Tips and Tricks 101

[kwirky]

Originally Posted by asmodeus

So this looks like a fruitstand I take It.

*sigh* sorry if i offended somone. in art school, EVERYONE gets very emotional about their own views on what's aesthetic, and I figured we're all adults here and can take a little opinion. Opinion isn't fact, and ideas DO clash.

and i don't think your's looks like a fruitstand. not even close. Thanks for posting the pic, aesmodeus. I was meaning there's a few images lieing out there on the net where the tank looks SO packed, and there's SO many corals lieing so close to each other, touching each other. Where people just seemed to dump their liverock like dumptrucks filling in a swamp.houses. But then again, that's what the ocean looks like where our liverock is collected.

Aesthetics is such a touchy subjet

Maybe I should say that I appreciate it when somone puts the work in, and makes something with a great rock structure, or a nice ratio of corals. Or somone who forgoes the "aesthetics" and decided to work hard at a tank containing species of coral/fish from a certain region/ecosystem.

I'm not saying my idea of aesthetics is better than everyone else's. I was just saying i get dissapointed in seeing the odd tank where coral health is forgone to display as many species as possible of coral in a single glass box.

sorry if i upset anyone, now let's here some more great ideas!

[Skimmerking]

Sean that was well said. I hate those people out there that don't give a crap about things they buy for in this hobby. These species are taken out of their world and to what. To be sold to some one that who doesnt give a dam about what they buy. Like having 5-7 tangs in a 90 gal then the guy says hey look they have nice color there not fighting. Wrong!!!!!!!

With the adults thing I think its worst then kids some times. people take thing to heart to much or get offened really easy..... enough about that .....

but on another note. With me if I have a snail that dies I get bummed out call me weird, If a coral doenst look right i move it may be tha is the problem with us in this hobby were to busy making it look right for our eyes.... but i dear say there are many more people like me out there of even on this board. Lots of people love this board for many reasons to "Vent , bitch, complain, and to chat with totally different strangers and then to turn around to buy some thing from one of them unseen. and only going on there word. OPPS gettng off topic here.

Its ok to voice opinions on here, However is needs to be put out in the open that is the problem with boards people don't use the little faces in the right context. any ways not bitching at ya just was letting ya know on how or what is easier on voicing comments. SOm times they can get out of hand,

any ways I need a tea now later .


mike

[SuperFudge]

Ok...shoulda let this one sit another 5 yrs...


I dont think he meant offense fellas, easy on the guy.

He thought it a good idea for someone who may be setting up a new tank.

Comon....

[albert_dao]

A couple hints for someone getting into a new system:

- Always plan for worse case scenarios.

- Try to do it in a basement. Temperature control is so much simpler when you're not dealing with a muggy upstairs atmosphere (most homes).

- Leave a space between the sump and the wall that you can reach behind. Sometimes fish jump, tools or frags drop, or cords need to be fished out. That space gives you the play you need to get in behind the sump to retrieve these items.

- When choosing a pump, go external unless you absolutely cannot afford it or find space for it. They run with less heat transfer, have better pipe diameters right from the volute (most brands) and, IME, run quieter with less maintanance than internals.

- Try to get a temperature controller/computer to regulate your heater. It makes no sense to invest thousands of dollars into a system then cheap out on the component MOST LIKELY to kill everything. Ranco controllers are very well regarded as they are an industrial utility component.

- Give yourself a good height on the stand. Your back will thank you and it will give you access to MUCH better skimmers and other equipment down the road.

- Go straight to Metal Halide or HO T5's. Everything else is just going to need an upgrade once you get bored of Xenia, Frogspawn and Mushrooms.

That's it for now.

[Ruth]

Well my first "tip" would be to first and foremost please yourself - be happy with the way your tank looks even if it doesn't conform to traditional setups - if your happy with the way it looks and everything is doing great - just be happy
My 2nd tip would be if you do your water changes manually - like I do - get a smaller pump and attach a piece of vinyl tubing or spa flex to the outlet and use it for both taking water out of your tank to your change bucket and for putting the new water back into the system. I use rubbermaid garbage cans for mixing my new water so I just put the can right by the tank I am going to change the water in - mix the water for about 24hrs - and then use the pump with spa flex to replace the water I have just removed with new.

[Chin_Lee]

Some people (like me) have difficulty gluing mini or large colonies to rocks because of water flow or the size of the rock. What i've done that works really well is make a mould of the epoxy and then superglue it.
1) mix up a ball of epoxy and stick it into the rock where you want to put the coral.
2) Then push the base of the coral into the ball of epoxy and mould the epoxy around the base. Then gently pull out the coral again and let the epoxy harden.
3) When its harden, turn off all water movement in your tank, squeeze some superglue onto the base of the coral and insert it into the epoxy mould.
Its a guaranteed fit.

[Chin_Lee]

Always leave enough room behind the tank for YOUR arm to fit behind. If and when the time comes that you HAVE to put your arm back there, its too late.

[Chin_Lee]

If you are paranoid about putting rock onto barebottom glass, cut some 1/4" lengths of 1/2" pvc pipe to make little round discs. Then place these between the rock and glass. Its so thin, you won't see them and it allows water flow under the rocks. You can even glue them down with super glue if you want to stop them from sliding around.
FYI - they will come off (with a pair of pliers) if you ever want to move or rearrange the rocks again.

[Chin_Lee]

When plumbing an external pump, on both the inlet or outlet, you should always put a union and ball valve.
This will allow you to conduct maintenance on the pump by
a) shutting off the ball valve
b) disconnecting the union
c) you now have your pump with only about 1 cup of water spilling out

[Quagmire]

WoW 4 posts in a row.I think someone's trying for 1000 posts
BTW great tips everyone,I'd add but all the good ones are taken