OK! Enough chat...Starting a 1000g+ Reef
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jnarowe
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Tank room was more comfortable today, but then again, I was in a bathing suit. 
Did some aquascaping...actually coral placement as I am trying to find them permanent homes. Found a lot of adolescent DIBS Turbo sp. and they will go into my next shipment.
I had to completely dismantle my once beautiful and large orange cap. It is just a mere shadow of its old self and I am bummed beyond belief.
I did find something interesting on it. A very sharp pointed tiny snail somewhat like a Pyramidellid snail. I was black and very tiny.
I also pulled out some of my recently perished Turbo sp. that even though they had died a while ago, where still extremely ripe. They reeked big time. I had assumed that shrimp would eat the dead snails but apparently not...I will try to get the rest out tomorrow.
I have a nuisance sponge that keeps growing over polyps. It seems to be very agressive actually but when I peel it off, sometimes the polyp is still OK.
Did some aquascaping...actually coral placement as I am trying to find them permanent homes. Found a lot of adolescent DIBS Turbo sp. and they will go into my next shipment.
I had to completely dismantle my once beautiful and large orange cap. It is just a mere shadow of its old self and I am bummed beyond belief.
I did find something interesting on it. A very sharp pointed tiny snail somewhat like a Pyramidellid snail. I was black and very tiny.I also pulled out some of my recently perished Turbo sp. that even though they had died a while ago, where still extremely ripe. They reeked big time. I had assumed that shrimp would eat the dead snails but apparently not...I will try to get the rest out tomorrow.
I have a nuisance sponge that keeps growing over polyps. It seems to be very agressive actually but when I peel it off, sometimes the polyp is still OK.
jnarowe
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I forgot to mention that I found my Ca at 475ppm last night and pulled my Ca reactor offline. The alk was also still high at about 11 dKh. So, this tells me that I just don't have enough coral mass using the calcium and alkalinity and I need to pare it back. I am a little stymied as to why this is an issue now, but was not for the last few months.
Unfortunately my pH is at 8.46 right now so that is making me a bit nervous. I think I will re-calibrate it since I did it recently and that was when the pH climbed up above 8.30. maybe I messed it up when I did it.
Also while messing around in the tank today I found several ghost white mini brittle stars. And they are fast!
Unfortunately my pH is at 8.46 right now so that is making me a bit nervous. I think I will re-calibrate it since I did it recently and that was when the pH climbed up above 8.30. maybe I messed it up when I did it.
Also while messing around in the tank today I found several ghost white mini brittle stars. And they are fast!
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jnarowe
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Well guys...it's been a while since I have posted as life has gotten in the way of reef. Anyway, I am making a new batch of food today and my mind has been on the reef a bit. I did some tests and the alkalinity is down beow 10.0 dKh, with Ca at 435ppm so that is moving in the right direction.
I still have the kalk top-off offline while I wait for the dKh to get down to 9.0. I am noticing that the few pieces of montipora I have left do seem to be recovering so perhaps i won't lose them entirely. I sure do miss the purple polyps encrusting monti though. Hopefully it is thriving in Steve Weast's tank and I'll be able to get a piece back sometime.
I am still not in the frame of mind to take pics, but I hope to next week. I sure wish I had a better camera but that will have to wait a while too. I missed out on a great Nikon sale.
I have been experimenting with tank room temps. and Vortech temps. and what I have found is very interesting. When the tank room temp. is below 75F the pumps will operate at 3/4 to full power in a range of 125F to 135F. When the tank room temp goes above 75F, the pumps operate at 135F to 151F between 3/4 and full power. Please keep in mind that these are not internal pump temps. but the syrface temp. of the fins. It is a bit startling that the tank room temp. would have such a profound affect on the Vortechs that a one degree room temp change can amke a 10 - 12% difference in the pump temp.
In order to operate them at a safe temp. I am running them between 2/3 and 3/4 depending on the pump, and between 125F and 135F. This seems to be all I can get out of them without over-heating. I am keeping the tank room cooler, but cannot avoid spikes above 75F on hot days.
I still have the kalk top-off offline while I wait for the dKh to get down to 9.0. I am noticing that the few pieces of montipora I have left do seem to be recovering so perhaps i won't lose them entirely. I sure do miss the purple polyps encrusting monti though. Hopefully it is thriving in Steve Weast's tank and I'll be able to get a piece back sometime.
I am still not in the frame of mind to take pics, but I hope to next week. I sure wish I had a better camera but that will have to wait a while too. I missed out on a great Nikon sale.
I have been experimenting with tank room temps. and Vortech temps. and what I have found is very interesting. When the tank room temp. is below 75F the pumps will operate at 3/4 to full power in a range of 125F to 135F. When the tank room temp goes above 75F, the pumps operate at 135F to 151F between 3/4 and full power. Please keep in mind that these are not internal pump temps. but the syrface temp. of the fins. It is a bit startling that the tank room temp. would have such a profound affect on the Vortechs that a one degree room temp change can amke a 10 - 12% difference in the pump temp.
