Blog Comments

They are really noisy even with foam pad and rubber feet.

Thanks melev - I did not see your Little Giant post - it does seem like you got your money's worth!

I think I am going to drill a hole in my sump and go with an external Little Giant 4-MDQX-SC pumps (one working and one for spare). I have never heard anything bad about them.

Thanks fchidsey - Just curious ... why don't you like your GenX pumps?

I run sort of a Similar setup, I have two gen x 4 pumps (I hate them just for the record) one functions as a return and the other as the skimmer pump. I also have a mag drive as a back up that can handle about 1000 gph with head pressure to the display that is not used at all. then I run a small 300 gph pump for the UV an refuge that has a ball valve on it for flow control.

this is on a 150 reef tank with a 40 gallon sump.

I prefer to have two identical pumps, one doing the job and one as a back up. I just posted beneath your entry about that exact situation, and how it worked out well.

Running two pumps at once will cost more upfront, could add more heat, and costs more in electricity consumption. Plus, you should definitely notice if the return pump has failed the same day it happens. It's glaringly obvious.

Walt Smith has been producing rock in Fiji for the past 10 years, and it is sold at many stores nationwide.

Thanks melev.. What other company(s) provide aqua-cultured rock?

Hi Todd,

When you purchase 'cured' live rock, it has been in saltwater for a long enough period that the water no longer measures ammonia or nitrite. When it ships in to your local store, it arrives wrapped in wet newspaper in a waxy box to help retain moisture. It is definitely rotting in the boxes, and any sponges that were not peeled off or pressured washed away will be dying. This is why it causes a cycle. If your store has had the rock for a few weeks and it is now sold as cured rock, it should be safe to add to your tank without worry. It would be best to bring it home submerged in water so it stays wet at all times.

TBS rock is pretty and covered with all kinds of neat life, but unfortunately a lot of it dies in our tanks for a few reasons. Hitchhikers are the only downside usually, getting small Mantis shrimp for example. We rarely want those in our tanks because they will kill snails when hungry. Other rock such as Pukani or Fiji is very nice, but usually only is rock and coralline algae, nothing else. I've always used Fiji because I like its look.

A lot of rock we purchase is aqua-cultured, meaning it was made by man and placed in the ocean to colonize over time. This is a good thing because we aren't taking from existing reefs.