lanman
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Posts posted by lanman
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Can you get a copy of a spectral graph? That should show the color ranges and their relative strength. Usually they are a bit jagged with lots of peaks. The broader the better in my book. Avoid one big spike.
I've looked. That seems to be very hard information to get. You can get it for a particular LED by part number sometimes - but then you'd have to disassemble one of those units and figure out exactly which LED's they are using.
bob
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Make sure to wear gloves! Zoos can be highly toxic.
And safety glasses... I've heard. Thanks for the reminder, though.
bob
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Bob,
For fragging zoas, I typically have some live rock rubble, plugs, discs, or whatever you want to mount them on, a razorblade, and some superglue. I pull the rock out of the water and cut the zoas I want to frag at their base. Usually I like to frag 8-10 polyps at a time. Once I cut them loose, I put some glue on the rubble or plug or disc, and attach the polyps. The whole process takes me 5 minutes, tops.
And yes, wait until they grow out decently before fragging. No point in fragging 2 polyps. Unless of course, they are extremely rare and you want to sell them for $$
In this case - it's because the two yellows are in danger of extinction (in my tank).
I have a picture. Can someone explain how to put a picture in here? It is about 3mb in size - taken with 7-megapixel camera. Do I need to massage it first?
Thanks,
bob
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Since you measured your Alk at 2.2, I assume that is meq/L which would equate to 6.16 dKH. That is a little lower than the 7-11 dKH that most of us aim for. What brand of test kits are you using and have you checked it against someone else's test kit to make sure it is accurate? Are you dosing anything at the moment?
I am using a Red Sea test kit. My other tank consistently reads 3.0+ meq/L.
I had previously only given it a single dose of Ionic-B, but I got sufficient quantity to dose it regularly for a while. I also plan to check calcium level.
bob
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Bob,
Posting the same question in two threads makes it more difficult for folks to track the issues and assist you with advice. Please stick with one thread when looking for assistance.
Anyways, here is a great article on calc, alk, magnesium and PH. While your alk does appear to be a little low, stability is much more important that hitting any magic numbers and you should be measuring at least calc, alk and PH before you begin to make adjustments, especially if one of the numbers is out of the "normal" range. Do you have a calc test kit?
In response to your question about which is easier for a beginner, I'd say that you should start with a two part additive like B-Ionic or Randy's Two Part DIY.
Actually - in the other thread it wasn't meant to be a question - just a statement in a discussion concerning how well experienced live rock did in starting a tank.
I purchased more Ionic-B today - big bottles; I have been using it in my smaller aquarium, but they are little bottles; the bigger one would eat up a bottle in no time. I'll check the calcium tonight, as well. This hobby can certainly keep you busy!
bob
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Bob,
I am also putting together a larger tank and will need to mix and match from existing tanks. From what I have read and forum questions:
1. Adding existing tank rock may or may not give you a mini-cycle. Due to the short transport (assumed), a big die-off and a full blown cycle is not expected. Another factor affecting the cycle is how much aged water you have created to support your whole system. If you add 80% new water, the tank will probably have a cycle. If most of the water is aged (and 20% new), probably not. Stories go both ways though.
2. Using existing sand from tanks has been suspected of dumping detritus (read nitrates) into tank. It is the top 1/2-1" of the sand bed is live, the rest is not. So, using a lot of old sand may lead to issues. A recommendation was to wash this sand very well if you need to use it. However, the consensus was to use new sand and seed with a few cups of old.
Numbers on the new tank tonight (2 weeks in):
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0.05
Nitrate 10
pH 8.2
Alk 2.2
I didn't see any kind of a cycle, but I'm concerned about the Alk a little bit.
bob
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My original 24 gallon tank has had correct Alk since it started; around 3.0.
The new 45 gallon tank runs low; 2.2-2.5. What is the best way to raise alkalinity?
I see in the beginner's guide to water suggestions for Kalkwasser, two-part additives, and baking soda.
What's a good Alk-raising option for a newbie working hard at doing it right??
