Looking for advice on s/w tank...

Yeah, things just make more sense when they have a real world application. I don't think I have ever learned so much as in the thread about shrimp molting over in General Marine a few weeks ago. The sad thing is, there is STILL no consensus as to iodine's role in the molt process, despite some very intelligent people's best efforts.
 
:D Yeah--I brought the iodine issue up elsewhere, and everyone threw out the same anecdotal advice.

SamsonNY--so what is happening to the rays and aros?
 
If you are changing to a SW tank; 2 good books are:

"The Consceintious Marine Aquarist" By Robert Fenner

And

"Natural Reef Aquariums" by John Tullock

EELs can be escape artist. The Marine ones do seem to be better at it than the FW ones. I've seen them go thru some VERY SMALL opennings.

WITH a good live sand bed ( the best of the natural filters ) and Live Rock; get rid of the Bio-Balls. They may actually cause the Live Sand(LS) and Live Rock (LR) not to work as well in filtration.

kreblak,

"That's what is great about these boards, the facts usually make themselves known quickly."

I disagree, this hobby is full of myths that just keep getting told; repeated over and over; as if that makes them correct; including on this board.

Ray
 
No apologies for not being perfect in advice. Everyone makes mistakes, and has their own opinions, usually based on experience but not always right. At least with a group of people, the odds of an error being identified and corrected are much higher than if your running solo, or taking the advice of just one person.

Rather than dogging people, stating your opinion and subtantiating it would be much more helpful. I appreciate it when I am politely corrected, and readily admit when I am wrong or uncertain, as will most people here.
 
Oniongirl,
"Rather than dogging people, stating your opinion and subtantiating it would be much more helpful."

I do not dog people. I do substantiate what I say or use "IMO"

"I appreciate it when I am politely corrected, and readily admit when I am wrong or uncertain, as will most people here."

Actual that is not what I've seen on this board. I've seen people stubbornly continue to put forward the same bad information time and time again.

Secondly show me where I corrected you in this thread. Personally I found your post to me in this thread, to be everything you Claim I did,

Ray
 
Not saying you addressed me--I am a mod, and as such try to keep the mood polite for everyone. Your comment to kreblak seemed a bit strong--implying that people were deliberately providing bad advice in this thread.
 
First off, thank you to everyone for all of the helpful advice.
But, let's stay cool and have fun while we (actually me) are learning. This is a hobby and like all hobbies, they're meant to be enjoyed. We come here to share our thoughts and knowledge and learn about this hobby. :cool:


Now, let me show you my further lack of knowledge here (it's my way of stating my stubbornness. :p )

Deep sand bed: If they're deep enough and don't get stirred up so that O2 doesn't go down there, I've read that they can become anaerobic (sp?) factories to take care of nitrates. That's good.
Live sand bed: I've read all of the "critters" in them will take care of fish waste. That's great.

BUT, my set-up has the return water coming in from one bulkhead fitting at the bottom center (sort of) of the tank which then has a Y and 2 nozzle jets. I currently have them pointed parallel to the sand layer so that they push all of the stingray "crap" around the front corners and to the back so that the pvc pipes pick them up and send them to my w/d. (It works very well; I never vacuum the tank!)
However, it also causes the front of the tank (in front of the jets) to have two long "runways" where the sand gets pushed away. So, I have a problem here. Though the live sand bed (I guess) would eat the debris, I guess I could point the jets further upward. Not sure on this one.

Deep sand bed: My tank is 24" high. I really don't want 4" (minimum; there still seems to be a debate on how thick it should be) of sand leaving 20" of viewing area (which is less since the canopy overhangs the front by about an inch).

My w/d is a beast: the bioball towers (2) are situated on either end and they extend upwards from the sump (they go much higher than the top rim of the sump). To keep the current set-up with the drain lines and bulkhead fittings, I have to keep the towers. Removing them or accessing anything under them (in the sump area; but not the central sump section) would be too difficult.

Long story short (too late, I know, sorry... :p ), I will keep the bioballs and stick with the old-fashioned method. I will be adding the protein skimmer (Red Sea Berlin Turbo XL).
I won't go with a deep sand bed.
BUT, can I have a 2" live sand bed? And, (don't remember where I read this), won't predatory fish pick-off the little critters?


Sorry for the long post. I hope you made it this far... :)
 
At the risk of being a pain

Not sure if I'm one of those perpetuating myths, but I do try to examine my beliefs.
In the long term, coral skeletons and crushed coral will not release much Ca or CO3, both because the high pH of a marine tank is not conducive, and because they will be covered with biofilms over time. Deep in a sand bed there will be some breakdown of the aragonite resulting in *some*help with your Ca and alkalinity.
Do FO people not have to add anything to their FO tanks to maintain alkalinity? My inverts suck down Ca like there's no tomorrow, so I have to use substantial amounts of ESV b-ionic to keep Ca and alkalinity up.

Edit: Fenner's and Tullock's books are excellent. I would read both cover to cover, before starting. If you have to pick one, and you are doing FO, CMA is clear and accurate.
 
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Oniongirl and Mogurnda,

I was not talking about anyone in particlar. I was talking about the hobby in general. And it does occur on this board and on others as well. Myths get in this hobby a lot; and they just keep circulating. They are repeated over and over. They are in the books. They drive me crazy because I know I've past some of them on with out knowing better. I've been keeping aquatic animals since the 50's and still learn new stuff almost daily. I also learn almost daily stuff that was written in stone a couple of years ago is incorrect. It's not personal.

Ray
 
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