Blog Comments

If you think 20 lbs will add about 1/2" of sand to the tank, it should be fine. If you feel it is too much, you can use less. The remaining stuff in the bag won't stay live for long though.

the smallest size I can find it in is 20lb bags. Tropic flakes are what I have been using before but I never used live sand i only used dry. Would it hurt my tank to add a 20 lb bag to the tank or should I just use a few cups?

I would buy commercial grade stuff that is pre-rinsed. I always used a full bag. They sell them in smaller sizes, so find one you want to use. Here's the article: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.p...ting-reef-tank

Originally Posted by melev

May need more life. I used to add one bag of livesand from the LFS into my 280g every six months.

How do you prep it? do I need to rinse the live sand? and also can I store the remaining amount for later use or will everything just die off? what date on the sand should I be looking for at the lfs? also I am seriously considering adding a tomini tang to my tank this weekend. Any thoughts? My tank has no rocks against any glass and there is a ton of swim room. It just looks empty with the fish that are in the tank currently.

May need more life. I used to add one bag of livesand from the LFS into my 280g every six months.

Originally Posted by melev

What's the condition of your sand now? What about adding a cup or two of livesand?

Adding any live sand hadn't occurred to me until you mentioned it. It isn't awful it just has that dingy look to it.

What's the condition of your sand now? What about adding a cup or two of livesand?

Originally Posted by melev

I don't have as many cleanup crew critters as I used to because I don't have the same resource any longer. I loved ordering from Key's Critters, but they vanished - although the page exists, you can't contact them.

I like fighting conchs, one for every 2 sqft area. My 400g has at least five of them. There are about five serpent stars, some nassarius snails, trochus and astreas, some hermits. The fish help, especially the bristletooth tang (Yellow Eye Kole hybrid).

The better the water quality, the nicer the sand looks. When alkalinity is off, crud starts growing on the sand again.

So what would you recommend for my 75 gallon? I have one fighting conch, nass, astreas, turbo, and ceriths. I currently have a yellow tang in there so I am afraid of it fighting with a bristletooth (I would love to have a tomini in there) where as I am not so afraid of the bio-load with another tang it's more territory. My current rock work is not against the back of the tank at all so there is plenty of swimming room and all the fish seem very happy and fat.

Originally Posted by cyano

That brings me to another question. What to YOU use as a cleanup crew? I like to ask people who are having success which obviously you are. My tank has gone through cyano, hair algae, diatoms, and it is finally aged well enough that there is nothing going on in it for once so I am afraid that I would starve a clean up crew if I was to add any more. Currently I have only a few snails and reef hermits and the snails vary. I have a pistol shrimp (which does nothing for cleaning but is a very aggressive feeder) and a coral banded shrimp. I also have a small (less than an inch) fighting conch.

I don't have as many cleanup crew critters as I used to because I don't have the same resource any longer. I loved ordering from Key's Critters, but they vanished - although the page exists, you can't contact them.

I like fighting conchs, one for every 2 sqft area. My 400g has at least five of them. There are about five serpent stars, some nassarius snails, trochus and astreas, some hermits. The fish help, especially the bristletooth tang (Yellow Eye Kole hybrid).

The better the water quality, the nicer the sand looks. When alkalinity is off, crud starts growing on the sand again.

Originally Posted by NEReef

I am in the same boat looking at lighting for my new 150g. It has the center brace so i am really trying to figure out lighting layout. It seems like 2-250W metal halides wont be enough so maybe 2-400W one on either side of the brace? I am looking at maybe 4 LED fixtures which makes my wallet sad. I understand you get what you pay for but I really struggle with the price of Radions over some of the programmable Chinese fixtures. I dabbled with DIY multichip LED fixtures when I had tanks years ago so I am also thinking about trying my hand at that again. Although I worry about DIY since wifey is all over me about the tank looking "finished".

For a 150g tank, two 250w MH bulbs would be plenty.

If you wanted to use a Radion, two Xr15w Pro lights may be okay, but I'd likely use two Xr30w Radions instead. Radions look very clean and modern.

Ya i lost a twin spot goby the same way because i put him in the tank too early. I kept a dragon goby (banded goby?) for years in the same tank after the tank had matured longer.

I have nass snails but I have done the sand sifting goby before and it basically slowly starved to death over a year. It would eat when I fed the tank but it still wasn't enough to sustain it with all its daily activity.

Last year I built two fixtures for my tank from RapidLED.com and thats what I currently run over my tank. I don't dislike them but the ability to control every aspect of the lighting is what has sold me on the ecotech radions. I could not agree more though they are very expensive and essentially the last light purchase I ever plan to make. I unfortunately to not have any experience with MH to give you any tips on them as far as number to use or wattage but I know Marc does so hopefully he can chime in and give you a hand there.

I always employed Nassarius snails and some type of sand sifting goby to keep the sand clean. There are lots of things that will turn the sand over, but something that helps is to make sure you dont let build up happen. Make sure you dont let uneaten food settle or let dead spots develop where detritus can settle.

I am in the same boat looking at lighting for my new 150g. It has the center brace so i am really trying to figure out lighting layout. It seems like 2-250W metal halides wont be enough so maybe 2-400W one on either side of the brace? I am looking at maybe 4 LED fixtures which makes my wallet sad. I understand you get what you pay for but I really struggle with the price of Radions over some of the programmable Chinese fixtures. I dabbled with DIY multichip LED fixtures when I had tanks years ago so I am also thinking about trying my hand at that again. Although I worry about DIY since wifey is all over me about the tank looking "finished".

That brings me to another question. What to YOU use as a cleanup crew? I like to ask people who are having success which obviously you are. My tank has gone through cyano, hair algae, diatoms, and it is finally aged well enough that there is nothing going on in it for once so I am afraid that I would starve a clean up crew if I was to add any more. Currently I have only a few snails and reef hermits and the snails vary. I have a pistol shrimp (which does nothing for cleaning but is a very aggressive feeder) and a coral banded shrimp. I also have a small (less than an inch) fighting conch.

SOLD! haha I am really happy I already have vortechs in the tank as well, this is looking like my best, favorite, and most expensive purchase yet. Also what would you suggest for a peak power % for two of these over a 75 gallon, I am thinking no more than 3 hours of 35-40% tops. I will be hanging them about 10" off the water level.

Reeflink is only $99, and will let you communicate and adjust the lighting via EcoSmart Live. That's what I use.

Not even then. I have a clean up crew to keep the sand clean.

even with a shallow bed?