Numbers on the new tank tonight (2 weeks in):
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0.05
Nitrate 10
pH 8.2
Alk 2.2
I made my first 5 gallons of RO/DI water today! Topped off both tanks with it. Next 5 gallons will be used to make saltwater for water changes. Woohoo!
bob
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Check the AquaC Ramroa, or the Mini ASM, they are better products. The RedSea will last you for a year or so, and then you will want to upgrade, so spend your $$$ now and get a good one... just my opinion after been there, and done that.
I got an AquaC Remora. Small one. It seems to be making lots of bubbles, but after about 6 hours - nothing has actually come up into the overflow area. Is that because I don't have much proten to skim? Or should I be seeing froth, anyhow? When?
Thanks,
bob
I bought one of these as well for my 75 tank setup. I have not even opened the box yet and I bought it early last month. I read the other replies on this thread. Should I return this and upgrade to a bigger one? Would the recomendations for the skimmers listed above be suitable for my 75 reef tank?
Aaron
By 'one of these' - do you mean the Seaclone 100? From my attempt to make it work, it seems like a silly design to begin with. Put an air hose inside the filter, and adjust the amount of air with a little valve. I had more luck adjusting it by pushing the air hose further into the filter, or pulling it out. It didn't even SEEM to be making small enough bubbles. Now the one I got might very well be the 'older' model - supposedly it has been improved.
I read a bunch of reviews after I purchased it, and the only people that had anything good to say about it was the manufacturers.
So up to you, I guess. Mine is in the trash already.
bob
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Okay - on the new rock I got from a tank breakdown, along with the monty digi's, are some nice zoanthids.
1. There are TWO polyps of a bright yellow with bright yellow center - they are about to be engulfed by the base plate of one of the monty's. I don't want to see them die. They are in a depression in the rock, with the monty almost forming an upside-down V with the polyps in the V. It doesn't look possible to break off the piece of rock under them without doing major damage. Is it possible to take a scalpel (exacto knife) and cut them at their base, or scrape them off, and have them survive? Other suggestions??
2. There is a large cluster of oranges, with dark centers. Not particularly exciting, but I'd like to get a few off of there for my nano. What tools do you use to tear out small pieces of rock without leaving big marks?
3. Two orange with orange centers - very nice, and not in immediate danger of being over-run. Should I just wait until there are more polyps?
4. Any suggestions on encouraging zoanthids to spread and grow??
Thanks,
bob
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Just don't let him add the extra money to the ebay payment. Have him send a different payment. Ebay does look into these things. They contacted me one time inquiring into extra money sent through paypal for a Car Wheel I sold on ebay. I explained that it was extra money because I miscalculated the shipping charges. Since ebay boughtout paypal, they have much tighter controls over payments now. I would be careful. Have him send another payment and list it as a "goods-other" payment and you should be fine.
Well, here's something new on eBay (new to me, at least):
"As the internet evolves, eBay continues to strike a balance between preserving transparency and protecting our Community of members. eBay has decided to change how bid history information is displayed so bad guys cannot target bidders with fake offers using this information. In certain cases, some bidders will no longer be able to view Bidder User IDs on the Bid History page. Your User ID will be shown only to you and the seller of the item you're bidding on. Other members will see an anonymous name, such as Bidder 1, applied consistently to the Bid History page."
Pretty transparent - 'so bad guys cannot target bidders with fake offers' . . . uh, huh - should be 'so that other legitimate sellers cannot contact you with offers of similar items that are not on eBay auctions, so we don't get a % of the sales price' (Like me, sending the guy an e-mail offering to sell him the same zoa's for only $100)
bob
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If he pays for the auction through ebay then paypals me extra $ for what ever else he wants to add, how would they know? I know Ebay owns Paypal, but I am allowed to sell on RC and use Paypal.
Wah!! You're selling my Zoa's!! I'll have you know I do NOT plan to match that bid. But you are still allowed to throw in some freebies, if you insist. Boy, did I get a deal!
Yeah - what eBay doesn't like is NOT completing the auction, and selling it without eBay getting their %. eBay auctions often lead people to seller's online stores. Which is basically what you're doing here.
AND $40 shipping! Man's going to pay $250 for those things! I guess you got your original $22.50 back...
