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Do Bimacs need...

Hi Rockthis,

The Equipment List suggests fine sand to the depth of 1 inch - that's a good recommendation for a bimac.

It's best to bring the temperature down to at least the lower seventies. You usually don't need a heater with a bimac, but may have to cool down the tank in the summer, with a fan or chiller or other method.

Some of this will depend on where you live, how much you air condition your home, and so forth.

Nancy
 
Another question

HI!! First time poster, long time lurker, short time member.

I was wondering (for a bimac).. live sand or not? Does it depend on whether or not there is live rock? My guess is live sand wouldn't do enough and you would need live rock anyways - or is this overdoing it?

I'm basically trying to figure out filtration, I guess...

thanks! :roll:
 
Hi Cortum,

Welcome to TONMO.com.

Most people are using live rock, both for filtration and to provide lots of hiding places for their octopuses. A third thing in its favor is that live rock looks so good.

If you have live rock, is isn't necessary to buy live sand (although I did that for my smaller aquarium because I got better looking sand that way).

Nancy
 
Hi and :welcome: to TONMO.com Cortum!

It really isnt necessary to get live sand as a sufficient amount of live rock will do the job. However, you can use it to decorate your tank like nancy.
 
I dont think that a live sand bed would keep up with the waste from an octopus unless it was a huge tank to begin with... and a bimac doesnt seem to dig so much so I just have a very fine scattering of sand and that's the easiest to keep clean and makes sure no waste gets missed
 
A couple more observations about sand and my bimac:

Ollie often looks for fiddler crabs buried in the sand, so there is a remendous blowing of sand and shifting its position. Because of this, there is sand on all my live rock, and I just get it cleaned off when he Ollie goes at it again.

And, something I didn't expect - there are a couple of places in the tank where Ollie likes to stay, and there he's gotten rid of most or all of the sand on the bottom. He's a very tidy housekeeper, too :smile:

Nancy
 
wow!

You guys are great at responding! Now I'm working on designing a sump.

If I had a 30-40 gallon tank with a 10 (or 20)g sump, would an AquaC Urchin be enough as an in-sump protein skimmer???
 
Oh yeah....

With a Maxi-jet 1200 pump.

And one more question. I'll need another pump to get the water back up the aquarium, right? What would be a good recommendation?

thanks again!
 
If you follow the links in Colin's Equipment List, you'll find lists of the various types of pumps and other equipment you're looking for, complete with descriptions and recommendations.

It's not a bad idea to visit your LFS with your specific list - they usually have a good idea about which pump fits which size tank, etc.

A note about tank size: A bimac will be happier in a 40 or 50 gallon tank - they grow pretty large and are very active.

Nancy
 
Ok, you convinced to me go 40-50 gallons... sheesh! :wink:

I saw some great ones at good prices at a few stores - and after I move to my new place (sept. 1st) I will start figuring out exactly what I want. I have an idea already, but I need to see space requirements, etc.
 
if you're going to do that........ you might as well get a 200gal set up! :wink: its not that much bigger and think of the scope for aquascaping!!!!! :shock: hehehe
 

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