question about keeping hermits in sump

[Cheech]

I'm thinking of adding a few hermits in my fuge. thing is, the lighting on the sump is on 24/7. Will this make the crabs freak out in any way?

[Reefscape]

No, it will be absolutly fine. The light is the same as fish, makes not difference.....

Can i just ask why the lighting is on 24/7 and not run in reverse to the main display tank lighting? am purley asking this out of interest....

Niko

[Coralaholic]

Why 24/7 won't make any difference? Shdn't the tank need to be maintained similar to the nature world?

[Cheech]

Atnixon just sent me a link explaining why the suggested thing to do is ruin the lights between the main tank and the fuge in opposite times from eachother.

It's nicely written here..
http://www.aquatouch.com/AquaTech%20Refugium%20article.htm


I'll try it out.

Thanks!!

c

[Reefscape]

Besides chewing away at your electric bill, it only needs to be run in reverse to your diaplay main lights. This helps to maintain a good pH balance and CO2 exchange..

Niko

[Coralaholic]

Nice!

[Reefscape]

Coralaholic, does that answer any questions you have on this issue? or would you like any more info on the subject? If your happy with the info provided, then i am happy also...

Niko

[Coralaholic]

Thanks for your info... appreciated that...
Today I have ordered a 36 x 26 x 18 inch tank (about 270L) from the LFS to replace my current tank (30 x 18 x 14, about 120L, only 1.5 month old), and I will go or a sump this time. I don't want to waste anything so my current tank will become the sump.

I would like to know the best way to arrange the sump and what do I need to put in as I have seen lot of different sump arrangements from the LFS?

Also, as I am starting up a new tank, what is the procedure to properly transfer everything from my old tank to a new tank? I also want to avoid the algae boom which has happened on my old tank, thanks.

[Germanman]

i run my fuge 24/7 as well. works much better at stabilizing the ph all day and night form what ive seen. and all the animals in there dont seem to be effected in any way either.

[Reefscape]

Thanks for your info... appreciated that...
Today I have ordered a 36 x 26 x 18 inch tank (about 270L) from the LFS to replace my current tank (30 x 18 x 14, about 120L, only 1.5 month old), and I will go or a sump this time. I don't want to waste anything so my current tank will become the sump.

I would like to know the best way to arrange the sump and what do I need to put in as I have seen lot of different sump arrangements from the LFS?

Also, as I am starting up a new tank, what is the procedure to properly transfer everything from my old tank to a new tank? I also want to avoid the algae boom which has happened on my old tank, thanks.


Arranging the sump can be done in many different ways, all can achieve the same goal. Some have the return in the middle, others have the fuge in the middle, its a preference thing. A low flow through the sump is what you ideally need and this can easily be achieved using either method...

Sump arrangement usually follows a similar pattern.. The inlet will contain your skimmer, the fuge ( refugium ) will have a deep sand bed and live rock rubble and the return will house your return pump unles you decide to ahve this externally..

Again, there are many ways on which to transfer over tanks...When i moved my fowlr contents to my new reef i basically put the fish in a qt tank...syhoned the water out half way and put it in my bath with the heater and powerhead, moved live rock into the bath and then inverts...drained the rest of the water and threw it away....moved old tank, placed new...lay a NEW sandbed of washed aragonite sugar size reef grade sand, fill half way with new water..moved live rock into the tank and do the aquascaping...put the inverts back in to the tank and then fill up with the water from the bath to till its all full...connect up any other equiptment like powerheads and heater and fire the system up...leave it to settle and re-introduce the fish..Just ensure that the tank has properly settled and the water in the temp tank matches the new tank..If it does not, aclimatise as normal for a new intoduction...bobs your unlce, job done...took me about 4 hours all done...

Hope that helps you a little

Niko

[Coralaholic]

Thanks for your advice atnixon.

My new tank is about 2.25 times bigger (270L vs. 120L), here I got more questions about adding additional water and sand and .....

1) Do you recommend me to put my old sand in the display tank or in the sump? Since I have bought some new sand (CaribSea aragonite live sand, same as my old sand), if I put the old sand in the display tank, shall I put it at the bottom covering with the new sand or vice versa? Do you recommend people to run a bare bottom? And why?

2) In order to run the sump, the water must be full in the new tank, so if I move all the old water (120L) to the new tank, I need to have additionally 150L (270L - 120L) new water, which is about 56%. Since I have quite a lot corals, this may not be appropriated to introduce that amount of new water in a time. I can add 20% of new water and temporarily not running the sump and to use my old filter instead, but this is just too troublesome.

3) Heard that some people "cock" their LRs by darkness for 3 days in order to remove the ugly algae, I also want to do so but would it remove some of the beneficial bacteria? Or shall I just use fresh water to clean them using aggresive method!

4) The guy from the LFS told me that to buy some black and white bioballs, what is the difference between black and white? Where to put them? Ok if not having the bioballs? How does it work?