I figured one might sell frags to defray the cost of this hobby - I didn't realize you could make your fortune on a few Zoa's! That's truly incredible! And those are the FAST-growing ones!
What are 'original safecrackers' ??
bob
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Since adding my lights (t5setup) I have been fighting HA. I was also using Tap water and fighting the nitrites/nitrates battle, I never could get 0 on either. It just so happened my POS filter BioWheel quit on me one evening so I went to Petco to buy a replacement(dats my story and.......) anyway, the one I bought (Marineland HOT Magnum bio pro) may not be a fancy-mancy one but it sure seems to do better than the Biowheel I had..... I also for the last 2 weeks have started using distilled water for water changes .... I have a RO/DI system suppose to be delivered today (woo-hoo) that is, if UPS can get thru all this ice here in Hagerstown
....... so what I have found is:
WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!
I don't know if it is because of the better filtering system(compared to what I had) or NOT using tap water........ but the HA seems to be dying off little by little and the snails are taking care of the rest........ My water parameters are now GREAT.... Nitrites are now 0, something I have never been able to achieve. Also my PH seems to have risen.... I could never get over 7.8 before....
I look forward to taking water tests and smile alot more afterwards ........
I cant wait till the RO/DI system is hooked up and the distilled water jugs disappear....
Okay - I hooked mine up. Small problem - one of the connectors on the automatic shut-off valve broke in shipping. Took a picture to send, in hopes they will send a replacement. However - it appears to be a low-pressure connection that was broken, so I hooked it up anyhow. I have cold water from the well, and fairly low water pressure. It took about 10 minutes before I started to get a trickle. A LOT goes out the drain. So far, more than 10 times the amount that gets through the filter. But it does seem to be picking up speed slowly.
I ordered mine from Air, Water and Ice, Inc. (www.airwaterice.com) The instructions are quite poor. "Waste the first three hours of production." "Replace membrane when the TDS is climbing, or DI starts to produce an odor odor." Fortunately hookup is simple, so I didn't really need the instructions much. It's heavy - hanging it on the wall was the hardest part. Needs a 2nd person to make it real easy. Looks like I have about a pint or so in the bucket. But of course, I have to waste the first three hours production. I'll be topping off with RODI water tonight!
bob
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My RO/DI system arrived yesterday. I'll be trying to hook it up today. I have excellent quality well water, so I probably need it less than most - but whatever it takes! What is 'HA' - Hellacious algae? Or maybe 'Hair Algae'? I had some starving turbo snails in my little tank - they ate anything that even resembled algae. I had this cute little stalk of green macro-algae on one of my frags - until the turbo found it. I have one rock that I bought that has green furry algae (probably hair algae?) on it in my new tank. It's pretty, but I hope it doesn't spread all over. The new tank, using experienced live rock, has had NO brown algae or anything. The first one had a brief attack of brown stuff - and every once in a while I will see some on the acrylic, but never much.
bob
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I certainly agree and a lot of people are running halides with similar temps to you. I just like having my temp set at 78 and not fluctuate more than 1/2 degree.
I ran halides and a chiller for years, my corals always did fine. Elevated temperatures (within reason) are not a bad thing but they do speed the metabolic rate of organism in the tank(this can be good or bad depending on the hobbiest
). I would prefer to see newer hobbiests focus on stability. Halides have their place in this hobby but I still think people put way too much emphasis in lighting and not enough emphasis on the rest of a setup. I dont want to get off on a tangent so I will just say what I always say, lighting is only one component to a successful reeftank.I purchased a Tek with one aquablue, one actinic, one mid-day and one actinic+. They had one set up in the shop that way, and I liked the light. Bright, but still warm. Did I do wrong (light bulbs are easy enough to replace)??
Now I can take my time, build a nice hood that matches the cabinet, put in my own combination of MH and fluorescents.
Heat should not be a problem, unless I really overdo it. This tank is in my cool basement. Even in summertime, it rarely gets over about 70 degrees.
bob
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Go DIY and get exactly what you want...
BTW do VHO suppliments rather than T5 for actinics you will be much happier...
As for main lights if you like the shimmer of MH by all means do that.
