700 gallon tank, or how i spent my daughters inheritance
- Thread starter Reefski's
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lilmonster
New member
What are those dead red things?
Reefski's
Active member
i got them on Sunday at MAX and we didn't really look at them together.
harsh is right but i think it was effective.
too bad there is no known natural predator.
i will see how the coral fares.
those orange things are the dead nudibranchs that i shook off in some tank water before putting the coral in the QT tank.
Carl
Reefski's
Active member
when i measured the light in the tank under the two 96 watt actinics i got only about 30 PAR. yow. i knew it looked dim but not that dim. i changed the bulbs to two 10K bulbs and now i am getting 250-300 PAR and better polyp extension.
the before bulb change photo, no after yet.
Marc- i figured it was about time to clean the intake screens. it had been about 7 months. there was not many open holes and all sorts of interesting things growing inside. i really have to get a dissecting scope.
i think it is time to clean the ATS for the first time.
since i changed out some of the sand it is getting a nice diatom and cyano covering. i think time will take care of this issue. it certainly isn't for lack of flow.
the before bulb change photo, no after yet.
Marc- i figured it was about time to clean the intake screens. it had been about 7 months. there was not many open holes and all sorts of interesting things growing inside. i really have to get a dissecting scope.
i think it is time to clean the ATS for the first time.
since i changed out some of the sand it is getting a nice diatom and cyano covering. i think time will take care of this issue. it certainly isn't for lack of flow.
Reefski's
Active member
the flow is up! the four inch diameter screen has way more surface area than the two inch pipe it is feeding so until it is way occluded it should not be a problem.
seeing all the hard tube worms and other things growing in the inside i realize that all that stuff is probably also growing in our pipes.
does that mean i will have to break down the closed loops one day to clean the pipes? that will be impossible as they go through the bottom of the tank. a design flaw i suppose. eventually it will be the death of the closed loops.
it is not just abiotic precipitation but biotic precipitation over time.
Carl
seeing all the hard tube worms and other things growing in the inside i realize that all that stuff is probably also growing in our pipes.
does that mean i will have to break down the closed loops one day to clean the pipes? that will be impossible as they go through the bottom of the tank. a design flaw i suppose. eventually it will be the death of the closed loops.
it is not just abiotic precipitation but biotic precipitation over time.
Carl
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crsandoval
Active member
I have a question for you regarding the water. I know that you get water from UCSB, how long do you have it before it is into the main system? I am thinking about making trip to UC San Diego but would leave almost 30 gallons in my garage for two weeks. Do you think it makes any difference?
Reefski's
Active member
no, think you will be fine.
it takes a couple of months to use it all.
i keep a pump running to keep the water circulating though. it is not heated until it goes into the system.
it is filtered at the source to 20 mincrons. i run it through a 1 micron sock as i pump it into the cistern. it doesn't have that much in it but i do it anyway.
i would test it for ca, alk, phophates before using it. i bring these levels up higher by adding baking soda, CaCl, MgCl as needed to get to the levels i want to maintain my system at.
birdman204
New member
Stopping in to say hello Reefski.
Beauty of a setup. I never looked at it closely before.
Looks like the clam is still alive and kicking.
When he came by to pick it up, the 5 gallon bucket we put it in had less than half an inch clearance on both sides. I acquired it in 2004 and Reefski was kind enough to take it off my hands in a recent tank teardown.
Hope all is well with the clam and the tank. if it outgrows your system, let me know... I will have a home again for it soon.
Reefski's
Active member
thank you.
the clam is very happy as are the other pieces i got from you. i think you may see them in various pictures around the tank.
the clam is one of the stars of the tank. i didn't want it touching the viewing pane and had it a few inches away but it always moves right up to the spot you see it in. oh well.
i don't think the clam would fit in a 5 gallon bucket today.
the Platygyra had a BIG crab on it that i missed before putting it in the tank. so far it is ok. it keeps to one place in the rock next to the Platygyra and hasn't caught any fish yet. (neither has the clam)
Carl
the clam is very happy as are the other pieces i got from you. i think you may see them in various pictures around the tank.
