Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 4

melev · #76 11/15/2007, 10:00 PM

Actually 17.1 megs - misread the filesize.

Goodwin9 · #77 11/15/2007, 10:14 PM

Looks great! Are there 2 or 3 Vortech's in the tank?

melev · #78 11/15/2007, 10:17 PM

3. Two on the left and one on the right Chuck.

Dudester · #79 11/15/2007, 10:21 PM

Great video Marc. That's one of my favorite views, as it reminds me of what one sees during the ascent after a nice dive.

bleedingthought · #80 11/15/2007, 10:27 PM

What did you guys lay the spaflex on while it was in the oven? I figure that the rack will make the pipe melt...

Lytehouse · #81 11/15/2007, 10:52 PM

Marc,

That's great. Thanks for the video. Has to be great to sit back in comfortable chair and just watch.

melev · #82 11/15/2007, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bleedingthought
What did you guys lay the spaflex on while it was in the oven? I figure that the rack will make the pipe melt...

200 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 mins isn't long enough to do any damage to the spaflex. If it were summer, you could just lay it out in the sun on some hot concrete for the same effect.

melev · #83 11/16/2007, 12:06 AM

The suncorals are gaining ground almost daily.

I feed them every night with a mixture of mini-mysis and frozen cyclop-eeze. Just a few pipettes' worth.

InsaneClownFish · #84 11/16/2007, 01:09 AM

Pretty suns. Mini-mysis? I'm not familiar- is there a brand name?

jnarowe · #85 11/16/2007, 01:28 AM

look at all the little buds! so nice Marc.

Billybeau1 · #86 11/16/2007, 01:29 AM

Very nice video Marc.

I noticed when you posted your numbers (earlier in the thread) that your ORP was listed at 293.

Are you using ozone or just monitoring the level ?

Sorry, the chemistry nut in me just has to know.

melev · #87 11/16/2007, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by InsaneClownFish
Pretty suns. Mini-mysis? I'm not familiar- is there a brand name?

The brand name is San Francisco, and they label it as mini-mysis rather than the larger version often sold. I buy it in the bulk flatpacks.

melev · #88 11/16/2007, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Billybeau1
Very nice video Marc.

I noticed when you posted your numbers (earlier in the thread) that your ORP was listed at 293.

Are you using ozone or just monitoring the level ?

Sorry, the chemistry nut in me just has to know.

What are you doing in my thread?

This has to be the first time I've seen a post by you in these 400+ pages.

It is just monitored with the Aqua Controller II. I don't use it for anything other than a "whoa!"-gauge if the numbers meander too far one way or another.

I don't run ozone nor UV. Just skimming, refugium, DSB and LR.

Billybeau1 · #89 11/16/2007, 02:02 AM

I was intrigued by yet another split.

Heck its the only time I get to see JohnL's name .

I wonder if you hold the record for the most posted thread ?

Again, very nice tank and keep up the great work. Beleive me, I know how much work it is.

BTW - 293 taint bad for a tank not running 03.

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Sheesh, now I'll have to unsubscribe to this thread, otherwise my mailbox will be filled to capacity every day.

jnarowe · #90 11/16/2007, 02:05 AM

You guys think 293 is OK? I have been in a tizzy for months since my average is down to about 300. It used to be around 400 and I just can't get it back up. And it's been bothering me enough that I am contemplating O3.

Billybeau1 · #91 11/16/2007, 02:11 AM

Your probe may be getting old....... but lets not hijack this wonderful thread.

Come see me in the chemistry forum and we'll get to the bottom of this.

melev · #92 11/16/2007, 02:27 AM

After checking the reading just now at 1am, ORP measures 310. Pretty good considering I fed the tank a few hours ago. And that seems about right for my tank.

Jonathan, if your ORP was 200 or so, I'd be concerned. 300 is where I like it to be (gut instinct), and those that run Ozone in my club tend to keep it at 375 via a controller.

Here's the spreadsheet of my parameters over time. It isn't absolutely precise, as I know my ORP probe was inaccurate for a while. Also my lack of understanding about how to read the nitrate results for so long provides more misleading data. Oh well, I'm not getting pad it to get it right, right? "This is a hobby," I keep telling myself.

Billybeau1 · #93 11/16/2007, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
After checking the reading just now at 1am, ORP measures 310. Pretty good considering I fed the tank a few hours ago. And that seems about right for my tank.

Yes. And I believe the number itself isn't as important as how long it takes for the tank to recover from changing events. Feedings, Water Changes etc.

InsaneClownFish · #94 11/16/2007, 03:17 AM

This is the first chance I had to view the recent video you posted. I downloaded it earlier onto my gf's laptop but it didn't open right away. Pictures do not do your tank justice. I wasn't expecting a short full tank video to be that cool. Spock is an absolute beast! I love how he swims right at the Vortechs and then turns and lets the flow carry him to the center of the tank...kinda reminds me of a surfer. Man the Starphire really gives a clear view.

Really really nice seeing your reef come alive in all that flow.

melev · #95 11/16/2007, 03:20 AM

I tried a few close ups from that angle and the pictures were pretty fuzzy, so I went with a brief video tonight. I'm glad you liked it. My tank really is pretty, despite how much I grumble about this and that in my thread.

Micki · #96 11/16/2007, 06:38 AM

Love the video Marc!

jnarowe · #97 11/16/2007, 10:19 AM

Thanks for that post...weird. my '06 was like yours, and my '07 is like yours. Same general ORP pattern. Also, in '06, I didn't notice much fluctuation when I fed, and now I can lose 20 pts when I feed.

Zoom · #98 11/16/2007, 01:58 PM

I like the Video it shows me you have much more flow than me.I can only run one 6100 Tunze at a time or all my LPS / soft corals close up some .
My ORP also run around 290 .
I also notice after i put fresh GFO in the reactor the ORP runs a little higher like 310 for two or three weeks .
Marc I'm going to try to run both Tunzes on the controller for a day to see if my soft corals And LPS looks any better but i don't thing so i try before i just get so much turbulence in the very center of the tank... I don't know but I'm going to try it tonight.

rbrusletto · #99 11/16/2007, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
Quick video from tonight. Sitting on the floor in front of the reef provides an interesting perspective. The colors are striking, plus I can enjoy the surface agitation.

http://www.melevsreef.com/video/280g_111507.wmv (18 megs - Please Right Click & Save As to your harddrive)

sheesh, melev, wherever your site is hosted has a good connection FYI, took 18 seconds to download the 17ish megs!

melev · #**100** 11/16/2007, 02:13 PM

When it comes to LPS, they need to be around the bottom of the tank or in a dead spot in the upper section of your rockwork.

Orient the Tunzes so they don't blow on the LPS, either by raising them up, leaning them upward (like I did with a chunk of acrylic), or pointing them to the right or to the left. Using your controller, you can ramp them up and down every 7 to 10 seconds, cycling the flow between the two so that no coral is just hammered non-stop.

Billybeau knows more about ORP than I do, but to me it basically is a number to gauge how well the water is doing in my tank. When the water doesn't hold a lot of organics, ORP is higher. Running fresh carbon in a Phosban Reactor (active filtration rather than passive filtration), ORP should rise within 24 hours. A new water change should bring ORP up within 24 hours as well. Feeding the tank, not changing water, or adding some additives (Chemi-Clean for example) will make ORP drop.

290 - 310 is fine, Steve.