240 Inwall Construction (Image Intense) - Page 27

Ixthys · 02/03/2006, 01:10 PM

Weatherson,
I noticed you have an Ozotech ozone generator. How do you like it? How do you control it? Do you use one of the ozotech driers with it and if not, are you planning on it?

Thanks!

weatherson · 02/03/2006, 02:41 PM

conda & OldmillXxX: As stated earlier, part of the reason my sand remains clean is due to the high current levels in the tank. The Penductors and the sinusoidal valve keep currents very random which constantly and gently moves the Southdown sand about. Very little gets waterborne but there is always dunes or wave shaped formations that alter due to which Penductor is on (6-hour rotation for tide simulation). The natural movement over time has been for the majority of the sand to accumulate towards the back as it travels through the valley. Personally, I prefer the look of this as it does give a natural look, in my opinion. Perfectly flat sand beds don't appeal to me.

The downside to all this is that it is a delicate balancing act as to where the outputs are aimed. For instance, after having taken that previously posted shot where I moved the left and right sinusoidal valve outlets, even after placing them back to what I felt was as close as possible to their original positions, the slight alteration has created new sand movement patterns. Not always a bad thing, just sometimes different. Other times, slight tweaks are required to prevent large amounts of movement. Again, it's all part of the balancing act which is part of the overall challenge.

Ixthys: I do really like the Ozotech ozone generator in that it is ultra powerful, of great quality and trouble free. It has a dial for the level of output which I run at the minimal setting of 1 on a scale of 1 to 10. I don't run a dryer but do run its input air through the large floss/carbon filter which I'm sure helps some. But again, this unit is so powerful that drying the air for efficiency is not required, in my case. As far as control, I used to use the ORP control on my AquaController II but it was so stable that I now just run it 24/7 at the aforementioned lowest setting. This seems to prevent the swings produced by a constant on and off at higher output based on the ORP readings. I do still have programmed in a shut-off for when the skimmer is shut down (too high a pH... which raises the sump level to prevent more Kalkwasser additions) and a too high ORP level, just for safety reasons. This never comes into play, though, thank goodness.

While Ozotech ozone generators are more expensive than others initially, I feel the longevity makes it cheaper in the long-run. Mine has been running without flaw for over 8 years and I bought it used, albeit briefly. I know this sounds like a commercial but is in fact my true belief.

No kickbacks have been provided.

Joseph

Lunchbucket · 02/03/2006, 06:43 PM

weatherson - AMAZING tank! love the pics.

Lunchbucket

RevHtree · 02/04/2006, 05:16 PM

Hey how do you keep your sand from blowing around?

tgcreef · 02/04/2006, 08:08 PM

wow i love ur red zoos are they the safecrackers?

tgcreef · 02/04/2006, 08:08 PM

wow i love ur red zoos are they the safecrackers?

Aussie Koi · 02/05/2006, 05:26 AM

WOW
2 Days of reading and I have finaly read every word Jospeh.

Your contruction and photography skills are inspiring to the point of action ( I am going to redo all my electrics this week and try and clean things up).

Congratulations and thank you for your time and efforts on this thread.

Regards
Tim

tonym10 · 02/05/2006, 08:56 PM

I have been looking for a thread to help me when I upgrade to a 180 inwall, finally found it.

weatherson · 02/07/2006, 04:40 PM

Lunchbucket: Thank you very much.

RevHtree: I don't.

Read my previous post.

NanoManMaster: Thanks but no, they are not the SafeCrackers. Keep in mind that the shot of them above was from top-down so colors change compared to from the front of the tank. Here's a shot as they appear looking through the front glass of the tank...

Beautiful none-the-less.

Here's a link to ZoaID.com showing the SafeCrackers...

SafeCrackers on ZoaID.com

Tim: Thank you very much for the kind words and congratulations on your monumental reading feat. I'm pleased you were able to take something away from it.

tonym10: I'm pleased to have helped and that you found this.

Joseph

want2reef · 02/07/2006, 06:22 PM

Now thats a sweet pic.

TJ · 02/07/2006, 09:00 PM

awesome pics, awesome colors.... wow.

weatherson · 02/07/2006, 10:32 PM

want2reef & TJ: Thanks. I did take the photo but the colors are not my doing.

