Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 7

davidryder · 04/09/2006, 11:56 PM

you are my hero marc... this hobby is so fun

Micki · 04/10/2006, 05:45 AM

Marc do you still have Tucker? For some reason I thought you got rid of him.

melev · 04/10/2006, 11:13 AM

Yeah, he's still in there.

melev · 04/12/2006, 04:35 AM

I harvested from my Phyto Jug tonight. As you may recall, I used a large (2g) container of pretzels on March 8 to make phyto in, instead of four 2-liter bottles. What I did tonight was remove the lid, and stir up the phyto well to get all sediment in suspension, and then siphoned it into 2-liter bottles. I was able to fill 3 bottles and save the rest to start the next batch. Then the lid and tubing were cleaned well to remove salt creep and obstructions that would stop the air from bubbling.

This was the darkest batch I've made. The bottles were close to black in color, it was that dark of a green. I'd have to say it was a success.

The Tyree frag we so often discuss has been identified as a Shawn Bennet Valida, or Acropora valida. I emailed Steve Tyree since he's the one that sold it to me from his collection. He just replied minutes ago.

Travis · 04/12/2006, 09:44 AM

Marc, here is what you can expect it to look like when it grows into a colony.

That is a picture from Shawn's tank before it was torn down.

NexDog · 04/12/2006, 09:48 AM

Mama mia!

melev · 04/12/2006, 11:04 AM

That would be awesome. Funny how the prettiest corals take forever to grow.

rottface4 · 04/12/2006, 11:45 AM

I don't know if it is more funny or annoying.... Just kidding...as long as its growing its a good thing!!! By the way I must say its a nice piece. If someone gave me a piece of that I wouldn't care how long it takes to grow.

newtophish · 04/12/2006, 12:36 PM

Marc, I did it I have read the entire thread, of course I might get fired from work but it was worth it. I will follow along now so I won't get behind again.

rjwilson37 · 04/12/2006, 12:37 PM

That is just a phenomenal coral, I want one.

melev · 04/12/2006, 03:20 PM

Richard, you deserve a medal for reading the entire thread.

Last night I made a page about that coral's growth so I can update that in the future. I'll probably put the link to the page in the Photography section of the Hidden Treasure page.

I took a picture of the phyto for you guys. The harvested bottle is even darker than this image, but since there is a light behind it, you might not think its all that impressive.

Micki · 04/12/2006, 04:57 PM

Cool! How long did the gallon jug cook before you pulled it?

rottface4 · 04/13/2006, 08:33 AM

Do you think there is any benefit of running such a large phyto container? It seems as though the small 2-L jugs will yield more fresh phyto, since you are harvesting more frequently.

melev · 04/13/2006, 03:21 PM

The answer comes down to how much you use. To be honest, I could have harvested at 14 days and had the same results. I know that Evan used to only produce on 2-liter bottle because he had a 29g. His bottle would bubble for 2 or 3 months, and become so dark and dense it was almost sludge. I've never seen those results with my own batches, but I've never kept one running that long either.

I really just wanted to see if I could grow a large batch like this, and since it didn't cost me anything I gave it a shot. I hardly dose phyto to my tank at all - maybe once every two weeks and even then it is only a cup's worth in the refugium. I may increase dosing it as the Prodibio raises bacteria populations in the tank. It's time to dose (Prodibio) today btw, according to the schedule I posted.

Whether it is fresh or not I can't really say. If you are using a culture, growing and splitting it, I would guess you are just replenishing it rather than growing newer better stuff. Sort of like growing rotifers. Are they really fresh, or are there just new ones like the previous generation? I guess someone with a biology major could answer that one.

gkarshens · 04/13/2006, 10:47 PM

Marc, off topic... We finally got a reef club going in Austin. Our website is www.austinreefclub.com if you want to check it out.

melev · 04/14/2006, 09:15 AM

Gabriel, be sure to contact MASNA to get put on the National Club Database. That way when people look for a club in their area, they'll find your club on the list. Is it going to be ARC for short?

gkarshens · 04/14/2006, 10:29 PM

I will mention that to the Moderators. I think we will go with ARC. We only take members in pairs though.

melev · 04/14/2006, 11:17 PM

You need to contact Cheri of Masna.org, or Amy or Chuck. That is how to get on the national database.

