Maroun 150g Build Thread

[maroun.c]

Thanks for the detailed info Marc.
Will be considering those, hopefully will manage to get them somehow. only thing is I really hait the sight of a powerhead in the tank.
One last question, how do yo umanage a powerhead giving you 24000 LPH in the tank, wouldn't be blowing very hard on the corals even if in pulse mode? or do you just orient these on the front glass and expect resultant overall tank motion? don't you still need a bit of direct flow on the corals?

 

[melev]

Each VorTech or Tunze Stream will move 12,000 LPH / 3000 GPH. It isn't blasting like you think, unless it is within mere inches of the coral. You'll have to orient the Tunze to the perfect spot that provides flow in the right direction, while the VorTech is wider and doesn't need aiming. It not only pushes water one way, but draws it back in an undertow.

You can definitely bounce the flow off the glass or rockwork where corals can't be harmed. Even one of these pumps on your tank would help immensely.

The VorTech uses less than 30w of power, and the only thing in the tank is the impellar section. The motor is on the outside, as you've probably noticed on my tanks.

 

[maroun.c]

yep was just checking it out it looks to be the best option for me.
One thing I'm still trying to figure out is that on the left side I have the external overflow of the tank and as I can' palce the motor in water the I will be limited to the back of the tank from the RT side blowing water then acrrosee the width of the tank as I can' place it on the right side of the tank that is viewable.
this pics with the unceovered overflow should clear it up better.

do you think it will work with my current tak aquascape and placement especially with the overflow covering the let side?
can I orient the internal part somehow or do you think I'm stuck with tunze? I really like the idea of not needing an additional controller even if that can run 4-5 pumps as I will not be putting 4-5 pumps in my tank.One additional thing I really like about the vortech is also the posibility of battery backup.

 

[melev]

I would put it on the right side pointing toward your reef and overflow. One would suffice, and it really isn't much of a visual footprint.

And one on my angled tank as well, the MP20

 

[Joeee]

Thanks for the picture.

Question for Melev,
Do the maximas come in that green colour as the first one posted by maroun.c
Is the second blue one he posted also a maxima?
Concerning those vortex is it an option you have to buy to get those modes they operate on?
Thanks

 

[maroun.c]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13542305#post13542305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I would put it on the right side pointing toward your reef and overflow. One would suffice, and it really isn't much of a visual footprint.

And one on my angled tank as well, the MP20

Problem in my tank is that the Right side is very visible when I'm siting in the livingroom or on the balcony.

will have to give it serious thought. I still like the idea that I can easily remove it or drag it to the corner of the tank when I have people or am taking pics.... Maybe if we endup moving and if the tank is placed with only the front side visible (inwall is a future plan) that could be an option. Getting one just to see if it looks ok in the tank will be very painfull though as their price is not really cheap.
Weirdly I was at an LFS in Munich today (great one and got great stuff that i'll post about when back) and saw their display which is not much bigger than mine with really big Tunze streams and did not seem to mind it as much as I thought I would. guess when the pumps get covered with so much coraline they tend to blend in and are not that bad aymore.

 

[maroun.c]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13545409#post13545409 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joeee
Thanks for the picture.

Question for Melev,
Do the maximas come in that green colour as the first one posted by maroun.c
Is the second blue one he posted also a maxima?
Concerning those vortex is it an option you have to buy to get those modes they operate on?
Thanks

Your Welcome.

Joeee I'm a maxima Snob you know I can't have a non maxima clam in my tank

Just kidding it was just the first clam I saw at the LFS since years and immediatly got it although it was not looking very good.
the 2nd one I'm not sure but I believe is a maxima. Maybe somebody can confirm it.
From what I read on the vortex I believe you get the flow modes with the pump itself.

 

[melev]

T. maxima come in a variety of colors and patterns. Green, gold, dark blue, black with blue stripes, etc... And there are "teardrop" maximas a well, which have a unique pattern many people like.

The baby clam looks like a T. maxima to me as well.

The VorTech pump comes with four or five modes to select from, included in the kit. You don't have to purchase any upgrades, but the Battery Backup (made by IceCap) is an additional item you can purchase to keep the pump running when the power goes out. I have one BB running on one pump in my reef, and my reef has three VorTechs. So two are off if the power goes out, but a little flow occurs until I can do something about it - like turn on my gas generator.

