|
arioch posted:The problem with those fans in the hood is that AFAICT they only move the air around inside the lighting splashguard, so they're not cooling the water for you at all.
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2012 15:21
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 18, 2024 13:43 |
|
|
Fans aren't going to last long near an aquarium regardless. I've always pointed the fan at the water, though. If you get some good quality fans with bearings (not brushless those are junk), they should last a year or two. I had a 120v clip-on desk fan (8"?) mounted above my sump on my 90 and after just 1 year it was just about dead. However, it was cheap and easy to replace heh. So yea, just being near saltwater will corrode the crap out of lesser fans regardless of which direction you point them.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2012 18:41
|
|
|
nwin posted:You are correct. I'm thinking I'll install a fan or two where the feeder lid is so it moves over the water. Only question is if I want them blowing cool air in or pulling hot air out. I worry about them blowing out because then won't you have condensation moving over/through the fans which will shorten their life? Hard to say, in this case I think blowing cooler air from the outside is going to benefit more (assuming the vent slots are big enough for air to flow out the back/sides) otherwise you're pulling hot air from the bulbs down to the water. I think the best method would be to have air being pulled into the feed door or back, and then cut out the sides of that splash guard and have both of the top fans blowing air outwards. Or just do the cover/rimless mod and enjoy!
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2012 23:29
|
|
|
 And custom white balanced (but with very poor focus/etc.) 
VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Apr 12, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2012 02:53
|
|
|
Reefer addicts I have a question and a situation here. Does anyone have experience hooking a chiller up to biocubes (BC14 in my case)? I've done it for the last two years but I run into a few problems. One, the weight of the return hoses puts a lot of pressure on the little 90 degree elbow that leads back into the tank, and the hose doesn't really stay attached without a metal pipe clamp and even that's a tenuous grip. How have people made a better connection in these tight filter areas? Go in from the top of the hood? Is there a better 90 degree piece I could use to hold the hose AND not pop off the back of the tank wall? The other chiller question: I've noticed the tank doesn't "do" as well when the chiller is attached. Corals tend to shrink, the coraline algae doesn't "behave" like it does the rest of the year. I'm starting to think I need to bite the expensive bullet of outfitting a 20gal and drop the BC14... My situation question: I just got a firefish friday. He was out and about friday night, I saw him hiding behind some rocks saturday, but between noon saturday and 5pm sunday he seems to have completely vanished. I've read they can hide for days at a time but this guy hasn't eaten since I got him. He's gotta be hungry, and I doubt two peppermint shrimps and four hermits could have completely devoured every piece of him in 24 hours even IF they'd managed to catch him....
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 17:16
|
|
|
One of my friends has a firefish in a BC with plenty of rockwork, and it really DOES spend all that time in the rocks. I wouldn't be too worried if it's a recent acquisition, it will get less shy in time. edit: If there is nothing bullying it, anyway. VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 18:05 on Apr 16, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 17:54
|
|
|
I doubt he's being harassed. It's just a goby and two peppermints in there. If these things stay so hidden all the time how can I be sure it's eating? Will they at least come out when they smell the vittles coming?
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 18:15
|
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:I doubt he's being harassed. It's just a goby and two peppermints in there. If these things stay so hidden all the time how can I be sure it's eating? Will they at least come out when they smell the vittles coming? He's probably eating pods and shrimps in the rocks if anything. If he's been eating in the store he probably doesn't Have To Be Fed for a week. Don't get worried in the first few days, anyway.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 21:01
|
|
|
I hope he's not eating any pods in there. After some severe tank neglect, and the drat chiller/water quality issues, I think they all died on me. I got a paly rock friday and I know I saw some little things swimming around it after I put it in. I don't want him offing them all and leaving me with nothing again 
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 21:14
|
|
|
Worry not, there's no way he's getting into all the cracks, nooks, and crannies. The more he eats and poops the more food for the pods in there.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 21:19
|
|
|
 My friend found this fish in a creek by town and had no idea what it is. It has small spikes covering the top half of its body. I was just wondering if someone could identify it for me.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 01:45
|
|
|
Try asking in the fishing thread.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 01:53
|
|
|
gently caress, I can't find a pearly Jawfish or frogspawn coral for the life of me...are these only seasonally available or something??
