My tank has finally finished cycling and I have brown algae and even coralline red and pink algae in my tank (which is pretty neat !!). I already added two snails from a LFS but they won't touch the substrate. I read that it's not wise to add hermit crabs to a new tank as well as brittle stars...

Ok, need some help with this one. My tank is almost brown algae free and has been up and running after a move for about 4 months. I have a fine sand and the top layer stays brown all the time. Like I said, the rest of the tank is algae free. Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this? I...

I need a good sand sifter, looking for some suggestions, maybe something tha will eat detritus too, i thought cucumbers were good for this, but i know they can release unwanted things if stressed, any ideas will be appreciated. I have a 24g aquapod for reference, don't want anything to large.

I have about 1.5 inches of live sand and 80lbs of live rock ion my 75gal tank. Is that enough sand?

I have two questions tonight. First off I need to order sand. I don't really want to go with play sand. I have seen it and it doesn't seem the right color to me. So I was looking at the Premium Aquatics website and I don't really know which sand to get. I need to get out to the fish store and...

Hi, I have a 46 bow that's been established for over a year now. To begin, here are the specifics: Water Parameters: Temp=78, Salinity=1.025, alk=12, ammonia/nitrates/nitrates=0, ph=8.1, calcium=400 phosphate=unknown Lighting: PCs (2x96 10,000k coralife fixture and bulbs) Flow: One Maxijet...

Please advice how long can I use my sand before I start to change it.

125 Gallon AGA Valdosta, GA 6' X 18" X 22" Sal: 1.025 75 degrees Fahrenheit Still just a tad bit cloudy since last night. I put the blue backdrop on the tank for the sole purpose of this picture only I haven't finished the back canopy yet but here is the back view. There is 5 ft of...

I know this has been asked many times but I am getting some conflicting answers over how much sand is too much. I was under the impression that up to 1-2 inches was okay and would not trap too much in the way of detritus. I have a buddy who has been doing reefs for probably longer than I have...

I was trying to blow some algea off the sand yesterday and noticed it wasn't moving. I then touched the baster to the sand and found it to be hard. I tried to break it up. What causes this and what should I do? It isn't happening everywhere.

Ok, I am trying to increace the bio-load (fish poo) in my 50 gallon (4 foot) Bomber Bottom SPS tank. So far I bought one fish that eats SPS, and one that got in a huge fight with my 6-line (now removed) and each fish buying experiance has resulted in me having to rip my reef apart...

What are some good sand sifting critters for a reef tank to keep it clean? Inverts as well as fish.

Hi All, I have been searching the site and have been unable to come up with a thread answering exactly what i'm looking for (although I'm sure that there is one). I have a 46 gal bowfront with a 20g sump and a 20g refuge. The refuge is only about a month old and has about 4" of arag sand(which...

Hi all - Here is my set-up plan. I posted it on Nano-Reef and RC and got some feedback, but I'd like to see what you have to say about it. This will be my first reef tank - so just be honest - I can take it! 29-gallon with a 10-gallon sump/refuge - both of these are tanks I had. That's why I...

Would it be safe to say that it would contain the best of both a dsb and bb? Has anyone run both? I have read that some of you clean it often but if you have the proper life in the bed then why bother? I was thinking of getting starboard for my mostly softies tank and after reading many...

Hello Everyone: At long last I have started the tank! I placed 67 pounds of fiji rock, along with 8 pounds of pre-owned Marshall Islands rock in the tank, for a total of 75 pounds. I also put down 1 bag of Southdown, which made a bed of approximately 1/2 to 2 inches. Picture 1 Front view -...

Well after 2 months of reading and trying to decide if I was going to DSB, I have decided against it. While it does seem beneficial there are some draw backs (Start up costs, looks and a few others) not to mention I have noticed alot of the DSB keepers keep them in their refugium or to bring...

okay guys....the tank I'm getting ready to set up has a glass box mounted into the corner which acts as a skimmer and then flows to another tank under the stand and back in via a powerhead.....is this outdated....I am going to have a sandbed (either live or seeded with IPSF sand activator) and...