Kat's Ol' Max

[jedimasterben]

Do you not feed the polyps individually .. I seem to remember you posted you did some time ago ..

For the time being, yes. Once my controller comes in on Monday or so, it will be fed via the peristaltic pump, along with all the other corals. This is how Matt Wandell described to me the feeding of their sun coral and anthias tank.

No way, I like to feed them, but these guys just won't open at the right time, slow pokes.

Gotta get them accustomed to feeding at other times. Once they get their internal clocks set that they can feed every few hours, they will have polyp extension all day long.

[metrokat]

So my flight to London has been cancelled, or rather "postponed" till Dec 31st 2am. Ha. So if I took that I would spend New Years on the plane with 300 strangers. Awesome.

 

On hold with Virgin Atlantic for over 45 minutes now. Bloody Hell.

[Kfmmartin19]

Awwwww sorry Kat!

[Deleted User 3]

Grrrrrr. That sucks. Also, did you just type the image name or is it just not showing up for me.

[Jessy-Ray]

bummer!

[metrokat]

The two little fishes nano mag totally fell apart. The material came apart or soaked through so the magnet was severely rusted. I am not even sure what kind of damage that might have been doing while it was still in the tank. I've had the magnet for about a year. Since this happened I've found similar experiences with other people. That is rather disappointing.

 

Granted 10$ is nothing to loose sleep over but having a magnet rusting inside the tank is the concern here.

[chrssprngs]

I've gone through a few. Ready to move to another brand. Any suggestions. Blows about your travel difficulties.

[tailes]

Veng picked up a vertex simplex magnetic cleaner. Sweet little gem.

[metrokat]

I've gone through a few. Ready to move to another brand. Any suggestions. Blows about your travel difficulties.

Would you believe the hotel booking agent tried to eat my money claiming within 24 hours cancellation notice is non refundable and the hotel will charge 1 night stay? Meanwhile I had already spoken to the hotel and they cancelled my reservation without penalty. Cancelled international flights are not treated as changes to reservation. My family and I have used these agents for at least 10+ years too. Very unethical.

 

 

Veng picked up a vertex simplex magnetic cleaner. Sweet little gem.

I love that magnet but the RSM has several issues. The glass is a touch thicker than standard and that makes any small sized magnet less effective, but the nano mag has a slim enough profile that actually fits into tight areas like the one next to the output pumps, no other magnet fits.

Unfortunately without a slim magnet alternative, I'm looking at getting another nano mag.

[jedimasterben]

Granted 10$ is nothing to loose sleep over but having a magnet rusting inside the tank is the concern here.

You know what GFO is, right?

[metrokat]

You know what GFO is, right?

Chemistry is all Greek to me. From what I understand GFO uses ferric which is the most stable form of iron. Magnets have steel and iron. I'm not sure having a magnet rust in my tank is a good idea.

[Veng]

I wouldn't worry about the rust (ferric oxide as that is what's in granular ferric oxide) in the tank, it's the other trace things that could be in there that would concern me. Once you start saying alloy, there's all kinds of things get put into metals. Or anything else inside the magnet that is suppose to be encased in the epoxy to "make it not really matter". I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, but I wouldn't deliberately do it either.

 

Also, I don't leave my cleaners in the tank. I find they tend to grow things and get deposits on the pad which will eventually leave tiny scratches on your glass. I found that out on the 10G.

 

I do wish this one was a little stronger, no question there. However, if that's the down side to having a magnet that doesn't create sand storms and disturb everything in the tank if you get vigorous with it, and it's tiny? It's a price well paid.

[metrokat]

Paul B seems to have chains rusting in his tank. So the iron content in water by rusting can't be that bad. What this magnet is made of besides steel, and rusting is unknown. Read an account of some guy who claimed his SPS died as a result of this magnet rusting.

[Veng]

I've read accounts of SPS dying on the internet because of all kinds of things. It takes multiple occurrences for me to attribute much to it.

[nanolutionary]

congratulations on TOTM looks amazing particularly enjoy the fact you've made such an effort on the refugium it's space maximisation as it's finest to house beautiful creatures which woulsn't fit in the display in there as well, making me reconsider the plans i had for my first tank refugium being a mass of equipment and chaeto perhaps into something more aesthetically pleasing.

[metrokat]

congratulations on TOTM looks amazing particularly enjoy the fact you've made such an effort on the refugium it's space maximisation as it's finest to house beautiful creatures which woulsn't fit in the display in there as well, making me reconsider the plans i had for my first tank refugium being a mass of equipment and chaeto perhaps into something more aesthetically pleasing.

Hello tlagden, thanks for visiting, actually I would have been in your city for dinner right now if my flight wasn't cancelled yesterday. Oh well, at least I have my Queens cake plate to have dessert in.I appreciate your comments, and I wish I had a bigger area for the fuge. I have redesigned the fuge on paper several times in an effort to get more real estate, not because I want more macros and livestock in there (well that too!) but because the space I have right now is somewhat impractical for a many reasons.

