Nice! Your clam was a bit camera shy. I love your mandarin.

Very cool, hows the mandarin doing?

That is sweet....Did you go out and buy an underwater camera for your tank or did you have one lying around somewhere?

Nice vid!

I tried taking some underwater pics, but now my wife's DSLR won't work.

Maybe I should have posted a question in the lounge first....

Looks great! That GSP looks like it would make a great front lawn....

Stevie-

Love your video! Thank you so much for the very informative thread. I currently have my first reef tank, an eclipse 12 (sound familiar?). I started with it because I got a great deal on it and it was as much as I could afford. I've had to make lots of changes of course, but for now I have a healthy little reef.

I've been eye-balling the RSM's for awhile and hope that can be my future tank. I'm hoping to hear good things about the new 130d. I wanted to ask because I didn't see in your thread, have you upgraded your stock lighting? I was seeing the 130d's come with 2 50w PC's and was worried about that being sufficient. I have a 96w PC on my 12, although I suppose the depth of the RSM may only be a few inches more.

Also, what would you guess the cost of this tank might be monthly? Electric, water changes? Any guess there?

Thanks...

Kris

I just noticed the RO units on your website

I don't have a website or RO units, that is for fancy people with blogs and stuff to sell




Thanks, I love that song, I listened to it all summer

Thats a great video! Good job on it

Thanks Scott.




you should have, it would have been answered by professionals in a serious and professional way.

o rly?

No, I purchased it back in August so I could take underwater pictures in the Dominican. I have used it before that trip and afterwards to take under water pictures of my tank, and they turn out pretty well. I remembered taking vids of sharks and sting rays and how well they came out. For a first attempt in the RSM I think they trurned out pretty well.



Here is how my fish see me all day long:









She is doing well, still eating mysis every day. I have been experimenting with different feeding techniques.

You've lost some weight.

Kris-

I have the stock lighting, it is 2 55W T5 PC bulbs. Meaning that the tube size is T5 but the powersupply is used like PC plugs. They are brighter than PCs and you can keep SPS at the top. I believe the 130D has the same lighting.

I have no idea. I don't think it is very much, maybe $15-20. Since the tank is at my office I have no way of judging. I have never seen a power bill since they get sent to or corporate building, and even if I did, with having a 10,000 sq ft shop attached, it would be hard to do the math on the small little tank. Sorry.




Thank you, I have been taking hydroxycut and xenadrine every hour for the past two months.

You might want to cut back a bit.

Although the screw-attachment on top of your head looks useful for camera attachment, I think you should put on some pants. You're scaring the ladies.

do you think this is reefcentral or something? You can't talk about things for sale here or other websites, stay on topic

Thank you...My hope is that with the 130d I wouldn't have to update anything, it would be good to go, KWIM? Kinda "been there done that" big time with the eclipse. It would be awhile before I could drop that kinda money anyhow.

Wasn't thinking about you being in an office with the power question. This would be a big investment for me and I want to make sure it will be long-run feasible financially. Like to drop the $$ on coral, not electricity and updates.

Kris

I don't see the power ussage that much higher than your eclipse. You shouldn't have to do much to the 130D. The skimmer may still be ineffective but I would give it a chance, it seems as they improved it some. I do sell media baskets and skimmer cups to 130D owners, so that may mean something. But other than that, add a koralia #2 and maybe an ATO. Replace the heater with a stealth ($16). Thats about it, the stock lighting is very strong IMO

fail.

Whew!

Finally got caught up on this awesome thread.

Definitely a must read for anyone thinking about getting a Max IMO. Packed with info.

Great work StevieT !!

And Thanks again for your help, the input is very much appreciated.

Following along from here.
( BTW, still searching...... )

--Richie

Thank you Steve!Click to view attachment

wow, nice tank, you will love the extra space. I really like that coralline you have growing.

