Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 5

original-reefland · #**101** 12/15/2005, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis
That is interesting. I never knew you could run carbon and GFO in the same fluidized reactor without separating them with a sponge pad or something. Does the carbon stay completely separated from the GFO since it is larger and lighter? I wonder if it also helps to keep some of the "dust" from the GFO from getting out of the reactor.

Some of it does mix up but the bulk of it stays lower. What are you worried about if they mix up?

fishman805 · #**102** 12/15/2005, 02:42 PM

Thanks Rich/Micki.... I'll be hooking it up this weekend as well as my auto top-off ( getting ready for a trip away for the holidays... )... I already run carbon in the filter that will be running the reactor... it's also running my UV....

Thanks again

Bob

original-reefland · #**103** 12/15/2005, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishman805
Thanks Rich/Micki.... I'll be hooking it up this weekend as well as my auto top-off ( getting ready for a trip away for the holidays... )... I already run carbon in the filter that will be running the reactor... it's also running my UV....

Adding anything new to the tank before you leave is a bad idea. An auto-top off is about one of the worst things to change before you leave. Hopefully you'll have at least a week or so to watch it first.

fishman805 · #**104** 12/15/2005, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by original-reefland
Adding anything new to the tank before you leave is a bad idea. An auto-top off is about one of the worst things to change before you leave. Hopefully you'll have at least a week or so to watch it first.

Thanks for your concern Rich .... The top-off will actually be running for more than a week before I go ... I've also got someone staying at the house to watch our other criiters ... The design and layout of the top-off is ( for the most part ) fool proof... Marc ( melev ) is the one that gave me the help and advice in the setup... No chance it will overflow unless the float switch sticks and in that case, the most that will overflow would be about 12gals of water....

Bob

Travis · #**105** 12/15/2005, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by original-reefland
Some of it does mix up but the bulk of it stays lower. What are you worried about if they mix up?

Not worried about anything.

Just wondering if they mix up or stay separated.

GregM779 · #**106** 12/15/2005, 08:03 PM

Should we PM a moderator and rename the thread to "Melev's Lounge"? I think the thread's getting more traffic without him

cseeton · #**107** 12/15/2005, 10:24 PM

If you use Melev's topoff design, make sure that you use a pump that is within the electrical current limit (in amps) of the floatswitch. There have been fires for those that have exceeded it!

MPH · #**108** 12/16/2005, 07:19 AM

Better yet, use a relay with low voltage going to the float switch to operate the relay. Runnig 110 volts to a float switch in a sump foull of salt water is dangerous.

Lunchbucket · #**109** 12/16/2005, 08:36 AM

marc doesn't even need to be around to get lots of posts. we'll take care of that for him.

wonder what his po4 is at?? or how his fish are getting fed so much??

Lunchbucket

shane 1111 · #**110** 12/16/2005, 09:09 AM

my tank threads need attention to.

fishman805 · #**111** 12/16/2005, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MPH
Better yet, use a relay with low voltage going to the float switch to operate the relay. Runnig 110 volts to a float switch in a sump foull of salt water is dangerous.

I'm using the Ultralife float switch running a maxjet1200 for the pump... If you're familiar with the switch, you'll know that the "contoller" is well away from any saltwater.. I felt more comfortable spending the money for a pre-made setup as apposed to building one from scratch and taking any chances on poor workmanship or electrical issues... All electrical connections will be isolated from any water.... Marc's end of it was to simply have the water pumping into a standing piece of PVC to avoid any chance of a syphon from the pump side into the sump once the pump is shut off...

The water pumps on an up incline to a PVC pipe ( of sufficient length ) secured to the tank stand and directed by elbows down and into the sump but high enough so no standing water remains in the pipe... When the pump shuts off, there's no water left in the PVC pipe and any water left in the hose from the pump runs back into the FW holding tank....

Bob

melev · #**112** 12/17/2005, 02:01 AM

Hey guys,

Just a quick update. The tank is doing well, and the corals are growing slowly each day. I did test PO4 last night and it said 1.0 but that can't be right, right?

I find that hard to believe because the tank has far less fish, and I feed less than ever before. Perhaps it will keep leaching out of the rock and substrate for a while. I tested the Calcium Reactor's effluent, and it was more like .1 which makes sense since the water going into the unit has PO4 from the tank after all. I am hoping my test was simply wrong, but I'll refill the Phosban Reactors this weekend.

