Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[Cprowler]

Do you clean your back glass?

[melev]

No, I don't. My snails do.

[Cprowler]

Originally posted by melev

Wow, mine has only been running for 3 months and it's covered. You have had yours 18 months and it's clean, I must not have as many snails or mine are lazy.

[melev]

It's been said that MH lighting prevents coralline growth. I know I had some on the back wall, but figured the urchin was consuming it. Since I moved it into the refugium over six weeks ago, you'd think I'd see some now. I really don't see much of any, except down in the sump, on powerheads and in the shaded areas near the base of the rockwork.

Perhaps my water isn't balanced quite right.

Your SPS are nice and colorful. Looks great!

[gkarshens]

I've only ran MHs in my tank and my back wall is covered.

[Cprowler]

I have been using Purple Up also.

Now that I finished my stand/cabinet I can't wait for my frags to grow.

[richfavinger]

From what I have read for coralline to grow, you need a stable pH 8.1+, slightly high dKH (10 to 12), stable Mg, and proper levels of Strontium.

I to use Purple Up, but am not totally convinced... I will have some Kent Turbo Strontium by weeks end (along with my new CPR AquaFuge ) so, I will add some Strontium and see what happens.

Kents Turbo Strontium is just that, and that I know of has no Molybdenum, like there other version. It, along with there Turbo Calcium is considered there "Pro" line.

How ever, I now use Randy's 2-part home made Ca / Alk, with his part 3A, Mg.

[melev]

To be honest, I'm not really concerned that I don't have coralline in the tank. As long as the corals are growing, why should I worry? After all, it would be one more thing to clean.

[Lordhelmet]

last october my coralline covered everything. if i didn't scrub the front i think it would have been a purple box. then around dec/jan it just kinda stoped growing, everything else was fine. now in the last 2 weeks it has exploded again and i have to scrape the front acrylic every other day it seems i have no idea why it did that.

[steve68]

ur tank has 400w MH thats why & u are right i woulnt worry about it.
tank looks great Marc one question what tipe of algae do u feed ur tangs?

[jeffbrig]

Originally posted by melev
Keith, I agree about the cost in the closet. I bought my Sequence Dart at MACNA as it was a special price ($175), and had to add it to my luggage. Still, if my return pump were to fail and I had to get a new one that day, you can bet I'd pay $225 or more depending where I could get it. I'd prefer to save the extra money by being prepared and have the insurance.

Sorry to resurrect something from a few pages back, but I have an interesting suggestion for a "backup" pump. I had a sequence 4200 return pump that recently developed a bearing problem and went in for warranty repair. After a few days with the tank limping on a Mag5, I received a loaner pump from Sequence - a FW Cimarron model. They told me it would work fine for saltwater duty, but the seals were not built to hold up to long term use in saltwater. When all was said and done, they offered to let me keep the Cimarron for $100 ($85 in my mind since I would have paid $15 to ship it back to them). This pump is essentially a Dart without the saltwater seals. On azponds, they go for about $115. Not bad at all if you're just holding one for emergency use.

[Mogrash]

Hey Marc,

Finally found the end of the thread...what 5 splits? Anyways, I was wondering why you have your Tunze mounted on the same side rather than opposing each other?

Regarding the Ocean lights. I have three and am unsure what part has the bearings you are missing. My guess is the part that attatches to the reflector rather than the ceiling? You should be able to order replacements for those from any store carrying the lights (likely special order). If not I think the items are fairly standard fare for light suspension cabling and IKEA might even have them (given the lights are German and Ikea is swedish..)

I need to get some of those mini reflectors that slide in on the bottom...do you think they reduce the spread too much?

IF you want coralline algae...remove your cleanup crew and don't scape your glass for 3 weeks.... I'm still scraping off the algae after my trip to Italy...

[melev]

Steve - I'm feeding a sheet of Nori to the tangs once or twice a week. I fold it up multiple times until it is the size of a matchbook, then clip it to the glass and they go nuts for 5 minutes.

