Simplified Reefkeepings Reef Keepers Survey
Simplified Reefkeepings Reef Keepers Survey |
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My answers may seem a bit odd because I'm experimenting with a low cost, low light (2w/gal) tank right now, so keep that in mind when you compile this data.
1. What size tank in gallons and aprox LxW Standard 29 gallon tank, ~30"x12"
2. Amount of liverock aprox. lb. ~2 lbs of fiji live rock. In addition, I have ~30 lbs of very porous limestone slab (~1" thick) I broke the slab into irregularly shaped pieces and stacked them in a very open structure. It's now been about 2 months and I can see tube worms, coralline algae and sessile(sp?) snails taking up residence on the limestone.
3. Substrate Y/N lb.amount, thickness, type. ~10 lbs of live sand and 5 lbs of GARF grunge on top. Thickness ranges from almost nothing (in engineer goby's burrow) to about 3".
4. Sump Y/N size in gallons 6 gallon sump
5. Do you use a prefilter Y/N No
6. Frequency of water changes and amount changed Since the tank is fairly new, I'm doing a 3-4 gallon (~10%) change every week. I plan on moving this to ~10% every two weeks by the end of summer.
7. Preferred salt mix Instant ocean
8. Preferred additives Iodine: Tincture of iodine (3 drops/day) Stontium: 10% solution of strontium chloride (5 drops/day)
9. Preferred test kits Haven't found any that I'm happy with on a students' budget. I'm going to try the Salifert kits soon. I've heard very good things about them.
10. Method of adding calcium Kalkwasser drip. Amount depends on time of year. Right now, I'm evaporating a lot of water to keep the tank cool, ~1 gallon/day. In the fall, spring and winter I expect to evaporate ~2-3 gallons/week. This should be sufficient for coralline algae and soft corals.
11. Aprox water turnover X times per hour ~5X/hour
12. Type of lighting ie: MH, FLO, NO, HO,VHO NO
13. Type of bulbs 1 actinic, 1 daylight and 1 50/50
14. Aprox wattage per gallon 2watts/gallon
15. Duration of lighting cycle daily hours per day 9.5 hours/day (on really hot days I leave the lights off)
16. Do you use timers Y/N Yes
17. Do you use TWP? Y/N and type yes. I'm lucky in that the lab I work in has a deionizing unit. I believe it is a Barnstead DI unit. I bring home a couple of gallons every day.
18. Aprox number of fish 3 fish: a maroon clown, a six-line wrasse and an engineer goby
19. Aprox number of corals Only 4 small mushroom polyps given to be by a friend. I'm waiting until the tank is at least 6 months old before adding any other corals. Of course, anything I add will be a low-light invert.
20. Aprox number of inverts ~25 mixed snails (GARF) ~25 red-legged hermits (GARF) 1 cleaner shrimp (wouldn't have a marine tank without one!) Personal note: I highly recommend the janitor package from GARF for algae control. They do a fantastic job!
21. Do you feed your corals? Y/N and what Not directly, but I do pre-soak fish food in Selcon which is "supposed" to benefit corals as well. It certainly clouds the water and stops the skimmer from working!
22. Estimated cost of your tank complete Very tough question because I've been acquiring and making components for quite awhile. Including hardware and livestock, I guess I would have to spend about $600 (and many hours of building) to replace everything. Also keep in mind that two of my fish and most of my live sand was given to me.
23. What you feel is the biggest challenge in keeping a reef tank In the summer, keeping the temperature down is definetely the most challenging part. Luckily I live about 5 miles from Lake Superior and our summers are relatively short!
24. What has been your most useful method in acquiring information? List in priority Books, Newsgroups, Internet web sites (mostly personal home pages), Private discussions with hobbyists
