kien's 150g Room Divider Mixed Reef & Stuff

[Reef Pilot]

Love those sequence pics, and how you put names to all your SPS. There are still a few of mine that I am not sure of, so that really helps. Wish everyone would do that.

And when I saw your Granulosa, I think I may have that one, although the stocks on mine are more pink than green. The tips look the same though. I saw an Ice Fields Tenuis on the Mad Jelly site, which also looks similar. So am not totally sure.

Good news, is I just bought a new camera. Once I figure out how to use it (LOL), will start posting more pics of my tank and corals.

[thmh]

I love progression shots! You got some serious growing power? Do you does nouc mam?

~Tony

[kien]

Love those sequence pics, and how you put names to all your SPS. There are still a few of mine that I am not sure of, so that really helps. Wish everyone would do that.

And when I saw your Granulosa, I think I may have that one, although the stocks on mine are more pink than green. The tips look the same though. I saw an Ice Fields Tenuis on the Mad Jelly site, which also looks similar. So am not totally sure.

Good news, is I just bought a new camera. Once I figure out how to use it (LOL), will start posting more pics of my tank and corals.

Ya, they're fun to observe because sometimes you don't notice the growth unless you can roll back and see older pics of them! There are actually a handful of granulosa colour morphs. You could possibly have a different coloured granulosa if the growth is similar to mine :-)

I love progression shots! You got some serious growing power? Do you does nouc mam?

~Tony

You're kidding right? Nuoc tuong ! Come on man, do you even reef??

.. although, I am going to have some nuoc mam for dinner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJvNEUFtyHk !!!

^ These guys remind me of you and Long.

[Ram3500]

Kien your photos are turning my frown upsidedown :sad: :biggrin:

[brotherd]

Dude grows amazing corals and takes amazing pics of said corals. And makes it sound easy. Is there a Kien kourse for Kool koral?

[kien]

Dude grows amazing corals and takes amazing pics of said corals. And makes it sound easy. Is there a Kien kourse for Kool koral?

Discover the methods that work for you. :-). It's as easy as you want to make it, or as hard as you want to make it. What works for me may not necessarily work for you. What's "easy" for some, may be challenging for others.

At the end if the day, the principals are exactly the same for all of us.

1. Keep your tank clean
2. Keep your tank stable
3. Collect stuff you like.

What's different are the methods we employ to achieve the above. There are so many methods, and they all work so long as you implement them properly. That's the beauty of this hobby.

There is not just one single road, there are in fact many roads that will lead to success in this hobby :-) #LessonNumberOne

[ashr]

Loving the shots! Nice work!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I couldn't agree more. If you ever run into someone who tells you there is only one way to do reefing, run away.

I've seen some of the nicest reef tanks with super healthy, colourful, growing corals that were KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and others that were gorgeous but with all the bells and whistles. Some use RODI, some tap. Some are almost religious about doing frequent water changes, others go months in between. Whatever works for you, stick with that. Some people have more $$ to spend on the high end equipment, others prefer to put in more work and time to so simple water changes to keep up water parameters. It really is more an ART than a science, although a lot of science does go into it.
'

Anthony

Discover the methods that work for you. :-). It's as easy as you want to make it, or as hard as you want to make it. What works for me may not necessarily work for you. What's "easy" for some, may be challenging for others.

At the end if the day, the principals are exactly the same for all of us.

1. Keep your tank clean
2. Keep your tank stable
3. Collect stuff you like.

What's different are the methods we employ to achieve the above. There are so many methods, and they all work so long as you implement them properly. That's the beauty of this hobby.

There is not just one single road, there are in fact many roads that will lead to success in this hobby :-) #LessonNumberOne

[thmh]

Discover the methods that work for you. :-). It's as easy as you want to make it, or as hard as you want to make it. What works for me may not necessarily work for you. What's "easy" for some, may be challenging for others.

At the end if the day, the principals are exactly the same for all of us.

1. Keep your tank clean
2. Keep your tank stable
3. Collect stuff you like.

What's different are the methods we employ to achieve the above. There are so many methods, and they all work so long as you implement them properly. That's the beauty of this hobby.

There is not just one single road, there are in fact many roads that will lead to success in this hobby :-) #LessonNumberOne

+1 on this as well! This is my number one advice! Kien just made it sound so deep!

~Tony

[Dearth]

I couldn't agree more. If you ever run into someone who tells you there is only one way to do reefing, run away.

I've seen some of the nicest reef tanks with super healthy, colourful, growing corals that were KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and others that were gorgeous but with all the bells and whistles. Some use RODI, some tap. Some are almost religious about doing frequent water changes, others go months in between. Whatever works for you, stick with that. Some people have more $$ to spend on the high end equipment, others prefer to put in more work and time to so simple water changes to keep up water parameters. It really is more an ART than a science, although a lot of science does go into it.
'

Anthony

+1
Unless of course your Kien who is in a league of his own :lol:

[lastlight]

oh kien omg teehee :mrgreen:

[SanguinesDream]

After randomly searching through the 150+ pages of this thread for a FTS, I vaguely remember searching for one a month ago to no avail.

On the excellent chance that I am wrong, I extend my sincerest apologies for my laziness and poor form. On the slim to none chance that I did not see a FTS, would you be ever so gracious to provide some pictures of your reef aquarium now?

[daplatapus]

After randomly searching through the 150+ pages of this thread for a FTS, I vaguely remember searching for one a month ago to no avail.

On the excellent chance that I am wrong, I extend my sincerest apologies for my laziness and poor form. On the slim to none chance that I did not see a FTS, would you be ever so gracious to provide some pictures of your reef aquarium now?

Take a look at pg 140 :D

[kien]

After randomly searching through the 150+ pages of this thread for a FTS, I vaguely remember searching for one a month ago to no avail.

On the excellent chance that I am wrong, I extend my sincerest apologies for my laziness and poor form. On the slim to none chance that I did not see a FTS, would you be ever so gracious to provide some pictures of your reef aquarium now?

You don't/didn't need to search all 150+ pages, just the pages labelled in green on the first page Table of Contents. :-).

I will see about getting an updated FTS. The thing about FTS' on my tank is that they are actually quite hard to do without looking weird because of the light and stuff showing through from the other side. This challenge is more prevalent during the summer months when the sun is still up until lights out at 8pm. In the fall and winter it's a lot easier because it's dark out in the early evening so I can render the other side of the tank completely dark. Draping a curtain over the other side helped but still looked weird cuz it's hard get the curtain perfectly smooth. First world reefing problems :-)

[thmh]

Can't you just use your navy bed sheets to cover one side of your tank again! No no we won't go? I don't wanna know your name all I want is to bang bang bang out a full tank shot! :-)

~Tony

[kien]

Can't you just use your navy bed sheets to cover one side of your tank again! No no we won't go? I don't wanna know your name all I want is to bang bang bang out a full tank shot! :-)

~Tony

Ya, I thought about doing that again but since it's fall now it's getting dark well before the lights go out so I should be able to get a decent FTS soon. I didn't really like the sheets approach because it was hard to get the sheet perfectly smooth. You could see the wrinkles :lol:

[lastlight]

Ya, I thought about doing that again but since it's fall now it's getting dark well before the lights go out so I should be able to get a decent FTS soon. I didn't really like the sheets approach because it was hard to get the sheet perfectly smooth. You could see the wrinkles :lol:

Not every shot needs to be a winner. Nor every race your fastest, young padawan. A simple disclaimer along with your FTS should suffice?

[kien]

Not every shot needs to be a winner. Nor every race your fastest, young padawan. A simple disclaimer along with your FTS should suffice?

You're absolutely right, it doesn't have to be a winner. Just wrinkle and orchid free would be nice. I am not growing orchids in my tank, although sometimes it may look like it.

[kien]

Nor every race your fastest

And for the record, I don't race.

[thmh]

Not every shot needs to be a winner. Nor every race your fastest, young padawan. A simple disclaimer along with your FTS should suffice?

You can't say that to an Asian! It's always http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/09/ga3usaze.jpg

~Tony

[kien]

You can't say that to an Asian! It's always http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/09/ga3usaze.jpg

~Tony

:lol: So true, so true.. That looks like my dad.. :neutral:

[lastlight]

keep calm. it's one shutter actuation in front of the other...

[kien]

keep calm. it's one shutter actuation in front of the other...

it's also 1 degrees out and I forgot my earmuffs.. frak.

[thmh]

it's also 1 degrees out and I forgot my earmuffs.. frak.

Man I hate it when that happens!

~Tony

[SanguinesDream]

Take a look at pg 140 :D

Mucho appreciative!!!

[SanguinesDream]

I know most of you don't really care about these sorts of photos but here are a couple of FTS anyway..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/REEF_20130723_008_zps6a588760.jpg

Played around with draping a blue backdrop over the tank for this one. Needs a bit of work in the execution I think.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/REEF_20130715_001_zps151d7f37.jpg

Wowee! Wow oh wow oh wow! I am so not worthy. :hail:

[kien]

First, for some perspective this is what I was looking at one year ago today.. (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=756290&postcount=922)

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/347C73D4-0B03-4740-8B3A-04D5C7EB5204-3770-00000398A21338BA.jpg

Fast forward 1 year..

