Origami
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Posts posted by Origami
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Hi Dave. You asked for thoughts and have received the endless debate on glass v acrylic. You also said that you already have a 210 with some scratches. Are you set on getting a new tank? Or is it possible to get the scratches out of the existing one without having to break it down (from the stuff that Naga has talked about here)? That would certainly keep you from having to tear your system down and to set it back up again which, it would seem, would be a royal pain (although, as you said, it is a "one time" thing - until you have to do it again, of course). That would, it seems, be the simplest solution if it were acceptable.
Otherwise, it would seem that you already have experience with an acrylic 210 and you're not so sure that your maintenance procedures are sufficient from keeping it from being scratched (which seems to be a major issue for you). Glass is certainly harder to scratch but it's also harder to polish out the scratches (and virtually impossible to do well if the scratch is deep - that is, can be felt with a fingernail). And, no matter what, if you get sand in your magnetic cleaner, it's going to scratch - even glass (though they may be micro scratches).
So, if you're set on replacing the tank and are unsatisfied with the performance of acrylic insofar as it holds up to your maintenance regimen and expectations in terms of scratch resistance (and don't want to do what Naga does - that is, buff out the scratches about every 6 months), it seems that glass is the way you're leaning despite it's warts (and both solutions, it seems, have warts ). Heavier, yes, but with that starfire glass, it's going to be both tough and "pretty."
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My 150W 10,000K DE HQI halides have been running about 8 hours per day for going on 4 months now. I'll probably be faced with a routine change of the bulbs in 2-3 months or so given what I've read. This will be the first time I've changed the bulbs so "routine" is not a description of my routine, but just from what I've seen recommended.
Anyway, I've seen several color temps talked about and advertised: 6700K, 10000K, 14000K and 20000K. I understand the lower the temp, the yellower the light and the higher, the bluer. What I'd like some input on is 1) Is the selection going to make much of a difference on my coral health or growth rates, or is this pretty much a selection based on what "look" I want to achieve. 2) What really is the difference between the "look" that can be achieved? I really don't want to spend a lot on a different colored bulb and find out that I liked the old look better, you know? Is there anyplace around where I can compare one "look" to another? 3) If I do change color temps, can I just change the bulbs out to make the switch or should I ease the old bulbs out and ease the new ones in by backing off then adding to the photoperiod of the halides? (Should I do this anyway because of the new lighting's output?)
Regarding Actinics, my fixture has two 96W power compacts of the Actinic 03 variety which I've found puts out a spectrum around 420 nm. I've seen advertised both 420, 460 and hybrid 420/460nm actinics. What's the story here?
I understand that lighting can be a touchy subject with a lot of different thoughts and opinions, so I'm not looking for a definitive answer, just opinions, guidance and resources.
Thanks.
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I had a a leafy caulerpa in my display that came with some gulf aquacultured rock. It grew pretty fast and I'd hoped that my yellow tang could keep it in check. No chance. It spread, fairly quickly showing up everywhere. I wound up going in and agressively dislodging the runners and removing the stuff from the rock using a bamboo skewer and my hands. I had to do this several times over a few weeks, actually. In the end, it must have reached a critical level because the tang finished off the last of it. Now, there's no more caulerpa, but I'm having to feed the tang directly with other foods. To tell you the truth, it was kind of nice when he could just graze all day in a natural sort of way. At the same time, however, the caulerpa's not spreading and covering all my rock either.
I'm still toying with the idea of putting some in my sump's refugium section so I can feed a ball of it to the tang from time to time, but the thought of having it go sexual and spreading in a big way to my display makes me think twice.
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No advice but an interesting (yet short) article from Reefkeeping Magazine (online) on changes observed in caulerpa prior to going sexual: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/nftt/index.php
The article does recommend completely removing the alga when and if these changes are observed. Obviously, not having any in your system avoids any of this.
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I found one in my 29g setup just last week and injected it with lemon juice. After it retracted back into its hole, I didn't see it for 3 days. Then, when it did come out, it looked pretty beat up. I gave it a second shot of lemon juice and haven't seen it since. So, lemon juice does work.
I added some peppermint shrimp late in the week just in case there's some more coming.
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Hi David. "Wreck" here in the forum has also raised at least two broods of tomato clowns in the past 4 months. He might have some advice. As I recall, one of the critical things he had to have on hand was live rotifers (greenwater) that he cultured. His very first batch didn't survive because of lack of suitable food. Here's one of his recent threads where he was selling off some of the babies which he'd raised to better than an inch long.
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Marcia (and Scott). So Cool! It's inspiring the way you guys set up the bathroom as a temporary homeless shelter. Best of luck setting up the new system.
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Wow, Brian. Glad you and your family are safe.
Was this a single or a dual power center? I don't even know if that makes a difference, but thought I'd ask. How old was the unit?
I'm concerned as I've got one on my first tank (a 90g setup) right now. I'll be looking for a replacement, I guess. Please stay with this thread and let me know which way you're headed as far as a replacement goes. I'd be very interested in knowing as it may well direct which way I go as well.
Thanks and, again, glad you're safe.
Tom
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I have both. I love my digital SLR (Canon Digital Rebel XT) mostly because of the speed (lack of autofocus delay) and ability to shoot many pix in rapid succession. I also love the variety of lenses that I have available to suit different conditions.
I also have a Canon point and shoot. The size and convenience are among its best features. It's really easy to use. The shutter delay has caused me to miss more than one "perfect" picture, though. I do have an underwater housing for it that I use when diving, so it's the one I take in the water with me when I go.
