Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 37

raddogz · 12/08/2006, 06:31 PM

you get airline tubing attached to rigid airline tubing (can be purchased at a lfs or possible Petco which is where I buy mine).

My suggestion is to to siphon as many as you can first then apply Flatworm Exit. If you are planning on being away for the weekend apply the flatworm exit after you get back vs. while you are away.

Snakebyt · 12/08/2006, 06:37 PM

right now would be the time to do it.. when you get back of course.. Also i would treat again in a couple weeks to maek sure you get any that survived and cant see, or any that hatched.
If you can, get ahold of a canister filter to run carbon after you treat

dcombs44 · 12/08/2006, 09:09 PM

I don't want to spend the money on a canister, but I planned on getting a big bag of carbon to attach to my overflow hose into my sump. I'm going to get some FWE at my old fishstore while I'm at home, so hopefully I'll be able to treat them Sunday evening. Thanks for the tips.

melev · 12/08/2006, 10:55 PM

I would keep siphoning what you can. If you leave town for a few days, just deal with it when you get back. The last thing you want to do is treat a tank for a pest right before you leave, as bad things tend to happen when you are away.

Tbduval · 12/08/2006, 11:00 PM

Hey Melev, can you explain more about flatworms? I understand that when the die they can release toxins but is there anything other than that. They can wipe a tank if they die in but only if present in large amounts, right? Thanks for the info.

melev · 12/08/2006, 11:03 PM

Yes, that is the main issue, besides just looking ugly in your tank.

dcombs44 · 12/09/2006, 10:38 AM

I'll be picking up my FWE along with about 20 gallons of salt water, since I don't have any made up. Wish me luck.

dcombs44 · 12/09/2006, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by raddogz
you get airline tubing attached to rigid airline tubing (can be purchased at a lfs or possible Petco which is where I buy mine).

May I ask, why the rigid tubing?

bklynmet · 12/09/2006, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dcombs44
May I ask, why the rigid tubing?

Visit this page on M's site... It has a photo that should make things clear.

http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html

melev · 12/09/2006, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dcombs44
May I ask, why the rigid tubing?

It makes it easier to point the end of the vacuum at specific areas in your tank.

kendog261 · 12/11/2006, 02:15 PM

Mark,
Looking at your photos of your Zoanthids they all seem to be very bright in color. Mine only about 25 out of 100 are bright the rest are dull in color or not open. Is there something you do to make yours happy

any help would be great.

melev · 12/11/2006, 03:46 PM

Zoanthids are generally an easy coral, but certain things cause problems:

Salinity: I find 1.026sg works great, but if it creeps up to 1.028sg they close up.
Flow: They need enough flow to keep detritus from settling on it.
Predators: If you have a fish nibbling at them, they'll suffer. Also shrimp & crabs can be problematic.
Coloration: Some are gorgeous, some are mundane. Lighting spectrum has a huge effect on how they appear to you.

I don't feed mine nor really give them a lot of thought. Keep in mind that some pictures look better especially if they were shot from above, with the light (so to speak) over my shoulder, vs shooting though the glass. And then I do use Photoshop to clean up images to make them look amazing, but no unreasonably so. I adjust levels, sharpen the image, and resize. No special effects or increase of saturation or contrast - those are left as is.

Tbduval · 12/11/2006, 07:58 PM

Hey Melev,
What is the status of the protein skimmer since the upgrade. It is broken in now, so do you think it is performing better than it was? Thanks!!! Also, Melev does have some the best looking Zoos around!

melev · 12/11/2006, 09:11 PM

I'm not sure if the upgrade made a difference. The one thing that is a drawback at this point is since I modified the venturis, it doesn't seem to restart like it used to. It isn't a big deal, but annoys me just the same. In the past, I'd turn it on and it would immediately fill up with air and water, but now it seems to fill up with water only. The venturi tubes have some water in them from when it was powered off, and it doesn't seem to have the suction to remove that small amount of water to resume drawing in air. The solution? Hold your hand over the intake of the pump for a couple of seconds to force the pump to suck in the water and begin drawing in air again.

Mavgi is sending me some mesh material as he wants me to give it a try on my skimmer, and I'm going to see if that makes a difference.

