95 Gallon Build Thread

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12487333#post12487333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vader88
Test run checking the flow, this is with the Mag Drive throttled back to about 3/4 flow which should simulate how fast my overflow drains...

This is also the light I will use on my fuge ... jury is still out on the

Here's what I used for vibration on the pump:

Eggcrate filled with silicon.

 

[Tswifty]

Have you seen the 2 recommended modifications for the MSX skimmers?

1. Replace the airline tubing with sturdier tubing from Lowe's or Home Depot.

2. Superglue the plastic airline adapter piece to the pump.

 

[Al Bendiksen]

I have not done this yet, but i started a thread of MSX 160 skimmer and i was suggested to chage the airline tubing (like Tswifty said) to a 1/4'' one.

As a side note, where did you buy that eggcrate? I asked ppl at Home Depot and Lowes and they all thought i was crazy!!!

 

[Tswifty]

It's also called a "light diffuser"

 

[vader88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12531357#post12531357 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Have you seen the 2 recommended modifications for the MSX skimmers?

1. Replace the airline tubing with sturdier tubing from Lowe's or Home Depot.

2. Superglue the plastic airline adapter piece to the pump.

I replaced the tubing a couple days ago, I'll look into the adapter piece.

Since I added salt, the skimmer is putting out some serious bubbles, looks like alka seltzer.

 

[Tswifty]

Mine took 2 weeks to break in, and I had to modify the standpipe, before I got it cranking finally. It works awesome now though!!!

Here's the thread you'll want to follow for information on the MSX and to see what others are doing:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1379328

 

[vader88]

Got the live rock in from DrFS today and I'm really happy with it ( mostly ) it is Fiji and has some nice greens in it, not a whole lot of coralline though. Pieces probably weighed about 6-8 pounds on average.

A couple of pieces had some black on them, I scrubbed them down as much as possible.

Last nite I added two bags of crushed coral ( pre rinsed ) and two bags of live sand, this gave me 70 lbs of substrate and a 1 1/2" sandbed.

I rinsed then added the rock, so between today and last night I have a cloudy mess and the skimmer is going bonkers.

I'll post some pics once it clears up.

 

[Al Bendiksen]

Crushed coral??!!

What made you pick that, i thought they suggested touse argonite because crusehed coral can go anarobic quite quickly.

 

[vader88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12537516#post12537516 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Al Bendiksen
Crushed coral??!!

What made you pick that, i thought they suggested touse argonite because crusehed coral can go anarobic quite quickly.

I had read where other members here had used it. It is crushed coral argonite, hope I didn't make a mistake

 

[vader88]

Well, looks like I may have made a mistake or I may be alright. Since I didn't use alot ( 30lbs ) it may not hurt me, but certainly not going to help much either in the way of bacteria.

Should have just bought two more bangs of sand. Oh well

 

[vader88]

Pic of the rock work .. I'm undecided as to buy more and do with what I have. I wish I had a woman in the house at this time, cause aquascaping is tough.

Still pretty cloudy

 

[WinnipegDragon]

Okay, that is aragonite sand, not crushed coral. The 'bad' crushed coral is roughly pea-sized flakes and chunks, and it traps detritus.

 

[vader88]

to make sure this is the stuff I used on the bottom 30 lbs.

http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/geo_marine.html

this is the live sand used on top 40 lbs

http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/aragalive.html

 

[vader88]

a pic after it cleared up a little. It's quite a bit brighter than that, had to lower speed up my shutter speed to take some of the light off of it.

on a side not, I'm not sure if my Ph meter is calibrated correctly since it says 7.8 and my test kit is saying above 8.8 . My test kit is a tad low, can someone recommend a good kit test kit for the reef ?

I also need to pick up some calibration fluid for my ph meter.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12540072#post12540072 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vader88
a pic after it cleared up a little. It's quite a bit brighter than that, had to lower speed up my shutter speed to take some of the light off of it.

on a side not, I'm not sure if my Ph meter is calibrated correctly since it says 7.8 and my test kit is saying above 8.8 . My test kit is a tad low, can someone recommend a good kit test kit for the reef ?

I also need to pick up some calibration fluid for my ph meter.

tank is looking great

I would rely on the pinpoint more then the test kit providing you get it calibrated.

 

[vader88]

tank is looking great

I would rely on the pinpoint more then the test kit providing you get it calibrated.

Thanks Capt, I have the RK2 ... do you have to use only their recommended probe or are their other options ?

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12540920#post12540920 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vader88
Thanks Capt, I have the RK2 ... do you have to use only their recommended probe or are their other options ?

I've only used the pinpoint---alot of pH fluctuations is so dependant on carbon dioxide in and around the tank that I don't really monitor it other then the nightly lows. The 2 part b-ionics has stabilized it out also

 

[vader88]

I use Bionic myself, I have a Milwaukee PH51 meter I believe it has been sitting around for awhile and was never calibrated. Its missing one packet of calibration fluid, thats why I can't trust it.

 

[SirToppemHat]

I may get the MSX200 sometime. What is the footprint you have for it?

 

[WinnipegDragon]

And looking at that link, I take back what I said. You do have th ebad crushed coral.

You might want to consider removing that now...