A splash in the right direction > Aquareef 275 Time-Line.

[maxwell]

Srb
I wanted a larger piece to use as a pillar( he had just the thing a couple weeks previous) for an xxl plate and from memory that was £25-30 , In the pic i think there's 17 .It looks ok but im no expert on rock . Im going try drilling it and using rods and putty.

Bill

 

[Srb1n]

James has emailed me with these few pictures....









Temptation now at 89% - [MENTION=19376]maxwell[/MENTION] help me out here - Yes or No.

 

[Srb1n]

I'm hoping have both my Jebao RW-8 & aqua medic titanium heater 300w delivered tomorrow.

 

[maxwell]

Srb
??? marco under plate, i dont know whether to use my large aquaroche or have a go at scaping

View attachment 122000View attachment 122001

 

[Matt@Epo]

marco rock is excellent stuff...I was going to import it myself but I got busy and dropped the ball. Its excavated from an old florida reef so its the same limestone rock that we call "live" Your only issue will be making it as live as "live" rock. Your not alone many many reefers are choosing the dry rock alternatives these days. Its cheaper and doesnt contain any "nasties" I cant argue with a man being lead by his wallet but I dont agree with buying dry rock to avoid "nasties"

Starting a reef tank with dry rock means you have a serious lack of bio diversity so my advice would be to bang on the door of every reefer local to you asking for a cupful of scum from their sump.

Youll be able to turn the rock into a suitable filter just by adding ammonia to the water and using marco rocks should mean you have reduced nutrients leaching from the rock. Marco is pretty much the gold standard for rock work in the USA.

 

[Srb1n]

[MENTION=16594]Matt@Epo[/MENTION]

“Your only issue will be making it as live as "live" rock” – But it is possible…..

“Starting a reef tank with dry rock means you have a serious lack of bio diversity” Would the contents from a 46L Fluval edge help (1 year old).

“You’ll be able to turn the rock into a suitable filter just by adding ammonia” This will happen over time – Yes?

 

[Srb1n]

In anticipation can somebody please suggest a decent RO or RODI unit and anything else I might need....It's about time I started learning that side of things.

 

[Matt@Epo]

@Matt@Epo

“Your only issue will be making it as live as "live" rock” – But it is possible…..

“Starting a reef tank with dry rock means you have a serious lack of bio diversity” Would the contents from a 46L Fluval edge help (1 year old).

“You’ll be able to turn the rock into a suitable filter just by adding ammonia” This will happen over time – Yes?

making live rock is easy...find a pourous rock ( ie marco rock) add water, add salt, add 26 degrees of temperature and add ammonia. Add ammonia little by little until you get a reading on your ammonia test kit. Add slippers, add armchair and add cigar. ( dont add the cigar if you dont smoke, dont start smoking on my account. It does nothing for your aquarium and apparently its bad for you)
The ammonia in the water will be oxidised by little fellas called nitrosomas they eat ammonia and oxygen and **** out nitrite. With nitrite present along come nitrobacter and eat the nitrate and water and **** out nitrate. Lastly with nitrate in the water along come denitrifying bacteria ( I cant remember their name) and they use oygen and nitrate as an engery source and **** out nitrogen gas.

You'll be on your 50th cigar by this time and your ass will be numb from being sat in your armchair for 4-6 weeks but you'll have "live" rock

Adding the contents of your 46l fluval edge will help...but I doubt it will add much biodiversity. To give an example of what I mean...I used dry rock in my system, not really out of choice nor wanting to avoid the plague of nasties abundant in live rock ( im being sarcastic ) I had a logistical problem of where to keep 700kgs of live rock "live" and still have room to build the tank. Anyway, I digress, I ended up killing the rock. Not the rock you understand but the bacteria that called the rock home, and starting again. This was all well and good, I adopted the steps outlined above and bacteria came to live in my rock again. I have a cryptic tank as part of the filtration. A cryptic tank is un-lit and is home to benthic creatures, creatures of the night. These typically are filter feeders like sponges and feather dusters etc etc..My cryptic tank has been wet for about a year, I have turned the rock that resides in the cryptic tank "live" but yet I have no sponges, I have no feather dusters.

If I had used "live" rock the cryptic tank would be teaming with life because of the bio diversity that live rock brings to the table. My tank is adequately filtered, i have suitable volumes of bacterial colonies...but I have no bio diversity.

When I get my ass into gear I will add some "live" rock...I will add some specific organisms to fill the void in my cryptic tank. Hopefully you will too, I know both of our tanks would benefit.

 

[Whipitup]

In anticipation can somebody please suggest a decent RO or RODI unit and anything else I might need....It's about time I started learning that side of things.

Speak to Toby at Little Ocean (sponsor on here) he will sort you out.

 

[warby]

In anticipation can somebody please suggest a decent RO or RODI unit and anything else I might need....It's about time I started learning that side of things.

