THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[albertthiel]

I circled where it's hiding, you can kind of see it. I knew, the quality of my phone sucks Im sorry :/

 

this one, I added white dots where I could see them on the uploaded picture to make them stand out more. no wonder it hides with the light being so bright. I wonder why it hasn't come out of that hole and gone to the underside? I thought they didn't like bright light :/

 

while I'm at it, this little guy turned up today. he's been all over the front of the rock, and I'm hoping he stays where i can see him because he's adorable.

 

also, now that I caught a quick glimpse of it, it is orange-ish in the center, not pink. Still not sure which to think it is, but I'm thrilled to have it either way. I was kind of jealous of the people that had them.

 

Nicole yes they are quite nice but you do need to be aware of the fact that they are very powerful stingers and can stun fish and damage other corals if they are too close ... so as it grows make sure that it is not close to anything that it could harm.

 

I remembered from the past that I had issues them and looked for some info on it and it is briefly reviewed in the Article below by Julian Sprung which also at the end of the article explains the difference and varying feeding modes of the Corynactis versus the Pseudocorynactis. They go by quite a few common names such as Strawberry anemone or Orange Ball one.

 

Corynactis stays fairly small whereas the Pseudo one can get much larger as is described in the article

 

Link :

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/10/inverts

 

Albert

[andi.rahl]

Nicole yes they are quite nice but you do need to be aware of the fact that they are very powerful stingers and can stun fish and damage other corals if they are too close ... so as it grows make sure that it is not close to anything that it could harm.

 

I remembered from the past that I had issues them and looked for some info on it and it is briefly reviewed in the Article below by Julian Sprung which also at the end of the article explains the difference and varying feeding modes of the Corynactis versus the Pseudocorynactis. They go by quite a few common names such as Strawberry anemone or Orange Ball one.

 

Corynactis stays fairly small whereas the Pseudo one can get much larger as is described in the article

 

Link :

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/10/inverts

 

Albert

yeah, I know :/ I'm hoping that it'll eventually move somewhere else when it gets bigger - I might try directly feeding it and see if I get any response. The tiny bivalve and the one that has coraline all over it are on that part of the rock I don't want it to grow up and eat them, I'd be devastated if I lost the bigger bivalve since I've grown really attached to it; I almost cried a few days after the incident because I thought I was losing it.

 

it's too small to tell which it is, though :/ I'm hoping it's a corynactis. I read that article a while back while I was googling them, and again when I was trying to get the spelling to tell you what I found with the light.

[albertthiel]

yeah, I know :/ I'm hoping that it'll eventually move somewhere else when it gets bigger - I might try directly feeding it and see if I get any response. The tiny bivalve and the one that has coraline all over it are on that part of the rock I don't want it to grow up and eat them, I'd be devastated if I lost the bigger bivalve since I've grown really attached to it; I almost cried a few days after the incident because I thought I was losing it.

 

it's too small to tell which it is, though :/ I'm hoping it's a corynactis. I read that article a while back while I was googling them, and again when I was trying to get the spelling to tell you what I found with the light.

 

Yes at this point it is indeed too small to tell which one it really is but as it develops more you should be able to tell ..

 

Hopefully it is the lesser aggressive one of the two and will leave whatever else is in the tank alone and in peace ...

 

Albert

[atoll]

Just done my first real big clean of my skimmer and it took me around 1.1/2 hours to take apart then clean reassemble and make a small mod so the outlet from my pearl reactor was much closer to the inlet of the skimmer intake. My skimmer is a Bubble Magus Curve 5 which I have been very pleased with.

 

There was quite a bit of gunk in and around the pump and skimmer chamber as you can imagine after around 8 months of use. I also took some pic's as quite a while ago Albert asked me to take some of the needle wheel impeller which I have of course. I also took a few more of some of the parts that make up the skimmer.

 

The skimmer is now back in the tank and I just have to let it settle back in and adjust it. BTW the skimmer only has one adjustment and that is the water flow into the skimmer from the internal pump. You control the water level in the skimmers body. This makes adjustments something of a doddle. I will post the pic's once I have down loaded them and before I go to work I hope.

 

Les.

[albertthiel]

Just done my first real big clean of my skimmer and it took me around 1.1/2 hours to take apart then clean reassemble and make a small mod so the outlet from my pearl reactor was much closer to the inlet of the skimmer intake. My skimmer is a Bubble Magus Curve 5 which I have been very pleased with.

 

There was quite a bit of gunk in and around the pump and skimmer chamber as you can imagine after around 8 months of use. I also took some pic's as quite a while ago Albert asked me to take some of the needle wheel impeller which I have of course. I also took a few more of some of the parts that make up the skimmer.

