29 Gallon Build

[Parrothead]

I would start off with a shorter photo period and gradually increase it over the next 2 - 3 weeks,

Start with the actinics on 6 hours, have them come on 1 hour before the 10,000k bulbs and stay on 1 hour after. Run the 10,000k bulbs for 4 hours to start.

We go from there for now and increase them next week, this gives what ever life you have on your rock a chance to become acclimated to the lights

[Flyboy450r]

My new sump gets here tomorrow. Hope to get it up and running. I need to order my live rock ruble. Will 10 pounds be enough with some cheato?

[twisted]

My new sump gets here tomorrow. Hope to get it up and running. I need to order my live rock ruble. Will 10 pounds be enough with some cheato?

you are actually gonna be better off with just cheato. the rubble will just collect junk.

[Flyboy450r]

Really? Should I do a dsb then or just cheato? Im reading a 6500k light works best. I was going to set it up to run when my main tanks lights are off. Im I thinking right. Is that the right light for cheato. Also were is the best place to buy it. Every were I look is sold out?

[Parrothead]

Really? Should I do a dsb then or just cheato? Im reading a 6500k light works best. I was going to set it up to run when my main tanks lights are off. Im I thinking right. Is that the right light for cheato. Also were is the best place to buy it. Every were I look is sold out?

Remember that light you and I were talking about back several pages ago, the home depot clip on light, that is all you really need, and get one of those twisty looking bulbs(no offense meant twisty), thats about all you need to keep cheato happy, and yes run that light opposite you tank lights.

You can put a dsb in the fuge if you want, it's not really a requirement, but either way is fine.

[Parrothead]

you are actually gonna be better off with just cheato. the rubble will just collect junk.

+1

[twisted]

Remember that light you and I were talking about back several pages ago, the home depot clip on light, that is all you really need, and get one of those twisty looking bulbs(no offense meant twisty), thats about all you need to keep cheato happy, and yes run that light opposite you tank lights.

You can put a dsb in the fuge if you want, it's not really a requirement, but either way is fine.

i would stick with the cheato and no dsb. the bulb you want is what parrot is talking about. on mine i use a twisty one that is most in the blue spectrum. my cheato grows like mad! run them opposite and it will assist with stabilizing the ph. just make sure that the light doesnt effect your main tank.

[Flyboy450r]

Well got my reef sump installed today. First problem the 3 foot hose they sent was to long. Second problem my mag drive 7 wont fit in the pump chamber. So i reversed the flow threw it so my skimmer chamber is my pump chamber and pump is my overflow chamber. Easy enough fix. Then I plug it all in and no leaks as of yet. But I have bubbles like you wouldn't believe and the noise is horrible. So I found on you tube the tube trick works great. But I still have no idea how to adjust it. Does it matter how high or low my overflow box is in my tank? It's a eshopps 800 rated at 800 gph with the mag drive 7 at 700 that a good match right? How do I get rid of the bubbles. My main tank water volume is down a half in or so how do I fix that? Sorry for so many questions my mind is racing and I have to work at 4. So tell then thanks for all the help and support. And wow my tank flow is unbelievable I cant wait to start putting coral in!!!! 4-6 more weeks

[twisted]

Well got my reef sump installed today. First problem the 3 foot hose they sent was to long. Second problem my mag drive 7 wont fit in the pump chamber. So i reversed the flow threw it so my skimmer chamber is my pump chamber and pump is my overflow chamber. Easy enough fix. Then I plug it all in and no leaks as of yet. But I have bubbles like you wouldn't believe and the noise is horrible. So I found on you tube the tube trick works great. But I still have no idea how to adjust it. Does it matter how high or low my overflow box is in my tank? It's a eshopps 800 rated at 800 gph with the mag drive 7 at 700 that a good match right? How do I get rid of the bubbles. My main tank water volume is down a half in or so how do I fix that? Sorry for so many questions my mind is racing and I have to work at 4. So tell then thanks for all the help and support. And wow my tank flow is unbelievable I cant wait to start putting coral in!!!! 4-6 more weeks

the height of the overflow determines the level the tank water stays. any other adjustments can be done by installing a valve on the return side. the air bubbles can sometimes be cured by adding a filter sock at the end of the overflow line. the air tube can be adj with an air tube valve.
just remember to test the overflow to make sure the sump doesnt overflow if the power should shut off

[Flyboy450r]

I drill holes on my returns and installed a check valve. Also installed a ball valve on my return. I can actually get the thing to run smooth with no air bubble and no noise if I shut It down to 60 to 70 percent. But that will make my return pump work harder right? More power usage and shorter pump life? I may be wrong. Is it a possibility that my overflow wont run the rated 800 gph?

