The inwall 380 starfire reborn

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The thing that got me into snail breeding was the attitude of retailers towards them (acceptable losses and all) and a visit to a local wholesale operation. And I don't like the wildy huge numbers of them being harvested for so few to actually live life. It's disturbing to me.

And the whole thing about "replenishment packs" bugs me too. That's training the hobbiest to accept that they will all die off quickly and that they should be prepared to get new ones on a regular basis, thereby feeding into the horrible harvesting and transportation practices evident in the business. It's not that I think anything can be done about that, but I do believe that hobbiests can stock their tanks with snails that do breed in captivity (easily), stay small, provide services and interest, and thereby reduce the reef losses substantially.
 
the "replenishment packs" bug me also (I came acorss them while hunting for margitas and turbos online this week). But in our tank, with our existing snails, aside from crabs evicting a snail or two I think that we have kept the vast majority of ours alive so far. In fact we have a replenshing population of ceriths and nass. snails (or at least we seem to.. I say that based on all of the little ones I see running aroundfrom time to time)
 
Well, so far no knocked over corals that I saw (after 1 night with the turbos), but I also cannot see any areas where they appear to have cleaned anything off of any rock. I didn't expect them to have entirely cleaned a rock or anything, but I had hoped to at least tell where they had been. When I put up with the urchin in the tank it was very obvious where he had been.

Turf algae woes aside, everything else appears to be running properly. I had to adjust a few things and bumped up the level in the skimmer a little bit more. Right now the level in the tank overflows is about as high as I care to keep it, so I don't think I will be able to adjust the water level in the skimmer any higher than it already is. With the air and recirc pumps both off the water level is a couple of inches below the twist lock. Once those pumps are turned on the level moves up to a few inches above the twistlock (amazing how much back pressure the Alita adds when I turn it on, and how much that impacts the water level in the skimmer and tank overflows).

Other adjustment is that we are starting to back down our lighting photo period from 9 hours down to 6, dropping it 1 hour each week. After reading on several threads about reefers that only run their halides 6 hours each day, and since we now have the VHOs installed, we decided to go ahead and reduce our lighting time. The VHOs will not change their run time, just the MHs shortening. By my calculations it should save us about $30 each month in electricity. Not a huge amount, but still an extra frag or so each month, if you wanted to look at it that way :). It may be a little less savings since I will probably increase the fuge lighting to fill in the reverse photo period to help stabilize the tank PH, etc. I don't see the 2 VHOs having enough of an impact to balance out the PH like the MHs will, so that is why I will probably need to increase the fuge lighting period. Anyone have any thoughts on that, one way or another ?

One other side beenfit might also be more fuge growth to out compete with in-tank algae, and in-tank algae getting less light to possibly weaken it against the fuge based macro. Not enough to be a complete solution by any means.. but hopefully it will help at least a little.
 
Welcome.. and thanks :).

I don't hang out in the Deltec forum much any more because the only Deltec I own now is the eco cooler (which still rocks). Traded up on the skimmer and calcium reactor :).

I did respond to your post over in the Deltec forum. Feel free to post any questions you may have about the eco cooler here (or there)... I would be happy to try to answer them :).
 
On the "equipment tweak" front I am giving serious thought to adding an American DJ PC100 8 Outlet Switch Panel, ala Melev's setup (I am sure that others have used this power panel, and likely before Marc, but his was the one that was detailed and seen first by me :)). Here is how he has his set up currently (he is redoing his wiring) : http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=10182234#post10182234

Setting that up will probably end up resulting in several rather expensive extention cords to allow all of the equipment to reach where I will end up locating the panel. I don't use less than AWG 14 for anything that pulls over 1a.. I use AWG 16 for things like ATO relays, etc, but that is all I will allow on such a cord, and nothing smaller than AWG 16. I know that this is major over kill, but I would rather spend a little more money on a beefier, better build ext cord now and sleep better than to chance an over current situation. Plus, I like to size each ext cord to match the over surrent protection for the circuit that it is being plugged into (IE: not plug an ext cord rated for 10a into a circuit that won't trip until 15a, or ever 20a).

Anyone have any experience with these 8 outlet units ?
 