The South Face
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/10397176005_49443144b6_o.jpg

The North Face
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/10397165734_7652dbfb80_o.jpg

The East Face
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5489/10397176925_2dd5b77d0c_o.jpg

And some random shots.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5502/10397162794_e86b141ca4_o.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/10397345453_3fe5c49509_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7349/10397188655_10159f1962_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3693/10397172594_392d94de18_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7397/10397356413_7364bb2322_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/10397191155_a099e65aa7_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2832/10397194065_8104fb8721_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2811/10397192655_8f08df76d8_o.jpg

[Slyguy00]

That is incredible! Nice work

[Rice Reef]

Kien, that's some amazing growth over the last 365 days! Thank you for sharing the before/after pics of your tank... Very inspiring to many reefers, new and old. I hope I can achieve half of what you have accomplished so far in a year.

For your encrusting montis have you ever had them on the bottom as opposed to the top as you have them right now? If so did the growth and color pattern differ? I am planning to have encrusting montis placed just on top of the sand bed on its own rocks as I don't want them to grow and encroach over other sps.

Thanks, Wayne

[fragbox.ca]

this tank is just perfect man
i'm digging that red goni I can never keep them

[Madreefer]

Wow that's awesome. I see you got that little boy that was stuck in your tank last year out.

[Toongraeme]

Speechless!

[gregzz4]

Gorgeous

Nice recovery too

[wayner]

Very nice and a solid recovery, must be the lights :biggrin: Beautiful, always loved your aquascaping

[lastlight]

Back on top boss! Looking forward to seeing in person someday!

[reefermadness]

Beauty tank Kien. Guys like you are the future. haha

[kien]

Thanks guys!

That is incredible! Nice work

this tank is just perfect man
i'm digging that red goni I can never keep them

I can't seem to kill that Red Goni. It has survived two coral crashes, Angel abuse, stinging. Of course, I probably just jinxed myself and will find it dead when I get home this evening :-/

Gorgeous

Nice recovery too

Wow that's awesome. I see you got that little boy that was stuck in your tank last year out.

Yes! He kinda outgrew the tank. Man those buggers are fast growers and a huge strain resources.

Very nice and a solid recovery, must be the lights :biggrin: Beautiful, always loved your aquascaping

Uncool halides FTW!! :-)

For your encrusting montis have you ever had them on the bottom as opposed to the top as you have them right now? If so did the growth and color pattern differ? I am planning to have encrusting montis placed just on top of the sand bed on its own rocks as I don't want them to grow and encroach over other sps.


Thanks Wayne! I have had a superman monti lower and it survived but I found that its colours were not as great. I have also had a sunset monti on the sandbed for a while and it seems to do fine. I think it depends on the monti. Trial and error is probably all you can do. I put my montis up high on that highest shelf piece because I felt that that shelf was way too high to place tall growing SPS. Instead I've got tablers, encrusters and bushies (poccis & birdnest). I had a Bird of Paradise up there for a while but it recently got too high. Instead of letting it breach the water surface I dismantled it and relocated it. Anyway, they are definitely a challenge due to their encrusting nature as they take up an insande amount of surface real estate. I try to keep them in check with copious amounts of epoxy.

Beauty tank Kien. Guys like you are the future. haha

I have no idea what that means, but thanks? :lol:

Back on top boss! Looking forward to seeing in person someday!

Thanks mango! I could not have done it without you! You are the wind beneath my reef wings!

[thmh]

Hey Kien your tank is sooooo fine.....ill have to issue you a ticket!!!:D

[reefermadness]

I have no idea what that means, but thanks? Im just having fun. Really I just think your tank has a lot of potential (to be one of the best around) and will really be something to see in a year or two. Not that its not nice now, it is....but with a bit more growth and maturity it should be spectacular.

[kien]

Hey Kien your tank is sooooo fine.....ill have to issue you a ticket!!!:D

:lol: I think that if my thread gets any cheesier the mods are going to start issuing me tickets.

[lastlight]

vivid stuff brah!

[Craigdillman]

Beautiful tank! Noticed the Flame angel in there how does he do with the corals? Really want to get one for my new 125 but heard stories im guessing he isnt to bad

[kien]

Beautiful tank! Noticed the Flame angel in there how does he do with the corals? Really want to get one for my new 125 but heard stories im guessing he isnt to bad

Thanks! Any Angel in a reef is hit or miss. I have a Regal and a flame angel and they both occasionally explore (ie, nip) at SPS corals but they have not been destructive. They don't eat polyps or coral flesh. They don't go after any of my LPS or clams either. Just luck (and prayers) really. I have in the past had a flame angel that was much more destructive.

[Delphinus]

It's been a good year, wow, looks great. (I feel like that sentence needed a "mang" at the end but that's really Doug's schtick, so I'll just leave it there..)

[kien]

It's been a good year, wow, looks great. (I feel like that sentence needed a "mang" at the end but that's really Doug's schtick, so I'll just leave it there..)

Thanks brochacho mang ! ya, it has been a good (lucky) year for the reef. Even with the spring floods. Reef prayers FTW!!

[Snappy]

Groovy looking stuff Kien.

[JDigital]

Nice stuff keener! It's been a good year for your tank.

[kien]

Groovy looking stuff Kien.

Nice stuff keener! It's been a good year for your tank.

thanks guys!

[Fesso]

Awesome! I actually finally made it through this entire EPIC thread! Very informative indeed to have such a detailed chronology. I am in the planning stage for a tank of these exact dimensions, although I am planning rimless with a closed loop to deal with the flow. Your last FTS before and after 1 year really just helped sell my wife of the tank size and room divider idea. Thanks for sharing!

[kien]

Awesome! I actually finally made it through this entire EPIC thread! Very informative indeed to have such a detailed chronology. I am in the planning stage for a tank of these exact dimensions, although I am planning rimless with a closed loop to deal with the flow. Your last FTS before and after 1 year really just helped sell my wife of the tank size and room divider idea. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! You just reminded me to go and update my Table of Contents with the new FTS pictures, but sadly I have reached a text limit on that first post :sad:

[lastlight]

Thanks! You just reminded me to go and update my Table of Contents with the new FTS pictures

show off.

[asylumdown]

I freaking love this tank. You make me want to throw out half my rock.

[duncangweller]

I feel exactly the same. Less is more. Almost look forward to moving house again so I can rework my rocks

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[kien]

Thanks guys :-). It's a double edged sword. Less rocks also means less real estate to plant and grow corals. I sometimes wish that I had a bit more rock to mount new frags. :neutral:

[FishyFishy!]

I just noticed that massive clam for the first time! That thing is huuuuge! How much do you think she weighs?

[kien]

I just noticed that massive clam for the first time! That thing is huuuuge! How much do you think she weighs?

Hmm.. that's a good question. I really have no idea. I have never tried to pick her up. She's been there forever.

Here's my very first pic of her way back in 2009 when I first put her into the tank. You can't exactly tell how big she is here, but she was about 3-4". Her shell was so smooth and clean. How it's got tonnes of growth lines/scutes.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2661/3871411393_46e961a38c_o.jpg

I think she is now somewhere in the neighbourhood of 7-8 inches.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/8160016756_69f37ecf9c_o.jpg

[Zoaelite]

Both of those shots are stunning so stunning I'm going to consider them Stunfisked (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Stunfisk_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29).
:lol:

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Wow, Kien, your tank looks so spectacular. Love the red goni and giant clam but everything looks so vibrant and healthy. Great job. Especially the fantastic aquascaping.

Anthony

[kien]

dun. Dun. DUN...

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/8365C518-BEEB-4F1E-B6EA-50F53C05976B_zpscjn7rh2s.jpg

My new LED lights have arrived!! Stay tuned for a full review.

[Reef Pilot]

dun. Dun. DUN...

My new LED lights have arrived!! Stay tuned for a full review.
For your Xmas tree?...:razz:

[Sahin]

Your tank converting to LED's is BIG news. Going to follow closely for sure. :)

[gqlmao]

Oh wow, that thing looks long and slender. :lol:Now I am curious on what kind of fixture could it be. Just curious, your current lighting isn't cutting it anymore?

[thmh]

Oh wow, that thing looks long and slender. :lol:Now I am curious

That's what she said?!:)




-Tony

[Madreefer]

Your tank converting to LED's is BIG news. Going to follow closely for sure. :)

Yea I'd say!
Your a brave man. Prove em all wrong.:lol: I know you can do it.

[lastlight]

shipping that must have been fun. the box is huge!

are the strips a full 6 feet long?

[mrhasan]

dun. Dun. DUN...
My new LED lights have arrived!! Stay tuned for a full review.

I am pretty sure if it was LEDs, you wouldn't be mentioning it :lol:

I hear reefbrites are great supplemental LEDs!

[JDigital]

dun. Dun. DUN...

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/8365C518-BEEB-4F1E-B6EA-50F53C05976B_zpscjn7rh2s.jpg

My new LED lights have arrived!! Stay tuned for a full review.

Why mess with whats already working?

[riceboy]

What led did you get?

[mrhasan]

What led did you get?

I am pretty sure Kien is sitting at a corner, looking at this thread (maybe eating popcorn), and laughing. :razz:

Do you have..

1. Reef Crystals in stock?
2. DI cartridges ?
3. Phoenix 250 halides?

Pretty sure he is not moving away from halides ;) I am sticking with reefbrite supplements :smile:

[Ram3500]

http://http://http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o794/groundhogdog/Mobile%20Uploads/F0CAB0A1-0D17-46E2-98B3-7F103F09746D_zpsao4tezlo.jpg

[Ram3500]

That didn't work . Whats in that box

[Proteus]

Haha. It's funny to see how curious all are.

