Custom Look CadLights 50Long

[nickjqz]

I am trying it right now, I will let you know if it works.

 

It works! That is so cool!!

[brad908]

Nice, worked for me

[siwelk]

Want to test my cam? 99.57.236.39:8002

Use fish for both username and password.

I'm in ur webcamz

 

 

Stealin' ur feedz

[twan]

6/22/12 Images

AI Manual - 60w 80b 70rb

Duncan relocated.

Fiji Leather recovering.

 

 

 

 

 

[Joe Dirt]

Great FTS! I love the SPS Mount Suribachi.

[siwelk]

So you still have the other tank?

[twan]

yeah I still have it

 

small nick in the bottom glass, black silicone, those are he only

2 differences. I'm going to try to sell it locally.

[Rehype]

wow looks great twan!

[twan]

Thanks for the compliments.

Rehype your tank is inspirational, glad to have you on my thread.

 

At the moment I am having a diatom outbreak in a few areas. Maybe new tank syndrom maybe partially my fault.

 

You can see it along the sand bed edge in the above pics. It is in a few more areas now. I have been heavy with the feeding due to the Yasha Haze still not venturing far from its burrow. That and I was without 1 of my 2 power heads for 2 days.

 

I should have it under control soon though.

[twan]

Simultaneous but unrelated? WTF?!?!

 

In the same 24hr period where my yellow fiji leather went from stressed to open and recovering like this:

 

 

My Torch losses 1 head completely and the other 2 heads on the same branch are in the process of coming off the skeleton:

 

 

They are not close to each other, all else is fine in the tank..........no idea.

 

Should I cut that torch off so it doesnt continue to disentegrate?

[brad908]

Same thing randomly happened to my torch. Even after removing dead heads, healthy ones still died

[siwelk]

Have you been monitoring your Alk on the daily/weekly?

 

If so, what is the variance of those fluctuations?

[twan]

Have not been monitoring ALK, removed the decaying heads (3 of 7), rest of the Torch seems OK.

[twan]

Torch

OK I removed the decaying heads (3 of 7), rest of the Torch seems fine.

There was an emerald crab in the vacinity.  The larger of my 3.

 

Carbon

I do not run any carbon in the system at the moment.

I do not run any chemical filtration now that I think of it.

SKimmer and a filter sock is all.

What should I be running?  Purigen?

 

Leather

While it is a Yellow Fiji Leather it is currently tan and adjusting to lighting.

The leather did "slough" at one time, 4 days ago.

That area was cut away outside of the tank.  It was about the size of a nickle.

Since then the leather has recovered and just needs to color up.

 

Water change

Performing a large one tomorrow (Wednesday).

 

RODI

Is now putting out 1 TDS water.  Did a filter and resin change yesterday to get it back to 0.

I am not sure exactly when it went from 0 to 1 TDS as I do not have an inline TDS meter.

My meter is hand held.

It was in the last 2 weeks though I know that.

This maybe the cause of my diatom outbreak since the last water change might have been with 1 TDS water.

This may also be the culprit of the torch.

[nickjqz]

Hmm I don't know about the TDS, mine is always fluctuating in between 0 and 2 with the inline TDS meter. I have never had any problems as bad as that. But It depends on the coral too.

[siwelk]

Carbon

I do not run any carbon in the system at the moment.

I do not run any chemical filtration now that I think of it.

Man, with that torch and leather in there I'd be running some carbon.

I'd also check your Alk, as it can really fox with your LPS if it swings.

 

Have not been monitoring ALK,

[twan]

Space is limited, no way do I have room for a dual reactor.

I will find a place to mount this on the inside of my stand & if not rest it right in the sump.

I ordered an extra canister and pads to allow fast changes.

I hope the dialed back MJ1200 (I will only have 1ft of head) will not be too noisy.

Crummy thing is my apex is 100% full so this will be on a non-controllable outlet.

 

[twan]

2 questions.

 

#1 Can I sit the reactor in 9 inches of water directly in the sump if I do not have the height to mount it to the inside of the stand?

 

#2 So with the Carbon Reactor and the MJ1200 where would I pull water from in my sump and where would I send it back out of the reactor.

 

Sump picture for reference.

 

 

Chamber 1: Sump inlet with felt filter sock plus skimmer.

Chamber 2: Chaeto in holder. 2 heaters.

Chamber 3: Return Pump, Temp and PH Probe, ATO

 

I do not want to tap into my existing sch80 plumbing.

[twan]

Here is one way I thought of doing it. Sitting the reactor right into the sump.

