Red Sea Max Owners Club - Page 28

stephensturman · #**676** 12/21/2007, 10:00 PM

well my nassarius snails are eating my peppermint shrimp with the eggs as we speak because she couldn't move very fast.

stephensturman · #**677** 12/21/2007, 10:01 PM

thanks hodge! just in case anyone wants to know how to get it to fit there u have to remove the plastic cover on the control panel. but it doesn't really do anything anyways!

stephensturman · #**678** 12/21/2007, 10:04 PM

and they carry there eggs for 14-20 days then they turn from yellow to silver and when they turn silver they will hatch that day!

Hodge · #**679** 12/21/2007, 10:51 PM

stephensturman,

Bad news on your peppermint. I wonder if thats whats happened to mine??. I usually see mine at least a couple times a day.

gigs · #**680** 12/22/2007, 12:25 AM

hey guys, I went to the LFS and got a new air valve for the skimmer. I also did the mod for the inlet drilled into the top of the skimmer collector. I have installed it today...

Observations after 3 hours:

1 - There seems to be less skimmate generated, but I probably havent got it set right yet.
2 - The MB may be about 10% less
3 - Skimmer is 30 - 40% quieter

At this stage probably to early to tell, gotta wait for every thing to settle down etc. I will let you all know tomorrow...

Reefmack · #**681** 12/22/2007, 07:53 AM

stephensturman - hard to imagine that a snail could catch and take down a peppermint. Maybe it died of other causes, and the snails we just acting as cleanup? I never even noticed your Koralia mounted on the back - you may have in the past mentioned the way you mounted it - I'll have to consider that.

gigs - let us know how the valve mod does after a day or two. The inconsistencies seen between RSM skimmers can drive a person crazy trying to figure out the "why" a thing works for one person, and doesn't work for others.

stephensturman · #**682** 12/22/2007, 08:22 AM

ya but with that wany eggs she was dragging her body were ever she went but oh well i will just get another one!

Gigs~ open the valve slowly untill uget the best amount of bubbles in the skimmer which for me is about 1/2 - 3/4 open. do u have the mesh wheel mod? if not then do it and it will increase 10 fold.

Reefmack · #**683** 12/22/2007, 08:49 AM

stephensturman - I've had several peppermints disappear after putting them in the tank - only one of my 2 originals remains. I think I've added 3-4 new ones since and they've either been eaten (the small ones) or died. Are you running both the mesh mod and the air valve reoplacement? I may have missed that. Did you put the mesh mod in first and then see the largest improvement after next replacing the air valve? Maybe it's a combination of both, rather than just the air valve, that has you skimming so well?

stephensturman · #**684** 12/22/2007, 08:53 AM

i did the valve first and saw that it allowed me to be able to have way more control over the amount of air and then i did the mesh mod and it skimms like no other now!

stephensturman · #**685** 12/22/2007, 08:54 AM

reefmack~ are you happy with the upgrade to the metal halide? i have been thinking of upgrading to the 24" tek t5 fixture!

Reefmack · #**686** 12/22/2007, 09:25 AM

stephensturman - yes, I'm happy with it, but there are times I miss some things abut the hood - especially the ability to left up the front half for water changes & tank work. Not that it's difficult to lift up & remove the Orbit hood - it's just that once I do that I don't have a lot of light to see what I'm doing in the tank. But, with all the lighting & timing options (MH, T5HO actinics, moonlights) I have with the Orbit I do like it. Advantages always come with disadvantages! And uncovering that back helped a lot with alternate skimmer options, ATO sensors, etc. Does the 24" tek t5 fixture come with brackets or would you hang it over the tank?

Y-DesygnGuy · #**687** 12/22/2007, 09:27 AM

I am saving my pennies for one of these, http://www.solarisled.com/Portals/0/...e_AQF_1107.jpg

I don't like the idea of not having a lid on the tank or I would be all over this right now or as soon as they came out with the new ones.

stephensturman · #**688** 12/22/2007, 09:46 AM

sorry not worth the price on that. there is a forum about those in the lighting forum not very good reviews as far as cost to efficiency

stephensturman · #**689** 12/22/2007, 09:47 AM

i would use the brackets! is there a way to fit a 24" retro t5 kit in the hood? has anyone ever tried? i would really love to keep the hood!

Y-DesygnGuy · #**690** 12/22/2007, 10:08 AM

I am not really concerned about the cost of it up front. I like the technology behind LED's and the fact they will last for years and years. That system lets you control so much of your lighting, much more than it turns on and goes off. I love new tech toys so I don't mind taking the leap of the faith really. I just don't want to leave the top of the tank, I honestly don't care for the look of that.

The way I see it, a MH set up will cost me around $500 (Nanotuners so I can keep the lid on the tank). Then 9 months from now I am buying a new bulb, 9 months after that a new bulbs. Also since we live in lovely Arizona and for some un known reason I put the tank on a west facing wall, can you say HOT HOT HOT... I would imagine in the summer the tank is going to get pretty hot. Now toss in a MH system and the tank temps will be even higher. Even though I keep my place at 77-78 in the summer it's still going to get HOT! So then I would need a chiller for the tank which is another cost.