My skimmer has hardly been pulling anything out lately. As of last night, it didn't skim a drop overnight, and that was after I turned off the pumps and fed the suncorals PE Mysis and ReefRoids from PolypLab.com

So today I poured in a healthy amount of Formula One pellets in the tank as well as the Mandarin Diner, and a sheet of Nori. Nori is the stuff they use to wrap sushi with, also called Algae Wrap.

Jeff - always glad to find out there is an alternative. Would it be possible to buy the saltwater seals for $35 and convert the pump to long-time use? That is what they cost for the Sequence, I think.

Mogrash - this is Chapter 6 - but who's counting? The reason I have both Tunzes at one end is because I didn't want anything obscuring my viewing panel on the right side. It has been this way for the past 1.5 years, but about two months ago I put a VorTech on the viewing side and it hasn't been an eyesore. From time to time, I move it around a little, but with it being about the size of a hockey puck with a cord, it doesn't bother me like the Tunze Stream w/ magnet would.

Thanks for the suggestion on the light kit pin. I didn't want to have to buy an entire kit when all I need are those little pins. I might even check Home Depot since they sell Halogen lights now. The pin goes in the section screwed to the top of the pendant, and the thin wire goes through it. The ballbearings act like a zip-tie, in that you can pull the wire more to raise the light up, but it won't drop unless you unscrew the cap to release the tension caused by those ball bearings. It's a nice system that I've admired for years, but never understood exactly how they work.

I can't answer on the fins as I've not actually used them yet, but the tank I was visiting yesterday had a 4' long version with the fins, and I wasn't blinded by the lighting. They act as a nice shield and according to the reefer I visited, they bounce some stray light back down toward the tank instead of washing out into the room. Since he's been using these lights over the past 8 months, I figured he knows.

[Mogrash]

Hey I was counting the amount of times it split, not the actual threads (chapters)! Regardless the number is seriously out of control. Perhaps start your own forum?

Thanks for the info about the Tunze. Did you find the flow was very linear before adding the Vortech or was there plenty of bounce back from the Tunze-less side of the aquarium? I'm asking because I can never get quite happy with the placement of my own Tunzes... Placing them on the backwall removes the eyesore as they fade into my black background...but I don't like the flow as much...too many dead spots. Recently I have put one on the left side towards the front and one on the right side towards the back. Seems to give tons of flow and there is enough collision of the streams to create some turbulence...but still far too laminar IMHO still.

I see that you actually dismantled the piece I was talking about! Yea I have heard of those pieces failing (which is why there is the included stopper) though I have had no problem yet. Good luck finding them at Home depot. I know from AM they are like 30 bucks...ouch.

[melev]

No forum at this time. I've got my hands full. And I do think this is the 6th split of this thread.

Getting the perfect pattern of flow is tough. Random is always better. If you have a controller, you can ramp them up and down, switch back and forth, pulse, run in chase mode, etc. The VorTech has better flow imho since it doesn't have the restrictive screen the Tunze has. I have to clean the Tunze covers because as they clog up the flow drops as much as 50% (estimate). I can see when they are restricted because the BTAs stop swaying and stand up all perky like a Ritteri anemone.

See, I knew you were going to tell me that part was $30, probably for a kit. I just need a few ballbearings. I may go to a bicycle shop in search of the perfect ones.

[Qwiv]

Coraline Growth
I have seen a few articles referencing the growth of coraline algea and what effects it. One item that plays a large effect is the type of calcium suppliment you use. I am away from home so I can't look it up (and can't remember where to look), but one type of calcium additive really accelerates coraline growth while the others don't. I do remember it is not from a calcium reactor, so it was either lime water, or one of the CA in a bottle products. If I remember right, the calcium that boosted coraline was an organic calcium... but don't quote me on that. You also have to remember there are many species of coraline algea. Some grow faster than others. The article also referenced different water perameters as a possible limiter, but the CA type was the largest contributer in the research. All the factors can explain why coraline grows different in different tanks and at different times. Now if you can explain why it grows on my front glass and not my back glass, that would really help. Nothing is different except the back is black.

