THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[MeepNand]

Are you planning on adding an index soon, Albert? Repeat questions can be eliminated, leaving more room for cool stuff like eunice worms.

Edited October 15, 2012 by asid61

[albertthiel]

Are you planning on adding an index soon, Albert? Repeat questions can be eliminated, leaving more room for cool stuff like eunice worms.

Yes, working on it, but I have not found a way to do it quickly. I have to go page by page and decide what to index.

 

But one can always use the search feature for now to find what one is looking for. For instance here ia a link to all the messages posted on Aiptasia

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...ite=%2BAiptasia

 

But, yes, an index is in the making ...

 

BTW if you happen to know of a method of creating an index faster asid61 do let me know. I PM'ed the Mods a few times and they did not know of a way to do it, but I did find my whole thread on a link on the Net.

 

I just have to figure out how to save that web page (well there are 96 pages in the web link I found, and I am trying to save that to my laptop in Word or even in plain text format and then work with that to create an index a lot faster and delete messages that do not need to be indexed.

 

I have not found a way to save it other than copying and pasting it all, page by page to a word processor, but that takes just about as much time as looking at the pages one by one here in the forum thread ... if you have any ideas (or if anyone else does), do let me know please

 

Albert

Edited October 15, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Thanks again Albert I just got done reading then re-reading some parts. There are a few things that I'm not getting.

 

The second article covers the amount of kalk solution added at 1 time. It says an acceptable amount to add at once is .25% of your aquariums total volume. My tank is 34 gallon so .25% is .085 gallons. My auto top off kicks on about 10 Times per day. I think I evaporate just under a gallon per day. With these numbers if my auto top off is evenly distributing .5 gallons over 10 times I'm only adding .05 gallons per time and should be well under the .25% guideline they gave.

 

I feel with the information provided and what I read before seeking advise my ph swing should be within an acceptable range, and plan on going the route of using the kalk solution in my ato reservoir.

 

This is where I'm still a little confused. When I make the solution am I suppose to use more kalk than will saturate in water then dilute it with ro/di water to get to a lvl that keeps up with my tanks demands?

 

My pump for my ato sits in the water reservoir. How high up do I need to place the pump to ensure I'm only pulling up clear liquid?

 

The quantity they are referring to is what you can add "all at one time", meaning like all at once ... and what I am talking about is dripping it ... and when you do so people add what is needed to replace the water that has evaporated, and drip in the Kalkwasser in the sump or tank, and if using a pump or float they set the float so that it will kick in the pump when the level goes down a certain amount, and then the pump adds whatever quantity it is set for to the sump (in your case) till the float senses that the water is back to normal.

 

Now you say that your tank evaporates nearly a gallon a day ... that is awfully high IMO, are you sure of that? Indeed you cannot add 1 gallon of KW to a 39 gallon day every day. Your calcium and alkalinity would go way too high.

 

What I suggest you do is do not use the ATO for one day, and then 24 hours later slowly add regular plain saltwater and see how much you have to add to bring the level back to where it needs to be and measure exactly how much you had to add to do so, and then let me know what that amount was. Then we will know exactly what the amount that evaporated was, and we'll go from there.

 

Also the container that holds the clear KW is not the one that you used to prepare the KW in. You prepare the KW in 1 container, and use another one for the KW that will be used to top-off the tank. In that second container you ONLY put the CLEAR liquid .. there should be no powder or very very little in that container.

 

What you do is draw the clear liquid off the container in which you prepared the KW and that is what you add to the second container that is attached to the ATO. That way it does not matter where the intake of the ATO is since it cannot draw any powder but only clear KW. You should also have the intake of the ATO near the bottom of that container so that you draw KW from as low as you can in that container.

 

Keep the intake tubing or whatever you use about 1/4 inch off the bottom of the reservoir in which the KW liquid is.

 

Please do the evaporation test, and once you know exactly how much water evaporates over 24 hours let me know Wspangler. Once I know that amount I'll be able to help you further along.

