Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[msuzuki126]

Originally posted by melev
During the split, yes. After the split, it probably won't eat for about 3 days because the mouth has to form anew.

Gotcha. The anemone's foot isn't really sticking to the rock.. I turn my maxi-mod on and the foot starts loosening until the anemone almost blows away. Also, I saw about a 1/4" piece of one of the tentacles near one of my other corals. What's going on here?

[melev]

Originally posted by msuzuki126
Gotcha. The anemone's foot isn't really sticking to the rock.. I turn my maxi-mod on and the foot starts loosening until the anemone almost blows away. Also, I saw about a 1/4" piece of one of the tentacles near one of my other corals. What's going on here?

It sounds like it is definitely very unhappy. I wouldn't have it in too much flow right now, maybe redirecting your maxijet somewhat.

[melev]

Originally posted by mrkalel
I did read it and very informative as usual. And do you thing the tunze (smaller footprint I think) is overpriced?

Not necessarily. And the price is similar to the other two skimmers I've discussed, if not a little less.

It looks like it uses a Tunze Turbelle pump, which is a good pump.

[msuzuki126]

Originally posted by melev
It sounds like it is definitely very unhappy. I wouldn't have it in too much flow right now, maybe redirecting your maxijet somewhat.

Well I went out for about two hours and I come home and the RBTA's foot is totally dislodged. I'm using limited flow right now so it's just sitting in place without the foot attached. What should I do?

[Micki]

I redirected mine a few times to get it to stay where I wanted it. It's been in the same place for almost 4 years now.

[bohlke]

Originally posted by melev
Not necessarily. And the price is similar to the other two skimmers I've discussed, if not a little less.

It looks like it uses a Tunze Turbelle pump, which is a good pump.

I am planning to use my Tunze 9010 on my 215G system (120G display, 90G of sump/fuge/etc) I will let you know how it holds up. Worst case I can upgrade it to a 9015 with a collection cup upgrade.

[melev]

Originally posted by msuzuki126
Well I went out for about two hours and I come home and the RBTA's foot is totally dislodged. I'm using limited flow right now so it's just sitting in place without the foot attached. What should I do?

If it is dislodged, I don't it will be able to finish splitting. However, as long as the rest of the anemone is holding to the rock, I wouldn't be overly concerned.

Let us know how it does today.

[mrkalel]

And last question on this Marc, do you think its nessasary to get a recirculating model?

[melev]

I just don't see why it would be necessary. That being said, I've never owned one myself. So perhaps I'm incorrect, but it just seems like a skimmer that operates well that is in-sump should do the job compared to one that is recirculating.

My guess is that a RC skimmer would work better than one that wasn't in a small skimmer section in the first place. If the skimmer is in a tight zone receiving raw tank water, it should work great. However if the same skimmer is sitting in a huge unbaffled vat of water, it won't be capturing the DOCs nearly as well. The RC skimmer would solve that, if that were the case. It would be better to make sure the sump's configuration was set up properly, instead.

[Alaska_Phil]

Marc, when are you going to start a new thread titled "Ask Melev"?

Phil

[melev]

I actually have such a forum on another site, but it rarely gets used. It's been up for a couple of years over on captivereefing.com

And here you thought you'd come up with a great new idea. Am I right?

[Alaska_Phil]

Ahhh...once more you prove that YOU are the master

I am but lowly grasshopper

Phil

[melev]

Last week I placed an order for 6 of the refugium bulbs I like to use, and today the box arrived with the sound of clinkling glass. 5 out of 6 made it, so I was able to replace the bulbs over the refugium. I sent an email the vendor to see what they can do about the damaged bulb.

This evening I finally split my phytoplankton culture that has been bubbling away for about 10 weeks. It was so thick and dark that I had to pour it through a net to remove the chunky algae.

Last night I discovered the purple firefish in the sump again. I'll have to see about getting him back in the angled tank again, or maybe I'll just put him in the 280g reef this time.

[Micki]

Marc, for some reason I thought you weren't doing phyto?

Where od you order your bulbs? I used to buy mine locally but I can't find them right now.

[jnarowe]

closing in on 30K.

[Hal]

Mark,

You had posted 2 informative links somewhere on reefcentral: 1 for cyano and 1 for dino's. I can't find it here, or on your website. Any chance you can put it up on your website or point me in the right direction?