If all you're really wanting to do is to shoot pix of your aquarium, I'd stick with a point and shoot, but make sure (as Bob says) that it has a manual focus capability because autofocus may cause more problems than it's worth. Also, equip yourself with a small tripod.
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I have a 90, so this may not be the same. But, I like looking into the sides of my display tank. Because there's so much going on in there, it gives me an extra 36 linear inches of view instead of the 48 inches available only in the front. It also lets me see more clearly what's going on in the sandbed behind the rocks.
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Hmmmm.....
I see an inverted picture of palm trees swaying in the wind from a waterspout (tornado) in the foreground.
...maybe I need to see a shrink!
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I have the same setup using Rubbermaid trashcans (and stored in the basement as well). I routinely empty my cans and scrub them clean with a new scotchbrite pad, rinsing well with clean tap water and allowing the can to air dry. Then, if I haven't made RO/DI water in a few days, I back flush the membrane (or you can let the water run for a few minutes) to make sure that I'm getting the highest quality water. I started doing this when I found my TDS in my RO/DI reservoir climbing even though the water coming in from the tubing was still at 0 ppm. (That indicated that the can was contaminated and needed a cleaning.) Once I did that, my source water in the can fell back to zero.
If you're seeing stuff growing in your cans, it's time to clean them.
Also, I try to make up the bulk of my saltwater a few days in advance and not to store a large amount of it around for weeks. This minimizes making new water on top of week-old (or older) water, which might get life introduced into it by transfer buckets, hands, and other sources of contamination.
I also try to regularly clean the heater and pump that I use in the saltwater container. You may want to consider a soak with some dilute bleach to kill any bacteria, algae, etc. that may be contaminating your cans or your hardware. Be sure to rinse well!
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Darn, think about the outcome when you're not around and the canopy IS in place. Ouch.
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My offer (from my PM), Dave, stands. Let me know what I can do to help make this right. I'm disappointed that things didn't get put back together the way they were received. You were brought up the same as me and my expectation is that you shouldn't have been treated this way.
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Wow...great thread on RC, Scott. I just finished reading the whole thing. Bummer of an ending, but very educational!
Yeah, I found the link also and read it through. Odd how the one half lived so long (months!) before fading.
I'll tell you, though, it was really something watching Doug cut that RBTA this past weekend. The evolution of this thread got me searching for more information today so now I'm learning that what I saw this weekend seems to be limited to just a few types and doesn't apply to all.
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There was a cool demo of fragging anemones at the last quarterly meeting. It looked simple enough. It was done on a clean cutting board using a scalpel. The key point was to make sure that, when you divided up the anemone that you cut through the mouth and the stomach, leaving a portion of those features on each segment. The anemone, over the course of hours, curls back on itself to re-form and initiate healing of the mouth and stomach.
Never done it myself but, as I said, it looked like pretty straightforward surgery.
Do you know the species/genus of your anemone? See here (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm) for an identification guide.
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Beth, I'm going to give you a call. I will be in the Ft. Belvoir area on Monday morning and would like to drop the 125 gallon container and RO/DI system off with you that morning. I'd do it after my meeting, but I doubt seriously that I can go where I need to on-post with a large liquid container like this in the back of my van (I think it would raise too many eyebrows, you know?). Anyway, this will give you time to begin making the RO/DI water for the tank which we should be able to set on Tuesday.
Talk to you soon!
Tom
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Happy to help out, Craig. No reimbursment necessary. A frag or two would be nice but is certainly not necessary. I'll help out because I'd like the kids at the school to have this experience.
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Davelin, it's a long haul but I'll do it for you. I'll send a PM. Give me a call. Tom
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Yes, you could feed a couple of times in the evenings, several hours apart. Watch out for overfeeding, though. I'm still wrestling with that. Gotta watch those phosphates!
Like others here, I start my lighting later (noon) with the MH coming on at 2 PM. For me, this is a compromise schedule supporting weekday (when I get home later in the day) and weekend (when I'm really wanting to watch the tank earlier in the day) viewing.
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Just wait till he shrivels up to expel waste for the first time, your heart will drop into your stomach!
LOL! I felt the same way. What a relief it was when it expanded again. It really is amazing how much smaller they can get when they shrink down!
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Albatross, what source are you using for your water? If it is diatom algae (and it sure looks like it), silicates in your water may be playing into its prolifieration. I know that my tap water here in Ashburn is pretty high in silicates so I invested in an RO/DI setup from airwaterice.com. This seems to be working as I've never had a diatom bloom since setting the tank up in late August (fingers still crossed!).
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I've got two in my tank - a flower and a condy. The condy regularly shrinks down to nearly nothing (and it's pretty big when fully expanded, too!). I've read that this is just one way that they expel waste from their bodies. Anyway, while your RBTA is probably adjusting to stress, if it's like my condy, you'll see that it cycles like this rather regularly.
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Hi Marcia, nice meeting you the other day (at the WAMAS fall meeting, that is). I was the other newbie that sat down with you for a moment....
I run my actinics for 12 hours, bracketed around 8 hours of running my HQI MH in full array. Moonlights are on for the 12 hours in opposition to the actinics. No issues with cyano in the display though I do have some starting to show up in the sump where I run low wattage 5000K CF lighting 24/7.
Too much Caulerpa
in General Discussion
Sean, just curious, what sort of lighting do you use over your refugium?