millcityrider
Non-member
What is your water change routine like? How often do you find yourself changing the filter floss?
My 10g nano!
- Thread starter The Ng Thing
- Start date
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OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
I used to do 1-2 changes per week about 2-3 gallons. In the more recent pictures (like my current avatar) I have let them go to every 2 weeks (max) and do about 4 gallons. School & work lately have made me neglect the tank.
I'll be honest
I haven't posted a recent FTS because I haven't had time to really clean up the tank. Noone wants to see algae all over the place.
As for the filter floss, I changed it more often when I had my clarkii (roughly once or twice a week). Now I'm not so sure, probably once every 2 weeks. I change it once the filters start to overflow and each one overflows at different times. I've been alternating between Fluval canister pads, Fiber Floss and the aquaclear sponges but after a while I've noticed the aquaclear sponges don't do as good of a job.
Perhaps I'll post some before/after pictures later this week when I do my waterchange.
I'll be honest
I haven't posted a recent FTS because I haven't had time to really clean up the tank. Noone wants to see algae all over the place.As for the filter floss, I changed it more often when I had my clarkii (roughly once or twice a week). Now I'm not so sure, probably once every 2 weeks. I change it once the filters start to overflow and each one overflows at different times. I've been alternating between Fluval canister pads, Fiber Floss and the aquaclear sponges but after a while I've noticed the aquaclear sponges don't do as good of a job.
Perhaps I'll post some before/after pictures later this week when I do my waterchange.
millcityrider
Non-member
Awesome thanks. . . Im going to replicate your routine in my new 28g.
Thanks!
Thanks!
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
Update - Much needed maintenance - Part 1
I hope it isn't too hard to read, the original picture size was ridiculously large. Anyways its been a while since I've really dedicated time to my tank between school, work and my upcoming FE exam. The first picture shows my tank when the pictures in my last post were taken (this is why they were close up shots)
1) I had these two large cap colonies glued to the side of my tank. When they got too big, they shadowed everything and fell off. After getting stung by my toadstool, I managed to frag one of them and give away the parts I didn't have room for.
2) I let a small patch of hair algae grow thinking I'll scrub it off at some point but that never happened so this is what I get. During my water change I pruned a majority of it off and I'm going to isolate them in another tank. The idea being I'll be able to severly limit light & nutrient sources without affecting my fish & sps corals.
3) See the next picture lol
4) Same as #2 but this piece of rock doesn't have corals on it. It does have 3 large sized vermitid (sp?) snails which I can't bring myself to kill by curing the rock. This will go in a separate tank too so I can get rid of the hair algae on it.
5) Heater needs to be cleaned badly, its the source of my hair algae because its hidden in the back and I haven't cleaned it since the Marineland Stealth scare couple months back.
6) The reason I'm setting up another "QT/frag tank". Theres a couple nice zoa colonies, one of which is my eagle eyes (my favorite), that were decimated by my damned pistol shrimp. He took the frags and used it as a support for his cave and I didn't find it until it was too late. Going to try and re-propagate whats left (-_-)
I've been holding off on the above for a while just to decide where I'm going to put the colony. The caps being stung in two places and it is blocking the light from one of my acro's. I didn't think when I mounted it so it's going on the frag rack. I was concerned about damaging the acro when taking it out but luckily the cap was already loose when I moved it.
I hope it isn't too hard to read, the original picture size was ridiculously large. Anyways its been a while since I've really dedicated time to my tank between school, work and my upcoming FE exam. The first picture shows my tank when the pictures in my last post were taken (this is why they were close up shots)
1) I had these two large cap colonies glued to the side of my tank. When they got too big, they shadowed everything and fell off. After getting stung by my toadstool, I managed to frag one of them and give away the parts I didn't have room for.
2) I let a small patch of hair algae grow thinking I'll scrub it off at some point but that never happened so this is what I get. During my water change I pruned a majority of it off and I'm going to isolate them in another tank. The idea being I'll be able to severly limit light & nutrient sources without affecting my fish & sps corals.
3) See the next picture lol
4) Same as #2 but this piece of rock doesn't have corals on it. It does have 3 large sized vermitid (sp?) snails which I can't bring myself to kill by curing the rock. This will go in a separate tank too so I can get rid of the hair algae on it.
5) Heater needs to be cleaned badly, its the source of my hair algae because its hidden in the back and I haven't cleaned it since the Marineland Stealth scare couple months back.
