Eclipse System 3 29 gallon questions

[supersporter69]

hey everyone

I am new to the site but have learned a lot already. I received an eclipse system 3 29 gallon tank last summer. I am wanting to add some more coral to the tank. I have read that I need to upgrade the lighting in the tank to do so. Has anyone added a T5 lighting system to the tank hood? if so how? Also does anyone know which size power head would work good with system?

Thanks!

[Steve McKay]

I would recommend Hydor Koralia circulation pumps,in a 29g I would probably use two size 1s=K1x2.You could use size 2 but I think that might be a bit much.Here's a link.HYDOR componenti per acquari

[supersporter69]

thats what i have been looking at thanks! do you know if im better off just getting rid of the hood and upgrading everything? if so what do you think i should use? I want everything to thrive? will a T5 light set up and a protein skimmer work? I have 35 lbs of live rock and about 1 inch of live sand?

[Steve McKay]

thats what i have been looking at thanks! do you know if im better off just getting rid of the hood and upgrading everything? if so what do you think i should use? I want everything to thrive? will a T5 light set up and a protein skimmer work? I have 35 lbs of live rock and about 1 inch of live sand?

That depends on what kind of lighting you have now.If there is a skimmer incorporated into the tank I would try it like it is.There probably isn't a skimmer and you MUST have one,it is the must important piece of equipment in a reef setup.The filter with all the cartridges and sponges are no good unless you replace or clean them at least every two days and that is probably impractical.Most likely it would be better to take the hood off and get a T-5 HO lighting system and a good skimmer.The problem your going to run into is how to setup the lights,you need some way to mount the lights about 4"or 5"above the top of the tank.If you can't do this then I hate to say it but you should buy a tank that will work for you.You can always setup the Eclipse as a freshwater aquarium,they are suited much better for a freshwater aquarium.

[Chasman]

Supersporter69

If you go to the 3rd page of this forum section "Reef Aquariums", about half way down you will see "Update of 30gal. with pics". This is my 29 gal tank I started in October.

You can replace your hood with lights like I have used. (30" Coralife T5's) I used two of them. There are some other 30" T5 units out there but very few. Aquatic Life sells a 30" that I have but I didn't like it as well as the two Coralife fixtures together. (I'll give you a great deal on it, got it at Marine Depot, never used)

I have a HOB combination refugium/skimmer on mine but you could get away with a good HOB skimmer. You can see I have 2 K-1's for additional water flow. I also have a Fluval canister for carbon only and some extra flow. My heater is tied into the Fluval as well. You probably don't really need the canister filter.

I assume you have the filtration hood, and as Steve said, is probably more suited to a fresh water system. BUT DON'T GIVE UP on your 29 just yet.

My tank is very healthy and (so far) very stable. I don't dose it with all kinds of crap to maintain water quality. Regular water changes (RO/DI), light bio load, and easy on the food will keep things right. My water perameters are spot on.

I get criticism for my little tank.....but it works.

Ask away...I'll help you out the best I can.

Chasman

[Parrothead]

A real good skimmer to look at would be the AquaC Nano skimmer, I use the remora on my 55 and couldn't be happier with thier products and support

[Chasman]

I agree Parrothead. Probably a good choice. They are only rated for a 25 gal, but the feedback on the Remora's is very good. Probably more efficient than the CPR version I have. Although mine works well and they make one rated for a 60gal max (CPR Bak-Pak 2R) for about ten bucks more. Either one would be an improvement.

Chasman

[Steve McKay]

Another skimmer you might consider is the RedSea Prizm skimmer,a lot of people under rate it.I had one on my 30g and it worked fine,the water level adjustment is very easy compared to the AquaC Nano skimmer if it adjusts like its bigger brother the Remora.

[Parrothead]

I agree Parrothead. Probably a good choice. They are only rated for a 25 gal, but the feedback on the Remora's is very good. Probably more efficient than the CPR version I have. Although mine works well and they make one rated for a 60gal max (CPR Bak-Pak 2R) for about ten bucks more. Either one would be an improvement.

