Best Kept Secrets

[CazK]

As we all know through our time as reef keepers we come across things that we dont pass along to the general public. So I figured I'd see if anyone was willing to pass along some of their "secrets" to help new reefers.

I'll offer mine up first...never buy cleaner clams from LFS or from online...why pay $10 for one when you can get four of them for $2 from the grocery store. Yea thats right...I buy my cleaner clams from the sea food deli...you simply have to make sure they are LIVE clams and they will cost you like 70 cents a clam...great way to save some money.

So who is next...what can you pass along...and it doesnt have to be anything major...

 

[DaveK]

...never buy cleaner clams from LFS or from online...why pay $10 for one when you can get four of them for $2 from the grocery store. Yea thats right...I buy my cleaner clams from the sea food deli...you simply have to make sure they are LIVE clams and they will cost you like 70 cents a clam...great way to save some money.
...

You need to be very careful doing this. First, the clams are shipped on ice, which usually damages them to the point of killing them. Second, depending upon the source of the clams, you may be getting cold water clams, which would have a tough time surviving the tropical water temps of a reef system.

As for advice for beginners, the key is learning about the item before you buy one. I've posted "DaveK's Standard Lecture #1" quite a few times, in which I tell people to get some books on the subject.

Next ask about anything you don't understand before you buy. This applies to equipment and livestock.

Lastly be prepared to wait. It takes time to get a system going and you need to give things a chance to become established.

 

[michael_cb_125]

I agree with DaveK.

Cleaner Clams? Unfortunately most of these clams will not survive in the typical reef aquarium. Clams are filter feeders and require a heavy nutrient load to survive. Will they clean your water.... sure, but to the point where they are starved of nutrients at which point they die.

There are MANY other inverts that can be used to "clean" a reef tank that will actually do well.

~Michael

 

[BigAl07]

My piece of advice is to find someone local with experience (NOT your LFS) and try to learn from them before you buy the first piece of equipment.

 

[reef dummy]

Cleaning clams??????:cursin:

 

[CazK]

Yes Cleaner clams...my favorite little treat for my tank. I never expect them to live long with the evils that are my tank...but hey for just a few cents they disrupt the sand bed, suck up some much and then become food for another of my inhabitants. (puts on fire suit)

 

[BobBursek]

Big Al and DaveK,
DITTO you 2!!!!!! Read and ask first, DONOT ask after the fact for "how to fix it" or"did I get a good deal?" I will not say never trust the LFS but most but not all, advice I have gotten from them has been self serving.
My little secret is once you know your tank, your chemical doseing then use have measurements on your chemical test of yur more costly test kits 2-3 times and the 3 or4 time use it full strenght.

 

[CazK]

Another secret of the not to deep. Certain play sand from the hardware store can be used to fill up most of (if not all) of the tank instead of paying too much for "LIVE" sand from the pet store. Always check to make sure the sand has not been chemically treated, bleached, or containing any foreign substances. Southyard Play sand is one of the recommended type if you live on the east coast (if my memory serves correct on the name)

 

[smoothie]

Play sands usually contain a high amount of silicates

 

[WVUReefer]

and cat poop..

 

[MikeinToronto]

Years back someone studied a tank with a bed of silca sand vs carbonate sand and despite a slight difference in fauna, there was no adverse effect from the silica. I'm sure it's posted somewhere here, RAG, or RC.

Here are my tricks/secrets. I'm not going to post the rules I break because I don't want newbies reading them but I'll give you ideas:
You can recharge your own DI resin with muriatic acid (HCl) and lye (NaOH/KOH) for a few pennies per recharge.

Most of the "rules" in internet forums are there for newbies not experienced keepers and most of the "rules" change over the years. Many are bastardized versions of their original intent.

You don't need to test your water everyday when cycling.

Don't DIY unless you like to DIY. It doesn't usually save money and you usually have to buy your project after you mess up your DIY. DIY is for fun and interest.

Anemones host clowns. Clowns DO NOT host anemones.

 

[BigAl07]

Sort of off topic but.... by using a silicate bases sand aren't you losing the "Buffer" effect of carbonate sand?

 

[CazK]

From Reefs.org

However the buffering capacity of various carbonate substrata is also overblown. Laboratory experiments comparing the buffering capacity of crushed oyster shell (composed primarily of the most soluble forms of calcium carbonate -- high magnesium calcite and aragonite), crushed coral gravel, and dolomite sediments compared to that of silica sand. Of course silica sand had no buffering capacity and the tank pH dropped below 7.0 within 90 days. The other sediments didn't work so well, either -- after two months in a tank with a reasonable bioload, the pH of seawater in the tank with dolomite was 7.4-7.5, the crushed coral/aragonite was a little better at 7.7-7.8, and the oyster shell was the best at 7.8-7.9 -- again though, this was over only 2 months. In any case, none of them buffered the pH enough to rely on the capacity of the sediments alone to provide buffering over the long-term.

Hope that answers your question Al

 

[BigAl07]

Yes it does. Actually it shows that the carbonate based does have SOME degree of buffering ability

no?

 

[CazK]

I guess it mostly a matter of personal preference and finance. While carbonate sand will give you a slight buffer to your water the sand will also degrade over time and has a higher price point to factor in.

As and example I'm going to run a 6" DSB in my tank. Approx 130# of sand required. If I use silcate sand it will cost me a one time price of ~$24, or I can use carbonate sand and for the same amount spend ~$200 and have to add sand to the system ever 2-3 years as the sand degrades. So its up to the hobbiest to decide which way he or she wants to go.

 

[BigAl07]

You do realize if you run silicate you will have an endless supply of silicates to feed a diatom bloom? There are many reasons why we use carbonate sand. Even people who can get silicate sand for next to nothing still wisely use carbonate. Ultimately it's a personal choice but time and again we see "problems" popping up with a wholly silicate based system.

That's just my 2 cents

 

[1Reefer]

I agree with allen, we don't ALL use carbonate sand just because it costs more lol. It really is bennificial to the system, I have silica sand in a freshwarer cichlid tank 125g and it seems it "packs" to tight to be useful in a reef tank. Seems to me fauna would have a MUCH harder time inhabiting the silica sand in comparison.

 

[CazK]

I can understand your concern, I would suggest everyone read Silica Sand from Reefs.org. I'm not suggesting it is the end all be all on the subject but is a good place for a reference point for anyone having the idea of using or not using silicate sand as base for the tank. One thing the writer does mention is the simple almost forgotten fact that the glass of our tanks are silicate based so that is why diatom grow more lively on the walls of the tank.

Personally I do run silicate sand in my 120g main and have seen very little blooms occur. Is it due to copepods that love the stuff, the CuC that targets anything other then fish, or the macros I have growing in the sump? It's all of the above for me. As with anything ever suggested from anyone it is all up to the end user to decide what best suites their plans and their needs.

My need to setup the best looking tank with out spending my house payment to accomplish this task will always be parimount. As with any tank there are 3 things I feel no one should skimp on: skimmer, lights & tank. Everything else people can always look for a cheaper simple solution which is what this post is all about.

 

[reef dummy]

Cazk, you sure have a lot of alternative advice for a bunch of reefer's who have a whole lot of experience, how bout some pics to show us some of these examples.

 

[BigAl07]

That's a HUGE part of the fun of SW tanks... what works for one tank may... or may NOT work for another. I set my tanks up how I feel best supports the live-stocks needs AND is best for me to be able to maintain long-term. YMMV

with almost every aspect of SW there are 27,456,789 different ways to accomplish the same goal.