Ratvan's RSM 130D

[StinkyBunny]

5 hours ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Do they collect as much even though I've got a wad of filter floss under the overflow? It doesn't seem like anything gets in the middle chamber. In face it's probably the cleanest area 😀

You'd be surprised at how much shit gets trapped in them. Mine are behind the mechanical filtration and dirt still settles on them in the sump.

[Ratvan]

7 hours ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Do they collect as much even though I've got a wad of filter floss under the overflow? It doesn't seem like anything gets in the middle chamber. In face it's probably the cleanest area 😀

You should see the state of my HOB in the Pico contest. It's like i dont even use floss

[Wonderboy]

[Ratvan]

The water in the Pico is a lot clearer since I added the Bio Spheres yesterday, coincidence surely?

[Ratvan]

Hmmmm not going to get this wet today, missing more parts as I come to put everything together. What is most irritating is that I will most likely have to frequent the shitty LFS near me and try and find some Hydroponics Stores to get the remainder of the pieces. 

 

Shopping List for Today

• Connector Barb for Flexi Hose (Forgot about this 😶)
• Random Flow Generator - possibly looking at picking one up if not a duckbill nozzle
• Dry Rock 20LBS ish
• Barnacles
• Dr Tim's One and Only
• Putty

 

Will try and get built for starting cycle next week soemtime

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

Hmmmm not going to get this wet today, missing more parts as I come to put everything together. What is most irritating is that I will most likely have to frequent the shitty LFS near me and try and find some Hydroponics Stores to get the remainder of the pieces. 

 

Shopping List for Today

• Connector Barb for Flexi Hose (Forgot about this 😶)
• Random Flow Generator - possibly looking at picking one up if not a duckbill nozzle
• Dry Rock 20LBS ish
• Barnacles
• Dr Tim's One and Only
• Putty

 

Will try and get built for starting cycle next week soemtime

Nice! Can't wait

[Ratvan]

12 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Nice! Can't wait

Going to have too, 

No Decent Rock, loads of plastic fake stuff 🤢

No Dr Tims

No Connection Barb

 

Got Putty and Barnacles

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

5 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Going to have too, 

No Decent Rock, loads of plastic fake stuff 🤢

No Dr Tims

No Connection Barb

 

Got Putty and Barnacles

That sucks. Do you have any place online that you can buy that stuff from?

[Ratvan]

7 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

That sucks. Do you have any place online that you can buy that stuff from?

On Amazon now. Damn 0.79p for the damn connection barb. Could at least fill and start cycle with that 

[StinkyBunny]

Damn, that sucks. Have you looked on Craigslist or Facebook? You can sometimes find decent rock there.

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, StinkyBunny said:

Damn, that sucks. Have you looked on Craigslist or Facebook? You can sometimes find decent rock there.

I'm on a few different forums (UK Based) and am looking around, I am after a particular shape so looking for that or a way of achieving that final look. So far I haven't seen much that I want (other than it'll get me started) Might see if I can get to a couple of different LFS this weekend to find what I want

 

Barb Connector and Dr Tims Ordered from Amazon 👍

[kimberbee]

Just now, Ratvan said:

I am after a particular shape so looking for that or a way of achieving that final look.

Sucks when you have an idea for something but can't find what you need to complete it.

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

4 minutes ago, kimberbee said:

Sucks when you have an idea for something but can't find what you need to complete it.

lol that's exactly why the 75 is sitting empty with a brand new sump under it  I have to plumb it but no idea how and what things to use. So lots of procrastination I guess

[Ratvan]

Been cleaning up the barnacles (getting the glue gun glue off it), have set up the intank media basket (minus Bio Spheres that are seeding), considering running it with the flexi hose stuff through and no output nozzle.......

 

Decided to throw the frag holders in as well, probably use these as spacers or ledges in the final build

[Wonderboy]

Man, waiting for plumping parts is the worst... If you have air pumps/powerheads - you can get the cycle started in some clean buckets

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Wonderboy said:

Man, waiting for plumping parts is the worst... If you have air pumps/powerheads - you can get the cycle started in some clean buckets

Due to arrive on October 4th...... 

Hardware and Plumbing stores on the to do list for the weekend as well 

[Ratvan]

On 9/25/2019 at 2:12 PM, kimberbee said:

What kind are they? I've seen mixed suggestions on if they should be used or not. Not - because your rock should be enough for beneficial bacteria and they trap a lot of detritus when left in back chambers. Yes - I've seen it suggested to put them in a basket or mesh bag for ease of cleaning.

 

The first hammer looks branching the second is harder to tell, but I'd lean towards branching. 

 

I had a hard time selling corals locally, but if someone had given me a deposit I would have been happy to hold onto the corals for them. If you're looking to add those specific 7 frags, I'd do it in two groups. There's probably a lot of people who would do it all at once. 

Spoke to the Reefer and he is more than happy with m taking my time to add the corals from him, have agreed a discount rate for the corals £100 all in, Have paid him £50 upfront will pay the rest when I pick up the final batch

 

[StinkyBunny]

The hunt for decent rock is going to be a serious issue in the not too distant future if somewhere in the South Pacific doesn't open back up. I'm not a fan of the man made rock, every time I've used the shit all it grows is hair algae. I'm glad I stashed 400kg of wild collected rock right before Indo went tits up. I don't think anyone in the USA has any live rock other than the Florida mined crap or man made, neither of which I will use.

