It's funny, those rena smart heaters are the only heaters I've actually had any luck with. I have a stealth heater which is pretty accurate but I'm too freaked out to use it for anything other than mixing salt after reading about them exploding all the time on here.

I read that too - looks like it is the stealth pro that has been exploding (which was the one that went bad.) I don't know - maybe the rena I got was just bad. I am going to check out what else they have at the store.

Konolua - was that at your house?!? That sucker would clean up a tank in no time.

WaWAHH?? Stealth heaters exploding? I have 2 50watt Stealth. They have an aluminum body with ceramic inserts, how could they explode? They are also one of the few you can actually submerge completely. I've had ZERO trouble with these heaters.

Back in my freshwater days, I have had Aquaclears explode (the glass) because you aren't supposed to take them in or out of the water while they are turned on. The tempered glass can't handle that big of a swing. I have also had problems with glass heaters and stray voltage.

Fish are cold blooded creatures, meaning they don't get hypothermia and die like humans. Their heart rate slows as their body temp drops, and they will become slow and lethargic, just like lizards and snakes. A 2-4 degree change isn't going to kill fish if it's a gradual drop, as ocean currents change and new water is taken in and out of reefs, waves come and go, temperatures fluctuate all the time.

Example...Go diving in a reef when the sun has been out a couple of days with calm waters, the water is warmed up. A storm comes through with waves and cycles cooler water from the deep. 4 degrees is common.

I was kinda shocked too... Google it - there are quite a few threads. Again, I think it is just the Stealth Pro model.

Be honest I will never be positive what did the two fish in. Could it be normal stress coupled with temp swings? Is my Sally Lightfoot an opportune killer and waits for just the right moment? Was it just their time?

Hard to guess. At this point I am just going to make sure I improve anything i can think of - thus the new toys to increase flow, At home RO/DI, new lights... I still consider myself VERY NOOB when it comes to this and will continue to read and try to emulate what others have done well.

Thanks,
B

no wonder the stealth pro 150w is same price as stealth 100......glad i went with stealth, had one on my 55g over three years no problems.

sorry to hear the bad news

Thanks! Tested again tonight - same results. The "old" stealth heater is actually doing well. Low temp was 78.8 high temp was 80.2 mostly hovering in the 79's...

Looking forward to a light cleaning tomorrow and then next week doing the full monty.

Because I am gonna beat this algae problem... BIG cleaning today. Took out the sally lightfoot - decided I would rather have a couple of emerald (or maybe a mithrix and emerald) Cleaned all the glass and the nooks and crannies with a razor. Catching the crab was fun - and of course I knew that was going to mean rescape. Took out one of the rocks, just wass not happy with how much there was.

When re-arranging the tank, I knew I needed to start thinking about the MP10, so I relocated and designed it so that the closest things would be SPS and the Clam (yes - I am going for it) The far side is all the zoa and softies...

You could probably guess EVERYTHING was pretty mad at me so no pics.

Point of the story - I had 0 phosphates on the last two tests. I was thinking they were probably being absorbed by the algae growth. So after cleaning out a BUNCH of it, i figured I would test again.

PH - 8
KH - 12
Amonia - 0
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
PO4 - .25 <-- I KNEW IT!
Ca - 480
Temp - 79.3
Salinity - 1.26 (I had been working on moving this up slowly to this level and will maintain it here)

Looks like the hunch was right on - Good new is I get the skimmer tomorrow and I am going to Phosphate Sponge it because I really think it's in the rock.

Any one have any thoughts on getting it out? Will the sponge take care of it?

Let me know and thanks for stopping by.

Well, it certainly won't hurt it!

The thing to remember with phosphates is you are measuring the REMAINING amount, not the actually amount. Meaning, the algaes and etc. are using the phosphates, and the test only gets the measurements of the excess. Which in turn means that you are producing more than you should.

The water change will help, and changing the water flow was probably a good idea. Do you notice any dead spots with the shift of the flow now? Monitor that. Also, (no offense please) how do you feed? Do you feed very small amounts multiple times a day? A lot at once? Twice a week? Etc? That might help to uncover a phosphate reason.....

And, pictures are ALWAYS good! Even if they are not flattering! We all love pictures regardless!

I was starting to get new types of algae about a month ago, after nearly 18 months of being stable. Params similar to your tank.

I changed my water source, got a mexican turbo and my algae is gone.

I think it may have been old membranes on the RO/DI system not removing phosphates from the tap water.

I would wait and see what the skimmer does to your params before adding anything else, otherwise you'll never know what the fix was if you change more than one thing at a time. If your experience is like mine, your skimmer is going to keep trates and phosp at 0.

+1 Ever since I saw plainrt's tank and his use of the Rena and read about all those problems with the new Stealth Pros I decided on a Rena Smartheater. It's been keeping my temp quite stable, within a degree. Only problem I had in the beginning was heating the water to the right temp. I used it and my old Stealth to get it to the right temp, then took out the Stealth and it's held very well ever since. Maybe their lower wattages aren't as stable or you got a bad one? Sorry to hear it's not working for you. I'm sure the Jager will probably work well - read lots of good things about that one too.