Joseph

Demeter · 02/15/2006, 07:56 PM

Weatherson - did you buy your Beckett Injectors online?

TJ · 02/15/2006, 09:13 PM

what program do you use, if you don't mind me asking... I love Jasc Paint Pro, myself- it seems quicker.

weatherson · 02/15/2006, 10:11 PM

Demeter: I used to order them online but they were no longer available from this retailer. The last time I ordered several, I did so through EBay.

TJ: Assuming by your comment that you are asking about the photo manipulation software. I use Photoshop. A little more difficult to learn but more versatile overall.

Joseph

Yossia · 02/24/2006, 09:17 AM

Joseph

Are you happy with your Lifegard UV? Have you considered Aqua C (with the wiping device)?

Regards

Yossi

weatherson · 02/24/2006, 01:50 PM

Yossi: I am happy with my UV sterilizer but this mainly just means that it continues to light and not leak.

It's not as if you can see what it is doing or measure its performance. My tank, since treating for Red Bugs and Acropora Eating Flat Worms, has been running extremely well with amazing coral growth and coloration as well as overall fish health. The later has been so since, and before for that matter, the introduction of the UV sterilizer. So, again, this is one of those pieces of equipment that you know in principle what it does and how it does this but leaves no evidence of having done that in a typical reef aquarium system.

As far as the Lifeguard unit goes... it's well built, provides easy bulb changes as well as quartz sleeve removal for cleaning. Not as easy as a wiper system but still not an issue. Keeping in mind that I have no experience with the Aqua brand units or wiping devices incorporated, I would question their effectiveness to remove buildup on the sleeve. Perhaps everyday wipes would prevent buildup but when I clean the sleeve on the Lifegard unit, it inevitably takes Muriatic acid to completely remove the buildup. But again, perhaps consistent wipes with a wiper would prevent any buildup at all.

Joseph

weatherson · 02/24/2006, 01:52 PM

While I'm at it, here's a new addition to the tank

...

Joseph

McGinnis · 02/24/2006, 01:54 PM

Beautiful as usual! Great looking photograph!

Yossia · 02/24/2006, 02:22 PM

Joseph

Thanks, I mainly wished to hear about build and maintenance.

Yossi

maxxII · 02/24/2006, 04:57 PM

Joseph,
Where did you score such an awesome looking Maxima?

Nick

Ixthys · 02/24/2006, 08:01 PM

I was reading the thread you're involved with on the AEFWs and as far as I could tell, you had a resurgence of the beasts. But a few posts above you mentioned that your tank is running well. Does this mean you beat the beasts? If so, what do you attribute it to? The UV or the FWE or both?

Thanks!

Ixthys · 02/24/2006, 08:01 PM

double post...

weatherson · 02/24/2006, 09:41 PM

McGinnis: Thank you.

Yossi: Did I cover that well enough or was there other information you needed?

Nick: It's a Blue Squamosa that my LFS ordered for me. It took a while to get but well worth the wait. It's a little guy but hopefully will look like this (there's a couple shown on this page) when it grows up.

Ixthys: A fellow local club member has the same avatar so perhaps this is why but you have me confused with him. He has a larger tank and is now dosing closer to and slightly greater than what I had done. I did four treatments with the last done two weeks ago and no signs of AEFW's. My fingers are still crossed but as of now, it looks promising.

Joseph

DMK · 02/24/2006, 09:54 PM

wow.

02/03/2006, 06:43 PM	#653
Lunchbucket Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Brookings, SD Posts: 12,924	weatherson - AMAZING tank! love the pics. Lunchbucket __________________ Trying to lose weight by walking is like trying to bake a cake w/ a cigarette lighter - Lunchbucket - "Nancy-Boy Extraordinaire" - maxxII- Current Tank Info: 58gal Oceanic RR, 2x400w MH (20k XM and 10k XM), Deltec PF601 Ca Rx, Deltec AP701 skimmer, mag950 return, iwaki 55rlt w/ an Oceansmotions 4-way unit, Tunze 7300 and 6000 each w/ controller, fluidized po4 rx

02/04/2006, 08:08 PM	#655
tgcreef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: North Miami Beach Posts: 1,126	wow i love ur red zoos are they the safecrackers? __________________ Reefing since 2001

02/04/2006, 08:08 PM	#656
tgcreef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: North Miami Beach Posts: 1,126	wow i love ur red zoos are they the safecrackers? __________________ Reefing since 2001

02/07/2006, 06:22 PM	#660
want2reef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tracy CA. Posts: 1,353	Now thats a sweet pic. __________________ Kevin The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Current Tank Info: CADlights Artison II 165g, 50g sump,Aquamaxx Q-3 Skimmer, AI Hydra 26 HD.