 

It looks nice and I'm happy it is not a jungle. Yet.

[metrokat]

Since we are talking about my fuge. Hopefully I can get some help with it from some of you technical hobbyists.

 

My fuge is rather impractical for maintenance and feeding. This is because the design of it is horrible. Even though it was custom made and I approved the design and the builder implemented my requested changes, it is only after I had it running for a while that I noticed all the issues. The biggest one I have is lighting.

 

There is no place for me to have lights. I guess the builder thought I would have one of those home depot lights and I could but the height in the cabinet will not allow a gooseneck clamp. I haven't tried to look for a short gooseneck because the light I wanted to use was a Coralife mini T5.

 

The issue is that there is no cover or lid on the fuge area where I could rest this light and the opening is too wide for me to fit it the proper way without it falling in.

 

This picture gives you an idea of the eggcrate I am using to hold the light

 

Now the egg crate is not this low, in fact it is hanging by "s" hooks from the top edges of the fuge. This allows the light to be close enough to actually count. You can see that in this picture

 

The issue is obvious. I can't get any maintenance done without removing the lights, wires, (I now have a fan on the egg crate also), the hooks, eggcrate. Feeding the poor pistol shrimp I have in there is a task, I am lucky he decided to make his home on the left side where I can insert a pipette from the skimmer section without unraveling the whole fuge eggcrate hood.

 

A bracket that is permanent on which I can rest the eggcrate or clear acrylic sheet would be the best solution. How to install the bracket? How to make the bracket? The sump has a lip/rim as you can see. I tried to fashion one from eggcrate but that lip frustrated me.

 

Any suggestions or thoughts?

[Veng]

IMHO, Specifically what you need is this:

 

But you need to shrink it down to be sized for a light instead of a bicycle. You have a rope which, when you pull on it, raises the light up against the top of your cabinet to give you access, and then you lower it back down to be just the right height. The above is meant for storing a bicycle in a garage.

 

This video should explain the concept if it's not clear:

 

That is if you have room for the light being there while you are doing maintenance.

[metrokat]

Thanks Veng, I have room for the light to be pulled up,not sure if I want to risk screwing in a hole on the underside of the cabinet holding my tank. That scares me, I supposed I could research how thick that cabinet top is and then decide.

 

Alternatively. What about a hang on tray that I could just remove altogether and place at the back. Is there a way to cut that lip? Dremel maybe?

[Rain24]

I am late in my congratulation for your TOTM. I meant to do it after I read through your thread, but it is just MASSIVE! Therefore, I opted to just say my congrats now (it is still December!) and then follow along and read through slowly. It's gorgeous though and only a year old? Happy Birthday tank! (And I'm sorry that you're not off to London right now.)

[jedimasterben]

Chemistry is all Greek to me. From what I understand GFO uses ferric which is the most stable form of iron. Magnets have steel and iron. I'm not sure having a magnet rust in my tank is a good idea.

Rust is iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), ferrum is Latin for iron, ferrous (ferric) oxide = rust.

 

Also, I don't leave my cleaners in the tank. I find they tend to grow things and get deposits on the pad which will eventually leave tiny scratches on your glass. I found that out on the 10G.

+1

 

Read an account of some guy who claimed his SPS died as a result of this magnet rusting.

I think my SPS in the past died because a fish peed directly on them. No way of proving it, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[metrokat]

I am late in my congratulation for your TOTM. I meant to do it after I read through your thread, but it is just MASSIVE! Therefore, I opted to just say my congrats now (it is still December!) and then follow along and read through slowly. It's gorgeous though and only a year old? Happy Birthday tank! (And I'm sorry that you're not off to London right now.)

Hi there, those new blastos your hubby bought you are gorgeous! I love that deep red, what color do they glow in actinic? Thanks for the follow and your words, yeah it's a massive party in here, watch, I'm about to chase Benny with a stick.

 

Rust is iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), ferrum is Latin for iron, ferrous (ferric) oxide = rust.

I think my SPS in the past died because a fish peed directly on them. No way of proving it, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Benny, you smart ass, I'm breaking out the beating stick and putting you over my knee.

[Deleted User 3]

I think my SPS in the past died because a fish peed directly on them. No way of proving it, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

WIN

[tailes]

lol

[patback]

Kat, I can't keep up to your thread, I would have to take time off work Your an inspiration to all female (and male) reef junkies out there, you really have it going on girl !

I was just about to tell her how it's damn close to impossible to keep up. I usually click her thread at a random last couple pages and sorta jump in the conversation. Then again, I also get a bit upset when I think of something smart or witty to say and then the conversation changes 5 more times before I get to the last post. Sometimes I even have something smart reef related to say

 

And yet I did it again.. Replied to a post thinking it was recent. Oh well.