[twisted]

does the pump sound like its straining? if not you should be ok. i have mine choked down to about 70%. i dont think that will hurt things. it really shouldnt hurt the pump life, most pumps are made to handle pressure return because they run through filters that get dirty and reduce flow the dirtier they get.

[Flyboy450r]

There's a point were it start to vibrate which I assume is straining the pump. All let me apologize for my typing it really sucks. I go back and read some of my post and they are horrible. You'd never think I graduated high school at 16 and college at 20. And I spray for a living so that the reason I'm so anal about plumbing and pressure and flow rates its what I do for a living. And love doing it so I want my personal project to be perfect. It just doesn't seem to be 100% there something doesn't sound right and it doesn't look right. Ill fix that overflow setting when I get home and I guess we will go from there. I know I messed with it yesterday and it started sucking air at certain levels. Also never heard back on the cheato any suggestions were to get it from?

[twisted]

i now what you mean about plumbing...i build pools for a living and am very anal about flow and stuff also. if there is a vibration, that could be from pump strain. usually if it doesnt seem right, it isnt. im sure you'll figure it out.... as for cheato, you should be able to get it from any fish store or online. try dr foster and smith

[Flyboy450r]

Well I have it running better. I woke up and my skimmer is now louder than it has ever been before. Go figure I have know idea what happened. But sump is running great im just going to have to build a intake for my overflow box. I think she will run like a well oil machine then. Has anyone ever extended the hose on a remora c and put it on their sump. Im just thinking it would be nice to get off the back of my tank. Maybe Ill upgrade. Ive been looking at the reef octopus skimmer.I guess Ill see.

[Parrothead]

are you using the remora or remora pro?????

[Flyboy450r]

Remora I thought I ordered the pro and some how that got screwed up by marine depot so i just ran it. Did I ever mention that my collection cup broke the first week I had it. And they weren't going to warranty it. Finally the guys wrote it off as shipping damage. Im getting alot of wet skim to. A quart last night. So ive raised my cup some more hoping I can get it a little more dry. Its not skimming much waste anymore I dont know if thats jst because I have no waste in my tank. Or if there's something wrong.

[Parrothead]

it probably isn't producing alot of waste because as you said you don't have enough at the moment which is a good thing, try cleaning the powerhead, they do need to be cleaned out about every other week, I don't know about lowering the powerhead with a tube to get it in the sump, you would probably see a marked difference in performance or look into a larger powerhead

[Flyboy450r]

Well water change time tomorrow my readings are

P.H. 7.8
Nitrate-10
Nitrite-.2
Alk 175
Ammonia .4

So my P.H is still low and Im skimming more off the surface with my over flow. And have my returns pointed to the surface and the exchange didn't help. Is the Kent P.H. product that bring it up to 8.3 worth the money? Can anyone suggest anything? Still haven't got a calcium test kit. And my salinity is normally around 1.022 +/- 1. I guess shes cycling slowly still. I'm going to throw the cheato in as soon as I can to see if I can level it out a little? Why do I still have a Ammonia reading after 3 weeks? Sorry lots of questions. But my skimmer is skimming no waste and Im running my lights with no algae out breaks. So so good so far. Sorry for all the questions. I realize this takes time. And Im not planning to add anything for at least another 3 weeks at least.

[twisted]

Well water change time tomorrow my readings are

P.H. 7.8
Nitrate-10
Nitrite-.2
Alk 175
Ammonia .4

So my P.H is still low and Im skimming more off the surface with my over flow. And have my returns pointed to the surface and the exchange didn't help. Is the Kent P.H. product that bring it up to 8.3 worth the money? Can anyone suggest anything? Still haven't got a calcium test kit. And my salinity is normally around 1.022 +/- 1. I guess shes cycling slowly still. I'm going to throw the cheato in as soon as I can to see if I can level it out a little? Why do I still have a Ammonia reading after 3 weeks? Sorry lots of questions. But my skimmer is skimming no waste and Im running my lights with no algae out breaks. So so good so far. Sorry for all the questions. I realize this takes time. And Im not planning to add anything for at least another 3 weeks at least.

i use the reef builder and reef buffer from seachem and have been happy with them. i would bring the salt up to .025/.026. your tank is still cycling but should start to turn around soon. the cheato will help a good bit in bringing down the levels.

[Parrothead]

just out of curiousity, what brand and type of test kits are you using