Share Your Random Tips

[Quagmire]

If you have a mag-float type algea scraper,try to get in the habit of cleaning the glass every day or 2 ,and you wont have to break out the blade scraper on the weekend for the built up coralline.

[kwirky]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

If you have a mag-float type algea scraper,try to get in the habit of cleaning the glass every day or 2 ,and you wont have to break out the blade scraper on the weekend for the built up coralline.

yeah as soon as I see the slightest film on my glass I attack it with the hammerhead.

Here's one of my own:

A 6g glass jug (for winemaking), a cheap air pump, and an electronic timer equals a quite safe and very cheap auto top-off unit.

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by kwirky

yeah as soon as I see the slightest film on my glass I attack it with the hammerhead.

Here's one of my own:

A 6g glass jug (for winemaking), a cheap air pump, and an electronic timer equals a quite safe and very cheap auto top-off unit.

I like that one - how do you fit the air pump in the jug, though?

ANd do you set the timer for how long, 30 minutes or so?

[fishface]

Originally Posted by andsoitgoes

how do you fit the air pump in the jug, though?

[GrimReefer]

for the beginners:

-when selecting LR, choose pieces that are porous and have a lot of holes. not only is it cheaper, but a porous piece provides more surface area for biological activity.

-when designing a system, don't forget flow. it's almost as important as light. and with the new affordable flow pumps on the market, there's no excuse for lack of it.

[Phanman]

For a cheap but effective source of Blue light, try Ikea's LED strip lights. 4 strips in a box for $40. You can also connect them together to make 1 big strip. I do this for my 10gallon nano, and my friend does this on his 90gallon tank and it looks beautiful.

[fishface]

Originally Posted by Phanman

For a cheap but effective source of Blue light, try Ikea's LED strip lights. 4 strips in a box for $40. You can also connect them together to make 1 big strip. I do this for my 10gallon nano, and my friend does this on his 90gallon tank and it looks beautiful.

you don't happen to have a name or link to these do you Phanman?

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by fishface

HEY!!! :P

I'm serious!!

I have those 5g water jugs from purifed water, and man - I'd have to jam it in good!

I'm making myself seem even more stupid, aren't I?

[04scoobysti]

you have to have a sealed jug/container and drill 2-1/4" or whatever holes into the lid then put 2 rigid (can be non-rigid) air lines into the holes. One airline comes from your air pump and pressurizes(sp?) the container and the other one should be as close to the bottom of the container as you can without preventing flow into it. Water will be forced thru the second line and can be fed right into your tank/sump. I imagine he puts it on a timer on intervals that match his evap rate. A float switch is safer, but is more complicated to setup due to the fact that it requires low voltage.

[BCOrchidGuy]

If you get one for wine making it's called a carboy, get the rubber stopper that already has two holes in it, one for air line in (from an external air pump) and one for an airline out (water that is pushed out of the carboy from the airpressure that the air source creates.

Doug