zooman72 Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Zooman: how do you like the AL skimmer? Why the switch to the tunze? Ive seen the AL in person but not in action.. both will probably fit in that last available space on the right hand side of the sump... and may be my last piece of equipment I purchase for this tank if (needed)... although to save space in the sump, I may just keep less fish and run the BRS dual reactor or at least some of the BRS rox8 carbon To keep my organics down... I ran a lps softie DT in an 8gal hex with a 10g refugium (filled to only 7gal) with no skimmer just calerupa, with much success for 3yrs before tearing down. Still in the air about the skimmer though bc this time around I want to try raising clams and sps and I know the sps will need 'cleaner' water. Hopefully the par 38 can handle the task... I have had the AL 115 running now for over a year, and it does an good job for its size, but it is a little loud and the collection cup is too small. The Tunze, while a pain to service, is much quieter and has a much larger collection cup. The Tunze cup also simple slides up and out, while the AL 115 cup must be forced down onto the skimmer, which can move the skimmer on its mount. To be honest, I could keep running the AL 115, and may go back to it later on, but I have a Tunze sitting here and thought I would switch things up a bit after seeing that I had the room to fit it in my little 5g sump. I too have run (and still do - the 9g Finnex in my office on campus) smaller tanks without skimmers, but I like the margin they give to do relatively fewer water changes to be honest. Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 Lol yes I argee with you on the maintenance tip with the skimmer! Ive heard the same cons about the AL skimmer... good to hear first hand tho. Thanks for the response. .. not a big bother as I dont sleep in the room the tank is in, so glad that performance is not sub par... heard many good things about the tunze's performance... especially it being better than the AL.... supposedly made out of cheaper material (plastic) though... but I dont know. Never seen one in person. .. As much as I want to add a skimmer, itll take up the rest of the free space in the sump, so ima hold off for now, especially since there isnt much in the tank. .. doing my research in case the need arrives suddenly I can just place the order... Tank will be getting its first water change and squeegee tomorrow! Hopefully some new additions a week after if water params are in line... Btw I snuck in a 1" x 3" gsp cutting a week ago! Lol... it stayed closed the first day, but had been out each day since... yay! Its at the very bottom and has retained the same fluorescence from the store... will post pics after the window wiping. Link to comment
Whys Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 A nano with sump and DSB? I do believe you've broken the unwritten rules. Well done in writing your own. You won't need a skimmer; just keep the fish count low. If you do decide to get one, I can recommend the Tunze, tho it would be overpowered. I can't say it being made of plastic has ever been an issue, but I see they recently changed its appearance, so can't speak as to the new look. My last one, the pump died after a couple of years of poor maintenance. The pump can be replaced by itself, but they had made design changes to the impeller, so I had to buy a new unit. But even then, I've been happy to have the spare magnet that comes attached to the unit. Wasn't easy breaking it off from the rest of the "cheap" plastic either, as I recall. AquaticLife Mini is a decent skimmer for that size system. It's makes more noise than the Tunze, but probably does a better job of surface skimming. Tho I'm noticing the change they recently made to the Tunze was to improve its surface skimming. So maybe not. Both good units in either case. There are a couple even smaller skimmers out there, but you don't want them. Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 A nano with sump and DSB? I do believe you've broken the unwritten rules. Well done in writing your own. You won't need a skimmer; just keep the fish count low. quote] Overkill? Lol! Thought it would help with chemistry stability and pod population...leading LESS outside feedings (flake or frozen foods) or introduction of unnecesssry phospates and other nutrients...plus it looks cool to have macro growing! Either way thank you for the props! Thanks for the skimmer review and opinion... I didnt think I really needed one either. Whats your opinion on: (anyone else please feel free to chime in!) 1) my single orphek par 38 being enough for crocea clam? SPS? ( I was thinking monti setosa and maybe a millepora) If not enough whats your recommened add ons? (I was looking into the reefbrite or ecoxotics...) 2) my diatoms have not gone away yet... (nor have I cleaned the glass or rock..) should I wait it out still, get additional snails, or clean it off n see if it grows back? I will be doing a water change later today... I dont want to add any coral yet if the distoms will grow over them and kill it... note: although distoms in the dt have halted they just havent decreased...diatoms in the fuge however are nearly non existent... I also have a two stage reactor with gfo and carbon I can put online if you guys think that will help... Link to comment
