Please show pics of your 180 tanks

April, the rose is just to the left of the cap. Like I had said before, they always end up moving!
The best part about that capricornis was the price. I bought it for $40 at the last frag swap. Was only suppose to pay $30, but was so impressed with how big it was and only had twenties, so I paid the guy $40!
 
Ok I see it, I thought it was another hard coral of some sort. And he hung out in the midle of the tank for a long time. But what a great deal on the cap. You were sweet to pay him the extra, I think I would have too, it is perfect! How long have you had it?
 
I talked to my contact on the equipment, it isnt a Beckett skimmer, it's a Berlin. (Well It started with a B lol), he was going to fire it up to make sure it is still ok. Do any of you have a Berlin? are they pretty good? I sorta had my heart set on the ASM G3, but the show we did was awful in June, so i couldn't gert it. we have another show in Oct. So maybe I can finish up on the lighting, If the skimmer is in good shape and does well.

And I did some swapping with a guy for 15.5 lbs of old live rock that he took out of hus tank, it was full of bristle worms, and he has had it ouside on his porck drying out, WILL i NEED TO BLEACH THIS STUFF? It doesn't smell at all. And he brought over some red mushrooms. I have a large Colt that needed to be fragged, so he took one of those and I gave him that rock boring Urchin that hithched on some live rock, he was trying to eat through my Frog Spawn.

Whoops, sorry, I am excited so I am rambling again.!!:eek1:
 
Have had cap about one month.
Never had a Berlin, so wouldn't be fair for me to comment.
I wouldn't ever bleach rock going into a reef. I did it all the time in fish only tanks, and just used de-chlor to make it safe for the fish. The rock should be fine if it smells clean, was originally base rock and not some iron quarry rock, and maybe you should rinse it good. But I have had rock sitting out for months and recycled it later in tanks and it was fine as long as it's just being added to a healthy system with a healthy biological bed.
 
Thanks cediss. Yes I did it with my fish only tanks too, Went through tons of DeCHLOR, I still use it all the toime.I just wasnt sure about the reef tank, Its really neat rock though. I will take it out tomorrow and give it a once over with the hose and smell it while its wet, should be able to tell better. IF it does have a smell to it, how do you clean it for the reef?
 
Hey April,

I've heard some mixed things about the RedSea Berlin skimmer. Based on what I've read here on RC, I wouldnt use it on a 180. Now, that being said, there are plenty of people with NO skimming on their 180's so I guess one could argue that "some" is better than none. :D
 
Thanks camaro03, they have really done a great job, we have gotten to see alot of them from scratch, has been alot af fun. How about you, what are you into?

Well jarhed, thats about my luck, I guess maybe it will due till I can get the ASM g3, it has to be better than what I am running on it now, Dont they skim well?
 
The ASM you mean? I understand thats a SMOKIN skimmer. I think the Berlin will pull some funk out of your water, but I've never tried one. I've just read, and deduced by looking at pics of the Berlin, that it's not the most productive skimmer out there. Personally, I would go with something that is going to just about skim the gills off the fish. :D
 
LOL, jarhed your so funny!!!! Well I DO want to skim the tank as well as I can, But maybe I'll leave the gills on the fish for now! I have really wanted the ASM for a very long time. The footprint is quite large and will hae to do some changes under the tank for that. but if he has the Berlin and I can get it to go with my existing skimmer,for now, then I'll wait a bit for the ASM maybe in Oct.
 
:D

Right here (not very good pics, I dont know how to properly use the camera).

tankshot.jpg



closet1.jpg



closet2.jpg
 
What a great jpb you have done, I bet your about to pop with pride huh? And there is nothing wrong with the pics at all. Can you get a full tank shot, I love the open corner.
 
Yep, I'll get a full tank shot.

Not much changed in the tank itself. A couple SPS added, but I'm stopping there for now. Trim isnt on the front yet (because I'm lazy and dont really know how to cut the angles properly). Still havent finished getting all the rock (credit cards up against the wall :D).

On a positive note, Coraline has begun sprouting! On a bad note, Calcium today was very low and KH was high. Posted a question in the chemistry forum to figure out why. Hit it with some liquid calcium to get the levels up a little.
 
I use the liquid calcium and top off wirh Kalkwasser, I dont have much of a problem with the calcium so far, but its great that your coraline has started, and you have plenty of time to add stuff in the tank, take it slow. you really are doing great!

And what is in the blue rubbermaid container?
 
The blue rubbermaid is my topoff container. The white hose is from the RODI. There is a Kent Float Valve on the other side of the bulkhead and about 1/2" of pickling lime on the bottom, which I stir at least once daily. The topoff is controlled by a float switch in the sump and that turns on a pump to take water out of the Rubbermaid and pump it into the overflow box in the tank (that way it goes directly into the sump while it's mixing).
 
Looks great Jarhed! It could be the top-off that is droping the calcium. Ca and alkalinity are in equilibrium reactions with each other. If you put to much alkalinity in especially with a higher pH, this can drive your Ca to precipitate out as calcium carbonate. I'm no chemist and I may not have explained this process accurately, but I have been told and read that kalkwasser and other higher pH compounds can create this scenario. I have used kalkwasser for years and have not always added the superfluent (the clear liquid above the precipitant) by itself. I generally find my chemistry to be pretty good,but have had times where kH was high and calcium was low. Just a thought as to the possible cause of your chemistry problem. Let us know if you find the problem and how you solve it!
 
Yeah, I think I'm going to pull the kalk from the topoff. Right now the reactor is off. I may cut way back on it's production for a bit too, even though the highest it got was 390.
 
Response to PM

Response to PM

Hey guys and gals, just thought I would post a response to the PM questions I got the other day! Others have commented about the lighting so maybe this will be helpful. See the original question below this response:

Fliger, sorry for delay. I hadn't checked my PM box. It depends on which photos you are referring to. If it was the more recent shots posted on "show your pics of your 180" that I attached yahoo site pics to, then those are the 400 10K Coralvue's with 2x 4 foot actinics running alone. I have had those bulbs now running on electronic ballasts for about 3 months and so far I love their color. They are more blue than some 10 K bulbs so far and produce what I think looks more like 10K should (12 Noon clear blue sky). More time is needed for me to tell if the bulb life and color life is good, but I plan to by them again in the future. Check out this site if you are interested http://www.acropora.net/450.htm.
If you are referring to any other shot I have of the tank, it probably also has my 2x 175w 10K(?ushio's) bulbs running as well with the previous mentioned set-up. I like this combo as well because the yellower light brings out the pinks, yellows and red better. The 10 K's are just 2 inches toward the outside of the tank so that when they are on, the color mixes with the 400W and looks like one bulb. This way you dont get a strange two tone light cast and yet I cover 3' square area of tank with with each 400 and 175 combo.
In the future I plan to either go with 2x 175 at 14K and the same 400w or go 400W 14K and stay with 175W 10K. This will make the tank just a bit more blue than I alreeady have. Sorry for such a long answer! Good luck, Chris
Fliger wrote on 07/25/2005 10:13 AM:
hey i like the look of your tank. what 400w bulb/ballast combo are you doing? do you like it, looks great!
 
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