Reef nutrition

Denzil's 40B with 20L Sump-Fuge

denzil said:
So I currently have the 10g running with the four clowns that I got from David along with an AC30, three pieces of Marco rock, Tunze 9002, and Aqueon Modular LED light. I noticed that there are actually flat worms in the tank which I believe transferred over from the piece of LR that I pulled from Brandie's tank to seed the base rock.

With that in mind, I plan on transferring over the new LR to my 40B. However, I'm concerned with the flat worms in the 10g. Should I just start fresh with the 40B with straight unseeded Marco rock that I have left or is it possible to transfer the newly seeded LR without any or minimal flatworm risk? I'm afraid that starting fresh is probably the answer here but if I have to, I definitely will. Also, how can I prevent this from ever infesting my tank? The only risk I see is with bringing in new livestock from LFS's, online vendors, or frag swaps.
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denzil said:
With that in mind, I plan on transferring over the new LR to my 40B. However, I'm concerned with the flat worms in the 10g. Should I just start fresh with the 40B with straight unseeded Marco rock that I have left or is it possible to transfer the newly seeded LR without any or minimal flatworm risk? I'm afraid that starting fresh is probably the answer here but if I have to, I definitely will. Also, how can I prevent this from ever infesting my tank? The only risk I see is with bringing in new livestock from LFS's, online vendors, or frag swaps.
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The only way I can see to really prevent them is to quarantine everything you plan on putting in the DT and make sure they're eradicated prior to transferring. Even then I think it's possible to introduce them to the DT eventually.

I would siphon off as many as you can between now and the time you plan to move the rock over in order to lower the population. I used to siphon from the main tank down to a filter sock in the sump using airline tubing to thin them out. I got tired of doing that in a hurry and bough a wrasse instead. I found that they're not really a problem for me. The wrasse keeps them in check in the tank but they run rampant in the fuge.

~Charlie
 
I was obsessed with eradicating planaria for a while, but they never got to epidemic proportions. Now it's one of the things that I don't have the luxury to worry about, they are not numerous enough to be unsightly and serve as handy canaries in the coal mine. When I see a couple planaria on the glass, I know it's time to clean the glass and do a water change. :)

The problem with starting anew is how will you be 100% positive nothing you add has planaria? IME even during prolonged dips I need to agitate the water and blow them off individually to get every one, and at least one managed to sneak in anyhow. It will be even more difficult if you are seeing with porous rock where they can crawl into crevices to hide during dips. BTW this was when I was using Revive exclusively for dips and not yet incorporating Bayer's into the dip regimen.
 
So I guess basically it's inevitable that I'll get Planaria, from the sounds of it. I would totally love to have a Wrasse and a Mandarin but I fear that I won't be able to support them both in a 40B.
 
denzil said:
I would totally love to have a Wrasse and a Mandarin but I fear that I won't be able to support them both in a 40B.
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Ooops. I forgot you mentioned that wanted a mandarin too. A wrasse would definitely beat out the mandarin for food. I tried that once in my 65 gal and I don't plan to try that again till I get a much larger tank. It's possible that the mandarin will take a liking to them though.

I still wouldn't worry too much about em. Siphon off what you can now and add that to your routine maintenance if they start getting out of hand in the DT down the road. I've had them from day one and it's been around 18 months now. They haven't been a problem for me.

I suppose you can pick up some of that flat worm exit stuff and use that in a bucket or tubs and soak the rocks in it. I've read that some people had bad experiences with that but they were using in the DT. Research before using if you go that route.

~Charlie
 
Piper said:
denzil said:
I would totally love to have a Wrasse and a Mandarin but I fear that I won't be able to support them both in a 40B.
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Ooops. I forgot you mentioned that wanted a mandarin too. A wrasse would definitely beat out the mandarin for food. I tried that once in my 65 gal and I don't plan to try that again till I get a much larger tank. It's possible that the mandarin will take a liking to them though.

I still wouldn't worry too much about em. Siphon off what you can now and add that to your routine maintenance if they start getting out of hand in the DT down the road. I've had them from day one and it's been around 18 months now. They haven't been a problem for me.

I suppose you can pick up some of that flat worm exit stuff and use that in a bucket or tubs and soak the rocks in it. I've read that some people had bad experiences with that but they were using in the DT. Research before using if you go that route.

~Charlie
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Well, the idea was to minimize maintenance, not add to it, LoL.

At this point, I think my only answer is to start fresh and then use Flatworm Exit on the (eventually) LR in the 10g before putting in the DT.
 
You can have my half-bottle of FWE. Unfortunately the last digit of the expiration date happens to be missing (so all I can 100% ascertain is that it expires in October of sometime this decade :p ) but IIRC it was purchased in the beginning of 2011 and should be good for 2-3 years. Your call. :)

One problem I had with FWE was even when carefully upping the dosage to 200-300% beyond Salifert's instructions, I couldn't get all the planaria - they seemed to develop a resistance over time. If I waited a month or two after treatment, the dosage seemed to be more effective. Just my own observations, so YMMV. The active ingredient in FWE also appears to target crustaceans and brittle stars, so you may also be taking out those organisms from any rock you are seeding with. Yippee.
 
