The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 6, 2004 Author Share Posted June 6, 2004 Originally posted by Reefer_Buddha wow full color! I was gettin annoyed with those black and white photos Dont get caught up in dosing tons of crap in your tank. B-Ionic should be you main dosing for now. After that if you want sps or clams look into dripping kalk. If you have a lot of softies iodine is good, just make sure you get it as iodiDe. B-ionic??? That book tells you how to mix "kalwasser"... i'm asuming that you are talking about a calc reactor... there are some things that can go wrong with a calc reactor that can effect PH Dramaticly, that dosing Kalkwasser egularly doesn't do... a little more time and effort, but a whole lot less money and less worries... As for iodine... i don't have any coral yet, but that grapevine algae needs it, so i may dose half the recomended amount over twice the time... just to prevent any noxious algae blooms from excessive iodine... that book also tells you how to make some other stuff you self... Link to comment
Reefer_Buddha Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 ya , bionic. Its a 2 part calcium/alk system. The best out there by most accounts. Dosing kalk with a drip system or a reactor is something that i recommend down the road. For now its not even worth your time to deal with. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 Well i've got a new concern... i get paid this friday and i was thinking about going and getting another $50 in LR... Well, the store that i bought that previous peice from has kind of tried to do me wrong (i've only been in there 2 times) First i hear that they sold me the tank for ay too much, then the guy told me that the lights were 55 watt, and the last time i was in there he tried to sell me a 10" peice of that lock line with jets on it (for a spray bar) for $40 GD dollars!!! i'm not very trusting of these people, but they have the best LR i've ever seen... Now, they heve a 300 gal tank of rock that is supposed to be in the process of curing and a 300 gal tank of fully cured rock... what i don't understand is that they have two Halides over top of the un-cured rocks... how can the rock cure if there is light feeding the stuff you're trying to kill??? anyway, i've had that one peice of rock on my tank for about a week and a half curing under no lights a little bit of calcium and a little bit of iodine, and skimmer running at the optimum level... Even if the so called Cured rock that i'm going to buy may not be cured, do you think that it may be cured enough, and my ammonia low enough, that i could get a Green Cromis or Damsel fish to jump start my nitrogen-cycle? i don't want the fish to die and trash everything... My parts sould be in early this week... it'll be cool to see how well my design will work... Link to comment
kraphtymac Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 I like the Loc-Line idea much better... I actually have the SAME exact tank as you... only mine is sitting in my room until I move into my new house July 1st... I took the return line and hooked it up to a Y with two segments of Loc-Line (all black, I try to avoid white PVC at all costs) coming off so that I can split the flow into two different directions. I also bought some of the fan adapters for the end of the lines... got everything in it (hardware wise) and ready to go ... but I've never been so anxious to move. About your fish question... what does your live rock look like... as far as algal growth, etc.?? Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 Any one have any thoughts on the LR... ?.... i know it's confussing.. oh well... if a fish dies... i'll re start the tank... unless i catch it in time... no toxins will build up if i got the fish out quickly... Continued discussion on metal halides: I had the idea to build a canopy that is tall enough to mount a 175 watt metal halide on a mogul base 8" or so inches above the water line... then i'm going to purchase a kit from Marine Depot with a fully asembled ballast and enclosure, mogul base and bracket, power cord, and on/off switch for $95.00 as well as a 10,000K bulb... http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_lighti...ies.asp?CartId= Which bulb?... i was thinking the 10,000K USHIO... http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_lighti...lbs.asp?CartId= After i get my Halide installed i'm going to install my current PC bulbs in the hood as well... i have one 36 watt actinic bulb and one 36 watt 10,000k bulb and their corosponding ballasts and a 120v fan... i'm going to purchase another actinic PC bulb to replace the daylight bulb... that will give me a grand total of 247 watts of light... 16.5 watts/gallon... (15 gallon tank)... You may think this is too much but a general guidline in physics says it's just about right... INTENSITY DECREASES BY THE SQUARE OF IT'S DISTANCE FROM A SPECIFIC POINT (in this case the water line 8")... 8 inches x 8 inches = 64 (amount of intensity lost) 247 watts - 64 watts = 183 total watts at the water line 12.2 watts/gallon!!! (Please note that the formula is not exact in terms of units, but is not far from correct...) Building this canopy will be different from most.. i am going to have to bend a peice of wood to fit the curve of my bowfrom tank... not hard, i just need a big enough container full of water and vinegar and a bending jig... the only real cost other than another 120v fan, some wiring materials, reflector, and some various wood peices from HD is the Halide retro... Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 kraphtymac: that's really cool that you have the same tank... now i have someone to relate to when you get your tank up and running... As far as the lock line goes.. i didn't find the output of that stock PH to be strong enough for my tastes... (though the pump i bought is to big, i fear.. oh well... i have a ball valve ready to be plumbed into the line so at least i'll be able to restrict the flow if needed...) i want to add SPS at some point... As for algae growth... WOW... i have a ton!!! let me show you: (wait for a second post before you reply) Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 here.. you can see....a lot of Caulerpa algae growing.. grapes and feathers.. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 BTW if you have been reading this whole thread i mentioned something about a milky-white film on the rock... that is a sign that you're rock is not completely cured...It has since gone away... Algae growth is no indication as to whether or not your tank is ready for fish or inverts... the only sure-fire way to tell is to monitor your ammonia... i don't have a test kit yet so i'm just going to be safe and wait about 3 weeks...well 1.5 now... Link to comment
kraphtymac Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Damn.... yeah... that looks good. I know algae growth is not a sure indication, but I was insinuating the look of the whole rock... I'd say for sure test, but it looks like you're knocking on the door. About the pump in the back... the stock one is supposed to move 312 GPH... enough for me I hope! We'll see! I'll post some pics of the tank (empty for now) if I get a good chance in the next coupla days. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 yeah i know it's rated for that but i just don't beleive it... the one i got is like 317gph, so i'll let you know... i have to wire a float switch into the new PH so that it doesn't pump all the water aout of that compartment.... leaving itself and the skimmer bone dry... Link to comment
kraphtymac Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Hahahahahahaha... it shouldn't pump it all out unless your overflow can't keep up... is that the case? About your lights... are you still thinking about retrofitting them? I have been giving some serious consideration to pulling out the 10.000K PC, leaving the actinic in, and wiring a MH into the new "empty" spot. What do you have planned? Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 NO NO .. just in case the water evaporates below the overflow.. like if i take a trip... water can always get to the return from the wet/dry... that lil hole... but there is nothing like that for the skimmer box... yeah i'm still going to retro the lights but i'm parting out the old fixture... you have a ver nice idea... maybe i'll just cut a hole in top/back of the existing canopy and install another fan and a 175 or 150 or 70 watt halide... most likely 175... then i'll just have to get UV glass... i dunno i'm going to do a little more thinking... if i build a hood i could acctually incorperate an auto top off into the hood... i know it sounds crazy, but it would work... Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 8, 2004 Author Share Posted June 8, 2004 i found the answer to my white pvc problems... http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseac.../11733/cid/3035 Link to comment
kraphtymac Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Yeah... I've been debating either doing the whole metal halide thing or just getting a coralife 2x65 watt PC fixture... It's a hell of a lots of light, and it's much cheaper. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 8, 2004 Author Share Posted June 8, 2004 my friend just bought one... it's really nice.. i'd just do the retrofit into the existing hood though... after shipping the corallife is going to cost you about $50 less than a halide retro... Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 8, 2004 Author Share Posted June 8, 2004 Thanks...nothing is better than compliment ...! My parts should be here today... the fedex truck couldn't find my house monday, yet they found it 3 days before... oh well!!! Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 9, 2004 Author Share Posted June 9, 2004 i woke up this morning and the tooth fairy left this stuff under my pillow... Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 9, 2004 Author Share Posted June 9, 2004 MANNNN.... i have to work until five... i don't have time to put it together... Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 9, 2004 Author Share Posted June 9, 2004 take a look at that picture of all th pump partz... the peice at the lower left hand corner is a pre filter attatchment... should i use that or the strainer?... i know the pre-filter will protect the pump better but i've heard that they restrict flow... Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 10, 2004 Author Share Posted June 10, 2004 here are some pictures of the INITIAL construction of my flow jets... there are a lot... an in depth summary will follow.. Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 10, 2004 Author Share Posted June 10, 2004 side veiw of the pump at the bottm of the sump Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 10, 2004 Author Share Posted June 10, 2004 some plumbing Link to comment
The_Barbe-Hatten_Project Posted June 10, 2004 Author Share Posted June 10, 2004 Some more of the plumbing... Duh.. the next picture will really suprise you!!! it's.... Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.