Great additions, Jim. I LOVE the Square Anthias, got a male myself. If I ever find him a girlfriend, I'll be jumping at her. ;D
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Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank
- Thread starter jimroth
- Start date
Very nice additions jim .. The squareback is really a beauty . If only I have more room on the cube :-\...
Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank Photos II
This brownish-purple thing is actually Cali Tort, it's encrusting very well on its base, noticible growth:
A new addition, Oregon Tort, doing fine but still waiting for growth...
Theoretically pink-and-purple millie, more growth and a good base.
Pohnape birdsnest, now showing characteristic color. It has a little cyano from being too near the Vortech. I lke the Vortechs a lot, but they can blow the flesh right off your corals if you let them.
Blue Millie, encrusting on base, and branching:
Pavona Maldivensis, actually showing some growth:
Montipora Spongodes. ORA used to sell this, I think it's been lost in all their new cnindarian "bling!"
ORA Brownberry, getting bigger and bigger
This brownish-purple thing is actually Cali Tort, it's encrusting very well on its base, noticible growth:
A new addition, Oregon Tort, doing fine but still waiting for growth...
Theoretically pink-and-purple millie, more growth and a good base.
Pohnape birdsnest, now showing characteristic color. It has a little cyano from being too near the Vortech. I lke the Vortechs a lot, but they can blow the flesh right off your corals if you let them.
Blue Millie, encrusting on base, and branching:
Pavona Maldivensis, actually showing some growth:
Montipora Spongodes. ORA used to sell this, I think it's been lost in all their new cnindarian "bling!"
ORA Brownberry, getting bigger and bigger
Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank Photos II
My raffle prize purple plana. My feeling is I can fix the color, but it they die or don't grow, I can't fix that.
Pink Stylopora, encrusted on base. When I came back from California, the skimmer had stopped working for a couple days, and this was kind of yellow-brown-pink, so there's hope!
Pokerstars Monti. I killed some of the red fibrous macroalgae on the base, and the monti took off to cover the available real estate! That algae is bad mojo. I used Joes Juice, it's like Mr. Clean for live rock.
My raffle prize purple plana. My feeling is I can fix the color, but it they die or don't grow, I can't fix that.
Pink Stylopora, encrusted on base. When I came back from California, the skimmer had stopped working for a couple days, and this was kind of yellow-brown-pink, so there's hope!
Pokerstars Monti. I killed some of the red fibrous macroalgae on the base, and the monti took off to cover the available real estate! That algae is bad mojo. I used Joes Juice, it's like Mr. Clean for live rock.
Time for a utility fish. Starting to get aiptasia, and I loves the copperband butterlies! I'm already dumping mysis into the tank for the anthias, so why not. I would like to get a BIG one, like the ones out of Autralia and Vietnam, (A) Because I think they're hardier, and (B) because they won't get sucked into the vortech as easy!Hawkeye said:
By the way, I crashed my '98 Mazda Millennia today on Rt. 3. Badly. It had only 168,000 miles on it, nearly new. So probably some car shopping is in order. The plus side is I'm home tomorrow to do that water change! Ha! Somebody get me another damn Tanqueray Martini please.
I did a 45G water change, first since August and coral colors improved noticably, although it didn't "fix the problem." I can see white in the ORA Pearlberry again. I guess I should test for nitrates? I'm setting up for another 45G water change in between Chirstmas and New Years.
Also seeing some yellowing in the water, time to swap out the carbon. I probably could use something bigger than the TLF Phosban Reactor, doesn't hold very much. Maybe supplement with a hunk of PVC pipe and some threaded fittings, full of carbon.
Bought myself an Acura TL to replace the poor destroyed Mazda....
Also seeing some yellowing in the water, time to swap out the carbon. I probably could use something bigger than the TLF Phosban Reactor, doesn't hold very much. Maybe supplement with a hunk of PVC pipe and some threaded fittings, full of carbon.
Bought myself an Acura TL to replace the poor destroyed Mazda....
My whole reef is a kind of science experiment, so here's an important data point. The outside temperature has been hitting the single digits. The garage (where my sump is) is hitting lows of 48-49F, and the tank is maintaining 77.9F. So it works. There's weirdness though...my skimmer is basically refrigerated from the standpoint of the tank, it takes in that 49 degree air. What does that do???
Jimroth's Big Ol' Question
I have been having a hell of a time with the little ball valve on my MRC CR1 calcium reactor getting clogged. It clogs, the reactor fills up with CO2, and the pump runs dry. Am I doing something wronng? I open up the valve and let out the CO2, then readjust the drip, and it runs fine for a while. Does anybody know the answer to this problem?
I have been having a hell of a time with the little ball valve on my MRC CR1 calcium reactor getting clogged. It clogs, the reactor fills up with CO2, and the pump runs dry. Am I doing something wronng? I open up the valve and let out the CO2, then readjust the drip, and it runs fine for a while. Does anybody know the answer to this problem?
Hey Jim,
Nothing I can add but words of encouragement.
Nice to know the system can maintain temperature. My sump is in the basement and its only a few degrees cooler than the Living Room where the tank is located. I've been able keep the tank running in a 3 degree range without a controller so far. When I move the 75's contents the Aquacontroller will come along as well.
I don't run a CA reactor so I have no thoughts on that.
Nothing I can add but words of encouragement.
Nice to know the system can maintain temperature. My sump is in the basement and its only a few degrees cooler than the Living Room where the tank is located. I've been able keep the tank running in a 3 degree range without a controller so far. When I move the 75's contents the Aquacontroller will come along as well.
I don't run a CA reactor so I have no thoughts on that.
