WMAS Discussion Forum : Zoa care

WMAS Discussion Forum : Zoa care http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:01:32 +0000 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:13:57 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.03 360 www.utahreefs.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=59895 <![CDATA[WMAS Discussion Forum]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/1by1.gif http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/ <![CDATA[Zoa care : I do not have those test kits...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=492105&title=zoa-care#492105 Author: JustAddSalt
Subject: 59895
Posted: November 05 2012 at 12:13pm

I do not have those test kits yet..am kind of running on a shoestring budget or as much as my wife will let me indulge in my hobby. Over the weekend i picked up a second kydor 750 powerhead and two pieces of acrylic plexi glass .220 thickness. I am going after work to pick up some weld on number 4 or three for acrylics.. going to do some measuring and then have Lowes make me some pieces..what I am really needing is for someone with some know how tell me how to change my plumbing without flooding my place and possibly toasting my furnace..the air intake is right behind my tank.. I have a very simple design in mind if someone would be able to tell me if I can do all my plumbing changes without flooding my place. So if you want to come look at what I have..send me a txt...801-209-1813

]]> Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:13:57 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=492105&title=zoa-care#492105 <![CDATA[Zoa care : theres no mention of alk, cal,...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491921&title=zoa-care#491921 Author: laynframe
Subject: 59895
Posted: November 04 2012 at 7:56am

theres no mention of alk, cal, and mag levels. these are the core tests that should be monitored. ph isnt as big as a deal as everyone thinks, if these three elements are in check ususaly everything else is ok. does your sump have a light to grow your algae? is it on opposite light schedule as your display tank? ]]> Sun, 04 Nov 2012 07:56:17 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491921&title=zoa-care#491921 <![CDATA[Zoa care : I don't have a lot of great...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491821&title=zoa-care#491821 Author: ljbs
Subject: 59895
Posted: November 03 2012 at 10:29am

I don't have a lot of great advise for you except that you could visit some other people near by and see how things are working for them. As you are in West Jordan you could go see Will Spencer's tank. It is beautiful and runs with some fairly simple refugium workings. Also my tank is about as minimum as it can get and it does well. It is a 90 gal. and looks good to me. I am also in West Jordan. I had a hard time keeping zoas when I first set up but now they are growing like mad.]]> Sat, 03 Nov 2012 10:29:05 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491821&title=zoa-care#491821 <![CDATA[Zoa care : ah, figured it out Here is my...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491390&title=zoa-care#491390 Author: JustAddSalt
Subject: 59895
Posted: October 30 2012 at 7:13pm

ah, figured it out Here is my tank as it is now. traded a fox face for a pale blue tang.

Below is my sump setup..two pics..sorry if they are huge pics

Here is a top view

]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:13:53 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491390&title=zoa-care#491390 <![CDATA[Zoa care : K.. A lot to digest but thanks...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491387&title=zoa-care#491387 Author: JustAddSalt
Subject: 59895
Posted: October 30 2012 at 7:03pm

K.. A lot to digest but thanks for the advice... First on my list is to get my baffles set up. Next is proper lighting. Could attach a pic of tank and sump but not sure how to insert a pic on this forum

]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:03:15 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491387&title=zoa-care#491387 <![CDATA[Zoa care : JustAddSalt wrote:When I went...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491371&title=zoa-care#491371 Author: ReefdUp
Subject: 59895
Posted: October 30 2012 at 4:18pm

JustAddSalt wrote:

When I went to my LFS I did discover that there is a killer pc of equipment that I can buy for about 80 not including these white beads that will reduce my phosphate and nitrates down to about .005 or somethink like that...

My guess is you're probably talking about running biopellets. If you only listen to one piece of advice I ever give, then please let it be this one. Learn how to keep a stable tank on just the basics first. Once you've learned how to keep everything healthy, then start tweaking with your system. You'll save a lot more money up front, you'll know how everything should look in case something goes wrong with your tweaking, and...you'll probably save yourself some headache.

There are plenty of ways to lower phosphates and nitrates, and in a tank as new as yours, it's completely normal to have them a bit higher. Before checking out the latest and greatest "miracle" product, let's look at the rest of your system. Do you have enough live rock/sand to filter the excess nutrients? Is your tank done cycling (probably not...there will be little cycles for about a year in most tanks even though you may not notice them)? How much are you feeding? Is your chaeto ball growing fast? Do you run a remote deep sand bed? How wet are you skimming? How often are you doing water changes/how much? Are your fish messy eaters?

