THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[Paul.b]

Huge Manta Rays and Paul ... all those sharks! You would love it. Imagine being stuck in the thick of it .. you would love it I think.

 

Yes I would. That is why you go diving, if I want to see mandarins I can look in my tank, but I don\'t normally keep manta rays and hammar head sharks. Can\'t afford the food.

 

Crashing Helicopters ... you\'ll have to tell us more about that experience and at the Great Barrier Reef on top of it. Wow that must have been some experience

Crashing is not as much fun as actually staying in the air but it has it\'s moments. I crashed in both of these, that is me in the LOH or light observation helocopter in my more studlier days.

I will try to explain these incidences when I have time and being I don\'t want to pay for those helocopters, I will have to leave a little out.

 

The Barrier Reef I went to diring R&R from Nam. I met a girl there and she took me SCUBA diving for the first time. Her Dad owned a large beautiful boat and she took me out, for a week.

The first dive we went to a restaurant and the diving was free, all you had to do was to give them the fish you caught. We were out about 1/4 mile and I had a lobster but she had a string of bloody fish that she speared. We were kicking back to the beach and I heard automatic gunfire. I kind of knew exactly what that souinded like after just having spent 10 months in the jungle so I was a little scared. I said

\"Whats that\" in not so calm words. She said not to worrk because they are shooting the sharks.

I said \"What Sharks?\" Aparently I was a lot more scared of sharks then. She told me there is this big net around Sydney Harbor and if a big shark gets caught in it, it tears up the net, so they shoot it with a machine gun. Very nice. That is the first time I swam at 60 mph

 

Edited November 21, 2012 by Paul.b

[albertthiel]

I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving Day ... and to use a cliche: Don't eat too much beef oh ... oops Turkey !

 

Enjoy ...

 

 

And of course remember that one of the Countries that does NOT celebrate Thanksgiving is Turkey !

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Yes I would. That is why you go diving, if I want to see mandarins I can look in my tank, but I don\'t normally keep manta rays and hammar head sharks. Can\'t afford the food.

 

 

Crashing is not as much fun as actually staying in the air but it has it\'s moments. I crashed in both of these, that is me in the LOH or light observation helocopter in my more studlier days.

I will try to explain these incidences when I have time and being I don\'t want to pay for those helocopters, I will have to leave a little out.

 

The Barrier Reef I went to diring R&R from Nam. I met a girl there and she took me SCUBA diving for the first time. Her Dad owned a large beautiful boat and she took me out, for a week.

The first dive we went to a restaurant and the diving was free, all you had to do was to give them the fish you caught. We were out about 1/4 mile and I had a lobster but she had a string of bloody fish that she speared. We were kicking back to the beach and I heard automatic gunfire. I kind of knew exactly what that souinded like after just having spent 10 months in the jungle so I was a little scared. I said

\"Whats that\" in not so calm words. She said not to worrk because they are shooting the sharks.

I said \"What Sharks?\" Aparently I was a lot more scared of sharks then. She told me there is this big net around Sydney Harbor and if a big shark gets caught in it, it tears up the net, so they shoot it with a machine gun. Very nice. That is the first time I swam at 60 mph

 

Indeed feeding them would get a little costly :-) but wouldn't it be fun to have a Manta Ray tank ? Something new to think about :-)

 

Gee what a story on those sharks and the shooting of them ... and from Nam to the Barrier reef is quite a trip for R&R ... it's not around the corner ...

 

Must have been nice to go out on a large boat for a week ... and dive I guess is what you did :-) unless of course that is what caused the Helicopters to crash, no I got this wrong ... but thanks for sharing Paul.

 

Nice copters too especially #2 .. that would be great to transport those Manta Rays btw :-)

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Rare Reef and a Link to a Huge Selection of Pictures of Clams,

 

Corals and Fish

 

Super Looking ones too !

 

Check it out

 

Link : http://www.tropical-live-import.de/galerie...3&gallery=4

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Alkalinity for Marine and Reef Tanks and pH

 

© Anthony Calfo and wetwebmedia

 

What is alkalinity really and what is the pH .... how can hobbyists affect them and what do you need to know about them?

 

I have posted many article links on this subject and this is yet another look at it and a detailed explanation that may help some of the readers of this thread.

 

Because this article is plain text apparently and does not have paragraphs breaks, you may wish to copy and paste it in a word processor and add some breaks to make reading a lot easier, whether you do so or not is up to you but the article is definitely worth reading.

 

Link : http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alkalinity.htm

 

Albert

[Mr. Microscope]

Albert, can I get your opinion on this?

 

Awesome Idea!..one major flaw.., Please help!

[albertthiel]

A N N O U N C E M E N T

 

This evening at 10:00 EST, Nov 21st, I will be interviewed by Ray Owczarzak on the :

 

Under The Sea Radio Show for the Majestic Aquarium Hour

 

To join all you need to do is click on the Link listed lower in this post, a little before 10 EST and you will automatically be connected and get the Audio.

