Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[melev]

I think this is around Page 704 or so. That's merely 17,650 posts so far. We've got a long way to go to hit a million. :lol:

Matter of fact, here are some RC stats:
Members: 220,838, Threads: 1,008,464, Posts: 15,067,830

 

[melev]

Recap

Recap

Links to each part of this thread
Beginning of 280g thread - (started 7/20/04)
First split - (starts 3/19/05)
Second split - (starts 6/09/05)
Third Split - (starts 9/19/05)
Fourth Split - (starts 12/07/05)
Fifth Split - (starts 3/25/06)
Sixth Split - (starts 8/21/06)
Seventh Split - (starts 12/23/06)
Eighth Split - (starts5/11/07)
Nineth Split - (starts 8/15/07)
Tenth Split - (starts 11/05/07)
Eleventh Split - (starts 1/31/08)
Twelveth Split - (starts 3/28/08)
Thirteenth Split - (starts 6/13/08)
Fourteenth Split - (starts 9/21/08)
Fifteenth Split - (starts 12/18/08)
Sixteenth Split - (starts 4/1/09)
Seventeenth Split - (starts 6/13/09)

My tank is nearing 5 years old as we continue with this thread.

Summary

• 280g Starfire glass Reef-ready tank
• 150g sump and refugium built by me
• Euroreef CS12-2 protein skimmer with two new Eheim 1262 pumps
• Lifereef Calcium Reactor with a flaky Milwaukee pH controller
• Aqua Controller III to control lighting, heat, and log some parameters, available on the web and my iPhone (AquaNotes App).
• 55g water changed every two months.
• 100gpd RO/DI used for top offs and to make more saltwater. My tank evaporates about 5g per day.
• Kent Sea Salt or Red Sea Pro, as I always have both on hand
• For cooling, I have a 8000 BTU window A/C unit set to keep the fish room at a comfortable 74-76F, which keeps the tank between 79-81F daily during the hotter months of the year.
• The return pump is a Little Giant
• A Sequence Dart pump runs to a manifold that feeds water to many areas, include the Angled tank in my foyer and the Suncoral species tank.
• 3 Vortech pumps create the flow in my tank, and are connected to IceCap battery backups.
• A 6250w generator protects my system from power failures, which occur two or three times a year.
• 14g quarantine tank for all new arrivals

Here are some of the water test results I've performed this year:

Nitrates have been controlled with Vodka dosing, which I've been doing for about 11 months. Currently, I dose 10ml daily.
Phosphates are controlled with Blue Life's Phosphate Control. When they measure .1ppm, I'll add 40 drops late at night to avoid having fish swimming actively through the flocculant. By morning the water is crystal clear.

Here's a peek into my fishroom.

And here's a view of the livingroom the tank is in.

Feedings

• I feed three times a day. Each "morning", 1/2 sheet of nori is quickly consumed.
• During the afternoon/evening, some pellet food (AquaThrive by Reef Nutrition) is tossed in for the fish to chase and devour.
• Every night around 9:15, thawed Mini Mysis and Cyclop-eeze is fed to the suncorals and then the remainder (or majority) goes in the reef.

Lighting

• 250w 10,000K - 400w 20,000K - 250w 10,000K
• VHO Actinics span the tank as well.

I love my iPhone's AC3 application, and use it all the time to check on the tank.

There you go, all up to speed.

 

[Jessy.]

Nice recap marc

 

[ChuckLawson]

Congrats on the split, Marc!

Maybe you could superimpose the day number on each new avatar; that way you can reduce the number of people asking how many days it's been, and replace them with people asking what the number is about

 

[melev]

Oh great, more work. :lol: I thought just creating all those avatars that still fit the RC byte-size constraints was good enough. But no, now it has to be numbered, to generate yet more content for discussion.

 

[Reefski's]

Marc

thanks for the recap of your tank and specs. wonderful!

it is now Sunday and i still see yesterdays avatar. what's up with that? just because you haven't gone to bed yet doesn't mean it is still the same day.

instead of changing the number every day just put the end date in your signature.

 

[melev]

I change them around 1-2pm daily. You guys are on a totally different clock for some reason.

The signature line... hmm. That might work.

 

[Grassroots]

Marc do you sleep? You are on these forums at like 4 am :/ hahaha whats the next avatar?

 

[Ed Reef]

Congrats on yet another split...

I like your summary - classy !!

Must be the experience of writing summary over 17 splits :lol:

 

[Lightsluvr]

Uh huh...

Uh huh...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15189491#post15189491 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Nothing wrong with a little fine ale on a Saturday night.

Somedays even bad ale will do, if it's cold enough... :rollface:

Congratulations on another split.

