NanoTopia's ZEOvit 80L [ ]

[NanoTopia]

Isaurus is typically zooxanthellate, or rather, I've never heard of any that weren't...

I am not sure it is a Isaurus spp. and it only (usually) opens at night. Just thought it must be azoo. Thanks for your response, you don't see a lot of snake polyps around and the ones they seem to sell are the green ones (Isaurus), mine looks different from them. Oh well, I think it is ugly, but kinda cool at the same time, haha.

 

Christine

[Nano sapiens]

Isaurus is typically zooxanthellate, or rather, I've never heard of any that weren't...

 

Isaurus zoanthid...hmmm. I've seen pics of these in books 'closed up', but nice to see what they look like wide open like this.

 

It's fugly and cool, all at the same time. I'd feed it just to see if it will multiply, or not.

[NanoTopia]

Not sure exactly what kind of polyp this is, but it is very interesting. I wonder if you fed it regularly if it would multiply

I think it might, I have never paid much attention to it as I almost never get to see it unless I look at night. Like I said, not sure if I want it to multiply, haha, it's kinda ugly

[NanoTopia]

Ophiuroidea (Brittle Stars) releasing gametes in my tank this morning. I just happened to be looking at the tank, of course I could not find my iPhone but I did manage to capture the last bit. Sorry the quality is not 100% but you can clearly see the gametes being released. Now I will have an infestation of these guys in my tank, I already have tones of them. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

If you watch FULL screen it is easier to see the gametes.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9TbafyY9c&feature=youtu.be

 

 

 

 

Christine

[albertthiel]

Isaurus is typically zooxanthellate, or rather, I've never heard of any that weren't...

 

Yes they are photosynthetic yet are mostly closed during the day and open at night but that does not mean they do not feed as if you look at the structure of the body there is plenty of space for the zoox.

 

When I saw the pic of it which does not seem to be visible anymore (at least not today) I did post an ID on my thread and gave that additional info and I do believe that based on what I saw they were Isaurus sp. indeed (I. tuberculatus) but never got a confirmation that that was indeed the correct ID.

[NanoTopia]

Ordered the Neptune ALD (Advanced Leak Detection) module and probes today.

 

Now if I spring a leak I will be notified, lol.

 

 

 

 

 

More info from the Neptune site:

 

 

Christine

 

[brad908]

Nice. I might have to order one with 2 solid surface sensors.

 

Interested to hear how well it works

[NanoTopia]

I have been having issues with a RedSea Potassium pro test kit, I was not getting and shift from purple to blue indicating the end point of the test. No matter how much titrant I added there would be no colour change. So I emailed RedSea with my issue thinking it may be something I am doing wrong. I got a reply from RedSea asking for my shipping address and notifying they were sending me new reagents.

 

A week later I received the reagents to my door and I was eager to give the test another try using all new reagents...

 

Here's what they sent me

 

 

...as I was performing the test I discovered one of the reagents (reagent B ) was in a different bottle and called for 0.5ml instead of the old 11 drops from the previous reagent B bottle. The test performed perfectly and I got 380ppm potassium which is what I figured it should be. The kit now works as advertised.

Old reagent B on the left and the new reagent B on the right

I will say that RedSea's customer service is impeccable and I was thoroughly impressed, and a little surprised as well. The RedSea K test Kit is more involved with several steps before it is complete some 30 minute later however, I believe these extra steps make the test more accurate.

Christine

 

[NanoTopia]

Nice. I might have to order one with 2 solid surface sensors. Interested to hear how well it works

I am eager to see how it works myself, I will post what I think of the sensors in a week or so. There is little information on how the sensors work exactly and how sensitive they are etc.

 

Yes they are photosynthetic yet are mostly closed during the day and open at night but that does not mean they do not feed as if you look at the structure of the body there is plenty of space for the zoox.

 

When I saw the pic of it which does not seem to be visible anymore (at least not today) I did post an ID on my thread and gave that additional info and I do believe that based on what I saw they were Isaurus sp. indeed (I. tuberculatus) but never got a confirmation that that was indeed the correct ID.

Sorry Albert, the pic is back up. I trust your ID is correct, interesting to hear they are photosynthetic in nature, it has so little pigment in the structure. Thanks again for helping with your expertise

[SDartifex]

Hey Christine I wanted to ask you how you felt about your Apex vs the Reefkeeper. Pro's and con's of each and such. I have been leaning towards picking up an Apex but have a hard time justifying the cost vs a Reefkeeper

[neuwave]

How do you like the K test kit? Bought one a while back and used it once but wanna give it anther try.

But wow, after the first half hour of testing I wasn't sure if I had it right so I tested again. Two tests done and a hour later I was dazed and confused I'm still not 100% sure if I had it right.

