THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[albertthiel]

New vid of my tank with 5kg of extra living rock in place in the back RH corner of the tank with a large cluster of barnacles on top of it. I have attached 6 frags mainly to the Barnacles. Small fish like Blennies and damsels seek shelter in them and some even spawn in the Barnacles. You can make intricate shapes with the Barnacles by siliconing them together in whatever configuration you desire.

Nice. I like.

 

Albert

[atoll]

Nice. I like.

 

Albert

Thank's Albert. 6 frags only went in at the end of last week just need to get them growing out now.

[albertthiel]

Thank's Albert. 6 frags only went in at the end of last week just need to get them growing out now.

 

Nice addition to the tank indeed

 

Albert

[atoll]

All you wanted to know about calcium reactors and how to use them By Simon Huntington an old friend of mine, we go back many years.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/

http://www.reefkeeping.com/authors/sh.php

[albertthiel]

 

All you wanted to know about calcium reactors and how to use them By Simon Huntington an old friend of mine, we go back many years.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/

http://www.reefkeeping.com/authors/sh.php

 

 

Thanks Les

 

Albert

[HarryPotter]

Thank you Albert. I try as hard as I can.

Some of that (or most) was beyond me- is this a fair summary?

 

The sterile environment we keep our tanks in (characterized by intense medicated quarentine and dry food) makes fish more susceptible to diseases because the weak immune system that results. Therefor when a virus, disease, or pathogen is somehow introduced, a mass outbreak and deaths may occur.

 

I know that's dumbing it down, but is that what you're saying?

 

And the resolution is to feed more live food and avoid sterile quarentine to keep the immune systems strong?

[albertthiel]

Some of that (or most) was beyond me- is this a fair summary?

 

The sterile environment we keep our tanks in (characterized by intense medicated quarentine and dry food) makes fish more susceptible to diseases because the weak immune system that results. Therefor when a virus (or disease) is somehow introduced, a mass outbreak and deaths may occur.

 

I know that's dumbing it down, but is that what you're saying?

 

And the resolution is to feed more live food and avoid sterile quarentine to keep the immune systems strong?

 

In a nutshell yes but I will let Paul answer your condensed version of what he wrote

 

Albert

[atoll]

Some of that (or most) was beyond me- is this a fair summary?

 

The sterile environment we keep our tanks in (characterized by intense medicated quarentine and dry food) makes fish more susceptible to diseases because the weak immune system that results. Therefor when a virus, disease, or pathogen is somehow introduced, a mass outbreak and deaths may occur.

 

I know that's dumbing it down, but is that what you're saying?

 

And the resolution is to feed more live food and avoid sterile quarentine to keep the immune systems strong?

I have long thought something similar to what Paul is saying. I have made my own foods from fresh sea fare for years and never had WS etc in any of my tanks since doing so and I don't quarantine my fish or corals. Think about this Amazonian Indians and the like suffered from all kinds of diseases once the white man arrived to trade with them many even died from the common cold. because the Indians had no immunity to them as their relatives had not encountered them and built up immunity. Why should any animal inc fish be any different? Sterile foods many not as nutritious as the manufacturers would like you to believe like dry foods do not tend to promote immunity for various fish related ailments. Feeding fresh and live foods IMO help fish retain and build up their immune systems.

[atoll]

I saw this in an LFS I rarely visit even though it's easily the closest to me. I won't tell you why I hardly visit it I will let you guess, but now and again they have a couple of nice corals. It's been many years since I saw yellow Pagoda coral and it's a good sized one at around 5" dia so I snapped it up. The colour of the does not do the coral justice as it's more yellow than in the pic but I have done the best I can.

[albertthiel]

Very nice acquisition Les

 

Albert

[DurocShark]

That's a stunning cup!

[albertthiel]

That's a stunning cup!

 

It sure is

[atoll]

Just wish I could capture the true deeper yellow colour of it.

[albertthiel]

Just wish I could capture the true deeper yellow colour of it.

That would be nice indeed

[atoll]

That would be nice indeed

Not an easy task by anymeans. The blue part of my lights spectrum washes some colors out inc yellow ot seems. My phone and small digi camera can't handle it.

[DurocShark]

If you've got a number 12 yellow filter, that might help. Turn off the whites altogether and you'll get the cup's polyps glowing.

 

[atoll]

Skimmer Cup Drain Off.
Many skimmers these day have a drain off the cup so you can drain the skimmate off without having to remove the cup. Many skimmers still do not incorporate this simple and handy feature even some of the most expensive skimmers don't include one. The first few Deltec SC1350 had a drain off cock but with later models they omitted it even new SC 1351 does not have a drain off cock fitted. My BM Curve 5 had this feature and I missed it when I bought my Deltec SC 1350.