LL

 

[jjstecchino]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15189706#post15189706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Yes, just put a link to your thread (the URL) in my thread, and that way Kellsindell can click on it with great ease. :lol:

Ok here is the link :jjstecchino 180G starfire tank .

I thought the purpose of the little red house on top of the post was to link to your own thread. That's why I was confused.

 

[jnarowe]

I so need to get single again... :eek2:

 

[rEd86]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15189178#post15189178 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Seeing the reflector itself, it didn't seem 'wide' to me. Mike swears they are different; maybe I can find a Mini in my area to compare it against.

I think the length/width are the same as the minis, it's the height that's different. (the wides are not as tall) So the reflector isn't wider, the light that is reflected off them is wider since the reflector is shallower and the angles are different.

That would give you a wider spread than the minis. (although the penetration isn't going to be as deep)

--Ed

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15190009#post15190009 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Grassroots
Marc do you sleep? You are on these forums at like 4 am :/ hahaha whats the next avatar?

Yes I do, although I continue to feel it is a horrible waste of my time. I comply since my DNA is coded that way.

The new avatar is in play.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15190148#post15190148 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ed Reef
Congrats on yet another split...

I like your summary - classy !!

Must be the experience of writing summary over 17 splits :lol:

Thanks.

One day it would be nice to do a full-on index of all the topics in this thread. Which would be a job in itself.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15190168#post15190168 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr
Somedays even bad ale will do, if it's cold enough... :rollface:

Congratulations on another split.

LL

I've had only one bad beverage. It was so bad I had to refuse it and request another type. I guess too dark and too bitter is too much for my taste.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15190271#post15190271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjstecchino
Ok here is the link :jjstecchino 180G starfire tank .

I thought the purpose of the little red house on top of the post was to link to your own thread. That's why I was confused.

Thanks! Some of us use the Little Red House for other purposes. What you did is perfect. You may notice that people will state in their signature line that "the little red house will take you to my thread", or something along those lines.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15190701#post15190701 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
I so need to get single again... :eek2:

I'm sure you have a very nice living room as well.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15190702#post15190702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rEd86
I think the length/width are the same as the minis, it's the height that's different. (the wides are not as tall) So the reflector isn't wider, the light that is reflected off them is wider since the reflector is shallower and the angles are different.

That would give you a wider spread than the minis. (although the penetration isn't going to be as deep)

--Ed

I just don't know. That's my thought as well. I think I'll grab my new one when it arrives and head over to Robert's store to compare it against a regular mini.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Re: Recap

Re: Recap

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15189940#post15189940 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
And here's a view of the livingroom the tank is in.

Marc I think this is the first time you posted a full tank shot (if you did I totally missed it). I was always curious what you did to finish around it. Very nice. It almost begs to have a counter top around the tank for your viewing pleasure while eating/drinking.

 

[melev]

It does have a small bar/shelf running around the perimeter. Just enough to put things down or lean upon when taking pictures.

And occasionally I have used it to stand upon, which is completely insane. I just think light thoughts when I do so.

Here are a few pictures from 2007, including the pink foam template I started with:

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Very nice!!

 

[BigJay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15189497#post15189497 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjstecchino
From what I read the mini wide will look very similar to the regular minis, however the facets have a different orientation to produce a wider light cone. This should allow to position them closer to the water surface without having dark areas on the top as the light cones of adjacent reflectors intersect. I believe I read that the optimal distance for the regular lumenbright is 12" from the water surface and 6" for the wides. Man it is so difficult to make decisions based on the sketchy specs you read on the net, without the ability to see it or yourself. Thanks god for the prcious info you gather on the forums.

Six inches!? That's almost exactly the height of my lumenmax reflectors. I've always wanted to run lumenbrites, but I just don't have the space to hang them that high. Time to re-do my canopy again Marc j/k

Do they come with glass shields? The temptation is strong.

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15191731#post15191731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
It does have a small bar/shelf running around the perimeter. Just enough to put things down or lean upon when taking pictures.

And occasionally I have used it to stand upon, which is completely insane. I just think light thoughts when I do so.

Here are a few pictures from 2007, including the pink foam template I started with:

Can you remove or lift that top piece to work on the tank from the front?

If so, can you show me how that works?

Thanks.

LL

 

[melev]

Anthony, I just visited with Henry today and he's got the Minis. So when I get my Mini Wide, I'm going over there to compare them side by side.

Yes, the Mini Wide comes as a pendant, which is what I was trying to explain above. I want that in the first place, but ordered the bare reflector accidentally.

George - I lift off that entire L-shape (the unstained section you see in the final picture above). I had a really neat pulley system in mind, but it didn't work. I have an alternative still in mind, and one other one if it can't work.