Der ABT

How did I miss the divorce

aquachef does not have the little fan to intake fresh air so things often get clumped from the humidity....also the backs are known to pop off and drop batteries into your tank (ask me how i know)...so if you get one tape the back battery panel. ehiems are pretty good, as long as you use the same size pellets only other thing the apex one gives you is...name...and you can push a button on your phone and feed more (yes im just jealous of apex users....still use the old acIII cause im cheap). i think i like the larger ehiem with the twin screws (1 sonar ping only please ...in a sean connery voice) as they seem like they would control the amount that falls out much better than the little ehiem...may have to look into one of those. didnt even realize there was a difference (thanks rob) Only thing i would mention now that you have a tank with overflows.....its good to make a contraption (or use a piece of pvc) so the pellets actually sink vs float on top into the overflow....i just use a 2 in coupler that is only barely submerged...though the fish learn this is where the food comes out and the tangs park themselves near it when the ehiem turns....taking most of the food, so if you put a powerhead directly underneath that helps too.

sea water is stable with millions of gallons....200 gallons is not stable when compared to the sea...and by putting it in a tiny box you are messing with it.

Sorry to hear about the saga and the loses its never fun.....glad its all done though (wish i coulda talked you thru it more ...or coulda lended you a bunch of tools/had a build party where you come borrow them) ...though i gotta say i love doing it myself and the feeling of getting it done. Home depot trips are hillarious....never just one...you know its a bad day when the clerk see's you walk in and just starts laughing....if they did a emergency delivery service they would make millions.......5 dollars for delivering a 99c pvc fitting....haha Again very sorry for the losses...moving is a pain...and hopefully your still happy wtih the stand

haha thanks roni...we had that swing too..unfortunately the "little one" is 1 1/2....so its DaDa holding or....well you know the sound.....she is also battling a virus right now so thats not helping... Tom ive been lurking slightly.....just really busy with work, kids, keeping the fields mowed at my sisters farm (in MD near hunt valley) so between that, housework, etc....its been tough to go at the tank (espeically with the EVER dwindling budget for it....seems money is falling out of my pockets sometimes...who woulda thought kids are expensive) Actually took some pics of things to sell and get the garage cleaned up also....didnt realize i could probalby put together 3 or 4 more tanks with the backup stuff i have...i need to stop hoarding. but hopefully it will fund some needed improvements. Also had a humidty issue lately im trying to rectify...not sure if its the house or the tank but going to be cutting a hole in the wall and exhausting some more air so that will be a fun project. oh and one last good note, Clowns in the main tank are starting to prepare the glass for eggs from the looks of things...so at least the fish are happy.

Well actually been doing ok on some water changes etc...got another big one done the other night.....also put some GFO online finally and plan to add some carbon for alittle while to try and get things where they are supposed to be.....thank is looking a little happier and then again some bad news.. had an anthias jump onto the glass center brace and cook.... The other night had some friends over, heard a crash.....go into find one the the D120 LEds taking a swim in my daughters tank....luckily the lights were off....dried everythign out but i think the power switches are fried...heard some sizzling when i tried to turn them on...fans turned for a second then nothing...lights inside the switches flickered and no longer light... so need to replace the switches and see if thats the issue or if the ballasts are also dead (luckily i have some spare ballasts, but not the switches) in the middle of a big water change my little one decided it was time to wake up screaming....so that made for a 4 hour water change..started at 11 pm ended at 3-330 am....she just didnt want to be put down....and when i did get her put down she would wake up again....then one time i forgot to shut off the pump filling up the ato tank....luckily only spilled a little... just cant win... time to get that px1000 up and running with some float valves...i knew i got it for a reason. i also think that either my RO membrane is dead or my flow restrictor needs to be replaced....i seem to be blasting through my DI resin...went to check tds and my meter died....sweet... at least its sale time this season...too bad i spent most everything on the kids haha....but hey they got some cool gifts.... otherwise not much to report...algea battle continues...but just want to start updating this so i can actually motivate to keep things on the up and up....good old slow reefing recovery