 

Here are the links to the show if you want to listen to the show on blogtalkradio.com then click on this link

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wm-aquacultur...o-reef-hobbyist

 

The other link that Albert posted yesterday is for the http://www.underthesearadioshow.com website which people can visit at anytime after the discussion has occured it will be there

 

http://underthesearadioprogram.yolasite.co...ef-hobbyist.php

 

We look forward to having listeners listen in on the program and do not forget to visit the website for the under the sea radio show at http://www.underthesearadioshow.com for other information about aquarium keeping.

 

Thank you

 

Mary Fetters

Show Administrator

Under The Sea Radio Show

www.underthesearadioshow.com

 

• • Reposted by Albert on 11/21 • •

Edited November 22, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Albert, can I get your opinion on this?

 

Awesome Idea!..one major flaw.., Please help!

 

Yes it is not that difficult to fix actually but it requires a more expensive valve ... and I will go to your thread and reply there and post it here as well ...

 

If you have any further questions just post them here.

 

For those who want to read my answer here is what i suggested :

 

Yes you are right check valves are not always that reliable because the ball that seats itself in the O-ring can get fouled by dirt and the valve will not check properly and still let water through, or the O-ring can disintegrate over time due to the saltwater.

 

So here are some thoughts for you :

 

Get a true union check valve that has a saltwater resistant O-ring where the ball that close off the flow can sit itself in and stop any downward flow. Instead of rubber you probably want a Teflon O-ring instead

 

Clean the Check valve's inside at least once a week to remove slime and detritus.

 

Of course to open up the check valve and not have any water come down you need a Ball Valve right above it so you can close the ball valve and then open up the check valve (keep in mind that there will be water coming out that is in the pipe space between the ball valve and the check valve.

 

So now comes the suggested solution : what you need is an electrically actuated ball valve that is tied to a small float switch in the tank (and you can get real small ones).

 

The float switch controls the electrical ball valve ... when the tank is full and the water is high enough, electrical current is passing through and the electrical ball valve remains open so the water can be pushed back to the tank.

 

Should the pump fail and should the check valve not work and stop the water from flowing down, the level in the tank will go down. The float switch will sense that and the lever will go down and cut the current to the electrical ball valve.

 

In essence when the electrical ball valve does not get current it will close itself and no more water will flow down.

 

There are two types : always open and always closed.

 

What you want is an always open one when it receives current ... so that when it does not receive current due to the float switch having sensed that the level in the tank is going down, and the float switch level cutting the electrical connection (which is of course on the outside of the tank), the ball valve will close.

 

The only issue with all of this is that electrical actuated ball valves are not cheap and also that they have PSI ratings of how much pressure on them they can handle, but with a Nano that should IMO not be a problem.

 

Grainger and companies like that sell those valves and I am sure there are plenty more.

 

The reason I know that this works is that when I used to be in the business and install very large custom tanks we used that system and those valves and sometimes even put two on them one after the other to be on the safe side more than 100%.

 

Of course when you want to clean the check valve you will have to get the ball valve to close first and most of them have a manual override that you can use to do so.

 

Hope this helps. Note: the explanation obviously assumes that he has a sump from where the water is pumped back into the tank

 

Albert

Edited November 21, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Response to a Question that was asked via PM : Albert was do you suggest I use to lower my phosphates as I am starting to get algae to grow that I do not want. Is it better to use GFO or the other compound that i think is aluminum oxide? Thanks ... ...

 

Well, which one you use is entirely up to you as both have their pros and cons as was outlined in links to articles I posted about them some time ago, and which are listed again below.

 

Here is a link to the GFO one: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php

 

And one to the Aluminum Oxide: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/7/chemistry

 

I have to add that even though both articles mention that iron in the GFO case, and Aluminum in the other case, leach into the water and may or can irritate corals, I have used both, and have never had or seen any negative reactions to their use in any corals.

 

Both are effective, and it would appear that even though more hobbyists use the GFO one, the advantage of the Aluminum oxide is that it also removes silicates.

 

So IMO you can use whichever one you feel more comfortable with after maybe reading the articles that I posted links to.

 

Both will lower your Phosphates, and will hopefully lower it enough so you no longer have to deal with nuisance algae. Remember that you also need to ensure that your nitrates are low and using an appropriate compound combined with water changes should help in lowering both NO3 and PO4

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

A N N O U N C E M E N T:

 

To Call or Not To Call the Show Number

 

To listen to the show's audio all you need to do is click the link below.

 

If you want to ask a question however you need to call the station's number (949) 534-0637 which is a California number.

