Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread
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melev
Well-known member
How about a growth shot?
Jan 29, 06
May 16, 06
This coral was hiding behind a green Scripps acro for months, and I finally moved things around so I could see it better. It really is a lovely piece that looks even better when my VHOs work.
Yesterday I set up the new MH over the prop section of my sump temporarily, but need to affix it permanently. Once I do, I'll post some pictures.
Jan 29, 06
May 16, 06
This coral was hiding behind a green Scripps acro for months, and I finally moved things around so I could see it better. It really is a lovely piece that looks even better when my VHOs work.
Yesterday I set up the new MH over the prop section of my sump temporarily, but need to affix it permanently. Once I do, I'll post some pictures.
jnarowe
New member
That is serious growth. I am not getting that at all. I don't see much growth in the few pieces I have and today my GSP are all closed up for the second day. I did a battery of tests and came up with no problems that I can tell except that my dKh is at 9. WHat do you attribute the growth to? Prodibio?
melev
Well-known member
No, just steady parameters and no fish picking at it. It is nice growth, but nothing unbelievable. Some corals grow more quickly than others, and some will be a stick for a year and suddenly become motivated to grow out.
Your alkalinity is good. 8 to 11 dKH is the goal range. Calcium around 450 would be good as well, as higher Ca doesn't always translate into growth necessarily. Your tank is young, so don't sweat it.
Your alkalinity is good. 8 to 11 dKH is the goal range. Calcium around 450 would be good as well, as higher Ca doesn't always translate into growth necessarily. Your tank is young, so don't sweat it.
melev
Well-known member
Which is why your corals aren't growing. In a young tank, the water is rarely stable and it takes months to get everything dialed in and adjusted to achieve stability. However, once you get it there and keep it there with due diligence, your tank should do well for you and the reeflings will reflect that.
I do work on my tank quite a bit, but not nearly as much as some might think. When I was battling phosphate last year, it was nearly a full time job and quite discouraging. Now that that issue has been taken care of, I can just enjoy my tank and tinker. Cyano is still an issue here and there, but for the most part the tank is heading in the right direction.
I do work on my tank quite a bit, but not nearly as much as some might think. When I was battling phosphate last year, it was nearly a full time job and quite discouraging. Now that that issue has been taken care of, I can just enjoy my tank and tinker. Cyano is still an issue here and there, but for the most part the tank is heading in the right direction.
NuclearReefs
Active member
that the scripts you got from me marc? 
that looks like a PL mille ,, the peach one
that looks like a PL mille ,, the peach oneCW from the OC
New member
Hey Marc,
How is the Probibo (sp?) going for you? Did I see you stopped for a month?
How is the Probibo (sp?) going for you? Did I see you stopped for a month?
melev
Well-known member
I just dosed again three days ago, I think. Just scroll back a page or two. I really don't have an opinion one way or another at this point, because I've only dosed the tank three times. I did have the tip of one branch of A. nobilis RTN the next day, so I cut off a good inch of coral to stop it in its tracks.
While looking in the tank today, I found a small rock lying on the substrate that didn't belong there. Quickly I realized that it was a frag of nobilis that I'd been growing for the past 6 weeks. I pulled it up, but 80% of it was dead. It, what's left of it, is back in position. PSA: Don't let SPS fall into the sand bed because they'll smother quickly. 
While looking in the tank today, I found a small rock lying on the substrate that didn't belong there. Quickly I realized that it was a frag of nobilis that I'd been growing for the past 6 weeks. I pulled it up, but 80% of it was dead.
It, what's left of it, is back in position. PSA: Don't let SPS fall into the sand bed because they'll smother quickly.
melev
Well-known member
Propagation section is up and running
Propagation section is up and running
I finally got my new light suspended over the prop section of my sump last night. I wanted a small light that would fit nicely, not use tons of power, and be moveable. As people would come visit, I'd explain what I was wanting, and finally someone suggested I get a rolling drawer track. Bingo!
After work yesterday, I came home, ate dinner and then decided that I had mere minutes to head up to Home Depot before they closed.
I looked at the rolling door tracks, and stumbled across a bracket set designed to secure a keyboard under a desk for $13. The tabs sticking out of it were roughly 7" apart, the same distance as the cables on the light fixture. PURRRFECT. In hardware, I looked for something that I could crimp around the wires to keep them in place, but wasn't sure of what kind of metal to use. I found aluminum ones with some help, but lead would have been better in retrospec.
When I got home, I started to figure out what would work and what would need doing to make this happen. It was hot in the garage because of the a/c unit to the fish room, so I opened it up to vent out the heat before starting to make noise for the neighbors from midnight to 2am.
The biggest hindrance was determining what I could use from the base of the stand to the bracket. I didn't really want metal that could rust and drip, but wood seemed bulky. I thought about acrylic for a little bit, but didn't want to wait for it to cure, let alone wonder what would happen when it eventually did fail. I couldn't find any angle brackets, and didn't feel like modifying a shelf bracket or two. Then I remembered I had some straight stock aluminum left over from the original light rack (page 18 of this thread I think, or maybe 23).
Tools needed for this project:
Hammer
Hacksaw
Drill with various metal bits
Vicegrips
Tape measure
Wire cutters
Speed Square
Patience
So once I figured out where the light would hang and how the bracket needed to be placed, I cut my aluminum pieces. On was 7" long, the other was 12.5" long. The 7" piece would fit under the 2x6 frame that holds up the tank, while the 12.5" piece needed to be secured to the plywood sheet that the tank sits upon.
Next I drilled holes to align with the brackets that were built onto the rolling track. This wasn't as simple as I would have liked, but 20 minutes later I had what would work. Using rivets, I secured the aluminum brackets to the rolling track, and then screwed this into the underside of the tank's stand.