Very sorry to hear about your two fish. Must be really hard losing your firefish after having him so long.

OClownsandNanos - thank you!

V - You are right about doing both... I am a little curious myself. Got the BakPak today (and for $40 to boot!)

DoubleD - I have actually been wondering if my CUC is adequate. Right now it's about 3 hermits, 5 margarita, 1 Turbo, 2 Cerith, 4 Nas and a skunk cleaner shrimp

Konolua - Will find out about the flow tomorrow when the MP10 comes in. that and the skimmer will add more flow and it will be more random. I only feed every other day right now - pellets. Clown has about 6, Bangai about 9 and the YWG gets 2 - 3 No more than 5 hit the ground and I have the shrimp to take care of that.

And about the pictures...







They are actinic and I did them quick...



Thanks,
B

What's the coral in the first pic? Thing looks awesome.

Tube anemone

The picture DOES NOT do it justice either... The thing is a bright pink with florescent green mouth...

Is the skimmer supposed to be loud? all I am getting is white bubbles in the cup.

Skimmers are obnoxious! White bubbles is good, you just don't want it turning into water...then it is skimming too much.

Skimmers need to be adjusted/monitored almost daily anyway...they are a great indication that something is going on.

It's so loud... I can hardly hear myself type.

Oh. That sucks. Put your tumb over the air intake into the venturi and see if the noise continues. If not, unplug the pump for a minute then plug back in. Is the noise immediate or delayed after plugging back in?

as soon as I put my thumb over the intake the noise pretty much stops - and so do all the bubbles...

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=230250

Have you been payingany attention to my thread just kiddin iknow i know NO WATER but i hope this helps

EDIT: probably have everything to do it now and stop the madness, trust me you wont be dissapointed, shuts that gurgglin right up

I guess I had not seen that on your site - gonna try it tonight... Now I just need to empty a medicine bottle.

On another note - TOYS!!! MP10 is awesome! The lights are PERFECT...

Now if I can get some skimmer love, life will be good. Pics in 10 minutes.

lookin good

took too long - got off about 40 shots before the lights went out. and I was just about to take some "down the side" shots... May even have to break out the Video Cam tomorrow. MP10 at full blast was a little scary - thought I was gone blow the rock into the glass. Most of the pics, well I was not too happy with them. The actinics are much better and with the fiji purple, the tank has a great look when all the lights are on. Pics are only actinics.

Lovin this anemone:
With Flash

no flash


One of the new zoa


That's it for tonight.

Great upgrades man, gotta seem like a whole new tank to ya!

That nem is awesome, I want more pics......

V - I feel like a kid in a candy store

Thanks Hernandez!

Tundrashaul - I OWE YOU THE BIGGEST BEER WE CAN FIND!!!

It's very livable now... I just gotta figure out a way to "hide" the pump now - but that's more after stuff.

That tube nem is awesome.

I did not want a nem that was going to move around and knock things around and I had not seen a tube nem I liked until yesterday - MY WIFE found it and said we're getting this.

Three plans in play - first is to give the nem a proper home. Going to get some pvc - cut it a little longer than the tube - fit him in it and then fill sand around it. this should keep it pretty cozy and let me put it in a spot that it will like (low flow, not too direct light)

Second - going to build a media rack for the BakPak... It will be able to hold three media (for sure Filter Floss and MAYBE chemipure - not sure If I will use all three) and the heater. This should also alleviate the micro bublles I am getting in the display due to the fact that I am not using the BioBale.

Three - skimmer box to hide the pump. This one might mean I would have to somewhat rescape - AGAIN - but I would like to not see the pump everytime I look in the tank.

With the MP10 in, the other pumps out, the heater in the skimmer and an overflow, I should have almost no visible equipment.

On another note - even though the skimmer is throwing out a lot of micro bubbles, I am already getting some green tea.

I love the pics and really like that tube anenome also. Sooner or later I may b the only one without an mp 10 lol

Don't worry, I am staying strong with my koralia 1s

All i can say is be ready to re-arrange a little when you put one in. It has a lot of current!

your 70 views from 10K

did you have to do a lot of rescaping? i hope everything didnt get too mad, because i want a new FTS with all these goodies.....NOW

Actually - everything seems pretty happy... JUST WAY TOO MANY BUBBLES IN THE DISPLAY.

After seeing the skimmate and knowing it will just get better, I see the potential advantage of a skimmer. What I don't like is the bubbles, the size of the pump in the tank and there is still some noise.

I have a friend that's going to let me play with a red sea prizm tomorrow - it's a hang on back with the pump on the outside, no bubbles and it seemed pretty quite.

We will see.

