What should I do, new HOB protien skimmer, HOB refrugium or both?

Hiya,

First water change is behind me with the new salt...got the salinity up some. The hair algea seems to be going away, not sure if its to what I've done or the tang. Some of my corals are looking better, polyps are starting to come out and they're darkening up some. Still have cyno on the substrate and it's waving in the current so I know there's movement there, maybe not enough. May need to move one of the Korella's to the front of the tank instead of the back. Need to wait for another paycheck to buy more substrate and the equipment.

Still haven't decided if I've got the money for a sump or just the HOB stuff. Haven't been able to find the other filter, but hubby hasn't really helped me tear apart the garage. He's the one that put everything in there anyway.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Hiya,

I've got about 70-80lbs in there. I do plan on adding more, just no money for it right now. I'm broker then I thought I was.

My mag test may be old. I'll check on that.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Hiya,

I noticed the other day that the only macro algae I have in the tank looked like it was dissolving. So, I'm wondering if my system is catching up with the added nutrients in the tank, or if it's finally dying do to the fact that I'm only leaving my lights on for 4-5 hours a day. Been doing that now for over a week, almost two. Hoping to start adding more light to the tank. Adding Pods wouldn't be that big a costs. Would love to add a few twin spot blennies. I really like those little stinkers. Noticed my pygmy angle's tail is a little ragged, so not sure how' picking on the little guy, but he seems to be finding enough food in the tank. Goodness knows I'm only feeding it 1-2 a week.

I'm hoping to add more cerths and nessarite snails as soon as someone has them in and I've got the money. I've had a couple unexpected vet bills this week, which has put me even further behind in getting stuff upgraded for the tank. Birthday's coming up, so hoping to hit the family up for gift certificate's to fish stores so I can make those purchases. As interesting as the hermits are, I don't think I"m going to add any more of them. Just to mean for my tastes.

I'm seriously thinking of getting a canister filter. I can't seem to find the other HOB filter and I can always move this one back to the 46 bowfront when I get around to setting that one back up. Though...I'm thinking a skimmer is more important an upgrade then the filter. The rock and extra substrate should improve that once I can get it together.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Hiya,

I'm having to take it slow right now due to the money having dried up. Algea issue seems to be under control, with only a few spots on my rock. I now only have cyno on the substrate, which is 1-1 1/2 inches deep. As soon as I can free up about $30, I'm going to get this a little deeper. If that doesn't help, I may need to buy another bigger korella and put it at the bottom of the tank. I'm thinking the one I have may be a little two weak to keep the water moving over it.

I think I'm sold on the Octopus skimmer with the surface skimmer on it. I still have a film on the top of my tank, even with the movement.

I've got a B-day coming up in a few weeks and I hope to pester the family for money to buy things for the tank.

I very well may have gone through a cycle and just panicked over it. I'd never had issues like this before and just freaked out. Not saying that I don't have to improve more of my equipment yet. One of the things that scares me about a sump is I have 5 cats and they can get behind the tank. I'm afraid they will interfere with this, but accidentally moving the equipment, pulling the tubing out of the tank...stupid things like that.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Hiya,

Well, tanks all cloudy due to adding another 15lbs of substrate to the tank after doing a 10% water change. Closed on a house this week and took a little out of it to buy the sand. We'll see how it does to help control the cyno. I think I need to pull out my surface skimmer for my HOB and put it back on. However, it'll interfer with the filtration of the tank....sigh.

I'm liking the new salt, the Tropic Marine. I've got coraline algea on the glass and the rock is starting to purple up. Corals seem to be happy with it too.

Going to give this change a week and see if the cyno backs off. Now that there's a deeper sandbed for bacteria to take hold. By then, hopefully I'll have two more paychecks to do something more with the tank.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Hiya,

Well, cyno seems almost under control, not nearly as bad as it's been in the past. I think I'm going to stick with HOB equipment. It's just easier to deal with for me. So, Kevin actually has the octopus skimmer I've been looking at with the surface skimmer attachment so if I get lucky for my B-day tomorrow I'll be purchasing that. Along with a replacement picasso clown and he's got a gorgeous yellow candy hogfish in right now. Don't bother going to get it, I've already told the girls to hold it for me until I can get it tomorrow.

I think I'm going to go with an Aquaclear HOB rated for 100 gallon tank. I think there's one out there rated for a 150 which I'd prefer, but I need to double check what Norhtside has in stock. I still have a credit at the store I need to use.

Well, off to get ready to do a water change.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Hiya,

Well, I picked up the protein skimmer at Kevin's and have it installed. It's quieter t hen my old one....however, it is a little bit of an eye sore in the tank. That can be fixed with adding more rock and strategically placing it to hide the pump. I also picked up my new filter, but haven't installed it yet. That's tomorrow project. Have to thank my brother and mom for the gift certificates that helped this happen!

I also picked up my two new fish and they're swimming around the tank happily. Need to pull up clownfish mutations. Not sure the clown Kevin got for me is a picasso or not. The difference in the coloration and the white markings are way different now that I see them side by side.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Did you have enough clearance on the filter?

 

Hiya,

That's true Mann....and by the way the coraline is growing, it'll be covered in less then a year.

David, it JUST and I mean JUST barely fit. I can't position it exactly where I want it but it fit. I'm dealing with some micro bubbles right now. I'm hoping they'll go away in time. I have to keep the water level pretty high so that the surface skimmer on my HOB is under water. I"m hoping when I do my water change tomorrow that maybe I can move the tank a smidge so I can put it where I want it.

I am happy to say that there is no visible sign of cynobacteria in the tank. Now, I'm going to start turning the lights on for longer periods of time and see how that effects the tank. Hopefully the cyno will stay away.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Hiya,

Been a week now with the lights coming on around 3:00 and off at 11:00 and still no cyno or algea growth! I did unfortunately loose my Kole tang. I think I didn't feed it enough. I was hardly feeding the tank trying to control the algea growth and it did such a good job cleaning the algea I think I may have starved it. I'm pretty upset about that...I really like them.

Coraline is growing all over my glass now and it looks like my SPS is starting to grow also!!! I did notice a touch of green coloration coming back to it, so I'm hoping it's on it's way to being that beautiful green with purple tips that it was before the upgrade. My leather is slowly recovering from the mauling it took from the file fish. I'm happy to say it's not going to die. Everything looks happy and healthy right now. Even the gorgonian we got at the meeting is moving in the current and polyps were out shortly after being put into the tank. I'll try and post some pictures to the thread later today.

I want to thank everyone for their input in helping me make decisions on what to do to turn this around. I'm looking forward to add more corals to the tank and hoping to see them thrive.

Kim/Benton, AR

 

Good news Kim! Glad everything is back on track!

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