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Hawkeye's AGA 120

JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Good thing you have the Solaris.
I have 2 x 250 W heaters, you don't get the added bonus of in sump return pump for heat. I think you have a more open system so I would guess you will need to add another heater somewhere. I am sure someone will chime in for you.

Glad the skimmer worked out. Hope it is as good as advertised.
 
ricwilli

ricwilli

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Hey Phil, you should build a manifold. You could get rid of the pump for the Phosban Reactor and you can probably feed the Orca off it as well. I know the watts are small but, every watt counts. With the manifold you have less pumps and less watts.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

A Ricwillli sighting! Thanks for coming by my thread! Please do drop off the tv while you are here. ;D ;D

Thanks for the tip - yes that is definitely on my list of "to-dos".

My update for today - the used ORCA skimmer from NACLH20 arrived.

I was excited and quickly opened up the package...

only to be disappointed to see that there is a huge crack on the bottom of the skimmer:
IMG_4778.jpg


So I've reached out to Leo to see what can be done. Wish my luck.
 
jimroth

jimroth

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

That (inhales sharply). Speaking as someone who's had a few setbacks in the reef department, I say to you...

Adapt, adopt, improve.

And POR (press on regardless...)
 
B

Brian

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Sorry to see that Phil. I think we've all been through something similar. Hopefully they will make it right.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Leo already told me (he's on vacation right now but answered all my emails) he will refund the money. He thinks it might still be salvagable with weldon (spelling?) but for now not to do anything.

Based on the pic - he thinks UPS wedged the box or stacked heavy items on top - causing the fracture.

So far - while i"m disappointed that the skimmer is busted - I'm really glad I did the transaction with leo/naclh2o. He's been nothing but up front with me the whole time.
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

I had two sumps that were basically kicked in. The second one was on a corner so was able to get a fix for it. Like Brian said we were all there.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Well UPS is coming today to pick up the skimmer.

I'll have to take a closer look now at the PA group buy...if I have any money left after the holidays that is.

In terms of pressing on - guess what happened when I tried to set up the PM Kalk Reactor? Yes - a Leak right where the maxijet is set up. It's like a drop per hour - but enough to make a mess. I shut it down and will now see if I can use some pvc cement to finish the job. I will still be able to pull the pump to replace (it's just the housing/connection).

SIgh....

on the invert front...

5x nassarius snails OGII
5x turbo snails OGII
1x chestnut turbo snail AqOb
1x mexican turbo snail AqOb
1x serpent star from AqOb

Inverts have been very good about wiping out the remnants of the diatoms that infested the tank the first 2 weeks. The stuff grew like hair and had air bubbles everywhere - it was disgusting. I should have taken a pic of the disaster to show how bad it was. I did one small water change and added two snails from AqOb. That mexican turbo is worth it's price! Then later added the OG II inverts to help further manage. Also added a few to the Sump where the chaeto I got from JRWOHLER is spinning. Not sure if this makes sense but I've got just enough flow in there so that the cheato gently goes round in a nice 360 degree motion.

Still ripping out all asterina stars that I see. They are growing few and far between - but every once in a while a 3,4,5,6 legged one will appear. The colonista snails appear fine - they get plowed over by the mexican turbo - funny to watch. Finally - i'm still watching the rissoid snails - if they are rissoids - no problem in 3 months. But if they are pyrams...then they should be dead in 3 months with no clams to eat. We'll see.


here's the turbo with the chestnut on top...don't ask me how two snails in a 120 find each other - but they did. Just for the heck of it I'm using Microsoft Publisher to add the borders...
snails2.jpg
 
R

REEFLECTIONS

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

hey phil.. i read in jrwohlers tank thread that you lamented having 2 overflow boxes in your tank. well i just aquired an aga 125 6' model that has the 2 overflows, if you had it to do over again, would you maybe remove one of them? or do you think it is for some reason neccessary to have the 2?
 
Baxreefs

Baxreefs

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Phil

Bummer about the ORCA, sounds like with time, it'll get resovled and I think that skimmer is worth th e wait!
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

REEFLECTIONS said:
hey phil.. i read in jrwohlers tank thread that you lamented having 2 overflow boxes in your tank. well i just aquired an aga 125 6' model that has the 2 overflows, if you had it to do over again, would you maybe remove one of them? or do you think it is for some reason neccessary to have the 2?
Click to expand...

You can't "remove" the overflow - at least not the big black AGA overflows. With the tech all four bulkheads/pipes reside in a single overflow - this allows for more variety/options when aquascaping.

That stated - I like to use Bax's tank as an example of what you can do even with two overflows handicapping you.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Baxreefs said:
Phil

Bummer about the ORCA, sounds like with time, it'll get resovled and I think that skimmer is worth th e wait!
Click to expand...

we shall see! The main reason I liked it was that it could be run externally. The sump I have doesn't have a large foot print internally to take an in-sump skimmer (at the least the size I'd like). I am still trying to figure out the best set up.
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

On the firefish thing...I had two from Justin and they got along fine. I don't know if he got them as a pair or not but there were no problems between them. As you questioned/suggested...until my bicolor was moved to the big tank he was a complete terror. I don't know if he caused mine to jump but he certainly did in one of the pair I got from Justin while waiting for the move.(and few other fish and shrimp)
 
R

REEFLECTIONS

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

on the overflows, you don't think that i could cut the silicone holding it in, and just plug the holes for the inlet and outlet?
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Well after some long thought and staring at the prices on the PA site for skimmers - I've decided to wait. Just too many things that are "needed" for the tank. As the load is very low I think I can wait. Of course it means I won't stock the tank as quickly but c'est la vie.

Also - I decided to hold off on plumbing the PM Kalk Reactor until after I get the Alk test I can rely on and the PH monitor in place.

I did pick up this Tridacnid maxima from AqOb. I guess they term this an "ultra grade". Whatever! I just know it's blue and has a nice pattern. It wasn't happy the first two days - but then voila opened up. The pyramid-like snails in the tank pay no attention to it confirming my original suspicion that they are rissoid snails - not the parasitic pyrams.

Excuse the fuzzy pic...my camera skills are not up to par...and I missed Phyl's talk last time (and I can't make it to baltimore on the 18th...). ;)

IMG_4841.jpg
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

Nice clam Phil. You will save some electricity too not running a skimmer.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Re: AGA 120 (very few pictures and lots of dull writing)

So far so good with the clam. My first concern with my lr containing predatory snails/pyrams is gone as they have not shown any inkling towards the maxima. Net conclusion (tentative) is that they are harmless rissoids - so the initial diagnosis via Dr. Ron Shimek was correct. I guess the only 100% way for me to confirm would be to take one of these under a microscope or mail them to Dr. Ron.

Other news...this Lamotte alk test kit is pretty neat - I like it far better than some of the other alk test kits I've used.

Finally as a life-time member of the flood club - I have this news to report.

I set up the ATO and everything has been fine as advertised. I was doing a bit of maintenance and accidentally dislodged the tube that puts water into the sump. Instead of dropping water INTO the sump, I submerged the line. Compounding the issue was that i decided to turn off the ATO while I was doing maintenance. Stupid me I didn't think anything of it until an hour later when it created a back siphon. Not a lot of water but enough to make me say - I am a life-time member of the flood club.
 
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