 

The skimmer is now back in the tank and I just have to let it settle back in and adjust it. BTW the skimmer only has one adjustment and that is the water flow into the skimmer from the internal pump. You control the water level in the skimmers body. This makes adjustments something of a doddle. I will post the pic's once I have down loaded them and before I go to work I hope.

 

Les.

 

Wow that was quite a cleaning exercise you undertook Les ... and yes I can imagine the amount of gunk inside after running it for 6 months ... and probably quite pungent too ...

 

And you have a real good memory as I asked that question about the pics of the impeller quite some time ago

 

Thanks for posting the pics when you "get around to it" as they say

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Last night I was cowering in bed under the covers as I heard this huge fight coming from the tank. There was water splashing, bottles breaking, chains swinging and curses flying. I was afraid to look, as I knew there was bloodshed.
But this morning as I peered in with my little critter light, (that I love by the way) I didn't see much blood but I did notice my striped gobi, the cute one, laying in his tunnel with the shrimp, I could tell he was knocked out as he was sweating profusely. The bully was no where to be found and may have left town. I may have more information when the lights come on. If they still work after the melee.

This is one of the bullys when he is not picking on someone smaller than he is. I am not sure if this is the guy that evicted them the second time as there are some in there that I don't even know where they came from and just crashed my tank.

http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/IMG_1585.jpg.html'>

No, this is him, I am sure of it. Now I also have to worry about that other guy. Maybe I should buy 10 shrimps
http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/IMG_1329.jpg.html'>

[albertthiel]

Last night I was cowering in bed under the covers as I heard this huge fight coming from the tank. There was water splashing, bottles breaking, chains swinging and curses flying. I was afraid to look, as I knew there was bloodshed.

 

But this morning as I peered in with my little critter light, (that I love by the way) I didn't see much blood but I did notice my striped gobi, the cute one, laying in his tunnel with the shrimp, I could tell he was knocked out as he was sweating profusely. The bully was no where to be found and may have left town. I may have more information when the lights come on. If they still work after the melee.

 

This is one of the bullys when he is not picking on someone smaller than he is. I am not sure if this is the guy that evicted them the second time as there are some in there that I don't even know where they came from and just crashed my tank.

 

 

No, this is him, I am sure of it. Now I also have to worry about that other guy. Maybe I should buy 10 shrimps

 

Gee Paul it seems like those white worms may have some "energizing" effect on your fish as the amount of activity they exhibit seems to be getting greater and greater ... they even seem to be getting combative ...

 

Not sure if more shrimp will help but this sudden increase in shrimp "hi-jacking" and "repossessing" sure sounds like this is either a game they like to play or maybe an indication of one or the other deciding he or she IS the boss and leader and is entitled to the shrimp.

 

Interesting that this was not happening before ...

 

"Havoc" in Paul's tank :-o

 

Albert

[atoll]

Right downloaded a few pic's of some of the parts of my skimmer. First 2 pic's of the impeller.

 

The pump with impeller installed prior to removal of the impeller to clean it.

The pump sitting in the skimmers base plate, you can just see some the needles of the needle wheel impeller through it.

 

It's a good job I live on my own as my GF would have a fit if she saw the condition my bath and wash hand basin was in after I finished cleaning the skimmer. All clean now though.

[albertthiel]

Right downloaded a few pic's of some of the parts of my skimmer. First 2 pic's of the impeller.

 

 

 

The pump with impeller installed prior to removal of the impeller to clean it.

 

 

The pump sitting in the skimmers base plate, you can just see some the needles of the needle wheel impeller through it.

It's a good job I live on my own as my GF would have a fit if she saw the condition my bath and wash hand basin was in after I finished cleaning the skimmer. All clean now though.

 

Thanks Les and yes it is amazing how much crud and build up of detritus, and other compounds eventually get in those pumps. Good thing you cleaned as I am sure the unit is going to work a lot better after doing so ... which reminds me that I have to take mine apart a probably soak the internal parts in some vinegar for a while and then scrub and clean and wipe the inside of the skimmer clean as well.

 

Nice pics of that pinwheel impeller .. the way it is built should definitely give you some real tiny bubbles and a multitude of them.

 

Thanks for posting them. And yes good thing your GF was not there ... she would have gotten a conniption for sure ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

The Bay PipeFish - - - Sygnathus leptorhynchus

 

 

Bay pipefish, aka the slender-nosed pipefish, inhabit coastal wetlands, swaying to and fro in the gentle current while utilizing a near-vertical swimming posture; they mimic the movement of eel grass Zostera sppblades, which they themselves resemble. Cousins of seahorses, these syngnathids possess very seahorse-like characteristics but with the elongated body of an eel, although they are not very eel-like in the way they maneuver (swim) by using tiny fins to propel themselves and their heads to steer.

