michael_t

Thanks for everyones suggestions.

Noodle, I have a magnet scraper. It helps, but not well enough. Someone should invent a motorized one!

Headless, great suggestion. I will get out and buy some Halimeda asap! And some corals

I have out of control coralline algae. It’s a daily battle to keep my acrylic tank free and clear.

Any suggestions on battling this beautiful menace?

The tank is a 60 gallon with a generic 250 watt MH + 218 watts of PC Antic lighting. The MH is on from 2 to 7 and the Antics are on from 11 to 9.

Is that like a colonic?

No, really, that's like a pressure cooker, right?

The rock is 14" by 21". Will it fit?

Anyone have a turkey fryer I can borrow? I made a huge DIY Rock and need to boil it to kill the gunk it collected when it was curing in the creek.

The base is 14" wide so I will need a pot that is equally as wide.

Thanks!

I am wanting a bigger sump. Thanks anyways.

I might take that sump off of your hands. I have a 60 gal Jebo tank that is similiar to yours. Let me measure my stand tonight and I will get back to you.

Willow, those are way nicer than mine! Awesome style. Looks like I will be copying your design this weekend.

Headless Donkey, I will take a picture of the piece the weekend of May 12th. That's the 30 day mark from it being in the creek. If I could get my hands on a turkey frier, I could get it done quicker.

I haven't made any DIY rock yet, but everything I've read says to use cement, not concrete. Could be the aggregate in the concrete is making your rock crumbly.

ej

Actually, I am using Quikrete.

I tried the salt rock mixture again but in a reverse mixture of 4 cups of quicrete to one cup salt rock. Still retards the setting time by at least 2 x. I did not move this rock for a full 7 days. During that time I draped it in dampened newspaper. I stuck one corner of the paper in a cup of water to keep the entire area moist. The whole set up was covered with a large plastic bag to maximize the hydration of the cement. Seems to be working better than the first batch but I haven’t really handled it much.

Now it is sitting in a certain creek here in town, leeching out the ph and rock salt. (Don't tell SOS!)

When it has fully cured, I wonder if Aquatek will let it seed in one of there sumps!?!

I have two Maxi-Jets, 1200 and 900 with the Mj Mod kit for sale, $90 for both. This is a true DIY kit. Needs tinkering to perfect, otherwise produces uber flow. The suction cups have been replaced with 1 ½” clear mega suction cups. I am selling because it's too much flow for my 60 gal tank. It actually kicks the sand up.

Includes misc parts for what-ever.

Picture is from the MJ mod website and mine use suction cups instead of that hob plastic strip.

got any pictures?

I am looking for an anemone for my false perc to host. Anyone have anything?

I have been making some DIY LR per the instructions on the Reef Central site, which is 2.5 parts salt, 1 part concrete. I found the salt has retarded the hardening time by a factor of 2. In addition most of the rock is crumbly. Concrete hardens by taking the hydrogen out of water and forming a bond with the concrete mix. Salt attracts water and I think inhibits the concrete from getting the hydrogen it needs to fully harden making the final product a little brittle.

On my next batch, I abandoned using rock salt. That batch completely hardened in 48 hours instead of the 72 to 96 hours with salt.

I do use the salt on the outside layer which makes nice holes and texture for bacteria and other little animals.

The GARF site recommends using ice chips instead of salt, which might be a good idea. But where do you get the right sized ice chips? In addition, concrete needs to cure at temperatures above 40 degrees so I don’t know what kind of effect the ice will have on the stability of the rock.

On the PH, I have soaked a rock I made in vinegar for 24 hrs instead of water and the Ph after wards was below 8. But the rock was crumbly afterwards. On the last batch I simply dipped the new rock in vinegar. I have yet had a chance to test the PH afterwards.

Another option that I have been toying with is putting sulfur in the concrete mix to bring down the PH. I think over the long term the sulfur will all me to add more calcium to my tank for the corals and still keep the PH within range. However, this is only intuitive thinking and not based on any research or experience.

If anyone can add anything I would appreciate it.

Michael

Drew,

I'll buy the 10$ Colony (small headss) Metallic Orange Rim, Silver Center Zoo (Not spoken for yet)

and the

10$ Green Metalic Mush, or Whole Rock with all 4 items attached for 40$ (mush still avail.)

