Tomoko's new 180
- Thread starter Tomoko Schum
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Tomoko Schum
New member
I will load some pictures this afternoon. I was tired out yesterday climbing up and down my step ladder hundreds of times. What a workout it was. Large live rocks were extremely heavy, too. I managed to move most of my SPS's and some softies. The remaining corals are still sitting in a large Rubbermaid container with a powerhead.
If anybody want some free frags, both SPS and softies, PM me. I cannot hold them for long.
If anybody want some free frags, both SPS and softies, PM me. I cannot hold them for long.
Tomoko Schum
New member
I transfered my livestock from 120 to 180 on Wednesday.
I first transfered all the corals to containers that I borrowed from Harry:
Fish were left in the tank since they were hiding under rocks.
Then I started moving live rocks. I thought some of the rocks are too big for me to move it, but as they say, when there is a will, there is a way...
I stirred up the water in 120 so much by moving the rocks, I could not see anything, fish or remaining rocks. After moving all the rocks to the new tank, I realized that I did not have enough water to fill it up to the top despite the fact that I had the new tank filled to the 2/3 of the way. Although I kicked up some Southdown a bit during the move, the tank looked still clear enough. I wondered if I should wait and make more water or go ahead and fill the tank with the really cloudy water from 120. Well, I decided that I should not wait. In the hind sight, I should have drained some water from the new tank and aquascaped the rocks, but I was a bit in a hurry to move everything into the new tank. So this is what happened next:
I could not see anything but at least the tank was filled all the way. I considered waiting on moving the corals until water cleared, but I figured that the tank had a far better condition than the container that they were in did. So in they went.
A couple of hours later:
You can vaguely see corals laying around the bottom of the tank.
I could not see my huge Rose milli right underneath the surface of the water:
I first transfered all the corals to containers that I borrowed from Harry:
Fish were left in the tank since they were hiding under rocks.
Then I started moving live rocks. I thought some of the rocks are too big for me to move it, but as they say, when there is a will, there is a way...
I stirred up the water in 120 so much by moving the rocks, I could not see anything, fish or remaining rocks. After moving all the rocks to the new tank, I realized that I did not have enough water to fill it up to the top despite the fact that I had the new tank filled to the 2/3 of the way. Although I kicked up some Southdown a bit during the move, the tank looked still clear enough. I wondered if I should wait and make more water or go ahead and fill the tank with the really cloudy water from 120. Well, I decided that I should not wait. In the hind sight, I should have drained some water from the new tank and aquascaped the rocks, but I was a bit in a hurry to move everything into the new tank. So this is what happened next:
I could not see anything but at least the tank was filled all the way. I considered waiting on moving the corals until water cleared, but I figured that the tank had a far better condition than the container that they were in did. So in they went.
A couple of hours later:
You can vaguely see corals laying around the bottom of the tank.
I could not see my huge Rose milli right underneath the surface of the water:
Last edited:
Tomoko Schum
New member
Acan looks not too happy:
Zoanthids opened up rather fast:
By 8:30 at night, the tank looked considerably better:
The next morning the tank was already crystal clear:
As you can see, all my corals are dumped into the tank unceremoniously...
Reilly says that the tank looks like someone went through it with a wrecking ball. 
Zoanthids opened up rather fast:
By 8:30 at night, the tank looked considerably better:
The next morning the tank was already crystal clear:
As you can see, all my corals are dumped into the tank unceremoniously...
Reilly says that the tank looks like someone went through it with a wrecking ball. 
Tomoko Schum
New member
Thank you, doorlady.
I will be moving my corals all over again in a little while after my cuts and bristleworm stings heal. Reilly was wondering why all my rocks and corals are so white. He thought that they were either covered by sand or bleached. It turned out that they were all placed upside down showing their light underbellies. :eek2:
I am regretting that I took off my gloves here and there trying to remove unwanted stuff from live rocks. It was hard not to since I could not feel anything wearing the thick gloves. My right hand looks like I got stung by bees a bunch of times .
The color of my new XM20 looks a lot different from my Phoenix 14K right now. I suppose that XM20 will lose its blue spikes in a month or two and start looking more like Phoenix. I wanted to use the new Phoenix SE lamps but they were just too expensive. I am not too happy about the color at the moment, but I suspect the color will shift some.
Since I kept my Aqua Medic pendant light fixture very close to the water surface to maximize the light intensity, my corals don't seem to be affected by the light with Lumen Bright reflector behind it. A number of people said that Lumen Bright makes MH light so intense that corals tend to bleach initially. I am not sure how true this is, but I am keeping an eye on my corals. So far my corals look drab or browned up a bit.
I will be moving my corals all over again in a little while after my cuts and bristleworm stings heal. Reilly was wondering why all my rocks and corals are so white. He thought that they were either covered by sand or bleached. It turned out that they were all placed upside down showing their light underbellies. :eek2:
I am regretting that I took off my gloves here and there trying to remove unwanted stuff from live rocks. It was hard not to since I could not feel anything wearing the thick gloves. My right hand looks like I got stung by bees a bunch of times .
The color of my new XM20 looks a lot different from my Phoenix 14K right now. I suppose that XM20 will lose its blue spikes in a month or two and start looking more like Phoenix. I wanted to use the new Phoenix SE lamps but they were just too expensive. I am not too happy about the color at the moment, but I suspect the color will shift some.