I do have a skimmer full of skimmate (4 days worth), mainly because of the minor hassle of it not starting up immediately. See why I always emphasize that it is important things work and work right every time? This little quirk is enough of an issue that I'm not cleaning it out daily as I used to.

dcombs44 · 12/11/2006, 09:15 PM

Hi Marc,

I've been siphoning my flatworms this evening. Their numbers seem to be down from friday. I plan to continue siphoning to see if i can get the upperhand. I went ahead and bought some FWE, but I'd like to use it only if I have to. Do you think it's a good idea to continue siphoning without the treatment, or should I go ahead and go throught the trouble just to be safe?

melev · 12/11/2006, 09:50 PM

If it was my tank, I'd siphon out every last one I could find, then treat. Follow the directions on the pacakge (and what my flatworm page says on my site) and you should have excellent results. I think the key is removing as many as possible before you ever treat, to limit the amount left to die within your system.

mcurl98 · 12/11/2006, 10:04 PM

My ER does the same thing with the new impeller. If you don't want to get your hand wet, a quick blow in the air line works well-yummy too.

melev · 12/11/2006, 10:06 PM

That is true, but how do you convince your tank sitter to do that exact thing when you have to go out of town? They may not want to blow where you've blown before.

mcurl98 · 12/12/2006, 12:43 AM

tell them you only practice safe blowing.
It also seems to start up fine more often if I take the air valve off.

melev · 12/12/2006, 01:04 AM

I don't have any air valves.

Hop · 12/12/2006, 02:43 AM

Well that is good to know about the impellers... I was thinking of picking up a couple and giving them a try as they were reported to draw more air into the skimmer. Now, I'm not so sure I'll even try them. I'll watch and see how yours do

Micki · 12/12/2006, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
They may not want to blow where you've blown before.

dcombs44 · 12/14/2006, 03:05 PM

Melev, I've never done any fragging before, but I have what was called an anvil (looks like a hammer to me) that has significantly died while being held at the LFS. It has one end with a few tentacles left. Can I chop the rest of the dead skelaton off, with hopes that the still living section will survive? I can post a picture this weekend, as I hope to be picking up my livestock. Thanks

melev · 12/14/2006, 04:04 PM

I've never heard of any LPS called an anvil, but a hammer coral has multiple heads. You can cut away any dead skeleton (zero tissue on it) and salvage what is living.

dcombs44 · 12/14/2006, 04:08 PM

In between the yellow cup and the green brain. Any ideas on the ID?

12/08/2006, 06:31 PM	#901
raddogz Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 3,167	you get airline tubing attached to rigid airline tubing (can be purchased at a lfs or possible Petco which is where I buy mine). My suggestion is to to siphon as many as you can first then apply Flatworm Exit. If you are planning on being away for the weekend apply the flatworm exit after you get back vs. while you are away. __________________ Eileen If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style. - Quentin Crisp Current Tank Info: 180g Reef

12/08/2006, 09:09 PM	#903
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	I don't want to spend the money on a canister, but I planned on getting a big bag of carbon to attach to my overflow hose into my sump. I'm going to get some FWE at my old fishstore while I'm at home, so hopefully I'll be able to treat them Sunday evening. Thanks for the tips. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

12/09/2006, 10:38 AM	#907
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	I'll be picking up my FWE along with about 20 gallons of salt water, since I don't have any made up. Wish me luck. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

12/11/2006, 09:15 PM	#915
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	Hi Marc, I've been siphoning my flatworms this evening. Their numbers seem to be down from friday. I plan to continue siphoning to see if i can get the upperhand. I went ahead and bought some FWE, but I'd like to use it only if I have to. Do you think it's a good idea to continue siphoning without the treatment, or should I go ahead and go throught the trouble just to be safe? __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

12/11/2006, 10:04 PM	#917
mcurl98 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 615	My ER does the same thing with the new impeller. If you don't want to get your hand wet, a quick blow in the air line works well-yummy too. __________________ -Matt Current Tank Info: tankless

12/08/2006, 06:37 PM	#902
Snakebyt Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Lubbock Tx Posts: 2,141	right now would be the time to do it.. when you get back of course.. Also i would treat again in a couple weeks to maek sure you get any that survived and cant see, or any that hatched. If you can, get ahold of a canister filter to run carbon after you treat

12/08/2006, 10:55 PM	#904
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I would keep siphoning what you can. If you leave town for a few days, just deal with it when you get back. The last thing you want to do is treat a tank for a pest right before you leave, as bad things tend to happen when you are away.

