Kat's METROpolitan: Retired May 2018

[Lula_Mae]

1 hour ago, metrokat said:

Window units. It is the landlord's responsibility to repair/replace appliances. It is mandated in the lease agreement. My unit is working, seems to be underpowered according to the guy that wants to earn money from a sale transaction. I would get my own unit but it won't be larger than this one, so then I would be running two to cool the one room. More bills.

Yeah, I've got 2 tower fans running. My apartment is hot in the winter too, I get more direct sun. I leave the windows and balcony door open to keep it cool during the day.

Yuck.  Sounds like no fun!

[mitten_reef]

A few things you could weigh for options:

- better curtains, "heavyweight" with heat reflecting (silver?) back.  I've seen some at Target.  Not my #1 choice thiugh

- if you're feeling handy, look into a window film that can help deflect/reflect heat, i.e. keep it from even coming into your apt to begin with. 3M and Heat Mirror are the two names that came to mind. This way you get to keep most of your view and daylight. 

- but if your apt is in a heavy stone/brick bldg with south exposure, I'm sorry those two windows "fixes" won't help much with the heavy thermal mass of the wall. 

- look for a portable a/c unit. These are floor standing types, not the window units aka window shakers. Try to get as high btu rating as you see necessary per your floor area. Usually they have recommended area size for they're good for. . It'll also eliminate/negate your window unit requirement by landlord. 

[StinkyBunny]

If you need help getting one in love, say the word. I might be going to Brooklyn to look at a tank and talk to the big cheese this weekend.

[jedimaster1138]

The unit is either old, inefficient, or is slowly losing charge. Frankly if it's over 5 years old I'd replace it. Window/through-wall AC's have come so far in the past 10 years, there's no reason to still be using an old, power hungry POS.

 

Buy your own replacement unit of the appropriate cooling power. Install it yourself/bribe a friend to help. Store the old one. Take the new one with you when you move out, reinstall the old one. Landlady doesn't have to even know. 

 

 

[Wingy]

The poor man's window covering is bubble wrap.  Attach it to your drapes or cover the glass directly.

[Arkayology]

I bought a portable air conditioner that I can wheel around. The exhaust outlet fits into the window so install is very easy. The bonus is that the unit also is a heater and dehumidifier. I got an expensive one refurbed for a very reasonable price. Maybe try that?

[RollaJase]

I was looking through the 'Content I Follow', trying to catch up on threads after a 6-8 month absence and it dawned on me 'I haven't see any photo goodness from Kat!'. Lo and behold, here you are with an awesome new thread with crazy looking new tank with a built in shelf! I've been trying to keep track of your Instagram but it never clicked that you had a new tank. Glad to see everything still looks amazing after the tank upgrade. Looks like you have some amazing new pieces and some awesome new fishy friends. I am truly sorry for your losses though, especially Bogi. I lost my Labrador Retriever cross a little under 2 years ago, she was truly part of the family and at the time of her passing, at almost 15 years of age she had been with me for over half of my entire life. I haven't been able to bring myself to replace her yet and even thinking about her now brings a tear to my eye...

[metrokat]

20 hours ago, StinkyBunny said:

If you need help getting one in love, say the word. I might be going to Brooklyn to look at a tank and talk to the big cheese this weekend.

Thank you Stinky. I'll keep you posted if I get a new a/c

 

 

20 hours ago, jedimaster1138 said:

The unit is either old, inefficient, or is slowly losing charge. Frankly if it's over 5 years old I'd replace it. Window/through-wall AC's have come so far in the past 10 years, there's no reason to still be using an old, power hungry POS.

 

Buy your own replacement unit of the appropriate cooling power. Install it yourself/bribe a friend to help. Store the old one. Take the new one with you when you move out, reinstall the old one. Landlady doesn't have to even know. 

 

Not practical advice although I know you mean well. You're assuming the a/cs between different buildings is the same size/kind etc.

 

 

 

15 hours ago, Wingy said:

The poor man's window covering is bubble wrap.  Attach it to your drapes or cover the glass directly.

 That sounds like fun but it's not going to go with my Chic Kate Spade inspired decor and hand carved Louis 14th accent pieces.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, RollaJase said:

I was looking through the 'Content I Follow', trying to catch up on threads after a 6-8 month absence and it dawned on me 'I haven't see any photo goodness from Kat!'. Lo and behold, here you are with an awesome new thread with crazy looking new tank with a built in shelf! I've been trying to keep track of your Instagram but it never clicked that you had a new tank. Glad to see everything still looks amazing after the tank upgrade. Looks like you have some amazing new pieces and some awesome new fishy friends. I am truly sorry for your losses though, especially Bogi. I lost my Labrador Retriever cross a little under 2 years ago, she was truly part of the family and at the time of her passing, at almost 15 years of age she had been with me for over half of my entire life. I haven't been able to bring myself to replace her yet and even thinking about her now brings a tear to my eye...