Justin had a great write up on how to get the pellets populated but have no idea where it was... basically take the pellets in a 5g bucket with a heater and let them run (this is after you soak them so they sink).....then add some bacteria (mb7, dr tims, bioptim, whatever yuor pleasure) and do that for a few days....the water will get cloudy/milky when there is a bacterial bloom....once that happens they can be placed in the tank...bascially getting the bloom outside of the tank rather than in the tank. I think avast also has a recirculating skimmer top now if im not mistaken...im a big fan of their reactors (CARx and media)

pic is gonna help but im guessing it will also settle in once the carpet it is on folds down. if you have a piece of plywood over the top of the stand (that the tank sits on) and its thick enough i dont see you having any problem...there are plenty of canteleverd tanks out there and as long as what the tank is sitting on doesnt bend there should be no problem even with a gap.

just take the hot water heater offline.... is the water heater ok? i mean i dont get why you need to heat water thats already hot but you have made some strange contraptions.... friend always gives me grief when i say hot water heatver vs water heater so i feel the need to pass it on.

so is there one winner o multiple, still confused. regardless a good cause and thanks for sharing...and thanks for the easier donate link

i just routed mine outside the tank, 90degree over the lip and then a 45 degree into the tank...you could route it up behind the overflow (outside the tank) and hide it back there...

is each a separate give away or do you get ALLL of it..?

LOOOK WAAAY TOO neat for a wamas hand draw...mess it up a bit with crossouts, crossing pipes and arrows please. Thats a pretty good basic design (Keep it simple stupid).....i agree use the 3/4 full syphon...will be PLENTY of flow, and the 1in emergency. 3/4 return.... are you going 3/4 just for the check valve.... personally i do not use a check valve....i just accomidate the sump for any extra backfill and i keep my pvc just at the surface of the water so it breaks syphon quickly...or just put in a syphon break and run 1 in....if you feel better with the check valve the 3/4 wont hurt you much...maybe a couple GPH but nothign that significant id bet. when i plugged my tank i used a bulkhead, interior and exterior plug for added piece of mind...but i also used threaded in case i ever wanted a closed loop. otherwise get a dremel multi tool to cut that overflow out ( i think i detailed it in my build thread) its pretty easy but takes some elbow grease to get all of the remnants over the overflow off....and just be careful near the bottom seam....doesnt need to be to close as youll never see it.

Bigger tanks, different room....AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE....Zygote is Great.

i have a few d120 (v2 and 1) and have really liked them....have only had one petentiameter fail and recently had a driver fail (but had ordered an extra so easy replacement) Corals do fine. alot depends on your mix but i found on a 36in tank 1 d120 did ok ,would grow sps just fine and zoas etc on the outskirts....when my daughters tank was running well the color were very similar to my main tank...a litlte lighter but very similar.... growth was not as fast as metal halides with same basic water conditions... the shaded parts of the corals have no color with led, the ones under MH etc seem to have better coverage around the sticks/colonies. I plan on adding some T5 to mine...along with the mile long list of to do's.... fans are a little loud but not too bad.....i dont care about the programmability so never bothered...min turn on and off, i can adjust the color which i like...more or less blue. i have a bunch of spare LEDs to mess around with layout but think i have it pretty good for what i want.. would i buy again...yes...but would add some t5s.

i paint my tanks corraline hahah...well technically jsut algea right now

Welcome to the madness

hmm probably had some salt/dirt etc still on it so you may have to clean/sand a little off and put some new killz on....the orignal coat was Killz orig (non water based) im happy to write more if i confused or pm you if thats easier....just throwing out the thousands of options you have...... i had a 120 i never ended up setting up but had things ready to go. first, take a 3/4 bulkehead off and measure , i bet a 1 in bulk head fits fine......(oceanic tanks do this) ...though be prepared to need a new bulkhead regardless if the hole is big enough or not...this just makes your options for plumbing a little more open. if your happy with the overflows (corner or center) then no need bother with them....i would just think about using only 1 as a return pipe and the others you could do a herbie style overflow which would get pretty queit i bet (to me no real need to have more then 1 return line but im sure others have different opinions)

