JapanReef - 450 gallon In-Wall system - Page 34

asnatlas · #**826** 03/28/2006, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by alien9168
Wow... Thats way cheaper than I thought.

Sorry for doubting you. I should have researched more before making a false statement. Sorry man.

-alien

It's OK, I should have posted multi links in my first reply on the filter... I was just trying to get the main site out for anyone who had questions...

melev · #**827** 03/28/2006, 07:34 PM

The fact that the lights are turning on and off indicates that the power is surging rather than coming in steadily. That would be my guess. If you had a Kill-O-watt, you could look at the incoming power digitally any time.

NexDog · #**828** 03/28/2006, 10:19 PM

Marc, so thge surge is killing the bulb or the dip after the surge? I'm going to call an electrician in but it's going to be hard to explain the problem.

melev · #**829** 03/28/2006, 10:50 PM

I would think you are getting less power than is needed to keep the bulb lit. It then ramps back up and to you it seems like there is enough power.

You have PFO lights, right? You might contact them and ask them how they trouble shoot your lighting experience typically.

I'm thinking you might try running them on your generator for a day, and see if they work with that clean constant power.

NexDog · #**830** 03/29/2006, 12:21 AM

Okay, many thanks. I'm going to phone the electrician now and get him round.

Zephrant · #**831** 03/29/2006, 01:01 AM

I agree with Mark- Just tell the electrician you are trying to run Metal Halide lights on a ballast designed for 120/60hz. A good one will know what to look for.

Zeph

NexDog · #**832** 03/30/2006, 02:48 AM

Still waiting on the electrician but I'm starting to think the ballast itself is dodgy. I swapped everything about and no matter what transformer I put it on or what bulb, the bulb on dual ballast is on and off every 15 minutes. The single ballast bulb is fine and it's rated at 3.8 amps. On the dual ballast I have the dead bulb's side switched off and disconnected so it's only pulling 3.8 amps too. Also if that lamp is burning and I switch on the other part of the dual ballast, it normally dies. I think I'll take it apart tonight to see if there's anything shorting in there but I have no skills in that department so....

So just received a shipment from MarineDepot including an 8watt CurrentUSA UV Sterilizer rated for 50g (for my quarantine tank). This is the model:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewI...Product=CU01400

The bloody thing refuses to light. Tried it in the sleeve and out - nothing, nada, darkness.

Was counting on this to fix my green water issue. Now I guess I'm destined for a 100% water change.

Anyhow, any ideas? Any magic that I can do to make it light?

Sucks when equipment doesn't run like it's supposed to. Not a happy chappy at the mo.

agarza · #**833** 03/30/2006, 09:54 AM

Quote:

The bloody thing refuses to light. Tried it in the sleeve and out - nothing, nada, darkness.

That's really bad luck, specially when you waited for it after a half around the world flight. Hope you get it to work soon.

Good luck man.

NexDog · #**834** 03/30/2006, 10:51 AM

Thanks Alfonso.

So with the UV out the picture I set about the 100% water change on the quarantine tank. Remeber I started off with this:

Actually by today it was even darker than that. So I emptied 90% of it first as I didn't want to bother with moving the fish:

From that stage I would add 5 gallons of new water, let it mix for a while and then siphon it out. I did this a total of 3 times at which time the water only had a tint of green. Then I filled it up and hey presto:

I did a headcount and all 6 Lyretails are alive and fine. Yay!

And finally, the icing on the proverbial cake. I fiddled around with the UV unit.......and it works fine.

agarza · #**835** 03/30/2006, 11:15 AM

Definitely looks much better, hope that with all that husbandry and the UV it clears out quickly, if not, I guess you'll be shopping for a diatom filter

NexDog · #**836** 03/30/2006, 01:03 PM

I just hope the drastic water change doesn't kill the fish.

agarza · #**837** 03/30/2006, 01:17 PM

It shouldn't't as long as all the parameters were the same: temp, sal, PH

melev · #**838** 03/30/2006, 01:35 PM

It shouldn't as long as pH, temp and salinity match.

I hope you get the MH situation figured out. Do you have any back up ballasts you can test with?

NexDog · #**839** 03/30/2006, 08:47 PM

The clear water makes such a difference. This morning the anthias are so active compared to hiding at the back. So I think these Lyretails are pretty tough.

I'm convinced the ballast is bad because it's been steadily getting worse and now it won't even light the one lamp. So I think I'm just going to have to buy a new one and if I get it and it works, I'll demand some recompense for the damaged one.

I received a package today. My daughter has been on at me to get some starfish and teh place in Okinawa only had two so I got those. I also got those snails I posted about a few snails back and they are tiny. Also got a few softies and zoos. Pics to follow....

NexDog · #**840** 03/30/2006, 11:57 PM

The package contained 2 starfish, some snails and some softies. Nothing too exciting but add colour to the tank.

(is this one below a mushroom or a leather - bad pic)

melev · #**841** 03/31/2006, 12:33 AM

Nice stuff. That's an interesting looking starfish. And you seem to have a ricordia too.

NexDog · #**842** 03/31/2006, 01:11 AM

That ric is a closed up zoo. It's starting to open up now....

grallster · #**843** 03/31/2006, 07:58 AM

That softy looks like it could be a Dendronephtya--if so it's a gonner.
Are you sure those starfish are reef safe?

NexDog · #**844** 03/31/2006, 08:07 AM

What's a Dendronephtya and why would it be a goner? The shop that sells the starfish is a coral farm. I can't imnagine them selling non-reef safe starfish....

hawaiianwargod · #**845** 03/31/2006, 12:32 PM

NexDog,

Awesome set up you got there. How far are you from Okinawa?
I have family that resides there and thinking of visiting there.

grallster · #**846** 03/31/2006, 05:49 PM

Dendronephtya is a non-photosynthetic coral that has an almost zero survival rate in captivity.
Hard to tell from the pick if that's what it is or not though.

NexDog · #**847** 03/31/2006, 09:01 PM

grallster - I guess we'll have to see how it goes....

hawaiianwargod, thanks for dropping in. I live at the bottom of Kyushu which is about as far south as you can go in mainland Japan. Okinawa is about another 800 miles south of here. Went there once - it's beautiful.

NexDog · #**848** 03/31/2006, 09:14 PM

By the way, this UV thing is fantastic. Even though I did a 100% water change teh water still had a haze. I hooked up the UV to an MJ 900 last night and this morning the water is crystal clear. It says to run 700gph through it but I onlly have powerheads or bigger pumps and I think that less flow through the steriliser will clear things up quicker.

melev · #**849** 04/01/2006, 12:19 AM

This is what I thought might be a ricordia:

Fish stores will sell almost anything - even stuff that is not reef safe. Better to check with someone on that one.

NexDog · #**850** 04/01/2006, 09:25 AM

Errrr, where would I check?