Hi Jase. Thanks for the kind words. Tank is going through some issue right now and I lost a couple of prized colonies. I've been hesitant to do an update till the tank turned a corner. It may have after a 50% water change yesterday. Hard to tell just yet. 

[metrokat]

Hello hello. Sorry about the lack of updates. Hopefully this makes up for it. 

 

So the last weekend of July i went on vacation to the Hamptons with very dear friends. Loads of fun.

My first vacation since MACNA San Diego last year. 

Saturday nights are always a lobster feast

 

When I came back I took in 3 kittens to foster!

They were 3.5 weeks when I got the mew mews. @Mariaface came over one Saturday and we gave these musketeers a bath. I'm certainly growing attached to them but I'm not keeping any. They make me laugh and I was missing the feel of fur and those wet nose kisses. They have very distinct personalities. Callie is an independent girl, very sweet and sassy, intelligent, playful. Casper is a lap cat, he will sit and stare up at you till you pick him up. Cries his head off for food but inhales it so fast that he throws it up at least once a day. He's not the most robust of the bunch. Sylvester is a minx! Rambunctious, never sits still and very bossy.

 

I had to make adjustments to have them, like cordoning off some of my apartment so that they didn't wander. 2-3 mornings ago Casper somehow managed to jump over the barricade and ended up mewling for me in my bedroom! I think i slept past their 4 hour feeding window and he was not having it. If you meet Casper, he's tiny and not the strongest little guy so for him to manage to jump on the barricade and climb over is bonkers. 

 

3 days ago my return pump died 

 

I jury rigged an MJ1200 to temporarily circulate the water from the sump till a new pump arrives. It will be here tomorrow.

 

Tank wise I am still battling something unknown. I did a 50% water change several weeks ago and that made the corals happy for a bit but back to being stressed again.

I thought it may have been the new light. I spoke to Dave, adjusted the height of the fixture. Measured PAR with @Mariaface help and adjusted the settings.

 

Phosphates and Nitrates are high again so I am addressing that with Lantham Chloride and NO3 cubes seeded with MicroBacter 7. I have sent 3 water samples to 3 different companies for testing. Triton came back with high phosphates, lithium, bromine and selenium but nothing else noteworthy. I have to go over the results with Joe Caparatta from Unique Corals but we haven't connected yet. He did say nothing to worry about. 

 

I thought the problem was high magnesium. It was reading 1600 for about 3 months. But Triton came back with 1475.

Calcium is low but I knew that. 

Bromine is high.

Phosphorus is sky high, PO4 is high.

 

I was also thinking an iodine overdose or potassium. K is fine, Iodine is actually low!

The plan is water changes every few days till it gets sorted out.

 

I lost my prized Oregon Tort, Phoenix Montipora. Also lost the Jack O Lantern, Fascination Favia, Most of the duncans, Jason Fox John Deere Leptastrea which was encrusted on my zoa rock for many years, A. Austera.  The large mother colony of the Katropora browned out mostly, but the smaller colony has vibrantly green flesh. 

 

Other SPS are doing well, the Orange Passion is the happiest of the lot. Imagine that. The Goniopora is loving life! Clowns are spawning like clock-work.

 

Lost a few fish recently. The remaining 2 fish from Live Aquaria - the big beautiful male Anthia and female both died in the last week. The 2 wrasses from LA died in the first 24 hours. I had bought another wrasse from the LFS which didn't survive his battle scars from being in the tank.

 

Lynny has become a super male! He is a very dark purple and has electric blue lines. His fins are a rainbow of fiery oranges. He is quite striking when he flashes which he does often with the resident female Anthia.

 

I am going to MACNA next week. I am both excited and dreading it. I love reef shows but humidity is my kryptonite. I'll be the one with a personal fan hanging around my neck with a lanyard. I don't care how ridiculous I look either. This is happening yo.

 

So that is my update. The contest ends in 4 days so I am getting my act together and spending time on the forum. I hope you will join me in the final few days on the contest thread in cheering every participant and their supporters too. @Christopher Marks will open the polls for voting on Aug 20 so please chime in.

 

And thank you again for everyone that has been sending PMs and texts. I am better. I still miss Bogi terribly. It is quite astonishing to note that my memories of my life seem so colorful till he was in it, quite the opposite since he has been gone. I'll get unfrozen with time, I think I am making progress. 

PS: What is the best way to check for Chloramines?

