40gal Rimless Breeder

[crustytheclown]

think id be safe adding 2-3 blue reef chromis into my tank for the first additions. Ive read that adding fish over time is better than all at once, but im trying to order from Drs. Foster and Smith so it would be ideal to order more than one fish. My cuc has been working non-stop for almost two weeks. I also have other tanks that i could keep one in for a bit until the new tank catches up to the bio load. What should i do?

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

I think fish would be fine at this point. The chromis may get big and aggressive in your tank. I would look at one of the great shops in town and save yourself the shipping. IMO

 

[Wicked Color]

I am not a damsel expert, but I think it depends on the type of chromis, the little ones from the generic damsel tank would be ok, but the hawaiian ones would get large and aggressive.

 

[Cake_Boss]

I have 3 blue/green chromis you could get....

 

[crustytheclown]

sweet id take three blue/green chromis

 

[crustytheclown]

i did my first water change today. I tested some parameters.
Nitrate 5
Alk 9dkh
Calcium 480
Magnesium 1185
I am wanting this to be a sps tank. I dont have any fish or coral in here yet just a cuc. Should i be dosing before i add sps frags?
Also i am noticing a film on on the surface of my water. My return live comes up across the overflow on the back/left side and shoots out into the tank towards the front/right side. My vortech is setup ON the front/right side and shooting towards the overflow. My question is do i have too much surface agitation? Im wondering if the way my return is set up is preventing the junk on the surface of the water from entering into my overflow. Does anyone else have this? Some of it gets swept into to overflow but the majority is hung up in the corner above my Vortech.
Here is a couple pic so you can relate.

 

[Cake_Boss]

Put the vortech up higher? Increase flow (higher setting)

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[crustytheclown]

the vortech is about as high as i want it. Your supposed to keep it low enough as to not cause a whirlpool on the surface. I have the flow about halfway up on the Nutrient Export Mode and its a mp10.

 

[Zooid]

Put the vortech up higher? Increase flow (higher setting)

+1
That Vortech should create enough suction that there should be no stagnant area on top at all.
Does the MP10 propellor housing have an area that is solid (no grill)?
If it does I'd move the MP10 up and rotate the propellor housing so the solid area is pointing toward the surface of the water.

 

[othercents]

i did my first water change today. I tested some parameters.
Nitrate 5
Alk 9dkh
Calcium 480
Magnesium 1185
I am wanting this to be a sps tank. I dont have any fish or coral in here yet just a cuc. Should i be dosing before i add sps frags?

I would probably dose your Magnesium to get it closer in line now, but you should also test and dose the water before you put your SPS in. For the first month you might test daily until you get the dosing system dialed in. Once it is dialed in you won't need to test as often and some people only test if PH drops.

 

[crustytheclown]

+1
That Vortech should create enough suction that there should be no stagnant area on top at all.
Does the MP10 propellor housing have an area that is solid (no grill)?
If it does I'd move the MP10 up and rotate the propellor housing so the solid area is pointing toward the surface of the water.

Um .... im not seeing any solid area. Its grill 360deg around the propeller. If there was a solid area, why would i want to aim that at the surface?

 

[crustytheclown]

Put the vortech up higher? Increase flow (higher setting)

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If i get it any higher it will cause a whirlpool on the surface of the water, which would remove the film! Any idea why EcoTech recommends the user not to allow this whirlpool affect?

 

[Zooid]

Um .... im not seeing any solid area. Its grill 360deg around the propeller. If there was a solid area, why would i want to aim that at the surface?

Bummer...the propellor housing on my MP40's have a solid area on them so it can reduce the whirlpool effect. If you aim the solid area at the surface, water will not be pulled in from that area.

 

[Zooid]

If i get it any higher it will cause a whirlpool on the surface of the water, which would remove the film! Any idea why EcoTech recommends the user not to allow this whirlpool affect?

If you have a whirlpool effect, it will draw in air from the surface and push microbubbles (and macrobubbles for that matter) all over your display...some corals wouldn't cope well with microbubbles. When I first installed mine, I put them up too high and it created a whirlpool. Sounded like my granddaughter playing with a glass of milk and a straw hehe. Bubbles were EVERWHERE

 

[crustytheclown]

If you have a whirlpool effect, it will draw in air from the surface and push microbubbles (and macrobubbles for that matter) all over your display...some corals wouldn't cope well with microbubbles. When I first installed mine, I put them up too high and it created a whirlpool. Sounded like my granddaughter playing with a glass of milk and a straw hehe. Bubbles were EVERWHERE

That sounds terrible. ill try tinkering with some things tomorrow. I will move my return around, as well as speed on my vortech. If this doesnt work than ill try raising the MP.

 

[crustytheclown]

Replaced my T5's bulbs with brand new Giesemanns. I am digging the color, and finally got some coral in my tank! Got a orange montipora cap, a green montipora cap, GSP, King Midas Zoas, some aqua blue zoas, and a candy cane. All are doing well. Some Pics!

 

[wirick181]

looks good man

 

[Cake_Boss]

I dig the color too

 

[hurrafreak]

I dig the sand!!

 

[crustytheclown]

thanks yall. I just got a couple more frags today from d+g pets. They survived the bike commute through gnarly harmony traffic and are getting settled now. Some pretty good deals down there right now. I got a purple monti frag and a sick blue acro frag 1" for $10 each. They had just gotten some nice big colorful colonies in, and apparently had to split one up to fit in their tank. A couple little pieces fell on their frag rack and i asked and they said that it was black frag $10. Oh and i also picked up my first fish for this tank! Firefish Goby, awesome little fish Ill try to post some pics later.