[MENTION=11655]LittleOcean[/MENTION] is your man

very helpful

 

[Srb1n]

making live rock is easy...find a pourous rock ( ie marco rock) add water, add salt, add 26 degrees of temperature and add ammonia. Add ammonia little by little until you get a reading on your ammonia test kit. Add slippers, add armchair and add cigar. ( dont add the cigar if you dont smoke, dont start smoking on my account. It does nothing for your aquarium and apparently its bad for you)
The ammonia in the water will be oxidised by little fellas called nitrosomas they eat ammonia and oxygen and **** out nitrite. With nitrite present along come nitrobacter and eat the nitrate and water and **** out nitrate. Lastly with nitrate in the water along come denitrifying bacteria ( I cant remember their name) and they use oygen and nitrate as an engery source and **** out nitrogen gas.

You'll be on your 50th cigar by this time and your ass will be numb from being sat in your armchair for 4-6 weeks but you'll have "live" rock

Adding the contents of your 46l fluval edge will help...but I doubt it will add much biodiversity. To give an example of what I mean...I used dry rock in my system, not really out of choice nor wanting to avoid the plague of nasties abundant in live rock ( im being sarcastic ) I had a logistical problem of where to keep 700kgs of live rock "live" and still have room to build the tank. Anyway, I digress, I ended up killing the rock. Not the rock you understand but the bacteria that called the rock home, and starting again. This was all well and good, I adopted the steps outlined above and bacteria came to live in my rock again. I have a cryptic tank as part of the filtration. A cryptic tank is un-lit and is home to benthic creatures, creatures of the night. These typically are filter feeders like sponges and feather dusters etc etc..My cryptic tank has been wet for about a year, I have turned the rock that resides in the cryptic tank "live" but yet I have no sponges, I have no feather dusters.

If I had used "live" rock the cryptic tank would be teaming with life because of the bio diversity that live rock brings to the table. My tank is adequately filtered, i have suitable volumes of bacterial colonies...but I have no bio diversity.

When I get my ass into gear I will add some "live" rock...I will add some specific organisms to fill the void in my cryptic tank. Hopefully you will too, I know both of our tanks would benefit.

@Matt@Epo - I’m somewhat Gob-Smacked after reading your comments or as an Englishman cricketer “Knocked for Six”. I wouldn’t know where to start after that…..:blushing:

(25% convinced now I'm doing the right thing) My Jebao RW-8 and heater arrived this morning but I've placed them in the dry neglected sump, not planning anything this weekend - More time to ponder.

 

[Matt@Epo]

@Matt@Epo - I’m somewhat Gob-Smacked after reading your comments or as an Englishman cricketer “Knocked for Six”. I wouldn’t know where to start after that…..:blushing:

(25% convinced now I'm doing the right thing) My Jebao RW-8 and heater arrived this morning but I've placed them in the dry neglected sump, not planning anything this weekend - More time to ponder.

I cant believe I wrote all of that and you're only 25% convinced...I must be losing my touch.

I wouldn’t know where to start after that…..

Add rock...add sand and water. Get the water up to temperature and add this little by little Ammonia Link

 

[Srb1n]

15 kilos of RL purchased this afternoon - it's all the LFS had. Need to finish off all pipe work by next week as I'm hoping to have 27 - 30 kilos and the cycling started.

 

[Srb1n]

Can anybody tell me or advise whether I'd get any benefit from installing a "Refugium" in my Aquareef 275.

 

[Srb1n]

Has anybody made any modifications to their Aquareef 275 sump and if so, what is it?
With the clock ticking I can’t make my mind up whether to leave the sump for the time being clear with possibly some extra LR later or create a Refugium with chaeto tumbling – Your thoughts appreciated.
On the subject of Nitrate & Phosphate reactors I was looking to purchase separate filtration units, 1. D-D Rowa Phos in a fluidised reactor and 2. Carbon media – What are my options!!!

 

[Hazey]

I would choose a DSB & Cheato in a sump over PO4 removers in a reactor.

Get a good sump light at least 65watt & at 6000-6500 kelvin to grow your cheato & that will pull out your unwanted nutrients so long as it grows.

 

[jim_fitz]

i doubt that the flow through your sump would get the chaeto to tumble

might need a well position small pump to assist

 

[jim_fitz]

mods made to my sump
replaced the outlet pipe for a flexible one from B&Q and fitted a sock
removed the bio balls
removed the original skimmer (it leaked)

 

[Srb1n]

i doubt that the flow through your sump would get the chaeto to tumble

might need a well position small pump to assist

I was hoping to add a small power head - As yet I'm still looking into this to understand the benefits. Could DSB and chaeto replace the need for a reactor! It sounds too good to be true - "o'naturelle".

 

[jim_fitz]

many ways to skin a cat
dsb is well tried and tested solution