 

Hope that this makes sense and that you understand what I am asking. If not let me know.

 

Next let me know how you are going to prepare you KW: with or without Vinegar, and how you are going to prepare it and how much KW powder you are going to use.

 

Thanks

 

Albert

Edited October 15, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Link on how to join the FB page for MACNA 2013

 

I received an invite to join the FB page for the next MACNA so that I i will receive updated information on the event each time it is posted to their FB page:

 

Here is the link to that page and I guess if you wish you can join that FB Group page as well if you wish to do so.

 

-- http://www.facebook.com/events/188165884651304/

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

MACNA 2013 Notice posted by Tony Vargas

 

This is Chingchai Uekrongtham current reef aquarium. The attendees at MACNA - Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA 2013) will get a chance to see the build and the care this magnificent aquarium receives.

 

 

 

Spectacular Aquarium indeed ...

 

Are you going to MACNA 2013? I sure am going to try as I have not been to quite a few and since this is the 25th anniversary, I feel it is going to be a "spectacular" event with lots and lots of speakers of high notoriety!

 

Albert

[Weetabix7]

What city will it be in?

[albertthiel]

What city will it be in?

 

Fort Lauderdale

 

Just Google MACNA 2013 and you will get a lot of Links. It's also their 25th Anniversary

 

Albert

[Weetabix7]

Speaking of Eunice Worms, meet Bob.

 

 

 

Bob is a very large Eunice Worm that was pulled out of the LR at one of my LFS's. It just so happened that I had a friend who wanted a Eunice Worm or something similar for a species tank, so I took Bob home and kept him in a small tank on my kitchen counter for a few days before mailing him to the friend. It was quite an adventure.

Bob was somewhere between 18-24" long and VERY scary looking. I'm not ashamed to say that he creeped me out. However, once I got used to him, I realized that he was actually pretty shy. I put some PVC tubes in the tank he was in & he almost always stayed hidden in them. If you look at the pics, you can also see that he had a really pretty bronze irridescence to him as well.

[albertthiel]

Speaking of Eunice Worms, meet Bob.

Bob is a very large Eunice Worm that was pulled out of the LR at one of my LFS's. It just so happened that I had a friend who wanted a Eunice Worm or something similar for a species tank, so I took Bob home and kept him in a small tank on my kitchen counter for a few days before mailing him to the friend. It was quite an adventure.

Bob was somewhere between 18-24" long and VERY scary looking. I'm not ashamed to say that he creeped me out. However, once I got used to him, I realized that he was actually pretty shy. I put some PVC tubes in the tank he was in & he almost always stayed hidden in them. If you look at the pics, you can also see that he had a really pretty bronze irridescence to him as well.

 

Wow Bob is quite some Eunice Worm indeed ... Not my type of critter as I do not keep pest or species tanks but this one I guess has "some" appeal if one is into wormquariums :-)

 

Here's a real nasty looking one :

 

 

Digs himself in the sand and then suddenly pops out at an alarming speed to grab what swims by ...

 

Albert

Edited October 15, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Reef Corals Views and Pictures by Delfino Blue (I)

 

© Delfino Blue and the Photographers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link: http://www.facebook.com/delfino.blu.5

 

Albert

[atoll]

Hi Albert,

Still suffering with this dam cold hence not been around. However I have been trawling through the net looking for a new skimmer for my new tank. The only other item I need to complete my equipment set up is a decent skimmer. The tank did come with a TMC V2 400 skim protein skimmer but they are poor by comparison with many others.

 

I am amazed at the choices of skimmers now available in the hobby in fact far too many and deciding is proving something of a nightmare. I have looked at all the most popular available here in the UK and just as I think I have the one for me another comes to my attention. They used to say to pick a skimmer rated at twice the volume of your tank but that seems not to be the case with many these days. take the Bubble Magus range as an example a couple of which I have been considering. Curve6 Curve5 Nac5.5 Nac 6

 

 

Here is a copy of a post I made on another forum on which as yet I have had no replies.