[The Grizz]

dun. Dun. DUN...

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/8365C518-BEEB-4F1E-B6EA-50F53C05976B_zpscjn7rh2s.jpg

My new LED lights have arrived!! Stay tuned for a full review.

HOLY CRAP BATMAN!!! Your seriously switching to LED's!! I will believe it when I see it.

[Ram3500]

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o794/groundhogdog/4ce25541-fac9-4a24-b36f-5d67cfe8b782_zps98d1f3e0.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/groundhogdog/media/4ce25541-fac9-4a24-b36f-5d67cfe8b782_zps98d1f3e0.jpg.html)

[xenon]

That box is too thin to be a full LED fixture.

I am willing to bet there are reefbrite's in there for supplemental lighting to add "pop".

[Doug]

:pop2:

[Proteus]

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o794/groundhogdog/4ce25541-fac9-4a24-b36f-5d67cfe8b782_zps98d1f3e0.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/groundhogdog/media/4ce25541-fac9-4a24-b36f-5d67cfe8b782_zps98d1f3e0.jpg.html)

Need a like button

[mrhasan]

That box is too thin to be a full LED fixture.

I am willing to bet there are reefbrite's in there for supplemental lighting to add "pop".

Yah that's my guess too. Kien was looking for reefbrite few weeks ago ;) its all about pop :razz:

[kien]

So this past November while I was in Toronto I had the fortune of meeting up with the fine gents at MadJelly Corals. We hung out and they showed me around town. Thanks to them I got to see A LOT of different reef setups from vendors and hobbyists. One thing that stuck out with me during the entire trip was how nice everyone's corals were. They had this amazing rave look to them. Quite simply, they POPPED! Upon further discussions I was convinced that what I needed to add POP to my tank were LEDs. So I asked the guys what LEDs they recommended. Tony's mouth was full of ginger beef at that moment. He mumbled something and all I could make out were the words "bright" and "reef" as he continued to stuff his face.

Once I got home from my trip I proceeded with my research on these "Bright Reef LEDs". Let me tell you guys, they were not easy to track down! I did however mange to find a vendor after an extensive trek through the googles.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_011_zpsd984fd14.jpg

As you can see here they came in this cool tubular packaging. I don't think I've ever received anything this long before. Anyway, here's some product and promotional shots of the packaging.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_012_zps78b15b76.jpg

I was kinda hoping they would mention something about coral POP.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_013_zps814811e9.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_014_zpsfa7bfa92.jpg

The whole kit actually came in two packages. One very long tube for the lights themselves and another reqular package for the power supply.

Speaking of the power supply, here's what it looks like in case you were curious.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_010_zpsdb65971f.jpg

You can see here that they are fully certified with all the appropriate glyphs. Michael will be happy about that. As I continued to sift through the various bits and bobbles I came accross another nice surprise. The LED unit also came with a state-of-the-art bilt-in timer. SCORE!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/892FE56D-6E26-49F9-9B87-89B896BF6E3D_zpsawcwjoxo.jpg

After sorting out all the pieces, I finally cracked open the tubular box to check out these sweet LEDs. I have to admit, I was a bit startled when the LEDs virtually exploded out of the packaging. This thing was PACKED full of LEDs!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_009_zps6295dac0.jpg

As I slowly pulled on the LEDs it became apparent to me that I was getting a **** load of LEDs here. And as it it turns out I ordered two of these so I'm actually getting twice the **** load of LEDs. More on that later..

Just to test them out I decide to hang just one set in my canopy. They were surprisingly easy to mount.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_001_zps4838b09f.jpg

Please note that I've only got half the channels on here. That's why some of the LEDs are off. I didn't want to shock my corals.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_002_zpsb3fdf867.jpg

So, my first impression of these lights as I fired them up was, WOW! These things look super cool! And by cool I mean 'neat-o', not cool as in 'blue'. You can clearly see here that I have the 6400K LED modules installed as they are quite yellow. The nice thing about this LED unit is that you can purchase an expansion pack of replacement LEDs to get a virtually infinite colour combination! I plan to hit up Canadian Tire this weekend in fact, to pick up some Red, Green and Blue LEDs to get the whole full-spectrum thing going. I'm not really a fan of the purple.

http://cdn2.bulbamerica.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/0d4d2dbf6d17880eb865d4d6b0c91a52/x/9/x9rm500_5.jpg

So after I hung up half the lights (from one package) I started to ponder what I would do with the rest of the lights. Did I mention that there were a **** load of them?? I wasn't sure if I wanted to add more heat to my tank by stringing up more LED lights inside my canopy, so I came up with the brilliant idea of stringing them outside of my canopy instead.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_003_zps5d16dea1.jpg

I know that traditionally LEDs run fairly cool but I didn't want to take any chances. I decided that running the LEDs outside of my canopy would be better for my tank in the long run.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_004_zps8d114aa4.jpg

So, have I mentioned yet that I've got a **** load of these LEDs?? I only had one out of two packages of LEDs open and the tank already looked great! I thought that maybe I would just return the other package. As I contemplated this for a bit my 4 year old suggested that I should just throw caution to the wind and hang up all the lights. So that's what I did.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_005_zps90675ac1.jpg

I have to admit, I do like that it adds a bit of needed flare and POP to the whole tank and not just the corals.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_006_zpsf5e7bd99.jpg

Final Thoughts:

WOW! What an amazing set of lights. I would highly recommend these lights to anyone who is looking to add a bit of POP to their tank. These lights are so versatile and affordable. They are so easy to install with their flexible wire frame design. They are expandable with a dizzying array of colour temperature options.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BRLED_20131218_007_zps4d098bfd.jpg

And of course, thanks again Tony and Long for suggesting these lights. They're a keeper! :thumb:

Thanks for looking.

[Madreefer]

Bahaha. Awesome. That made my night. Thanks

[Dearth]

Kien I do believe you have found the answer to our prayers concerning proper LED lighting for our tanks thank you for enlightening our day.....you are still the master of suspense

[wayner]

Too Funny :lol:

[BlueTang<3]

From what I remember of your house you can see the tank from the street, I can only imagine what your neighbours are thinking. Probally holy crap batman he has completely lost his mind.

[FishyFishy!]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Proteus]

That deserves a trophy

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd400/titus991/Mobile%20Uploads/18AE4767-338E-4162-A57A-27B392FFD09F.jpg (http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/titus991/media/Mobile%20Uploads/18AE4767-338E-4162-A57A-27B392FFD09F.jpg.html)

[Reef Pilot]

For your Xmas tree?...:razz:
Looks like I was correct...haha.

[thmh]

Lmao Kien !


-Tony

[sphelps]

Those aren't LEDs, you got ripped off bud :neutral:

[lastlight]

From what I remember of your house you can see the tank from the street, I can only imagine what your neighbours are thinking. Probally holy crap batman he has completely lost his mind.

Not if they also saw the beanie babies. This is a step towards normal lol.

[thmh]

Wow gotta say those LED does make your tank pop pop!!!


-Tony

[wayner]

Kinda reminds me of the Neverland Ranch - must be fun

[lastlight]

Kinda reminds me of the Neverland Ranch - must be fun

Aside from the wandering hands I usually enjoy my visits. I prefer to tank sit tho.

[Delphinus]

That is sure a lot of LEDs!!! Hahahaha. Gold.

[kien]

Yup, it's that time of the year again..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/1B2E5CE2-B61C-4736-9960-CA8EFA6CB15F_zpsfbqpfkq1.jpg

[gqlmao]

That's more like it! :mrgreen: Who would of thought the future of reef tank lighting was in Christmas lights. It was obvious all along... white, blue, red and green spectrums

[kien]

Stop saying that!!...:sad: I can only wish I had a peninsula tank like yours... And your kids may appreciate it more, too, as they get older...

Don't worry, I'm a lifer :-) As frustrating as this hobby can be (mostly all the time), I can't image not having a reef tank with *something* in it. That 'something' might evolve over time, but I will always have a reef-ish tank.

Speaking of reef-ish.. I suppose it's time for an update. I hate long winded update posts so I'll keep this one real short.

It's been a busy winter for sure, family, work, life, etc. We all know how that song goes. After I got my new bulbs installed last Christmas I figured it was smooth sailing. And it was for a time, or so I thought! In about mid January I ran into some issues with the tank that at the time I couldn't quite figure out. I was starting to lose colonies to STN, RTN, FTN.. All of my parameters were good so I couldn't quite figure it out. It started to frustrate me so I naturally ignored it and proceeded to build more Gundams.

Fast forward a few weeks and things started to really look bad. Cyano had started to take hold and I knew the tank needed an intervention. But first I needed to go to Disneyland. I was hoping my tank sitter would sort out the tank for me but sadly he did not.

Fast forward another couple of weeks and I finally made the time to sort out the tank. So back in January I had noticed that the water in my RO/DI reservoir had a slight odor to it. I dismissed it at the time because I thought that maybe the order was from the basement itself and not from the water. It was pretty faint. As time went on the oder got stronger. I checked my inline TDS meter and it said everything was okay (zero TDS). What finally clued me in was when my son said, "Daddy, why does the water smell?" after I cracked open a fresh bucket of RO/DI. He was right. It did smell. I guess I forgot about it and kinda got used to it. I checked my TDS meter again and it still said zero TDS. Well, that can't be right can it? I started to doubt this. So I pulled out my external hand held TDS meter. It said zero too. Well, the water must be okay. I kept using it, even though it smelled a bit funny. In hind sight, I really shouldn't have, but I trusted my instruments. Finally I broke down and got a new TDS meter. Sure enough the the new TDS meter read a very very non zero TDS value. FRAK!