Whys Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Not everyone trusts a DSB in a nano, because it can be difficult for the micro-fauna to maintain a healthy population within such a limited space. It is widely believed that the micro-fauna are essential for a functional DSB, thus there is some question as to whether or not a nano DSB provides any real benefit, or just a potential liability. But then, truth be told, that same argument is still used against DSBs of any size, so I'm uncertain if the argument is of any greater relevance with regards to a nano. In any event, you've placed yours in the sump. While there is a whole separate argument regarding placement, fact is, it's a lot easier to remove if you decide against it later. All of that said, I agree with you. The presence of a DSB benefits the biotope in numerous ways, not just nitrate reduction and buffering. And tho a larger foot print is always ideal, so is greater water volume. So are deep sea vent black smokers. After all, they maintain the chemistry of our oceans. But seriously, the point is to replicate the ocean, not duplicate it. And how could anyone overlook the obvious unseen biotopic potential of what is quite literally at the foundation of every ocean? Diatoms? Get a hermit. I have no advanced knowledge of lighting systems, but from what I know of clams, you'll want all the lumens you can get. I see a float-valve; where's the ATO? Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 Yeah thats why I did the dsb in the sump... aside from the fact I dont reall like the look of the dsb in a dt...lol... was only planning for a pair of bangaiis and a yellow lined goby... (Its a max 1.5" cleaner goby)... but thats probably enough to wipe out most of the pod pop in the dt...oh yeah I wanted another blood shrimp or two also... I do t mind re seeding the pod pop every now and then if needed... As for the hermit I know they work well but im 'fraid they/it would eat my snail(s)...maybe ill just add one n keep an eye on it... If u look at the fsr left side of the pic in post 5, the reservoir is an 8gal hex...ro leads to float valve on that, then gravity drips/drains to the float valve in the sump in question... I also use that ro res for my water change water... I close the ball valve from the ro maker until the reservoir is less than 1/3full.. then I manually turn it on again.. that way I can dilute the buildup of tds and fill the whole rservoir at once instead of it going on frequently and all the extra tds buildup is added to the tank... Link to comment
Whys Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 the reservoir is an 8gal hex...ro leads to float valve on that, then gravity drips/drains to the float valve in the sump I wouldn't connect a float valve directly to my RO filter. Well actually I would, or rather did, but never again. Only you know your setup, but mine resulted in: water hammer => blown membrane => time and money spent learning why. On the bright side, I do understand these systems better now for it. :] The shrimp are a good idea, but... why not Sexies? Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 26, 2013 Author Share Posted April 26, 2013 I wouldn't connect a float valve directly to my RO filter. Well actually I would, or rather did, but never again. Only you know your setup, but mine resulted in: water hammer => blown membrane => time and money spent learning why. On the bright side, I do understand these systems better now for it. :] What happened? Water hammer? I installed an auto shut off switch, so the whole system would shut down (feed line still olen and pressured...) It does work...as the drain line would stop draining once the fully filtered water has stopped...ir efloat valve or manually off on the ball valve... The shrimp are a good idea, but... why not Sexies? Sexies...hmmm maybe as thyre really small... I like the side to side sway too... i really like the super red of the blood shrimp contrasting with almost everything else that will be in the tank... Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 26, 2013 Author Share Posted April 26, 2013 Thank you dannam! Its still a baby tho... got its first bath today...lol! Changed out about 15% with reef crystals... will be testing parameters tomorrow along with current pics...not much to see other than the rock structure... only a blood shrimp (that hides unless fed) and a small patch of gsp ... Link to comment
