Tank of the Month - August '06 - Page 4

joubentwin · #76 08/11/2006, 01:09 PM

Congratulations, that is a very nice tank.

GSchiemer · #77 08/11/2006, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by o2bnh20
I bet the millwork on the cabinet itself is 10-15K american$$$

I think it would be fun to have some guesses on the total cost in American dollars

Anyone game???

He doesn't want to address the cost, so "guessing" isn't fun, it's rude.

o2bnh20 · #78 08/11/2006, 02:05 PM

maybe I am being rude. Maybe I have a problem with a tank of the month that belongs to someone who has only been a member since May and has less than 50 posts.

....................I'll try to shut up

NanoCube-boy · #79 08/11/2006, 02:26 PM

I say 30K in US bucks.

RalfP · #80 08/11/2006, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by o2bnh20
maybe I am being rude. Maybe I have a problem with a tank of the month that belongs to someone who has only been a member since May and has less than 50 posts.

....................I'll try to shut up

Thank you for addressing your concerns.

As you address them to my person (using the cost thing) and not to reefkeeping.com or someone else, it seems to me, that you think I did something wrong here.
That is of course possible.

I felt happy being chosen by reefkeeping.com as totm.
I doubt that you in my situation would have refused it.

I didn't know that it's bad behaving to accept that, being no longtime member at rc.
Well, it happened and I can not and want not to change.

Maybe I am a newbe on RC, reading for a long time and writing only for a short.
But I am no newbe to our hobby keeping coral in first tank for some few years.
I am keeping coralreefs for nearly 15 years now and went through all the highs and lows it has to offer.

Well, writing all this now, let's address part of the cost thing here also.
I am no rich born kiddie. I know how it is to get nothing to birthday and christmas 'cause
no one has any money. I kept low-cost tanks for years not having any money.
I had to work really hard for all this. Nobody gave me anything for free.

@all others
sorry for writing all this boring stuff, but I somehow had to.

No bad thoughts about anyone,
Ralf

NanoCube-boy · #81 08/11/2006, 04:58 PM

I think your tank is cool... PERIOD.... I think you have enough experience, it's not all about who stay longer and deserve to be TOTM. I think who ever have a nice tank and deserve the award then yea. I don't think RC would care if hes just new here. As long he got a nice tank, it's good enough to show to everyone.

Ciarán · #82 08/11/2006, 07:13 PM

Americans and all of us owe a lot to the dedication and wonderful advances made in the hobby to European hobbyists, most notably from the Netherlands and Germany. 15 years ago, reefing wasnt the huge thing it is now. Why is Ca(OH)2 called "kalkwasser" (translation, lime or literally "chalk water"), why are European originated brands such as Aqua Medic and Deltec etc. some of the most widely respected and regarded in the hobby? Where did all the new American reef "gurus" get there knowledge and experience of successfully operating a captive reef? People like Peter Wilkens and Alf Nielsen etc. Reefing is a very new phenomenon (in relative terms). Guys like Ralph and the the proprietors of the LFS he mentioned are how this hobby became accessible on a grand scale.

We dont know Ralph's income or personal expenditure (nor do most of us have any shred of interest in doing so), it is of the utmost distaste to speculate and throw wild estimates around. For all you know, he could have saved for this tank for years. It is not my place to speak for the man, but i am just saying whether he is "rich" or "poor", his exquisite tank, though indeed looking costly by "normal" standards, is matched by his apparent commitment and dedication.

In terms of post count, he is German, this is an ultra-american forum. Im not being critical, but European culture and America are TOTALLY different things. We do have our own indigenous forums over here and many prefer their style. RC post count is not a guage for viability for TOTM or of personal experience, i reckon tank quality would be the judge of that, and judgin by 99.9% of the other replies, there is a resounding cohesion in that is is fantastic. I will never have a tank like that, that's cool with me, not everyone has to have a 850 TOTM, diversity is the key draw to this hobby for me and such is why we all have preferences for SPS or LPS or Softies or FO etc. Its the beauty of reefkeeping. There is no one blueprint or model to be strictly adhered to IMHO. Every tank can be beautiful and inspiring in different ways.

I hate to sound so condescending and patronising and do not speak for anyone else. If this post irritated you i apologise, i just feel a very humble and honest individual was scathed unreasonably for something he has every right to possess and indeed show off. The commitment (in every respect) to its inception, creation and sustainance is something that deserves accredation from us all.

Thanks Ralph for showcasing a wonderful example of beauty and dedication to this hobby...

NanoCube-boy · #83 08/11/2006, 07:21 PM

I agree...

Skipper · #84 08/11/2006, 09:41 PM

o2bnh20:

We've received several letters of feedback similar to yours. Take a look at this page:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-0...ltte/index.php

Be sure to follow the "click here" link at the bottom.

GSchiemer · #85 08/12/2006, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by o2bnh20
....................I'll try to shut up

That's the best suggestion you've had so far.

jnarowe · #86 08/12/2006, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipper
o2bnh20:

We've received several letters of feedback similar to yours. Take a look at this page:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-0...ltte/index.php

Be sure to follow the "click here" link at the bottom.

Geez...I hope I didn't get banned for life just by clicking on that link!

boris MAC · #87 08/12/2006, 11:17 AM

Uh oh... I tought beautiful aquariums are choosen for a TOTM, so Ralph one is big and probably costly, but it is a wonderful one , and I belive most of us truly enjoy watching in.

