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tom39

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Everything posted by tom39

  1. Finally got the chance to make you a stand. Here's the finished product. I hope you like it. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  2. Here is a simple calculator for flow rates of pipes. The rate is going to vary depending on elbows and turns but it will give you a good idea of the kind of flow you should expect in a pipe. http://www.beananimal.com/articles/hydraulics-for-the-aquarist.aspx Example: The calculation for a 3/4" ID pipe full siphon with no change in direction with a 30" drop with a submerged discharge is 1048gph and with a 36" drop it increases to 1148gph or a 100gph increase The calculation for a 1" ID pipe full siphon with no change in direction with a 30" drop with a submerged discharge is 1863gph and with a 36" drop it increases to 2041gph or 178gph increase
  3. Definitely buy the glass and build the overflow box. Also, if it was me, I would swap out those white pvc elbows for some dark gray sch 80 fittings. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  4. Have you ever considered using Kalk to supplement your tank? It is a very inexpensive means of adding calcium and alkalinity to your tank and requires little to no additional equipment.
  5. Sounds like you are off to a good start. If this is your first SW tank welcome to the most addicting hobby ever. As for the juvenile clowns you are looking for, I would try visiting a few of the LFS in the area and ask if they can order it in. Another resource you may want to try is, I know that Mattiejay6 (http://wamas.org/forums/user/2633685-mattiejay6/) is currently raising some clown fry and may be able to help you get what you are looking for. Also remember that one of the biggest benefits you receive for being a member of this club is the ability to glean from the experience of others. If you have a question, IMO you should never feel negative for asking.
  6. My suggestion would be to build the base out of steel or wood. My reasoning is that steel or wood does not create as much of a permanent structure. Think "Murphy's law", if you ever want to replace the tank or move to a new home, chances are that the base for the dream tank today is not going to work with the new dream tank 10 years from now and if the home is sold, the new owners won't want to have to deal with a block of concrete in their new homes basement. Plus having to remove concrete that was poured in your basement 10-15 years prior, would be quite the undertaking; steel and wood, not so much.
  7. Using RODI to top off would be my preferred choice. If that is not available filtered water, or distilled water can also be used. There are a few people that use tap water and as long as it is treated or the chlorine is allowed to dissipate it is also an option, though I personally would not go that route unless it was an emergency situation. One thing that you don't want to do is top off with saltwater. This will raise your specific gravity and cause all sorts of issues. As for cycling a tank using Dr. Tim's additives, I don't believe that you have made or caused a problem by using it but IMO the most important ingredient for cycling a tank is time and patience.
  8. Gotcha, well it looks great so far. It is only the beginning and from what you have shown, I am already a bit jealous of your available space and its potential. Keep the progress and pics coming, looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. Thanks for Sharing
  9. $2k is a lot of money. Sounds like someone needed to pay off some holiday debt. I am curious about the beam (or what looks like a beam) in the center of the room running perpendicular to your floor joists. In the first pic, it does not appear to be supported at the block wall end and I cannot see the other end or where it terminates. Is it a plumbing, HVAC or electrical chase? It also looks to be made of MDF or is that just how it is trimmed out?
  10. I can't believe no one has said it. "That's what she said" [emoji12] Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  11. There looks like there is one in Woodbridge - (703) 330-8420 Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  12. Have you tried 84 lumber, a builder's supply or lumber yard? Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  13. If that is what you have a 20L would work. I have a 40b because that's what I had. BTW, I believe that petco is running their $1 a gallon sale now, so if you wanted, now would be a good time to buy a tank if you don't already have one. But IMO, even if you end up having to quarantine larger fish in a smaller tank, a small QT is better than no QT. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  14. I agree 100% with keeping it simple and not making it complicated. My setup is a 40B, small powerhead, heater, HOB filter, net, test strips, egg-crate cover, meds and some black drain line fittings. I think that that the whole setup might have cost me $125. I don't keep it running all the time so to be ready in an emergency; for my biological filtration I keep 1-2 Scotch-Brite pads in my sump. The bacterial will populate on the pads and once the tank is filled I either hang it in the tank on a nori clip or put it in my HOB filter. For some other ideas or methods, here is a great thread on Reef Central that you may want to scan through. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2195588&highlight=setting+up+a+quarantine+tank Good Luck and Happy Reefing Tom
  15. Yeah that is a really cool present, congrats. Just the other day I was just watching one of the BRS 52 weeks of reefing videos and they added one to that system. I am courious as to how well it works and how long the filter roll lasts. Keep us updated on how well it does.
  16. Yeah, you need to take the sock out and rinse it really well. I would wait on the wc and see if your skimmer calms down in a few hours. IMO, in the future, I wouldn't recommend putting any new equipment in your tank without a good cleaning and rinse. I use white distilled vinegar to clean nearly all of my equipment. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  17. I think that it all depends on the quality and/or type of food you are feeding. For example, I don't rinse LRS's fish or reef frenzy but do rinse the blister pack mysis cubes from PE Mysis. Mainly because of the liquid content in the mysis cubes. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  18. I have had great success with a 4-5 day vinegar bath (5-1 water/vinegar) with a pump and heater then finishing it off with a bleach bath (20-1 water/bleach) with just a pump for 2-3 days. It makes the rock a bit brittle until it dries back out but it will kill anything living on or in the rock. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  19. There is probably not much to clean from the sand since it was used for such a short time. But if it was me, I would give it a quick rinse with the garden hose and let it out to dry. I just would not want to take the chance, just to save a few minutes of work.
  20. No leaks is always a good thing. :-) Congrats! 40 psi is a bit low, a higher pressure will increase life and rejection rate of membrane and reduce the amount of water. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  21. You have it right on both accounts. 1. For the pressure gauge - You want to monitor the pressure going to the membrane to insure that you have optimal operating water pressure feeding the membrane. A drop in pressure will also alert you that your sediment filter is clogging and needs to be replaced. 2. For the TDS meter - The first inline TDS meter probe, you want at the outlet of the membrane which will help in determining the efficiency of the membrane and also alert you when it is time to be replaced. The membrane on my RODI puts out 2-3 TDS (depending on the time of day) and has been in operation for 2 years. When new it was a solid 1 tds no matter the time of day. When it gets to 4-5 tds, I will start to think about changing out the membrane. Placing the 2nd TDS probe at the outlet of the DI will help you to insure that the DI is catching everything else. It will also help you get the maximum usable life out of your DI, without jeopardizing water purity, by changing it out when it starts to allow dissolved solids through and not when you think that it has changed from purple to brown. HIH Tom
  22. Here is mine after a few months. (It's a cell pic, sorry for that.) Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  23. I had one try and commit pump suicide a few months back. 80% of its tentacles were torn off. Thought for sure it was a gonner but it hid for a few days hanging upside down under a rock before it started reaching out for the light. It didn't grow for a few months after that, but now it is huge and you could never tell it was chewed up in a pump. IME, nems are fairly resilient. Just keep your water clean and it should have a good fighting chance to heal up. Also you may want to think about adding iodine to your water. It was recommended by someone when this happened to me and I think it really helped. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
  24. I think you are right and you would need 2 to provide adequate coverage in a 40b. But then again I have seen many of these in the for sale section of forums lately and you might be able to pick up 2 used fixtures for just a little more than the price of 1 new fixture. Like this add, and it comes with the gooseneck: http://richmondreefers.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=18125
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