Thanks...my coralline is HEALTHY. Which is good, I want that piece of holy rock to be covered with growth. I'm amazed at how that stuff spreads.

I'm itching for some extra space. There is so much I want to do in there! Right now I have to be content with being patient, and happy to have a stable tank, considering the Eclipse limitations. It helps that I have a great LFS. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a used tank there. There carry only the highest quality stuff.

How hot are the RSM stock lights?

Lol nice, can you give me a link to that thermometer, it looks pretty cool.

I got it off woot.com durnig a woot off

http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=6801

there are plenty of others out there. Just search for Infrared non-contact thermometer

Bwaaahaaa
Very funny!

Hey Stevie...

I went ahead and bought the 150w stealth today at my LFS. I didn't get as good of a deal on it as you (it was on SALE for $29.99)...but I don't care, it was worth it IMO. I can sleep better tonight and go to work tomorrow knowing that it's not going to go bonkers and fry my tank like the unreliable stock one...I am going to keep an eye on it tonight and hubby will be home tomorrow so he can do the same just to make sure.

Also-I was wondering...I couldn't remember if you said you installed the optional cooling fan or not? Just curious. Our place is always between 68-72ish degrees so I didn't do it.

P.S.- My skimmer seems to be doing a pretty good job actually...I don't really have anything to compare it to...but I have been emptying it about every 2 days and it has some nice greenish brown watery sludge in it...I was surprised.

Good buy on the heater. I paid about $16 online but add in shipping, had other things in the order. Peace of mind and not waiting for it is well worth every penny.

I did install the fan, it came with my tank. I upgraded the transformer from 7V to 9V to make it spin faster and move more heat. I have a nice climate controlled office but it does lower temps about 1-2° overall, good for the summer months.

Great to hear on the skimmer. Mine worked alright in the beginning when the tank was new with die off and junk, then stopped after a few months. Hopefully yours will continue to work.

The mandarin is now eating Rods food all the time. She usually stays in one rear corner or the other. I am using the rear right corner to feed her, this way she knows that is always where it will be. I either drop the food in the tank making sure it goes in that corner or insert it using the sea squirt. She gets really excited and comes right over and starts her feeding.

No more playing around with it or waiting for it to physically move. Right now I am feeding her every other day with the rest of the tank. I don't want to over feed they system but if she needs it so be it as I have plenty of CUC and good water quality.

I have been trying to get a movie of her feeding. Now that it is pretty routine I will get one soon and post it.





Side question: Does any one have a freshwater tank with a powerhead just for flow? More surface adgitation and to move detritus around to get sucked up would be the bennifits I see. Or is it pointless? I have a 55 long with african cichlids, it is 2.5 years old. I use two cansiter filters and am adding a HOB just to hold floss for easy changes. The canisters make it hard to change it often enough.

when i had a freshwater tank agitating the surface helped out the water quality a lot... i used a bubble bar because the tank was small but i suppose a powerhead would do the job.

I have bubble bars hooked to a seperate switch and only turn on every now and then to stir things up and introduce more oxygen. I am thinking a koralia would do a nice job of this all the time. These things keep making more and I am way overstocked with 15 fish now.

More tanks....

^^^^^ got it, got it, need it, need it, got it......

You be workin too hard bud.

Vac up all them acrylic chips and get some rest will ya?

^ Haha...for real Richie! Get some rest Stevie!

Couple more weeks of crazy work... then I should be stocked up enough to coast for a while.

does your local fish store have fresh water as well? i'd snatch those things up and turn them in for store credit... that's how my LFS does it at least... but yeah i think a koralia will only improve things...

P.S. why do you have all those tanks lined up? did you start a modification business?

I haven't been in a pet store in a long time. I should see if they want some of the new ones, I can't handle any more from this point on. They can have them for free, if they want to give me credit all the better.