It will sit in and pull water from chamber 2 with the Chaeto in holder & 2 heaters.

This will allow the reactor to get water after it has been skimmed allowing the cleanest water possible to not clog the media.

The outlet on the reactor will dump into space in between the last baffle before the return section of the sump.

 

 

My thought is to get the cleaned water just after the skimmer, polish it and return it to the display ASAP.

I do not want to terminate it directly into the return chamber because there is the temp/ph probe in there as well as the water height sensitive ATO bracket.

 

Good plan or no?

[twan]

For my own reference

 

[nickjqz]

Sounds like a good plan to me if it will fit.

[twan]

Pistol Shrimp

So yesterday I go to do a 20g water change.

I have not seen my Leopard Wrasse in over 2 weeks.

I stir some of the sand where I think he last went in. This is not advisable but I figure the fish for dead.

No luck, he is nowhere to be found.

 

Then I think to myself well maybe he jumped into the overflow and is decaying there. I remove my drain pipe, no luck.

 

What I did discover though was by PISTOL SHRIMP in the over flow. No idea how long he had been there. No wonder my Yasha Haze Goby never paired up with the shrimp. He has been MIA in the over flow for how long I have no idea........................

 

Fuge Lighting

 

I tried this light

The bulb is now burnt out in just over 1 month.  I will attempt to replacement on it today.  I am seriously starting to rethink using this submersible fuge light though.  What if it cracks/corrodes? I will attempt to replacement on it today. I am seriously starting to rethink using this submersible fuge light though. What if it cracks/corrodes?

 

I still have this light that I used only one of the two 9w bulbs in for my nanocube fuge I could use:

Coralife Mini Aqualight Power Compact

http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/browseprodu...reshwater).HTML

 

If I have enough room on the back side of my sump in the stand I would like to wedge it in there like how I had it mounted on my nanocube with velcro:

 

 

 

My other 2 options for Fuge lighting are to go LED. I do not want a clip on light with a CF bulb. Most have arms that are metal and will rust. Then there is the factor of light spreading out in my cabinet. This can cause a thin layer of algae to grow on everything including the inside of my skimmer. Here are the 2 LED options.

 

JBJ Nano-Glo 4-LED Magnetic Refugium Light - $65

http://www.marinedepot.com/JBJ_Nano_Glo_4_...-FIRFRL-vi.html

 

Innovative Marine Skkye Light Utility LED - $70

http://www.marinedepot.com/Innovative_Mari...TFILDFX-vi.html

[twan]

Attach the Vortech

 

No I mean seriously attach your vortech! Use those little sticky tabs and the cable ties as instructed.

 

 

See where I highlighted in yellow? Do it.

I just got back a replacement MP10 dry side because mine gave up the ghost.

I never used those tabs because I figured the magnetic power of both sides held them in place just fine.

Plus they messed with my minimalist look, plus they created a spot where I could not clean the exterior glass.

 

Well when putting the new dry side on I thought I had it matted properly. I leave the tank. 10 minutes later loud a thud. The matting came off, dry side swung like a pendulum and smashed right into the Apex Display unit and the Aqua Illumination Controller I have wall mounted in that area. Nothing was mechanically harmed just cosmetic. Close call.

 

So take my advice, use the tabs, do not allow your MP dry sides to potentially swing and get damaged or damage other expensive equipment!

[twan]

Fuge Lighting

 

I replaced the bulb in the submersible light yesterday and it is working again.

http://shop.mediabaskets.com/Underwater-10...Light-WTL10.htm

I am seriously starting to rethink using this submersible fuge light though. What if it cracks/corrodes?

 

The Coralife Mini Aqualight Power Compact I pictured above will not fit in the space behind my sump in its current form. I think I can DIY a thinner enclosure or lengthen the cords from the fixture and just drop the bulb down below but I am worried an unprotected ballast in the stand would corrode.

 

The 2 LED fuge light options are still on the table, just dont know what I am going to do yet.

[twan]

I am choosing option number 2 for mounting and making a deal on a pair of lightly used Sol Blue's with controller, they should be with me in a week.  Thanks guys!

 

In the meantime I picked up some cabinet LED motion lights to help me out in the stand.

 

 

These lights went through batteries so damn fast and would not stay fastened to the underside of the cabinet.

1 side attached via a screw, the other side double tape.

The tape side after 2 weeks would begin to sag.

I did not want to chance it falling off and having a battery in my sump.

I removed them and have been running without a light in the cabinet.

Today I ordered this kit to remedy that:

 

http://www.elementalled.com/expandable-wat...ixture-kit.html