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#676
07/19/2007, 10:41 PM
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Hey guys, a quick note on chillers. If you have one with a temperature display, make sure that yo verify the reading. We own 4 chillers, all of them are Arctica by JBJ. We really like them, but if we drop in a thermometer into a tank after it has been chilled to the lower level, the tank thermometer will read 2 degrees lower than the chiller reading. All of them do this, and we have used several floating and sinking thermometers in the tanks, so I assume that the tank is actually colder than the chiller reads. Just something to look out for.
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Drew I'm growing older but not up My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck Let those winds of time blow over my head I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead--Jimmy Buffett |
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#677
07/20/2007, 01:10 AM
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michaelaz
gday mate tanks lookin good, on feeding the polyps, mate the only thing i use in my tank is success calcium +3 and vita, with a 20 litre WC each week all my corals are doing fine and growing well. all up at last count i have 24 different peices of coral and 2 anemone, make that 3 anemone, one split the other day, 6 fish, a couple of crabs that came with the LR and 3 brittle stars that also came with the LR. oh and a abalone also with the LR.... |
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#678
07/20/2007, 05:29 AM
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Geez...I hope this isn't a sign of obsession...only had the RSM up for a week now...now I went and bought a very slightly used (I think it was used...but you sure can't tell by looking at it) 12g Current Aquapod for my work office from a local guy for $55...will be going in this weekend to set it up...
Drewcipher...I noticed that right away when compairing the display temp to my digital thermo I have in the tank, mine was also 2 degrees lower...not sure about the other chillers but the Pacific Coast Imports one that I have has a funtion to allow you to callibrate the display to the actual temp...so now my digital thermo and the chiller read the same... |
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#679
07/20/2007, 05:46 AM
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Quote:
robthedarter |
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#680
07/20/2007, 06:15 AM
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Thanks for the advice on the screw covers - sounds like RSM should throw some replacements in with the free fan upgrades they send out.
michaelaz - I have Kent (I think it's Kent) phyto & zoo plankton in bottles and rarely use it, but i do once in a while. the majority of polyps like the palys and zoes, mushrooms, frogspawn, leathers, etc. don't have to be fed - they get their food from light and the algae incorporated into their bodies - photosynthetic like plants. They will at times appreciate the extra food in phyto or zooplankton, but it's not necessary. I don't feed frequently, since if I don't shut the powerheads off a lot of it just goes through the overflow gate. It's always good to check though - there are corals like the sun corals that do require feeding them, as there are types that are not photosynthetic. No chiller here but good advice on the temperature differences between the readouts on the thermometers and chiller readouts. Anyone ever thought about one of the drop-in chillers with the cooling coil that could be placed in the skimmer compartment? Great deal on the 12g aquapod glalderman! I have a little 6g FW tank in my office and would love to have a SW nano, but they're talking about relocating us to another part of town, and always the threat of downsizing going on, so I'm not comfortable setting up SW here.
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Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. |
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#681
07/20/2007, 12:22 PM
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Here are some updated pics with more rock added. Should be ready for CUC unit next week once I got the chiller install.
Just found out one of my fan is dead, so I'll have to call RS to get a replacement.  
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#682
07/20/2007, 01:19 PM
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hello fellas i have had this tank set up for about a month now, currently has 3 anthias, pair of true perc clowns and spotted manderin which feeds on frozen so do worry and a flame angel thats 7 fish. Have removed all media except black sponge which i have tried with and without but seem to still be having troubles with a few microbubbles, tried having the shutter open all the way and even turning off the skimmer, seems there is something else causing these bubbles.
So need any advice i can get its not many bubbles but there are still some and it makes me mad cos i see them and it makes it look like there is loads of bits in the water. This tank is bout to get slung out the door and go back to me old nano cube. Cheers Andy |
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#683
07/20/2007, 01:50 PM
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Hang in there, the bubbles do away as soon as the bio load increases, there is also a knob you can adjust on the skimmer air intake, I opened mine all the way and dailed it back 1 turn so it was fully screwed on. I also cut my black sponge in half (its now 2") I dont use the white material.