I did a couple of hefty water changes, cleaned up the sand, changed out all my media. Pretty much right away the tank started to look good again. I suppose I could have just done that from the get go. Another lesson learned. Looking back I think I just got overly frustrated because I really wanted to figure out what was causing my issues this time around. Test after test turned up nothing.

After the fact I spoke with another local hobbyst and I told him my story. He said that he encountered the exact same thing and deduced that the smell cam from bad DI resin. He has since stopped using DI. I'm considering this myself because I kind of remember now the water smelling like this once before back when I had my first tank wipe out.

Anyway, the silver lining is that it wasn't a complete catastrophe. The gold lining is that I now have more room for new corals. I lost half a dozen colonies but I can live with that considering everything else going on in the tank.

Here are some pics I took a couple of months ago but never got around to posting. I was playing around with a background because I really don't like how the photos of the see-through tank looks.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2235/13074803915_bf716b5101_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/13074803155_9f27fa716e_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2137/13074926573_dc01925ae1_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7391/13074925443_290934ddc2_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2233/13075116174_feb2f001b4_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/13074923623_2e7137757f_o.jpg

[reeferfulton]

WOW.

looks freaking sick man . love that red flower pot . its huge .
nice work

[Rice Reef]

Kien, sorry to hear about the mishap there. You got a fine son there helping you out in figuring the problem! I think he deserves a few more Gundams!

Glad to hear you've turned it around to minimize the loss and your tank still looks spectacular!

[lastlight]

that background looks awesome for the fts.

i thought you told your tank-sitter they turned things around for you in your absence? :twised:

be damned if they'll throw in the bonus glass scrape next time.

[kien]

WOW.

looks freaking sick man . love that red flower pot . its huge .
nice work

Kien, sorry to hear about the mishap there. You got a fine son there helping you out in figuring the problem! I think he deserves a few more Gundams!

Glad to hear you've turned it around to minimize the loss and your tank still looks spectacular!

Thanks :-) Tank is far from spectacular at the moment but heading back in that direction I think.

that background looks awesome for the fts.

i thought you told your tank-sitter they turned things around for you in your absence? :twised:

be damned if they'll throw in the bonus glass scrape next time.

I just told him that so that he would come back at the end of March. Don't tell him I said that though. He's sensitive like that.

[Dearth]

One thing about this hobby(infatuation) is it always finds a way to throw a curve ball at you and leaves you wondering what the hell you got yourself into

On another note I love your tank I salivate every time I see pictures of it I can only hope to one day be in your league(shameless buttering you up)

[Reef Pilot]

Fast forward another couple of weeks and I finally made the time to sort out the tank. So back in January I had noticed that the water in my RO/DI reservoir had a slight odor to it. I dismissed it at the time because I thought that maybe the order was from the basement itself and not from the water. It was pretty faint. As time went on the oder got stronger. I checked my inline TDS meter and it said everything was okay (zero TDS). What finally clued me in was when my son said, "Daddy, why does the water smell?" after I cracked open a fresh bucket of RO/DI. He was right. It did smell. I guess I forgot about it and kinda got used to it. I checked my TDS meter again and it still said zero TDS. Well, that can't be right can it? I started to doubt this. So I pulled out my external hand held TDS meter. It said zero too. Well, the water must be okay. I kept using it, even though it smelled a bit funny. In hind sight, I really shouldn't have, but I trusted my instruments. Finally I broke down and got a new TDS meter. Sure enough the the new TDS meter read a very very non zero TDS value. FRAK!

My DI instructions say that an odor means the DI is fully depleted. They call it a "fishy" smell.

[kien]

On another note I love your tank I salivate every time I see pictures of it I can only hope to one day be in your league(shameless buttering you up)

Thanks!

My DI instructions say that an odor means the DI is fully depleted. They call it a "fishy" smell.

Ya, I guess part of my problem was that I'm quite used to fishy smells around the house. But as I said, another lesson learned! I won't make that mistake a third time.

[Reef Pilot]

Well, your pics from a couple months ago sure look good! Hope it gets back to that, and even better soon. Want to see more pics again, then. And I envy anyone with a peninsula tank...

[kien]

All things considered, it actually wasn't that bad. In other words, it could have been a lot worse. Thankfully no fish were lost, all my LPS and clams came out unscathed as well. Just my most delicate (ie expensive) SPS were hit, figures. But most importantly, I did not lose one single blue clove polyp, thank God !

[Seriak]

But most importantly, I did not lose one single blue clove polyp, thank God !

lmao!

[Slyguy00]

Wow those are some awesome pics!

[reefermadness]

sorry to hear about the slight trouble but the tank looks Great Kien.

[gregzz4]

Jeepers, you wouldn't know by those pics that you'd lost any corals

[Ram3500]

Keep up the good work Kien ! Your journal inspired me and I'm sure manny others to get serious about reefing . :thumb:

[kien]

thanks everyone !

So ya, my DI saga continues.. It all started this evening when I went to my RO/DI reservoir to make another batch of NSW (New Salt Water) for a water change. Immediately I could smell that rotten smell that I mentioned in my previous update. This is odd because I just replaced my filters (Sediment, Carbon and DI) barely a month ago. I went on a testing spree and turned up some interesting but not surprising results..

Here's the TDS reading coming out of my RO membrane.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/0BF0AA9B-B074-4D9C-B1CE-E66209BC305B_zpstygnlesg.jpg

7 TDS. Not bad and fairly normal I'd say.

Now here's the TDS going out of my 1 month old DI resin.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/8561114D-BAEB-487A-8DD1-6C97F814D862_zpsnpcltoan.jpg

31 TDS. Whoa, that's definitely not zero. And as I mentioned, the water stinks. Literally stinks, like rotten eggs. I have to admit the smell can be a bit subtle so some people may not notice it. And as I've mentioned previously, I have had this stinky water before and now that I think back in retrospect, each time I had this smelly water issue I had coral issues. That's not really a surprise either because I can't even begin to imagine what nastiness I was dumping into my tank with this water. What surprised me is how quickly the water went from Zero TDS from one batch to 31 TDS in the next batch with rotten smelly water. I literally have a couple of 5g buckets of fresh RO/DI water that I made last weekend (I leave them near the tank to fill my top off reservoir) and both of those buckets read ZERO TDS.

At any rate, I took out my DI canister (and left it out), replaced my carbon filter, flushed the membrane for a bit, deep cleaned my 50g RO reservoir and proceeded to make water again. Here's the TDS coming out of my DI-less RO unit.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/08E847D6-AA78-4096-B434-C439D82C0743_zpswungawtr.jpg

I think I'm going to live without DI for a while and see if there are any adverse effects. I know of people who don't use DI and after my episode(s) I'm leaning towards that route myself. I can live with 2-7 TDS if it keeps me from DI dumping nasty crap into my tank (even by accident). Another plus is the savings!

On a final note, guys.. do you know how hard it is to deep clean a rain barrel when you're a Hobbit with t-rex arms??

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/E5E22633-A053-4DC9-ACF1-3B907BFF9C90_zpsmzcevdc3.jpg

[Slyguy00]

I dont have di on my ro and it always reads 0. I have a di canister but havnt felt the need to install it since my readings are consistantly zero. I personally have never had an issue with just ro. And at one point before ro it was reading 235 and still was only 1 after ro

[gregzz4]

No DI in Calgary huh ... hmm, interesting

Where's the pics of the T-rex reaching for the bottom of the drum ??? :smile:
Good luck with that

Looking forward to some results without your DI connected ...

[gregzz4]

I dont have di on my ro and it always reads 0. I have a di canister but havnt felt the need to install it since my readings are consistantly zero. I personally have never had an issue with just ro. And at one point before ro it was reading 235 and still was only 1 after ro
But what's your incoming water reading regularly ?

Sometimes they, in Calgary, get huge readings (by Vancouver standards) of up to 7-800ppm if I remember correctly
They need DI :wink:

[Slyguy00]

The water out here in abbotsford seems to fluctuate quite a bit, iv seen from 2ppm up to 340ppm. I would say on an average its probably about 7-10ppm though. I never really considered water in calgary, but if he said he was only getting 2ppm after RO minus DI I would think that would be ok no?

[kien]

I know of a few calgarians who don't DI. I've tested my tap a few times throughout the year(s) and have at most seen TDS at 175 ? Certainly never seen TDS higher than 200 !! We have major major run off and snow melt (flooding in some areas) right now and I just tested my tap, TDS 149.

[reeferfulton]

Does the water stink as you are making it ? Or after its been sitting for a few days.
Is it in a sealed bucket while etc.

[kien]

Does the water stink as you are making it ? Or after its been sitting for a few days.
Is it in a sealed bucket while etc.

Ya the smell seems to be coming right out of the RO/DI unit. When I took out the DI and put it in the sink in the bathroom I cold smell the DI resin. My freshwater reservoir is covered and mostly sealed. That last batch I made was just last night so it wasn't sitting around for long.