Mark
Don't go to a bike shop for a baring. Bikes don't use to many different sizes so the selection would be limited. Try a machine shop. They should have tons, or know where to get them local. I feel really bad. I just threw away about 8 of those things. I can't keep all the junk I have.

[melev]

Keeping junk is important. Even more important is keeping track of that junk so you can find it when you need it. Typically I know the general location where it may be, but finding it usually ends up unearthing other stored treasures as well.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[steve68]

got it thanks Marc i will try that, i have seen my blond naso get thin even though he eats a lot of bubble culerpa but im thinking it does not have enough nutrition for him.

[Cprowler]

Originally posted by melev
To be honest, I'm not really concerned that I don't have coralline in the tank. As long as the corals are growing, why should I worry? After all, it would be one more thing to clean.

I thought it might be clean because you remove your background to view the tank from the fishroom. I think wetherson does this if I'm not mistaken.

I didn't mean to spark a coralline debate.

[melev]

Yes, Weatherson does that. My background is applied, possibly painted on. It came that way, and I'm not interested in removing it. The light from the refugium would disturb the fish that are sleeping in the rockwork.

[danmp18]

Marc

When I had my 45G set up in college I had great coraline growth. I was running a 250W MH as well as actinic supplementation. I was too poor to afford a Ca reactor, so I dripped Kalk as my top-off only. I didn't keep SPS, but everything else in my tank looked great including the coraline algae which went nuts and spread all around the tank. I always thought that having good actinics helped coraline alot. I think it may like light in a different spectrum than SPS. Just my experience. HTH.

[21Reefman]

Originally posted by Qwiv
Now if you can explain why it grows on my front glass and not my back glass, that would really help. Nothing is different except the back is black.

I noticed that if you have HIGH flow in a tank, or the water is just consatantly blasting into an object at close range, the coraline will grow much more quickly.

I have a 20gal with FL live rock (Crap) and have always been disapointed with the coraline growth, it has been 2-3yrs and I still do not have total coverage. It does not even grow on the glass.
It does however grow like crazy on/in the overflow box!
I also put a power head behind the rock work, it is blasting right into a big rock to difuse it.
That rock back there in the DARK is completly covered in pink/purple coraline after only 2 weeks!
So it loves FLOW!!

[melev]

I spent a little time working in the tank today. I had to pull out a couple of skeletons (one of the candycane-like coral that self detructed within a week that took out my lovely moon coral; and one of Brent's that just disintegrated over a couple of weeks), and plucked off some bubble algae for Spock to enjoy.

The Seahorses got another water change today, and the Pico and Q-tank will get a water change shortly. Then I'll make up 55g of water for the reef, and use some of the reef water for a water change on the 29g. Wouldn't be nice if all these systems were tied together?

So here's a picture of the Tyree frag as of today. I've taken this picture every time the exact same way - in macro mode, lens against the glass, zoomed in all the way. That way over time the pictures can be compared and see the growth sequence. As you can see now, the coral is almost about to fill the entire frame. Finally.


and then slightly from above, lens at a 20 degree angle I guess:


I got this piece about a month ago, and had zero hopes of it doing well. Surprisingly it is holding strong, and perhaps spreading out over the rock. Anyone care to guess what it is?


Here's a piece from Brent that I've drooled over in this thread before.


And check it out. A. yongei that is living in my tank. The polyp extension is great, and I think it will do well for once. It's been a while since I had a Green Slimer.


This A. secale is healing up from the spots Tucker chewed upon. See how it is encrusting on the right?

[melev]

How about some fish shots for a change?

Six Line Wrasse


Blue Mandarin


Copperband Butterfly


Purple Tang


Longnosed Hawkfish & Ocellaris Clownfish


True Percula Clownfish (approaching 9 years of age)


Bengaii Cardinal fish


Blue Damsel (approaching 9 years of age)


Lemon Meringue Wrasse


And Tucker, the Blue (Hippo) Tang


That's it for today. Oh, and btw, I spent the last day on my ID page, which has been revamped to load more quickly and now includes predator information for each group of items. It now lists 233 items.

[gkarshens]

The one you asked about looks like an Echnophylia to me but I'm no expert.