6) The reason I'm setting up another "QT/frag tank". Theres a couple nice zoa colonies, one of which is my eagle eyes (my favorite), that were decimated by my damned pistol shrimp. He took the frags and used it as a support for his cave and I didn't find it until it was too late. Going to try and re-propagate whats left (-_-)
I've been holding off on the above for a while just to decide where I'm going to put the colony. The caps being stung in two places and it is blocking the light from one of my acro's. I didn't think when I mounted it so it's going on the frag rack. I was concerned about damaging the acro when taking it out but luckily the cap was already loose when I moved it.
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
Much needed maintenance - Part 2
Here's the tank post water change. Scraped off the remaining hair algae, some of which was on coralline so it was really easy. Put all the caps on the frag rack and cleaned out the filters. Checked in on everything today when I got home & things are doing fine. I'll try to keep this updated so I don't slack on the maintenance anymore.
Here's the frag tank, look familiar? It's practically the same setup: aquaclear 50, 10g tank, 2x 24w t5. I needed the room and place to isolate corals. The lights are on for pictures but i plan on blitzkrieging it to eliminate the hair algae. No fish, no feeding, limited light, and RO water.
If theres one thing I should've done, yes i know I deserve the flaming, its use RO water. In the last 3 years I've been using straight tap. The tap is most likely the cause of the hair algae but to be honest it has only become a problem in my eyes when I don't keep up with my maintainence.
Here's the tank post water change. Scraped off the remaining hair algae, some of which was on coralline so it was really easy. Put all the caps on the frag rack and cleaned out the filters. Checked in on everything today when I got home & things are doing fine. I'll try to keep this updated so I don't slack on the maintenance anymore.
Here's the frag tank, look familiar? It's practically the same setup: aquaclear 50, 10g tank, 2x 24w t5. I needed the room and place to isolate corals. The lights are on for pictures but i plan on blitzkrieging it to eliminate the hair algae. No fish, no feeding, limited light, and RO water.
If theres one thing I should've done, yes i know I deserve the flaming, its use RO water. In the last 3 years I've been using straight tap
. The tap is most likely the cause of the hair algae but to be honest it has only become a problem in my eyes when I don't keep up with my maintainence.
Renato
Reef Addicted
How did you glued them?
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
During a water change, when the water level was down a couple inches, I scraped the glass clean and dried it. Then I used the frag glue Boston Aqua Farms makes, to glue a piece of rubble rock to an empty frag disk. After glueing the disk sideways on the tank, I put some glue on each frag and rested it on the disk. I rested the frag in such a way that it rested on top of the edge of the disk right against the glass so that way it would encrust on the glass faster.
I think the weight of the frag & the smooth bonding surface is what eventually made it fall off.
I think the weight of the frag & the smooth bonding surface is what eventually made it fall off.
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
One Month Update
No more algae!
No more algae!
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
Also changed my bulbs a little bit because I noticed my zoa's getting a lot thinner and my SPS beginning to bleach. Instead of using two aquablue specials and two actinics, I now have 1 aquablue specail, 2 blue + and one actinic.
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
Some pic's of my original frags.
I can't believe I actually considered getting rid of this last one. I'm very lucky to have it today after all the mistakes I made in the beginning. (Horrible lighting, uncycled tank, not testing Alk or Ca!)
I can't believe I actually considered getting rid of this last one. I'm very lucky to have it today after all the mistakes I made in the beginning. (Horrible lighting, uncycled tank, not testing Alk or Ca!)
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
Thanks,
Still not as much color as your tank
Still not as much color as your tank
northeastern
Non-member
View attachment 71854
What kind of coral is this? I have an 8 gallon go strong for 3 months and am looking for some coral to add movement
What kind of coral is this? I have an 8 gallon go strong for 3 months and am looking for some coral to add movement
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
It's a toadstool about 2-3" high. In my recent pictures, its the big guy all the way to the right thats pushed against the glass.
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
Hardly any changes since Oct. I have noticed that since switching from 2 to 4 bulbs my zoas have been thinning out. Even though SPS growth was painfully slow, I think my tank might have been better with just the two bulb fixture.
Also, I passed my FE exam so I'm an official "engineer in training"! Now I can get back to my tank.
Also, I passed my FE exam so I'm an official "engineer in training"! Now I can get back to my tank.
tobaquarist
Non-member
your tank looks awesome I am going to try setting up a nano soon maybe with some help. Also I am making a collage to hang up of mature tanks to hang on my wall as a huge poster would you mind if I put some of these pictures on it and I would include your name and username at the bottom left or right of each picture to give you credit
OP
OP
The Ng Thing
Non-member
Thanks!
-Tobaquarist, sure! If you want, pm me your email address and I can email you the jpg's.
-Tobaquarist, sure! If you want, pm me your email address and I can email you the jpg's.