I think I'm highly considering building an ADA style tank stand. I think it may be a higher cost in materials and slightly easier in build effort. I'm looking at building it with 3/4" plywood all around.

http://www.projectaquarium.com/plantedAquariumArticles_ADAAquariumStand.aspx

Has anyone in our club built an ADA style stand?
 
Also, probably going to emulate a combination of these two builds if I don't change my mind to building an ADA style tank stand.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/253229-diy-40-breeder-stand/
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?119039-DIY-Tank-Stand-(36-quot-L-x-18-quot-D-x-30-quot-)-for-40-Gallon-Breeder-Tank
 
I just tried using Google SketchUp for my tank stand frame design. In the image below, I'm using 2x4's and the tank stand dimensions are 36"x18"x36".

I believe it should be sturdy enough to hold the load weight when fully stocked, correct? I'm a little unsure about the shear stress that could be caused by an earthquake... I'm thinking I'll need some additional supports in there. Also, I plan on having the tank "recessed" by offsetting it with some molding to help keep the tank in place.

Attached files /attachments/sites/default/files/Frame.png
 
Suggestions:

You can add a 2x4 to the top and bottom sections to lay the plywood on. That way you only have an 18" span that is unsupported.

I think the 2x4s will do the trick. If you want to add some extra strength, switch to 2x6 for the 4 vertical members.

Julio
 
The first stand (all plywood) will be plenty strong enough. This assumes you can cut accurately and get a good glue joint. Contrary to the video, biscuits add little strength. They do aid in alignment. I don't mean to imply you couldn't cut straight, it's really a matter of what tools you have access to. To get a good glue joint you'll need either a table saw or track saw.

The examples with 2x4 and 2x6 are for those who are less than secure about their woodworking skills. :) Of course, a properly built stand using 2x6 will let you park a tank on top of a tank (M1 Abrams). If you want the open look of your sketchup drawing, you'll need some shear wall somewhere.

Do you weld? A steel stand would be very cool.
 
FWIW I have a Kreg pocket hole jig if you want to use it for this project. Its an older one, but still accurate and usable.
 
Thanks for mentioning pocket holes, BAYMAC. My favorite method of plywood box construction. Strong and easy! You can even get stainless steel screws!
 
www.mcfeelys.com

They've been running a $1 shipping promotion.


I have several 'tag lines' in mind but due to the family nature of BAR, I'm practicing restraint. ;)
 
xulio said:
Suggestions:

You can add a 2x4 to the top and bottom sections to lay the plywood on. That way you only have an 18" span that is unsupported.

I think the 2x4s will do the trick. If you want to add some extra strength, switch to 2x6 for the 4 vertical members.

Julio
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Yeah, I think I'll be doing that since I plan on laying plywood for the bottom. I plan on fitting my 30"x14"x12" TruVu sump underneath but still trying to figure out where to put my ATO container. I was originally thinking of putting an aquarium water jug but was also considering a 5.5g tank. The only question is should I build a platform that resides just above the fuge-sump or should I just let it sit on top of the fuge-sump edges? Think it'll be able to support about 45 lbs of weight at max capacity?
BAYMAC said:
as long as you skin that for shear, not an issue :D
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Yeah, that's what I'm unsure of. I suppose if i glue/nail down the sides and the back, it should be okay. However, I was also thinking of having removable panels using magnets. Of course, that provides nothing for shear stress. Any other way to address shear? What options do I have that retains maximum operating/maintenance space?
aqua-nut said:
The first stand (all plywood) will be plenty strong enough. This assumes you can cut accurately and get a good glue joint. Contrary to the video, biscuits add little strength. They do aid in alignment. I don't mean to imply you couldn't cut straight, it's really a matter of what tools you have access to. To get a good glue joint you'll need either a table saw or track saw.

The examples with 2x4 and 2x6 are for those who are less than secure about their woodworking skills. :) Of course, a properly built stand using 2x6 will let you park a tank on top of a tank (M1 Abrams). If you want the open look of your sketchup drawing, you'll need some shear wall somewhere.

Do you weld? A steel stand would be very cool.
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Yeah, I can cut only as accurate as the tool. :)

I don't have a table saw but I know someone that does so I don't think there's an issue there. As far as my sketchup, it's only for the frame itself. I'll need to update it with Juilo's suggestions and then include additional sketches of how I want it to look, incrementally, followed by the final finished product.

I can weld but I can't weld well. I don't think I have enough experience to feel confident to do it and I think the cost in materials would kill me, haha.
 
Either more bracing, or shear, what you have now will hold the tank, but will not hold up to a quake.

What I do is make a plywood box that skins the 2x4's, then cut our the area you want panels to be. That should be enough shear for that size of tank. I'd say look at the stand I built at Aqua Exotics, but they cut off a foot and removed the lower portion of the shear.
 
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