Electrobes · 04/15/2006, 05:46 AM

Hey Marc do you ever have the inkling to remove your much larger leathers and some of the larger colony Zoos from your tank for space or toxin waring issues?

Lunchbucket · 04/15/2006, 06:56 AM

marc - i finally got around to listening to reefcast 4 and 5...yeah i know i am slow. i keep forgetting to update my ipod and that is how they get on there. i listened to 4&5 while i was working out this week!! maybe we should put a pic of that on the reefcast page "Lunchbucket getting his workout on w/ reefcast for motivation"

umm...quite as motivating as my usual selection of music but during my workouts it the only time i can seem to find where i will be listening to something and not get bothered. SHH..don't tell anyone i'm listening to fish geek stuff instead of headbanger pump up music

i really enjoyed them. great topics: autotopoff, kill-a-watt, fish, vendor Bashing, etc.

do you always poke fun at me in every episode???

old news and a think of the past i am huh

well let me knwo when you guys want to have me "drop" in and talk. i know you guys mentioned it in #5 i think. let me know when and what you want to talk about buddy

keep on doin what your doin...i enjoy it!
Lunchbucket

ps - the vids were cool too. just too long to convert and put on my ipod so i watched them on my computer.

note for future vids. ADD A CHICK IN A BIKINI AND NOD QUICKSILVER IN A TIGHT MD SHIRT. you might be sending mixed messages or appealing to the wrong crowd...unless you are w/ that crowd :P...hey what ever floats you boat man!

TippyToeX · 04/15/2006, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gkarshens
I will mention that to the Moderators. I think we will go with ARC. We only take members in pairs though.

gkarshens - If you haven't already contacted someone from MASNA please feel free to email me. TippyToeX@yahoo.com. I can put your club in the National Database for you.

Amy - MASNA Director of Membership & Secretary

Travis · 04/15/2006, 12:16 PM

What do you get when you register your club with MASNA? I see that registration is $50 and it looks like it is recurring billing cycles. Is this true?

newreefman31 · 04/15/2006, 08:19 PM

Melev I haven't posted on your thread before but I would really appreciate your advice. I'm in the process of setting up a 180 gallon reef all acros this will be my 2nd tank. But I have run into a MAJOR heat issue. The setup I have right now is open top with 4x250w MH HQI and 4x39wT5s with an Iwaki 100rlt and a honken huge Euroreef. The temperature in mid light cycle is 86.7 and when the lights are off just the pump alone is 82.0F. (This is an accurate reading). So I'm leaning towards getting a chiller do u think a 1/3hp Prime Tower chiller would do the job the tank is 180+30sump+40gallon fuge+20gallon grow out.

Stile2 · 04/15/2006, 08:56 PM

Not to butt in, but I would think that if your room is normal temp, and the pump alone is heating the tank to 82 degrees, something is wrong with the pump. I had a Ocean Runner 2700 heat my rock cooking tank to 86 degrees, when I turned that pump off, 78.

Try subbing in another pump and see what happens to the temp.

Keith

melev · 04/15/2006, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Electrobes
Hey Marc do you ever have the inkling to remove your much larger leathers and some of the larger colony Zoos from your tank for space or toxin waring issues?

No, not really. I do like the look of a mixed reef, but wish there was more color. Hopefully as things grow in, they'll be more apparent.

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis
What do you get when you register your club with MASNA? I see that registration is $50 and it looks like it is recurring billing cycles. Is this true?