 

Link :

 

http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-species/saltwater-profiles/bay-pipefish-2.aspx

 

Albert

[FlCandy]

Tank is looking great Randy ... but then it has been for a long time ...

 

Great shots and thanks for posting the large update. I appreciate it.

 

Looks like things are really doing well in your personal little ocean.

 

Albert

 

They are sir thank you! I know you like the pics so I post them for you. Hope those worked well. I will have some more today, the Tenuis is looking awesome, PE is great and the color now that it's higher up is like WOW.

[albertthiel]

They are sir thank you! I know you like the pics so I post them for you. Hope those worked well. I will have some more today, the Tenuis is looking awesome, PE is great and the color now that it's higher up is like WOW.

 

Randi ... no sireee ... Albert is just fine .. :-o and yes I did like what I saw and every time you have posted to the thread the tank looks in top shape ... and I guess one validation of that is what's on the cover of my new book : YOUR tank :-o

 

And please do post some more and if you have a high res FTS shot do send it to me via email and I will use it in the Nano-Reef Newsletter as one of the sections will be FTS views of great looking Reefs.

 

Thanks ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Do You Want A Selection Of Lots and Lots of Videos ?

 

Check the Majestic Aquarium TV listing of Videos on SW, Fish, Corals and much more

 

 

Link :

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/Majesticvideos1

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

NOT for the Faint of Heart .. This Video Shows the Horrible Coral Collection Practices in the Philippines :

 

The use of Cyanide and SpearGunning of Dragonets ..

 

You can actually see Mandarin Fish beign caught that way.

 

This is a Sept. 2012 Video showing those practices, even though they have been banned decades ago ...

 

Watch with Caution

 

 

 

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Thanks Les and yes it is amazing how much crud and build up of detritus, and other compounds eventually get in those pumps. Good thing you cleaned as I am sure the unit is going to work a lot better after doing so ... which reminds me that I have to take mine apart a probably soak the internal parts in some vinegar for a while and then scrub and clean and wipe the inside of the skimmer clean as well.

 

Nice pics of that pinwheel impeller .. the way it is built should definitely give you some real tiny bubbles and a multitude of them.

 

Thanks for posting them. And yes good thing your GF was not there ... she would have gotten a conniption for sure ...

 

Albert

I have 5 powerheads, 2 of which I have not seen in probably 10 years. They are running fine and I am afraid to touch them.

[albertthiel]

I have 5 powerheads, 2 of which I have not seen in probably 10 years. They are running fine and I am afraid to touch them.

 

Wow .. well I would imagine you know where they are since you say they are running fine and for 10 year PH's that is quite a feat ...

 

I have two in my 20, and I need to clean them about once every six to eight weeks or so to keep them running a their rated output ...

 

I am going to change them out though for the ones that have a multi-directional flow (not the Vortech ones) but one of the Marineland models with an attachment that is now available for them to create circulation that keeps shifting direction, or another brand that gives the same effect .. .I would get an MP-10 but I think it is a little too much for my 20 gallon tank ... have to check into it some more though.

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Wow .. well I would imagine you know where they are since you say they are running fine and for 10 year PH's that is quite a feat ...

 

I have two in my 20, and I need to clean them about once every six to eight weeks or so to keep them running a their rated output ...

 

I am going to change them out though for the ones that have a multi-directional flow (not the Vortech ones) but one of the Marineland models with an attachment that is now available for them to create circulation that keeps shifting direction, or another brand that gives the same effect .. .I would get an MP-10 but I think it is a little too much for my 20 gallon tank ... have to check into it some more though.

 

Albert

I have not touched them in 10 years, but they may be 20 years old. They were made by the Christopher Columbus powerhead company and the instructions say to keep in a cool bilge away from grog and to gently clean them with whale oil but to be careful to keep the whale oil away from a lighted candle.

[albertthiel]

I have not touched them in 10 years, but they may be 20 years old. They were made by the Christopher Columbus powerhead company and the instructions say to keep in a cool bilge away from grog and to gently clean them with whale oil but to be careful to keep the whale oil away from a lighted candle.

 

Nice ... at least you got some instructions with them .. I sort of remember that that long ago products often came with a set of cryptic instructions sometimes in some foreign language ... :-o on top of it.

 

But it is nice to know Paul that they are 20 or so years old possibly, as I guess those power heads can now be considered "antiques" and may even be worth a lot to a collector of old aquarium equipment :-o

 

Albert

[atoll]

Albert as I think you know I have an MP10 in my 2' cube IMO it would be far too powerful in your tank unless you want to keep Acros that is. They are controllable so you can turn them down to whatever power you want along with all the mother programs they can be set on.