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 02:57
|
|
|
Really? Frogspawn corals are really easy to find. I love them, they are my first and favorite coral. Have you checked LiveAquaria? I'll take one of each, please! http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+8&ddid=150610 http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+8&ddid=151129 http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+8&ddid=150853 http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+8&ddid=150726 Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Apr 17, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 04:08
|
|
|
Well I've done it. This is my 46g euro. I have about 60lb of live rock. I plan on filling out more as I find pieces that I like and when I find some dry rubble at my LFS. What I have: 1 Kupang damsel(Agrippa) the oldest member of my community. I've had him since January when I started a 1.8g desktop tank with a 2lb chunk of live rock. 6 black turbos 4 ceriths 1 maroon clown(name???) I don't have a sump, refuge, or skimmer. My LFS guy told me I would be fine with such a low bio load. The light is just an off the rack setup. My big green mushroom in the center has split since being put in here. He dropped a small piece on the bottom of the tank which I scooped up and is now part of another rock jiving along nicely, in a month it's gone from dime sized to quarter, and he dropped a full half of himself which wafted off behind my rocks to graft to the back. I want to get: 1 Fuzzy dwarf lion 1 more maroon clown Anemone of some sort Gold Maxima And that will complete my setup. I've a zoa frag with two polyps that are budding out, I like those quite a bit. I really like the looks of Palys and Zoas and I'm thinking about dropping a hundred or so at Mr. Coral for a handful of frags.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 14:07
|
|
|
Alright got it. 
Terminal Philosphy fucked around with this message at 14:30 on Apr 17, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 14:10
|
|
|
The little prick firefish WAS in the biocube filter chambers. What a little bastard he was to get out of there. Lucky for me he got scared as I chased him between the chambers and he leapt back into the tank (don't THINK he did a double jump). edit: Can I get some advice? The biocube is starting to wear on me, and I've got a 20gal sitting around. Last time I used the 20 I had a canister filter on it but that thing was a whore to clean. I like the idea of the back hanging power filters like I see on the tank above this post, but the few I've looked at don't seem to have "customizable" filter chambers. I like being able to toss a chemi-pure bag in my biocube filter. Is there a hanging power filter that does let you use an arrangement like the biocubes? Also wondering about lighting. Is a basic rule of thumb "if it fits on top without going over the sides, it's the right size? I'm not putting any SPS in at all. Right now my abilities seem to be limited to palys/zoos and ricordeas. Morbid Florist fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Apr 17, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 16:09
|
|
|
Get like an AC70 HOB or whatever, take out the media tray, cut it up two sides so that it still goes back in as a bubble-trap baffle thing, then toss in whatever media you feel like in the middle. There's some good tutorials on that with pictures.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 17:02
|
|
|
I JUST saw those Hagen ones and they look like they fit the bill. I'll have to look into the modding of it. I'm going over nanoreef members' 20gal tanks but man this lighting question is throwing me. So many choices out there. If anyone has advice about what they'd use for a predominantly fish tank with some easy to keep corals I'd be highly appreciative. I don't need to throw $300 at this I don't think, but I don't want to see my polyps rot away because I went cheap either...
