Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

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Richard, you deserve a medal for reading the entire thread. :)

Last night I made a page about that coral's growth so I can update that in the future. I'll probably put the link to the page in the Photography section of the Hidden Treasure page.

I took a picture of the phyto for you guys. The harvested bottle is even darker than this image, but since there is a light behind it, you might not think its all that impressive.
new_batch.jpg
 
Do you think there is any benefit of running such a large phyto container? It seems as though the small 2-L jugs will yield more fresh phyto, since you are harvesting more frequently.
 
The answer comes down to how much you use. To be honest, I could have harvested at 14 days and had the same results. I know that Evan used to only produce on 2-liter bottle because he had a 29g. His bottle would bubble for 2 or 3 months, and become so dark and dense it was almost sludge. I've never seen those results with my own batches, but I've never kept one running that long either.

I really just wanted to see if I could grow a large batch like this, and since it didn't cost me anything I gave it a shot. I hardly dose phyto to my tank at all - maybe once every two weeks and even then it is only a cup's worth in the refugium. I may increase dosing it as the Prodibio raises bacteria populations in the tank. It's time to dose (Prodibio) today btw, according to the schedule I posted.

Whether it is fresh or not I can't really say. If you are using a culture, growing and splitting it, I would guess you are just replenishing it rather than growing newer better stuff. Sort of like growing rotifers. Are they really fresh, or are there just new ones like the previous generation? I guess someone with a biology major could answer that one.
 
Gabriel, be sure to contact MASNA to get put on the National Club Database. That way when people look for a club in their area, they'll find your club on the list. Is it going to be ARC for short?
 
You need to contact Cheri of Masna.org, or Amy or Chuck. That is how to get on the national database.
 
Hey Marc do you ever have the inkling to remove your much larger leathers and some of the larger colony Zoos from your tank for space or toxin waring issues?
 
marc - i finally got around to listening to reefcast 4 and 5...yeah i know i am slow. i keep forgetting to update my ipod and that is how they get on there. i listened to 4&5 while i was working out this week!! maybe we should put a pic of that on the reefcast page "Lunchbucket getting his workout on w/ reefcast for motivation" :lol: umm...quite as motivating as my usual selection of music but during my workouts it the only time i can seem to find where i will be listening to something and not get bothered. SHH..don't tell anyone i'm listening to fish geek stuff instead of headbanger pump up music :D

i really enjoyed them. great topics: autotopoff, kill-a-watt, fish, vendor Bashing, etc.

do you always poke fun at me in every episode??? :lol: old news and a think of the past i am huh :D

well let me knwo when you guys want to have me "drop" in and talk. i know you guys mentioned it in #5 i think. let me know when and what you want to talk about buddy

keep on doin what your doin...i enjoy it!
Lunchbucket

ps - the vids were cool too. just too long to convert and put on my ipod so i watched them on my computer.

note for future vids. ADD A CHICK IN A BIKINI AND NOD QUICKSILVER IN A TIGHT MD SHIRT. you might be sending mixed messages or appealing to the wrong crowd...unless you are w/ that crowd :P...hey what ever floats you boat man!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7180404#post7180404 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gkarshens
I will mention that to the Moderators. I think we will go with ARC. We only take members in pairs though.;)

gkarshens - If you haven't already contacted someone from MASNA please feel free to email me. TippyToeX@yahoo.com. I can put your club in the National Database for you. :)

Amy - MASNA Director of Membership & Secretary
 
What do you get when you register your club with MASNA? I see that registration is $50 and it looks like it is recurring billing cycles. Is this true?
 
Melev I haven't posted on your thread before but I would really appreciate your advice. I'm in the process of setting up a 180 gallon reef all acros this will be my 2nd tank. But I have run into a MAJOR heat issue. The setup I have right now is open top with 4x250w MH HQI and 4x39wT5s with an Iwaki 100rlt and a honken huge Euroreef. The temperature in mid light cycle is 86.7 and when the lights are off just the pump alone is 82.0F. (This is an accurate reading). So I'm leaning towards getting a chiller do u think a 1/3hp Prime Tower chiller would do the job the tank is 180+30sump+40gallon fuge+20gallon grow out.
 