 

"OK so first off we have the BM C6. Anybody know much about this as I think its quite new, Its a cone skimmer but the cone body is inverted (upside down for the hard of hearing lol)

Also I am looking at the curve 5 with 8watt pump. (which skimmer haven't I looked at) Fish street store is selling a Nac 5.5 (35watt pump) which looks very similar but not the same around the pump to the curve 5. Both are rated up to 500ltrs. Confused? you soon will be.

Can anybody make some sense of this for me?

 

I sent a question to Fish street store a s follows:

 

"Both these BM skimmers (curve 5 and Nac 5.5) are rated at up to 5000ltrs and look very similar so what the difference? Also I see some shops are selling a Nac 5.5 upgrade kit inc some parts and what looks like a different pump. What is that for?"

 

Response from the retailer.

"Hi

 

NAC5.5 is better, since the replacement for the pump is easy, Curve 5 is require back in order from factory if out of warranty"

 

I also asked about the C6 but they replied they are not yet stocking the C6 nor the C5 probably due to the above.

You thoughts and response appreciated. "

 

Anybody want to have a go at making sense of it all

[albertthiel]

Hi Albert,

Still suffering with this dam cold hence not been around. However I have been trawling through the net looking for a new skimmer for my new tank. The only other item I need to complete my equipment set up is a decent skimmer. The tank did come with a TMC V2 400 skim protein skimmer but they are poor by comparison with many others.

 

I am amazed at the choices of skimmers now available in the hobby in fact far too many and deciding is proving something of a nightmare. I have looked at all the most popular available here in the UK and just as I think I have the one for me another comes to my attention. They used to say to pick a skimmer rated at twice the volume of your tank but that seems not to be the case with many these days. take the Bubble Magus range as an example a couple of which I have been considering. Curve6 Curve5 Nac5.5 Nac 6

 

 

Here is a copy of a post I made on another forum on which as yet I have had no replies.

 

"OK so first off we have the BM C6. Anybody know much about this as I think its quite new, Its a cone skimmer but the cone body is inverted (upside down for the hard of hearing lol)

Also I am looking at the curve 5 with 8watt pump. (which skimmer haven't I looked at) Fish street store is selling a Nac 5.5 (35watt pump) which looks very similar but not the same around the pump to the curve 5. Both are rated up to 500ltrs. Confused? you soon will be.

Can anybody make some sense of this for me?

 

I sent a question to Fish street store a s follows:

 

"Both these BM skimmers (curve 5 and Nac 5.5) are rated at up to 5000ltrs and look very similar so what the difference? Also I see some shops are selling a Nac 5.5 upgrade kit inc some parts and what looks like a different pump. What is that for?"

 

Response from the retailer.

"Hi

 

NAC5.5 is better, since the replacement for the pump is easy, Curve 5 is require back in order from factory if out of warranty"

 

I also asked about the C6 but they replied they are not yet stocking the C6 nor the C5 probably due to the above.

You thoughts and response appreciated. "

 

Anybody want to have a go at making sense of it all

 

Sorry to read you are still not feeling well ... must be a real "nasty" flu indeed ... I guess it just takes time to get out of one's system and not much of what we do, except rest, is going to make a difference in speeding up one's recovery. So take it easy ...

 

On the skimmers : yes there are currently so many around that making the right decision is becoming more and more difficult because of all the choices and often the lack of enough information on them that is available.

 

And of course now they have the ones with the improved impeller, the Needle Wheel ones (my Prism has an impeller with 18 tabs on it).

 

BTW does what you are looking for have to fit in your sump and if so how much space do you have for the skimmer and after I know that I'll have a look around and see what I can come up with.

 

Gee the responses you got are just about useless IMO, and they don't seem to answer your questions.

 

I'll look around, but ... other readers may have some suggestions ...

 

More later and take care of yourself ...

 

Albert

[Weetabix7]

You were discussing Berghia Nudibranchs a few days ago, so I thought I'd post this old pic I took of one.