Michael 699-6064

Would you want to part with the lawnmower blenny, the green star polyps, and the mushrooms?

Anyone have some colorful zoo's they want to sell at this weekends meeting?

Please let me know,

Michael

I need a lawnmower benny so if anyone is making an order, please let me know.

Michael

I have a bag of Dainichi Marine FX 8.8 oz. The pellet size is small but, unfortunately, too big for my little fish. It retails for $18.49.

Here is the description;

Marine FX is highly concentrated with pure cultured spirulina, Cyclop-eeze, Haematococcus algae and krill. These ingredients contain natural pigments, minerals and nutrients designed to maximize the color and luster of your marine fish, while providing them with a high protein, well balanced diet. This formula is especially ideal for omnivorous fish and invertebrates.

In return I am looking for zoos or other beginner corals that will live under 55 watt PC's. Have a total of 220 watts.

A ?Cycle? is a period of highly toxic water which will most likely kill tank inhabitants. The end result of a cycle is a balanced ecosystem that can support salt water life.

A ?cycle? is SW hobbyist term used to describe the natural process where dead material decomposes into (mostly) safe components to be reused by the reef. As this material decomposes it releases Ammonia which is converted into Nitrites which is converted into the safer Nitrates.

Having said, that when you ?establish? a new tank what you are doing is inviting bacteria to cultivate in the tank to convert waste material. This invitation period is what most people coin as ?The Cycle?. Bacterium is an essential part of the life and food chain of the saltwater world. Once bacterial levels grow large enough Ammonia and Nitrites can be naturally eliminated from the tank and fish can be added.

Anytime you add uncured live rock to a tank the dead material will go thru the process of decomposing or ?cycling? producing higher than normal levels of ammonia and nitrites.

If you are adding sand you have added a large volume or zone which is not populated with bacteria. This zone can not break down the waste it collects which can cause the tank to become unbalanced. Until it is cultivated with bacterial you could have a ?mini cycle? starting.

In conclusion unless you move 100% of an established tank to a new tank you will have a cycle. In other words you will have a period of highly toxic water which will most likely kill fish.

Dh, would that stalk be for me? If so how much do you want for it?

I would like one as well. I'm new to corals so I don't have anything to trade unless you would like something from my website www.PaleRiderHatCo.com

Otherwise I could give you cold hard U.S. currency!

Michael

Looking for spare Maxi-Jet parts. I have a 1200 Maxi Jet and the bottom piece that attaches to the pump is broke.

Please email me if you have one laying around.

Thanks,

[email protected]

Irish, I am getting a Bubble Tip and a Pink Tip. The Pink Tip was free! Should be in tomorrow. Can't wait.

I took the tank over from a friend. He was getting bad advice from a LFS and he just had a baby so he did not have time to mess with the tank.

I had more time to mess with it. Nitrates were in the 80?s and no amount of water changes would affect it.

I did a lot of research and eliminated the wet/dry trickle filter and the enclosed bio balls. Purchased the Coral Life 125 Skimmer (wish I would have ordered it online) and that has helped. Nitrates hover at 12 ppm now.

Just upgraded the lights on it too. It was a Jebo tank with crappy wet/dry filter and crappy 35 w pc?s. Some would say that the 35 w pc?s would not be enough lights for a 60 g but I have crazy coralline growth with the OEM hood.

When it was time to change out the lights I decided to replace the metal plate since it was rusting out. I removed the metal plate and noticed that the diagram on the ballast read 55w bulbs and not 35 w. The bulbs were 16? on the 35 w and the 55 w?s I found were 21?. On the new plate, I realigned the holes and shoehorned in the 21? 55 w.

So now I have 4 21?x 55w bulbs, that?s an 80 w and 20? increase over the OEM lights.

I would gladly trade cowboy gear for fish, corals, lr, whatever. fish.gif

Hello. I have the 125 set up as a HOB. It is very sensitive. I had to set mind to ?dry? skimming to prevent overflows. Also has the micro bubble problem.

It has a overflow drain, but it?s on the bottom of the collection cup. So if it starts wet skimming too much you won?t know it until it has pumped out gallons upon gallons of water. What it needs is an overflow valve below the intake line in the collection cup. That way you can see when the skimmer needs or dumping.

I am thinking of buying a plastic tube, drilling a hole in the collection cup, silicone it and attaching it to a overflow bucket. Sure would sleep better at night.