Something had to be done and here is how I added a drain off cock with tap to my skimmer cup.

You will need the following items.

One John Guest 1/4" Push Fit Stem Elbow.
One John Guest 1/4" Push Fit Tap Connector.
Hard plastic cement.
Short length (approx 2") of stiff 1/4" RO tube.Short
Length of flexible tube. (I had some spare 4mm internal diameter tube lying about so I unused that).
A 6mm bit. I used a 6mm glass bit.
A drill.
Pencil.

The following photographs tell you more than a thousand words can say and I think you will find them quite self-explanatory but here's how anyway.Mark the side of the cup while on the skimmer where you want the drain off to go then transfer the mark to the underside of the skimmer cup. You then simply drill and cement in place the stem elbow. Add one short length of stiff RO tube to the stem elbow pushing it firmly home. Add the tap then another short length of stiff RO tube. Add the flexible hose to the RO tube from the tap and your done.You can fit the tap anywhere along the length of tubing but I think it's best close to the skimmer cup but fit yours where it's most convenient for your particular set up.

[albertthiel]

 

Skimmer Cup Drain Off.

Many skimmers these day have a drain off the cup so you can drain the skimmate off without having to remove the cup. Many skimmers still do not incorporate this simple and handy feature even some of the most expensive skimmers don't include one. The first few Deltec SC1350 had a drain off cock but with later models they omitted it even new SC 1351 does not have a drain off cock fitted. My BM Curve 5 had this feature and I missed it when I bought my Deltec SC 1350.

Something had to be done and here is how I added a drain off cock with tap to my skimmer cup.

You will need the following items.

One John Guest 1/4" Push Fit Stem Elbow.

One John Guest 1/4" Push Fit Tap Connector.

Hard plastic cement.

Short length (approx 2") of stiff 1/4" RO tube.Short

Length of flexible tube. (I had some spare 4mm internal diameter tube lying about so I unused that).

A 6mm bit. I used a 6mm glass bit.

A drill.

Pencil.

The following photographs tell you more than a thousand words can say and I think you will find them quite self-explanatory but here's how anyway.Mark the side of the cup while on the skimmer where you want the drain off to go then transfer the mark to the underside of the skimmer cup. You then simply drill and cement in place the stem elbow. Add one short length of stiff RO tube to the stem elbow pushing it firmly home. Add the tap then another short length of stiff RO tube. Add the flexible hose to the RO tube from the tap and your done.You can fit the tap anywhere along the length of tubing but I think it's best close to the skimmer cup but fit yours where it's most convenient for your particular set up.

 

 

Very nice mod Les

 

Well done

 

Albert

[atoll]

it's a simple mod with the added advantage that you could lead the pipe into a larger vessel than the capacity of the cup if needed. Why some manufacturers omit one is rather strange and the savings must be minimal in fact it could put people off purchasing a skimmer without a drain on the cup. I have seen skimmers in the cheaper range with a drain off and a lot more expensive skimmers without. False economy IMO to omit one.

[albertthiel]

it's a simple mod with the added advantage that you could lead the pipe into a larger vessel than the capacity of the cup if needed. Why some manufacturers omit one is rather strange and the savings must be minimal in fact it could put people off purchasing a skimmer without a drain on the cup. I have seen skimmers in the cheaper range with a drain off and a lot more expensive skimmers without. False economy IMO to omit one.

 

Yes indeed false economy for sure

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

I have had that drain on my DIY skimmer since I built the thing. It's a no brainer. I don't even use a valve, it drains right into a five gallon bucket that I empty about once A month. Occasionally I put a little bleach in the skimmer cup to keep the slime down and to clean the tube down to the bucket.

You can see it here

 

[albertthiel]

Yes Paul I remember seeing it in previous images you poste Nice

 

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Some of that (or most) was beyond me- is this a fair summary?

 

The sterile environment we keep our tanks in (characterized by intense medicated quarentine and dry food) makes fish more susceptible to diseases because the weak immune system that results. Therefor when a virus, disease, or pathogen is somehow introduced, a mass outbreak and deaths may occur.

 

I know that's dumbing it down, but is that what you're saying?

 

And the resolution is to feed more live food and avoid sterile quarentine to keep the immune systems strong?

Exactimundo!

 

In case anyone is from Wisconsin, this is what a bunch of mussles look like at low tide. This is the tide pool where I collect mud, grass shrimp, amphipods and other things, but no Supermodels, they don't go therefor some reason

 

[atoll]

The last time I had a drain on anything it was coming out of my lower abdomen following my apendix operation ?

[albertthiel]

The last time I had a drain on anything it was coming out of my lower abdomen following my apendix operation

:)