reef set up

i use a lights of america utility light, supposed to be the same as a 500w incandesent bulb. so far i've had good luck out of mine, lots of growth on the chaeto, retpo and probably a few others here got theirs from my batch. not sure of the kelvin rating of the bulb, since mines been burning 24/7 for nearly a year im sure its taken a nose dive which is why the algae grows so well. algae like other plants grows better in the red spectrum of lighthing which is why the 2900 gives better growth than the 5100, thats moving into the yellow white color. as for the disclaimer its partly for the reasons listed above but its also a disclaimer so you cant sue the sand company and say they didnt tell you not to use it in an aquarium if something happens and your tank crashes. i've heard that some home depot stores have directions not even sell you the sand if they find out its for a fish tank. someone posted something about that on rc once.

Thanks. Hey would the DSB in the fuge work if I used 1.5inches of the crushed coral(I already have) and then 1.5-2inches of sand on top of that? Also, my girlfriend wants to know if we can put a seahorse in the fuge? :oops:

I gonna try to show some pics of what I have setup as soon as I fins a place to upload them.....

you can mix the cc and the sand if you like but you try to layer it with the sand on top, all you'll end up with is the sand sinking into the spaces between the cc. either use all sand or mix the little bit of cc in with the sand before adding it, thats how it'll end up anyway. i dont know much about seahorse's but i assume a fuge would be an ok place for them to live but id suggest that you wait a while on even considering a seahorse until you've masted keeping a simple reef, seahorses are specialized feeders and are very sensitive to their surroundings, deffinately reserved for advanced aquarists, even with 5 years, personally i dont feel that im to that level yet.

I have the tank all set-up with the plumbing, the lights, the pumps and everything. I filled her up with tap water this morning to test it and flush everything out and it works like a charm. No leaks, drips, or anything but the dang Mag 7 pump is LOUD. Is there anything I can do tao make it run a little quieter?

Sounds like things are coming together for you, good deal!

Are you sure it's the pump making the noise or is a piece of plumbing vibrating aginst something? What is the pump sitting on? If it's external, you can set it on some high density foam rubber to absorb vibrations, an old mouse pad works well.

mag pumps are normally extremely quite, i have 3 on my tank and you have to touch them to know they are running, one of them is even plumbed externally on my calcium reactor. i think you have one of two things going on, either the pump has some air trapped in it making it rattle or you have a bad pump. try unplugging the pump several times in a row with a few seconds between each restart, if theres any air trapped in there that should help get it out.

It sounds like it is vibrating on the glass at the bottom of the sump. I don't think I have it deep enough either because there is a whirlpool by the pump intake.

do you have the plastic difuser that goes on the intake of the pump on there? if not that should take care of the whirlpool, or at least help it, by adding that, dont put the foam on there though. if not then you may need to deepen the water. the mag 5 for my skimmer is only about 3-4" under water though and i dont have a whirlpool. if the noise is just from the pump vibration just put something i there to cushion it, i used a ring of pvc pipe for mine until i replumbed to take care of it. just cut it the thickness you need and stick it between the pump and the glass.

This is a great thread you guys! Keep it up. I was going to jump in with personal experience, but since I learned everything from you all a year or so ago, I don't have anything new to add! Pro2K, you've got a great bunch of experienced reefers here helping you. Be assured that with time, you'll have a gorgeous reef. I do. Thanks guys :D

Ok, everything is setup and the tank is filling up with RO/DI water right now. I probably won't get any live rock for a few weeks but might throw a damsel or two in there for something to look at. Is it ok to go ahead and throw some of that spinach stuff in the fuge?? (Calupera?) Does anybody have some they want to get rid of?