Since I kept my Aqua Medic pendant light fixture very close to the water surface to maximize the light intensity, my corals don't seem to be affected by the light with Lumen Bright reflector behind it. A number of people said that Lumen Bright makes MH light so intense that corals tend to bleach initially. I am not sure how true this is, but I am keeping an eye on my corals. So far my corals look drab or browned up a bit.
futureeyedoc
New member
wow, looks awesome!
Tomoko Schum
New member
Thank you, all, for the nice compliments!!
I had three sets of XDE 20K (the DE version of XM) in the past and they did lose some blue, or mellowed shall we say, although they stayed very blue as compared to 10K. These DE bulbs were very intense blue initially, though. So I still have hope...maybe....
I think I like the color of Phoenix 14K much better. While blue fishes look very beautiful under XM 20K, my baby-blue colored acropora looks kinda purplish blue now. I hope Phoenix's price will come down in a year or so. $99.99 per bulb (250W SE) is a bit too much.
I still have to rearrange rocks and corals. My hands feel much better today. Hopefully I will be able to get them all situated soon.
Once corals are situated in their permanent places and happy, I am going to play with my Lumen Bright reflectors. I am going to lower the reflector some. I got a sneaky suspicion that my corals have been used to a higher amount of light in general. Hopefully I can insert a chain link between the hook and the eye above the reflector to test it. If this works out, I will install a board (hopefully removable one) inside the canopy and mount my reflectors to it.
Reefkeeping seems like a never-ending process. I am always tinkering with something. I guess that is a big part of fun after all
.
I had three sets of XDE 20K (the DE version of XM) in the past and they did lose some blue, or mellowed shall we say, although they stayed very blue as compared to 10K. These DE bulbs were very intense blue initially, though. So I still have hope...maybe....
I think I like the color of Phoenix 14K much better. While blue fishes look very beautiful under XM 20K, my baby-blue colored acropora looks kinda purplish blue now. I hope Phoenix's price will come down in a year or so. $99.99 per bulb (250W SE) is a bit too much.
I still have to rearrange rocks and corals. My hands feel much better today. Hopefully I will be able to get them all situated soon.
Once corals are situated in their permanent places and happy, I am going to play with my Lumen Bright reflectors. I am going to lower the reflector some. I got a sneaky suspicion that my corals have been used to a higher amount of light in general. Hopefully I can insert a chain link between the hook and the eye above the reflector to test it. If this works out, I will install a board (hopefully removable one) inside the canopy and mount my reflectors to it.
Reefkeeping seems like a never-ending process. I am always tinkering with something. I guess that is a big part of fun after all
.Tomoko
How did you secure the right barbed connector into the bulkhead? I have a 1" pipe press fit and worry about it leaking, I would like to do the same.
If the url thing doesn't work, I am referencing the third picture from the top of the third page of your overflow bulkheads.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o23/tomokoschum/New 180 build/180installation-details010.jpg
How did you secure the right barbed connector into the bulkhead? I have a 1" pipe press fit and worry about it leaking, I would like to do the same.
If the url thing doesn't work, I am referencing the third picture from the top of the third page of your overflow bulkheads.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o23/tomokoschum/New 180 build/180installation-details010.jpg
Tomoko Schum
New member
All my bulkheads are threaded inside and outside. The barbed insert is threaded as well. I asked for threaded bulkhead for the very reason that you pointed out.
When I set up my 120, I did not push my fittings fast and hard enough and melted both of my return side bulkheads, trying to insert my fittings after applying glue to them. The Aquarium Shop here luckily had 3/4" threaded bulkheads and I was able to replace both of them with threaded ones. No more leak after that.
For the 180, I also got hold of Rectorseal T plus 2 (thanks to H@rry's suggestion) which helped tremendously. It lubricates threads and prevents tiny leaks along threads. Teflon tape and I don't get along well. I cannot remember which direction and how thick I need to wrap the stuff. Sooner or later a role of Teflon tape jumps out of my hand and gets all wrinkly
.
When I set up my 120, I did not push my fittings fast and hard enough and melted both of my return side bulkheads, trying to insert my fittings after applying glue to them. The Aquarium Shop here luckily had 3/4" threaded bulkheads and I was able to replace both of them with threaded ones. No more leak after that
.For the 180, I also got hold of Rectorseal T plus 2 (thanks to H@rry's suggestion) which helped tremendously. It lubricates threads and prevents tiny leaks along threads. Teflon tape and I don't get along well. I cannot remember which direction and how thick I need to wrap the stuff. Sooner or later a role of Teflon tape jumps out of my hand and gets all wrinkly
.buzzbait00
New member
Tomoko,do you know of a local source for pvc to barbed(vinal)fittings?
Tomoko Schum
New member
You mean the slip fit on barbed fitting? I looked for one of those since my 120 came with them, but I did not see one locally.
buzzbait00
New member
Yea!Im going 3/4 pvc to vival on my returns.
Tomoko Schum
New member
Although it's not local, JEHMCO carries it. Their service is very good. I called them up to get a tiny bulkhead fitting for my fuge on 15g tank. They mailed it to me by first class mail right away. The mail came quickly and they only charged me with postage for S/H. That was 6 years ago, but they are still in business and their prices are good. You can find the one you are looking for in this page.