the clam is one of the stars of the tank. i didn't want it touching the viewing pane and had it a few inches away but it always moves right up to the spot you see it in. oh well.
i don't think the clam would fit in a 5 gallon bucket today.
the Platygyra had a BIG crab on it that i missed before putting it in the tank. so far it is ok. it keeps to one place in the rock next to the Platygyra and hasn't caught any fish yet. (neither has the clam)
Carl
Reefski's
Active member
thank you.
the clam is very happy as are the other pieces i got from you. i think you may see them in various pictures around the tank.
the clam is one of the stars of the tank. i didn't want it touching the viewing pane and had it a few inches away but it always moves right up to the spot you see it in. oh well.
i don't think the clam would fit in a 5 gallon bucket today.
the Platygyra had a BIG crab on it that i missed before putting it in the tank. so far it is ok. it keeps to one place in the rock next to the Platygyra and hasn't caught any fish yet. (neither has the clam)
i'm happy to hear you are getting started again. how old are the twins now?
Carl
the clam is very happy as are the other pieces i got from you. i think you may see them in various pictures around the tank.
the clam is one of the stars of the tank. i didn't want it touching the viewing pane and had it a few inches away but it always moves right up to the spot you see it in. oh well.
i don't think the clam would fit in a 5 gallon bucket today.
the Platygyra had a BIG crab on it that i missed before putting it in the tank. so far it is ok. it keeps to one place in the rock next to the Platygyra and hasn't caught any fish yet. (neither has the clam)
i'm happy to hear you are getting started again. how old are the twins now?
Carl
Reefski's
Active member
i cleaned the screen on the ATS Ver 2.0 for the first time yesterday. it took only a few seconds to scrape off as i had hoped. it got pretty good coverage, cleaning it left almost nothing. i hope not too little to easily regrow.
may still need some refining.
also i am turning the ATS tank into a second surge for the tank as well.
so the algae strain will be in and out of the water as the surge fills. it will be interesting to see what algae grows on it now.
may still need some refining.
also i am turning the ATS tank into a second surge for the tank as well.
so the algae strain will be in and out of the water as the surge fills. it will be interesting to see what algae grows on it now.
birdman204
New member
Ugh I'm sorry.
I will say that not all crabs are bad...
However...
All crabs in my book are highly suspect
Twins are getting huge. Started preschool recently.
I would love to come see your system some time if I am in the area!
matt & pam
Member
Are those most recent picks after cleaning your screens? If so, I doubt you'll have any problems with regrowing the turf. I sometimes have much left on parts of my screen but they fill in without trouble within a couple weeks.
Dancing4raiin
New member
Is the ATS(Think thats what its called) helping you bring down you Phosphates? What were they before the new one, and what are they now?
Reefski's
Active member
yes it is.
i thnk the ATS is a great addition to any tank but i am still using the Lanthanum Chloride too. when PO4 climbs to 0.15 ppm i treat. this is about once per week.
all the Halimeda in the tank has just died off. so nutrient levels have dropped. i just took out the dead clump of it today.
when i built the system i used a lot of rock that had been in high phosphate systems,mine and others. one of my tanks had phosphates over 3-4ppm.
i think it is leaching back out. also when i changed out some of the sandbed a couple of weeks ago i am paying the price for that with cyano.
i am always happy to have fellow reefers stop by and talk reefing. just PM me.
i am going to SF in two weeks to see the new Steinhart Aquarium and be the support team for friends walking the Bay to Breakers walk.
Carl
i thnk the ATS is a great addition to any tank but i am still using the Lanthanum Chloride too. when PO4 climbs to 0.15 ppm i treat. this is about once per week.
all the Halimeda in the tank has just died off. so nutrient levels have dropped. i just took out the dead clump of it today.
when i built the system i used a lot of rock that had been in high phosphate systems,mine and others. one of my tanks had phosphates over 3-4ppm.
i think it is leaching back out. also when i changed out some of the sandbed a couple of weeks ago i am paying the price for that with cyano.
i am always happy to have fellow reefers stop by and talk reefing. just PM me.
i am going to SF in two weeks to see the new Steinhart Aquarium and be the support team for friends walking the Bay to Breakers walk.
Carl
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