On another unrelated topic, how often do you switch out your refug bulbs?

I couldn't find the bulb that you recommend on your website locally, so I bought a CFL 6000K at Home Depot. Is there any reason to think that pretty much any CFL with the right Kelvin rating won't work (assumes normal lumens output, or is that too big of an assumption?).

My chaeto died a slow death over about 3 weeks, although that could be because it sat in a plastic bag floating in my tank for a week before I put it into my sump, or because my flowrate through my refuge is pretty low (1x?). I'm hoping it wasn't because of the bulb.

[melev]

Originally posted by Micki
Marc, for some reason I thought you weren't doing phyto?

Where od you order your bulbs? I used to buy mine locally but I can't find them right now.

I don't dose it much, which is why the jug was bubbling away for 10 weeks instead of being split around 2 weeks. However, I do keep it alive incase I get a hankering to raise rotifers or think my pods are hungry. I'm sporadic that way, mainly because my reef seems to make plenty of NO3 and PO4, so I don't dose it like I used to years ago.

And some locals need some from time to time, which works out either in trade or a little cash.

I ordered the bulbs from lightbulbsdirect.com, which is linked twice on that page of my site. I ordered 6, as I wanted to put three over the refugium and have 3 for next time. Ordering one or ordering six cost the exact same in shipping (7.90). And my entire order was about the cost of getting one MH bulb online.

I emailed them late last night about the damaged bulb, and they've already replied and told me another one will be shipped out.

[melev]

Originally posted by Hal
Mark,

You had posted 2 informative links somewhere on reefcentral: 1 for cyano and 1 for dino's. I can't find it here, or on your website. Any chance you can put it up on your website or point me in the right direction?

On another unrelated topic, how often do you switch out your refug bulbs?

I couldn't find the bulb that you recommend on your website locally, so I bought a CFL 6000K at Home Depot. Is there any reason to think that pretty much any CFL with the right Kelvin rating won't work (assumes normal lumens output, or is that too big of an assumption?).

My chaeto died a slow death over about 3 weeks, although that could be because it sat in a plastic bag floating in my tank for a week before I put it into my sump, or because my flowrate through my refuge is pretty low (1x?). I'm hoping it wasn't because of the bulb.

I'll have to think about links that go to actual threads, but I do know there is an article on Dinos here:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php

Here is a "Three Days of Darkness" thread for Cyano that worked for me:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...+days+darkness

The bulb I like is 5100K, and it isn't available locally. No one seems to read down to that section of the refugium bulb page, nor the bold text in the top paragraph.

I think your cheato died because it was in the plastic bag. No circulation, very little gas exchange, both contributing factors. Had you placed the bag near a window, it would have probably fared better. Whether you use a bulb that is 2700K, 5100K, 6500K - it really doesn't matter all that much. Cheatomorpha likes flow. I've grown it under all three spectrums, but my preference is 5100K because I saw better growth under it when I ran the comparison test.

[Micki]

Originally posted by melev
Cheatomorpha likes flow.

Interesting because I have as close to no flow as you can imagine in my fuge and I am always cleaning the cheato out because of fast growth.

[Micki]

Originally posted by melev
Cheatomorpha likes flow.

Interesting because I have as close to no flow as you can imagine in my fuge and I am always cleaning the cheato out because of fast growth.

[jnarowe]

God that's funny.

[Micki]

Originally posted by jnarowe
God that's funny.

What's so funny about that?

[melev]

I've grown it both ways Micki, and I think more flow prevents detritus from being trapped within its mass. My refugium is probably medium flow. It is 29g, and the water that enters is some of what drains to the sump, plus a single very old Penguin powerhead.

Just ignore the comments about double posting. I'm sure you're tired of hearing about it.

[msuzuki126]

Originally posted by melev
If it is dislodged, I don't it will be able to finish splitting. However, as long as the rest of the anemone is holding to the rock, I wouldn't be overly concerned.

Let us know how it does today.

It appears to be doing better. Thanks for your help and I guess I'll keep you somewhat updated with it..

[melev]

That's good news. (I hate it when I see typos in my posts. "don't" was supposed to be "doubt" )