I am at my limit for addressable outlets Jonathan. We are only running an AC Jr, which has I believe 12 addressable. Plus, I want to be able to easily turn equipment on and off without having to plug and unplug (with usually wet hands, no less).

I also found these from Chauvet :

This one more matches the American DJ one : Black case w/ red toggles, although these are smaller toggles (which could be good and bad)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...dgettype=cross_promot_widget#ebayphotohosting

And this one which is a black/silver case w/ blue toggles

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...tToStoreCat&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget

Anyone have any feedback on Chauvet compared to American DJ ?
 
They are basicely the same thing Tom. Exact same grade. I've used both and both pretty much behave the same. Not bad for the $$$.
 
great.. thanks Gresh... the max load (so long as everything behaves) will be about 8a total across all of the outlets, so I shouldn't even come close to the 15a rating and built in breaker. Guess I will order the Chauvet, mainly because it is easier to order from there (only a couple of doallrs cheaper) and we also have another Chauvet product that we used for a wavemaker, and I was pretty impressed with the overall build quality of it.

EDIT : Would you recommend them for use for running our pumps, etc ? Or is there another brand/unit that you would recommend instead ?
 
WOW!!

Great thread! I learned a lot and have two pages of notes to remind me where I found the info. I would think to myself, "I wonder..." and learned not to be surprised that an answer appeared within a few posts. I paid close attention as you wrote about your lighting changes, as that is the area that has me puzzled the most (... just like it did/does Hop...).

CCT v PPFD v Par :rolleyes:
250w v 400w :rolleyes:
SE v DE :rolleyes:
Magnetic v Electronic v HQI :rolleyes:

Thank you for such precise documentation of your process. Like melev, I thoroughly enjoy the "good with the bad" approach to chronicling your endeavours.

AND... I particularly like reading between the lines as the Hubby v. Bride issues play out! Nanogurl reads and I am sure she has as much fun with it as I. ;)

:thumbsup:
 
Thank you for your praise and kind words. I am no where near on the level with Melev for precise documentation and admittedly don't always post our missteps as often as I perhaps should, but I do agree that the whole purpose is to share our experiences so that others can potentially avoid the mistakes that we sufferred through. So I am trying to be better about posting everything that happens, good, bad and indifferent. :)

I do take a rather analytical approach to the vast majority of our tank decisions, and typically have an Excel Spreadsheet or some other document outlining the pros and cons of each choice :). So that lends itself better to being able to detail those decision here on our thread.

I am not sure what you mean by the "Hubby v. Bride issues" though :). Most of our local reefers will tell you that my wife is more into it at times than I am. She focuses more on the livestock and I on the equipment side of it. She could care less about the equipment outside of

1. does it work (did I research it enough before buying it)
2. will it do what we need it to (sized right, for now and for future growth)
3. How much does it cost (and can we truthfully afford it).

Since her livestock is in the tank, #3 is not as hard a sell as you might think. Every move I can make to minimize the operating expense is openly welcomed by her (and by me as well), but our reef budget is a shared pool, and again, as many local reefers will attest, she has been known to spend more out of that budget pool than I have (for livestock). And on the equipment side, I do a fair portion of the work myself, which helps to save money all around :).

But, as with anything else, I do get asked to spend more time with the family and less on the tank, from time to time. At which point I finish up whatever task I am involved with and spend the time with my #1 priority, my family :D. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I have learned the benefits of balancing the two, and I have become much better at it than I used to :)
 
I calculated the Ext cords and what not and didn't like what I came up with for the total cost of the "swtich retro-fit", so I went hunting :). I found this :

http://www.platinum-records.com/AMERICAN-DJ-SCT-8-prod5508.htm

It would end up costing about the same as what I would have paid for the beefed up ext cords and the switch box. (ok, maybe a little more, but no more than $20 - $30 more). The other nice piece is that with the low voltage cable going to the outlets, there is even less chance of a problem (of getting shocked) when trying to shut off switches with less than dry hands. IT would allow me to mount the outlets on the wall, near where I need them and the control panel in a better location, away from everything else. You can also hook up 2 relay strips for a total of 16 controlled from the 1 control box, and I read on one of the control specs that you can set up timers on individual outlets (which could work for wavemaking, etc).