the additional flow/polyp retraction is not a bad thing...its just the coral adjusting... Congrats on the upgrade/move....the old stain is mahogany with the poly already in it if im not mistaken (old skin was the red oak 1/8 in ply from home depot) the 120g have a 3/4 in return bulkhead but i would bet its the same size hole as the 1 inch with just a smaller bulkhead...at least i know mine was (i switched to all 1 inch when i did it. if its a corner oveflow i would think about cutting one out to gain more room (check my build thread if its stilleven around...i couldnt believe how much more space i got after it....you could always just plug the one side of it or go with a mini closed look and have just one of the overflows functioning.... i would also think of doing the return plumbing over the back and use the in lines in the tank as overflows only...aka have one at full syphon and the other an emergency drain type of deal.... for the rock work, look into the fiberglass driveway marker stakes from home depot etc...they make grey ones that work really well and are about 1/4in diameter. which killz did you use, and was it fresh pressure treated wood?

had one for years and never used it...not sure what i was thinking...http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/easy-blade-algae-scraper-1.html as long as your magnet is good to go its simply amazing....and just take the blade off each time and rinse with fresh water....ive been using the same blad for a long while now.

I am officially a horrible reefer.....finally got to a water change on all the tanks....technically did the frags on monday and then main last night...WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN THE FRAGS...had a bit of a organic issue with the green hue of water that is no longer... I cannot believe the amount of algea i pulled out....basically filled a gallon jug.... Bryopsis and other algeas are running rampent and ive lost several corals i would rather not admit too....my giant hawkins colony with down to a mini colony from the size of a vollyball... ugh. Best/funniest thing is the parameters......main tank was ROCK STEADY 9.6dkh thanks to the calcium reactor....frag tanks were comical...4dkh and 5dkh cause those were the dosing tanks and i got too annoyed to fill/mix/buy new 2 part...now bought so that will get back on track soon. Then got shocked by my t5s....one of the bulbs seems to be leaking stray voltage down the reflector...skeered me somethign feirce...i though i cut my finger off on the metal...not sure whats up with that but will have to throw a new bulb and remedy that. 2nd wp40 crapped out on me....which im ok with as i got good use out of them...granted would love more but what can ya do. i can see them trying tu turn but they dont...ive replaced controllers, power supplies, cleaned, vinegar baths, and they will work for a few minutes and then either cut out or run at like 10 percent before cutting off....Wp25 still going strong at least, also the inlaws wp40s that were bought the same time are going strong too....so guess i got the lower tolerance ones haha...luckily i have a bunch of back up pumps so back to MP40s...now i just need wetsides for a few. Other thing i dont undrestand is my Oregon Tort is actually growing faster than it ever has....few other corals look great, and a few im guessing will be lost in the near future...hopefully ill keep the new trend of ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING going and ill get the tank back to where it should be. sorry no pics,,,im too ashamed.

unfortunately not much, started getting things on track, fell off the bandwagon wtih some other projects....had tendencies to throw in the towel but that would be too easy. hopefully in the coming weeks ill start the LOOONg process of dips, revamp the frag system, finish the fishroom build, SELL A BUNCH OF EXTRA HOARDED STUFF out of the garage...its soo sad....and then get things back on track. actually have some saltwater ready for a change/cleaning/ consolidation of the frag/daughters tank....etc....just have to do it.. things are somehow growing and actually a few coral ahve colored back up..its kinda weird.....my Mimic tang is MIA, not sure where the heck he went to and i REALLY like that fish.... But racing is now done and had a STRONG showing this year, sitting at the top of the points currently but will probably end up second nationally when my competitor finishes his last race in texas....bummed but happy i did so well out of about 90 cars in my class accross the country. my last race was the local one at summit point and won all 4 races in my class and overall...ill try to find some pics.

oh sweet they must have done a ATM build for the show with a Red PortaPotty

If that's the purple smooth skin/lokani you got from me keep it living..I lost my colony Tank Looks great

Pretty sure those are mojano's not MBTA's...aka bad and get rid of quickly