Nuclear option

[Anonymous]

I have a 55 (acrylic) reef that used to be my pride and joy. It is now 1/3 aptasia by biomass. I've decided to move the fishies and the most valued corals, and throw the rest into the fire. Nothing else worked.

It is currently a 55 gal with 400 Watts compact fluorescents, a hang on the back skimmer, and no sump. The corals are soft, and I have 4 fish. Nothing particularly fragile.

Space is a major limitation. Cost is also to some degree.

Here's my tentative plan:

Buy a 75 gal acrylic with new stand and canopy. Get 2 x 150 (or 250) W HQIs. I bought an AquaC remora for the thing already. Buy new live rock, sand, etc, and gradually trasfer back the original inhabitants, once I am sure they are free of aiptasia, and finally return the fish when everything is stable.

I've had this for 8 years and the state of the art has changed. I bought Vol 3 of Delbruk and Sprung but haven't found anything shockingly new in it.

General questions:

What lighting should I get (soft corals, bubble tip, and I am thinking 2 x 150 HQI as stated above)?

Should I make the 55 a sump or refugium or cage for a Bearded Dragon?

Who does the best live rock these days?

Should I cure the rock and then add to the new tank, or cure it in situ?

Should I use deionized or reverse-osmosis water?

How much sand should I use? Currently I have about 4" but have been told the deep sand bed idea was flawed. One option I thought of is to put deep sand in the 55 and use it as a refugium/denitrification aquarium plumbed to the main one.

Do I need filtration apart from the skimmer? (I've skimmed only, apart from the biological filtration the current rocks and sand provide).

Any other suggestions?


What would you change if you had to do it over?

 

[Anonymous]

1. Go w/ the 250 HQIs, the price difference is negligible
2. 55s are kinda tall for sumps, I'd go w/ the lizard cage (assuming you already have the lizard)
3. I have had good luck with Premium Aquatics rock, but I'd get it local if you have a decent LFS, shipping is a big factor and its nice to being able to pick your own pieces.
4. I'd get rocked that was already cured and add it directly to the tank.
5. Both. A DI cartridge is a cheap ad-on to a RO unit, though a TDS meter would help make your decision.
6. None
7. Skimmer is all you need IMO
8. Go for heavy flow. The biggest mistake I made when I was new in this hobby (looking back) was having insufficient water movement.

 

[fungia]

for your corals and anemone, 150w x2 is a good choice. i would make your 55 gallon a refugium since you went with a hang-on skimmer. the skimmer is all the filter you need. with your corals, you wont need a sump for a calcium reactor or anything fancy. i like your idea of using a dsb in the refugium; you can disconnect it every few years and replace the sand if you need.

i like marshall island live rock the best but i have some fiji and buna branch that i also like. i get these from www.oceanproaquatics.com.

i would use ro first or ro/di if you have the choice. i used to use di but the media was a chore.

 

[trigger0214]

Just a thought here.....but you could just take out the infested rock and soak it in bleach (i would go with pwdered high test sodium hypochloride for swimming pools). Yes..it's going kill everything....but it also kill the aptasia.

You would then face a long soak in a sodium thiosulfate solution (or other dechlor) and cure....but it would save you some bucks on base rock.

You could leave the aptasia in the 55 and use it a regium. Apparntly there are great filter feeeders and will keep your tank very clean.....BUT, you have to have a large UV sterilizer on the return (obviously).

 

[Anonymous]

I took some rocks out and let them die/dry in the garden. I might do that and then use some as base rock. They are kind of dense and ugly (limestone farmed rock) so aren't really worth heroics.

 

[Anonymous]

I like to run a small amount of carbon in an external HOB filter or Fluval type canister filter after the skimmer. I change it out frequently. You may want to plumb with this in mind. I also like to create a space in the sump where I can stick some fine filter floss. Then when I turkey baste the hell out of the rocks, I can add some in to catch all the crap for a few hours and remove it.

Consider a fake sand bed. I like bare bottom tanks now, just based on ease of maintenance, but nothing beats the look of sand at the bottom of a tank. Coralline covering the bottom is kind of cool too though.

Also, since you have an acrylic tank, add some closed loops. They're easy to drill. Creating all your flow within the tank rather than having it all go through the sump seriously cuts down on electricity and noise.

Just me 2 cents. The rest sounds good to me.