 

This show is at 10:00 EST tonight: Under The Sea Radio Show for the Majestic Aquarium Hour

 

Here are the links to the show if you want to listen to the show on blogtalkradio.com then click on this link

 

Click Here to Connect and Listen to the Show

 

If you cannot log on tonight you can listen to the recording of the show by clicking on the following link after the show is over :

 

http://underthesearadioprogram.yolasite.co...ef-hobbyist.php

 

Albert

Edited November 22, 2012 by albertthiel

[albertthiel]

Kenya Tree (Capnella spp.) in my Tank

 

Some time ago I received a few corals from David (dling) a member of this Forum. One of them was a small Kenya Tree attached to a rather large rock right next to a large Cabbage Coral.

 

The Kenya Tree coral was small, less than an inch, more like 3/4 inch, and with only a few branches attached to the main trunk of the coral.

 

Since I go it that coral has grown far more than I expected it to grow and now has branches that extend well over 1 inch when it is fully open, shortly after the light come on.

 

Below is a picture I took earlier today of what it looks like now:

 

 

 

Albert

[gena]

I'm all set up to listen to the show!!!!!! Good luck!!!!

[pschom]

Hey Albert. Just wanted to update you on my algae issue. Yes it's against the norm and it doesn't mak a whole lot of sense...but here's what I posted on my tank thread earlier.

 

I've been using Seachem salt for a few months. During that few months I've had crazy algae blooms, weird colorations, overall wasnt really happy with the way things looked. I ran out of Seachem and this last water change was done with Reef Crystals. It took 2.25 cups of Seachem to mic a 5 gallon bucket. It took almost 4, maybe more, cups of Reef Crystals to do the same. BUT, since that water change the tank has never been clearer. Algae is isolated to lower flow areas. I have an acro that has been through a lot. Since this water change its tips have noticeably grown and increased in color so much so that I keep looking at it in amazement.

 

So I don't know how a certain salt could increase algae growth. We will see how it goes and if it lasts. I didn't change anything other than the salt on this last water change.

Edited November 22, 2012 by pschom

[albertthiel]

I'm all set up to listen to the show!!!!!! Good luck!!!!

 

Thank you for tuning in . We just finished at about 11:30 ... Hope you enjoyed it Gena.

 

Albert

[gena]

Thank you for tuning in . We just finished at about 11:30 ... Hope you enjoyed it Gena.

 

Albert

I listened to the entire thing!!!! I'm baking pumpkin pie and doing other preparations in the kitchen. It was enjoyable to listen to your show at the same time You did a fantastic job!!!!!

[albertthiel]

I listened to the entire thing!!!! I'm baking pumpkin pie and doing other preparations in the kitchen. It was enjoyable to listen to your show at the same time You did a fantastic job!!!!!

 

Thank you kindly .. I am glad you enjoyed it ... I hope anyone else who listened in did too. I did.

 

Interesting concept it is actually and as you probably heard I will be back on again probably in a few weeks or so but on more specific topics from now on which I think is a good idea

 

Again thanks

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Hey Albert. Just wanted to update you on my algae issue. Yes it's against the norm and it doesn't mak a whole lot of sense...but here's what I posted on my tank thread earlier.

 

I've been using Seachem salt for a few months. During that few months I've had crazy algae blooms, weird colorations, overall wasnt really happy with the way things looked. I ran out of Seachem and this last water change was done with Reef Crystals. It took 2.25 cups of Seachem to mic a 5 gallon bucket. It took almost 4, maybe more, cups of Reef Crystals to do the same. BUT, since that water change the tank has never been clearer. Algae is isolated to lower flow areas. I have an acro that has been through a lot. Since this water change its tips have noticeably grown and increased in color so much so that I keep looking at it in amazement.

 

So I don't know how a certain salt could increase algae growth. We will see how it goes and if it lasts. I didn't change anything other than the salt on this last water change.

 

Yes I have seen that happen indeed with other salts too, where people reported that using a particular salt would lead them to get cyano or algae outbreaks, and when they changed salt that the cyanos and/or GHA and other nuisance algae went away.

 

In fact I think that Randy Holmes-Farley documented it in one of his articles, that when he tested one salt he got such outbreaks as well, and then with another one he did not. I know I posted that article on the thread here but I'll have to look for it. Just finished the Radio show about 20 minutes or so ago.

 

So on the salt, the impurities in the salt are IMO what brings that about, and the solution may be that with some salts one has to let them sit for longer, and let them settle more, and then only use the clear portion, and if there are sediments make sure that those are not added to the tank.

 

I use Red Sea Pro and although I have seen posts where people report that the buckets in which they prepare their salt develop dark looking sediments, I have not had that same experience myself.

 

I prepare the salt and use it after about 12 hours, maybe if it were to sit for longer it would show sediment as well, not sure, I will have to try that out and see whether I get the same kind of sediment but so far that has not happened to me.

