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Thread: confused on a few things for setup

  1. #1

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    confused on a few things for setup

    Been reading for the past few hours and confusing myself.

    The screen size calculation. I read 1sq inch per gallon or to base it off cube per day or basing off the actual flow rate on the pump. Which one should I use? the cube per day for me is different since this tank gets calamari, scallops, and shrimp... not cubes.

    Second question is the cfl bulbs. I plan to use the dome style reflector with the 23w spiral cfl which is the actual wattage. Do I follow the 1w per gallon rule I read? That would mean I need 3 bulbs on each side? That don't seem right from all the pictures I saw....

    Thank you for the help.

  2. #2
    kotlec's Avatar
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    Calculate screen size depending on feeding requirements. When you have screen size , calculate lights and flow acordingly to it.

    Calculating screen size or lights depending on gallons is outdated.

  3. #3

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    using a 23w spiral cfl on each side you would want a 6"x7" screen area lit, and would feed about 4 cubes/day even if u dont feed cubes estimate or im sure someone could break it down into weight.

  4. #4

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    I ended up building a 8*18 with 42w cfl bulbs on each side with 10.5" dome housings. The length is to have the water go into the sump and not make noise. I am curious how this will work. Today is the second day to have the lights on for it.

    As for cubes I finally just guessed. My eel ate 4 chunks of squid, puffer had a few silversides and squid, lion fish ate 4 silversides. Not sure how that calculates into cubes but I guessed.

    See how it works

  5. #5
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    1 silverside is probably 5 cubes because of the high oil content.

  6. #6

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    Haha, way undersized if that is the case!

    I am going to continue with what I have to see how it all works. In the next 6 months I hope to have my 300g up and running. Then I will build a better scrubber.

    Thanks for the information!

  7. #7
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    Also per Randy Holmes-Farley's latest article, anything that has bones in it will have a higher phosphate/protein ratio so yeah 5 cubes is probably a good estimate

  8. #8

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    What if the silversides are de-boned? I do that for my triggers

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