Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread - Page 2

melev · #26 09/19/2005, 10:41 PM

I just took pictues of them in my sump. 5 frags are from Zenya's tank, which he brought with him on Thursday night. Dr Mac was kind enough to house my frags for the entire conference, and on Sunday I bought 3 corals to repay him for his courtesy.

Yes, I bought a Dendrophyllia for Casper's tank. It is wide open in my sump at the moment, because it was acclimated to that temperature yesterday. Casper's tank runs about 77F and the reef at 80F.

I'll post pictures shortly.

rjwilson37 · #27 09/19/2005, 10:42 PM

Marc, What is AGA trying to say here about the MegaFlow overflow handling up to 600gph, but then they mention using a 2,400gph pump at 5' of head. I want to use a Mag 9.5 which is rated at 750gph at 5' of head, but if my overflow can only handle up to 600gph, then why do they state a 2,400gph pump at 5' of head for the overflow. I do not understand there phrasing and was wondering if it is ok for me to use a Mag 9.5 for my new tank, or if I have to downsize to a mag 7 rated at 420gph at 5' of head.

I thought you might be able to help me with this... sorry about posting it here.

http://www.all-glass.com/products/aq...flow_sheet.pdf

melev · #28 09/19/2005, 10:59 PM

Robert, I'm subscribed to your thread, so feel free to ask me questions there so it stays on the topic of your tank. I'll see it. (And I don't mind that you asked here, btw!)

Okay, I just read that page, and it makes zero sense to me as well. I wonder what pump they recommend that produces numbers like that, or what size plumbing they are suggesting.

The fact is, if you have a 1" drain, it will handle 600gph maximum. That's it, nothing more. Sure, you can press for more, but you'll be dealing with burping and all kinds of other sound effects as the water surges. If your tank has two 1" drains, it can handle 1200gph.

According to this chart, the Mag 9.5 will be too much for the one drain. If you choose to use a Mag 7, be sure to use 1" plumbing. Always double the outlet of the Mag pump purchased when plumbing the return.

new2u · #29 09/19/2005, 11:12 PM

melev do you know if you can buy those "got par" shirts anywhere else? It be quite a conversation starter

melev · #30 09/19/2005, 11:28 PM

You might just ask the source - hellolights.com

melev · #31 09/19/2005, 11:49 PM

My new babies.

Pink Solomon Islands Pocillopora(bottom right), a very hairy greenish A. millepora(left), a small staghorn frag(center), and another stag (upper right).

Unknown Acropora.

Green montipora foliosa with a purple rim

Dendrophyllia - similar to tubastrea, but open all day.

Another angle

blue tipped acropora

As you can see, there are other frags in the prop zone that really need more light. I just got a new one, but have to go pick it up in Dallas.

melev · #32 09/19/2005, 11:53 PM

Back in the tank, I'm not sure what the heck is going on with Nipples, but it is real trouble. I don't know if it is rotting away, or being eaten by something. A few days ago I mentioned the edges looked a bit frayed. Well, tonight it is missing tissue all the way around the edges, a good 1.5" inwards from the perimeter. In other words, what is left that looks alive is an island of tissue in the center of dead skeleton. Ugh.

It would help if I could see the cause. The other Diploastrea just to the left of it looks perfectly happy.

I saw this guy on the glass last night. That is actually quite unusual. It is one of my Tigertail Cucumbers.

And I saw this bad boy last night in my two year old Acro. I think he is up to no good.

Micki · #33 09/19/2005, 11:57 PM

Hey Marc, great finds! Looks like you have a nice big bristle worm in there too!

I have two tiger tails, they look different than yours, but I see them on the glass occasionally. Mean looking fellow in that acro! :shock:

I may have to check out the Dendrophyllia!!! Do you have anything poste daobut them on your site? I don't remember seeing anything but then again...

melev · #34 09/20/2005, 12:15 AM

No, that is a new creature for me too, Micki. I heard about them about a month ago, and found they were very popular for the Nano reefers because of their beauty and reasonable size. When I saw them on display, I had to get one for Casper's tank. They aren't cheap though. $50 per polyp!!!!!! One was plenty. If it grows more, maybe one day I'll get rich.

I plan to feed it like a sun coral.

Bebo77 · #35 09/20/2005, 12:35 AM

tagging...

original-reefland · #36 09/20/2005, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis
In the year that I ran my aquacontroller pro, I never really found anything wrong with the unit itself. The time resetting when the power goes out is an annoyance, yes, but it won't hurt the tank any. If anything, it will just screw up the light schedule until you get home to reset the time.

Not to bring this up again, but I've been wondering what you mean by this. The Aquacontroller Pro has a built in battery that protects the data in a power outage. I don't understand why you need to reset anything.

ratherbediving · #37 09/20/2005, 02:14 AM

I think Marc said the battery backup didn't work

and it failed after only and hour long power outage. Hopefully he gets that working.