The perspective here is actually from the underside of it's body, since it was gliding across the front glass of the tank when this pic was taken.

 

[jedimasterben]

Bob was somewhere between 18-24" long and VERY scary looking. I'm not ashamed to say that he creeped me out.

My little 1.5-2" mantis scares the living bejeezus out of me.

[albertthiel]

You were discussing Berghia Nudibranchs a few days ago, so I thought I'd post this old pic I took of one.

The perspective here is actually from the underside of it's body, since it was gliding across the front glass of the tank when this pic was taken.

 

 

Nice shot of what seems to be a fairly large one ... close to the top of the waterline it seems (or is that just due to how the pic is taken).

 

For those who are looking to get one or more, this is a good pic indeed and shows its color well, so that one does not confuse it with the darker and similar ones which are predators and not Berghias.

 

Thanks

 

Albert

[Weetabix7]

My little 1.5-2" mantis scares the living bejeezus out of me.

 

He was scary, but fascinating at the same time. The really interesting part was packaging him up and shipping him.

 

Here's a couple shots of a cool Caribbean Nudi that lives in and feeds on the Macroalgae there:

 

 

 

Nice shot of what seems to be a fairly large one ... close to the top of the waterline it seems (or is that just due to how the pic is taken).

 

For those who are looking to get one or more, this is a good pic indeed and shows its color well, so that one does not confuse it with the darker and similar ones which are predators and not Berghias.

 

Thanks

 

Albert

 

Right at the top of the waterline, yes.

It was a beautiful and graceful creature, actually, and snow white. It was quite interesting (and gratifying!) to watch it attack and devour aiptasia.

[atoll]

Sorry to read you are still not feeling well ... must be a real "nasty" flu indeed ... I guess it just takes time to get out of one's system and not much of what we do, except rest, is going to make a difference in speeding up one's recovery. So take it easy ...

 

Thanks Albert I am feeling better today but guess it will be a few days more before I am free of this cold.

 

BTW does what you are looking for have to fit in your sump and if so how much space do you have for the skimmer and after I know that I'll have a look around and see what I can come up with.

There is plenty of space esp head room in my sump 31" tall cabinet with a 12" above the top of the sump.

 

Gee the responses you got are just about useless IMO, and they don't seem to answer your questions.

 

I'll look around, but ... other readers may have some suggestions ...

 

More later and take care of yourself ...

 

Albert

 

Yep hence I have just sent the following email to Bubble magus.

"Hi, I am considering one of your skimmers either the Nac5.5 or the Curve 5. Bot are rated with similar spec apart from the pumps. My system with sump has a total of 300ltrs and I have no issues with cabinet height which houses my sump. can you advice which skimmer would be best suitable?

 

Thank you.

 

Les. "

 

We will see what they come back with but it seems very strange they have 2 very similar skimmers to offer rated the same apart from the choice of pumps.

 

Les.

Edited October 15, 2012 by atoll

[albertthiel]

My little 1.5-2" mantis scares the living bejeezus out of me.

 

They can be pretty scary looking indeed as I look at some of the pics posted on various threads. Never kept one but then I have not been keeping pest tanks and have never found one that HH'ed into one of my tanks in the past, and none in the one I now have.

 

But I do have a nice Black Stomatella ... of course it is mostly in hiding during the day but sometimes it comes out and when I see it I post some pics of it as I did a few days ago .. nice and black and real slow as it crawls over the LR.

 

Don't think I'll get into Mantis any time soon :-)

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

He was scary, but fascinating at the same time. The really interesting part was packaging him up and shipping him.

 

Here's a couple shots of a cool Caribbean Nudi that lives in and feeds on the Macroalgae there:

 

 

 

Right at the top of the waterline, yes.

It was a beautiful and graceful creature, actually, and snow white. It was quite interesting (and gratifying!) to watch it attack and devour aiptasia.

 

I can imagine indeed that catching him is quite a job ... guess you must have used a trap of some sort as otherwise they are not easy to catch unless you remove all the rock from the tank or nearly all of it till you can get him out.