Maybe I should take it to my engineering professor for analysis. Lol

[NanoTopia]

Hey Christine I wanted to ask you how you felt about your Apex vs the Reefkeeper. Pro's and con's of each and such. I have been leaning towards picking up an Apex but have a hard time justifying the cost vs a Reefkeeper

The Apex allows for more complex programming. In fact it takes some time to get your head around the full operation of the thing (understatement for me). But once you do, you begin to realize it's power to control almost any aspect of you aquarium, sump, and surrounding area, from anywhere in the world. I think Neptune is the innovator now for reef controllers. I have a DA RKL (use it on my pico now), it controls the basic functions of your tank quite well but is limited in many ways. I cannot comment on the RKE. Honestly, it just made more sense to buy the full Apex controller, it don't use all it's capabilities at the moment but it's there if and when I need to.

 

Cost wise it is more expensive, but I think I made a good investment for the future (upgrades). I've gotten smarter over the years, I am all about buying the best equipment I can afford that can work on future tanks as well. Every time we upgrade we loose money because we have to buy new equipment that can handle the larger tank and it's requirements.

 

The DA RKL or RKE system is fine if you are going to keep things relatively simple down the road, but for not much more you can have the Apex and never have to upgrade systems again. In the end it comes down to your requirements, think in the future as well, that mega tank build may happen one day.

 

Hope that was somewhat helpful. I am in no way the expert when it comes to electronics and reef controllers but I do know innovation when I see it. I would check out the Neptune and DA web sites, it will give you a good idea what each system is capable of.

 

Christine

[brad908]

I am eager to see how it works myself, I will post what I think of the sensors in a week or so. There is little information on how the sensors work exactly and how sensitive they are etc.

)

I ended up ordering it. From what I read on RC, the sensors are extremely sensitive. Hopefully we both never have to experience just how sensitive they are

[NanoTopia]

How do you like the K test kit? Bought one a while back and used it once but wanna give it anther try. But wow, after the first half hour of testing I wasn't sure if I had it right so I tested again. Two tests done and a hour later I was dazed and confused I'm still not 100% sure if I had it right. Maybe I should take it to my engineering professor for analysis. Lol

I think they have recently changed one or more of their reagents if you are using a older version I would be skeptical, as I had no luck with it at all. With the new reagents it works like a charm, and I feel it is accurate based on the complexity of the test. The other K test kits use turbidity basically, the RedSea goes beyond turbidity and uses titration, as you know. Potassium is hard to test for, it just makes logical sense (to me) that the more complex the test is, the more accurate it will be. Yes, it is a long process indeed, but you should only have to test it twice a month really. Have you checked out the

from RedSea? They walk you through the test start to finish in detail, it really helps, at least for the first few times you perform the test.

 

Salifert recently put out a K test kit that is also titration, it is said to be very simple to use but hard to get a hold of (at least up here in Canada). With such a complex element to test for I am skeptical of it's accuracy based on the simplicity of the test however, I have never tried it.

 

I ended up ordering it. From what I read on RC, the sensors are extremely sensitive. Hopefully we both never have to experience just how sensitive they are

Good news, I ordered one of each type sensor only, just to try them out and see which one I like better and how they will fit in my application. I will pick up two more when I know which ones I like better.

[neuwave]

I think they have recently changed one or more of their reagents if you are using a older version I would be skeptical, as I had no luck with it at all. With the new reagents it works like a charm, and I feel it is accurate based on the complexity of the test. The other K test kits use turbidity basically, the RedSea goes beyond turbidity and uses titration, as you know. Potassium is hard to test for, it just makes logical sense (to me) that the more complex the test is, the more accurate it will be. Yes, it is a long process indeed, but you should only have to test it twice a month really. Have you checked out the http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OP9jQMgxQzw'>YouTube video from RedSea? They walk you through the test start to finish in detail, it really helps, at least for the first few times you perform the test.

 

Salifert recently put out a K test kit that is also titration, it is said to be very simple to use but hard to get a hold of (at least up here in Canada). With such a complex element to test for I am skeptical of it's accuracy based on the simplicity of the test however, I have never tried it.

Good news, I ordered one of each type sensor only, just to try them out and see which one I like better and how they will fit in my application. I will pick up two more when I know which ones I like better.

 

I'll have to check my test kit to see if it older or newer. Been a few months since I tried it. But you say salifert has a titration version as well? I'll have to check to see around to see if any of he LFS got it or maybe order one.

[NanoTopia]

I'll have to check my test kit to see if it older or newer. Been a few months since I tried it. But you say salifert has a titration version as well? I'll have to check to see around to see if any of he LFS got it or maybe order one.

Ya, Premium Aquatics has it and it's cheaper than most other kits, around $25.

[Asureef]

Is potassium depleted more regularly in your system with zeovit? I find even after zeovit, when I get my levels up at 400ppm I don't have to dose it. But, Iodine seems to be depleted more, though it might be the salt I am using (D-D-H2ocean), which I have not tested. I am using Salifert for K/I2 and like it a lot.

[SDartifex]

Thanks that was very helpful. I suspected as much but my wallet didn't wanna believe it

[ESJ]

Cost wise it is more expensive, but I think I made a good investment for the future (upgrades). I've gotten smarter over the years, I am all about buying the best equipment I can afford that can work on future tanks as well. Every time we upgrade we loose money because we have to buy new equipment that can handle the larger tank and it's requirements.