02/15/2006, 07:56 PM	#663
Demeter Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Springfield, PA Posts: 482	Weatherson - did you buy your Beckett Injectors online? __________________ "My problem lies in reconciling my hobby with my net income." Current Tank Info: Looking for a new setup!

02/03/2006, 01:10 PM	#651
Ixthys Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Middletown, MD Posts: 562	Weatherson, I noticed you have an Ozotech ozone generator. How do you like it? How do you control it? Do you use one of the ozotech driers with it and if not, are you planning on it? Thanks!

02/03/2006, 02:41 PM	#652
weatherson Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 2,022	conda & OldmillXxX: As stated earlier, part of the reason my sand remains clean is due to the high current levels in the tank. The Penductors and the sinusoidal valve keep currents very random which constantly and gently moves the Southdown sand about. Very little gets waterborne but there is always dunes or wave shaped formations that alter due to which Penductor is on (6-hour rotation for tide simulation). The natural movement over time has been for the majority of the sand to accumulate towards the back as it travels through the valley. Personally, I prefer the look of this as it does give a natural look, in my opinion. Perfectly flat sand beds don't appeal to me. The downside to all this is that it is a delicate balancing act as to where the outputs are aimed. For instance, after having taken that previously posted shot where I moved the left and right sinusoidal valve outlets, even after placing them back to what I felt was as close as possible to their original positions, the slight alteration has created new sand movement patterns. Not always a bad thing, just sometimes different. Other times, slight tweaks are required to prevent large amounts of movement. Again, it's all part of the balancing act which is part of the overall challenge. Ixthys: I do really like the Ozotech ozone generator in that it is ultra powerful, of great quality and trouble free. It has a dial for the level of output which I run at the minimal setting of 1 on a scale of 1 to 10. I don't run a dryer but do run its input air through the large floss/carbon filter which I'm sure helps some. But again, this unit is so powerful that drying the air for efficiency is not required, in my case. As far as control, I used to use the ORP control on my AquaController II but it was so stable that I now just run it 24/7 at the aforementioned lowest setting. This seems to prevent the swings produced by a constant on and off at higher output based on the ORP readings. I do still have programmed in a shut-off for when the skimmer is shut down (too high a pH... which raises the sump level to prevent more Kalkwasser additions) and a too high ORP level, just for safety reasons. This never comes into play, though, thank goodness. While Ozotech ozone generators are more expensive than others initially, I feel the longevity makes it cheaper in the long-run. Mine has been running without flaw for over 8 years and I bought it used, albeit briefly. I know this sounds like a commercial but is in fact my true belief. No kickbacks have been provided. Joseph

02/04/2006, 05:16 PM	#654
RevHtree Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chattanooga, Tn. Posts: 2,742	Hey how do you keep your sand from blowing around?

02/05/2006, 05:26 AM	#657
Aussie Koi Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Brisbane Australia Posts: 28	WOW 2 Days of reading and I have finaly read every word Jospeh. Your contruction and photography skills are inspiring to the point of action ( I am going to redo all my electrics this week and try and clean things up). Congratulations and thank you for your time and efforts on this thread. Regards Tim

02/05/2006, 08:56 PM	#658
tonym10 Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: NE PA Posts: 2,078	I have been looking for a thread to help me when I upgrade to a 180 inwall, finally found it.

02/07/2006, 04:40 PM	#659
weatherson Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 2,022	Lunchbucket: Thank you very much. RevHtree: I don't. Read my previous post. NanoManMaster: Thanks but no, they are not the SafeCrackers. Keep in mind that the shot of them above was from top-down so colors change compared to from the front of the tank. Here's a shot as they appear looking through the front glass of the tank... Beautiful none-the-less. Here's a link to ZoaID.com showing the SafeCrackers... SafeCrackers on ZoaID.com Tim: Thank you very much for the kind words and congratulations on your monumental reading feat. I'm pleased you were able to take something away from it. tonym10: I'm pleased to have helped and that you found this. Joseph

02/07/2006, 09:00 PM	#661
TJ Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Arkansas Posts: 237	awesome pics, awesome colors.... wow.