$50 is the annual dues for a club to be a member of MASNA, an organization that helps club nationwide. The funds are used to pay for standard stuff like postage, website expenses, awarded plaques, etc, but mainly goes to traveling expenses for the assigned position that attends congressional hearings pertaining to reefs and oceans. Amy and Cheri can tell you more. I wrote an article that explains more of what they do in this newsletter, on Page 3: http://www.masna.org/ms/winter04/newsletter.html

Quote:

Originally posted by newreefman31
Melev I haven't posted on your thread before but I would really appreciate your advice. I'm in the process of setting up a 180 gallon reef all acros this will be my 2nd tank. But I have run into a MAJOR heat issue. The setup I have right now is open top with 4x250w MH HQI and 4x39wT5s with an Iwaki 100rlt and a honken huge Euroreef. The temperature in mid light cycle is 86.7 and when the lights are off just the pump alone is 82.0F. (This is an accurate reading). So I'm leaning towards getting a chiller do u think a 1/3hp Prime Tower chiller would do the job the tank is 180+30sump+40gallon fuge+20gallon grow out.

Your tank is running too hot, period. Do you have heaters plugged in right now? Do you use any fans to blow on the surface of the water, or at least to blow the heat away that the lights are causing? What is the temperature of the room? Does your sump have a fan over it? What size plumbing did you put on the return pump? If it is restricted, that will add heat.

I can't tell you what sized chiller you'd need, as I've never needed one on any of my tanks over the years. My tanks tend to be around 81F daily, no matter the lighting, nor the setup.

In other news...

I did all my water tests last night. PO4 and Nitrate are up unfortunately. Strange.

One more of Brent's corals went up in smoke. It was the one I loved so much, of course.

Since Travis recently posted his frustrations with acropora-eating flatworms, I took a bunch of pictures of the coral, in case any were visible to someone else. Then I fragged it hard, hoping to salvage some of it since it was RTNing from the base upward. Today, 24 hours later, the core is white and virtually a total loss, and the frags are iffy. I don't see anything obvious that would make me think of parasites of any kind. Some of the tissue looks fine, while other parts look thin and seemingly dissolve.

At the very least, I'll be able to make a page of what RTN looks like, as the question arises often enough.

04/09/2006, 11:56 PM	#151
davidryder Claris or Elliot? Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Nightopia Posts: 2,750	you are my hero marc... this hobby is so fun __________________ A rolling stone gathers no moss... Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef, corner overflow (Mag 9.5), 25g refugium (Mag 5), 15g refugium, Orbit 260w pc, Pan World 50PX-X (Closed loop), AquaC EV-120 (now skimmerless)

04/10/2006, 05:45 AM	#152
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	Marc do you still have Tucker? For some reason I thought you got rid of him. __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

04/12/2006, 09:44 AM	#155
Travis 10 and over club Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 5,525	Marc, here is what you can expect it to look like when it grows into a colony. That is a picture from Shawn's tank before it was torn down. __________________ TOTM August 08 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Current Tank Info: 280 sps w/ 75 LPS, 75 refugium, 120 sump

04/12/2006, 09:48 AM	#156
NexDog Snail Killer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kyushu, Japan Posts: 4,804	Mama mia! __________________ Laurence Flynn 340g In-Wall Envision Tank and 150g Sump. Current Tank Info: Deltec 902, PFO hood with 3x400w Radium 20k and 4x96w PC's. Hammerhead closed loop - and 2 x Tunze 6105 (and Vortech still sucks).

04/12/2006, 11:45 AM	#158
rottface4 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: West Melbourne, Fl Posts: 192	I don't know if it is more funny or annoying.... Just kidding...as long as its growing its a good thing!!! By the way I must say its a nice piece. If someone gave me a piece of that I wouldn't care how long it takes to grow. __________________ -Shawn- Current Tank Info: 45 g (30"x24"x15"), 250 w 12k reeflux in a lumenarc, 2 6025 streams, etc

04/10/2006, 11:13 AM	#153
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Yeah, he's still in there.