NexDog · #88 08/12/2006, 12:56 PM

Ralph, could you explain a bit how you upgraded from a 90 gallon system to the current monster? It seems like the rock in a 90g system wouldn't be enough to cycle a 900g system? I'd definitely like to know how you approached this. It is certainly possible as I upgraded to a tank ten times the size of the old one and simply put the rock from the old to the new then cured Live Rock separately and added it slowly over a month.

mander · #89 08/13/2006, 01:01 AM

Ralf, your tank is amazing! Thank you for sharing so much detail on your system and educating me along the way. My 50G will only benefit from learning how you built and maintain your tank. Your passion is inspiring!

NanoCube-boy · #90 08/13/2006, 04:28 PM

Man, I feel bad for Ralph, his tank of the month is becoming a controversity of TOTM. I don't care what corals Dominate or what ever. As long it's nice... I will say yes, that's TOTM. I don't know, I just think what ever tank it's nice. Then they deserved it... Iono why people are making a big arguing about it. Maybe there should be a voting poll for it. or something about tank of the month. That way, everyone will agree and shut up...

RalfP · #91 08/13/2006, 06:44 PM

Hi all,
thanks again for your nice words.
No problem on being in controversial discussion, I am not taking this too personally.
There will always be different views and thats fine.

NanoCube-boy,
coming back to your question one page prior to this, regarding GFCI and feeding.
The GFCI is simply a module, which is placed in the (in Germany) usual fuse-cabinet.
(There are also some included in special power-cords).
In Germany there is a technical regulation, that GFCI is to be placed in bathroom-circuilts in all newly built houses.
The GFCI compares the power entering the circuilt, with that leaving; if they differ more than 30mA, the circuilt is interrupted.

I am feeding 3 times a day frozen food (Mysis/Artemia) and 2 times flakes/pellets with an autofeeder. I never had problems with the Powderblue, due to the high feeding amount for
the Anthias it got really fat.

Nexdog,
you're right, there was no way of migrating the systems slowly.
So we set up the new system separately, but having in mind that it should cycle quickly.
I did huge waterchanges in the old system over some month and stored the water together
with some stones in big, airated containers.
The LR was precycled at the importer in a rinsing/shower system.
LR was driven overnight to my house, put into the tank which was filled half with water from
my old tank and other half with one month stored, new water.
Living sand was also added that day.
NH4 was never detectable, NO2 gone after 3 days, NO3 gone after 4-5 days.
There where Silicate and Phosphate absorbers in the water from day 1.
After one week (no NH4,NO3,NO2 anymore), hermits and snails were added.
After two weeks, I began with bringing coral into the system.
We trusted in bringing relatively large amount of coral in, relatively early;
coral being nutrient competitor to algae.
After another week, still no NH4,NO2,NO3,PO4 etc. first algae eating fish was added.
After another week, the rest was added (Anthias later).

Water parameters where fine all time, but I was in fear that algae growth etc. would harm
coral, but Michael wasn't far away, having enough room to take them if needed.
The big algae bloom did not happen, only some diatoms, which went away really fast due to
the Silicate absorbers and some hair-algae, which was eaten by the foxface/seabunny etc..
Having an emergency backup (Michael;-) at hand, I would do it that way again.
Of course this method is not to be used by someone, setting up his/her first reef ;-).

Thanks for asking,
Ralf

jnarowe · #92 08/13/2006, 08:49 PM

Wow! Well done. I lost a lot of cool stuff to a fairly serious HA bloom. Next time I will do it more like you did.

55semireef · #93 08/13/2006, 08:51 PM

amazing tank. But what I find more amazing is what keeps it running. Simple electricity. haha. But really, great tank.

NexDog · #94 08/13/2006, 11:05 PM

Ralf, thanks for the detailed answer. That's a really good idea and I think I will copy it if I ever upgrade to something ridiculously big.

What were teh silicate absorders? Something like Phosban/Rowaphos but for Silcates?

RalfP · #95 08/14/2006, 04:32 AM

NexDog,
yep, the silicate absorbers are very simular to Rowaphos etc. (used in the same way).
I used Rowaphos against the PO4 (maybe coming in with LR) and "Silicarbon" from "aquaconnect" against the silicates.
I use Osmosis and Ionexchanger afterwards to make up the water, so no silicates should turn up in my changewater.
Initially with new tank (made of glass) and LR, there was some silicate in.

Ralf

NexDog · #96 08/14/2006, 10:03 AM

Cool, thanks for the info.

NanoCube-boy · #97 08/14/2006, 01:41 PM

Cool information Raph, I didn't know there is a regulation in Germany about GFCI, That's cool. Do you have any problem with Nitrate with a lot of feeding?

GSchiemer · #98 08/14/2006, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NanoCube-boy
Cool information Raph, I didn't know there is a regulation in Germany about GFCI, That's cool. Do you have any problem with Nitrate with a lot of feeding?

FYI, a similar regulation exists in the United States where water may come into contact with electricity, such as bathrooms.

NanoCube-boy · #99 08/14/2006, 06:49 PM

Really? I'm not a profession electrician or anything, but cool info.

ReefDoctorMicromussas · #**100** 08/15/2006, 08:53 PM

Breathless!