Whys Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 What happened? Water hammer? The auto-shut-off is something else. Significant pressure changes occur inside the unit when water flow is turned on or off. This typically isn't a problem, but when you hook a float valve directly to the unit,waves in the water will cause the valve to oscillate, resulting in a rapid hammering of pressure inside the unit. I got away with it for a few months, so was surprised when it finally went wrong. Literally blew a hole in my RO membrane, about the size of a quarter. Do you know how tough that membrane material is? The pressure must of been like a gun shot inside the housing. Started making a really loud ricochet sound and even blew out my pressure gage. HOLY CRAP! Sexies...hmmm maybe as thyre really small... I like the side to side sway too... i really like the super red of the blood shrimp contrasting with almost everything else that will be in the tank... They will easily breed and produce live food for your corals and fish. Which is what I'm assuming your intention is with the blood shrimp. Difference is, they're smaller and you can get a lot more breeding for your buck. They won't all release at the same time either, so the feedings are spread out better. Also, I have about 150 right now and I need to give them homes. :] Just a thought. I like the blood shrimp as well, but they sure do hide. Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 26, 2013 Author Share Posted April 26, 2013 Current FTS.. . Just shy of 4wk old...parameters to come later this afternoon if I can get to it... Blood shrimp! Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 26, 2013 Author Share Posted April 26, 2013 FTS todays pic. 4/26/13 Test GSP. Let see if they retain color under my par 38... Link to comment
bizzal Posted April 26, 2013 Author Share Posted April 26, 2013 The auto-shut-off is something else. Significant pressure changes occur inside the unit when water flow is turned on or off. This typically isn't a problem, but when you hook a float valve directly to the unit,waves in the water will cause the valve to oscillate, resulting in a rapid hammering of pressure inside the unit. I got away with it for a few months, so was surprised when it finally went wrong. Literally blew a hole in my RO membrane, about the size of a quarter. Do you know how tough that membrane material is? The pressure must of been like a gun shot inside the housing. Started making a really loud ricochet sound and even blew out my pressure gage. HOLY CRAP! So would I get the hammer effect if I let the float valve temporarily stop the flow one my res is full then use a ball valve to shut off the clean water completely? I think I understand...but I dont get where the water waves that caused the hammer effect and blew out a hole in the membrane comes/came from... btw the float valve in the 15s sump is gravity fed from the reservoir... Link to comment
bizzal Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 I wish! Been lagging.... Was battling high phosphates for the first few months... not sure where they came from, but my guess was the unsoaked BRS dry rock I used... also from the few spectra pellets I was feeding to my blood shrimp... after getting those down my bs died after molting (or was eaten). Found a 1/4" thick 7" (at least) bristleworm eating the shrimp carcass. MFer! Yet to trap him...or attempt to... Impulsively (before testing water params) tried two milleporas from a reputable seller off ebay.... came in small but BEAUTIFUL! Unfortunately rtn within 18hrs of intro followed by complete death within 24hrs of introduction. Still no water testing was done...and yes I know me and my impulsiveness is at fault. Might also have been from mismeasurement of the coral rx dip I used prior to dt introduction...I dunno...business has been busy mixed with summertime activities, so the tank has been neglected a bit.. Original gsp are doing very well with no h2o changes... just ro ato...in fact they are getting a lil 'greener' and beginning to encroach on some of the adjacent bb of the tank... As a side note the Orphek pr25xp bulb I am using is acting weird. Some days it wont turn on for a couple hours... its o adigital timer that is linked with another pc system (that turns on no problem)... checked the light fixture and works fine... orphek says to send back n theyll fix and or replace so thats on the list to do this friday... needed to find a backup light before I send it in... found some cat on craigs that has 2 ecoxoticpar38s so ill get those to use as I send out the orphek for repairs... might bust the wallet on the maxpect razor nano... once I confirm my parameters are good and stable. Any feedback on the maxpect anyones? Link to comment
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