Re: Jimroth's Big Ol' Question
Jim
I have a similar problem on the JG valve that feeds my MTC Pro Cal reactor. What I have started doing is once, even twice, a week I close the valve, seperate the tubing from the inlet side of the JG valve, and use a 10 ml medicine syringe to force air back through the feed tube, like a backwash. Then I'll pull the plunger in and out a few times and finally shoot some RO water back through it for good measure. This maintenance step has helped to control this problem, if I skip a week it clogs right away.
I think it is all the super fine detritus that get sucked into the tube. It is building up in my media too, which I am not thrilled about.
When I re-do my sump, the Ca reactor will pull from the cleanest section of water before the return section. It now pulls from the inlet section, or the "dirtiest section", where there is obviously more suspended fine crap.
jimroth said:
Jim
I have a similar problem on the JG valve that feeds my MTC Pro Cal reactor. What I have started doing is once, even twice, a week I close the valve, seperate the tubing from the inlet side of the JG valve, and use a 10 ml medicine syringe to force air back through the feed tube, like a backwash. Then I'll pull the plunger in and out a few times and finally shoot some RO water back through it for good measure. This maintenance step has helped to control this problem, if I skip a week it clogs right away.
I think it is all the super fine detritus that get sucked into the tube. It is building up in my media too, which I am not thrilled about.
When I re-do my sump, the Ca reactor will pull from the cleanest section of water before the return section. It now pulls from the inlet section, or the "dirtiest section", where there is obviously more suspended fine crap.
Thanks Bax, kinda confirms what I thought.
Bad news, my Sequence Dart return pump is just screaming. They warned me and I didn't replace the seals. Now I need to buy a new one. Sequence also told me they will run fror a long time while making a racket, so I'm ordering through the group buy. It is unfortunate, though.
Bad news, my Sequence Dart return pump is just screaming. They warned me and I didn't replace the seals. Now I need to buy a new one. Sequence also told me they will run fror a long time while making a racket, so I'm ordering through the group buy. It is unfortunate, though.
Cool Thing in Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank
I added an orange linckia starfish and a blood shrimp today. The serpent start shot out of his hidey hole to inspect the linckia, I was poised to intervene, I thought he was going to eat the new echinoderm, but he shot back to his hole after shaking hands five times.
Everybody ignored the blood shrimp as he settled into a hole in the rockwork -- everybody except the female square anthias, who acted like she had been waiting for a cleaner shrimp all her life! She's up there now, rubbing against those long white antennae, she goes and comes right back. The cleaner isn't cleaning her, but is wiggling those antennae. She even sneaked up into the rockwork and backed into him.
The love which dare not speak its name.
I added an orange linckia starfish and a blood shrimp today. The serpent start shot out of his hidey hole to inspect the linckia, I was poised to intervene, I thought he was going to eat the new echinoderm, but he shot back to his hole after shaking hands five times.
Everybody ignored the blood shrimp as he settled into a hole in the rockwork -- everybody except the female square anthias, who acted like she had been waiting for a cleaner shrimp all her life! She's up there now, rubbing against those long white antennae, she goes and comes right back. The cleaner isn't cleaning her, but is wiggling those antennae. She even sneaked up into the rockwork and backed into him.
The love which dare not speak its name.
Can't you buy a seal kit for the Dart?
I've not been ablr to keep linka or fromia stars for much over a year. I have read of some people keeping them for much longer. One day, I'll try again.
I really like my Blood shrimp, maybe after it settles in yours will be a good cleaner, mine is. Always comes out for feeding time too!
I've not been ablr to keep linka or fromia stars for much over a year. I have read of some people keeping them for much longer. One day, I'll try again.
I really like my Blood shrimp, maybe after it settles in yours will be a good cleaner, mine is. Always comes out for feeding time too!
Bax: Ya know, I'm a special kind of idiot.
I noticed there was a lot of salt on the motor shaft, and I called the Reeflo people, and told them about it, and they asked me if the horrible noise had started yet, and I said no, and thy said good, because when that starts it means the salt has damaged the motor bearings, you can still replace the seal. So I ordered a seal. That was a few months ago, and I didn't replace the seal. It's a pain, there's plumbing, what if it leaks when I'm done, etc etc. A few days ago, the horrible noise started. A loud whirring, like a 100 lb locust.
The Reeflo people assure me it can run for months like that, it's the noise that people can't stand.
So I have a new SUPER DART GOLD on order in the group buy.
My linckia was in the store for a few weeks before I got it, and it seems lively, so knock wood. I had a blue one once for more than a year, and it got mostly eaten by a pencil urchin I added thinking it might eat my hydroids. They eat anything, apparently. It's sad to watch the remaining 2/5 of your starfish walk around the tank and then die, ???
I noticed there was a lot of salt on the motor shaft, and I called the Reeflo people, and told them about it, and they asked me if the horrible noise had started yet, and I said no, and thy said good, because when that starts it means the salt has damaged the motor bearings, you can still replace the seal. So I ordered a seal. That was a few months ago, and I didn't replace the seal. It's a pain, there's plumbing, what if it leaks when I'm done, etc etc. A few days ago, the horrible noise started. A loud whirring, like a 100 lb locust.
The Reeflo people assure me it can run for months like that, it's the noise that people can't stand.
So I have a new SUPER DART GOLD on order in the group buy.
My linckia was in the store for a few weeks before I got it, and it seems lively, so knock wood. I had a blue one once for more than a year, and it got mostly eaten by a pencil urchin I added thinking it might eat my hydroids. They eat anything, apparently. It's sad to watch the remaining 2/5 of your starfish walk around the tank and then die, ???