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

11 minutes ago, StinkyBunny said:

The hunt for decent rock is going to be a serious issue in the not too distant future if somewhere in the South Pacific doesn't open back up. I'm not a fan of the man made rock, every time I've used the shit all it grows is hair algae. I'm glad I stashed 400kg of wild collected rock right before Indo went tits up. I don't think anyone in the USA has any live rock other than the Florida mined crap or man made, neither of which I will use.

I thought the florida rock was good stuff... How come it's not good? I was looking to get some when I start the 75.

[StinkyBunny]

21 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

I thought the florida rock was good stuff... How come it's not good? I was looking to get some when I start the 75.

The stuff they culture in the Gulf is top notch stuff, the dry mined shit is what I have an issue with.

 

Here's a pic of M's old 130D with a freshly collected H. ritteri, Orange Skunk clowns, Antenna goby and his Tiger pistol shrimp.

 

 

 

[Ratvan]

I can get either Dry rock (no good shapes) or "Live" rock which again poor shapes and fairly certain is just dry rock painted purple at the minute, browsing tank shutdown threads currently

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

5 minutes ago, StinkyBunny said:

The stuff they culture in the Gulf is top notch stuff, the dry mined shit is what I have an issue with.

 

Here's a pic of M's old 130D with a freshly collected H. ritteri, Orange Skunk clowns, Antenna goby and his Tiger pistol shrimp.

 

 

 

Wow that has so much coraline algae . That's pretty awesome. I was looking into tampa bay live rock. I was gonna grab like 20ish pounds and used some dry rock for the rest. I actually like all the different life forms that would be on that rock.

[billygoat]

I swear it's just like @StinkyBunny says, getting quality rock is the number one struggle in this hobby... here in the states we are very lucky to have multiple vendors in Florida who produce high quality aquacultured rock, but as far as I can tell in the rest of the world you basically have no option but to get it from another reefer and just hope that they know what they are doing.

 

I can't wait to see this tank up and running! But I guess I will have to... for a bit longer at least. Those corals you've picked out look excellent. 👌 That Plerogyra in particular is a favorite of mine.

 

2 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

Wow that has so much coraline algae . That's pretty awesome. I was looking into tampa bay live rock. I was gonna grab like 20ish pounds and used some dry rock for the rest. I actually like all the different life forms that would be on that rock.

I used gulfliverock.com when setting up my aquarium and have to say I am very pleased with the rock from the Gulf of Mexico. It had some pests of course (the typical Aiptasia, some fairly invasive red wiry algae, a Eunicid worm that eats my macros, etc.), but now I am more than 9 months in and my rocks are completely encrusted with numerous different species of coralline algae. Plus all the cool hitchhikers are awesome! I've got colonial tunicates, tiny bivalves of all descriptions, micro-sized feather duster worms, brittle stars, bristle worms, and even some lovely red grape algae (Botryocladia sp.) that hitchhiked in on the rock and has since taken off in my tank. I have to imagine the other vendors from Florida such as Tampa Bay Live Rock or KP Aquatics will provide you with a similar product. I highly recommend it. 😊

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

13 minutes ago, billygoat said:

I swear it's just like @StinkyBunny says, getting quality rock is the number one struggle in this hobby... here in the states we are very lucky to have multiple vendors in Florida who produce high quality aquacultured rock, but as far as I can tell in the rest of the world you basically have no option but to get it from another reefer and just hope that they know what they are doing.

 

I can't wait to see this tank up and running! But I guess I will have to... for a bit longer at least. Those corals you've picked out look excellent. 👌 That Plerogyra in particular is a favorite of mine.

 

I used gulfliverock.com when setting up my aquarium and have to say I am very pleased with the rock from the Gulf of Mexico. It had some pests of course (the typical Aiptasia, some fairly invasive red wiry algae, a Eunicid worm that eats my macros, etc.), but now I am more than 9 months in and my rocks are completely encrusted with numerous different species of coralline algae. Plus all the cool hitchhikers are awesome! I've got colonial tunicates, tiny bivalves of all descriptions, micro-sized feather duster worms, brittle stars, bristle worms, and even some lovely red grape algae (Botryocladia sp.) that hitchhiked in on the rock and has since taken off in my tank. I have to imagine the other vendors from Florida such as Tampa Bay Live Rock or KP Aquatics will provide you with a similar product. I highly recommend it. 😊

See that's what i'm talking about . I want "most" of the life in the ocean in my tank. It's stuff that you just can't buy. Sometimes I think that is my favorite part, looking at all the neat little creatures. Especially one's that you had no idea you had.

[Ratvan]

11 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

See that's what i'm talking about . I want "most" of the life in the ocean in my tank. It's stuff that you just can't buy. Sometimes I think that is my favorite part, looking at all the neat little creatures. Especially one's that you had no idea you had.

Glad I picked up those Bio Spheres now lol. I can find loads of Marko Rock (£11.99 per Kilo) which is more expensive than "real" rock. Alternatively I can always looks for corals on nice rocks and add that way?