04/12/2006, 04:35 AM	#154
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I harvested from my Phyto Jug tonight. As you may recall, I used a large (2g) container of pretzels on March 8 to make phyto in, instead of four 2-liter bottles. What I did tonight was remove the lid, and stir up the phyto well to get all sediment in suspension, and then siphoned it into 2-liter bottles. I was able to fill 3 bottles and save the rest to start the next batch. Then the lid and tubing were cleaned well to remove salt creep and obstructions that would stop the air from bubbling. This was the darkest batch I've made. The bottles were close to black in color, it was that dark of a green. I'd have to say it was a success. The Tyree frag we so often discuss has been identified as a Shawn Bennet Valida, or Acropora valida. I emailed Steve Tyree since he's the one that sold it to me from his collection. He just replied minutes ago.

04/12/2006, 11:04 AM	#157
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	That would be awesome. Funny how the prettiest corals take forever to grow.

04/12/2006, 12:36 PM	#159
newtophish Elite Lounger Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Spring Hill, TN Posts: 192	Marc, I did it I have read the entire thread, of course I might get fired from work but it was worth it. I will follow along now so I won't get behind again. __________________ Richard <--- She is the cutest!

04/12/2006, 12:37 PM	#160
rjwilson37 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: West Michigan Posts: 7,104	That is just a phenomenal coral, I want one. __________________ Isn't life just wonderful. 29g Biocube Standard Pump Standard 72w PC Lighting Current Tank Info: 29g Biocube Reef Tank

04/12/2006, 03:20 PM	#161
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Richard, you deserve a medal for reading the entire thread. Last night I made a page about that coral's growth so I can update that in the future. I'll probably put the link to the page in the Photography section of the Hidden Treasure page. I took a picture of the phyto for you guys. The harvested bottle is even darker than this image, but since there is a light behind it, you might not think its all that impressive.

04/12/2006, 04:57 PM	#162
Micki Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,163	Cool! How long did the gallon jug cook before you pulled it? __________________ Micki... Western Ohio Reef Club Click the red house for my 125 progress! Current Tank Info: 125 gal. reef, 90 gal. sump, 10 gal. fuge, 40 gallon. 150 gallon fish only.

04/13/2006, 08:33 AM	#163
rottface4 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: West Melbourne, Fl Posts: 192	Do you think there is any benefit of running such a large phyto container? It seems as though the small 2-L jugs will yield more fresh phyto, since you are harvesting more frequently. __________________ -Shawn- Current Tank Info: 45 g (30"x24"x15"), 250 w 12k reeflux in a lumenarc, 2 6025 streams, etc

04/13/2006, 03:21 PM	#164
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	The answer comes down to how much you use. To be honest, I could have harvested at 14 days and had the same results. I know that Evan used to only produce on 2-liter bottle because he had a 29g. His bottle would bubble for 2 or 3 months, and become so dark and dense it was almost sludge. I've never seen those results with my own batches, but I've never kept one running that long either. I really just wanted to see if I could grow a large batch like this, and since it didn't cost me anything I gave it a shot. I hardly dose phyto to my tank at all - maybe once every two weeks and even then it is only a cup's worth in the refugium. I may increase dosing it as the Prodibio raises bacteria populations in the tank. It's time to dose (Prodibio) today btw, according to the schedule I posted. Whether it is fresh or not I can't really say. If you are using a culture, growing and splitting it, I would guess you are just replenishing it rather than growing newer better stuff. Sort of like growing rotifers. Are they really fresh, or are there just new ones like the previous generation? I guess someone with a biology major could answer that one.

04/13/2006, 10:47 PM	#165
gkarshens Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Corona, CA Posts: 2,382	Marc, off topic... We finally got a reef club going in Austin. Our website is www.austinreefclub.com if you want to check it out. __________________ Gabriel It's about time!

