Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:21 pm Post subject: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Hi,
I am planning a 1 ft cube salt water aquarium. This is my first serious fish keeping. Please read fully before posting your valuable comments.
The 1ft cube will have live sand and man made live rock (MMLR), that will also act as biological filter (dont ask me for what!). No skimmer, sump, refugium. No *fish* as I really think that keeping fish in such small space is torturing them. I plan to keep this running for at least 6 months to 1 year to get first hand experience. Now my questions for the time being are:
1. What can I grow(at least help to grow) on the MMLR? Coralline algae?
2. Will products like purple up help?
3. Can MMLR (plan to get from nash81) really help grow stuff on them?
4. Since there will be NO livestock introduced by me, will it require the same amount of monitoring?
5. Can the LR survive a 2-3 hours load shedding per day or an inverter is required?
6. Eventually if I plan to introduce some livestock (of course all the above questions will have to be re-framed then), how easy or legal is it to get mushrooms, scarlet hermit crabs and cleaner shrimps in India?
All brickbats are also welcome, as, if this is not feasible, I'll stop (unlikely) / alter (most likely) it.
Thanks
Aquamarine (I like to be addressed by this name only please)
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:39 am Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
1. What can I grow(at least help to grow) on the MMLR? Coralline algae?
Is it dry rock or has it been in a tank which has coralline and other critters?
2. Will products like purple up help?
maintain you ALK,MAG,CAL & Ph, purple up is not needed
3. Can MMLR (plan to get from nash81) really help grow stuff on them?
Depends on how its been cured.
4. Since there will be NO livestock introduced by me, will it require the same amount of monitoring?
Fresh water topup will do
5. Can the LR survive a 2-3 hours load shedding per day or an inverter is required?
No Problem here
6. Eventually if I plan to introduce some livestock (of course all the above questions will have to be re-framed then), how easy or legal is it to get mushrooms, scarlet hermit crabs and cleaner shrimps in India?
hermits and cleaner shrimps are leagal, No idea of the availability.
Mushrooms according to CITES is legal.
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:00 am Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Thanks a lot Rahul. I have to speak to Nirav regarding the MMLR. I have only read about it on the indiapetstore web site. Thats precisely the reason for keepin it in this way for 6 months to 1 year to get a proper growout. I'll take it up further from there.
Joined: Dec 19, 2005 Posts: 2753 Location: Surat, Gujarat
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:11 pm Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
sorry to correct but, purple up or any other method of maintaining the water parameters in control will only boost coralline - not produce it!
so aquamarine, you should seed the tank with coralline by scraping a LR from either another reef tank or collect your scrapings from the wild.
WRT the introduction of inverts as and when you think suitable you will definately require some water movement to ensure that the softies remain free from sedimentation so plan for a wave maker device even a small CSD would do the trick.(cheap and effective but will be a bit noisy)
If I were you I would plan a fully carpeted tank with different coloured zoanthids! (they are tolerant to a lot of abuse also so the power outage should not bother you) since the tank is small I would suggest LED lights
Hi aquascapes,
thanks for your valuable suggestions. Better read about zoa toxicity first!
just hyped up stories if it was true I would not be alive to post this!
Nytyn thanks for the link simply beautiful but read Jemram's signature - it says (hobby experience 20 years)
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Looking for more enlightenment:
Today I visited a shop. Has no marine fish but said could get anything under the sun. They were offering me some 'hollow rock" that had holes in them. Told me it is marine aquarium and will have 'super growth' on them. I came back and found on the net that they look *somewhat* like lace rock. Now can lace rock be put in marine setup? Moreover he said that it can be used "only for marine'. I though lace rock was standard cichlid set up for many aquarists! Please throw some light!!!
The rock looks SOMEWHAT like this:
http://www.aquaristic.net/shop.php/sid/ff6b1d845d6d85514c66b5b61a05e0e1/cl/moredetails/cnid/-/anid/363260/Dragon%20stone%20per%20kg./
Also plenty of dead corals were on offer. Are these of any use? And will I be hauled up for keeping these fossils in case some green algae grows on them and make them "live"?
Confusions galore:
With reading comes the confusion. I have come across the following stuff while reading threads here and other places. Can any of the experts clarify:
1A. Do not use deep sand bed (DSB) if you dont have sand sifters as it will trap detrius etc.
1B.Definitely use DSB even for a 1 clown fish set up for natural filtering, even without sand sifters.
2A. Using Live rocks is enough for nano set ups, no need for external filters as they become nitrate factories if not cleaned properly.
2B. Irrespective of LR, must kep external canister filters.
2C. Do not use LR. Just coral sand and crushed coral is enough.
3A. Protein skimmer is a must for this hobby irrespective of tank size.
3B. Never a skimmer as it goes on removing trace elements. Test parameters frequently and do frequent water change
4A. Must use live sand
4B. Live sand is banned. Must use coral sand with crushed coral on top.
Thank God IAH is there with all you guys for help.
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:34 pm Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Quote:
1A. Do not use deep sand bed (DSB) if you dont have sand sifters as it will trap detrius etc.
