120 Reef Office Build (75 upgrade) - Page 19

Bax · #**451** 11/19/2007, 08:11 PM

FINALLY! I got around to installing one of the mesh modded Sicci pumps I have been toying with onto my G4X skimmer body. That more than doubles the air flow at about 1/3 the watts of the mesh modded Sedra 9000.

It is skimming much wetter. I am getting lots of dense bubbles and tons of skimmate. Not as dry as with my Sedra but tons of dark coffee like skimmate. It's nice

Dudester · #**452** 11/19/2007, 10:33 PM

Things are really looking good. Glad your skimmate is as disgusting as you describe!

You recently started using the Milwaukee regulator and solenoid for your CO2 cylinder, is that correct? I just hooked mine up a couple of days ago, and I have a question. Whenever the solenoid turns on and off, the 'click' sound is quite loud. It appears to be functioning just fine. Are you experiencing the same thing with yours?

Cprowler · #**453** 11/19/2007, 10:50 PM

Hey Bax good to here your mod is working well, I did my sedra a while back and love it.

Dude - I can hear mine, it's not way loud but I can hear it through my cabinetry.

Bax · #**454** 11/19/2007, 11:02 PM

Dude & Cprowler

Thanks! ... my skimmate is quite nasty, thank you!

My wet room ( or fish closet) is quite loud, so I really don't hear the selidoid clicking, unless I actually unplug it, then I do hear the click.

Bax · #**455** 11/22/2007, 10:31 AM

Well, I am going on two weeks with the XM 15k on the left lamp and just loving it. It may be my imagination, but not only are the colors better under the 15K bulb, but even after it is off I seem to have brighter, more intense color. I'll order a second bulb soon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

erics3000 · #**456** 11/26/2007, 08:53 PM

I know everyone has there own taste but I like the 15k's also. thumbs up on that..

Bax · #**457** 11/26/2007, 11:01 PM

erics3000

Yeah I am lov'n the 15k, I can't wait to get the second bulb in and see the entire tank lit with the 15 Ks.

You build is really looking great too!

erics3000 · #**458** 11/27/2007, 01:09 AM

Thanks I wan to get some more plumbing knocked out so i can hook up my MH.I want to see your tank with both bulbs sweet. aha Hopefully this weekend I can get my MH up and going.

Doc_B · #**459** 12/15/2007, 10:50 AM

Bax,

I have the same 120gal you have. What lights are you running. im just upgrading my lights and didnt want to over kill the thank. Your tank looks great!

Bax · #**460** 12/15/2007, 12:59 PM

Doc_B

Thanks!

I really need to pay some attention to the tank but work has just been taking every moment of my time.

As for lights I was running 175 w 10 K Ushios with 3x 54 w T-5s (1x AquaBlue+ & 2 x Super actinic)

A while back I changed to 400 w 10 K Ushios, keeping the 3 x T-5s and most recently just changed a faulty Ushio to a 15K XM. I really, really like this bulb and as soon as my credit card stops steaming form the holidays, I'll be changing out the second bulb.

With a 24" tank 400 w is not crazy overkill. That said, 250 w will do the job and many folks run them on 24" tanks. If heat will a big issue and a chiller isn't in the cards, stay with the 250s, you WILL need a chiller for 400 watters.

My corals, clams and anems have definitely responded to the 400s . My Derasa has absolutely doubled in size since adding the higher wattage. He's taken to rearranging my rock work to make more elbow room and I may have to rescape the tank soon to accommodate the growth of the derasa and squammy as I'll not give up my clams.

Bax · #**461** 12/15/2007, 01:02 PM

Oh! Doc_B, one more thing.

I use Lumenarc mini reflectors (ReefGeek Tek retros on the T-5s). They fit a 24" wide tank better in terms of adding T-5 supplement and have incredible spread of light.

Lumenarcs are worth every penny and a solid lighting investment.

Bax · #**462** 12/19/2007, 05:33 PM

My third, and last anem clone, found its way into a Tunze 6100 ... OUCH!

