nate82 Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 haha spanko while effective yes.. and funny as well that you can talk someone into sucking potentially fish poo from a hose... unnecessary... all you have to do is stick one end of the tube in the water then submerse most of the tube under water and cover the other end with your thumb. pull most of the tube out with one end still covered and the other still underwater and when you release your thumb water will start flowing... try it if you don't believe me but sucking is kind of barbaric and gross IMO Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 I will try the thumb first...thanks! Do you all think a 1" tube is good enough for this? Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Using mouth suction is not that bad when you consider you have to submerge a lot of the tube length to get it to work with the thumb method. It just requires you to stop the suction before the water reaches your mouth. Besides, there shouldn't be much detritus in a new sand bed. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 I'm not afraid of it, I'll get the siphon going... Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 I have another question for all you using the inTank Dry Dock box, or something homemade like it... When I put the box in that 2nd chamber, it seems to cut off the flow of the tank back there. I have that blue pad sitting on top of that first plastic grate plate, should I remove both and put the dry dock in? I have my bags of ChemiPure and Purigen and SeaGel down in the bottom of that 2nd chamber as well. I'm just not sure what to do, as when I put the dry dock in there just a minute ago, the skimmer started bubbling overtime, the water level in the tank rose and I thought it would spill over...so I pulled it back out and let it settle back down to normal again. Link to comment
ryanmilo Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Nice Trigger. I chimed in from holiday in Florida with my family to see if you set it up yet. Good luck with it! Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 Nice Trigger. I chimed in from holiday in Florida with my family to see if you set it up yet. Good luck with it! Well have fun with that! I'm jealous! Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 I know I shouldn't be worried about pH right now with a new tank and all, not even sure yet if I'm cycling or what...haven't done any water testing yet, but I have the RKE NET module hooked up which is reading the pH probe that came with it, and its constantly going from like 7.4 to 11, but its always ticking up or down...I didn't calibrate the probe, guess I need to do that, but then when would pH stop moving so much or why is it moving so much? Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 Some Full Tank Shots... I guess this is normal skimmer skimmate in the early stages? My aquascaping was a "first run" so I think I can do better than this... Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Always calibrate a pH probe with at least two standards (like pH 7 and 10 buffers) before using its measurements. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 Always calibrate a pH probe with at least two standards (like pH 7 and 10 buffers) before using its measurements. Ok, it came with to packages of pH calibration buffers, a 7 and a 10, so I will do that to get it calibrated. Link to comment
davidr2340 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Aquascape looks amazing bro!!! It's going to look amazing filled in with some coralz!!! Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 I think I need a little bit more rock to bring it higher, like around 4" from the top...? Link to comment
davidr2340 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I think I need a little bit more rock to bring it higher, like around 4" from the top...? Maybe... Mine is low like yours as well! I sent you a message bro! Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 Ok, been messing with my skimmer now...it seems to be filling up rather quickly with water, the level of the water in chamber 1 is right up underneath the collection box, and the bubbles in the collection box seem to be bubbling high...I removed the blue filter pad and added some filter floss, put it in the same spot right on top of the black plate grill, so the dry dock that is holding my VorTech is sitting right on top of the floss. Before when I didn't have the filter floss in there it was noisy with water trickle but the skimmer seemed to be doing better, so I'm sure this is messing with the flow to chamber 2? In chamber 2 I have a bag of SeaGel, Purigen, and ChemiPure...am I messing up my skimmer or causing it to function improperly with this setup? I'm new to skimmers so I need your help with this...take a look... Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Would the presence of these bubbles in the skimmer have anything to do with all the tiny tiny microbubbles floating aimlessly around in the tank? Link to comment
davidr2340 Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 IMO... The skimmer needs at least a week or two to beak in. Maybe even longer with no bio-load in the tank bro. Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Ok, so just get used to the bubbles in the tank etc...? For now...till the skimmer breaks in? Is this normal behavior for a new skimmer and break in? The bubbles and skimmate in the collection are really clean looking right now, unlike yesterdays that I showed up above, that had the sand silt in it, there has not been a lot of dirt? Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Ok, been trying to decide my next moves...I'm not totally unhappy with the 2"-3" sand bed, except for the fact most of the 2" is in the back and the 3" is in the front, wished it was opposite. Thought about removing some of this stuff, but hate to waste it...and lowering the bed might make my live rock look too small. What do you all think? Some friends have said they think I need a few more inches of height, but my power head is there in the center now, and can't block it. Should I raise it? Its about 4" from water level. Need some inputs here people...Move or raise the Powerhead? Add more live rock or just re-aquascape? Remove some sand? Here are some close up shots of the aquascaping caves etc...I like what I have now... Front/Center Front/Center - Close Up Right Side Left Side Top/Front/Center Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Ok, so I'm figuring out more and more as I mess with this tank and the back side of it...my inTank Dry Dock and Sapphire Skimmer seem to interact with each other in odd, not normal ways. Right now while this Sapphire Skimmer is breaking in, I have this door up all the way on the left side that would normally allow water to flow right on over to the 2nd chamber. So while its up all the way, if I put the dry dock in the 2nd chamber and press it all the way down, it blocks some of the flow to the 2nd chamber, causing the level in my 1st chamber to rise, flooding my skimmer I guess, the water level gets right up under and sometimes a little above the bottom of the collection cup, is that flooding? If I open that door on the side, it seems to flow a bit better and I think I can push the dry dock all the way down (which is just a few cm's below the top of the back of the tank) but, because I have the door all the way up on the skimmer, not as much water is flowing, I have to raise the dry dock up, level with the back of the tank and secure it there with the magnet from the power head to the motor, its a VorTech MP40w. Thats how I have it right now, lifted a few cm up which allows water to flow underneath the dry dock, onto the blue pad and down into the 2nd chamber. The water level in my 1st chamber is about 5 1/2" from the top of the glass back of the tank...is that too low? Do I have this setup wrong? Anyone else with the Sapphire skimmer in their Solona? Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Today I siphoned out some of the 3" sand bed to about 1 - 1 1/2" in the front, and 2" in the back...also rearranged some rock as well...turned off the blue special lights I have and just took these pics with the "whiter" light... Link to comment
Quick Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Man, that looks great. I love the new scape. Very clean. Link to comment
Toomin Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 this tank will just turn out to be awesome! nice scape for a start. but are the rocks secured? Link to comment
TriggerHappyDude Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 this tank will just turn out to be awesome!nice scape for a start. but are the rocks secured? Secured, how do you mean? I have not glued them together or done any pvc drilling etc...no, but the base rocks were put in before the sand, so they touch bottom, and the others were placed and pushed and checked so that they are not loose or should not tumble...if thats what you mean? Any other suggestions for securing them? Link to comment
nanoreef11 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I like the new scape. It looks a little bit taller than the last one. The sand looks just right as well. Keep up the good work. Your tank is gonna be amazing. Link to comment
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