The wires were run through the keyboard tabs, and using the aluminum crimps with Vicegrips, I was able to assure those weren't going anywhere.
Finally, I ran the other half of the cables into the connectors on the lights, adjust the height to what I felt was right, and tested it out. It worked.
Want to see some pictures?
Okay, here are the crimping parts. $1.10
And installed. Front wire
Back wire
The front bracket
Where it was riveted
Propagation section is up and running
I finally got my new light suspended over the prop section of my sump last night. I wanted a small light that would fit nicely, not use tons of power, and be moveable. As people would come visit, I'd explain what I was wanting, and finally someone suggested I get a rolling drawer track. Bingo!
After work yesterday, I came home, ate dinner and then decided that I had mere minutes to head up to Home Depot before they closed.
I looked at the rolling door tracks, and stumbled across a bracket set designed to secure a keyboard under a desk for $13. The tabs sticking out of it were roughly 7" apart, the same distance as the cables on the light fixture. PURRRFECT. In hardware, I looked for something that I could crimp around the wires to keep them in place, but wasn't sure of what kind of metal to use. I found aluminum ones with some help, but lead would have been better in retrospec. When I got home, I started to figure out what would work and what would need doing to make this happen. It was hot in the garage because of the a/c unit to the fish room, so I opened it up to vent out the heat before starting to make noise for the neighbors from midnight to 2am.
The biggest hindrance was determining what I could use from the base of the stand to the bracket. I didn't really want metal that could rust and drip, but wood seemed bulky. I thought about acrylic for a little bit, but didn't want to wait for it to cure, let alone wonder what would happen when it eventually did fail. I couldn't find any angle brackets, and didn't feel like modifying a shelf bracket or two. Then I remembered I had some straight stock aluminum left over from the original light rack (page 18 of this thread I think, or maybe 23).
Tools needed for this project:
Hammer
Hacksaw
Drill with various metal bits
Vicegrips
Tape measure
Wire cutters
Speed Square
Patience
So once I figured out where the light would hang and how the bracket needed to be placed, I cut my aluminum pieces. On was 7" long, the other was 12.5" long. The 7" piece would fit under the 2x6 frame that holds up the tank, while the 12.5" piece needed to be secured to the plywood sheet that the tank sits upon.
Next I drilled holes to align with the brackets that were built onto the rolling track. This wasn't as simple as I would have liked, but 20 minutes later I had what would work. Using rivets, I secured the aluminum brackets to the rolling track, and then screwed this into the underside of the tank's stand.
The wires were run through the keyboard tabs, and using the aluminum crimps with Vicegrips, I was able to assure those weren't going anywhere.
Finally, I ran the other half of the cables into the connectors on the lights, adjust the height to what I felt was right, and tested it out. It worked.
Want to see some pictures?
Okay, here are the crimping parts. $1.10
And installed. Front wire
Back wire
The front bracket
Where it was riveted
melev
Well-known member
Here is the light fixture extended to the front of the sump.
And now it is rolled back or retracted to the rear.
Again, but from above.
The frag zone is small, with a pile of rock behind that I'm not sure what I'll do with at the moment.
And a couple of frags that were handy
Now I just need to go through my reef and figure out what needs to be transferred down into the prop zone.
I'd like to move the Maroon clownfish and their anemone to this section, but at the same time I'm not sure if that would be a good idea. I don't need the clowns moving or harming frags, nor do I want the anemone to hike right into the return pump intake....
And now it is rolled back or retracted to the rear.
Again, but from above.
The frag zone is small, with a pile of rock behind that I'm not sure what I'll do with at the moment.
And a couple of frags that were handy
Now I just need to go through my reef and figure out what needs to be transferred down into the prop zone.
I'd like to move the Maroon clownfish and their anemone to this section, but at the same time I'm not sure if that would be a good idea. I don't need the clowns moving or harming frags, nor do I want the anemone to hike right into the return pump intake....
melev
Well-known member
I'm the "Nocturnal Reefer".
Btw, this is a Aqua Medic 150w Metal Halide. The bulb is a 14,000K bulb, but I'm getting some 10,000K bulbs on Monday from a DFWMAS member. We traded some bulbs recently, so I just need to pick these up.
I have the light on a timer to run 8 hours a day, and may even reduce that if necessary. I put the ballast up on the top off resevoir that I never open, to keep it away from the water.
Btw, this is a Aqua Medic 150w Metal Halide. The bulb is a 14,000K bulb, but I'm getting some 10,000K bulbs on Monday from a DFWMAS member. We traded some bulbs recently, so I just need to pick these up.
I have the light on a timer to run 8 hours a day, and may even reduce that if necessary. I put the ballast up on the top off resevoir that I never open, to keep it away from the water.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7409918#post7409918 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Well, since it has only been used for a smattering of days, I can't really say much. Upgrading your lighting? Aren't you the same guy that was reducing his total wattage because the electric company was sucking your bank account dry?
I got a raise with my new posistion and it funds the electric bill
But I was thinking next summer of upgrading some parts...
There may be plans on us moving and I may be thinking of a 96"X60"X30" FOWLR, and setting this(my current one) tank up as a real eye catcher. The Hop 5 year plan
Dudester
Premium Member
Very cool, Marc. You always seem to come up with great construction ideas. I'll be very interested to see how, if at all, that MH bulb affects the growth of your macroalgae in the fuge section.
Now that you have a frag prop section, do you have any plans to spot feed this area (I think I saw some LPS in there)?
Now that you have a frag prop section, do you have any plans to spot feed this area (I think I saw some LPS in there)?
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