 

Nice shots of those Nudis feeding on Algae ... is that from one of your tanks or are those from others. If you had them in one of your tanks, how fast where they munching through all the algae ? Guess rather slowly.

 

And yes that Berghia was a real good shot of what it really looks like. Thanks for posting that pic and the ones of the algae eating ones ... any ID on those perhaps ?

 

Albert

[Weetabix7]

I can imagine indeed that catching him is quite a job ... guess you must have used a trap of some sort as otherwise they are not easy to catch unless you remove all the rock from the tank or nearly all of it till you can get him out.

 

Nice shots of those Nudis feeding on Algae ... is that from one of your tanks or are those from others. If you had them in one of your tanks, how fast where they munching through all the algae ? Guess rather slowly.

 

And yes that Berghia was a real good shot of what it really looks like. Thanks for posting that pic and the ones of the algae eating ones ... any ID on those perhaps ?

 

Albert

 

I don't remember the name on the green one, although the pics were from my tank.

John from ReefCleaners & I were doing some experiments with some of the more unusual macroalgaes from the Caribbean and that Nudi came to me on a shipment of Macro from John. I know that it's natural diet was certain types of Caulerpa.

It ate slowly enough that I really didn't mind keeping it in my tank. The caulerpa grew fast enough to keep up w/it's feeding rate. It even laid eggs in the tank at one point, but they never hatched.

When I broke down my tank, I sent it to a friend along with the Macro it lived in, but it died in his tank after just a few days.

[albertthiel]

Thanks Albert I am feeling better today but guess it will be a few days more before I am free of this cold.

There is plenty of space esp head room in my sump 31" tall cabinet with a 12" above the top of the sump.

Yep hence I have just sent the following email to Bubble magus.

"Hi, I am considering one of your skimmers either the Nac5.5 or the Curve 5. Bot are rated with similar spec apart from the pumps. My system with sump has a total of 300ltrs and I have no issues with cabinet height which houses my sump. can you advice which skimmer would be best suitable?

 

Thank you.

Les. "

 

We will see what they come back with but it seems very strange they have 2 very similar skimmers to offer rated the same apart from the choice of pumps.

Les.

 

Glad to read you are feeling a little better ... so you'll be in top shape to start moving everything from one tank to the other ... maybe in a day or two ... that is unless impatience takes over :-)

 

Well if you have a large amount of space for the skimmer than you should be able to find a real nice large and powerful one for the tank ... I'll look around what I can find here and let you know later this morning (well this morning US time).

 

And on your email to them ... it will be interesting to see what they come back with.

 

BTW Ben has a large monster skimmer he is using but I would have to go to his thread and find the post where he showed a picture of it ... it seems like the kind you are going to need. The bigger the better as you can always adjust it so you do not over skim.

 

Thanks for the update ...

 

If you find anything let us know (with pics) ..

 

Albert

[atoll]

Bubble magus C5

 

Needlewheel protein skimmer

CURVE 5

Capability : 500L(140G)

pump: ROCK - SP1000

Pump power: 8W, 220V 50Hz /110V 60Hz

Dimensions: 185×180×470mm(7.28" * 7.08" * 18.5")

Water Level :9.5"-11"

 

 

 

Bubble magus 5.5

 

needlewheel protein skimmer

C5.5

Capability : 300L-500L (80G-135G)

pump:SP 2000 (made in china)

Pump power: 16W, 220V 50Hz /110V 60Hz

air intake : 520L/H

Dimensions:220*145*520 mm ( 8.66" * 5.7" * 20.4 ")

cylinder: 5"

Water Level :9.5"-11"

 

Not a lot of difference to be honest apart from the pumps and pump are both are rated with the same capacity. The Rock pump also rated at just 8w the SP pump at 16W

 

No wonder it proving not so easy to pick a skimmer even from the same manufacturer.

 

BTW the 5.5 cost here £112.69p inc shipping etc.

The Curve 5 costs. £169.99 so my guess is the pumps are what make the major difference in price.