Wow .. well I would imagine you know where they are since you say they are running fine and for 10 year PH's that is quite a feat ...

 

I have two in my 20, and I need to clean them about once every six to eight weeks or so to keep them running a their rated output ...

 

I am going to change them out though for the ones that have a multi-directional flow (not the Vortech ones) but one of the Marineland models with an attachment that is now available for them to create circulation that keeps shifting direction, or another brand that gives the same effect .. .I would get an MP-10 but I think it is a little too much for my 20 gallon tank ... have to check into it some more though.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Albert as I think you know I have an MP10 in my 2' cube IMO it would be far too powerful in your tank unless you want to keep Acros that is. They are controllable so you can turn them down to whatever power you want along with all the mother programs they can be set on.

 

Thanks Les for your input, and I have seen them in operation in the various modes at my LFS who uses them throughout his stores on all the display tanks and he has quite a few. On the large ones he actually has 4 of them running and they are all on 2 different units on which they are programmed. On one particular visit a rep from "Vortech" was there doing a demo of all the modes for the staff and customers and one can indeed tweak them just about every which way one wants it seems.

 

My point though and maybe I did not phrase what I wrote correctly .. is that if I have to run that P.H. at a greatly diminished power then why pay for the high price when there are other options that are not as expensive and would give me the same or close to the same results.

 

But then who knows, maybe it is worth it .. I'll have to check it out again the next time I go to my LFS.

 

Albert

[atoll]

I have a couple of powerheads that were salvaged off the Arc they were being used as bilge pumps but as the Arc got older it leaked even more so they had to change the pumps for larger ones. I guess all that rain leaked its way into it. The ones I have are made from granite and the impellers are made out of a Saber Tooth Tiger tooth.

 

I don't think Noah had the luxury of plastic in those days but I guess granite is just as good. The only problem is they run off whale oil which is not so easy to get. I have tried bargaining with a few dolphins but they don't seem interested in bars of chocolate perhaps I should try and persuade them to give me some oil with fish instead. I did mange to get some oil off a Great white shark but I had to fight him for it.

 

I did try grog once but it didn't work so well so I drank it and gave up trying after the 3rd glass. I might be able to convert the pumps to run on coal but I might have a problem running a boiler to use it i. However I do have a few miniature meths powered boilers made by a company in the UK called Mamod. Here's a video of just some of them running. Not sure if they would run under water though.

 

[atoll]

I agree Albert and given how expensive they are it would be something of a waste IMO not using it to its full potential. maybe if run less than 100% it would prolong the life of the pump but I have not heard anybody suggest such.

My point though and maybe I did not phrase what I wrote correctly .. is that if I have to run that P.H. at a greatly diminished power then why pay for the high price when there are other options that are not as expensive and would give me the same or close to the same results.

 

But then who knows, maybe it is worth it .. I'll have to check it out again the next time I go to my LFS.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

I have a couple of powerheads that were salvaged off the Arc they were being used as bilge pumps but as the Arc got older it leaked even more so they had to change the pumps for larger ones. I guess all that rain leaked its way into it. The ones I have are made from granite and the impellers are made out of a Saber Tooth Tiger tooth.

 

I don't think Noah had the luxury of plastic in those days but I guess granite is just as good. The only problem is they run off whale oil which is not so easy to get. I have tried bargaining with a few dolphins but they don't seem interested in bars of chocolate perhaps I should try and persuade them to give me some oil with fish instead. I did mange to get some oil off a Great white shark but I had to fight him for it.

 

I did try grog once but it didn't work so well so I drank it and gave up trying after the 3rd glass. I might be able to convert the pumps to run on coal but I might have a problem running a boiler to use it i. However I do have a few miniature meths powered boilers made by a company in the UK called Mamod. Here's a video of just some of them running. Not sure if they would run under water though.

 

 

Wow that is quite a contraption so no wonder you had to go through all trouble to get what you needed to get them to run but it seems you were successful :-o

 

Wonder who devised that and put it together .... Interesting post ... thanks

 

Albert

[atoll]

Ermmm I did Albert. They are just 2 engines from my collection I do have more.

Wow that is quite a contraption so no wonder you had to go through all trouble to get what you needed to get them to run but it seems you were successful :-o

 

Wonder who devised that and put it together .... Interesting post ... thanks

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

I agree Albert and given how expensive they are it would be something of a waste IMO not using it to its full potential. maybe if run less than 100% it would prolong the life of the pump but I have not heard anybody suggest such.

 

My thoughts too .... of course it would come in handy when I upgrade the tank ... not decided yet but as with so many of us that is what happens most of the time :-o

 

Right now I am setting up a smaller one for that series of articles for Marine Habitat ... probably a 10 G ... and I probably will start with it this coming week-end.

 

Albert