Been running filter socks, Becketts are still clogging every 48 hours. Too much work cleaning Becketts (although I can now do it in about two minutes total) so back I go to the old ETSS 1000 / Iwaki combo. Good thing none of you bought my skimmer when I put it up for sale. I ordered a bunch of new-style bioballs for the skimmer tower, maybe they won't clog as much. If I spend a tenths as much time maintaining the ETSS as I have the MRC, my tank will run great. 2014 Motto: EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN!
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Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank
- Thread starter jimroth
- Start date
Garage sale
Note for other folks up north: I will be having a big garage sale on August 13 and 14. Mostly it's just ugly crap we've accumulated over the years, but if you ask nice I can probably sell you a used aquarium or let you paw through my old pumps and MH ballasts. Longaberger Baskets and scrapbook supplies for the ladies...
Note for other folks up north: I will be having a big garage sale on August 13 and 14. Mostly it's just ugly crap we've accumulated over the years, but if you ask nice I can probably sell you a used aquarium or let you paw through my old pumps and MH ballasts. Longaberger Baskets and scrapbook supplies for the ladies...
Just saying it has been a while.You are correct, I've had amazing growth in my red planet and the wild acro I got from the DD is much bigger, unrecognizable. Part of the deal is I'm out of the habit of using photobucket since I've been sucked into facebook like the rest of humanity. I shall endeavour to post some pics.
Well, that was a bad day! Already sick with a cold, I woke up to another flood in the garage as the becketts had clogged once more. Got that cleaned up and started to remove the MRC and install the old ETSS. Got that done with much swearing, only to discover that the skimmer body on the ETSS now leaks, and was raining saltwater. I think sometimes if you take something out of service for a while, the seams fail. So I pulled it off to visualize the leaks and see if it's seal-able. Then I discovered the bulkhead on the sump is leaking, so I pulled the big IWaki pump as well and tightened the bulkhead. My fever is hitting about 102° at this point. I went to clean up the lake of saltwater in the garage and my shop-vac broke! At that point I had enough, I opened the garage door to help dry the puddles and went back to bed. This morning I have no reliable skimmer, a wet garage, and a bad attitude.
Mike, where did you buy your skimmer? I think it may be time for a new one.
I got the skimmer body successfully sealed and the glue cured today. It's remarkable how adversity focuses the mind. I worked out the other leaking issues and the skimmer is running on the tank as I write this, though it does need to break in before it skims. (Me: I am invincible! Wife: Please wait until we see if the garage is flooded tomorrow morning before declaring victory!) It is good to see the antique skimmer running again. When I fixed it i had to go inside with the glue, and I was amazed how many times it had been fixed before. That skimmer body has more scars than Conan the Barbarian. If I spend more time maintaining it I will have a better experience. The big MRC was a nightmare, I couldn't keep it from clogging, I think it is not made for systems like mine. I know the previous owner had great success with it, for years.
That said, I'm a LITTLE bit flush, maybe it's time to get one of those newfangled cone skimmers...
That said, I'm a LITTLE bit flush, maybe it's time to get one of those newfangled cone skimmers...
I want to point out something that I figured out: If you depend on big important pieces of equipment made of acrylic, it's a good idea to have a tube of Weldon-16 or similar on hand for emergencies. It's not sold in the hardware store, you have to mail order it or get it from a plastics place. I think it's kind of toxic, but if you need to fix something acrylic, it's indispensable!
I went away for 11 days and let my wife take care of the reef. She did a good job considering the long hours she works. There was only one hiccup (the top-up float valve stuck, despite or because of my cleaning it before I left. No biggie.) The thing that has me shaking my head is the huge amount of coral growth while I was gone! I don't think it's just a "time lapse" effect, like I didn't look for 11 days. The best I can figure out is the following:
(1) I didn't tell her to rinse the frozen mysis, so they tank was getting "pack juice" everyday. I have a friend who thinks pack juice=coral food.
(2) I detuned the skimmer before I left, it was skimming constantly but sort of dry, the skimmate was chocolate brown.
So maybe the coral had extra feeding while I was gone? THere are a few tufts of hair algae that popped up, that supports the theory a little. ANd the calcium reactor clogged at some point and filled with CO2. That can't have helped!?!
Going to shoot some pictures later today and put them on photobucket so they can go here.
My poor emperor angel with HLLE is getting adult coloration very quickly, probably from the stress. :-(
(1) I didn't tell her to rinse the frozen mysis, so they tank was getting "pack juice" everyday. I have a friend who thinks pack juice=coral food.
(2) I detuned the skimmer before I left, it was skimming constantly but sort of dry, the skimmate was chocolate brown.
So maybe the coral had extra feeding while I was gone? THere are a few tufts of hair algae that popped up, that supports the theory a little. ANd the calcium reactor clogged at some point and filled with CO2. That can't have helped!?!
Going to shoot some pictures later today and put them on photobucket so they can go here.
My poor emperor angel with HLLE is getting adult coloration very quickly, probably from the stress. :-(
Maybe you should go away more often! 
I know, right? "Reefing -- Yer doin' it WRONG!"Maybe you should go away more often!
Getting close to PAGE 100, we have to pick up the pace here! I took some pictures. I think I forgot how, but here they are anyway. It's a mixed bag, I'm just gonna kind of barf them onto the thread.
This is my wild Monticulosa from DD. These side shots are never good, but give the size. I can't get a top shot of this one, it's too close to the surface.
Red Planet from Dr, Jim, amazing growth!
This is my wild Monticulosa from DD. These side shots are never good, but give the size. I can't get a top shot of this one, it's too close to the surface.
Red Planet from Dr, Jim, amazing growth!
Slimer, thanks EricBA
This A. Plana or A. Nana was regrown from a little patch the size of a quarter which survived SANDY!
ORA Plum Crazy, this almost died when my tank was down and out, doing great now!
Blue Tort
The incredible survivor Montipora Spongodes
Miami Orchid, originally from Bax
The popular rainbow-type millepora, also from Eric BA
This A. Plana or A. Nana was regrown from a little patch the size of a quarter which survived SANDY!
ORA Plum Crazy, this almost died when my tank was down and out, doing great now!
Blue Tort
The incredible survivor Montipora Spongodes
Miami Orchid, originally from Bax
The popular rainbow-type millepora, also from Eric BA
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More Pics
Red Planet from the top:
Never grows fast for me--
Joe the coral, regrowing from a surviving frag
Pearlberry via Dr. Jim, very happy
Little wild colony from DD, it's erncrusting
Strawberry Shortcake, Dr. Jim
Tricolor from EricBA, this is growing almost in the shade and it's happy
Pink Lemonade from Me to Eric and back to me, I love that!
Red Planet from the top:
Never grows fast for me--
Joe the coral, regrowing from a surviving frag
Pearlberry via Dr. Jim, very happy
Little wild colony from DD, it's erncrusting
Strawberry Shortcake, Dr. Jim
Tricolor from EricBA, this is growing almost in the shade and it's happy
Pink Lemonade from Me to Eric and back to me, I love that!
Hah ha, I'm trying to get these done during lunch!