That is so nice to hear meghan its lovely to have you both on board. You can usually get live rock by mail order via the internet. Australian rock seems popular in the states at the moment and Indonesia has just come back online.

The Practical Reefkeeper yes but it’s very expensive! Not that our tanks are really budget builds, but I have thought about since we are so close to the coast, the benefit of possibly seeding some rocks in the reefs near us for a future build 🤔 too risky?

@@megyockey5730 That depends Meghan would it be actual rock or coral skeleton, (sorry im not familiar with your coast line) it really should be reef rubble to have the desired effect, and be in an area that if as free as possible from pollution.

The Practical Reefkeeper it would be reef rubble. But yeah the pollution may be a problem as it is the Gulf of Mexico 🤔 maybe I’ll do this as a stand alone experiment and put no fish or corals in the system but study the micro fauna after 6 months or a year of being left on the reef here.

Ha what did you get?

The Practical Reefkeeper i have 2 clowns (they were fighting a lot at first but now they are fine) I also got a leather coral and a zoa garden. I am now terrified because I saw a video that says Zoas will release a toxin that may kill you, so I might get rid of it soon. But thats all I have in my tank for now (in addition to that fire shrimp)

@@PharaohNai Dont worry about Zoanthids Pharaoh, ive never actually heard a first hand account of any one been harmed by Zoanthids. Just wash your hands thoroughly whenever they have been in the tank as a precaution, and enjoy them!

The Practical Reefkeeper thats calming to hear! Thanks a lot sir

sound advice its the best sintered glass media on the market, although the price is getting a bit out of hand these days.

no I wont be using a skimmer

I dont see why not Chris!

Id rather not comment on that James this series relates to the Fluval Evo and dont want to cloud the issue.

It might be that the actual filter media has not colonised properly due to the carbon starving as described in the video. what sort of smell are you talking about?

yes you can fill it with small pieces of live rock rubble.

Theoretically yes but in practice I wouldn't recommend it.

The Practical Reefkeeper , Why would you not recommend it? If for example I bought a media basket for chamber one what would you recommend starting from the top of the basket ... I’d use chamber 2 for my bio media (1litre Ceramic rings) would you recommend using some sponge ?

@@RomseyReef if im reading your original comment correctly Macer you dont intend using liverock? Thats how we used to do it 30 years ago, and long term its doomed to crash!

The Practical Reefkeeper I will be using live sand and live rock naturally , it’s that I have invested in the media baskets for both chambers of this particular tank and wanted the best advise on how to stack them with media for best results? I have reserved chamber 2 for a 1 litre of siporax and there is 3 shelf’s for the media basket in chamber 1, I was going to keep it simple with filter floss and more bio media but should i be using a sponge of some description? Stocking would be 2 clowns, so low and softy’s corals. I’ve already invested in a new return pump with higher output for turnover and a 100w heater. My tank is still dry at this time as I’m not ready to start. And nearly forgot I will be adding Bacteria 🦠 mainly into the chambers to give the bio media a good chance to host bacteria. I won’t be using carbon or any other chemical media to begin with unless it’s advised to but the plan it to keep it simple for the first 3-4 months with the lights off and away from any sunlit areas.

@@RomseyReef Ah right yes of course I use one myself. I would stay clear of filter sponges in a reef tank. some poly filter to strain out particles where the water enters your filter will help prevent it from clogging. and as much ceramic filter media or sintered glass media as you can cram in to the basket.

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's what I said. It's a live rock system! Strictly speaking it doesnt even need the biological media!

Yes you do replace filter media as it only has a finite lifespan. End result if you don't is old tank syndrome. All filter media should be replaced yearly. Changing a half at a time at six month intervals.