 

I suspect the Rock pump is a better? more expensive pump.

Les.

Edited October 15, 2012 by atoll

[albertthiel]

I don't remember the name on the green one, although the pics were from my tank.

John from ReefCleaners & I were doing some experiments with some of the more unusual macroalgaes from the Caribbean and that Nudi came to me on a shipment of Macro from John. I know that it's natural diet was certain types of Caulerpa.

It ate slowly enough that I really didn't mind keeping it in my tank. The caulerpa grew fast enough to keep up w/it's feeding rate. It even laid eggs in the tank at one point, but they never hatched.

When I broke down my tank, I sent it to a friend along with the Macro it lived in, but it died in his tank after just a few days.

 

I kind of figured that eating would be slow and as you say Caulerpa grows fast so I understand that there was no depletion of food.

 

The Caulerpa looks like C serrulata ...

 

Pity it did not make it in the friend's tank ... he may not have acclimated it well enough perhaps, but who knows. It's hard to tell ...

 

Thanks for the additional info and if you look up C serrulata I think you will find that that is the one shown on the picture, unless I am grossly mistaken

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Bubble magus C5

 

Needlewheel protein skimmer

CURVE 5

Capability : 500L(140G)

pump: ROCK - SP1000

Pump power: 8W, 220V 50Hz /110V 60Hz

Dimensions: 185×180×470mm(7.28" * 7.08" * 18.5")

Water Level :9.5"-11"

 

 

 

Bubble magus 5.5

 

needlewheel protein skimmer

C5.5

Capability : 300L-500L (80G-135G)

pump:SP 2000 (made in china)

Pump power: 16W, 220V 50Hz /110V 60Hz

air intake : 520L/H

Dimensions:220*145*520 mm ( 8.66" * 5.7" * 20.4 ")

cylinder: 5"

Water Level :9.5"-11"

 

Not a lot of difference to be honest apart from the pumps and pump area both are rated with the same capacity. The Rock pump also rated at just 8w the SP pump at 16W

 

No wonder it proving not so easy to pick a skimmer even from the same manufacturer.

 

BTW the 5.5 cost here £112.69p inc shipping etc.

The Curve 5 costs. £169.99 so my guess is the pumps are what make the major difference in price.

 

I suspect the Rock pump is a better? more expensive pump.

Les.

 

Les the inside looks different and also the venturi in both is not the same although that may not be an issue, but the inside in one is totally different from the other one.

 

Cannot see it clearly but is one a double wall one, where the water has to circulate a longer time through that one maybe ?

 

I would ask them that too or if you can call them if they have a rep in the UK you may be able to get the info that way.

 

I saw them some weeks ago and they were not in stock if I remember correctly here. Not sure where they are made but in the back of mind it seems that I read Hong Kong somewhere.

 

Anyway their answer to your emails may tell you more but do ask about the inside difference and whether one is a double wall and the other one not ...

 

Albert

[atoll]

Les the inside looks different and also the venturi in both is not the same although that may not be an issue, but the inside in one is totally different from the other one.

 

Cannot see it clearly but is one a double wall one, where the water has to circulate a longer time through that one maybe ?

 

I would ask them that too or if you can call them if they have a rep in the UK you may be able to get the info that way.

 

I saw them some weeks ago and they were not in stock if I remember correctly here. Not sure where they are made but in the back of mind it seems that I read Hong Kong somewhere.

 

Anyway their answer to your emails may tell you more but do ask about the inside difference and whether one is a double wall and the other one not ...

 

Albert

 

 

Thanks and yes Albert I have studied the differences and looking again at the pic's I am not sure if the C5 has a double wall or if that is just reflection or even the thickness of the acrylic used. I have not seen any reference to the C5 being a double wall but will do some more delving on the net to try and find out.

Thanks for your observations Given one is called the 5.5 you would be forgiven in thinking that was some kind of an upgrade to the C5 but of course manufacturers don't always think in a logical way to the hobbyist.

 

Les..