i'm a newbie

AJK

AJK

Member
Hi,
I have alot of questions. I have a 26 gal bowfront, with live sand/live rock. All seems to be going well at the moment, I began Saturday tank finally clearing up, not perfectly clear but I can see sand/rocks.

Questions I have:
I bought a glass thermometer, temps were approx 84-85, I turned off heater, temps dropped to 76. So, I bought a coralLife digital thermometer yesterday, with no heating reading 78, so both are very close. Now, my temps are increasing with no heater, temp 84.3 at the moment. My home temp, right now is 79. Is this normal ? I have an aquaclear 50 and Koralia 240 gph powerheads, could powerheads increase tank temps ? I live in Tx, btw.

Next question, sand residue settled on rocks, I slowly tried to move rock, but cloud up tank again. Will rocks be fine with white sand, on top of them ?

Question 3, what is popular overhang protein skimmer ?

Thanks for assistance.
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
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to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members
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superfrog

superfrog

Active Member
AJK said:
Hi,
I have alot of questions. I have a 26 gal bowfront, with live sand/live rock. All seems to be going well at the moment, I began Saturday tank finally clearing up, not perfectly clear but I can see sand/rocks.

Questions I have:
I bought a glass thermometer, temps were approx 84-85, I turned off heater, temps dropped to 76. So, I bought a coralLife digital thermometer yesterday, with no heating reading 78, so both are very close. Now, my temps are increasing with no heater, temp 84.3 at the moment. My home temp, right now is 79. Is this normal ? I have an aquaclear 50 and Koralia 240 gph powerheads, could powerheads increase tank temps ? I live in Tx, btw.

Next question, sand residue settled on rocks, I slowly tried to move rock, but cloud up tank again. Will rocks be fine with white sand, on top of them ?

Question 3, what is popular overhang protein skimmer ?

Thanks for assistance.
Click to expand...

Welcome to RS!!

Powerheads can very well generate heat and add to tank temps. The heater should be controlled by a thermostat and should only switch on and heat the water when the temps fall below the threshold set. If you dont have a thermostat controlled heater, i would get one (unless you live in a very tropical climate) and leave it switched on to prevent the water cooling too much.

If pumps are adding heat theres not much you can do short of trying to replace them. To cool the tank, you have 2 options. The pricey option is to buy a chiller unit and plumb it into the system to cool water when it gets too hot. The cheaper option is to take a lesson from mother nature and use evaporative cooling. Using a little pc fan to blow cool air across the water surface can dramatically reduce temperatures. The cooler air hits the warmer water and spurs on evaporation. When water changes from liquid to gas, energy is released in the form of heat, thereby cooling the water. NOTE: This WILL increase evaporation and will require more frequent RO/DI topups or the use of an ATO.

As far as the sand on the rocks go. I personally wouldn't leave dirt or sand sitting on the rocks for extended periods of time. At the moment your bioload is almost non-existent so it shouldnt be too much of an issue right now. But in time, this will lead to detritus build up and may encourage the growth of unwanted noxious algae. A simple solution is to buy a cheap glass or plastic turkey baster and use that to lightly blow off the rocks. Moving the rocks in and out disturbs the tank and sandbed and causes more of a mess than anything else.

Hope this helps...happy cycling!
 
AJK

AJK

Member
Hi fellow members. Thanks for the warm welcome :)

It's been a bit stressful, but having fun with my first saltwater fish tank.
 
AJK

AJK

Member
superfrog said:
Welcome to RS!! Powerheads can very well generate heat and add to tank temps. The heater should be controlled by a thermostat and should only switch on and heat the water when the temps fall below the threshold set. If you dont have a thermostat controlled heater, i would get one (unless you live in a very tropical climate) and leave it switched on to prevent the water cooling too much.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all your help. I'm keeping a close eye on water temps. LFS did not have Eheim heater, as I believed. Web only. Bummer. I'll order one shortly. So, at the moment I picked up a Aqueon pro 100,. LFS said, I can return for another topfin heater, if I'm not satisfied.

If pumps are adding heat theres not much you can do short of trying to replace them. To cool the tank, you have 2 options. The pricey option is to buy a chiller unit and plumb it into the system to cool water when it gets too hot. The cheaper option is to take a lesson from mother nature and use evaporative cooling. Using a little pc fan to blow cool air across the water surface can dramatically reduce temperatures. The cooler air hits the warmer water and spurs on evaporation. When water changes from liquid to gas, energy is released in the form of heat, thereby cooling the water. NOTE: This WILL increase evaporation and will require more frequent RO/DI topups or the use of an ATO.
Click to expand...
I went out and bought a fan today, especially since summer is extremely hot in Tx. During summer months, my computer fans work overtime, even with ac going on in the house. But, once I get temps under control, I'll be on my way.

As far as the sand on the rocks go. I personally wouldn't leave dirt or sand sitting on the rocks for extended periods of time. At the moment your bioload is almost non-existent so it shouldnt be too much of an issue right now. But in time, this will lead to detritus build up and may encourage the growth of unwanted noxious algae. A simple solution is to buy a cheap glass or plastic turkey baster and use that to lightly blow off the rocks. Moving the rocks in and out disturbs the tank and sandbed and causes more of a mess than anything else. happy cycling!
Click to expand...
Thank you so much. I will have to run to Walmart for turkey baster, seems no other stores carry. But filter is doing a fantastic job, cleaning up leftover sand. The tank is getting clearer each day, I think a few more day's crystal clear.

Now, I just need to go pick out a background :bouncer:
 
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