[metrokat]

Oh Wait. I also was able to ask questions to Zack Rago from the documentary Chasing Coral. The article is on the Marine Depot blog.

https://blog.marinedepot.com/2017/07/fever-oceans-chat-zack-rago-chasing-coral.html

[fishfreak0114]

Glad to see you had fun on vacation!  Those kittens are adorable!  Sorry to hear about your recent tank troubles  I hope you can figure out what's causing the problem!  Would a pool test work? I googled it and it said that a DPD test kit measures free and total chlorine levels.  Not sure if it would work with saltwater though.

[Christopher Marks]

Super Update! It's great to have you back!

 

Sounds like some frustrating times with the tank, but at least it's not all bad! Lynny is really spectacular! 

[Lula_Mae]

Those kitties!   Which one is which?

[metrokat]

6 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Those kitties!   Which one is which?

So Casper is the buff little man.

Callie is a Calico, she's in the top of that video at the start. She's a chubbette too.

Sylvester is the little B/W minx.

[metrokat]

Casper

 

Callie

 

Sylvester

[Lula_Mae]

12 minutes ago, metrokat said:

Casper

 

Callie

 

Sylvester

Soooo cute!  Love how Sylvester is sitting very sphinx-like as though he's in charge.

[metrokat]

3 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Soooo cute!  Love how Sylvester is sitting very sphinx-like as though he's in charge.

Ha. He's going to be the boss of the household when he goes to his forever home. He needs  couple of minions too. 

[metrokat]

The air conditioning saga continues. My electric bill is very lovely. The building super said the a/c has probably never been serviced or cleaned in 10 years. I called the servicing company again and then sent an email to the landlady with the cost of the servicing which is a couple of hundred. I can't fathom why she would say no, but if she doesn't I guess I pay out of my pocket and resent her for the remainder of my time here.

 

According to my lease the landlord is supposed to offer me a renewal option 3 months before lease end, which is right about now. I'm not sure how it works, does she send it automatically, do I ask her to send it. If she doesn't send it then what? If she wants me to leave she has to give advance notice. 

[Boggers]

Don't envy you at this point as finding a new place again sucks as an option too.

 

I would not pay for it myself, but contact landlord about renewal and service. The best time to ask for things is when you are in a position to leave the place and they have to find a new tenant.

[metrokat]

37 minutes ago, Boggers said:

Don't envy you at this point as finding a new place again sucks as an option too.

 

I would not pay for it myself, but contact landlord about renewal and service. The best time to ask for things is when you are in a position to leave the place and they have to find a new tenant.

You are right. I have emailed her. Just hoping she says yes to the servicing. 

[Lula_Mae]

22 minutes ago, metrokat said:

You are right. I have emailed her. Just hoping she says yes to the servicing. 

Can you pay for it yourself and deduct it from rent? Not sure what the laws are there, but I have seen it done.

[markalot]

Keep the cool cat.  Glad to have you back.   I could go on.

[Sancho]

Yay MACNA! Your pump is probably not dead it's most likely the controller. Same thing happened with mine FishStreet sent a new controller....after I had to pay shipping  but...boom pump works again. 

[jamie1210]

Hi, I've never commented on your thread before, but I've always enjoyed reading your thread/updates.  First off, I wanted to say how sad I am for you about Bogi's passing.  Both of my dogs passed away together in a freak accident last year, and it was SO hard to deal with.  But it WILL get better, day by day.  I haven't wanted another dog since, but I've thought a lot about fostering--which is why I think it's so cool that you're doing so with those kittens

 

Reefing-wise, I started keeping SPS in my big, non-nano tank about a year and half ago because I ran into your thread(s)!  Not only were your aquascapes insanely beautiful in EVERY. TYPE. OF. TANK. YOU. KEPT, but your SPS always grew like mad.  Plus, you're a GIRL! lol.  I personally have not met any girl reefers in real life (I dunno, maybe there just aren't that many in CA??), but a girl reefer that keeps SPS?? Wow.   You are super inspirational! I was always scared of keeping acro's, but you made it look so FUN, and EASY (haha) that I actually gave it a try, and was hooked!   

 

Anyways, I guess I decided to post this today (and finally come out of my nano-reef shell, so to speak), because even though it seems like your tank's not doing the greatest right now, it's been inspiring to so many people along the way, and I know it'll have this amazing comeback

[Mariaface]

Such an amazing update!!   I should do one of these.

 

Bathtime was so fun!! I need to visit these munchkins again before they get adopted.. Callie's so precious. I need dis.

 

Spoiler

About your duncans: I think only one head of the duncans in my tank melted, and it was (I'm 95% sure) BJD after some jerk knocked them onto the floor. They must've gotten scraped on something, and then it ate away at the skin around the skeleton on three or four heads. But after reducing phosphates, adding Microbacter (Clean and 7) and nitrates, the recession stopped cold and the two heads that shrank back have been out and about like the rest of them, waving in the flow