starting a nano and need guidance

[Rbacchiega]

there are some fantastic HOB fuges that would easily double as a second display...just hang them on the side of the tank if you can rather than the back....just an idea.

[rawest]

yea i think i'll turn my ten into a sump/refuge. i took out the tape measure and i think i can lose 6" three on either side for filter and return. i'll run the filter and bubble traps down the 3 x 9.5. leaving 14 x 9.5 inches for a fuge. from there i'll have a 20 or 23 long main tank. if i have to i can throw on a over hang aqua clear as a second refuge for pod prduction fill it full of sand and crumbles of live rock if needed. i just need to figure out the piping. i know a few ball valves will be a must but pipe size and return pump power. do they make return pumps with adjustable flow? or do i just wire one in on the circuit.

[Rbacchiega]

just put a ball valve on the output of the return pump and dial it back that way...actually a bit of backpressure on a pump sometimes helps it be more quiet

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by toytech

intarsia a scooter blenny is a scooter dragonet , same as a mandarin . There easyer to train to eat frozen or flake thats all ,there are lots of people training mandarins to eat frozen food , just do some reaserch and you will see its posible . Im going to do the same thing with a 15 gal long and my lfs has 5 madarins that all eat only frozen for sale when my setup is ready for them .

Never said it wasn't a dragonet but in my experience the common scooter blennys I have had have eaten what ever I put in the tank right away, are cheap, easy to get and may be a good candidate to try out in the dragonet family. I found them really easy to keep but maybe I have just been lucky? The red scooter blenny may be a different story but I'm not sure. Actually the fish that is giving me trouble right now is my watchman goby, he has been residing in my overflow chamber for 3 months now and I just can't get him out and actually he seems quite content to stay where he is.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Rbacchiega

just put a ball valve on the output of the return pump and dial it back that way...actually a bit of backpressure on a pump sometimes helps it be more quiet

+1 There are variable speed pumps available but are very expensive and not needed. As suggested, a ball valve on the discharge side of the return pump is the best way to go. Just don't restrict the intake side of the pump.