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 17:32
|
|
|
For a 20gal I'd get 4x t5 like this bad boy, but a decent fixture is still going to cost north of $200 unless you find them used on a local reefing forum, swap, or craigslist. In my experience zoos and palys are higher light loving corals and really would benefit from 4 T5 tubes with decent reflectors in a tall tank like a 20gal. Or you could go custom LED, but you're still probably going to run up to nearly $200+ or more for a new one like that. I think Sanchezz was selling a LED fixture to goons for $150 shipped, is that one still available? IIRC it was for a 24" wide tank so it may be perfect for you. VAGENDA OF MANOCIDE fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Apr 17, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 17:41
|
|
|
If you are doing a cube I really like the PAR38 bulbs. We have this one with 80 degree optics for our 14g work tank and it is fantastic. http://www.rapidled.com/7-led-par38-bulb/ Honestly, even if it's not a cube you could do 2 of those with 60 degree optics and it would look really nice.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 17:54
|
|
|
I see a few people have this guy: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+23655&pcatid=23655 Could this (or two, if need be) do the trick? Keeping heat as low as possible is a huge plus. edit: beaten, drat. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 17:59
|
|
|
Just notice that that one is 5 LEDs and the one I linked is 7. We had a 5 LED one and it wasn't nearly as good. Here's some others - http://www.marinedepot.com/LED_Light_Bulbs_for_Saltwater_Reef_Aquariums-FILTBULD-ct.html
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 18:05
|
|
|
So there's no special fixture for these things? I don't see anything for screw-in bulbs on dr fosters so I'm assuming you just need some kind of clamp lamp to use these?
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 18:11
|
|
|
Nope, just a standard bulb outlet. That's what is so great about them. We bought a work clamp light from Home Depot for $3 and took it apart so we had just the socket. I'll take a pic and post it. [Edit: Pics below. Sorry for the lovely phone camera pictures, cyno outbreak cause the tank is like 6 months old, the little fuzzy tree coral fell and was almost digested, the zoas are pissed off because of our hitchhiker urchin, etc. etc.]   
Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Apr 17, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 18:13
|
|
|
Internet Explorer posted:If you are doing a cube I really like the PAR38 bulbs. We have this one with 80 degree optics for our 14g work tank and it is fantastic. I have one atop my 11.4G rimless in my office. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 18:35
|
|
|
I have to say I'm pretty sold on these bulbs. Thanks for the help people. Now on to my next expense: building a stand for this thing
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 18:42
|
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:I have to say I'm pretty sold on these bulbs. Thanks for the help people. Have you seen this? Another "I can't recommend it enough." http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169964 MY GIRLFRIEND and I built the stand for our 90g with 40g breeder sump and it is solid as a rock. We had very little prior woodworking experience. The one thing I will say is use a miter saw / chop saw over a circular saw. Consistent length cuts are key.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 19:00
|
|
|
I'm actually a pretty good woodworker. This has been a someday project for a while now. I wish my parents hadn't destroyed my 30 gallon tank when I moved out but at least I've still got the 20. Cannot wait to get another longnose hawkfish again 
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 20:03
|
|
|
Internet Explorer posted:Have you seen this? Another "I can't recommend it enough." Ugh, I bought a tank/stand setup off someone for $100 to turn into scrap parts for my other projects and it had a 6' version of this plus even more supports and solid wood panel sides. The thing easily weighed north of 400lbs, drat near killed me and my buddy. (I figured out how to take the panels off AFTER we got it in the van.)
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 23:40
|
|
|
Haha, yeah. I have 3/4 inch oak panels around mine. They weigh a good bit.
Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Apr 17, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 23:44
|
|
|
I'm moving my 75 gallon tank 7 miles across town this Friday. Does anyone have any advice to make things go as smoothly as possible? My current plan is this: - Borrow my friend's Zipcar pass to get a pick-up truck - Empty as much water as possible into 5 gallon buckets and 10 gallon Rubbermaid bins - Put live rock in the bins and the corals and fishes into double-bagged 1 gallon ziplocks - Load the empty tank, stand, sump, equipment, etc. onto the truck - Drive extremely carefully for 7 miles. This ought to be fun as Seattle is very hilly I plan on having about 20 gallons of premixed saltwater on hand at the new location to replace any loss. Is there any conceivable way to help prevent water from sloshing/spilling out of containers during the move?