[Coralgurl]

I only run RO, incoming on my last batch was around 127, 0 coming out. I think you'd be fine without it! I'll be changing my filters before the next batch, only thing that should change is production time....:biggrin:

[kien]

I only run RO, incoming on my last batch was around 127, 0 coming out. I think you'd be fine without it! I'll be changing my filters before the next batch, only thing that should change is production time....:biggrin:

Nice! My sediment filter is probably overdue and if I replace that I wonder if my output would drop from 2 to zero. Not that a TDS of 2 is anything to worry about. I'm just happy that my water doesn't stink :lol: Seriously, I just Googled "smelly Di resin" and apparently it's pretty common. :neutral:

[mrhasan]

I also use RO. 4ppm out of the unit and I don't consider that to be the end of the world :razz: Tap water generally runs around 150ppm but I am noticing strong chlorine smell in the water today and its now 200ppm.

[mike31154]

Where are you getting your DI resin? My system has been on line for 6 plus years & I've only changed the resin once so far. Took over 3 years to exchaust it. Don't recall any foul smell. Incoming TDS here is around 170 and my 75 gpd RO gets that down to 0 during the cold months after running for approximately 10 minutes. In the warmer months once the incoming water gets above about 10 degrees C, I still get RO of 1 with similar incoming TDS. Source for my water is generally from Kalamalka Lake intake & incoming TDS is fairly consistent.

Greater Vernon has spent millions in the past few years upgrading water treatment plants. Our water rates reflect the spending & now due to more stringent health requirements mandated by IHA, they're looking at spending millions more! I do recall several times during algae blooms in the lake (springtime I think), they switched my source to Duteau Creek which they spent megabucks on a few years ago. When that happened, my incoming TDS dropped to below 50! Much softer water from the creek than from the lake. IIRC anything up to 500 TDS is deemed fit for human consumption. Over that and your supplier has to issue a boil water warning or shut down the source.

If you care for a longer read, here's an old post where I go on and on about how I run my RODI system to get the best performance out of it:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=842590#post842590

[gregzz4]

Certainly never seen TDS higher than 200
I must be confusing your guys' water with the Prairies peoples'

[Reef Pilot]

I've heard of this problem before. Where did you get your DI from?

[kien]

I've always gotten my DI resin from local fish stores and from different stores.

What I wonder now is if bad DI is the source of a lot of problems for tanks but some people can't/don't smell it. Over four years I can think of 4 times my DI has smelled and two of those times it was very very subtle and could easily be masked by the fishy smell of a fish tank, sump or skimmer. Once I remember it smelling bad while still outputting zero TDS which baffles me. It's possible the smell is attributed to something that isn't detected by the TDS meter? :noidea:

[ronau]

Do you let the produced water reading get to zero before you start put it in your storage bin? I usually have to let mine run for 10 minutes before it gets to 0ppm.

[mike31154]

I've always gotten my DI resin from local fish stores and from different stores.

What I wonder now is if bad DI is the source of a lot of problems for tanks but some people can't/don't smell it. Over four years I can think of 4 times my DI has smelled and two of those times it was very very subtle and could easily be masked by the fishy smell of a fish tank, sump or skimmer. Once I remember it smelling bad while still outputting zero TDS which baffles me. It's possible the smell is attributed to something that isn't detected by the TDS meter? :noidea:

Just guessing, but odours are generally gaseous. TDS meters designed to detect solids, no? Ergo TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter not able to detect gas? Have you been consuming a lot of Mexican food with plenty of beans the night before messing with your DI media? Sauerkraut or excessive garlic consumption?

As mentioned, I've not detected a foul odour from my DI media, nor experienced coral die off that I could possibly attribute to funky DI product water. Of course I've only opened the canister once in 4 years to replace it. Original media was colour changing & was already loaded in the cartridge out of the box on delivery. I saved it in a plastic container in the basement, opened & smelled it a minute ago. Still moist & absolutely no odour. Batch I replaced it with is non colour changing nuclear grade DI media ordered from Buckeye Field Supply (now Buckeye Hydro). If I were you I'd consider investigating alternate sources rather than those local fish stores, or at least question where they're getting it.

I understand there is a way to recharge exhausted DI media, but after looking into it & the caustic chemicals required to do so, I'm kind of ok with buying a fresh batch, particularly since the stuff is lasting me 3-4 years.

[kien]

Holy crap your DI lasted 6 years?!?! My last one died in under a month LOL. The longest I've ever had DI going was 8 months maybe..

And ya, it was taco night.. I will try cutting back but that's going to be hard.

[mike31154]

Holy crap your DI lasted 6 years?!?! My last one died in under a month LOL. The longest I've ever had DI going was 8 months maybe..

And ya, it was taco night.. I will try cutting back but that's going to be hard.

Just under 3 & 1/2 years actually. RODI system was new in 15 April 2009 & I changed the DI media & carbon block 07 August 2012 after the TDS was reading 1 at the output of the DI stage.

I've been keeping track of water production on an Excel spreadsheet since day 1 and when I changed the DI & carbon I reckon I'd run about 15,200.5 US gallons through it. This number is based on gallons RO produced + gallons DI produced + waste water produced. The waste water production is calculated by multiplying RO+DI production by 4. By adding the RO+DI production to the waste, you get a good approximation of total gallons throughput based on a 1 to 4 product to waste ratio, which is what most RO membranes are designed to. It also allows me to approximate when my 20,000 gallon rated carbon block is nearing it's rated life.

https://tsl4pa.dm2301.livefilestore.com/y2pe2IJT56L19i7oNUartbnr-aYsa-fiX06GiwmiWdu7Q-YQXvfpX_qqs4BJr7sJbAhvS6Rb9GT2cOCS0WDHo7wu3WIywsn8 WCQN42zTstXwdg/RODI2.jpg?psid=1

The link I provided about 5 posts earlier provides some theories on why I may be getting such longevity from my DI based on personal experience with a source water TDS of between 160 to 190. It's a long read, but may help you get more out of your system. To condense what I consider the more important points from that link:

-Manual flush for a few minutes before & after each production run.

-First 1/2 gallon or so after start up in my experience is pretty crappy with regard to TDS & gets dumped. Takes mine that long to get down to 1 TDS after RO. Now continue to produce at least 5 gallons of RO before beginning DI production. This ensures RO TDS is about as low as it will get before you start sending water to the DI stage. Also allows the sediment filter(s) to get properly flushed. I've found TDS after sediment filters is significantly higher than source water TDS for about 5 minutes of running time. I think this is due to crap trapped by the sediment filters partially dissolving back into the standing water in the canister while the unit sits idle. I'm thinking the longer the system sits without running, the worse this issue can be. Once you start the system back up, all this nicely redissolved crap is sent to your carbon block & RO membrane, making both work harder. Furthermore, if you have the DI plumbed in during this start up phase, guess what?

-There's no way I would consider having my RODI controlled automatically to fill my sump or ATO for top off. This causes the system to run for short bursts (see info above), which is fine if your source water TDS is extremely low &/or you have lots of money & time to replace RO membranes & DI media.

[kien]

Just under 3 & 1/2 years actually. ...

Thanks for all that info! It was an interesting read!

[kien]

In case anyone was curious, this is what an overflow box looks like after almost 5 years of neglect.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/DF8E97A1-3F55-403C-BFD2-A2B9DE81973C_zpseeqjwbtw.jpg

And this is what it looks like after 4" of feather dusters, 3 inches of detritus and about 5 hours of my life that I will never get back..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/5EFEC3F7-6F7E-4470-B8E5-A715727B561D_zpshmm7hj9l.jpg

I kicked up a poop storm (literally), so decided to do a 50% water change. Snapped some coral out of water shots.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/B11F7EC9-E783-4201-869D-3FF79F31ABE3_zpsjiyszdc8.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/8A21EF46-8932-406E-B879-89DBAA7518DA_zps0xono62p.jpg

That is all. Good night.

[lastlight]

that is totally nasty man. couldn't even find your drain pipe at first LOL.

[FishingGoalie]

In case anyone was curious, this is what an overflow box looks like after almost 5 years of neglect.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/DF8E97A1-3F55-403C-BFD2-A2B9DE81973C_zpseeqjwbtw.jpg

And this is what it looks like after 4" of feather dusters, 3 inches of detritus and about 5 hours of my life that I will never get back..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/5EFEC3F7-6F7E-4470-B8E5-A715727B561D_zpshmm7hj9l.jpg

What is that brown spaghetti looking stuff

[kien]

What is that brown spaghetti looking stuff

feather dusters.

[ronau]

In case anyone was curious, this is what an overflow box looks like after almost 5 years of neglect.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/DF8E97A1-3F55-403C-BFD2-A2B9DE81973C_zpseeqjwbtw.jpg



Mmmmmmmmmmmm.....soba.

[FishyFishy!]

Man, when i'm setting up my duplex fuge.... I'm coming over to snag some feather dusters to seed my benthic zone. Thats NUTZ. I'm sure they'll re-populate quick.

[gqlmao]

Those feather dusters must of polished that water real good before entering the sump. Is that the secret to those amazing corals? Now the new trend, everyone on Canreef is going to start dumping worms in their overflow box.:biggrin:

[kien]

Man, when i'm setting up my duplex fuge.... I'm coming over to snag some feather dusters to seed my benthic zone. Thats NUTZ. I'm sure they'll re-populate quick.

Next up is purging my sump. It's almost as bad.

Those feather dusters must of polished that water real good before entering the sump. Is that the secret to those amazing corals? Now the new trend, everyone on Canreef is going to start dumping worms in their overflow box.:biggrin:

If that's the case then I've removed at least 25% of my filtering capacity, frak!