04/14/2006, 09:15 AM	#166
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	Gabriel, be sure to contact MASNA to get put on the National Club Database. That way when people look for a club in their area, they'll find your club on the list. Is it going to be ARC for short?

04/14/2006, 10:29 PM	#167
gkarshens Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Corona, CA Posts: 2,382	I will mention that to the Moderators. I think we will go with ARC. We only take members in pairs though. __________________ Gabriel It's about time!

04/14/2006, 11:17 PM	#168
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	You need to contact Cheri of Masna.org, or Amy or Chuck. That is how to get on the national database.

04/15/2006, 05:46 AM	#169
Electrobes Montipora type guy Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Fort Myers, FL Posts: 2,945	Hey Marc do you ever have the inkling to remove your much larger leathers and some of the larger colony Zoos from your tank for space or toxin waring issues? __________________ Christian Current Tank Info: 100G Half Cylinder

04/15/2006, 06:56 AM	#170
Lunchbucket Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Brookings, SD Posts: 12,924	marc - i finally got around to listening to reefcast 4 and 5...yeah i know i am slow. i keep forgetting to update my ipod and that is how they get on there. i listened to 4&5 while i was working out this week!! maybe we should put a pic of that on the reefcast page "Lunchbucket getting his workout on w/ reefcast for motivation" umm...quite as motivating as my usual selection of music but during my workouts it the only time i can seem to find where i will be listening to something and not get bothered. SHH..don't tell anyone i'm listening to fish geek stuff instead of headbanger pump up music i really enjoyed them. great topics: autotopoff, kill-a-watt, fish, vendor Bashing, etc. do you always poke fun at me in every episode??? old news and a think of the past i am huh well let me knwo when you guys want to have me "drop" in and talk. i know you guys mentioned it in #5 i think. let me know when and what you want to talk about buddy keep on doin what your doin...i enjoy it! Lunchbucket ps - the vids were cool too. just too long to convert and put on my ipod so i watched them on my computer. note for future vids. ADD A CHICK IN A BIKINI AND NOD QUICKSILVER IN A TIGHT MD SHIRT. you might be sending mixed messages or appealing to the wrong crowd...unless you are w/ that crowd :P...hey what ever floats you boat man! __________________ 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

04/15/2006, 12:16 PM	#172
Travis 10 and over club Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 5,525	What do you get when you register your club with MASNA? I see that registration is $50 and it looks like it is recurring billing cycles. Is this true? __________________ TOTM August 08 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Current Tank Info: 280 sps w/ 75 LPS, 75 refugium, 120 sump

04/15/2006, 08:19 PM	#173
newreefman31 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: St. Louis Posts: 357	Melev I haven't posted on your thread before but I would really appreciate your advice. I'm in the process of setting up a 180 gallon reef all acros this will be my 2nd tank. But I have run into a MAJOR heat issue. The setup I have right now is open top with 4x250w MH HQI and 4x39wT5s with an Iwaki 100rlt and a honken huge Euroreef. The temperature in mid light cycle is 86.7 and when the lights are off just the pump alone is 82.0F. (This is an accurate reading). So I'm leaning towards getting a chiller do u think a 1/3hp Prime Tower chiller would do the job the tank is 180+30sump+40gallon fuge+20gallon grow out.

04/15/2006, 08:56 PM	#174
Stile2 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Yucaipa, California (some little town you've never heard of) Posts: 1,624	Not to butt in, but I would think that if your room is normal temp, and the pump alone is heating the tank to 82 degrees, something is wrong with the pump. I had a Ocean Runner 2700 heat my rock cooking tank to 86 degrees, when I turned that pump off, 78. Try subbing in another pump and see what happens to the temp. Keith __________________ If you have a college degree, you can be sure of one thing. You have a college degree! Superman owns Chuck Norris Pajamas!! Current Tank Info: 77 Gallon Custom peninsula 3 sides viewable, DIY Steel Stand, OM Squirt, 2 x 250 w MH, 2 x 95 w VHO, DIY Skimmer