Was it just me, or were there a ton of bristlestars on that Dendrophyllia rock? (Not that they are bad-- was just curious)

Nice aquisitions Marc!

Micki · #38 09/20/2005, 07:26 AM

ratherbediving, geez I didn't even see that until you pointed it out! WOW looks like it.

Marc, $50.00 per polyp??? WOW! The picture makes it look quite large, is it actually the size of a sun polyp?

Travis · #39 09/20/2005, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by original-reefland
Not to bring this up again, but I've been wondering what you mean by this. The Aquacontroller Pro has a built in battery that protects the data in a power outage. I don't understand why you need to reset anything.

I thought the battery protected everything also. I went through 2 separate power outages while running mine and both times the date and time were reset to Jan 1, XXXX at 00:00 AM. Maybe it was just my unit.

Lunchbucket · #40 09/20/2005, 02:30 PM

mine reset to Jan 1 too...but either i had a low battery in there or my battery died while the power was out

Lunchbucket

melev · #41 09/20/2005, 03:19 PM

You know, if the Aqua Controller had its own built in Lithium battery, that would be nice. Something we never change, that just keeps it on schedule. Frankly, seeing just a few people chiming in to this thread that theirs goes back to Jan 1 is a little unnerving. Curt told me that I could test it for an energy leak - essentially something that drains the battery slowly - and even told me how to do this with a digital voltage meter. However, it seems like a no-brainer to put in a brand new battery and then simulate failure to see what it does.

I've never had my AQ II connected to a computer, so the one suggestion offered earlier isn't something I can rely upon.

Micki - the Dendrophyllia is quite large, like the end of my thumb up to the joint. Probably three times as large as a sun coral. You are seeing it on a piece of LR that is sitting in my sump, and my system has tons and tons of those baby serpent starfish. Some snails have died in the propagation zone for some reason, and the serpent stars love to assume those shells as homes. They also are in the joint connections of the Calcium reactor, around the powerheads, within the plastic intake screens, on & under the Phosban Reactors. You name it, they are there. Oh yeah, even within the ends of the pH probes.

Micki · #42 09/20/2005, 10:54 PM

Thanks Marc, I'll have to keep myeye out for one of these some time!

Micki · #43 09/20/2005, 10:54 PM

Thanks Marc, I'll have to keep myeye out for one of these some time! I have baby serpents, but nothing likethat!

WILDTHING · #44 09/21/2005, 03:08 PM

Marc,
the hurricane is heading to Texas, are you and the tank going to be ok? Have extra NSW, batteries etc ready?

colleen

Mogrash · #45 09/21/2005, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
Always double the outlet of the Mag pump purchased when plumbing the return.

Beautiful tank btw!

Quick question. I have heard of this doubling for the outlet but what if you have a Mag12 or 18 that is split near the outlet and going into two 3/4" vinyl tubes because the bulkhead is only 3/4"?

Would you make the outlet 1.5" and let it reduce again later at the bulkhead?

Thanks in advance.

melev · #46 09/21/2005, 05:07 PM

What hurricane?

I think our friends in Houston are the ones that have more to worry about than us in Dallas/Ft Worth. I guess I should check weather.com right quick, just in case.

I do have some things in case of emergency, but you never can be too prepared. Good thing we got some groceries today.

Mogrash, the tank is actually looking really good to me lately. The water is super clear, the fish are vibrant and bright, and the corals are looking happy.

Regarding Mag pumps, if you'll read the instructions that come with the pump, it states to double the plumbing size. So with a Mag 18 with a 3/4" outlet, you'd need 1.5" plumbing. I would plumb that with either straight or spaflex 1.5" PVC, then go into a Tee, and continue with 2" until you have to ramp it down to 1" or 3/4" outlets.

Mogrash · #47 09/21/2005, 09:34 PM

Eek! Guess I gotta go by some more plumbing.

Thanks, but I was also wondering why this was required of mag pumps.

Wish you luck with the hurricane. My grandfather has a summer house down in Rockport on the water...wonder if it will still be there.

rjwilson37 · #48 09/21/2005, 09:42 PM

If the outlet of the pump is 3/4", then how do you put 1" tubing on it, go directly off of it with a small extention that goes from 3/4" then switches to 1". I am not sure on this stuff.

Lunchbucket · #49 09/21/2005, 09:43 PM

maybe we should all suggest that AQ's be fitted w/ lithium batts. that will recharge themselves when the power is on and last a LONG time. not sure why this can't be done but Curt should take a huge note and get on it

Lunchbucket

Travis · #50 09/21/2005, 10:25 PM

Mag pump curves are produced using plumbing that is double the size of their outlets. So if you want to get the same performance as the pump curve then you must double the plumbing size.

I kind of see it as deceiving their customers. All other pump manufacturers use the same diameter plumbing to produce their performance curves. Sure they could all double it and make it look like their pumps are better than they really are but they don't feel the need to deceive.