hey
im totaly new to this forum but have ben reading all the info on this thread and found it very helpfull.

i am totaly new to fishkeeping and have never even kept tropical before but have always been interested in keeping marines and a reef tanka tank this size for keeping. i have been told this is not a good idea as its best to learn wi tropicals first but anyways lol
i have now got my aquamarine 900 in black with black cabinate and lookin to do things at a very slow pace so i have exactly all that i need and all the info so i dont make any mistakes.

couple of questions

1) i have sen in previous posts that people have bought koralia 1s X2 and some have koralia 2s x2! can anyone recommend which ones are more effective for a tank this size?

2) can anyone recomend what water test kits to start with? lookin to just get em all at once so it saves journeys to shop.

3) and can anyone recommend a reliable refractometer?


thanks folks all info appreciated

alan

For water tests you need Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph for the fish, this can be the API Saltwater Master test kit or separates from Salifert.
You also need Ca, Mg, KH and the salifert kits are considered the best for these.
Finally a PO4 high sensitivity test, salifert or D&D

or a refractometer, any one with ATC will do the job and be reliable as long as its calibrated before use. If you want to go for a brand name consider Deltec.


For pumps you're looking to get flow all around the tank and through the live rocks and also extreme surface agitation so multiple pumps are better than one large one. Total amount of flow around the tank should be 20 times its volume. This does depend a little on the intended stock though. Some fish and coral really don't like flow that high, others prefer higher.

cool thanks

im going to get 2 Koralias for each end of the tank. so considering the output aswell from the marisys would i be better with 2X koralia 1s? or 2X Koralia 2s?

cheers

Hi all

Finally got my tank

Everything set up - i think..
filled with salted RO water
live cured rock in -straight from LFS
live sand on bottom
2 extra powerheads
everything switched on and seems to be working correctly -again, i think...

my only slight concern is that although there are bubbles going up the pipe to the protein skimmer collection cup, they dont seem to reach the top and hence nothing is making it as far as the collection cup. I have played with the airvalve but even at fully open the bubbles still dont get to top.

Is this ok? Im guessing its because its new and it needs time to get going..

It can take a few months for the skimmer to bed in.

Hi All

I have just changed the white bulbs in my tank, the only replacements i could get were interpet bulbs (so say the same as what came out). However I have noticed that the light is much redder in colour. Do different makes have different colour spectrums and if so what should I be looking for?

Mike

Hi Mike 5058

How long did you have your tank before you changed your tubes?

I been looking for the best price for T5 lights but cannot find any LFS that sell them for the tank.

Can i be cheeky and ask where you got them from and what i can expect to pay for them?

With regards to you question on the colour of the lights when i have bought tubes for my trop tank i do notice a colour difference between manufactures but not sure if this is the case for the T5s

Hi Belsuran

Have had tank over 6 months now and only just got round to changing them. Had a problem trying to find anyone who stocked the compact tubes, most could order them in but I wanted them the week end. Found a small shop in Bognor who had them and they only cost £11.99 for the 24W think the 36w was £15.99. Other shops quoted a range of prices from £12 - £20 so not sure what differences are. Was looking for a bit of advise as to different bulbs and what I should be looking for.

Mike

The replacement aquaone bulbs are hard to find but the Interpet T5 bulbs work absolutely fine - you can get them on-line from Charterhouse aquatics - both actinic and daylight bulbs/tubes.
i use them and have no problems....

Jim