02/07/2006, 10:32 PM	#662
weatherson Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 2,022	want2reef & TJ: Thanks. I did take the photo but the colors are not my doing. Joseph

02/15/2006, 09:13 PM	#664
TJ Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Arkansas Posts: 237	what program do you use, if you don't mind me asking... I love Jasc Paint Pro, myself- it seems quicker.

02/15/2006, 10:11 PM	#665
weatherson Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 2,022	Demeter: I used to order them online but they were no longer available from this retailer. The last time I ordered several, I did so through EBay. TJ: Assuming by your comment that you are asking about the photo manipulation software. I use Photoshop. A little more difficult to learn but more versatile overall. Joseph

02/24/2006, 09:17 AM	#666
Yossia Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13	Joseph Are you happy with your Lifegard UV? Have you considered Aqua C (with the wiping device)? Regards Yossi

02/24/2006, 01:50 PM	#667
weatherson Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 2,022	Yossi: I am happy with my UV sterilizer but this mainly just means that it continues to light and not leak. It's not as if you can see what it is doing or measure its performance. My tank, since treating for Red Bugs and Acropora Eating Flat Worms, has been running extremely well with amazing coral growth and coloration as well as overall fish health. The later has been so since, and before for that matter, the introduction of the UV sterilizer. So, again, this is one of those pieces of equipment that you know in principle what it does and how it does this but leaves no evidence of having done that in a typical reef aquarium system. As far as the Lifeguard unit goes... it's well built, provides easy bulb changes as well as quartz sleeve removal for cleaning. Not as easy as a wiper system but still not an issue. Keeping in mind that I have no experience with the Aqua brand units or wiping devices incorporated, I would question their effectiveness to remove buildup on the sleeve. Perhaps everyday wipes would prevent buildup but when I clean the sleeve on the Lifegard unit, it inevitably takes Muriatic acid to completely remove the buildup. But again, perhaps consistent wipes with a wiper would prevent any buildup at all. Joseph

02/24/2006, 01:52 PM	#668
weatherson Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 2,022	While I'm at it, here's a new addition to the tank ... Joseph

02/24/2006, 01:54 PM	#669
McGinnis Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Burlington, Vermont Posts: 310	Beautiful as usual! Great looking photograph! __________________ Matthew Kuhlmeier "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it" Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: 90-Gallon AGA Reef-Ready, Converted Wet/Dry to sump/refugium, T-5 Lighing, Oceansmotion Squirt & Mag 9.5 Closed Loop, Ozone, and still counting..

02/24/2006, 02:22 PM	#670
Yossia Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13	Joseph Thanks, I mainly wished to hear about build and maintenance. Yossi

02/24/2006, 04:57 PM	#671
maxxII Super Housemonkey! Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 4,442	Joseph, Where did you score such an awesome looking Maxima? Nick __________________ A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn, that was fun!"

02/24/2006, 08:01 PM	#672
Ixthys Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Middletown, MD Posts: 562	I was reading the thread you're involved with on the AEFWs and as far as I could tell, you had a resurgence of the beasts. But a few posts above you mentioned that your tank is running well. Does this mean you beat the beasts? If so, what do you attribute it to? The UV or the FWE or both? Thanks!

02/24/2006, 08:01 PM	#673
Ixthys Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Middletown, MD Posts: 562	double post...

02/24/2006, 09:41 PM	#674
weatherson Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 2,022	McGinnis: Thank you. Yossi: Did I cover that well enough or was there other information you needed? Nick: It's a Blue Squamosa that my LFS ordered for me. It took a while to get but well worth the wait. It's a little guy but hopefully will look like this (there's a couple shown on this page) when it grows up. Ixthys: A fellow local club member has the same avatar so perhaps this is why but you have me confused with him. He has a larger tank and is now dosing closer to and slightly greater than what I had done. I did four treatments with the last done two weeks ago and no signs of AEFW's. My fingers are still crossed but as of now, it looks promising. Joseph

02/24/2006, 09:54 PM	#675
DMK Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: central NJ Posts: 2,494	wow.