12/08/2006, 11:00 PM	#905
Tbduval Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 369	Hey Melev, can you explain more about flatworms? I understand that when the die they can release toxins but is there anything other than that. They can wipe a tank if they die in but only if present in large amounts, right? Thanks for the info.

12/08/2006, 11:03 PM	#906
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Yes, that is the main issue, besides just looking ugly in your tank.

12/11/2006, 02:15 PM	#911
kendog261 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bothell, Wa. Posts: 73	Mark, Looking at your photos of your Zoanthids they all seem to be very bright in color. Mine only about 25 out of 100 are bright the rest are dull in color or not open. Is there something you do to make yours happy any help would be great.

12/11/2006, 03:46 PM	#912
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Zoanthids are generally an easy coral, but certain things cause problems: Salinity: I find 1.026sg works great, but if it creeps up to 1.028sg they close up. Flow: They need enough flow to keep detritus from settling on it. Predators: If you have a fish nibbling at them, they'll suffer. Also shrimp & crabs can be problematic. Coloration: Some are gorgeous, some are mundane. Lighting spectrum has a huge effect on how they appear to you. I don't feed mine nor really give them a lot of thought. Keep in mind that some pictures look better especially if they were shot from above, with the light (so to speak) over my shoulder, vs shooting though the glass. And then I do use Photoshop to clean up images to make them look amazing, but no unreasonably so. I adjust levels, sharpen the image, and resize. No special effects or increase of saturation or contrast - those are left as is.

12/11/2006, 07:58 PM	#913
Tbduval Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 369	Hey Melev, What is the status of the protein skimmer since the upgrade. It is broken in now, so do you think it is performing better than it was? Thanks!!! Also, Melev does have some the best looking Zoos around!

12/11/2006, 09:11 PM	#914
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I'm not sure if the upgrade made a difference. The one thing that is a drawback at this point is since I modified the venturis, it doesn't seem to restart like it used to. It isn't a big deal, but annoys me just the same. In the past, I'd turn it on and it would immediately fill up with air and water, but now it seems to fill up with water only. The venturi tubes have some water in them from when it was powered off, and it doesn't seem to have the suction to remove that small amount of water to resume drawing in air. The solution? Hold your hand over the intake of the pump for a couple of seconds to force the pump to suck in the water and begin drawing in air again. Mavgi is sending me some mesh material as he wants me to give it a try on my skimmer, and I'm going to see if that makes a difference. I do have a skimmer full of skimmate (4 days worth), mainly because of the minor hassle of it not starting up immediately. See why I always emphasize that it is important things work and work right every time? This little quirk is enough of an issue that I'm not cleaning it out daily as I used to.

12/11/2006, 09:50 PM	#916
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	If it was my tank, I'd siphon out every last one I could find, then treat. Follow the directions on the pacakge (and what my flatworm page says on my site) and you should have excellent results. I think the key is removing as many as possible before you ever treat, to limit the amount left to die within your system.

12/11/2006, 10:06 PM	#918
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	That is true, but how do you convince your tank sitter to do that exact thing when you have to go out of town? They may not want to blow where you've blown before.

12/12/2006, 12:43 AM	#919
mcurl98 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 615	tell them you only practice safe blowing. It also seems to start up fine more often if I take the air valve off. __________________ -Matt Current Tank Info: tankless

12/12/2006, 01:04 AM	#920
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I don't have any air valves.

12/12/2006, 02:43 AM	#921
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	Well that is good to know about the impellers... I was thinking of picking up a couple and giving them a try as they were reported to draw more air into the skimmer. Now, I'm not so sure I'll even try them. I'll watch and see how yours do __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

12/14/2006, 03:05 PM	#923
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	Melev, I've never done any fragging before, but I have what was called an anvil (looks like a hammer to me) that has significantly died while being held at the LFS. It has one end with a few tentacles left. Can I chop the rest of the dead skelaton off, with hopes that the still living section will survive? I can post a picture this weekend, as I hope to be picking up my livestock. Thanks __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

12/14/2006, 04:04 PM	#924
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I've never heard of any LPS called an anvil, but a hammer coral has multiple heads. You can cut away any dead skeleton (zero tissue on it) and salvage what is living.

12/14/2006, 04:08 PM	#925
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	In between the yellow cup and the green brain. Any ideas on the ID? __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress