photos for my adjusted aquarium

[anthias]

hi all,and happy 2007

I have made many adjusment for my aquarium ,after reading for many days and trying to do the best .
1-pic no1 you can see that I have changed the base to live sand (best quality imported from the US)and I but about 85 Kg of live rocks,and you can see at the left awave maker 10000l/h,and at the right power head that take the water to the sump .
the lights are of the T5 one is blue and one is daylight and the 3rd is deep light , you can see that the macroalge is growing fast in the middel of the aquarim (blue light area) do you think I have to cut this long alge?or keep it growing .
2-pic 2 you can see the alge growing at th back wall of the aquarium,infact the alge growing at all the walls but I removed all of it and kept the back wall only because it is difficult to clean it but I like it ,it is growing fast and today start looking like grass or hair.
3-pic 3 you can see many small anemones ,I read that it should be removed but I cant because every time i get near of it it hide inside a hole,one time you told me that some fishes eats this anemones ,wich fish is it?
4- pic fo my sump and skeemer ,realy very nice skeemer doing nice job.
now my aquarium is 2 months old there is acleaning stuff,and three damsels doing very well(the damsels were quarintine for 45 days) and now they are only one week in the show tank.
today I tested the water it was 0 amonia 0 NO3 0 NO2 ph 7,9 (the ph for the sea water in the arabian gulf is 8) do you think it is better to rise the ph to 8.2?
fainly I m realy wishing to add my favorite fishes (tang,angel,banner,buterfly)but stil waiting for my aquarium to be mature .

[wozza]

very nice i like this set up a lot more than your first one
great job.

P.S. if were up to me ide harvest some of that algie growing on your rocks.

[reggiepe]

If I were you I would move that power strip away from the sump and get it secured to the wall. If that were to fall in the sump while you was working on the tank....well, I think we could all play out the remaining scene in our heads.

Rich

[wozza]

If I were you I would move that power strip away from the sump and get it secured to the wall. If that were to fall in the sump while you was working on the tank....well, I think we could all play out the remaining scene in our heads.

very good advice rich didnt think of that one!

[anthias]

If I were you I would move that power strip away from the sump and get it secured to the wall. If that were to fall in the sump while you was working on the tank....well, I think we could all play out the remaining scene in our heads.

Rich

oh it would be tragedy, thanks sure Ill do it.
thanks wozza......

[Poseidon]

Are you pumping water DOWN to the sump?

If so, I think you may have a hard time keeping the sunp water level constant. It is much better to gravity feed the sump, and then pump it back to the tank.

There are lots of external overflows that will make your tank much more stable, and safer.

BTW try real hard to get all those wires ABOVE water level, so if you do have a water leak you won't start a fire. (Make a drip loop, so the cord won't drip water into an outlet...)

[anthias]

Are you pumping water DOWN to the sump?

If so, I think you may have a hard time keeping the sunp water level constant. It is much better to gravity feed the sump, and then pump it back to the tank.

There are lots of external overflows that will make your tank much more stable, and safer.

BTW try real hard to get all those wires ABOVE water level, so if you do have a water leak you won't start a fire. (Make a drip loop, so the cord won't drip water into an outlet...)

yes I am pumping the watre down,I have a powerful pump in the sump 5000l/h because the total hight of my aquarium is 210cm ,but I have valves to control the water level in the sump so I dont have problem ,some time I close the pumping to the sump and the water continue to flow to the sump but I do that only when I m out for long time but I have to reduce the out going water from the sump.
I also have another way I have one opening at the base of the tank I can open its valve to take water from the batom of the aquarium to the sump or to the fillter ,but I m using it to the fillter only .

[anthias]

some of my alge turning its color to be brown ,any ideas why ?
mybe there is no nitrites to feed them.

[leebca]

It's normal for an aquarium to go through different phases on its way to maturity. This is why you are waiting for it to mature.

The brown you see is most likely a microbe that lives in less-than good quality water. We call it brown 'algae' even though it isn't a true algae. As the tank matures, this brown algae should decrease in quantity. It may never totally go away, but it should get to the point where it isn't noticeable. Keep cleaning it off the aquarium walls, and maintain your water quality the best you can.

[Poseidon]

Please do yourself a favor, and get an external overflow, or make that opening at the base of your tank a "standpipe". Using that powerhead to put water into your sump WILL eventually cause a problem.

Think of it this way, if your return pump should fail, then the pump in your tank will continue to pump water into the sump, causing an overflow eventually. With a gravity fed overflow, if your return pump stops, then the water in the tank will also stop once the water level drops a little bit. (Usually less then an inch) Your sump should be set up to hold this extra volume of water. This is MUCH safer, and may prevent a "domestic disturbance" (wife telling you to get the fish tank OUT OF THE HOUSE!) ;)

[anthias]

Please do yourself a favor, and get an external overflow, or make that opening at the base of your tank a "standpipe". Using that powerhead to put water into your sump WILL eventually cause a problem.

Think of it this way, if your return pump should fail, then the pump in your tank will continue to pump water into the sump, causing an overflow eventually. With a gravity fed overflow, if your return pump stops, then the water in the tank will also stop once the water level drops a little bit. (Usually less then an inch) Your sump should be set up to hold this extra volume of water. This is MUCH safer, and may prevent a "domestic disturbance" (wife telling you to get the fish tank OUT OF THE HOUSE!) ;)

thanx for your advise I realy get it and I have external pipe but it dose not apear in the photo it is behinde the tank,and I already stoped the internal pump in case the pump inside the sump stoped then the water folow to the sump will stop at level of the external pipe and the sump can handel it.
I think my wife will but me soon in aquarntine brocess.

[anthias]

It's normal for an aquarium to go through different phases on its way to maturity. This is why you are waiting for it to mature.

The brown you see is most likely a microbe that lives in less-than good quality water. We call it brown 'algae' even though it isn't a true algae. As the tank matures, this brown algae should decrease in quantity. It may never totally go away, but it should get to the point where it isn't noticeable. Keep cleaning it off the aquarium walls, and maintain your water quality the best you can.

dear lee I was realy waiting for your post,thanks
I have another thing it is the PH it is fixed exactly 7.9 (I dont know why) I try to rise it to 8.2 but it didnt work I add some material should rise it to 8.2 but It didnt work then I try another liqued (PH+) I but all the bottle in the sump the PH rised to 8 for one day then next day it is 7.9

[leebca]

You're welcome!

There can be a great number of reasons why the pH is low and sometimes is hard to raise. There isn't enough time/room to post them all here. But the article I've referenced below is very good at not only pointing out reasons for a low pH, but ways to correct it.

Low pH: Causes and Cures by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Don't forget that pH is not a single kind of thing. pH is connected to Alkalinity, Calcium concentration, and Magnesium concentration. The aquarium water has to be in balance, then you can address pH. ;)

[anthias]

You're welcome!

There can be a great number of reasons why the pH is low and sometimes is hard to raise. There isn't enough time/room to post them all here. But the article I've referenced below is very good at not only pointing out reasons for a low pH, but ways to correct it.

Low pH: Causes and Cures by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Don't forget that pH is not a single kind of thing. pH is connected to Alkalinity, Calcium concentration, and Magnesium concentration. The aquarium water has to be in balance, then you can address pH. ;)

thank you lee my tank dkh is only 6 and I think I should add limewater but where can I find this limewater??

[leebca]

Limewater (also known as kalkwasser) is a weak adjuster, but fairly well balanced. It's hard for me to say where you can find it. Here in the USA we add pickling lime to fresh water to make it, or buy it prepared in small quantities.

This article provides you with some alternatives to limewater and some sources, but they are all in the USA.
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

The lime (or quicklime) chemical can be obtained from a pickling company, agricultural source, or chemical company. It is the chemical Calcium Hydroxide (sometimes referred to as Calcium Oxide) in a pure form (that doesn't contain much in the way of contaminants or additives). Agricultural sources may contain significant impurities. Check out this website: MRS. WAGES® Pickling Lime <br>16 oz. (454g) for a pickling lime source in the USA. Maybe they ship overseas? I don't know.

Shipping 'water' overseas wouldn't be very efficient, so I'd suggest if you have to get it from Europe or USA, then get it as dry lime for you to add to fresh water.