Chasman

He could always bump up to the remora, same one I use, it does an awesome job on my 55

[Chasman]

+1 Parrothead. Can't hurt. More is better right? I'm not so sure about the Red Sea one Steve suggests. The reviews on that one are sub par at best. Plus didn't Steve have a Red Sea product that was a POS.

Chasman

[Steve McKay]

+1 Parrothead. Can't hurt. More is better right? I'm not so sure about the Red Sea one Steve suggests. The reviews on that one are sub par at best. Plus didn't Steve have a Red Sea product that was a POS.

Chasman

You got that right,it sure was a POS,but the Prizm is ok.

[supersporter69]

Thank you guys for your input... I have had a headache with this tank since day 1... I somehow got a disease in my tank that was killing my fish off day by day. I have spent 100's in more and more fish.. Then when i thought i got rid of the disease somehow I got a gorilla crab in my tank that killed off a couple of my fish as well... Now i found my only fish left dead today .. My perimeters have always been spot on but my calcium level is low... so I ordered a 65W retrofit CF florescent for my hood.. I also ordered one of the K-1's for better flow.. the only thing that seems to be living is more coral and my inverts.. I have the following inverts...

5 - red leg hermits
6 - blue leg hermits
8 - snails
2 - cleaner shrimp
1 - small sally lightfoot
1 - porcelain crab

Do any of you guys have any other ideas for me? i love the look of the eclipse 3, plus the GF gets upset if i talk about getting rid of it for a bigger one since she bought it for me lol...

[Steve McKay]

Get rid of the gorilla crab,Parrot will second that for sure!I would think about getting rid of Sally too,I have had them and they are no laughing matter.I had one kill and eat a larger Skunk clown.What you need to do is determine what is killing your fish,before you add more.

[Parrothead]

Take the crabs skiing on the good ole porcelian slope, you said you got this system last summer, when did you actually set it up?????????????

[supersporter69]

I dont know how the gorilla crab got in the tank but the first day I saw him he was boiled for all the hell he put me through... I forgot to add I have a brown serpant starfish too... Should I be getting rid of the hermit crabs as well?? whats a good cleaning crew then?

[supersporter69]

I read online that if I have a possible disease I should leave the tank "fishless" for 10 weeks? is this a good starting point?

[Parrothead]

I read online that if I have a possible disease I should leave the tank "fishless" for 10 weeks? is this a good starting point?

Back to the disease part, what kind of symptons did the fish exhibt?????????, You only mention their loss, not how they acted.

[supersporter69]

Okay.. We will begin from the begining... In august I set up my tank with 1 bag of live sand and let it run for a month... Then I added a couple pieces of live rock.. let it sit for a week.. Then added a purculus clown, and a couple damsels... The damsels all survived but after 2 weeks my clown fish got a whole bunch of little white dots on his face and fins, and died a day later.. i got another and the same thing happened... I order more live rock from "aquarium arts" to get the look I wanted, I tried purchasing a small hippo tang another clown which again saw the same numerous white dots covering the body.. I looked online and it looks oodinium? or matches the pictures at least.. Someone told me my damsels could be causing stress to the others so I got rid of them.. I bought a firefish and he was doing great for like 2 months. But I kept loosing clowns. So i took all the live rock out and invertibrates out and cleaned the whole tank with bleach(making sure all the bleach was out) put new live sand in and let it cycle and put everything back in.. that worked for a week then another clown kicked the bucket with the same symptoms but my firefish survived. Then my LFS told me that my firfish may be the cause and to take my inverts out of the tank and treat it for oodinum, so i did with some instant ocean pills... thought that fixed it but NO!! my firfish came up missing 2 weeks later but showed no signs of anything! thats when i began looking for creatures... I bought a pearl butterfly fish.... Who i saw getting attacked by the gorilla crab.. thus gorilla crab got boiled... butterfly fish saw the same signs as the clowns, started loosing scales then died.. So i got another fire fish who was the one i just found dead.. no signs on him because he never came out of the rockwork ... I got a headache now lol

[Parrothead]

Hey Supersport,

I just sent a note to a mod to have them move your post over to Lee's forum, he can help you get things straightened out, just one good piece of advice I can give you, Listen to Lee, do as he recommends

[supersporter69]

I appreciate it! I hope someone can help me Im sick of flushing money I wanna injoy it!