Dave
DIY would be fun - but I'm kind of in a hurry. I already have some montipora in that tank (since yesterday), sitting under a 96-watt PC bulb. Great idea, though - maybe I'll get the T5's, and if I'm not satisfied, make my own with a couple of MH and a couple of fluorescents.
What's wrong with T5 actinics? Skinny little bulb doesn't have any oomph?
bob
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I like the look of Metal Halide. I like the shifting light in the water.
I want some actinic light - because I'm fairly well convinced that it helps things grow.
The only Metal Halide unit I've seen that also has actinics - is about $1000 (Maristar)
Most of them (Current, etc.) have MH - and those little white and blue LED's. ($450)
The equivalent T5 fixtures have the actinics; but I don't think the light is as pleasing. ($321) (Tek Light)
Any recommendations? 45-gallon tank with softies and SPS likely - maybe a few harder corals if I like them.
Thanks,
bob
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Red Sea Berlin skimmer. the best for under $150
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_protei...rbo.asp?CartId=
How about this one?
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=RS1121
Red Sea Berlin Turbo Classic Protein Skimmer Package with Pump
Item Code: RS1121
Price: $184.99
Includes the pump - looks really easy to set up.
bob
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If you're flushing, a Durso standpipe may be in order. If you have two holes drilled in a single overflow, you may consider the Herbie method. I use the Herbie method and it is incredibly quiet with zero bubbles.
Tank is not drilled - it is a hang-on overflow, with a U-tube. The overflow itself is quiet; it's that drop from the outside box (which has a little foam filter) down to the sump that is so noisy. Fortunately, this tank is in the basement family room, so it's only bothersome if I'm trying to watch a movie.
bob
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After owning a line of cheapos I got a turboflotor 1000 and made about 10,000 adjustments to it. It works well, after the adjustments, but I would look to spend the most on your skimmer until you get into the difficult corals, then its your lights.
Skimmers and RO/DI units have made my tank operational (until my wife springs for a Deltec or bubblemaster)
I started the thing up - it's making lots of bubbles. Can't tell that it's doing anything else. Of course - I have no fish in there yet; just a couple of snails and hermits.
I will be looking for a better one real soon.
Thanks for info!
bob
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Do not know your system. but add an inch of water to the sump or lower the return in the sump so it will not suck up air.
I moved the overflow hose to the far end of the tank from the return pump, and put some live rock in the sump between the two, and only a very few tiny bubbles now!
Thanks for the suggestions!
bob
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125 gallon fish only/40 gallon sump
75 gallon reef/30 gallon sump
24 gallon nano
45 gallon fresh water
We lost the running total again...
24 gallon nano (includes build-in sump)
45-gallon reef (I figure the rock and sand displaces the amount I have in the 10g sump
69 gallons to add to total.
bob
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Yeh, they aren't very good at all. It pays to do some research before opening your wallet in this hobby.
Well, I didn't have to open it very far... it's brand new, and only cost me $40.
On the other hand, I have now found this from a review of skimmers:
" Regardless of how attractive the price is, I don
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Cool - so we tied a record in 2006 for the size of the ozone hole set in 2000. I didn't realize it fluctuated that much. Have the restrictions placed on CFC's had a chance to have any effect yet? I don't remember how long it was anticipated to take before reducing CFC emissions would affect the ozone layer.
bob
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I picked up a 'purchased, but never used' Seaclone 100 protein skimmer yesterday that I purchased through craiglist.org. Of course - after I made the deal, I heard something about Sea-clone not being a high-quality product.
I'm using it for a 45-gallon tank. Is it satisfactory? Should I limit the amount of fish in the tank?
Are you tired of all my newbie posts yet?
bob
Coralline??
in New to the Hobby
So it's been exactly two months since I set up my 24-gallon tank. I noticed tonight that I have several brick-red and dark maroon patches appearing on the rocks in shady places. My first thought was some kind of red algae; but upon closer examination - could it be coralline? I was expecting pink and lavendar. I also expected if I ever saw coralline in that tank, it would take a while. No actinic lights; just MH, and white and blue LED's.
Opinions? Could it be coralline? Or am I about to have some kind of a nasty outbreak of something??
bob