Not to butt in, but I would think that if your room is normal temp, and the pump alone is heating the tank to 82 degrees, something is wrong with the pump. I had a Ocean Runner 2700 heat my rock cooking tank to 86 degrees, when I turned that pump off, 78.

Try subbing in another pump and see what happens to the temp.

Keith
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7181176#post7181176 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Electrobes
Hey Marc do you ever have the inkling to remove your much larger leathers and some of the larger colony Zoos from your tank for space or toxin waring issues?

No, not really. I do like the look of a mixed reef, but wish there was more color. Hopefully as things grow in, they'll be more apparent.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7182481#post7182481 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis
What do you get when you register your club with MASNA? I see that registration is $50 and it looks like it is recurring billing cycles. Is this true?

$50 is the annual dues for a club to be a member of MASNA, an organization that helps club nationwide. The funds are used to pay for standard stuff like postage, website expenses, awarded plaques, etc, but mainly goes to traveling expenses for the assigned position that attends congressional hearings pertaining to reefs and oceans. Amy and Cheri can tell you more. I wrote an article that explains more of what they do in this newsletter, on Page 3: http://www.masna.org/ms/winter04/newsletter.html


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7184576#post7184576 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by newreefman31
Melev I haven't posted on your thread before but I would really appreciate your advice. I'm in the process of setting up a 180 gallon reef all acros this will be my 2nd tank. But I have run into a MAJOR heat issue. The setup I have right now is open top with 4x250w MH HQI and 4x39wT5s with an Iwaki 100rlt and a honken huge Euroreef. The temperature in mid light cycle is 86.7 and when the lights are off just the pump alone is 82.0F. (This is an accurate reading). So I'm leaning towards getting a chiller do u think a 1/3hp Prime Tower chiller would do the job the tank is 180+30sump+40gallon fuge+20gallon grow out.

Your tank is running too hot, period. Do you have heaters plugged in right now? Do you use any fans to blow on the surface of the water, or at least to blow the heat away that the lights are causing? What is the temperature of the room? Does your sump have a fan over it? What size plumbing did you put on the return pump? If it is restricted, that will add heat.

I can't tell you what sized chiller you'd need, as I've never needed one on any of my tanks over the years. My tanks tend to be around 81F daily, no matter the lighting, nor the setup.

<b>In other news...</b>

I did all my water tests last night. PO4 and Nitrate are up unfortunately. Strange.

One more of Brent's corals went up in smoke. It was the one I loved so much, of course. :rolleyes: Since Travis recently posted his frustrations with acropora-eating flatworms, I took a bunch of pictures of the coral, in case any were visible to someone else. Then I fragged it hard, hoping to salvage some of it since it was RTNing from the base upward. Today, 24 hours later, the core is white and virtually a total loss, and the frags are iffy. I don't see anything obvious that would make me think of parasites of any kind. Some of the tissue looks fine, while other parts look thin and seemingly dissolve.

At the very least, I'll be able to make a page of what RTN looks like, as the question arises often enough.
 
Here is the thread about the acro that just RTN'd, awaiting feedback from the SPS keepers in case it is parasite-related.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=7185559#post7185559

And here is my Tiger Cowrie. I've not seen it do any harm. It seems to enjoy a particular sponge in my tank that I don't care for. The color is a little odd, because my lights were cycling off and thus the camera's white balance wasn't correct. Still, it's a neat creature and I don't post pictures often enough of it. It is definitely nocturnal, and about the size of a lemon.
cowrie_0415.jpg


cowrie_o.jpg
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7181309#post7181309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lunchbucket
note for future vids. ADD A CHICK IN A BIKINI AND NOD QUICKSILVER IN A TIGHT MD SHIRT. you might be sending mixed messages or appealing to the wrong crowd...unless you are w/ that crowd :P...hey what ever floats you boat man!

No, I totally agree. We are heading into the season for bikinis and we need some reefbabes to help enhance the show. And if things go very well, don't expect a video at all. :D

Evan's wearing that rediculously tight shirt because Marine Depot and I wanted to give him a hard time. Evan loves to work out, and I figured a kid's shirt would make his Ahnold-like muscles stand out. :lol:
 
Marc, just remember all of us that listen to ReefCast aren't guys. ;)

By the way, when is the next ReefCast??? I think it's over due!!!
 
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