Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[kau_cinta_ku]

ok sence we are talking about canyo maybe we can figure out my prob. my nitrates are 2ppm, I have 65x turnover for waterflow, i feed some pellets and mysis shrimp every 2-3 days, skim wet, run phosban, yet I still have canyo on my sandbed only, none on the rocks.

[melev]

Sam, it is a bacteria plain and simple. What you can do is turn off all your pumps, carefully scrape it into a pile or piles and siphon out as much as possible. Usually this will disrupt its life cycle and cause it to recede or at least weaken it.

And even with 65x turnover, you can have low flow areas or dead spots. It is hard to get flow in every inch of our tanks. Hermits help keep the sand stirred some.

Chemi-Clean will kill it off, as will Blue Life's Red Slime Control. Or Three Days of Darkness, if your corals don't mind.

[HPD Turbo]

Marck, were are the latest pics?

Thanks.

[melev]

Here are some from November 1:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...9#post11100799

[kau_cinta_ku]

ok i knew it was a bacteria, and have syphoned out alot of what I can get. (well could prob. get more if I tried)

so what your saying is if I were to syphen out all of it that would kill the life cycle?

the main thing I am tring to figure out is what feeds the bacteria to begin with so that once I do rid it. how do I keep it from comming back again.

alage I have no problems with thank god except maybe a little bryopsis. just the bacteria prob.

i hope I am not making this more confusing then your trying to make it. but I apprciate the help alot.

[melev]

No, you're fine Sam. It can be frustrating. Having very low nitrates and phosphates is the first step. Limiting food dosings and controlling the bioload in the tank helps immensely. Perhaps your bulbs are due for a replacement?

I did read that siphoning it out in chucks can disrupt its life cycle (like tearing apart the links in a chain). Seeing this stuff in my reef is really aggravating but I can't help it with AZNO3 in my tank at this time.

[kau_cinta_ku]

yeah it is very aggravating. lol I will try to syphon more of it out, as I know I can reach more if I had to. but will try to get all I can and see if that helps first. my bulbs are only 2 monthes old so I hope not ready to change yet.

[HPD Turbo]

Originally posted by melev
Here are some from November 1:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...9#post11100799

Thanks, love your ste up!!

[melev]

Thank you, HPD Turbo.

That area of my Toadstool Leather that I mentioned on Nov 1 looks like it is almost completely healed. When I looked at it tonight, there is a small bit of stuff that hasn't sloughed off yet, but I think a turkey baster would take care of that. It looks like it will be okay.

[bmwaaron]

So Marc, How is the tank?
Havent heard from you in awhile.

[InsaneClownFish]

Glad to see your toady recovering.

[melev]

Today was oulr club's Frag Swap, and I came home with a couple of SPS frags and some copper colored zoanthids. They are acclimating in my quarantine tank currently.

I gave away several Devil's Hand frags, but still ended up with at least 20 that are now in my prop section. I'll just give they away as the opportunities present themselves.

The cyano on the sand is getting on my nerves.

I shared an order of snails with TCU_reefer, so 50 astreas are in my system snacking on algae.

[InsaneClownFish]

I'm not sure if this would help in a significant way, but have you tried adding any nassarius- or even some of the large Tongan variety. I know they don't eat cyano, but they stir the surface enough where the cyano might lose hold.

[melev]

I have a few in there already. They only come out when I feed. I probably should drop in some hermits, but they can be troublesome at times. I've reduced the AZNO3 dosings... in a week I'll just hit the tank with Red Slime Control and be done with it.

[Alaska_Phil]

Hey guys, found a new mystry in my little 20 gal tonight. Found the guys below in my filter. They're about 1/4" long. I've caught glimpses of them at night in the tank before.
Any clues? I thought maybe they were Amphipods, but the big rear legs and club like front apendages don't look right.

Phil

[melev]

Yes, definitely amphipods. Good guys. Check out this picture by Ken:



Here's one of my own pictures:

[Hop]

That is a great photo(top)!

[Alaska_Phil]

Wow! thanks. I only saw the first photo on your ID page. Back in the tank they go!

Phil

[jnarowe]

I have zillions of them. Wish I had a fish to eat them in the grow out tamk!

[melev]

Tonight I decided to change out the membrane in my RO/DI system. I've been using the same membrane for 5 years. When I opened up the canister, I was surprised by what I saw. The membrane had begun to telescope as water tried to force its way through it.

What really caught my attention was how the black oring had forced its way down the membrane. Check out these two pictures.





So it was time, apparently. The upper membrane is the new one, with the black rubber flange in its proper positioning.

I'm set for another 5 years.

[jnarowe]

Never seen THAT before!

[Cprowler]

Did you take TDS readings before and after? What's your tap water by the way?

[InsaneClownFish]

Dirty Reefer!

[poppin_fresh]

what membrane did you replace it with? I was thinking of changing my 2 x 100gpds for 2 x 75's. With my cold well water, I think I might actually get better production with the Dow 75's. Plus they have better rejection, 98 vs. 90 for the 100gpds. Long(er) live the DI!

[jjmcat]

Originally posted by melev
Tonight I decided to change out the membrane in my RO/DI system. I've been using the same membrane for 5 years. When I opened up the canister, I was surprised by what I saw. The membrane had begun to telescope as water tried to force its way through it.

What really caught my attention was how the black oring had forced its way down the membrane. Check out these two pictures.





So it was time, apparently. The upper membrane is the new one, with the black rubber flange in its proper positioning.

I'm set for another 5 years.

Looks familiar