I am grabbing me up a Solana reef soon and I was wondering if anyone has any tips/info that I could use about mods, accessories, anything in general really. Does the pendant cause excessive heating to the point that I would need a chiller? Likes/dislikes about the tank? Thanks...
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Current Solana questions
- Thread starter thedeper
- Start date
I have hooked it up to my chiller, I just started running the solana and I love it, but it's super hot. 84F after 4 hours of the disco ball being on. I think a chiller is gonna' help me out a lot. MarkL, who I bought the Solana from, had a JBJ auto topoff on there and that helps a bunch, I've read that the top off bottles drain out way too fast and are gone before the day is even over. Everyone says that skimmer is great, I'm having a hard time getting it dialed in, but I'm sure I'll get there. Overall, it's awesome.
Did you adjust the pendant up any to try and take some of the heat off of it? I figured I would have to tinker with it just like anything else....How much live rock did you put in it because it seems like a little rock goes a long way in these tanks(as far as looks go)?
I have the pendant about 4" above the water, any higher and the light doesn't look right in the tank. I know what dawgdude is talking about. The glass is super thin and the protein skimmer does seem a little flimsy, but I'm told that once you dial it in right, it's great. It's already pulling gunk into the uptake tube, just not much else right now. The only mod I did to the back compartment to make it quieter was to put a piece of filter floss right in the overflow, gets floating gunk out and stopped that slight gurgling noise.
Thanks Dawgdude, I wanted to hear honest opinions about it...Especially since I am going to drop so much money. Better to be aware of some of the problems that I could run into than being blind.
Tebriel, do you run the lights with the top on or off? Do you think there would be any problems just going without the top?
Tebriel, do you run the lights with the top on or off? Do you think there would be any problems just going without the top?
I run with the top, but it's fine to run without, just make sure you don't have any fish known for carpet surfing. I'd recommend if you're not going to run a chiller to get a mesh top like the one ace and some other people have made. you could probably even use the plastic clips and just get the light diffuser from HD/Lowe's.
Dawg: I'd be interested to know what you did. And I clean my glass a lot too, i just have some non-amonia aquarium wipes nearby for my spillage, i always drip on the glass and my hand is in my aquarium a lot.
Dawg: I'd be interested to know what you did. And I clean my glass a lot too, i just have some non-amonia aquarium wipes nearby for my spillage, i always drip on the glass and my hand is in my aquarium a lot.
I put filter floss in place of the blue pad and also removed the sponge in the overflow. From day one, Dawgdude complained about the water flowing over the rimless edge. Every time I clean the interior glass, I just assume that I clean the exterior glass as well. I replaced my 90 gallon with this solana and love it so far. If you maintain the water level in the chambers, the skimmer is actually very effective. You do need an ATO, as you would need with any tank, IMO.
dawgdude;205352 wrote: I had to do alot of mods to the back compartment so it would be quiet. I just didnt feel like it was well thought out and the skimmer was so flimsy that it cracked under very little pressure.
What mods specifically?
The skimmer is flimsy? I have a deltec that is more flimsy than the solana skimmer was.....
Most people don't use the top either. I agree that it's thin glass, but how many people actually use tops on their tanks anyway?
The blue actually goes in the black plate with holes in it. You are supposed to have a black coarse filter to put in the overflow.ace1204;205407 wrote: The only problem i have run into is when i run a blue sponge behind the oveflow teeth, sometimes the pump runs dry and i have to hurry and remove the sponge to open flow up. Anyone else have this problem?
MvM;205443 wrote: The blue actually goes in the black plate with holes in it. You are supposed to have a black coarse filter to put in the overflow.
Mine didn't come with either of those filter pads, I'm just using a blue filter pad.
running a fan across the glass is all but useless. Yes, it cools the glass, but leaves the water (and O2 exchange) behind. Running a fan on glass will do little to reduce temp. As I said, take off the top and increase evaporation...that's the only way to bring the temp down.
- Messages
- 40
- Reaction score
- 0
I never put the glass on the top of mine I like a open top system but I love the system
Similar threads
- Replies
- 5
- Views
- 132