Hang in there, dont give up. |
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#684
07/20/2007, 02:01 PM
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It's looking really good little-d! Looks like you and I will both be taking the hood apart - bummer.
blandy.....  to Reef Central and the RSM Club. You found the right place to post RSM questions, even if we don't have all the answers! A couple things to check for on the microbubbles that have been suggested by other owners in this thread - 1) if you have any bags in the pump compartment be sure the top of a bag isn't plugging up the inlet on one of the pumps, 2) check to be sure the inlet of both pumps are submerged 3) that your overflow gate isn't raised too far causing the water level to drop in back to the point that the pumps are sucking air. At least one owner found that by putting some silicone sealer around the powerhead pump fittings that he was able to keep air from entering the pumps & causing microbubbles. If your getting a few microbubbles, so am I still, after almost 4 months. I only get a few, but I guess I've learned to just get used to them & ignore them. Since you seemed to have tried everything, maybe it's the silicone sealer on the pump inlet fittings that may work. Just remember if you try the silicone that it needs about 2 days to dry cure out of the tank - it releases too much acetic acid to have it curing in the tank. Hopefully someone else will jump in here with some more suggestions. Edit - good point and oned I missed michaelaz. I cut my black sponge down to 1 inch and clean or replace the white pad every other day. Those things helped me cut back on the microbubbles more than anything else. The increased bio-load also helps, as well as cutting back the air flow to the skimmer. I can't believe I forgot to mention those! By the way - does anyone have zero microbubbles with their RSM?
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Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. Last edited by Reefmack; 07/20/2007 at 02:16 PM. |
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#685
07/20/2007, 02:40 PM
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to be honest reef mack it sounds like i prob have bout the same amount of bubbles as u, i can ignore it as it aint much but its just knowing u paid all this money and it aint perfect. Am thiking about adding a ext filter which i have heard reduces the bubble further as they go straiight into the filter, so then i should have none.
Also was thinking about adding a metal halide, since i am over in england we dont have nanocustoms or Sunpods  so will have to go with one the sits on the back of the tank with this i may put a nano skimmer like the tunze 9002 or the deltec mce300?whats ur thoughts? |
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#686
07/20/2007, 04:04 PM
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blandy - check out page 20:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...&pagenumber=20 MAXreefer has put the Current Orbit HQI lights on his tank & it looks pretty nice. Maybe they have those in the UK? If you try the extra filter please let us all know what you did, and if you got rid of the remainder of the microbubbles. Josh&jana has a Tunze Nano Doc 9002 skimmer on order & we should hear from him soon as to how it works & if it seems to get rid of the microbubbles as well. Rue - how's the CUC doing?
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Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. |
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#687
07/20/2007, 04:43 PM
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Just go my nanocustom 150w light kit back, it looks and runs great. My temp has not go about 75 and my chiller has not even kick on. I'm starting to think I didn't even need a chiller. I will see how long that temp/ stays that low.
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#688
07/20/2007, 05:52 PM
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That's great kingfish7. If you take a pic of the hood let us see it!
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Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. |
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#689
07/20/2007, 08:17 PM
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Day 8...Cured live rock and live sand seems to be the way to go...at least it seems to have worked for me...ammonia and nitrites are zero and nitrates are down to under 20ppm...
Not sure if I did the right thing or not...but I read that shaving brush tends to use up extra Nitrate and Phosphate...so I put 3 in the back left hand side where the current in not wicked strong...added some CUC of blue leg and scarlet hermits, some Astrea and Nassarius Snails, 2 peppermint shrimp and a serpent star...also put in another 3lbs of live rock rubble into the compartment under the power heads (now have 6lbs under the power heads)...lastly put a Koralia #2 on the right hand side of the tank... Chiller is keeping a nice 78-79 temp even when the house went to 85 while at work today... anyway...here is the latest pic taken about 30 minutes ago...although the pic doesn't show it...there are a lot of caverns and hiding spaces in the left hand side of live rock...  
Last edited by glalderman; 07/20/2007 at 08:31 PM. |
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#690
07/20/2007, 08:28 PM
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Looks nice glalderman! Sounds like you have the same situation I had with cured rock - no measurable cycle other than the nitrates. Be ready for the brown diatom algae unless you see signs of it now. I doubt there's any way to skip that part of the algae cycle. I don't think the shaving brush was a mistake at all. I've wanted to get some myself but never see it at any of my SW lfs. You might want to put some fish food in there as I doubt that serpent star will find a lot to eat in there. Mine is doing fine, but I know he has stuff to eat on the bottom & gets active when I feed the fish & during the night. The shrimp & snails will help cleanup the food too.
BTW - what's that green area near the middle - a coral, or green coraline or green algae?
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Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. |
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#691
07/20/2007, 08:38 PM
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Nice pics guys!
Am I the only one thinking everyone is 'rushing' the mechanics of this tank? I can't help but think that they wouldn't have designed it the way they did if everyone is just going to toss the bioballs, toss the carbon, toss the white sponge and cut the black down... ...before they even give it a chance... If it ain't broke, don't fix it... ...any thoughts?
