300 gal reef re-do - Page 12

spleify · #**276** 11/20/2007, 12:16 AM

Amazing work my friend!!!! Absolutely awesome.

pcostanzo · #**277** 11/20/2007, 07:26 AM

Thanks spleify, welcome.

steve the plumb · #**278** 11/20/2007, 09:57 AM

very nice work.Blue throats are shy fish but in general are very hardy.They like to eat a lot so they tend to be pigs.Nice to see the tank looking good.They may eat inverts.Mine never did.

coralfever · #**279** 11/21/2007, 09:49 PM

I just found your thread, awsome job!! I am a contractor/carpenter in CT also and can definately recognize great crafsmenship when I see it (who couldn't in this case). Nice website by the way.
I am in the process of gathering all my equiptment for my 210 inwall display and about 500 gallon total water volume. I'm almost there, just have to pick up the tank and plumbing parts next week. You gave me some great ideas along with the other people in this thread. Must be nice to be finished with the setup/construction phase.
What part of CT are you in? Wallingford here. Keep up the great work, can't wait to see the progress of the display.

pcostanzo · #**280** 11/22/2007, 08:18 AM

Thanks coralfever. I'm in Burlington. I go to Wallingford once in a while to All Pets Club. I got a Tomato clown from them that I had for about 3 years. PM me or give me a ring anytime.

pcostanzo · #**281** 11/24/2007, 02:39 PM

Here is my latest addition finally out of QT

jnarowe · #**282** 11/24/2007, 03:26 PM

man they are all over the place now. my LFS had three of them in last week. sweet looking fish!

gary faulkner · #**283** 11/24/2007, 09:44 PM

Here is my latest addition finally out of QT

How big is your QT set-up?

TIA

erics3000 · #**284** 11/24/2007, 10:15 PM

Sweet Fish..

pcostanzo · #**285** 11/25/2007, 08:02 AM

For my QT I have a 55gal and 2-10gal depending on what I'm putting in. I like the smaller ones better because I do hyposalinity for all incoming fish and its easier to lower and raise the salinity when you start and finish the process. Also it was easier for me to see the fish in the smaller tank.

Those are my QTs on the ground under the sump

erics3000 · #**286** 11/25/2007, 02:01 PM

Every time I see your skimmer it looks more and more bad aXX.

pcostanzo · #**287** 11/25/2007, 04:18 PM

Thanks Eric, it works unbelievable. This is the cleanest my water has ever been. Before I fired it up the tank went without a skimmer for over a month and the water had a green tinge to it if you put it in a white bucket. Once that thing kicked in it cleared up in a week.

I think my Ca reactor is too big. I had to shut it down for a while as Ca was about 550 and Alk was 16. Once it goes down I'll have to lower the bubbles and drips.

gary faulkner · #**288** 11/25/2007, 06:44 PM

Paul,

My reactor did the same thing and I shut it down to let the corals catch up.

Be careful and check often or you will be very low before you realize it.

Or at least I was.

HTH

erics3000 · #**289** 11/25/2007, 07:19 PM

Yeah I might have to try and make me one of thoes bad boys next year. I think I might just buy a calcium reactor. I am running out of time . Do you have any good recomendations?

elvictre · #**290** 11/25/2007, 07:27 PM

All I can say is WOW. Unreal. Your carpentry skills are excelent.

Vic

pcostanzo · #**291** 11/25/2007, 08:48 PM

Vic- Thanks

Eric- I had a Korallin at one time but didn't like it. The design made it terrible to fill. It looks like alot of people go with a GEO. Its a pretty straight forwrd design. The Barr aquatics looked interesting too. The double chamber makes a big difference in raising your effluent PH. In my main chamber I am 6.5 but by the time it exits the 2nd chamber its around 7.25. It really saves you from driving your tank PH too low.

jnarowe · #**292** 11/25/2007, 09:33 PM

I had the same problem but fixed it with some good advice.

Lower the water flow and control the CO2 with a pH controller hooked to the display. PM for more discussion.

Hendersonracing · #**293** 11/25/2007, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pcostanzo
I thought I'd post this since I was making food today. Not sure how many make their own food but my fish go crazy for home made. I use some shrimp, clams or mussels if I have them too, various Nori and kelp, crushed garlic and vitamin C.

Blend it into a paste and smush it flat in a ziplock and freeze.

Whats funny is may wife and I don't eat seafood so its a pretty gross day for me when I do this.

website to were I can get some of this food/??
Thanks Joe

pcostanzo · #**294** 11/26/2007, 07:39 AM

The seafood I get fresh from the store and the Nori I send away for. I use Koamart but I'm sure theres other out there.

http://www.koamart.com/

pcostanzo · #**295** 12/01/2007, 08:09 AM

Anyone with an Aquacontroller ever had this problem? Yesterday morning I went to check on the fish room and the Aquacontroller was reading 121 degrees for temp. The fans were on, the chiller was on and the heaters off. I stuck my hand in the sump and it was freezing. I checked it with a thermometer and it was down in the 60s. I pulled the probe from the water and it registered the correct temp. I put it back in and was reading the right temp. This morning the same thing happened. Any ideas?

erics3000 · #**296** 12/28/2007, 08:20 PM

Whats up..Hope you had a good Christmas.. How is the tank going..

Elliott · #**297** 12/28/2007, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pcostanzo
Anyone with an Aquacontroller ever had this problem? Yesterday morning I went to check on the fish room and the Aquacontroller was reading 121 degrees for temp. The fans were on, the chiller was on and the heaters off. I stuck my hand in the sump and it was freezing. I checked it with a thermometer and it was down in the 60s. I pulled the probe from the water and it registered the correct temp. I put it back in and was reading the right temp. This morning the same thing happened. Any ideas?

ever figure it out? bad probe?

pcostanzo · #**298** 12/28/2007, 09:41 PM

Hey Eric, Merry Christmas.

Yes Elliott, it was the probe. What really stinks is that the controller is warrantied for 1 year but the probe only 90 days so I was a week or so over my warranty and they wanted $40 to replace.

I was so P.Oed that I hooked my Medusa back up just to control the temp. The worst part is that a day later my sps started bleaching then RTN. Only 2 colonies left. The LPS were fine.

Around the same time I had an outbreak of ich which I cannot figure out. I QT and did not think it ever got in the tank but it must have somehow and the stress caused the outbreak. I took the approach to make sure I rid the tank so I removed the coral and all the rocks and got the fish out. They are in my 55gal at 1.09 sg to fix them. The tank could stay fallow for 6-8 weeks and I can be sure its gone. It wasn't easy and took the better part of a day but it will be worth it.

Elliott · #**299** 12/28/2007, 10:37 PM

I've had ich in my tank, comes and goes, haven't lost any fish from it yet, I don't worry too much about it, sorry to hear about your sps rtn, I've had that occur for no apparent reason but I believe it's usually due to temp swings, hope you have some smooth sailing ahead.

jnarowe · #**300** 12/28/2007, 10:44 PM

geez Paul, that reeks. $40? That's not the "lab" grade is it? As far as temp control goes, what I do is use an external controller but also hook it into teh Aquacontroller. That way it's a double check. If the AC probe is bad, it will energize the heater, but the heater probe will keep it from coming on until it needs to be. DOes that make sense?