I have often wondered though, how well feather dusters filter out dissolved organics, if at all. And if they do, then surly they must secrete waste as well so they are also dumping in nutrients as well ? Who knows :noidea:

[Magickiwi]

All I know is that looked incredibly ugly :) Are they better looking when they are in water? The only things in my overflow right now are coraline and diatom film...

[kien]

All I know is that looked incredibly ugly :) Are they better looking when they are in water? The only things in my overflow right now are coraline and diatom film...

They definitely got to a point where I became too afraid to venture into my overflow.. That was three years ago. 3 more years on that and my overflow was probably harbouring some interesting things under the various strata of detritus, debris, feather dusters, aiptasia..

[Doug]

Those feather dusters must of polished that water real good before entering the sump. Is that the secret to those amazing corals? Now the new trend, everyone on Canreef is going to start dumping worms in their overflow box.:biggrin:


:lol: Thats what I thought. Kool looking overflow. But scary. There be boogins in der.

[Magickiwi]

They definitely got to a point where I became too afraid to venture into my overflow.. That was three years ago. 3 more years on that and my overflow was probably harbouring some interesting things under the various strata of detritus, debris, feather dusters, aiptasia..

Oh Hulk up and just slam your gloveless hand into your sump; right to the bottom! Come on, prove you're tough :)

Actually I envy you; you're blessed with an abundance of various marine life that grows wild in your tank. My tank doesn't have anything I didn't deliberately put in other than a chiton and one or possibly two pistol shrimp I hear from time to time. I put some coral in yesterday that had a couple mini-stars tucked away on the bottom so maybe that will increase my bio-diversity.

[lastlight]

this seems like a good time to resurrect this while we look back on your overflow's varied appearances.

http://fishbrains.net/images/93/drugs.jpg

[Delphinus]

I need to do the same to my overflow box, it looks much the same. If I could just vacuum up the mud on the bottom and let the featherdusters be I would but they are so delicate that it's impossible.

I've kind of given up on being nice to them in my sump, I take my floor pump and vacuum up the detritus that settles in there. The pump sounds like a blender and it's nasty but I don't know what else to do about it. That amount of mud settling on the bottom has to be harboring the baddie nutrients.

On Saturday I tried to use a turkey baster to clean out the mud from my 65g's sump but the H2S smell it released told me to stop and just empty out the whole thing and clean it at the sink. I didn't even do the skimmer but it needs a powerscrub as well but it was already hours of my life as it was.

I shudder at the thought of eventually doing the same to my big tank's sump. I'm hoping that that water change vacuum trick lets me push that particular task back for a while for the time being..

[kien]

and in case anyone was curious what a leaky 2" gate valve looks like, it looks a lot like this..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/A8A4351F-E968-42B0-A9A9-98EB6B9AF0F4_zps9ljgyazl.jpg

In other news, I'm looking for suggestions on how to possibly repair a leaky gate valve. It's leaking at the handle's shaft. I tried to screw in the handle tighter but that didn't seem to help. I did manage to turn it into a position that seemed to stop the leaking but if I move it in any direction from this point it'll start leaking again :sad:

[hillegom]

You need to stop water going to the valve. Then unscrew the large nut under the handle. There is a gland usually there that will stop the water from coming out.
If you are lucky, its an O ring and you need to replace, otherwise, might be a proprietary rubber seal.
First try tightening that large nut under the handle. It should be snug, don't overtighten.
After replacing the hopefully, O ring, smear just a little silicone on the rubber. Always makes them last longer.

[kien]

You need to stop water going to the valve. Then unscrew the large nut under the handle. There is a gland usually there that will stop the water from coming out.
If you are lucky, its an O ring and you need to replace, otherwise, might be a proprietary rubber seal.
First try tightening that large nut under the handle. It should be snug, don't overtighten.
After replacing the hopefully, O ring, smear just a little silicone on the rubber. Always makes them last longer.

Thanks for that! I will have to see if I'm brave enough to operate on the valve..

[Seriak]

Thanks for that! I will have to see if I'm brave enough to operate on the valve..

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LZUaDC-_wgU/Uyhdh7I_AMI/AAAAAAAADUI/LRgsApm_FV8/s800/download.jpg

[Magickiwi]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LZUaDC-_wgU/Uyhdh7I_AMI/AAAAAAAADUI/LRgsApm_FV8/s800/download.jpg

+1 on the waterboy reference.

[kien]

For all you top-down photo haterZ (you know who you are), here are some random non-top-down photos I took this evening. All taken under 22K T5s only (my evening lights), and the water is a bit dirty from my new goby kicking up my dust bed.

Electric Orange Mushrooms.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/13281272213_9c937f8e8c_o.jpg

Coral Master's Rainbow Stylophora.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2887/13281479144_076360de04_o.jpg

Tyree Undata.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2870/13281480734_9459d38df8_o.jpg

No-Name Favia

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2871/13281275993_3f6785e5b8_o.jpg

Sunset Monti.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7412/13281130135_8ec8054c19_o.jpg

One of Two Ponape Birdnests.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3755/13281130655_c29a9c8be0_o.jpg

Second Ponape Birdsnest in another location (beside a Poker Star Monti)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3829/13281140915_4af865398f_o.jpg

blastos.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/13281287913_76e8320f32_o.jpg

bubble coral.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3831/13281141885_4f8728827d_o.jpg

Plane Jane Green Stylophora

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2859/13281289133_04b1241b18_o.jpg

Duncans.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/13281290143_3e8e5f3abb_o.jpg

Purple Stylophora

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7310/13281292043_ba1446a162_o.jpg

Red Goniopora.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/13281492944_ac1b1fdd96_o.jpg

[kien]

a plate coral (fungia) that's closing up shop for the evening.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7244/13281136365_9169ba106b_o.jpg

Dual Colour Octospawn

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7402/13281491764_3db9b43ff7_o.jpg

Yellow Frogspawn

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/13281281183_eb71d62503_o.jpg

Orange/Maroon-ish hammer

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/13281486194_b6a0b199d2_o.jpg

Gold Hammer

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2864/13281275423_d3ca2abdeb_o.jpg

Rainbow Montipora (but you wouldn't know it because it's only got the rainbowy colours on its growth edges and this thing is massive so it just looks like a poker star monti with an orange fringe)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/13281131785_01fcb54553_o.jpg

My klepto pink urchin

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/13281137145_f109ef17ce_o.jpg

Blue Reef Lobster

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/13281476994_b5b9e2a774_o.jpg

FTS

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/13281292853_68b8b46f2b_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7368/13281294483_61cf5655f9_o.jpg

[Slyguy00]

Damn thats sweet

[NIVLEM09]

That's a nice tank,Kien!i love the aquascape...

[gregzz4]

Awesome pics dude

Looks like some cheap gate valves need replacing :rolleyes:

Note to self - don't cheap out, or am I wrong ...
I won't harrass you about them, but I think those are crap.
I have a hate-on for those valves :smile:

[lastlight]

those mushrooms sure brighten that side of the tank. awesome!

[Bugger]

Nice fish tank you have there

[kien]

Nice fish tank you have there

Damn thats sweet

That's a nice tank,Kien!i love the aquascape...

Thanks guys !

Awesome pics dude

Looks like some cheap gate valves need replacing :rolleyes:

Note to self - don't cheap out, or am I wrong ...
I won't harrass you about them, but I think those are crap.
I have a hate-on for those valves :smile:

Well, my wallet didn't think that they were that cheap. I just bought whatever my LFS had and they look the same as all the other gate valves I've seen around :noidea: which non-cheap valve are you using ?

[Dez]

Won't the reef lobster eat fish? I love those things but have always been scared. And they get to be a foot long don't they?

[Rice Reef]

Nice pics! Is that lobster edible?

[kien]

Won't the reef lobster eat fish? I love those things but have always been scared. And they get to be a foot long don't they?

Nice pics! Is that lobster edible?

Well, according to LiveAquaria they are peaceful and reef safe with caution, which is pretty much the same as everything else I've put in my tank. So far I haven't observed him trying to eat any of my fish. He scavenges and picks stuff out of crevasses, frags, corals, etc. I do realize that he does have the potential to eat my fish but I find it hard to believe that he will since his pinches are pretty small. He doesn't have large pinchers like typical red lobsters have. Heck, I have a couple of acro crabs that have much larger pinchers than he does, and they are 1/8 his size.

And yes Wayne, I'm hopping to fatten him up! He has molted once every couple of weeks for as long as I've had him now. Summer BBQ season is almost here!

[kien]

Dear Stanley,

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/A161BEC8-CD0B-4FB7-925D-7624315E85C9_zpsclmv9qpe.jpg

EAT IT, BOI!!

[reefwars]

Lol this is by far the best I've ever seen and it's sunny too for the kicker :mrgreen::mrgreen:

[FishyFishy!]

Ooooooohhh snap!!!

[kien]

Lol this is by far the best I've ever seen and it's sunny too for the kicker :mrgreen::mrgreen:

That's right, Stanley may have all the nice RR corals but Is he here kickin' it with my hommies down here at THE REEF RAFT?? I don't think so. Dig it.

[gqlmao]

OMG KIEN, I laughed so hard.... So did are you going to smuggle me some pieces back?? Your vacation was to LA reef raft? I hope you brought some tin foil to pass through airport security scans when you bring me back some of the goodies :)

That's right, Stanley may have all the nice RR corals but Is he here kickin' it with my hommies down here at THE REEF RAFT?? I don't think so. Dig it.