I am bidding on one on Ebay right now, and have found some cheaper prices at some online stores, so I am pursuing some lower cost avenues for acquiring these units before I have to bite the bullet and pay full price for them (aarrgghhh... never !!!!! :D).
 
I meant no offense! I was very tickled by the comments about this livestock taking from that livestock and, particularly, the "bigger tank" question. I could tell that you are both deriving an enormous amount of satisfaction/enjoyment from your shared venture and the decisions we all encounter as a result of this hobby.

I admired your ability to maintain that certain balance as I read the thread. It was evident that you took the time to address the concerns away from the tank as a part of the build process, even when you yearned for that "fish day" from work. When the time was available, you addressed the tank's needs concisely and quite well.

Those are the kinds of things that I love reading. Lately, I have been aggressively reading the build threads (as opposed to stopping by to browse for an answer to a question) with an overall goal of creating not just displays of which I am proud but a system that lets me enjoy it too. When I observe others' tanks and the processes that make them thrive without the burden of worry and ever-vigilant maintenance, I am more and more excited about my own.

I apologize for the possible miscommunication and I hope that I clarified what I meant by the "H v B" comment. :o
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10186706#post10186706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by token
I meant no offense! I was very tickled by the comments about this livestock taking from that livestock and, particularly, the "bigger tank" question. I could tell that you are both deriving an enormous amount of satisfaction/enjoyment from your shared venture and the decisions we all encounter as a result of this hobby.

I admired your ability to maintain that certain balance as I read the thread. It was evident that you took the time to address the concerns away from the tank as a part of the build process, even when you yearned for that "fish day" from work. When the time was available, you addressed the tank's needs concisely and quite well.

Those are the kinds of things that I love reading. Lately, I have been aggressively reading the build threads (as opposed to stopping by to browse for an answer to a question) with an overall goal of creating not just displays of which I am proud but a system that lets me enjoy it too. When I observe others' tanks and the processes that make them thrive without the burden of worry and ever-vigilant maintenance, I am more and more excited about my own.

I apologize for the possible miscommunication and I hope that I clarified what I meant by the "H v B" comment. :o
Click to expand...

No worries, I wasn't offended, just wasn't sure what you meant :)

I do admittedly get "carried away" when working on the tank and lose track of time. More than once I have come in from working on the tank to find it past dinner time and sometimes so late that is it pretty much time to turn in for the night. Those occassions usually trigger a self-imposed break from the tank to spend time with my family :). But even then we often spend part of that time together propped up in front of the tank watching our little eco system and it's inhabitants. Times like that make all of the hard work worth while :D
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10187085#post10187085 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
No worries, I wasn't offended, just wasn't sure what you meant :)

I do admittedly get "carried away" when working on the tank and lose track of time. More than once I have come in from working on the tank to find it past dinner time and sometimes so late that is it pretty much time to turn in for the night. Those occassions usually trigger a self-imposed break from the tank to spend time with my family :). But even then we often spend part of that time together propped up in front of the tank watching our little eco system and it's inhabitants. Times like that make all of the hard work worth while :D
Click to expand...

:lol: :eek1: we all have the same addiction :rollface::D also tend to lose weight in the process:cool:
 
The question of backups came up in another thread, so I wanted to post in our thered here about our backup strategy, in place in case of power outages, etc. In addition to the battery backups on 2 of our Vortec pumps, we also have 2 Interstate Workaholic Deep Cycle 8D batteries paired with 750W inverters. The batteries are 19.5" X 11" X 9.5" (and are heavy as heck). They are borderline too heavy for one person to carry. It took two of us to load them into our truck where we ordered them from, but I was able to unload them by myself when we got home.

BatteryBackup_005.jpg


They are sold for RVs and are the biggest 12v deep cycle batteries that we could find last year (during the heat wave and power outages).

Our expereinces with smaller deep cycle batteries showed that we could run the return pump and a couple of other reef items for several hours and according to our calculations we should be able to run for a couple of days off of 1 of these larger batteries (we use the second to run fans and lights inside and our refrigerator)
 
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