 

Hopefully now that you have changed salts your algae will slowly die off and your issue will resolve itself.

 

Maybe the Seachem does have some components in it that lead to algae growth, just as what Randy found with what I believe was either Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals. I will have to look for the article and when I find it I'll send you a note about it.

 

As to the quantity ... I think that may have to do with the grain size of the salt, where the finer ones require fewer cups to make up the 5 gallons (as you do) than the ones that have a larger grain size and require more.

 

OTOH the composition of the salt to arrive at the desired s.g. may also be a factor that differs between salts and usually the manufacturers have instructions on their packaging on how much it will take to get to a specific s.g.

 

Red Sea Pro does, and when I use the quantity that is listed on the bucket I get exactly what it says that I should be getting.

 

BTW did you get a chance to listen in to the Radio Show ? It lasted 90 minutes and I think it went pretty well.

 

Once the link is up to the recording of it I will post it here on the thread as I looked a few minutes ago and it was not listed yet.

 

And on your algae problem please keep me posted. Thanks pschom

 

Albert

[atoll]

Morning Albert,

Didn't catch you show live as it was on around 3am here but will catch it later when I can. I hope it was a great success which I gather i must have been if they have invited you back. Another busy day for me today so it might even be tomorrow before I can sit down and listen to your show. My external thermostat is up and running after a few difficulties understanding how to wire it in. It is working well now and will post pic's as soon as I can. The thermostat is a ATC 800+ which will also control fans when I get round to installing them.

[albertthiel]

Morning Albert,

Didn't catch you show live as it was on around 3am here but will catch it later when I can. I hope it was a great success which I gather i must have been if they have invited you back. Another busy day for me today so it might even be tomorrow before I can sit down and listen to your show. My external thermostat is up and running after a few difficulties understanding how to wire it in. It is working well now and will post pic's as soon as I can. The thermostat is a ATC 800+ which will also control fans when I get round to installing them.

 

Yes it went very well Les and indeed I have been asked back to talk on more specific topics. The show lasted for about 90 minutes which is 30 more than what was scheduled and I enjoyed every minute of it. The link with the recorded version should be up and running by now I assume but I have not check yet but will do so in a few.

 

Good to read you got that external thermostat figured out and wired ... now you don't have to worry about your heaters frying ...

 

It's Thanksgiving here today so we are going to some friends later today for a usual Turkey meal ... so I'll be out for a good part of the day after 2 pm or so.

 

TTYL

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Morning Albert,

Didn't catch you show live as it was on around 3am here but will catch it later when I can. I hope it was a great success which I gather i must have been if they have invited you back.

Les and All who read this thread :

 

The recorded audio of the show is now up and installed as I just tried it out.

 

Go to -> http://underthesearadioprogram.yolasite.co...-radio-blog.php ..- and on the right in the Blogtalk Radio screen you see below, click on the little arrow in the circle and you should start hearing the talk from last night that, as I said, lasted for about 90 minutes. Great show and I really enjoyed being on it and will be back in a few weeks I guess, that time to talk about a more specific topic each time I am on the show.

 

 

Enjoy if you decide to listen ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Introduction to Deep Sand Beds for the Natural Marine Aquarium

 

© Anthony Calfo and wetwebmedia

 

Includes a discussion on NNR (Natural Nitrate Reduction) and why some DSB's fail with the reasons why. Not because DSB's do not work but because they were not properly set up to begin with.

 

Link : Access to the DSB Deep Sand Bed Article by A. Calfo

 

Albert

[Weetabix7]

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

[albertthiel]

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

Thanks a zillion and all the same to you. Hope you feel ok and also that you figured out what the third dish is going to be .. :-)

 

Did you get to listen to the Radio Show last night ?

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Elimination of a Predatory Nudibranch On Montipora spp.

 

© by Tracy Gray & reeffarmers

 

Most experienced hobbyists have encountered nudibranchs in live rock or seen the occasional nudibranch being sold at the local fish store.

 

The majority have also found that keeping these creatures long term is difficult at best.

 

However, one occasionally encounters the unwelcome predatory nudibranch.

 

Such a nudibranch has recently turned up in my reef tank. In my case, it was actually a bunch of nudibranchs and they were feasting on my favorite Montipora spongodes.

 

Link : http://www.reeffarmers.com/tracygraynudi01.htm

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Stony Coral Pigments, Algae Pigments and Captive Lighting

 

© Steve Tyree

 

The article linked below deals with Steve's analysis of various pigments found in coral zoox, the effect and efficiency of certain MH bulbs, and their effect on light absorption by certain pigments in different species of Symbiodinium algae that live symbiotically within corals.

 

Since wavelength absorption data are given the findings can be applied to LED lighting that emits the same kind of nm wavelengths.

 

Link : http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/s_tyree_060202.html

 

Albert