Tank of the Month - August 2007

I got a little scare this morning... I just woke up and looked at my tank parameter trends on the AquaNote that's always on on my desktop. and the main tank pH show 7.43!! Then I saw a bunches of email alarms (from AquaNotes) showing pH 7.2- 7.6! But the pH trend on the frag tank (which is connected to my maintank) looked normal ~ 8.1.. So I ran downstair to check out the tank and everything looks normal. The pH readout for the main tk on the AquaController ProIII showed 8.15 (same as on the frag tk). So I went back up to check the readout on the AquaNotes again, and it showed 8.15, and the pH trend on the graph never showed the dips to below 8.0:confused: I thought may be it was because I was still asleep when I looked at it earlier.. But I checked the email alarms (5 of them!) and they was sent to me around that time.. and I just got another email alarms 10 mins ago! If I didn't get the email alarms as proof, Id had thought there was a ghost in my room:D
I'm going to post this question in the Neptune forum to findout what's going on.. maybe the pH probe is bad and need replacement. but I bought this brandnew 9 months ago (normally they would run well at least 15 months or 2 yrs..)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10581502#post10581502 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kev apsley
maybe time to recalibrate that probe??
Click to expand...

i actually replaced it with a new one and it works ok now.. still have some issues w/ the AC3P that i'll need to contact Curt for help.
 
To solve the temp and bug problem you could build a small sheetrock
room around the tank with enough access for you to walk around.
Then put an window unit a/c on the small sheetrocked in room. Just a thought if you have enough room. I live in Houston too and know about the temp problems even on a tank with pc's indoors with a closed top.


BTW.... sick tank and congrats
 
Last edited:
I dream to one day have a tank as beautiful as yours! WOW! Congratulations!

You mention a nitrate reactor. I know you said you don't need it anymore, but what kind is it and did it work well when you did need it?
 
The tank is outstandly clean look inside the house. Con graduation being TOTM. Your name sounds like Vietnamese, are you?

Anyways I have some question, it's probably some noob questions, but hey, at least I ask.
What is a close loop?
What do you mean by RTN?
tn_fragtkandbackofmaintank_jpg.jpg

Why did you need to tide the frag tank down?
How do you trim the zoanthids on your tank wall?

I heard you on temp. control. I experience the same thing on my nano, my two fan blew off, but my tank never been running on a heater, they tank constantly at 84s-86s degree.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10619258#post10619258 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ExoticReefer99
To solve the temp and bug problem you could build a small sheetrock
room around the tank with enough access for you to walk around.
Then put an window unit a/c on the small sheetrocked in room. Just a thought if you have enough room. I live in Houston too and know about the temp problems even on a tank with pc's indoors with a closed top.


BTW.... sick tank and congrats
Click to expand...

I would have done that if there is enough room around the tank to do that. however, there are only ~2" clearance b/t my garage door and top of my hood (which is not very high either). thanks for the idea though.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10619838#post10619838 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jtesdall
I dream to one day have a tank as beautiful as yours! WOW! Congratulations!

You mention a nitrate reactor. I know you said you don't need it anymore, but what kind is it and did it work well when you did need it?
Click to expand...

The nitrate reactor has a very long 1/5" tube that was rolled into a coil inside the 4" reactor chamber. The long tube helps prevent air to get into it and providing the anaerobic conditions for the nitrate eating bacteria..
It works well. At the early stages of my tank, i have mearsurable nitrate content in the tank water (~1-5ppm), but the outlet from nitrate reactor would have 0ppm nitrate. Nowadays, my tank is mature so both outlet and inlet have 0 ppm NO3.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10630134#post10630134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NanoCube-boy
The tank is outstandly clean look inside the house. Con graduation being TOTM. Your name sounds like Vietnamese, are you?

Anyways I have some question, it's probably some noob questions, but hey, at least I ask.
What is a close loop?
What do you mean by RTN?
tn_fragtkandbackofmaintank_jpg.jpg

Why did you need to tide the frag tank down?
How do you trim the zoanthids on your tank wall?

I heard you on temp. control. I experience the same thing on my nano, my two fan blew off, but my tank never been running on a heater, they tank constantly at 84s-86s degree.
Click to expand...

Answers to your questions:
1/ A close loop: Not sure how to decribe it clearly:) generally, water from the main display tank flows through a outlet nozzle to the pump (call the closeloop pump) and pump right back to the main tank. So the differential pressure head between the outlet and inlet of your pump is essentially the height difference (or static head) between those two nozzles in your main tank. So the static head is very low (normally less than 2 ft) or even zero if the outlet and inlet nozzles are at the same height) for the closeloop system; hence you get more flow out of the pump.
In contrast, the sump return pump system can be considered as an 'open' loop system since you pump from one reservoir(the sump) to another reservoir (the main display tank). The static head in this case is the diff b/t the sump level and the display tk level - which normally > 4ft; so you get less flow out of the same pump. You can do a search on this forum for 'closeloop' you may find a lot of thread and pics of the closeloop system:)

2/ RTN = rapid tissue necrosis. = quick dead (or loosing meat) of SPS corals:) It's a disease - I think:)

3/ There used to be a center brace for that thin wall frag tank but the center brace broke when i got the tank. So this acrylic tank does not have any brace at all (or rimless), and it was a little bulged out. So I have to tie it up w/ that rachet:) (sp?)

4/ To trim the zoanthis on the tank wall => just use a razor blade to scrape it off. Or you can buy the blueline rabbit fish like the one I got and it'll eat all those zoos up :D
 
Very nice tank. The monti growth upfront is very impressive.


Hypothetical question..... (and I realize that it is vague)

If you had a blank slate to start over, how would you change your setup to improve an aspect or to correct an issue that you have??
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10659972#post10659972 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FroMan
Very nice tank. The monti growth upfront is very impressive.


Hypothetical question..... (and I realize that it is vague)

If you had a blank slate to start over, how would you change your setup to improve an aspect or to correct an issue that you have??
Click to expand...

Something I would like to change if I start over:

- I would build an enclosing room around the tank in the garage with a window unit if possible so that I can keep my tank temperature stable all year round. Or I can setup the tank like a friend (Invincible) did: install the main tank inside the house and keep most equipment (chiller, pumps...) and the sump in the garage. The tank would be a rimless with starfire glasses as Invincible's since these tanks are just awesome by themselves already!

- I may change my aquascape a little bit to create some low flow region so I can keep certain LPS like blasto, ricordia, etc.. that don't like high flow.

- I'd incorporate more T5 lighting and keep MH at the minimum (maybe just for shimmer effect only).

Otherr thhan those, I'm sastified w/ my current setup:D
 
Quoc, Beautiful tank...I love the various anthias you keep. How did you choose them ? How long did you quarantine them ? In what order did you introduce them ? Have you had any fighting ? What is your feeding schedule for them ? Jim
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10665582#post10665582 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gimmito
Quoc, Beautiful tank...I love the various anthias you keep. How did you choose them ? How long did you quarantine them ? In what order did you introduce them ? Have you had any fighting ? What is your feeding schedule for them ? Jim
Click to expand...
sorry for this late response:) Two of them (a pair) were ordered from L.A so I didn't get to choose them. The others I got from LFS and picked them based on their appearance only (bright color, no scratch, itches...).
I didn't quarantine them either, just acclimate before putting in the tank. The ones I have are pretty hardy anthias. I bought them at different times as i saw them at LFS or online. No major fighting at all.
Feeding is everyday with frozen brine shrimps/ mysis.. now they also eat dried food!
 
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