I took a few pictures recently. Here are a few from a couple of hours ago. Here's something new that I'd not seen before in my tank. I think this coral is possibly wanting to spread to a new spot in the tank. If I'm correct, this could be the indication of Polyp Bailout. Look at the top of this favia.

And one more just of the hungry polyps.

melev · #**113** 12/17/2005, 02:04 AM

More images.

A. granulosa

A. millepora branch

A. valida LE

Orange centered zoos finally recovering, now that the tangs are not chewing on them daily.

Lunchbucket · #**114** 12/17/2005, 11:21 AM

marc - nice that you are back

dang 1.0!!! you know when my po4 went nuts i could not get it all back in line. what i did was take ALL my rock out and clean my sandbed (siphon) and travis hooked me up w/ some new cured rock. i didn't want to do it but i believed my rock was leaching po4. many people say it will store and then leach for a long time.

i know this isn't an option really for you. just keep doing water changes, skimming like mad, and spending a TON on po4 meda...i'm sure it will come around...will just take forever

hang in there buddy. at least the tank didn't crash like mine. i lost EVERY piece of coral but one

Lunchbucket

melev · #**115** 12/17/2005, 03:00 PM

You have to have more will-power than the phosphate, Eric.

I'll do a water change this weekend, change the media in the reactors, and retest. Maybe the test was wrong. I hope.

melev · #**116** 12/17/2005, 11:31 PM

I posted a thread in the DIY forum today, about the light for my quarantine tank. In case you'd like to see it.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...50#post6307450

Lunchbucket · #**117** 12/18/2005, 01:16 PM

i'll check it out

Lunchbucket

rjwilson37 · #**118** 12/18/2005, 01:21 PM

Looking good Marc, I can't wait to get a few Acro's after my tank matures a little more. I have just the one Acro right now, which recoverd nicely after the move to the 90g and switching from T5's over to the 250w MH's. I think there are some Acro's that can do well under a lot of T5 lighting and then there are some that just need more light than T5's can give. My Acro is definately a slow grower, but it colored up nicely under the MH's and has since had some growth which is good.

rdmpe · #**119** 12/18/2005, 01:41 PM

Marc, those are great pictures!! Do you have a macro lens or something? Use a tripod? Amazing corals! I need to start making a list - I for one appreciate you putting those names along with the pictures!

Polyp bailout - is that a method that the coral uses to spread itself?

fishman805 · #**120** 12/18/2005, 01:43 PM

For the folks that were giving me advice on the auto top-off, I just got it plumbed in and running... It's running like a dream

.. I went a few steps further and used RTV to secure the float switch ( did not want to totally relly on the suction cup to hold it in the sump ) and also did the same for the pump in my FW holding tank...

I applied the RTV to the back of the suction cups then stuck them to the surfaces....

Bob

melev · #**121** 12/18/2005, 03:15 PM

rdmpe, I have a Fuji S602Z, and it has a built in macro mode. The lens does not come off. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujis602z/

I wrote an article about taking pictures some time back that you might find useful, as it is written by a hobbyist rather than a photographer. Let me know if you want to read it.

Bob - that was a wise decision. Suction cups on float switch brackets are a disaster waiting to happen. They must be securely mounted so they have nowhere to go.

Thanks, Eric & Robert.

rjwilson37 · #**122** 12/18/2005, 04:56 PM

I wish my camera had the white balance adjust like yours, but I just have like 4 selected modes and auto is one of them.

fishman805 · #**123** 12/18/2005, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Bob - that was a wise decision. Suction cups on float switch brackets are a disaster waiting to happen.

I have my moments

Bob

rdmpe · #**124** 12/18/2005, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
I wrote an article about taking pictures some time back that you might find useful, as it is written by a hobbyist rather than a photographer. Let me know if you want to read it.

That would be great. Is it too long to PM? If so let me know and I'll PM you an email address. I have started taking a lot of pics lately and with the lights on, everything seems very bleached out looking. I have a decent digital camera I think, an Olympus Camedia C-4000 , maybe a little out of date these days though. I don't know anything about photography ...

DerekW · #**125** 12/19/2005, 01:28 PM

Here you go rdmpe,
http://www.melevsreef.com/take_great_pictures.html
http://melevsreef.com/pics/demo/