 

[maroun.c]

Posted in the Chemistry forum about new MAG and Cathat I got for dosing Randy's two parts solution when the ALK issue is solved
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13545829#post13545829

Today I visited a great LFs in Munich. they had a huge collection of hard corals (the biggest I had ever seen) and were so kind to even frag a few pieces of their display to give them to me. I go some really nice pieces and some small frags. hoping all will make through travel till I get home. Unfortunately they were out of Salifert test kit for Alk but had some Red sea test kit which I purchased just to match my reading with the JBl test kit against it. hopefully that and testing the water of the LFS and having my water tested at the lab would clear things up. The lfs owner was very friendly and spent 1 hour bagging and packing my stuff and he showed me thier systems, filtration,.... and also added 1 coral as gift to my order which was really nice. he seemed to be quite knowledgeable about water chemistry and told me that he is very sure that it will be a bad test kit causeing all the confusion as it is not possible that a tank with just Coraline on the some big rocks and the corals I had would not bring the CA, MAG and ALK levels in two weeks. he actually believes that my Alk should be low by now because of the lack of supplementation.
Anway guess things should start to clear up now. I also purchased another box of MAG (can't remember which one though) so I'll be flying tmorrow morning and hopefully will have good news with pics on the corals I got.

 

[melev]

Looking forward to hearing how your new frags are doing.

 

[maroun.c]

Finally I'm back home for 2 weeks now as I have to apply for visas for my next series of travels which means a small break.
So, on my visit to Munich I went to the Sealife Aquarium and got the address of a very good LFS which I visited ast day before i traveled. PRices were still very expensive compared tot he american standard but I had to get few things as I rarely find them here.
flight back was a very stressfull day. I had a connection flight in Paris and my first flight was delayed so I wasunder stress all the time that they might not be able to transfer my bags with the corals in. luckily they did not miss this time (As they usually do in Charles de Gaules airport) however at receiving my bag I noticed a huge bump in it.
arrived home and cheked the damage

Luckily the guy who sis the packaging added those small pieces of foam vertically in the box to support more weight in case the bag is crushed in shipment.

Bags were intact some water had leaked out of them but was ablsorbed by the towel and tissues I usually put.

Some of the corals were broken in small pieces which I chose to fix on rocks to see if any can make it. otheres were small frags that they fraged from their corals for me.

larger pieces in acclimatation:

 

[maroun.c]

And in the my tank. Chose to put them on the sand and go up gradually.

 

[maroun.c]

 

[maroun.c]

Now for the questions:

The corals I got were in this tank (sorry bad pics as these were taken with my phone)

Lighting was multiple T5s

As you see in the pic the corals are not that deep and the T5s are very close from the water.
-Do you think it's safe to put them in higher areas in the tank or should I progress slowly? is it safe to start from mid tank level (put them on an eggcrate stand a bit higher than the sand level raise them a bit more in few days then to their final places in the rocks? ( can't really compare the lighting between my tank and his but I'm sure his was a bit brighter.
-So far my corals all corals looked fine despite the long trip and the broken pieces in the bags.
Today this one turned completely white others look fine

Although it's hard to conclude but do you think placing the corals low in the tankcould have caused it? AFAIK it's safe to start with ower light than risking burning the new corals?
-These Blue and green Accroporah (any other specific Id?) looked better a bit after introduction as they had few polyps out which barely appeared today especially on the blue. Are these more light demanding do you think I should put them directly higher?
-This one was sold to me as Montiporah but I guess it looks a lot more like a Scroll coral?

-Last question. Any info on different requirements of my new additions in terms of light and flow? I have many areas with different light and flow levels and just need to know which one to put where in case any clearly needs more or less light/flow than the others.
Thanks for any info.

 

[Aquarist007]

glad to see the frags made it through the rough handling--they all look alive and well.

 

[melev]

They are used to lots of light, so I'd move them up midway in your tank.

The final coral is a scroll coral, not a Montipora. What is the red and blue speckled item under that scroll? A fish's tail?

 

[maroun.c]

What is the red and blue speckled item under that scroll? A fish's tail?

That's the tip of my clam .

 

[michika]

Very nice! I really hope they all make it and thrive in your system.

Your phone camera also takes pretty good photos!

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks Catherine.
In total I have 20 frags ranging from tiny to small. already lost 3 the first day (hoping it was only from shipping) others look fine so far. The green accro is showing some polyps but the blue one (My favorite ofthe bunch) is not yet.
Keeping fingers crossed.
Hope your move is going smoothly now?

 

[maroun.c]

Some ( actually a whole load of) new pictures of tank inhabiatants.
To start with my Blue Maxima clam. Weirdly it looks a bit brown unless I'm taking pictures from up looking down and then I get distortion. I positioned it on a rock as suggested and angled it a bit so I can now see it in blue even looking close to straight through the glass:

My Second maxima clam (still not sure if it's a green or brown)