I spent some money at the good doctors last night. New HOB filter for floss only, also has a surface skimmer so I can get rid of the Fluval one. Koralia #2, bubble wands, new hose, new suction cups, and natural driftwood that I have to cycle. I haven't spent a dime on this tank in a long time.

Those are all research tanks for products I make out of acrylic. After the success of my orginal RSM media basket, I figured to move on, plus members were constantly asking me to make baskets for their tanks. It was easier to buy the tank and do the dimentions and engineering in my shop.

lol
+1

I was home at 9:40 pm last night!!!!!!! That is an improvement, I got some rest

That's a lot of stuff for the FW, but i love driftwood in those tanks looks really good... i wish i had all those tanks lying around, it won't be too long before the companies come looking for that design..

It is. The curren air hoses are dried out and the bubble bars are clogged up. I haven't invested a dime in the tank for a long time, it still looks great but needs a little love. I should take in the new fish, ususally when I find them during a water change I just flush them, kind of mean but I can't handle the bioload and don't live close to a LFS.

We will see where the products go, right now I am the only one producting anything like it.

I know what you mean about the fish... living in toxic water would probably be worse than the trip down the tubes :/

better throw a patent on it.

Hey StevieT! I managed to find some time and caught up on the last few pages. It looks like you had a run-in with Reef Central too, but didn't get the kick in the a@@ that so many people have (including me). RC has been losing sponsors because of their ridiculously unfair treatment of members. Good people in my local reef club have gotten the boot too, for no good reason. Anyway, enough about that - there IS life after Reef Central!

I was looking into those Infrared non-contact thermometers, but they seem to have a range of being off by +/- 4 to 4.5 degrees F. Are they actually closer than that? I'm not sure I'd want to trust one for my only means of measuring tank temperature.

Good to hear the business is doing well!

Hey ReefMack! I was thinking of you every moment when I was emailing this Mark guy and how they treated you. I gave him a pretty hard time back and forth, but in a smug way. He never banned me, I couldn't believe it knowing RC and their BS. I basically ended with because of this email I will never sponsor on your site, which I was somewhat considering in the near future. But now, no way. I didn't really spend much time there but figured it may bring in a sale or two.

Enough of that, I do have some pretty good emails from this guy, I may share them someday.

I would not use one of these thermometers as your primary source for anything dealing with water. They are non contact, so you don't know waht you are measuring. Is is the rock, the glass the water surface your fish or your foot? That being said, mine is spot on to what my pinpoint reads and my other digital term. Now, it is not point and shoot accuracy, but by moving it around left to right you find the correct temp. Opening the hood is much more accurate as at the glass well that is what you are possibly measuring.

It is more of a fun toy that also serves as backup, and for the water change bucket. For $25 I couldn't pass it up and gave one away for x-mas. The laser is used to mess with the fish. Oh look my hand is putting off 91°.

The RSM thread on RC is deaaaaaaad now. SO be it, owners should be elsewhere by now and nOObs can do a google search

OK on the IR thermometer - they use them at work when we complain how hot or cold it is in the office LOL. Neat little gadgets - I didn't realize you could get one at such low cost. I'll put one on my wish list.

On RC - I may still have some emails from the jerk that banned me, but it's over with so no sense posting them. They're just a bunch of rude and ignorant jerks that are running the place now. There are so many people now banned from RC that some have started their own forums, with anti-RC banners at the top! I can guarantee you that RC will be watching any future activity you have on there, so beware LOL! The old club has relocated elsewhere and is much better organized and better than ever! They may have done us a favor! Several 130D owners now, and the RSM 250 owners are starting to show up.

Now that I'm home and photobucket isn't blocked I'll have tro catch up on your pictures!

can we see a FTS of your tank in the office?

wow if i had all those tanks they would be set up and stocked omg my room would look so sweeeet

Make sure to check out the video linked a few pages back, or here:





Sure here: Or watch the video, there are a few at the end

This is what I look at all day when I am in the office:

look at all the screens........ LOOK AT THE TANK!!