Thanks
Snelly40. I'll take your advice and when I order my supplies I'll have to get some "Purigen" because that stuff sounds almost too good to be true
JustSunnie you had a GREAT idea. Got my wife to use her lil hands and sure enough she DID pull out another sponge. How funny
have you not had any Nitrate issues leaving those Bio-balls in there? I was reading the extensive (read here.. One photo copied page, front and back) instructions and in this it states
Reef Instructions It is reccommended to remove the following for "Reef Applications" to prevent the build-up of undesirable Nitrate:
a) Bio-balls b) Ceramic Rings
I'll be leaving those out when I go to finalize my installation. The LR Rubble should take care of the bio-filter needs along with the actual LR in the tank.
YumSaltWater Either replace the sponges with a like material of keep them CLEANED. They are an ideal area for "matter" to build up and cause problems. I think this is just one of those areas that is a must do for maintenance. If someone has a better idea please let US know
The refuge is something that just makes since to me. I even saw one online on a 3.2 gallon micro tank. They serve many purposes...
1) increase total water volume
2) Provides breeding area for "pods" which can become additional food for your "Critters"
3) Creates natural filtration relieving some of the load on OTHER filtration systems
4) The "Cheato" or Macro algae is an excellent source or bio-material to consume "Extra food matter" and also to remove nitrates which is a big No No in your reef tank. Plus they kind of look "cool".
As for my plans they are to have some really neat corals (SPS) and a clean up crew and maybe 2-3 small cool fish. Nothing really MAJOR and gonna concentrate on keeping the bio-load low and stable. This is going to be in a high traffic area for customers coming into my office so I need to keep it looking as good as possible.
Reeflover the NVM "moon-fix" is now on my MUST have list. I'll be ordering that with my next order. So you got the dual harness (which was +9.95) was there any additional cost other than that? I LOVE moonlights! that's something we have all enjoyed so much in my 10g tank here at home. I got a "DigiKits" custom 14" 12 LED strip with dimmer. It simply ROCKS! The price was dirt cheap and the customer service was awesome. If I could get one to fit inside this hood I would order one right now for the CUBE but it's a square tube 1"x1"x14" across. I don't think there is enough room inside the splash shield for this is that?
Heat? What do you feel is your problem? which lights are you running? I left my tank running over night without a heater (haven't gotten it yet) and when I got home this evening the water temp was only 74deg. Have you modded your hood?
Thanks for the input! That's what makes this forum AMAZING!
Sincerely,
Allen