It begins... 345-gallon Starphire in-wall system

[mrcrab]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9149594#post9149594 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
very nice start up. how does it react to feeding?

Didn't check when I fed the fish but did when I fed the corals.

Fed the corals last night with reefbugs after lights out, about 10:30. I always add vita-chem, selcon and zoe to all food going into the tank, Garlic to fish food.

I turn off the return pump for about 2 hours so they can feast. before I turned the return back on I noticed that the bubbles had collapsed. never really paid attention before and since the sump is a small volume figured the skimmer just picked up everything it could.

I turned the returns back on and checked back at 1 and 2 hours, still no bubble head. Everything's back to normal this morning.

 

[jnarowe]

funny I don't turn my pumps off at all, but I know most reefers do. My foam head does collapse, but I just leave the skimmer running and let it take its course. Not sure that is the best way to do it, and in fact, it might be better to close the feed valve to the skimmer for about an hour to keep the oils out of the riser. Unfortunately, there is too much probability of me forgetting to turn it back on!

 

[mrcrab]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9155876#post9155876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
funny I don't turn my pumps off at all, but I know most reefers do. My foam head does collapse, but I just leave the skimmer running and let it take its course. Not sure that is the best way to do it, and in fact, it might be better to close the feed valve to the skimmer for about an hour to keep the oils out of the riser. Unfortunately, there is too much probability of me forgetting to turn it back on!

The only reason I do it is to prolong the contact time of the food with the corals before the skimmer picks it up.

 

[TandN]

the collapse is from the food additives When I first noticed it myself I thought my skimmer was broken lol I was like damn $2000 piece of $hit lol but I asked around and everyone said the same thing not to worry about it

 

[melev]

Just don't forget to turn those pumps back on. I did that once, and it was ugly.

Your skimmers are acting normally. Food shuts them down for a while.

 

[jnarowe]

any kind of oil including from our skin will affect a skimmer to some degree. Spirulina has a very strong effect as well. I have 1,200g in my system and a 1/2 tsp. of spirulina will collapse the head in my skimmer.

 

[Sparkss]

got a couple of questions for ya about when you moved everything over from your old tank(s) to this new one.
Where the systems connected ? (IE: sharing a sump, etc ?).
Did you do anything special when you moved the corals over ? (IE: acclimation dip, verified Ca, Alk, PH, temp between the old and new tanks ?)
Any losses in the "migration" ?
Any tips or advice on the move from old to new ?

Thanks, and nice looking skimmer

Can't wait until our skimmer shows up...

 

[mrcrab]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9161251#post9161251 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
got a couple of questions for ya about when you moved everything over from your old tank(s) to this new one.
Where the systems connected ? (IE: sharing a sump, etc ?).
Did you do anything special when you moved the corals over ? (IE: acclimation dip, verified Ca, Alk, PH, temp between the old and new tanks ?)
Any losses in the "migration" ?
Any tips or advice on the move from old to new ?

Thanks, and nice looking skimmer

Can't wait until our skimmer shows up...

No
No
No
Get Help :lol:
Thanks

 

[Sparkss]

At what point did you move over the calcium reactor ? How long did you leave either the new or the old tank(s) running with corals and without a reactor ? Or did you just buy a new reactor and ran both at the same time ? (I don't remember and am too lazy to read back through your thread again ).

Thanks

 

[danoreef]

wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow!!!!!!!!!!!

I smell tank of the month.

 

[mrcrab]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9166240#post9166240 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
At what point did you move over the calcium reactor ? How long did you leave either the new or the old tank(s) running with corals and without a reactor ? Or did you just buy a new reactor and ran both at the same time ? (I don't remember and am too lazy to read back through your thread again ).

Thanks

The calcium reactor got moved about a week and a half after the corals were transferred. I moved the corals first as I had redbugs and wanted to treat the new system. No ill effects not having the reactor for that time. With all new substrate there was plenty to go around.

 

[mrcrab]

A not so funny, funny thing today. I noticed the PBT swimming a bit erratically and noticed some SPOTS! ICH!!! I notice a couple of others with a few spots too.

I have been hesitant at putting my mated pair of coral banded shrimp and 2 cleaners in the new tank because of the redbug treatment. After a couple of water changes and 3 gallons of charcoal, today was moving day for them.

After I got them acclimated and transferred them to the new tank it was on for young and old. Looked like public assistance on free cheese day! :lol: They were all lined up for the cleaners and trying to coax the coral bandeds into cleaning them.

The cleaners wouldn't comply at first. Getting used to their new digs. The fish kept pushing each other out of the way and trying to get as close to the cleaners as they could. One eventually started to clean them.

 

[mrcrab]

 

[jnarowe]

great pics. Cool how the fish know what's up right away. how's it going with the CBB?

 

[mrcrab]

CBB's good. I've had him for over a year. He's got a couple spots. The only one I'm real concerned about at the moment is the PBT. Don't think I'll have much luck trying to get him out though.

I'll hit the LFS tomorrow and get a few more cleaners.

 

[mrcrab]

danoreef,

Wow, thanks for the compliment!

 

[jnarowe]

feed heavy with some Selcon and vitamins and the ick will go away fairly quickly.

 

[mrcrab]

I soak everything in selcon and vitachem.

Fed them 4 times today.

 

[danoreef]

nature at its finest

 

[jnarowe]

don't let it bother you. They'll be fine. When my tank had ich I fed 3 times per day and that worked well.