Newb from Arlington and the story

[afsportsguy000]

Hey,

I am currently about to deconstruct my 44G Hex to try to do it the "Right way"

After some unfortunate LFS advice and me just not being prepared I am ready to do this correctly. I do not have the ability to have a Sump 44G hex has a tiny stand, am going to run a Canister Filter, I am right now only FOWLR with 2 great Fake?! clownfish and a lawnmower Blenny, and one moving Hermit Crab. I have lost 2 Hermits and 2 shrimp one fire and one skunk as well as all snails(4). The skunk lived for a month doing great! then one day right after malt it all started to fall apart (no QT at this time). I am using tap water, and was putting in something to take away chlorine. I got a ton of algae and I suspect Copper is the death of the inverts. So I am going to set up a 20G QT while I redo my entire set up. I currently have fake things(display) and Crushed Coral in the tank. I am going to add a ton more live rock currently 10lbs, sand/live sand, and I bought an RODI system for the water. So while I start to cycle this tank and set it up right (with canister).my fish will be in the tank below until the 44G(DT) is ready

So, in the "QT" I have a few pieces of piping a 20G HOB filter, powerhead fan, heater, Skimmer and thats it. I am also going to use the water and LR(few peices) that is currently in my tank now. I am going to take my fish out of the DT and move them to this take while I reset up the DT. I hope they will be ok there and my 3 fish are doing Great! From what I can tell...

I will continue to update on the status and make this my semi build thread. Ill post pictures when I can tomorrow of current tank.

I enjoy advice so throw it at me

Thanks,

 

[Turbosnail]

Welcome to the BRS! My advice to you is to use a hob skimmer instead of the canister filter. Canister filters tend to be nitrate factories. Maybe take the filters out and just run carbon in it and change it every couple of weeks. If you suspect copper in the tank there is no way to really get rid of it which means you will have problems with inverts and corals if you decide to put some in down the line and it will be in the live rock and sand you have in there now. The dead inverts and snails could have died from an alk problem they are very sensitive to alk swings. I would test the water and see what the parameters are and see if the alk is off. You can get a copper test kit to test for copper also. HTH

 

[afsportsguy000]

Yea, I went to my LFS and they really didn't have any other tests, or ones they would show me atleast when I asked. I am going to throw away all of the Crushed Coral I have in there now as well as all of the displays (fake) and start over. I do have a question about the Live Rock, I was going to throw that away also (only 10lbs) but is there a way I can dip them in bleach or is the copper there forever?

I am using a skimmer currently and I have to change it like every 3 days its producing so much, I heard that the Canister can be a nitrate trap but I just don't have another option yet.

I tried asking for an ALK tester but they said they didnt have one, or they didnt really think i needed it. I will be doing my DT all over with RODI water so that should solve those problems, I just wont use anything that is in the tank now.

 

[HuuTa]

welcome to BRS.I'm in Cambridge on Mass ave near the Arlington line.If u need any test done i can do it for you except the copper

 

[Flame Angel]

Welcome Aboard! you have reached your correct and final destination for information.

 

[Turbosnail]

The live rock can be bleached but I am not sure if it will get rid of the copper if there is any. But if it is only 10# it might not be worth the risk.

 

[littlefish09]

another thing is the copper might have leached into the silicone on the tank and may leach back out once new water ia added

 

[afsportsguy000]

The live rock can be bleached but I am not sure if it will get rid of the copper if there is any. But if it is only 10# it might not be worth the risk.

Yea that was my thoughts exactly.

 

[afsportsguy000]

another thing is the copper might have leached into the silicone on the tank and may leach back out once new water ia added

Also a thought of mine, Scares me though that I can not just go pay for a new tank.....I have a filter that can check for copper so I am going to stick a piece of that in the tank to see if it really is there. How much can it really leak though? Or still enough to be very deadly, Fish are doing great. Is there something out there that will allow me to test for copper?