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 07:56
|
|
|
Anony Mouse posted:I'm moving my 75 gallon tank 7 miles across town this Friday. Does anyone have any advice to make things go as smoothly as possible? Lids for the buckets should help you with most spillage. Just make sure that you don't reuse the sand (if you have it) as depending on how deep the sandbed is it can contain a TON of toxins. When you refill the tank you'll be stirring up all of that gunk, so you may want to do one of the following to ensure you don't have a nitrate & ammonia explosion: - Remove all sand and rinse thoroughly, then replace in the tank OR - Buy new sand You're going to have at least a mini-cycle anyway so the latter is probably your best option to minimize excess nutrients.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 12:40
|
|
|
MKLKT posted:Ugh, I bought a tank/stand setup off someone for $100 to turn into scrap parts for my other projects and it had a 6' version of this plus even more supports and solid wood panel sides. The thing easily weighed north of 400lbs, drat near killed me and my buddy. What size tank was this stand for? I made one for my BC14 and while it's definitely too strong for what it needs to hold up, I can still move it myself even if it's a struggle. I really think the 2x4s are overkill for something 20gal or less. Chairs hold up 250lbs and don't need wood that thick.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 14:35
|
|
|
If it was 6 feet it had to be at least 120 gallons.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 14:40
|
|
|
Melchior posted:Lids for the buckets should help you with most spillage. Just make sure that you don't reuse the sand (if you have it) as depending on how deep the sandbed is it can contain a TON of toxins. When you refill the tank you'll be stirring up all of that gunk, so you may want to do one of the following to ensure you don't have a nitrate & ammonia explosion: I have eggcrate on the bottom of my tank to cushion the rock; including that my sand bed is between 1 and 2 inches deep.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 21:01
|
|
|
The issue is that, from my limited understanding, the stuff on the top layer of sand is different than the stuff on the bottom layer. When you move all the sand out, it is impossible to keep them in the proper layers. The stuff on top gets buried and dies, the stuff on the bottom gets exposed and dies. I haven't had to move a tank yet, but if I ever do I absolutely will be replacing all sand. At least going off what I have read. Make sure you have some Prime ready.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 21:51
|
|
|
^^^ That's absolutely right. I would take samples of the sand in specimen cups, scoop out the spaghetti worms and such, make sure to get the nassarius snails, then just dump all the sand in buckets, not to be reused until I need to full-cycle a new tank. The specimen cups of sand can then be used to seed "new" live sand for the destination tank.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 22:18
|
|
|
I think it more depends on your sandbed depth and how much detritus is sitting suspended in it. If you have a 1" sandbed and a good number of nassarius snails / conchs, turn over should be sufficient that disturbing it won't be a problem. When I redid my 90 (after having to dismantle it completely to catch a flame angel), I also filtered the existing sand bed to remove the coarse rocks and shells and stuff (caribbean oceandirect stuff vs. oolite). The sands were mixed prior so it was just running all the sand through a mesh to get rid of the chunky stuff. I then just restacked the rocks and filled it up with water again. Didn't cause a cycle, but it was only ~1.5" deep and I had plenty of nassarius and a few conchs.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 22:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 18, 2024 13:43 |
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:What size tank was this stand for? It's a custom acrylic (which is comically light weight) that works out to 100g, it was a tall, skinny and ugly room divider, but I got my money's worth in all the parts that came with it. I will also have to do a tank move soon as my parents are selling their place which is where my tank lives. I will be moving into a suite wherever they end up so I'll be able to build the system as I see fit. (Hoping that I can snag a closet or storage area to make a fish room.) The size and type of tank I use depends on the exact location I end up with though. The recommendations about the sand are correct, I bought my tank off of CL originally and had to do a move. I siphoned water into 3 giant rubbermaid containers, put the LR in two of them and the animals in the other. Then I drained the water right down to the sand level and carried the system out that way. Your experience doing that might not go so well if there is too much weight (glass + sand + water) Remember covers for the containers and drive slow! I had to drive mine a city over through areas that aren't unlike Seattle.
|
|
#
?
Apr 19, 2012 01:46
|
|