[kien]

Over the last little while I've been noticing that my skimmer wasn't really pulling much out. At first I brushed it off because I had done some hefty water changes to clean up the tank after that incident with the De-Ionizer. Then I noticed that the skimmer was shooting a heck of a lot of micro bubbles into the tank. It got really bad and so I finally decided to do something about it.

here, have a look!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/30EFA61B-331D-4A08-B8E0-8E35754C1F3F_zpssjo8kyfq.jpg

Yup, pretty nasty stuff..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/1CC6DCD2-F235-484E-865B-BE565F478FB6_zpsmexlun2g.jpg

Well, they're just feather dusters but still.. The soft ones with the mucus tubes are pretty gross. No wonder my skimmer wasn't doing jack all.

Here's what the inside of the skimmer looked like.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/AD3C7262-AE82-4F7B-84F4-5A4755B09425_zpsucyf78sr.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/AB242F1C-8997-45CF-BFE1-339BF6D0037A_zpscj6ovx6q.jpg

Needless to say, I was busy all afternoon. Once it was all scrubbed out I gave the pump a vinegar bath for half an hour, rinsed it and put it back on-line. It started to skim just like new!

[Craigdillman]

Wow that's insane, I'm defiantly too anal for that lol I bath my pump like once a month kinda cool tho lol

[kien]

Wow that's insane, I'm defiantly too anal for that lol I bath my pump like once a month kinda cool tho lol

And that's smart! I'd recommend that everyone do likewise. Unfortunately I'm a lazy reefer LOL.

[Craigdillman]

I'm sure I'll get there lol

[FishyFishy!]

Yup! Looks like those little buggers would pre-maturely pop a few bubbles in there eh??

[michika]

How long did something like that take to build up?

[lastlight]

that's crazy. i thought those brown tube worms you have on the outside of the skimmer were in everyone's system but i don't have a single one growing anywhere in mine. i've always had them in previous setups i wonder why.

[kien]

How long did something like that take to build up?

I think the last time I cleaned out my skimmer was a little over a year ago.

[michika]

that's crazy. i thought those brown tube worms you have on the outside of the skimmer were in everyone's system but i don't have a single one growing anywhere in mine. i've always had them in previous setups i wonder why.

I was just thinking this. I actually got up to go check after seeing those photos. Nothing in my sump or skimmers. I do have one singular XXL feather duster in my sump, but nothing has changed with it in over a year.

[lastlight]

i only have a few of the white ones too. all i seem to get are those annoying 1/4" ones that stick out and make all your live rock look like a pincushion. never see any signs that they're alive until i baste my rocks then they throw out their nets.

[reefwars]

He'll if anyone wants those feather dusters I have thousands lol same as mine they attach to every darn thing lol

I also have boulder sized rocks and branch rock
covered every inch in yellow sponge good for someone who wants a quick start :)

[Sahin]

Woah...that a lot of feather duster worms. :mrgreen:

[kien]

I was just thinking this. I actually got up to go check after seeing those photos. Nothing in my sump or skimmers. I do have one singular XXL feather duster in my sump, but nothing has changed with it in over a year.

i only have a few of the white ones too. all i seem to get are those annoying 1/4" ones that stick out and make all your live rock look like a pincushion. never see any signs that they're alive until i baste my rocks then they throw out their nets.

I think what this amounts to (aside from a butt load of dusters) is the fact that my tank is probably a cesspool of dissolved and particulate organics which the dusters thrive on. Perhaps your tanks are actually clean :biggrin:

[Craigdillman]

lol well you tank looks good so somthing is working

[brotherd]

Guy. I don't want to know. If that was my skimmer I would have chucked it and fired up a new one rather than clean that....thing. Just saying.:behindsofa:

[kien]

So for the last few months I have noticed that my skimmer (Bubble Magus 220CS) hasn't quite been performing up to par. I've noticed that I just haven't been getting much in the collection cup, no mater what I do (wet skim, dry skim). I've tried adjusting the level of the water in the skimmer kneck/cup. I've even given the skimmer a thorough take-apart and vinagar bath. Another thing that is really aggrivating me is the fact that my skimmer seems to be ejecting a lot of micro bubbles out of it. Nothing has changed in the tank so I have no idea what could be causing this. I don't think it's the level of water that it is in because that hasn't changed in 5 years and I specifically designed the sump with the correct water height in mind for this skimmer.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_9852.jpg?t=1271478349

Anyway, I'm getting quite frustrated with it and am about to toss it into the recycling bin. I can't think of much that can go wrong with a skimmer other than a faulty pump/needle wheel? Which baffles me because clearly the needle wheel is functioning because it is generating a lot of bubbles and they are entering the skimmer column. For some reason a lot of these microbubbles seem to be escaping the skimmer (out of the outlet).

I'm pretty much ready to buy a new skimmer but I haven't kept up with skimmers for 5 years now so I don't really know what's out there. Suggestions? Or does someone have an idea of what to investigate to repair my skimmer? I thought about maybe tryingn to replace the needle wheel itself, or maybe the whole pump, but it seems to me like both are doing their job? So if I replace those components and find that the skimmer still sucks goat nads, well, then that's money wasted.

Oh, and the pump that it uses is an Eheim 1260 with a needle wheel impeller.

[WarDog]

I see a poll coming!

[FishingGoalie]

So for the last few months I have noticed that my skimmer (Bubble Magus 220CS) hasn't quite been performing up to par. I've noticed that I just haven't been getting much in the collection cup, no mater what I do (wet skim, dry skim). I've tried adjusting the level of the water in the skimmer kneck/cup. I've even given the skimmer a thorough take-apart and vinagar bath. Another thing that is really aggrivating me is the fact that my skimmer seems to be ejecting a lot of micro bubbles out of it. Nothing has changed in the tank so I have no idea what could be causing this. I don't think it's the level of water that it is in because that hasn't changed in 5 years and I specifically designed the sump with the correct water height in mind for this skimmer.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_9852.jpg?t=1271478349

Anyway, I'm getting quite frustrated with it and am about to toss it into the recycling bin. I can't think of much that can go wrong with a skimmer other than a faulty pump/needle wheel? Which baffles me because clearly the needle wheel is functioning because it is generating a lot of bubbles and they are entering the skimmer column. For some reason a lot of these microbubbles seem to be escaping the skimmer (out of the outlet).

I'm pretty much ready to buy a new skimmer but I haven't kept up with skimmers for 5 years now so I don't really know what's out there. Suggestions? Or does someone have an idea of what to investigate to repair my skimmer? I thought about maybe tryingn to replace the needle wheel itself, or maybe the whole pump, but it seems to me like both are doing their job? So if I replace those components and find that the skimmer still sucks goat nads, well, then that's money wasted.

Im absolutely LOVING my Vertex Omega 150. The build quality is Fan freeking tastic. I love the fact that the collection cup screws on so when opening it it doesn't get stuck and when it finally gives it doesn't go everywhere. I did have to build it up a couple inches but its still good. I think Wais had a bunch when i was last there. It even looks good.

[kien]

Im absolutely LOVING my Vertex Omega 150. The build quality is Fan freeking tastic. I love the fact that the collection cup screws on so when opening it it doesn't get stuck and when it finally gives it doesn't go everywhere. I did have to build it up a couple inches but its still good. I think Wais had a bunch when i was last there. It even looks good.

That is a very nice skimmer. I know a few people who have that skimmer. HOwever, because I have a ridonkulously high bioload I'd like to have a skimmer that's rated for double my water volume. My current skimmer is currently rated for 315-450g ! I'd like to replace it with something of a similar rating :biggrin:

[Craigdillman]

Have you emailed the company ? They might be able to help or replace or trouble shoot for you

[FishingGoalie]

That is a very nice skimmer. I know a few people who have that skimmer. HOwever, because I have a ridonkulously high bioload I'd like to have a skimmer that's rated for double my water volume. My current skimmer is currently rated for 315-450g ! I'd like to replace it with something of a similar rating :biggrin:

AHhhhhhh Im sure Vertex has a skimmer thats much bigger with the same build quality.

[kien]

Have you emailed the company ? They might be able to help or replace or trouble shoot for you

That's probably no a bad idea if I can just find some contact info. I'll have to ask The Google..

AHhhhhhh Im sure Vertex has a skimmer thats much bigger with the same build quality.

Ya, i looked and the larger line of skimmers i the Alpha Cone. Unfortunately the model hat I'd like to get, Alpha Cone 250, won't fit in my sump. :cry:

EDIT: oh i just noticed there is an Alpha Cone 200 that will fit in my sump. I'll add that to my list of candidates.

[FishyFishy!]

Well for a BM that skimmer has done you well!! Are the air lines clear of salt buildup? Do you know if you can replace the venturi?

Id try to replace the impellor assembly first. Then id think of going new.

Id go vertex or skimz if I had to buy new.

[kien]

Well for a BM that skimmer has done you well!! Are the air lines clear of salt buildup? Do you know if you can replace the venturi?

Id try to replace the impellor assembly first. Then id think of going new.

Id go vertex or skimz if I had to buy new.

