porkchop-rob Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Get the phantom! And....why skim on a 10 gallon? I would be looking at the mame skimmer or a gnome glass (I think you would have to find a used one, last I looked the gnome site was gone). Air driven really makes sense for the size of area you have to work with, IMO. Link to comment
da1001 Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I'm kind of kicking myself for getting a Pico Skim myself. Don't get me wrong, it works just fine ever since I tweaked it to work right over the course of a few weeks. But I would rather have the $120 I spent on it, shipping and an air pump back in my pocket for more corals. Not much point on a tank this small with normal water changes, which I am sort of religious about doing. I should have thought about that before I bought it but I was stuck in "fancy new aquarium toy" mode. Plus the way I have my stand set up, I need to run the black skimmate tubing out the side of the tank and to the left of the stand in plain view and it just looks ugly as hell lol. Link to comment
porkchop-rob Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 My personal goal is to limit the amount of "support" equipment needed on my office pico. I find that I keep wanting to add things......Skimmers, dosing pumps, powerheads, controllers, ATO, upgraded lighting, etc. While many of these things are useful and necessary (ATO), others are just for laziness, convenience, or "because my big tank has one". LOL Its a real struggle to decide between cool gadgets and simplicity. Especially when you are running a system with no cabinet or hood to hide the clutter. I am going to try to go skimmerless, and do a weekly 90% water change. Link to comment
teenyreef Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 That's the plan for now, I'll prob just run chemi pure elite and purigen. I wonder if I could use the middle chamber for chaeto? I put chaeto in the lower section of my InTank basket. But you could easily put it in the middle chamber. You would just need to come up with some way to keep the pieces of chaeto from spilling over into the third chamber and clogging up the pump. Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 I think that you should have gotten the discounted old model better, since you won't be able to use your pump at more than 40% and noise is irrelevant at this speed. Unless you upgrade to a bigger tank like a 40G, then you are future proofing I guess. I decided to go for a an MP10wes for $208 instead. I knew if I got the old model I'd regret it for not getting the newest model, plus it's next to my bed so it literally needs to be silent. PLUS I was thinking for the future when I upgrade to a bigger tank. Get the phantom! And....why skim on a 10 gallon? I would be looking at the mame skimmer or a gnome glass (I think you would have to find a used one, last I looked the gnome site was gone). Air driven really makes sense for the size of area you have to work with, IMO. I've decided not to get a skimmer, I just figured it couldn't hurt especially since it will be sps Dominant I'm kind of kicking myself for getting a Pico Skim myself. Don't get me wrong, it works just fine ever since I tweaked it to work right over the course of a few weeks. But I would rather have the $120 I spent on it, shipping and an air pump back in my pocket for more corals. Not much point on a tank this small with normal water changes, which I am sort of religious about doing. I should have thought about that before I bought it but I was stuck in "fancy new aquarium toy" mode. Plus the way I have my stand set up, I need to run the black skimmate tubing out the side of the tank and to the left of the stand in plain view and it just looks ugly as hell lol. That's kinda the same with me I like my toys haha My personal goal is to limit the amount of "support" equipment needed on my office pico. I find that I keep wanting to add things......Skimmers, dosing pumps, powerheads, controllers, ATO, upgraded lighting, etc. While many of these things are useful and necessary (ATO), others are just for laziness, convenience, or "because my big tank has one". LOL Its a real struggle to decide between cool gadgets and simplicity. Especially when you are running a system with no cabinet or hood to hide the clutter. I am going to try to go skimmerless, and do a weekly 90% water change. I put chaeto in the lower section of my InTank basket. But you could easily put it in the middle chamber. You would just need to come up with some way to keep the pieces of chaeto from spilling over into the third chamber and clogging up the pump. Maybe I can come up with something, we'll see! Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I put chaeto in the lower section of my InTank basket. But you could easily put it in the middle chamber. You would just need to come up with some way to keep the pieces of chaeto from spilling over into the third chamber and clogging up the pump. Teeny, do you think that tiny amount of chaeto really makes any difference? I have heard that a lot more than that in needed to make have an impact. Link to comment
teenyreef Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Maybe? Probably? I've never kept a sump with a big refugium. I'm pretty sure the tiny bit of chaeto I have doesn't make any difference at all. But I like to think of it as a little pod refuge Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 So my cycle is starting to see some nitrates so it shouldn't more than a week or two before I start adding a clean up crew and a few corals, my question is with this being planned as a sps dominant tank what percentages do you all with nano box lights recommend starting at for channel 1 & 2? Right now I have it at CH1-140 CH2-100 which is what Dave recommended on his storm how to- guide. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 140 ch1, 60ch2, I like the icy look. Once you get things aclimated, my corals with the duo like ch1 185, ch2 80. I gets lots of good growth. I have gone a lil higher, but things start to bleach out and not look so hot and need shade. Lol. I'd raise it by 5 for both channels once a week. Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Oh yesss I got my second mp10wes today too, but it's the discounted old model. Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Still a sweet pump haha! Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Still a sweet pump haha! I just finished installing the wet and dry side around 4am so that my wife doesn't ask. Shhhhhhhh..... Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hahaha sneaky! So I have some bad news I installed the QD yesterday afternoon, everything was going fine. Both the sides seemed to be lined up perfectly and the pump was silent. Fast forward 9 hours later I'm getting ready for bed and I'm turning off my PC (which sounds like a freaking jet) and I notice the mp10 is really loud. I tried re aligning everything to no avail. I don't know what happened. I think the noise is coming from the wet side. When installing I didn't use the rubber pad in between the glass and dry side. But I didn't think I needed it. Could that be it? I really hope I didn't get a defective pump after waiting for a month. I'll see if I can get a video up to let you guys listen. Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hahaha sneaky! So I have some bad news I installed the QD yesterday afternoon, everything was going fine. Both the sides seemed to be lined up perfectly and the pump was silent. Fast forward 9 hours later I'm getting ready for bed and I'm turning off my PC (which sounds like a freaking jet) and I notice the mp10 is really loud. I tried re aligning everything to no avail. I don't know what happened. I think the noise is coming from the wet side. When installing I didn't use the rubber pad in between the glass and dry side. But I didn't think I needed it. Could that be it? I really hope I didn't get a defective pump after waiting for a month. I'll see if I can get a video up to let you guys listen. Man sorry to hear that! But it happens. When I bought my first MP10 in 2013, the dry side bearings were defective or something! I made a video and sent it to the gentleman at Ecotech, and he was like "wow that's not normal". So they sent me a dry side overnight. The good news is that Ecotech CS is very good! My MP10 has been going strong since then. Some people are actually saying that there's no noise difference between the old and new models? Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Man sorry to hear that! But it happens. When I bought my first MP10 in 2013, the dry side bearings were defective or something! I made a video and sent it to the gentleman at Ecotech, and he was like "wow that's not normal". So they sent me a dry side overnight. The good news is that Ecotech CS is very good! My MP10 has been going strong since then. Some people are actually saying that there's no noise difference between the old and new models? Yea it's kinda of a bummer, I since tried it with the rubber in between the dry side and glass and it still is making the noise I'll upload the video to let you guys listen and probably send it to Ecotech too, it's a different noise than what your's was making though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRTGb2oFuGA I couldn't figure out how to add just the video, so you'll have to click the link haha, it's kinda hard to hear in the video but it's louder in person. Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Yea it's kinda of a bummer, I since tried it with the rubber in between the dry side and glass and it still is making the noise I'll upload the video to let you guys listen and probably send it to Ecotech too, it's a different noise than what your's was making though. I couldn't figure out how to add just the video, so you'll have to click the link haha, it's kinda hard to hear in the video but it's louder in person. I just click "share video" on YouTube, then I just paste it here from my phone's clip board. Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Well thanks haha! Could you hear it okay the video was louder before I uploaded it to YouTube Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Well thanks haha! Could you hear it okay the video was louder before I uploaded it to YouTubeJust heard it. That's not good at all! I just fired up mine, programmed it to my Apex and it's quiet. Sorry! I would send an email to Ecotech now.Send them a link to your video too. Sounds like the dry side no? Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Just heard it. That's not good at all! I just fired up mine, programmed it to my Apex and it's quiet. Sorry! I would send an email to Ecotech now. Send them a link to your video too. Sounds like the dry side no? I sent one to then this morning with a link to the video I hope I don't have to send the whole pump back And yea I think it's the wet side as well Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 So I still haven't heard back from Ecotech (i'm guessing because it's the weekend) So I just have the pump turned off incase it's damaging it even more + it's annoying to listen to. But In good news the tank finally finished it's cycle in the last few days So i'm moving over a yellow watchman and shrimp goby pair I had from my previous tank. I'm doing a water change now and then I'll acclimate them and hope for the best! Link to comment
da1001 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Sounds like a good plan, best of luck in the coming days with everything you gotta do. Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Sounds like a good plan, best of luck in the coming days with everything you gotta do. Thanks, seems like there is always something going wrong haha, and I haven't even begun stocking it. Hopefully it gets straightened out quickly! Link to comment
da1001 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Wait until you get your first patch of algae and think the whole tank is crashing haha! Link to comment
Smithjm5 Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Wait until you get your first patch of algae and think the whole tank is crashing haha! Been there lol, I already have a little bit of a bloom too Link to comment
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