 

The DA RKL or RKE system is fine if you are going to keep things relatively simple down the road, but for not much more you can have the Apex and never have to upgrade systems again. In the end it comes down to your requirements, think in the future as well, that mega tank build may happen one day.

 

I agree 100% Christine. I always feel like I'm buying to save money, but then always having to upgrade. In the end I spend more money.

 

The only thing I don't like about my Apex Jr. is I feel it's a little complicated. It's not very user friendly. The basics are easy to figure out, but when you want more options, it can get confusing. Like when you need to program with hysteresis. I already have to be a biologist, an electrician, and a plumber. Now I have to be a computer programmer?

[SouthFlorida_Tron]

dude. you are a baller.

 

[albertthiel]

Sorry Albert, the pic is back up. I trust your ID is correct, interesting to hear they are photosynthetic in nature, it has so little pigment in the structure. Thanks again for helping with your expertise

 

It is indeed odd that being photosynthetic that they have little pigment but the issue may be that the lighting you are using is too strong for them and that they have shed a lot of their symbiotic algae and as a result appear "kind of dull in color due to the lack of pigments". It is an odd one too as the difference between their day and night behavior is kind of the opposite of what other photosynthetic corals and corallimorphs and polyps do. But then there are stranger behaviors by others too ... :-)

[NanoTopia]

Is potassium depleted more regularly in your system with zeovit? I find even after zeovit, when I get my levels up at 400ppm I don't have to dose it. But, Iodine seems to be depleted more, though it might be the salt I am using (D-D-H2ocean), which I have not tested. I am using Salifert for K/I2 and like it a lot.

I am also using DD H2Ocean, they advertise something like 410 ppm potassium but I don't think it is that high, more like 350ppm. If I don't dose and do a few WC's my levels drop to 350ppm roughly. Yes, the Zeovit along with all bacterial driven systems use more potassium, the bacteria consume it as well as the corals, also a lot of K is precipitated with the use of needle wheel skimmers. I can't say how much is used but I do know also many salt mixes fall short of their claims so just doing regular WC's will keep your potassium on the low side, some more than others. DD H2Ocean pro salt is pretty good stuff, I know many people in Europe using it with zeovit and general low nutrient systems.

 

Many people claim the Salifert K kit to be easy to use and accurate, this may be the case but I have my doubts on accuracy. It sure would be nice if someone would test and compare all the K kits, including the Salifert, out there against some lab grade equipment. I would love to see the results from that.

 

Christine

[NanoTopia]

I agree 100% Christine. I always feel like I'm buying to save money, but then always having to upgrade. In the end I spend more money.

 

The only thing I don't like about my Apex Jr. is I feel it's a little complicated. It's not very user friendly. The basics are easy to figure out, but when you want more options, it can get confusing. Like when you need to program with hysteresis. I already have to be a biologist, an electrician, and a plumber. Now I have to be a computer programmer?

Oh boy, complicated is an understatement, but once you understand how the controller thinks, it gets easier. For me linking the thing to the web proved most challenging of all, I am not a tech wizard when it comes to internet systems and lingo. I ended up bringing in help

 

And yes, to be a successful aquarist you have to be all, or learn about plumbing biology, electronics, computers, and most importantly...dealing with failure once and a while.

 

Christine

 

dude. you are a baller.

 

Tron, this is good right? Sorry I'm not up on the lingo, I like it even though I have no idea what it means

 

 

Christine

[1reefluvr2]

Since its an expensive test kit baller means having large amounts of cash . Its a funny thing thats all

[NanoTopia]

It is indeed odd that being photosynthetic that they have little pigment but the issue may be that the lighting you are using is too strong for them and that they have shed a lot of their symbiotic algae and as a result appear "kind of dull in color due to the lack of pigments". It is an odd one too as the difference between their day and night behavior is kind of the opposite of what other photosynthetic corals and corallimorphs and polyps do. But then there are stranger behaviors by others too ... :-)

 

 

I found this from Advanced Aquarist Magazine,

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/2/inverts

"Isaurus

Members of this genus are commonly called "Snake Polyps.” Three valid species are known, I. tuberculatus, I. cliftoni, and I. maculatus. Isaurus tuberculatus is distributed circumtropically and is the species most commonly seen in the wild and in aquariums. Isaurus spp. have elongate columns with tubercles (bumps) and the columns are typically oriented so that the ends face downward. The tentacles are normally retracted during the day and expand at night to feed on zooplankton. The columns contain zooxanthellae and should be exposed to bright light. Isaurus does not need to be fed to be maintained in captivity, but regular feeding will cause the polyps to multiply. The best foods for Isaurus are Daphnia, Cyclops (copepods), and brine shrimp nauplii."

 

Sure sounds like the same thing. Note there are 3 species of the Isaurus, can't find reliable pictures of these species on the web. No big deal really, I am satisfied with Isaurus spp. or I. tuberculatus

 

Christine