1B.Definitely use DSB even for a 1 clown fish set up for natural filtering, even without sand sifters.
2A. Using Live rocks is enough for nano set ups, no need for external filters as they become nitrate factories if not cleaned properly.
2B. Irrespective of LR, must kep external canister filters.
2C. Do not use LR. Just coral sand and crushed coral is enough.
3A. Protein skimmer is a must for this hobby irrespective of tank size.
3B. Never a skimmer as it goes on removing trace elements. Test parameters frequently and do frequent water change
4A. Must use live sand
4B. Live sand is banned. Must use coral sand with crushed coral on top.
1A/1B - This has always been questionable. DSB if not setup right it will become a nitrate factory. Since you are new to the marine hobby i would suggest to keep things as simple as you can.
2A/2B/2C - Live rock is the best natural form of filtration. Many hobbyist abroad and i am sure in india have maintained great tanks without any external filteration. Currently out of my 3 marine tanks, one which is 23G, i have kept no external filtration.
3A - Protein skimmer is a very integral part of the marine tank. recently turf screens have been the new hot spot, they claim the elimination of the need of protein skimmer.
3B - Water changes are the best form of up keeping of your tank you can have.
4A/4B - Coral sand / crushed coral is banned too.
Well personally i think 1feet cube is really very small to keep the water parameters intact but definitely not impossible. You may have to do weekly water changes if possible and i think that should work well.
If i would be you and i was setting up this 1ft cube what i would do is, Put about 8-10kg of live rock, one wave maker for a good flow rate, a 14000K MH on it. I would make it an zoanthids, polyps and mushroom tank only. I would not use any external filtration and do weekly water changes.
The above is just my thought. Each one to its own.
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:25 pm Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Hi Nirav,
Thanks a lot for replying. A few clarifications please.
What would you suggest about substrate? Just 8-10 kg live rock with no sand etc?
Isn't live rock banned too (what exactly is available legally? :Shock: )
Wont 14000K MH (assuming 70W) not make it very hot (particularly in summers)? Can the zoas survive?
Can laced rocks be used in marine tanks?
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:28 pm Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Hi Nirav,
Thanks a lot for replying. A few clarifications please.
What would you suggest about substrate? Just 8-10 kg live rock with no sand etc?
Isn't live rock banned too (what exactly is available legally? :Shock: )
Wont 14000K MH (assuming 70W) not make it very hot (particularly in summers)? Can the zoas survive?
Can laced rocks be used in marine tanks?
Joined: Dec 15, 2006 Posts: 3670 Location: Calcutta
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:03 am Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
IMO, Wave Maker will be an overkill and look ugly in 1' cube tank and as well as Metal Halide lamp, it will simply boil the tank water.
The best bet would be LED lighting unit as already suggested by our marine guru, Nauzer (aquascapes) and a 400-500 L/H power head for water circulation.
You can use a thin layer of crushed coral sand as substrate.
Since its a 1' cube, I would suggest an EHEIM Hang on Back filter as well. The filter is a bit costly compared with available Chinese brands but worth the invest
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:55 am Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Quote:
Hi Nirav,
Thanks a lot for replying. A few clarifications please.
What would you suggest about substrate? Just 8-10 kg live rock with no sand etc?
Isn't live rock banned too (what exactly is available legally? :Shock: )
Wont 14000K MH (assuming 70W) not make it very hot (particularly in summers)? Can the zoas survive?
Can laced rocks be used in marine tanks?
Warm Regards
Hi,
All my marine tanks have chillers in them for a 1footer you can go for a small chiller, cause if you put any kind of lighting the heat of the light is going to boil it in summers and your live stock will not withstand that temperature, now that if you are going to use a chiller why not give it the best lighting and my personal experience tells me Zoanthids do best in 14000K / 20000K lighting. Not that they dont survive in LED / T5 or PL or CFL, but i have seen them propagate a lot faster under those light conditions.
I dont quiet like crush corals or coral sand cause it turns really ugly intime, when it becomes brown. I prefer argonite based live sand or red sea reef base.
If you have live rock, i dont think you need any other filtration just keep your water changes to weekly or even twice in a week should be good if you can manage it. Sine the water volume is going to be small you can easily prepare your water in a simple 25ltr home bucket.
Quote:
IMO, Wave Maker will be an overkill and look ugly in 1' cube tank and as well as Metal Halide lamp, it will simply boil the tank water.
You have nano wavemakers available today. A chiller should take care of the MH.
Joined: Dec 15, 2006 Posts: 3670 Location: Calcutta
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 8:23 am Post subject: Re: Planning 7G Aquarium, need specific advice
Since its gonna be your first attempt to salty side and would a learning and as well as a experimental tank, I would suggest you to avoid expenditure.
Aragonite reef sand, chiller & wave maker will simply cost you a fortune. For beginners, I totally belive in 'Poor Man's Reef' concept.
Search our marine fish section for above mentioned thread started by our very own marine champion, Nauzer (aquascapes).
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(they are tolerant to a lot of abuse also so the power outage should not bother you) since the tank is small I would suggest LED lights 
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