hahaha

[teebs]

Thanks Peter,

can you advise ideally where should the bubbles reach until in the cup or the skimmer?

Hi Bro,

You can refer to the link below for the instructions on how to install the skimmer and also how to tune the skimmer for proper operation.

http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/files/D...MC500%20(2).pdf

[pweesng]

Hi Bro,

You can refer to the link below for the instructions on how to install the skimmer and also how to tune the skimmer for proper operation.

http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/files/D...MC500%20(2).pdf

I did... but the instruction is unclear....

First set the water level to 50mm below the top of the skimmer body, Okay, i can move the weir plate to achieve that.

Second, set the cup to about 3/4 above the skimmer body, no problem.

set the foam to reach screw A. even if the air hole open fully, the foam don't reach there...

i do get some smelly liquid in the cup, but is full of water also...

But thanks Peter... i just need i need more time to play around with it...

[teebs]

I did... but the instruction is unclear....

First set the water level to 50mm below the top of the skimmer body, Okay, i can move the weir plate to achieve that.

Second, set the cup to about 3/4 above the skimmer body, no problem.

set the foam to reach screw A. even if the air hole open fully, the foam don't reach there...

i do get some smelly liquid in the cup, but is full of water also...

But thanks Peter... i just need i need more time to play around with it...

Hi Bro,

That instruction is to get the foam production start up. If you want a drier skim mate, then u have to move the collection cup up, if you want a wetter skim mate, then move it down. That's all.

By the way, for my MCE600 that I'm using the air tap is set to ard the 2pm position. The amount of bubbles and skim mate that your skimmer produces depends on the amount of nutrients in your tank.

[pweesng]

Hi Bro,

That instruction is to get the foam production start up. If you want a drier skim mate, then u have to move the collection cup up, if you want a wetter skim mate, then move it down. That's all.

By the way, for my MCE600 that I'm using the air tap is set to ard the 2pm position. The amount of bubbles and skim mate that your skimmer produces depends on the amount of nutrients in your tank.

thanks Peter,

Let me play around and see what i can do with it! hahahaha i bet you never met anyone so dumb...

[pweesng]

I retested the water parameters yesterday and this morning.

Ammonia and Nitrite is confirm to be undetectable using the tetra test kit.

anyway, my niece was screaming and we succumb. bought 3 clown fish for the tank. now we have 2 problems.

1) when the fishes are let loose at the tank. They kinda stay in a corner or the tank and no move. It seems that they are swimming hard to keep up with the current of the tank. Even though there are areas in the tank with less current.

2) the fish doesn't seems to be eating.

I net them up and place that in a betta box with some biohomes in it. they seems to look better as there are less current. But they are still not eating. Its been 2 days. So i am wondering how long can they go without food?

Slightly better luck with the skimmer now. This morning it was still full for water. But i managed to adjust it until the cup is almost falling out of the skimmer body, ie it is only in by 0.5 cm. I'll check tonight to see if i can get some dry skimmates.

The lights will only be in March. So i guess no FTS until then. Without the light, the tank looks quite bad

[pweesng]

Hi All,

been testing my water condition. Ammonia and nitrite is still at 0, but nitrate is at 25 ppm....

over the weekend i added a couple of LS...

1) Banded Starfish, This is a real ugly thing. but i've been told that it is really hardworking in cleaning up ft over food. Threw it into the water, and within 5 sec, it managed to snug itself nicely under a piece of rock, hasn't seen it since then.

2) Columbus Snail (sic), was told that this snail is good as a cleaning crew too. Threw it in the water, it crawled for 5 inches, hasn't seen it move since then. It looks like the "la la" we get from Newton....

3) 2 Fire Dart Gobies, my niece got a bit excited when i bought her to the LFS. She insisted that she needed to buy some fishes. Anyway, LFS owner confirm that these are hardy little things. So she bought a couple of them. Threw them in the water, they swam around a bit. found caves and started hiding in them. I think the current is too strong. Coz when i turn off the return pump this morning's feeding time, they actually came out of their caves.

Here are some pictures of the Starfish, the snail and the Gobies.... not mine, took from the internet

[pweesng]

My nitrate, although no in the dangerous level yet, I would like to take steps to control it soon.

I know that water change is probably the best and most effective way to control nitrate.

I am just wondering what else can i use? looking for a lazy man's way out, hopefully i can eventually lengthen the WC duration to eveyr 3 months or so... haha

[Ketchup]

hmm... i wonder if you have completed the cycling process yet since your nitrate is so high... I think better don't add too much livestock...

[pweesng]

hmm... i wonder if you have completed the cycling process yet since your nitrate is so high... I think better don't add too much livestock...

hey Ketchup,

Well, I think it should be completed given that Ammonia and Nitrite are both down to 0. As the ANN cycle ends with Nitrate, it is unavoidable that Nitrate will be high towards at the end of the ANN cycle. That is why it is always recommended that water change be carried out at the end of the cycle.

In any case, there is only 5 small little fishes in the tank now, which was added in the over the course of 2 weeks, so i think it shoudl be okay.

Probably won't be adding anymore until i'm back from my business trip and after CNY... I need my lights to come in also, kind of tired that i need to shine touch light to see the fishes every morning and evening... hahaha

[Ketchup]

hey Ketchup,

Well, I think it should be completed given that Ammonia and Nitrite are both down to 0. As the ANN cycle ends with Nitrate, it is unavoidable that Nitrate will be high towards at the end of the ANN cycle. That is why it is always recommended that water change be carried out at the end of the cycle.

In any case, there is only 5 small little fishes in the tank now, which was added in the over the course of 2 weeks, so i think it shoudl be okay.

Probably won't be adding anymore until i'm back from my business trip and after CNY... I need my lights to come in also, kind of tired that i need to shine touch light to see the fishes every morning and evening... hahaha

True... did you do a 50% water change at the end of the cycle? We did that and subsequently the nitrate has been about 5ppm or less iirc.