In order to operate them at a safe temp. I am running them between 2/3 and 3/4 depending on the pump, and between 125F and 135F. This seems to be all I can get out of them without over-heating. I am keeping the tank room cooler, but cannot avoid spikes above 75F on hot days.
sherm71tank
Premium Member
Hey Jonathan glad you have the sweet spot figured out on the Vortechs.
On another note, I'm really looking forward to seeing this man take the title from the Ice Man later tonight!!!!
On another note, I'm really looking forward to seeing this man take the title from the Ice Man later tonight!!!!
sherm71tank
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10020890#post10020890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sherm71tank
Hey Jonathan glad you have the sweet spot figured out on the Vortechs.
On another note, I'm really looking forward to seeing this man take the title from the Ice Man later tonight!!!!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :rollface:
Bax
Premium Member
Jonathan
That's so odd about your room temp effecting the pump that way. My tank is in my office and temp control is a challenge in this old industrial building. I keep my window AC set at 75 deg but with the MHs on, the room temp often climbs to 79 or 80 even. My VorTech has never shut off, not even once.
Glad you've found an apparent resolution.
That's so odd about your room temp effecting the pump that way. My tank is in my office and temp control is a challenge in this old industrial building. I keep my window AC set at 75 deg but with the MHs on, the room temp often climbs to 79 or 80 even. My VorTech has never shut off, not even once.
Glad you've found an apparent resolution.
jnarowe
New member
Come on Sherman, the whole WORLD saw that was just a lucky punch! :lol:
Bax: I don't really consider that a resolution. And the Vortechs don't shut off because of the heat. I was having some issues with stalls after getting them back from Eco-Tech but in the last week I have only had one stall, so I think that may have worked itself out. But, mine are running very hot and I have to think that there is some combination of factors beyond the room temp. that are giving me these problems, and one idea that comes to mind is the tank wall thickness or even a slight bow. I don't see any bow in the tank walls but I may try putting a long straight edge on it and see if that exists.
I don't know if Eco-Tech has done any testing on bowed tank walls but it certainly could be a consideration. FWIW, there is definitely a major impact on pump temp. when the room temp. changes. I find that to be odd too, especially since Eco-Tech has stated that they have tested their pumps at temps higher than what my room gets too. Tim also told me that he found some corroded (sp?) deposits in one of the pumps they refurbed and that may be due to the salt air.
So I plod along slowly trying to figure this out with the help of Eco-Tech. At least they are very quiet now, which was a huge problem for so long. I just can't help but wonder if the reason for the rattling is still inherent in my tank (like the walls) and causing over-heating.
Bax: I don't really consider that a resolution. And the Vortechs don't shut off because of the heat. I was having some issues with stalls after getting them back from Eco-Tech but in the last week I have only had one stall, so I think that may have worked itself out. But, mine are running very hot and I have to think that there is some combination of factors beyond the room temp. that are giving me these problems, and one idea that comes to mind is the tank wall thickness or even a slight bow. I don't see any bow in the tank walls but I may try putting a long straight edge on it and see if that exists.
I don't know if Eco-Tech has done any testing on bowed tank walls but it certainly could be a consideration. FWIW, there is definitely a major impact on pump temp. when the room temp. changes. I find that to be odd too, especially since Eco-Tech has stated that they have tested their pumps at temps higher than what my room gets too. Tim also told me that he found some corroded (sp?) deposits in one of the pumps they refurbed and that may be due to the salt air.
So I plod along slowly trying to figure this out with the help of Eco-Tech. At least they are very quiet now, which was a huge problem for so long. I just can't help but wonder if the reason for the rattling is still inherent in my tank (like the walls) and causing over-heating.
jnarowe
New member
:lol: Oh really? Listen gimp boy, MY world IS the real world, and the rest of you are out to lunch!
See the thing that has me questioning that is I have to believe that Eco-Tech tested the Vortechs on particular tanks and measured the wall thicknesses to come up with their operating specs. And as you well know, 3/4 plywood is not the same as 3/4 fir, and even fir from the same batch will vary board to board significantly. Why wouldn't it be the same for glass and acrylic?
So if we can hypothesize that my acrylic could be slightly thicker or thinner than 3/4", we could also suppose that the MP-40 performance could vary based on the thickness of the tank wall right? Add since my tank is on the outer edge of the design, and operating under less than ideal ambient conditions, and we start to stack up causitive factors. I am not even sure the problem can be distilled down to one thing or another.
I can't wait for Tim to come visit!
See the thing that has me questioning that is I have to believe that Eco-Tech tested the Vortechs on particular tanks and measured the wall thicknesses to come up with their operating specs. And as you well know, 3/4 plywood is not the same as 3/4 fir, and even fir from the same batch will vary board to board significantly. Why wouldn't it be the same for glass and acrylic?
So if we can hypothesize that my acrylic could be slightly thicker or thinner than 3/4", we could also suppose that the MP-40 performance could vary based on the thickness of the tank wall right? Add since my tank is on the outer edge of the design, and operating under less than ideal ambient conditions, and we start to stack up causitive factors. I am not even sure the problem can be distilled down to one thing or another.
I can't wait for Tim to come visit!
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