ADA 120-P + Elos Mini dual NPS tank journal

[uhuru]

Got an ATB media reactor today to run my ozone mixed water through once I get my ADA tank set up. I don't like sponges because they clog too fast on my setup with all the particulate foods in the water, and this reactor uses a fine plastic strainer instead.

Stock photo from ATB:

 

[Aquabacs]

Really like that reactor, Mike. Besides no sponges I like the fact that it has a very small foot print. I would like to see those well crafted ozone reators hit our shores from Siam.

 

[martinphillip03]

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Marty

 

[martinphillip03]

I am new to ozone. I am setting up a system in a week. Why use a reactor instead of a skimmer. Does it being an Azoo tank have anything to do with it?

Marty

Got an ATB media reactor today to run my ozone mixed water through once I get my ADA tank set up. I don't like sponges because they clog too fast on my setup with all the particulate foods in the water, and this reactor uses a fine plastic strainer instead.

Stock photo from ATB:

 

[uhuru]

Hey Marty, it has nothing to do with the tank being NPS. Ozone works more efficiently with a dedicated reactor in most cases - unless you have a really tall skimmer with low flow rate. Ozone reactors don't have to be big because they often use bioballs or biobale material to increase surface area. They create pressure inside the chamber with a dedicated air pump and use low flow rates. All of these things help saturate the water with ozone better than a skimmer. Also, it makes it easier to filter out the ozone before the water returns to the tank and before the air escapes into your room. There is also concern about ozone affecting water/bubble chemistry, resulting in less skimmate production. Lastly, if you have a nice expensive skimmer, you might not feel comfortable running ozone through it.

 

[uhuru]

I should clarify that I'm not using the ATB reactor as an ozone reactor. I use an Aquamedic 1000 CO2 reactor for that. The ATB reactor will have activated carbon and will receive the effluent from the ozone reactor. It will be used to filter out the ozone before it goes into the main tank.

 

[martinphillip03]

What sort of flow rate are you thinking?

Marty

I should clarify that I'm not using the ATB reactor as an ozone reactor. I use an Aquamedic 1000 CO2 reactor for that. The ATB reactor will have activated carbon and will receive the effluent from the ozone reactor. It will be used to filter out the ozone before it goes into the main tank.

 

[uhuru]

the slower the better IMO. I'm not sure on the gph right now but I'll slow it down until it just trickles down the reactor.

 

[uhuru]

hmmm, something is eating my tubastrea. Only new hitchhikers I've seen lately are these small snails. Anyone heard of tubastrea eating snails? Something is eating them from the outside (maybe inside too). I'm gonna have to throw a flashlight on the tank at night to find out what the heck is going on.

 

[Aquabacs]

Mike are the snails the same color as the tubastrea? Yellow/orange color. I have read online but not physically seen. Try a search tubastrea parasite, tubastrea snail, or somewhere alone those lines.

 

[uhuru]

I think I have found the culprit. Phestilla melanobrachia

^Looks just like that. Black too, and has decimated my black sun coral colony in a matter of days.

Any suggestions on how to treat? Can the black nudibranch also move on to the orange tubastrea?

Funny thing is I haven't added any new tubastrea for 6 months. This must have hitchhiked on some other coral and got lucky in my tank.

For anyone interested, the parasitic snails are called Epitonium humphreysii, or Wentletrap snails. They look like this:

What I have are limpets.

 

[slapshot]

I think I have found the culprit. Phestilla melanobrachia

^Looks just like that. Black too, and has decimated my black sun coral colony in a matter of days.

Any suggestions on how to treat? Can the black nudibranch also move on to the orange tubastrea?

Funny thing is I haven't added any new tubastrea for 6 months. This must have hitchhiked on some other coral and got lucky in my tank.

For anyone interested, the parasitic snails are called Epitonium humphreysii, or Wentletrap snails. They look like this:

What I have are limpets.

Dang that sucks! Can you remove the colony and dip it? I would bet if its black it stays on the black.

 

[oldreefer76]

Wow Mike that sucks, are there any salvageable polyps?

 

[uhuru]

Yes, there are some salvageable polyps. I still need to take a closer look to see what it is, but it appears to be nudibranchs. Once I verify what I is I will look into what I should use to dip that would be safest for the coral. My understanding so far however is that their eggs are resilient, and can be laid in the live rock not just on the coral (and I'm certainly not removing the rock). If they only attack black ones I'll be relieved, because they will slowly starve once they finish off the one small colony I have.

 

[Aquabacs]

Mike, PM Claude. I believe FM Ultra Pest will be able to help with the issue but check with him first.

 

[uhuru]

Here is a cool video of NPS corals in the ocean:

<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9111388&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9111388&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/9111388">Bajo Las Gerardias</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1502205">Rafa Herrero</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

 

[Aquabacs]

Very nice, it is beautiful to see how mother nature plants her gardens of gorgonians. Everyone pay close attention to the orientation of the fans



Mike

 

[uhuru]

And check out nahham's (from the large tank subforum) diving pics:

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/1621036/1/Diving/2010-06-19 Khor Fakkan?h=da7ba7

That looks to me like a forest of Dendronephthya clones. Also there is a wall of some blue gorgs and what looks like Menella gorgs.

 

[Western_reefer]

Here is a cool video of NPS corals in the ocean:

<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9111388&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9111388&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/9111388">Bajo Las Gerardias</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1502205">Rafa Herrero</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Love the video! Thanks for sharing!

 

[dainiusiva]

what is that coral with big white polyps on orange stalks? looks very beautiful,havent seen anything like it