Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 15

melev · #**351** 05/21/2006, 10:52 PM

Yep, that is exactly why it will never happen again.

danmp18 · #**352** 05/22/2006, 07:11 AM

Nice work on the light rack Marc. Your DIY skills never cease to amaze me.

Any other projects rolling around in your brain that you need us to talk you into? We can be very persuasive.

Worked with the wood work right!?! Oh wait......nevermind.

melev · #**353** 05/22/2006, 08:12 AM

I'd like to incorporate my seahorse tank into the main system, so that they share the same water. Two issues: cooler temperatures and lower salinity seem to be their preference. I've not quite figured out how to make both work well enough on their own to pull it off.

It would be nice if I had a very slow return going up to the seahorse tank that turns it over maybe 2x per hour, and a fan blowing down on the surface to cool it sufficiently. That might work, but I may end up having to heat the tank all night as the fan overcools it.

The salinity thing is tougher. I'd need a little RO/DI water added to lower it before it enters the tank, but not too much.

My goal seems to be getting more and more toward one community system instead of all these separate tanks to care for.

Travis · #**354** 05/22/2006, 04:14 PM

The temperature control would be the easy part. You could control the fan on a ranco controller with the probe in the seahorse tank.

The salinity control would also be easy but also very expensive. First, you would need a conductivity controller with the probe mounted in the seahorse tank. You could then hook this up to a dosing pump that doses RO/DI water to the seahorse tank. This wouldn't affect the salinity of the main system because this would be considered "top-off" water and would just cause your top-off system to add that much less water each day.

So it certainly is "doable". But is the extra cost worth the reduced maintenance?

original-reefland · #**355** 05/22/2006, 08:07 PM

I don't think salinity would be that simple. Since its connected to the main system, incoming water is always high and you're always feeding low salinity to the main system. It won't be long before the main system salinity drops.

grochmal · #**356** 05/23/2006, 08:06 AM

Wouldn't that apply to temperature as well?

Micki · #**357** 05/23/2006, 08:27 AM

Marc, what is the prefered salinity for the horses?

grochmal, you can control the horse tank with the fan since that is a smaller amount of water. It basically heats the new incoming water at the horse tank but the main tank stays warmer.

Micki · #**358** 05/23/2006, 08:27 AM

Marc, what is the prefered salinity for the horses?

grochmal, you can control the horse tank with the fan since that is a smaller amount of water. It basically cools the new incoming water at the horse tank but the main tank stays warmer.

Micki · #**359** 05/23/2006, 08:27 AM

Marc, what is the prefered salinity for the horses?

grochmal, you can control the horse tank with the fan since that is a smaller amount of water. It basically cools the new incoming water at the horse tank but the main tank stays warmer.

grochmal · #**360** 05/23/2006, 08:33 AM

The fan will cool the water in the seahorse tank, but that cool water will drain back to the sump and be replaced by warmer sump water eventually equalizing it all out.
Unless the flow through the seahorse tank is very very slow.
If all the water is connected together I don't see how you can vary salinity or temperature (noticeably) in one part of the system.

Micki · #**361** 05/23/2006, 08:36 AM

In my system the flow through the horse tank is VERY slow. It would be easy to regulate the temperature. To me the salinity would be a problem.

melev · #**362** 05/23/2006, 04:09 PM

Well, I had Casper's tank at reef salinity (1.026), but the seahorse experts recommended I keep it at a lower salinity like 1.021 sg.

Micki · #**363** 05/23/2006, 06:33 PM

Ok gotcha. Thanks...

Micki · #**364** 05/23/2006, 06:33 PM

Ok gotcha. Thanks...

Micki · #**365** 05/23/2006, 06:33 PM

Ok gotcha. Thanks...

Micki · #**366** 05/23/2006, 06:34 PM

Ok, this is goofy!

melev · #**367** 05/24/2006, 04:10 PM

Today I built a VHO Testing Station to figure out what is going on with my VHO lighting. I have a bunch of IceCap ballasts, and figured this would be the easiest way to determine what was faulty.

Using an extra harness, some end caps, a 2x6 and two used bulbs, I got to work.

I had a couple of IceCap 430s in the back up pile, and they both lighted the 6' bulbs. Then I took the "new" 660 that I recently tried using, and nothing. Next I got the original 430 and hooked it up, and it also didn't work.

For now, I have it working again, and will send in the bad ballasts for repair.

physicslord · #**368** 05/24/2006, 04:23 PM

Are those the real ICECAPS or the weird ones that are made in china and sold under the ICECAP label?

I heard those people are really helpful anyway.

physicslord · #**369** 05/24/2006, 04:55 PM

By the way Marc, your website was pretty helpful.

I was able to convince my GF that a sump and a refugium could fit snugly under a 55G fish tank stand, and there would be no ugliness (like previous setups).

-Eddie

melev · #**370** 05/24/2006, 05:34 PM

These are IceCap ballasts as far as I know.

Eddie, did you see the latest webpage I put up last night about installing a sump? It is in my Personal Log.

veasna · #**371** 05/24/2006, 06:05 PM

Marc,

Great page on the installing a sump! Very educational and as usualy your work is very professional.

-Veasna

Micki · #**372** 05/24/2006, 06:45 PM

Just saw your sqwd wavemaker page. I would love to have some more movement in my tank, but I don't want to add any power heads to the main tank.

vanmo92 · #**373** 05/24/2006, 07:52 PM

Beautiful tank marc

melev · #**374** 05/24/2006, 08:12 PM

Thank you.

Micki, that SCWD page has been up for years. You've been slackin' off.

LoneStarSA · #**375** 05/24/2006, 08:31 PM

*gasp* *gasp*.......I need visine!!!!

I made it to the LAST page finally. This thread started before I even started in the hobby, but just stumbled into it 2 weeks ago. Funny to see all the SAME trials and errors in it. lol Just wish I found it a little over 1 year ago when started reefing.

Great write up. A definite must for anyone setting up any tank, let alone a large one.

And I keep getting this strange feeling you have a website or something Melev......hahaha