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Authorized Pistol Shrimp/Goby Matchmaker... |
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#692
07/20/2007, 08:46 PM
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Reefmack...already been putting flacks of food in...crabs go nuts...the circulation pulls some food into the caverns so I am hoping that the star is at least finding some of the food that gets stuck in there...
I though I lost one of my shrimp as when I turned on the koralia pump on a clear shrimp body came flying out of the live rock...ended up one of my shrimp has already molted since I put them in Wednesday evening... the green in the middle is green coraline...also brown diatom started coming in yesterday but the snails seem to keeping up with it right now... |
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#693
07/20/2007, 08:50 PM
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Rue...I am stopping at this point as I sort of feel the same thing about rushing it any futher...no plans on getting anymore live stock for the time being or any coral, etc...until tank is completely cycled and has more time on it...I do realize that this tank right now is on a very delicate edge and the slightest problem could crash it...but remember all the live rock and the live sand had been pretty much completely cured prior to me putting it in the tank...
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#694
07/20/2007, 08:55 PM
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Hi Rue. I've heard that the RSM system was designed for FO or FOWLR, but whether that's true or not I don't know. I ran the RSM setup for about 3 months with no problems - biomedia included. I think it's fine for a start up, and it's all anyone used to run in the not too distant past, and they were successful with the RSM type setup. I still like the RSM lights too & have no problems keeping anything under them so far. I guess some of us just like to tinker LOL. My biggest complaint is the skimmer - it seems to work fine for some & not for others, and I know I have more than enough bio-load that it shoyuld be skimming more out. On the rubble, I saw no difference replacing the biomedia with rubble so far - positive or negative, so the switch really had no effect other than I've been brainwashed into the current mode of thinking! But, things like cutting the sponge did show a distinct improvement for me and others. But, I agree - if it ain't broke don't fix it, but some of it just wasn't working for some of us. If yours is doing fine - leave it alone!
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Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. |
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#695
07/20/2007, 09:08 PM
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Looks like I don't have to replace my fan just yet, it got stuck and just need a little spin and now it's working again.
Just so everyone who have noise problem with your fan you can just take out the side pannel and see if you can spotted the problem, might be loose or doesn't sit properly in place. Here is a pic. that might help. No need to open the whole hood. 
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#696
07/20/2007, 11:43 PM
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That's the perfect pic that I needed. You think I could install a fan in that bright space to the left of the fans using silicone to secure it? Doesnt look like I can run screws.
I bought two cpu fans 50mm x 10mm, one for the back and hopefully one for the space to the left of the standard fans. I hope to splice them into the power supply for the existing fans. Any advise or warnings there? I'm running 82-83 at the end of my light cycle. thermostat for the house is 77 while we are at work. 74 when we get home.
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~.~.~.Squeak.~.~.~ |
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#697
07/21/2007, 05:25 AM
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Quote:
robthedarter |
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#698
07/21/2007, 07:04 AM
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imsqueak
gday mate i have hooked my rear fan up to the other originals in the hood easy to do, as reefmack said it might void warranty, but it saved me from getting a 12v converter, they have joined the originals with ordinary electrical joiners, i just tapped into them... |
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#699
07/21/2007, 07:15 AM
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little-d: great pic and great advice. I didn't even know that side panel was removable - I'll check that out before replacing the fans. Good idea on siliconing in the additional fan, but I wonder about the safety of it, plus it looks like it might be exposed to saltwater corrosion? I've thought about hard wiring in the additional back fan, but I'll just leave it separate so I can easily disconnect it in the winter - my family room gets pretty cold in the winter & I won't need any additional cooling then. Today's agenda - to try to find super glue gel in tubes - not the near useless applicator that I tried last, then moving some rock & coral around. I need to get a big enough blob of superglue on the bottom of some things to be able to secure them in place, and I've come to the conclusion that the little old fashioned tubes are the only way to do that.
Josh&jana: any idea when the Tunze skimmer will be arriving?
__________________
Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. |
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#700
07/21/2007, 07:20 AM
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Quote:
i still run a carbon bag but on top of the skimmer pump and always will run one. one thing i never got with the tank(a white sponge) and i noticed before i had read anything about cutting the black sponge, whenever i cleaned it only the top 1/4 inch was ever soiled, so it i didnt think twice about cutting it down. its just like a car air fillter, have it as thin as possible so the engine can breath freely, but not to thin were it will let particals through... 
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