atoll Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Looking good Les Albert Thank's Albert just needs more growth which only comes with time as we know. 1 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Thank's Albert just needs more growth which only comes with time as we know. Indeed patience is what IDS needed by all of us Quote Link to comment
NorthGaHillbilly Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Mr. Thiel, first, I had NO idea you were here in GA, very cool. Now on to what I was here for. I started my first reef tank 14 years ago. My aunt started with a FOWLR, and then the whole setup moved to my Momma. After seeing the variety of life I was hooked, I soon had a small reef tank going and quickly found NR. But before any online information I learned everything from these... Thank you for your past, and continuing contributions to this hobby. The results of my labors 4 Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Mr. Thiel, first, I had NO idea you were here in GA, very cool. Now on to what I was here for. I started my first reef tank 14 years ago. My aunt started with a FOWLR, and then the whole setup moved to my Momma. After seeing the variety of life I was hooked, I soon had a small reef tank going and quickly found NR. But before any online information I learned everything from these... Thank you for your past, and continuing contributions to this hobby. Most of what Albert wrote unlike many books of the day is still relevant an yes I have a number of Albert's books. 3 Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Had an issue with micro bubbles in my tank an wasn't sure why. After some investigation I found my new Deltec skimmer was sitting too low in my sump. I raised the skimmer to sit in 200mm of tank water no more micro bubbles. I had the same thing with my BM curve 5 and thought it was the BMs fault but I guess it was the depth of water it was also sitting in. Deltec skimmer with increased height above the waterline. . 1 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Mr. Thiel, first, I had NO idea you were here in GA, very cool. Now on to what I was here for. I started my first reef tank 14 years ago. My aunt started with a FOWLR, and then the whole setup moved to my Momma. After seeing the variety of life I was hooked, I soon had a small reef tank going and quickly found NR. But before any online information I learned everything from these... Thank you for your past, and continuing contributions to this hobby. The results of my labors Thank you for the very kind words ... and yes I am in GA, in fact not far from you as I live in Alpharetta and shop often at a store you may know : Pure Reef The third book you show was published by us (Aardvark Press) but was written by John Tullock ... My latest one is listed in my signature btw ... Your tank is looking great ! Nice work and a continued Happy Reef Keeping Albert 1 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Most of what Albert wrote unlike many books of the day is still relevant an yes I have a number of Albert's books. Thanks Les, I appreciate the kind words Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Had an issue with micro bubbles in my tank an wasn't sure why. After some investigation I found my new Deltec skimmer was sitting too low in my sump. I raised the skimmer to sit in 200mm of tank water no more micro bubbles. I had the same thing with my BM curve 5 and thought it was the BMs fault but I guess it was the depth of water it was also sitting in. Deltec skimmer with increased height above the waterline. . Looks like it is doing just fine now Glad you figured it out Les Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Blue Blubbers on Queensland Beaches . Scientists stumped ! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-10/blue-blubber-jellyfish-catostylus-mosaicus-hit-queensland-waters/6291874 Albert Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Some might think algae filters are relatively new in this hobby when in fact they have been around for many years in one form or another. The growing of Cheato in a sump or other compartment seems to be the most popular on many forums. However gaining in popularity are algae filters referred too as "turf scrubbers" These are compact algae filter systems that utilise hair algae (GHA, Green Hair Algae) to filter the water of excess nutrients. One company marketing algae turf scrubbers is Santa Monica Turf Scrubbers in the USA but they are not imported to the UK. SM market a number of different types of algae filters and there is one for just about every situation. A couple of months ago one of SMs turf scrubbers came up for sale on another forum at a reasonable price and as I have been interested in them for sometime I did the deal and bought it. The model I have is called the HOB2 which is a compact unit made up of 2 separate parts a inner to cultivate the GHA in and an outer providing then light. A this point I need to add you need to supply an air pump to power it and a powerhead or pump wont do. In the lighting compartment are 4 red LED's. which are very efficient at growing GHA. The inner and outer compartments are held onto the glass by strong magnets and the air pump supplies not only air but water flow over the scrubber. You need a pump capable of delivering at least 2ltrs min. I used a Terta APS 300 which delivers 3ltrs min Both the inner and outer boxes measure just 6.1/2" X 8.1/2" x 1.1/2" The inner box needs at ;least 8" of water depth so it does not need to be fully submerged. Rather strangely but understandably the scrubbers are