I don't want to have to keep redoing the tank, There is a chance it could have been ALK, But I am assuming the worst with living in a house from 1920 and why inverts are not alive. This weekend I am going to drain the Display tank and move all livestock over to my QT. and then I will refill DT with liveRock and Sand....and fill it up with RODI water and start a cycle

 

[afsportsguy000]

I am going to the LFS in Boston today to see if they have things to test with that way I can know before I redo everything and how severe the Copper is, if any. I am going to redo the display tank regardless to make it a nicer set up so those plans wont change

 

[JohnK]

Hey, welcome to the BRS. (I thought that screen name looked framiliar on RC last night )

I would be very concerned about copper and anything porous. I suspect that copper leaching into/out of the silicone would pose much less of a concern. See what the polyfilter looks like and go from there IMO.

 

[afrankiewicz12]

welcome i live in concord and work in arlington on broadway at my moms company so if u ever need anything ill be around slash you should go with this http://www.opentip.com/Pet-Supplies/Aquafuge-Small-Hob-Refugium-Pump-p-1081758.html little expensive but most LFS use this if they can and with a HOB skimmer youre all set

 

[afsportsguy000]

Hey, welcome to the BRS. (I thought that screen name looked framiliar on RC last night )

I would be very concerned about copper and anything porous. I suspect that copper leaching into/out of the silicone would pose much less of a concern. See what the polyfilter looks like and go from there IMO.

Woohoo, I pass the copper test! So that is good news, Now I guess it just has to do with making the tank how I like it so I am still moving all the fish over so I can do everything right from the beginning. So next step which I am doing today is moving all my livestock over to my 20G tank I am setting up now basically as a QT. Then tomorrow I will refill my 44G with RODI water start the canister Filter again and next week set up the live rock and sand once I have all parameters and salinity correct. I got some advice to remove everything from my canister filter and just fill it up with live rock so I will eventually just do that. all tests came back perfect besides my salt...it was 1.028 so I need to get a refract to make that better.

 

[afsportsguy000]

welcome i live in concord and work in arlington on broadway at my moms company so if u ever need anything ill be around slash you should go with this http://www.opentip.com/Pet-Supplies/Aquafuge-Small-Hob-Refugium-Pump-p-1081758.html little expensive but most LFS use this if they can and with a HOB skimmer youre all set

I am building a top to my tank now that way I can hide everything, This looks like a good edition ill make sure I save the room

 

[afsportsguy000]

Man! Getting a lawnmower blenny out is NOT easy, I guess I have to wait until he is ready, then to make things worse my Clowns got fed up with my hand in there and started double teaming the bites and attacks lol

 

[Owen386]

Welcome to the forums good luck with your tank seems like you are off to a good start. Where the pics? You grow up in Arlington class of 04

 

[jamesdong009]

:w to the BRS.

I think you'll be fine with the canister filter if you're sticking with a FOWLR tank. I had an Eheim canister filter running on my FOWLR tank for years without any issues. A fish only tank is much different than a reef tank.

Remeber to take it slow and don't add any chemicals unless you can test for it.

 

[afsportsguy000]

I grew up in Chicago burbs so not out here just moved here due to work. However I work with 2 guys who graduated in 06 I believe from Arlington. Tank is going I think I am finally on the right track now.

Here is a pic of what it used to be!
Large Image Link (190 kB)

The top I am making for it
Large Image Link (239 kB)

Then today I moved everything over to this new tank while I take out all the fake things, and rebuild it up with live rock and make it nice

Large Image Link (179 kB)

 

[afsportsguy000]

Large Image Link (198 kB)

 

[afsportsguy000]

:w to the BRS.

I think you'll be fine with the canister filter if you're sticking with a FOWLR tank. I had an Eheim canister filter running on my FOWLR tank for years without any issues. A fish only tank is much different than a reef tank.

Remeber to take it slow and don't add any chemicals unless you can test for it.

Yea, I plan on doing FOWLR until I am ready for the coral and an established tank. I was told that I should be able to change everything over in the canister to Live Rock then I can start to run Zoas ect..... and carpet corals. I dont think I plan on keeping the really hard to keep corals ect...I would also get a hang on Refugium