So over all I am willing to bet in 2-3 years of replacing bulbs and burnout ballast etc. the cost would be about the same, in the long run that is. I've read and read and read some more about what people are saying. I find all that information sorta like I do on..."You can not do this!" or "You can not do that!" with these tanks. I think each persons experience is very different than the next.

Honestly the only draw back I see to it is... I might want a bigger tank in a few years so I would want a bigger light fixture, but I think read or saw they are modular!

*Shrug* who knows my lease is up on my G35 in May and I really am itching to pick either a Porsche Cayman or the new BMW 135i twin turbo. Then of course my obsession will shift to that

I think the reef obsession will cost me less though than the car!

stephensturman · #**691** 12/22/2007, 10:11 AM

hahaha ya

Reefmack · #**692** 12/22/2007, 11:42 AM

I also liked the Solaris LED lighting when it first came out, till I saw the price! As with the Porsche or BMW they're all out of my league! But, I think the LED lighting will be the wave (pun not intended) of the future, due to low heat, abilities to program in different lighting conditions, etc. We all know the price will decrease with time, as it does any new technology. I got around the chiller needed with the MH lighting with a dual Azoo cooling fan, then needed an ATO as it really causes a lot of evaporation. I'm not even running the fans now that it's winter, and I'm not even sure I needed them this summer.

stephensturman · #**693** 12/22/2007, 11:52 AM

reefmack- do u know of anyone that as done a t5 retro in there stock hood? will they fit

Y-DesygnGuy · #**694** 12/22/2007, 12:00 PM

Yeah the cost is still a bit much to justify it. I've seen the 24" advertised between $1,200 and $1,500, as soon as it gets below $1,000 i'll grab it then. Then I need to find away to put it into a canopy to be mounted, I am soooooo not mechanical at all, so I will be begging my neighbor to help me build one

I used to work for a professional Indy Car driver, so I got way into exotic cars. He had a performance exhaust company I did all the advertising and photography for it. So I was riding around in Austin Martins, GT3 Porsches, Maserati, his 600 horse power all wheel drive twin turbo Porsche etc. I fell in love with Porsches then and knew I had to have one! I have hustled my a$$ off these past few years building my business up. I am just now at a point where the Porsches are coming in range for me. I have my entire office done in a Porsche theme to remind of my goals! I keep the 14 gallon biocube in the office to keep me calm and grounded, to keep focused!

martinphillip03 · #**695** 12/22/2007, 12:18 PM

All I have to say is, Good for you. When you get it please give us updates on how it works. For now I am a Honda guy. LOL

Marty

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Y-DesygnGuy
[B]I am not really concerned about the cost of it up front. I like the technology behind LED's and the fact they will last for years and years. That system lets you control so much of your lighting, much more than it turns on and goes off. I love new tech toys so I don't mind taking the leap of the faith really. I just don't want to leave the top of the tank, I honestly don't care for the look of that.

Reefmack · #**696** 12/22/2007, 12:19 PM

stephensturman - I don't recall anyone doing the T5 retrofit in the RSM hood.

Y-DesygnGuy - you should post a pic of the office!

Reefmack · #**697** 12/22/2007, 12:23 PM

martinphillip03 - Honda here too, and a Subaru.

I meant to mention last night - my goofy female clown was quite determined for a while last night that she was going to swim into the outlet pipe of the fuge. If the flow wasn't too much I think she would have succeeded. What a clown!

martinphillip03 · #**698** 12/22/2007, 12:52 PM

http://www.nanocustoms.com/

Happy Holidays

Marty

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Reefmack
[B]stephensturman - I don't recall anyone doing the T5 retrofit in the RSM hood.

stephensturman · #**699** 12/22/2007, 01:00 PM

nano customs doesn't offer a t5 retrofit only a mh with pc.

so january 1st i am going to be embarking on an adventure to get a 24" t5 retro kit from hello lights to fit in the stock rsm hood. if i can get them to fit i will be trying to find a way to install 4 - 6 of them so that i can choose a good bulb variety and grow any coral i want.

martinphillip03 · #**700** 12/22/2007, 01:07 PM

I don't have a RSM. I am not happy with the lighting. This upgrade may push me over the edge. Please keep me informed of your endeavor. How many watts of lights are you going for? Will you overdrive the bulbs?

Marty

QUOTE]Originally posted by stephensturman
nano customs doesn't offer a t5 retrofit only a mh with pc.

so january 1st i am going to be embarking on an adventure to get a 24" t5 retro kit from hello lights to fit in the stock rsm hood. if i can get them to fit i will be trying to find a way to install 4 - 6 of them so that i can choose a good bulb variety and grow any coral i want. [/QUOTE]