... So, that's - VorTech 2 - Tunze 1 - RBTA clones 0

At least the parent seems to have settled back down pretty close to its rock it has lived on for nearly 31/2 years. Hopefully it'll just relax and and grow back to the gorgeous critter it was before the cloning began.

Bax · #**463** 12/25/2007, 10:32 PM

Merry Christmas! And a very happy & safe holidays to all!

Bax · #**464** 12/27/2007, 07:54 PM

So, one of the first corals I purchased way back in my 26 bow, was a frogspawn. Two heads and a GSP for $29.99. I got it home and spotted the brown jelly on one of the heads the second day and had to cut it away to a single head. It grew to 6-8 big heads in my 75 and is now dominating the front lower left of my 120g with 25 plus heads easily. The GSP is finally irradicated, grrrr!

I use the feed timer on the Tunze in the back left and feed in this corner, the froggy gets a lot of freebies this way.

Anyway, it is recently feeling the need for more growth space, and has begun to, very agressively, send out sweepers and has done some serious damage to my adjacent blue tippped stag and pavona corals.

Here are some sweepers in action

A direct hit!

The damage done to the stag!

and the pavona!

I hate to, but I guess I'll have to frag it and move some out of the display. I was hoping to let it grow and make a special spot for it in the 220 (in the works) but I don't think it is willing to wait that long!

erics3000 · #**465** 12/27/2007, 08:44 PM

I cant wait till I have problems like that.

Bax · #**466** 12/28/2007, 07:41 AM

He he!

You will eric, you will!

Dudester · #**467** 12/31/2007, 08:31 PM

Frag away, Bax. You don't want to lose those nice SPS to a euphyllia that you know will grow out again.

Bax · #**468** 12/31/2007, 11:25 PM

Dude

I know, I know, but it is hard to frag an old friend

Dudester · #**469** 12/31/2007, 11:43 PM

I feel your pain, but it will forgive you, and others will be able to enjoy seeing that coral fill up their tanks as well. Do it man!

Bax · #**470** 01/01/2008, 08:57 AM

Happy New Year! to all!

I am going to have to, as it is really putting a hurting on my blue tip stag, even with repositioning the stag, tips that were attacked are losing tissue. So, it's frag one or loose the other I guess?

Bax · #**471** 01/01/2008, 02:29 PM

Here are some pics for the year end.

Here's an end view of the troublesome frog spawn.

An FTS ...

Front right ...

Front left ...

And an end ...

.... please disregard the mag cleaner and the runaway algae clip

Dudester · #**472** 01/01/2008, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bax
.... please disregard the mag cleaner and the runaway algae clip

Those are foregivable, but the coralline that's blocking the view from your beautiful clams and corals is not

.

What a great way to wrap up the year, nice work Bax!

Bax · #**473** 01/01/2008, 08:53 PM

Thanks Dude!

The clams like to crowed the glass so it makes it tough to clean LOL! That deresa has more than doubled in size since I started this tank! It is so strong that it has moved my rockwork around and knocked a few rocks out of place!

Bax · #**474** 01/04/2008, 07:23 AM

I hate to keep harping on the aggressiveness of this frog spawn, I mean that is its character. But, I shot this vid last night. You can see a huge mass of streamers erupting, this is a much large (more aggressive) attack than usual. If you keep your eyes at about 1 ti 2 o'clock on the froggy, you'll see a streamer attache to the stag, much more into the stag than previously, and see just how aggressive an attack this is. The frog will separate this streamer so it may remain on the target and continue killing off the enemy. Hope the vid works! ??? ???

... Oh! ... And, I moved the frog to the fuge imediately after taking the video! :-\ I'll figure something out. I would prefer this remain an SPS dominated tank anyway, but was hoping to keep my frog, trumpets and favia tucked here and there forsome contrast. Looks like it'll be the latter two , less agressive LPS. Although, I've seen some huge streamers come out of my larger favia ...

Dudester · #**475** 01/04/2008, 09:58 AM

Great video, warfare at its finest. I'm glad you moved it away from that poor helpless stag. BTW, love the flow!