If you're going to dump this skimmer check out a remora. Quiet, the surface skimmer box hides all the mechanics and it does a great job.

if you did get the bakpak skimmer, maybe try adding a verticle piece of pvc to return elbow with a top cap, extend it to bottom of tank. ive looked at the model and it seems that maybe bubbles would stay at top of added piece while allowing water to flow out bottom. i believe i have seen bubble traps for sumps that require no baffles, you could look into a similar mod.

but i say go for a sump if you can.

Sump just seems like so much. V - I thought about that, but realize it is basically the same pump and setup with the exception of the return. What makes the most noise at this point is the pump making bubbles. The mod help with the gurgling and it is A LOT less noise. IDK, we will see what happens tomorrow with this.

Got the RO/DI today from Spectrapure - LOVE IT!

I tested the water I was getting and it was 75TDS. Then I tested my city water and it was 160 TDS. After JUST the RO it was 2 and of course with the DI it was a big fat ZERO. Little upset about the water I had been getting. Pretty nifty setup - rated at 90 GPD I figure I am going to get about 75 per day (my water temp is cooler and my pressure is 50. They test these at 75 degrees and 60 pressure)

Have not started to change out water yet - still making it. Did get the Mg test and did a new set across the board.

PH - 8
KH - 11
Amonia - 0
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Phosphate - wait for it... wait for it... 0 <-- yes that is a zero
Calcium - 500
Magnesium - 1400 (I am not positive here. The test was rather dificult)
Temp 77.8
Salinity - 1.26

Skimmer is off - probably for good. I started this one with the intention of simplicity, trying to do without sump/skimmer/overflow/baffles... Too much tinkering, too much noise.

thanks,
B

I don't have a skimmer and don't plan on getting one. I change out a gallon a day sometimes two but very rarely. I do dose a little two part esv an so far everything seems to be doing great. The corals I have seem to be encrusting their plugs and I have about 4-6 new sprouts coming off my bidrsnest frag. Wc are vital to our reefs an I believe on such small systems it is all we need to have a successful one. I guess I'll find out in six months to a year of having mine set up lol.

Are you dosing? If not what salt are you using to pull 500c/11a ???

In my BC14 (about 10 gallons of livable space) I have:
5 Cerith snails
4 large Nassarius
2 blue leg hermits
4 nerite snails
2 Mexican Turbos
1 skunk cleaner

Stuff I didn't buy:
zillions of bristle worms
lots of little collinista snails
couple of hitchiker purple cucumbers (these guys eat crazy amounts of detritus)
bunches of micro brittle stars (they live in the sand)
bunches of asterina stars

I replenish the snails about once every 6 months or so because I have a eunice worm somewhere in the rock that eats one or 2 during that time. The 2 hermits will grab a snail once in a while too.

My algae is under control, and has been for a few months now. I didn't want to get rid of it all, because some algae is good.

I would assume your CUC should be a little bigger?

No dosing - just using Oceanic, nothing special. I did the calcium and the Alk test 3 times just to be sure. With the clam, the pink birdsnest and now the 3 new SPS I am going to test every couple of days to make sure.


I am thinking you are right - just added two emeralds and I am thinking of bumping up to a total of 15 algae snails and 3 more nas. I am not a HUGE fan of hermits although I still have 3.

Watch out for the crabs with the snails. The snails are far more effective at algae removal then crabs in my experience. Unless you like the way they look.

Dunno about emeralds but my hermits are little workhorses. I don't even think they sleep! I can hit the tank at 3am and there they are combing through the sand munching it up. Only shell stealing I've seen them do is when they poach from an already dead snail.

The emeralds? Them's the best hair algae eaters I have had. Had one for 10 months - as soon as it did, I started getting more hair algae. Got the Sally lightfoot, and it did not touch anything that I could see.

On with the show. Still trying to get some good pics with the new lighting (maybe a new camera would help) but here are some of the new corals:

Brain - it's a nice redish orange:


Candy Canes (not quite as white as they look, more of green hue):


Neon Green Birdsnest (a new fav!)


New Zoa:




Acans and Orange Cap - The front acan is pink, back one is a deep purple with stripes and it has two bright red ones at the front. I am still figuring exactly where I want these. The cap will be in this spot to start plating up:


That's it for now. Gotta feed, gotta clean and get them some more of the GOOD water.

Thanks,
B

The new additions are nice. Acans ftw!

Nice cap!

Picture 3/4ths of that birdsnest as bare skeleton and that's mine after its losing battle with the frogspawn I'm debating whether or not to just toss it out when I do the wc.

LOVE the birdsnest. great additions

SoCal - I am loving those acans! They look great today after some Rod's Food!

Tundra - Thank you! That birdsnest has some GREAT extension.

V - The cap is sweet - Can't wait to see it start plating. On the birdsnest - Pull it out, snap off the live part (if you have a pair of cutters it would be better) and put it on a frag plug. Up close to the light with some good flow. No use in tossing it if it's still got some life.

Tank shots - Middle:


Right:


FTS:


Thanks,
B