lets get this party started...

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crimsontideski

New Member
What do you all think about this. 24gl NC has been cycling for about a month now. 40lbs LS 25lbs LR. I have been testing daily. I leave the lights on for no more than 6-7 hours a day. I am a teacher-this tank is at school. The weekends I usually do not get to test. As of today I have never caught the ammonia spike. Zero ppm nitrite and nitrates. Two weeks ago I bought and placed some of the LR in the tank and the LFS dude left a couple of red legged hermits and a turbo on the rock. All are still alive today. This morning I walk in my classroom and see that I had left the lights on all weekend. Everyone was still alive but I had a huge brown algae bloom (no surprise) and the temp was up to 85. Well this is a round about way of asking if you folks agree that I just missed the ammonia spike. I bit the bullet and went and bought 6 blue legs and a couple more turbos to clean and tidy a little. What do you experts think?
Thanks for the input.
 
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reefman23

New Member
I think that your tank has finished/finishing it's cycle. One thing... careful with the turbos as they tend to knock over small rocks and loose corals.

One other thing, get a timer for the lights!!! Trust me, i just got the dual timer coralife power strip and now my lighting is fully automated and it is one of my favorite purchases to date! The PC lights come on in the morning, then the MH around noon and off at around 5pm, PC's off around 8pm, and then the refugium/moonlights come on automatically when the pcs go off.

For you, a simple timer will probably work great.

Jesse

ps. congrats... you should be able to slowly add new inhabitants!
 
TimSchmidt

TimSchmidt

New Member
I agree, the timer will be the best purchase you can make. I assume you don't go in on the weekends and turn on and off the lights? The only other item I would suggest is some sort of gravity fed auto top off. A "glug jug" works rather nice and is similiar in function as a water cooler. If you are a science teacher have the kids come up with a design and use the winner! (please let us know the winner, it may be the best thing yet!)
 
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crimsontideski

New Member
Everyone is still alive in the tank this morning. Thanks for the information. I teach sixth grade science. Designing a top off mechanism might be a little over their heads. I might be able to design one with a little help this summer. Thanks for the help! Keep it coming
 
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reefman23

New Member
Here is my auto top-off...



All it consists of is a 1 gallon gatorade bottle, some 3/8" or 1/2" ID tubing, and a small piece of airline tubing... works great.

Jesse
 
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amf82380

New Member
Jesse,

what do you use as a switch so you dont flood the tank I was thinking about it be couldnt figure out how to make it work with out having to either make or by a switch or a contral unit? thanks

Aaron
 
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reefman23

New Member
THe tube coming out of the top is set to the desired water level. Air is sucked into the jug causing water to come out of the tube in the bottom of the bottle. When the water raises to the end of the tube, a vacuum of sorts is formed keeping any more water to come out of the bottle.



You HAVE to use at least 3/8" ID tubing for the top tube. Water is drawn partially up the tube before the flow stops, and in the smaller diameter tubing such as airline tubing, that water is unable to fall back out of the tube after the water level in the sump falls. With the larger tubing, the water falls back out of the tube and the vacuum is broke.

I hope that I explained it properly.

Jesse
 
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reefman23

New Member
EDGRAY said:
Clean that glass jesse :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:
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Nonsense... that is what a sump/fuge is for!!! That is why so many people look at showing their sump as standing naked in public!

Jesse
 
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amf82380

New Member
so I am guessing since its gravity fed the resivor has to be above the tank ? (dumb question but even a gallon of water can make a mess of carpeting) :mrgreen:
 
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reefman23

New Member
amf82380 said:
so I am guessing since its gravity fed the resivor has to be above the tank ? (dumb question but even a gallon of water can make a mess of carpeting) :mrgreen:
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Yes, it would need to be above the tank.

That brings up the biggest downfall of these things, and that is if the seal is broken, the enitre jug will empty out. For those with sumps though, that isnt a problem. My sump could quite easily handle the extra gallon of water, and the salanity wouldnt be greatly affected either.

Jesse
 
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