Putting all these together will introduce a new environment to my corals/ fishes/inverts (new sand, nitrite/nitrate may introduce to the new tank from my old sand, new sump without bacteria, new water, cleaned LRs (may have 3 days without LRs)). So I have the following way but not sure whether it really worth to do so, please take a look:

Run the new displace tank without the sump, only a wave maker for some water current, clean half of my LRs from my old tank and place them together with sponges and things for filtering into the display tank, kick start the N-cycle by putting some dead shrimps (heard that people pee into the tank for introducing ammonia to the tank, disgusting put really want to try =P) into the tank, of course pouring some old tank water into the new tank to speed up the process.

Wait for the N-cycle complete, transfer the sponges and filtering things to the sump, clean and transfer the rest of the LRs from my old tank to the new tank, all 120L old water add to the new tank to start the sump, move all corals/fishes/inverts to the new tank.

Noted any problem? Or this is just not worth to do so, just put everything to the new tank with 56% new water and new sand. What is the BEST practice arround the world?

[Coralaholic]

I really want to get everythings correct this time to minimize the chance of algae boom, which has happened in my old tank.

[Coralaholic]

Sorry, one more question, do I really need to wash the new sand? The sand is live sand with water inside the bag.

[Reefscape]

1) Do you recommend me to put my old sand in the display tank or in the sump? Since I have bought some new sand (CaribSea aragonite live sand, same as my old sand), if I put the old sand in the display tank, shall I put it at the bottom covering with the new sand or vice versa? Do you recommend people to run a bare bottom? And why?

Personally, i never recomend using the old sandbed. this is beacuase of all the nitrates that are stored inside the bed, not to mention the crud and detrius that has accumilated....If anything, just use a few cups of the sand to aid in seeding your new sandbed...if you are intent on using your old sand bed, then use it in the sump and lay fresh sand over the top as there will be macro alage in there to absorb to nitrates...you will get a nitrate spike from using it though. Again, if your going to use old sand in the display, then lay thge new sand again on top..

Bare bottom tanks are down to personal preference, personally, i like to have a sand bed, more of a natural feel to the tank. Hopefully, someone who runs with a barebottom tank can chime in and answer that one better...


2) In order to run the sump, the water must be full in the new tank, so if I move all the old water (120L) to the new tank, I need to have additionally 150L (270L - 120L) new water, which is about 56%. Since I have quite a lot corals, this may not be appropriated to introduce that amount of new water in a time. I can add 20% of new water and temporarily not running the sump and to use my old filter instead, but this is just too troublesome.

Yes, i dont see any issues at all with starting it off that. It is quite a viable solution to the water volume difference between the two tanks..Just remember to wash the filter media every week in tank water ( just my opinion on the washing of the filter media).


3) Heard that some people "cock" their LRs by darkness for 3 days in order to remove the ugly algae, I also want to do so but would it remove some of the beneficial bacteria? Or shall I just use fresh water to clean them using aggresive method!

Despite the obvious, that word means nothing to me am afraid..To remove hair algae, i would just scrub it off with a nylon based scrubbing brush in salt water. However, running the live rock in a container of saltwater with no lighting will certainly do the trick asit will starve the algae of light and nutrients which will kill any algae on the rock...


4) The guy from the LFS told me that to buy some black and white bioballs, what is the difference between black and white? Where to put them? Ok if not having the bioballs? How does it work?

Bio-ball are just another type of media for filtration, commonly used in trickle filters are are there to provide a surface area for bacteria to colonise. Bio-balls are a debatable issue as, in my opinion, they do genertate a higher nitrate count in the system. For media in the sump, your best of using live rock rubble which will be placed in the refugium on top of the deep sand bed in there..Live rock rubble provides better surface area for the same bacteria...


Run the new displace tank without the sump, only a wave maker for some water current, clean half of my LRs from my old tank and place them together with sponges and things for filtering into the display tank, kick start the N-cycle by putting some dead shrimps (heard that people pee into the tank for introducing ammonia to the tank, disgusting put really want to try =P) into the tank, of course pouring some old tank water into the new tank to speed up the process.

Ewwww...imagine being caught peeing into your tank...How do you explain that one??? No issues so far...


Wait for the N-cycle complete, transfer the sponges and filtering things to the sump, clean and transfer the rest of the LRs from my old tank to the new tank, all 120L old water add to the new tank to start the sump, move all corals/fishes/inverts to the new tank.

Sounds good to me...Main thing to ensure is that parameters are stable..

These are of course just my opinions...

Hope it helps a little for you..

Niko

[Reefscape]

Sorry, one more question, do I really need to wash the new sand? The sand is live sand with water inside the bag.

If its the bagged live sand, then no, you dont need to wash. Only the standard bagged marine sand does...

Niko

[Reefscape]

I really want to get everythings correct this time to minimize the chance of algae boom, which has happened in my old tank.

An inpending algae bloom is very hard to avoid. Your always going to get some algae, but, working to the steps you have said, will certainly keep this down to a minimum...

Niko

[Coralaholic]

Great thanks atnixon!!

[BIGgourami]

wiat are you guys talking about running lights on a sump or a fuge?

[Reefscape]

wiat are you guys talking about running lights on a sump or a fuge?

we are refering to the refugium section of the sump.

Niko

[BIGgourami]

oh ok i was like 'why is there a light in the sump'?