See what I'm getting at? There are a ton of ways to control phosphates/nitrates first before jumping to costly products. I'm not negating the use of those products...just saying there's a time and place for them. Oh...and you should have phosphates only down to 0.03. Nitrates should be undetectable for the most part (a little is ok.) These act as fertilizers for many things in your aquarium (including coral). However, what is good can quickly become bad at too high of levels. When nitrates/phosphates get too high, they become bad for corals and good for algae. Keep them down, but not completely gone. :)]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:18:28 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491371&title=zoa-care#491371 <![CDATA[Zoa care : JustAddSalt wrote:My local...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491365&title=zoa-care#491365 Author: ReefdUp
Subject: 59895
Posted: October 30 2012 at 4:07pm

JustAddSalt wrote:

My local fish guru there says that I need to relax and not worry so much.

He hit the nail on the head! It's great that you're really excited, so let's work on the worrying part. :)

My first sump (and tank...and lighting...and everything else) were a disaster. We all have to start somewhere. I've had several tanks over the years, and each time I think it's perfect and that I'll be happy...ha. I still don't have a $700 light system...lol.

I've made a few glass sumps and an acrylic sump. I *highly* recommend you make your baffles out of whatever material the rest of the sump is made out of. If it's acrylic, then use the acrylic pieces and cement to make the baffles. If it's glass, then use glass with silicone. If you try to use glass with acrylic, the silicone just won't bond as well. If you do it just right, it'll work...but most times it'll fail within a year. The way to prevent minibubbles in your main display is to use a "bubble trap" - basically just a baffle after your skimmer so all the bubbles rise/pop at the surface rather than going directly into your tank.

Here's a link to one of my sump builds...

Also, at this point, you probably don't need to worry about dosing to raise your calcium levels (unless you're testing and finding that you need to dose). Regular water changes with a good salt should be able to sustain your tank right now.

I suggest you make a list of things you want to change, and only change one thing every month. Changing too many variables makes it difficult to see what's working and what isn't. ]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:07:13 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491365&title=zoa-care#491365 <![CDATA[Zoa care : Btw- my ph has been holding steady...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491342&title=zoa-care#491342 Author: JustAddSalt
Subject: 59895
Posted: October 30 2012 at 1:06pm

Btw- my ph has been holding steady between 8.3 and 8.4

and each time i have had my water tested by my LFS it has shown that they all are about on zeroes with my ph being a bit low at the time of it being tested.. My local fish guru there says that I need to relax and not worry so much..Got rid of a Foxface that was quickly becoming a menace to my new corals and replace him with a pale blue tang..who seems peaceful enough and less ADHD.

So I hope this gives you a better idea of my setup...or the lack there of..lol

]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:06:06 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491342&title=zoa-care#491342 <![CDATA[Zoa care : Well, I have sort of solved my...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491341&title=zoa-care#491341 Author: JustAddSalt
Subject: 59895
Posted: October 30 2012 at 1:00pm

Well, I have sort of solved my lighting problem..I found a LFS that sells a killer lighting system that has slots for 8 errr i think t5 or better. Without the bulbs its 179 and then 20 or 25 a bulb. Only drawback is that it does not have a dimmer but beggers cant be chosers. Also found some gorgeous frags and whole specimens for reasonable prices while I was there.. around the 40 to 80 dollar range and many colorful frags for around 10 to 15. I am even going to get help in making my sump into a functional refugium with there help.

In regards to Builderofdreams:

75g 4 pcs of live rock..one in sump with small clump of chato. I have a decent skimmer although do not have a clue as to brand other than it keeps my water crystal clear. I am currently using the sand my neighbor used as it contains established organisms and much of water from said tank so as to not upset the established eco system. My "sump" has only a sock and a skimmer keeping my chem in chk with a bag of phos guard by seachem. I have been using 8.4, Fuel, and Reef balance for bumping up my calcium..later when I win the lottery and have a accual reef I will get a calc reactor and doser but not before I get all my test equipment. I am quickly realizing that I have alot to catch up on knowledge and equipment..

When I went to my LFS I did discover that there is a killer pc of equipment that I can buy for about 80 not including these white beads that will reduce my phosphate and nitrates down to about .005 or somethink like that...So my wishlist is quickly growing.

So I hope this gives you a better idea of my setup...

]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:00:39 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=491341&title=zoa-care#491341 <![CDATA[Zoa care : I think the Key factor here...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=490944&title=zoa-care#490944 Author: builderofdreams
Subject: 59895
Posted: October 27 2012 at 8:56am

I think the Key factor here is that a 4 year old tank was moved.

Need a lot more info before an accurate solution can be established.

1-Tank pictures in current condition.

2-What size is the Tank? How much rock. Was the sand cleaned or replaced when it was moved?What are you using to move the water? Powerheads, how many?

3- What were you using for filtration after the tank was moved and then set back up? Phosgaurd,carbon filter sock.ect ect ect...

Will address the sump issues as son as we get some much needed info.

Lets start with that and go from there.

]]> Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:56:52 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59895&PID=490944&title=zoa-care#490944