 

[Anonymous]

What lighting should I get (soft corals, bubble tip, and I am thinking 2 x 150 HQI as stated above)?

Sounds good. Might want to add some VHO depending on the temp of the lights.

Should I make the 55 a sump or refugium or cage for a Bearded Dragon?

Go with the biggest sump you can.

Who does the best live rock these days?

I am not a fan of fresh live rock. I don't see the point - everyone I know that has had it has to cure it and most, if not all of the special critters seem non existant.
I think the best source of live rock is someone getting out of the hobby.

Should I cure the rock and then add to the new tank, or cure it in situ?

Cure and add if you have sand. If you go BB, you can do it in situ.

Should I use deionized or reverse-osmosis water?

RODI. I just think its not all that expensive. But, it does depend on your local water.

How much sand should I use? Currently I have about 4" but have been told the deep sand bed idea was flawed. One option I thought of is to put deep sand in the 55 and use it as a refugium/denitrification aquarium plumbed to the main one.

I would go with no sand in the main tank. Do a search on Faux sand beds for the general idea - though I run about 10 pounds of sand in my tank and blow it around once a month or so while running a micron sock on my overflows in the sump to catch the detritus.
A remote sand bed will work, but I would either make it a sand bed or a fuge. If a sand bed, rig it so you don't put any detritus into the sand (the detritus seems to be the major issue with DSB - think filter floss that you never change).

Do I need filtration apart from the skimmer? (I've skimmed only, apart from the biological filtration the current rocks and sand provide).

I don't think so. Just go with flow!

 

[Jolieve]

From personal experience, the remora is not big enough for that size tank. I have a 75 gallon tank, and a remora that is now sitting and collecting dust because it could not skim enough for my system. They are great skimmers, but I don't feel that they work well for tanks over 50 gallons. If I set up another tank under 50 gallons and over 10 gallons, I will put my remora back into service.

If I were you I would return the remora and get a larger skimmer. Aqua C makes larger skimmers than the remora, and if you've already got a 55g tank hanging around anyway, you could go with an in sump model and turn that 55 into a sump.

J.

 

[Anonymous]

From personal experience, the remora is not big enough for that size tank. I have a 75 gallon tank, and a remora that is now sitting and collecting dust because it could not skim enough for my system. They are great skimmers, but I don't feel that they work well for tanks over 50 gallons. If I set up another tank under 50 gallons and over 10 gallons, I will put my remora back into service.

If I were you I would return the remora and get a larger skimmer. Aqua C makes larger skimmers than the remora, and if you've already got a 55g tank hanging around anyway, you could go with an in sump model and turn that 55 into a sump.

J.

Ditto, if you've got the option of returning it.

The EVs kick butt.

 

[Anonymous]

1) Is there no-one in your area that is raising bergia nudis? They pay $$ for infested rocks to feed their brood-stock. Some even trade cleaned rock for infested rock. Some will even ship rock back and forth.

2) Use peppermints (the proper species, Lysmata wurdemanni) to control the aptasia after you get clean rock in your tank. One will not do it in a 75, I would go for two at least. Feed them after the aptasia are down because they will starve/steal food otherwise.

3) Good luck! I hope your upgrade goes smoothly. The advice of the others above all looks pretty good to me, especially the skimmer upgrade. If you can't afford a big enough commercially made skimmer, look up the DIY ones. You can build a heck of a skimmer for a lot less $$ but you gotta be willing to tweak and adjust and put the time into making it yourself.

 

[Anonymous]

1) Is there no-one in your area that is raising bergia nudis? They pay $$ for infested rocks to feed their brood-stock. Some even trade cleaned rock for infested rock. Some will even ship rock back and forth.

I tried it. $300+ loss.

2) Use peppermints (the proper species, Lysmata wurdemanni) to control the aptasia after you get clean rock in your tank. One will not do it in a 75, I would go for two at least. Feed them after the aptasia are down because they will starve/steal food otherwise.

Didn't work. Destroyed my zooanthids.

3) Good luck! I hope your upgrade goes smoothly. The advice of the others above all looks pretty good to me, especially the skimmer upgrade. If you can't afford a big enough commercially made skimmer, look up the DIY ones. You can build a heck of a skimmer for a lot less $$ but you gotta be willing to tweak and adjust and put the time into making it yourself.

I'll have 2 skimmers now.