not sized to the size of the tank or number of fish etc but by the amount of food you feed each day. My HOB2 is rated at a feeding of 2 frozen cubes of food per day or equivalent. I guess that way of sizing the filter makes sense given food = waste = nutrients which is what the GHA feeds on and removes from the tank water. My truf scrubber has been on for 4 weeks now and at first you can expect slime algae either yellow or a black colour depending on the lighting period of the scrubber. I have my light unit on a timer to light it for 18 hours a day. After cleaning the slime algae off the filter once or twice GHA starts to grow and you harvest it approximately every 10 to 14 days when in full flow. I have my HOB2 situated on the end return pump chamber as its a convenient place to put it, I could just as easily have put it on the central compartment housing my skimmer as I did at first. There is lots of information on the Santa Monica site on their scrubbers and turf scrubbers in genera. SM have no problem giving advice should you wish to build your own rather than buy one of theirs which is a credit to them, not sure many companies would be happy to do that. What about the results. Well it's still a bit early to judge yet on my own tank just yet but judging by the results I have seen on the net posted by others it should do what it says on the tin. Here are a coupe of pic's of my HOB2 the first one it it on my sump. a Pic of the turf algae starting to grow well. 1 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Thanks Les for the detailed explanation on Algae Scrubbers which indeed have been around for a long time and were described in one of my books in the late 80's and also in the Newsletter I used to publish at that time (Marine Reef) Of course the SM one is a totally new concept and appears to do a real good job Albert 1 Quote Link to comment
atoll Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Well the truth of the pudding and all that Albert so we shall see just how well it does the job as the weeks go by. 1 Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Well the truth of the pudding and all that Albert so we shall see just how well it does the job as the weeks go by. Indeed time will tell Les Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Amazing Jellies Video Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Agents of Death .... A very informative article ... must read http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/wildlife/microscopic-organisms/agents-of-death Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 How and where not to cut costs when setting up a reef tank http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/how-not-to-cut-costs-when-starting-reef-system-4950/ Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Cycling without using Fish (the old method) http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/why-we-favor-fishless-cycling-cured-live-rock-4958/ Albert Quote Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Hi Albert, I have asked everyone at my LFS and people involved in this hobby about this rock I have and nobody has any idea what it really is. I'm hoping maybe you have seen something like this before with your many years of experience. I bought it from the dry reef rock bin at Petco and nothing looked special about it, I just liked the dome shape of it. Well it glows in the dark and it lasts for hours. The best I can come up with is that it is some rare form of calcite but I have never heard of any phosphorescent rocks glowing for as long as this rock does (it lasts up to 5 hours but it fades to a dim glow within the first hour or two). This picture is what it looks like a few minutes after lights out (the entire rock glows). I should mention microalgae grows extremely poorly on the rock as well, it is still 90% white after being in my tank for over 8 months. I have eliminated the possibility of it being a bioluminescence as well. 2 Quote Link to comment
DurocShark Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I hope it isn't leaching something nasty. Because that's REALLY cool! 2 Quote Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I hope it isn't leaching something nasty. Because that's REALLY cool! I think it's okay. My lobster actually lives underneath it. 1 Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Read about it here http://geology.com/articles/fluorescent-minerals/ 1 Quote Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Read about it here http://geology.com/articles/fluorescent-minerals/ This rock still shows phosphorescent properties even when not exposed to UV light which is why I think it is something unique (it does glow brighter and longer when exposed to my actinics which has a bottom wavelength of 410nm). It is also a phosphorescent mineral not only fluorescent. I appreciate the suggestion though. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Hi Albert, I have asked everyone at my LFS and people involved in this hobby about this rock I have and nobody has any idea what it really is. I'm hoping maybe you have seen something like this before with your many years of experience. I bought it from the dry reef rock bin at Petco and nothing looked special about it, I just liked the dome shape of it. Well it glows in the dark and it lasts for hours. The best I can come up with is that it is some rare form of calcite but I have never heard of any phosphorescent rocks glowing for as long as this rock does (it lasts up to 5 hours but it fades to a dim glow within the first hour or two). This picture is what it looks like a few minutes after lights out (the entire rock glows). I should mention microalgae grows extremely poorly on the rock as well, it is still 90% white after being in my tank for over 8 months. I have eliminated the possibility of it being a bioluminescence as well. Most interesting but I have to be honest with you, I have never run across this type of rock that glows in the dark. It must be absorbing light during the day and continue to emit it back for a few hours after the light are out and the only explanation I have for it is that it contains / harbors some bacteria that have the ability to do so Very odd indeed ... I'll have to do some research on it and see what I can come up with Albert Read about it here http://geology.com/articles/fluorescent-minerals/ I think Paul it hit on the nail and that article seems to explain it in great detail 1 Quote Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Most interesting but I have to be honest with you, I have never run across this type of rock that glows in the dark. It must be absorbing light during the day and continue to emit it back for a few hours after the light are out and the only explanation I have for it is that it contains / harbors some bacteria that have the ability to do so Very odd indeed ... I'll have to do some research on it and see what I can come up with Albert I find it so odd simply because I have never heard of calcium carbonate reef rock from the ocean having this type of property, I know of plenty of mines however that are littered with rocks that have similar properties and glow all types of colors. The amount of time it glows was the other strange thing (usually this effect lasts minutes not hours). I don't think it is bacteria either because it has glowed since day one and I bought it dry. Is it possible for bacteria to survive/stay dormant for long out of water? 1 Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 OK I got a theory. Not a very good theory, but a theory none the less. I had an epiphany, that's an idea. I was looking at my tank last night and something hit me. I mean, after my wife hit me. I read all the time of the problems, diseases, fish dying (or going off to college) water problems, ich, things that don't eat etc. I know the solution to all these fish problems. Yes, I said it numerous times but here it is again because I just thought of it again. I think we should forget (temporarily) the water purity problem. Parameters and all that, For a minute. Just a minute. Feed the fish, then feed them again, Feed them what they are supposed to eat. No, they are not supposed to eat pellets or flakes and if that is all you want to feed them, go and watch Oprah give away a Cadillac to a bunch of homeless catfish. Overfeed the fish or feed them a couple of times a day. Fish are not like us. We worry about losing weight and not having cellulite or those bags under our eyes. Some of us belong to the Hair Club. Well, I don't but some people do. After we feed our fish (the correct foods) so that they are spawning (or at least looking at Girly magazines) then change the water. After that, change it again. But the main thing is the fishes health through food, not water. Our fish are crying out for good food, that's why disease threads predominate these forums. If your water parameters are screwed up, change the water, but feed the fish. I personally feed clams every day (along with live blackworms) I also use whiteworms because I am not prejudice to anything. But the clams are great for the fish and corals because when you shave pieces off clams (or put them in a blender like some people do, but I don't) they exude clam juice. Clam juice is composed of tiny pieces of clams along with whatever is in clam juice. I just made a big pot of clam chowder so I know clam juice is great stuff. Corals love clam juice even corals that you didn't think were eating. If they have a mouth, they eat (or at least sing)and some of them are so tiny that clam juice is the only thing they can eat. I have been feeding my fish clams for probably fifty years so that is a lot of juice going in my tank and yes, the clam juice clouds the water a little. But to corals that is an all you can eat smorgasbord. The cloudiness dissipates in a few minutes and if you look close, you can see those little polyps grinning from ear to ear, or whatever polyp's grin to. I think we worry to much about nitrates, phosphates and anthrax and we are starving our fish and corals. Virtually all my paired fish are spawning, even the 24 year olds and it is because of the food. I do not have to quarantine(I don't want to argue about that so if you want to debate me about it send a self addressed envelope to my house where I will ignore it) If you need to or want to quarantine, that is up to you and none of my business what you do.But if you want to keep your fish disease free and never want to post on a disease forum, feed your fish correctly. Lettuce is also not a fish food. So feed the fish, and change the water. Don't skimp on food because you are worrying about parameters. (or global warming) Your fish can't read the test kits anyway. If you are more into SPS corals, don't have to many fish, but feed the ones you have correctly. I keep pipefish, shrimpfish, mandarins, ruby red dragonettes and all sorts of things that people feel are difficult with no problems. They are all even spawning. So all of this is Just my opinion of course. If you disagree start your own thread called Paul B doesn't know a fish from an Emu. 5 Quote Link to comment
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