Asking Google seems to turn up $120 to $150 replacement needle wheels and none locally. I'd have to order from the US and add shipping and duties etc. That's pricy for a fix that i'm not sure will guarantee a fix to my micro bubble problem.. I have no clue if the venturi is replaceable. Google isn't much help. In fact, there's not a lot of information on this skimmer. Seems people just toss it out :lol:

[FishyFishy!]

Eeww. Yeah that dosnt sound feasible.

Sounds like someone's got the upgrade itch! Not that I think you should do that though.......

..........DOOO IIIITTTTT

[kien]

..........DOOO IIIITTTTT

well, at this point I don't seem to have a lot of other options :-)

[Madreefer]

You can't go wrong with the Alpha-cone

[Dez]

I had a skimmer that just didn't seem to be performing the way it used to…. I couldn't figure it out until months later. It ended up being a bit of blockage on the intake side of things that just wasn't visible. It took me figuring it out and I had an "aha" moment and the skimmer resumed it's duties at full force once again. (previous to that I had taken the pump apart, vinegar. Taken the venturi off to clean it and cleaned basically everything else, but the blockage was in the silencer). Hopefully it's a simple fix for you.

[yycguy]

I also went the Vertex Omega route and love it!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[kien]

I had a skimmer that just didn't seem to be performing the way it used to…. I couldn't figure it out until months later. It ended up being a bit of blockage on the intake side of things that just wasn't visible. It took me figuring it out and I had an "aha" moment and the skimmer resumed it's duties at full force once again. (previous to that I had taken the pump apart, vinegar. Taken the venturi off to clean it and cleaned basically everything else, but the blockage was in the silencer). Hopefully it's a simple fix for you.

Hmm.. Interesting! Is the silencer that tall pipe that adjusts the water flow ? Is it an air line or water line ?

[brotherd]

How tall of a skimmer can you fit?

[kien]

How tall of a skimmer can you fit?

I have lots of height clearance, like 30". But the compartment in the sump is only 13" wide by 24" long.

[WarDog]

AquaC EV240 would fit that space.

[brotherd]

How about a Lifereef svs3-30 in sump skimmer. Rated for 350 gal. Any water depth up to 16 inches and will fit the footprint you need.

[Dez]

Hmm.. Interesting! Is the silencer that tall pipe that adjusts the water flow ? Is it an air line or water line ?

It was the air silencer (so basically where the air enters into a chamber to silence it). Hope this helps…..what I just typed out sounds like gibberish to me.

[Madreefer]

I have lots of height clearance, like 30". But the compartment in the sump is only 13" wide by 24" long.

Hey I just measured my alphacone 250 and it'll fit in that space

[kien]

It was the air silencer (so basically where the air enters into a chamber to silence it). Hope this helps…..what I just typed out sounds like gibberish to me.

ZOMG Dez you are my HERO!! So I unplugged my airline from the silencer and voila! No more micro bubbles! And since the skimmer wasn't ejecting microbubbles anymore they were actually going INTO the skimmer like they should be and the skimmer started to work like a champ again! ZOMG Dez !!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/8D786824-BBA5-4F28-AD8A-0DEB6BB69E41_zpsdcbq1789.jpg

I tried to shove a wire up the elbow that leads into the silencer and could not get it to go! I shoved a q-tip in there and ya it is pretty dirty. Something is clearly obstructing it. Probaby a snail wedged in there real good or just a comination of things maybe I dunno. I tried to get a coat hanger in here but it wouldn't budge. The silencer may be a write off. The skimmer sounds like meat grinder now without the silencer but at least it is skimming and not shooting microbubbles into my tank anymore! I may just save myself $1000+ dollars and MacGuyver my own silencer.


THANK YOU DEZ!

[FishingGoalie]

ZOMG Dez you are my HERO!! So I unplugged my airline from the silencer and voila! No more micro bubbles! And since the skimmer wasn't ejecting microbubbles anymore they were actually going INTO the skimmer like they should be and the skimmer started to work like a champ again! ZOMG Dez !!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/8D786824-BBA5-4F28-AD8A-0DEB6BB69E41_zpsdcbq1789.jpg

I tried to shove a wire up the elbow that leads into the silencer and could not get it to go! I shoved a q-tip in there and ya it is pretty dirty. Something is clearly obstructing it. Probaby a snail wedged in there real good or just a comination of things maybe I dunno. I tried to get a coat hanger in here but it wouldn't budge. The silencer may be a write off. The skimmer sounds like meat grinder now without the silencer but at least it is skimming and not shooting microbubbles into my tank anymore! I may just save myself $1000+ dollars and MacGuyver my own silencer.


THANK YOU DEZ!

Maybe some more of those Darn Feather dusters ;-)

Congrats on finding the problem ;)

[hillegom]

Do the two ends of the muffler come apart?
If not just try to unscrew/ pull out the 90 deg fitting. You have nothing to lose, its junk the way it is.

[kien]

Do the two ends of the muffler come apart?
If not just try to unscrew/ pull out the 90 deg fitting. You have nothing to lose, its junk the way it is.

I tried, the 90 degree fitting is glued on. I may just cut it and make a new fitting.

[Dez]

Haha! Yay. As payment for my services, I will require a visit to your zen pond and sps garden the next time I'm in Calgary. I'm glad you found the problem. The whole time I was thinking to myself, he shouldn't buy a new skimmer, if it was working well before, then no need to change it. Soak that silencer in hot water. For me, the blockage was salt build up. It sort of made a crystal. So I just dissolved it with hot water.

[kien]

Haha! Yay. As payment for my services, I will require a visit to your zen pond and sps garden the next time I'm in Calgary. I'm glad you found the problem. The whole time I was thinking to myself, he shouldn't buy a new skimmer, if it was working well before, then no need to change it. Soak that silencer in hot water. For me, the blockage was salt build up. It sort of made a crystal. So I just dissolved it with hot water.

My door is always open! Unless I'm not home.. :-)

Ya I'm guessing the exact same thing probably happened to me. This thing has been running for nearly 5 years now! The pump and impeller seem perfectly fine to me too so I had a hard time wrapping my head around having to replace them. Glad I didn't go down that route because clearly that would not have solved this problem. I will try soaking it. Thanks again! YAY no more micro bubbles!

[lastlight]

My door is always open! Unless I'm not home.. :

Send me a txt dez. That's never been a deterrent for me.

[Delphinus]

I find I get a dust buildup in my air silencers. The bigger tank has one that comes apart so is easy to clean but my smaller tank has a BM skimmer as well and it doesn't come apart. So far I've been able to clean it well enough by soaking it in vinegar and shaking it and stuff but my backup plan is to use muriatic acid (diluted of course because I kind of like my skin not burned off and stuff) if that proved not to be good enough.

The venturi for my BM is a huge PITA to clean because the air comes in through a very thin ring all around the pipe and you have no idea just by eyeballing it if the thin layer calcium buildup is affecting things or if there is gunk in the air tube as it enters the venturi. So for that one it pretty much has to be a muriatic acid bath once or twice a year (vinegar would probably work but I'm far too impatient).

HTH

[SteveCGY]

After reading this and noticing my skimmer skimming a little wet lately I figured if take get apart and look. Well what do you know, appears to be some salt build up

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d194/Stevecgy/F2ED7429-3BAB-4872-9363-D5CD119402DF_zpsxvbh39i8.jpg (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/Stevecgy/media/F2ED7429-3BAB-4872-9363-D5CD119402DF_zpsxvbh39i8.jpg.html)

[kien]

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3173_zps377f9191.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3178_zpsb89518b5.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3185_zpsd0c090e6.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3182_zps4004406f.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3163_zpsb5fdabba.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3139_zpsd2c3403d.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3052_zps6f7f10ae.jpg

[FishyFishy!]

Dang you and your supercalafragalistic photo skillz!!

Can u win the potm?? If so... the last pic has my vote lol

[kien]

Dang you and your supercalafragalistic photo skillz!!

Can u win the potm?? If so... the last pic has my vote lol

Thanks! But I dunno.. I don't think I'm popular enough to win POTM. I may have to consult Marko on that though.

[FishyFishy!]

Lol!

[benzzz]

Beautiful tank

:mrgreen: And fish !

[kien]

Beautiful tank

:mrgreen: And fish !

Thanks :-)

[kien]

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2923/14077471275_bf3ba066fd_o.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14077471005_7abff78a06_o.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/14077470745_cfec58ca80_o.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2903/14054360546_6a11d3ba50_o.jpg

[Rice Reef]

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14077471005_7abff78a06_o.jpg


Great shots of your fishies! What kind of wrasse is this?

[kien]

Great shots of your fishies! What kind of wrasse is this?

Thanks! That one is one of the Pylei fairy wrasses. I believe there are a few Pyleis. One of its common names is Sunset Fairy Wrasse. But not to be confused with the Sunset Wrasse (no fairy) :lol: This one is the female. I have a male too.

[Rice Reef]

Thanks! That one is one of the Pylei fairy wrasses. I believe there are a few Pyleis. One of its common names is Sunset Fairy Wrasse. But not to be confused with the Sunset Wrasse (no fairy) :lol: This one is the female. I have a male too.

She is soooo sweet! Can we get a shot of her mate too? Pretty pls????

[kien]

She is soooo sweet! Can we get a shot of her mate too? Pretty pls????

I'll see what I can do. He's tough though as he is always chasing my purple pseudochromis around :-) Actually the male doesn't look all that different. Just a deeper pink with a tall dorsal fin that's terminated with black on the tips.

[FishingGoalie]

I heard you have a Candy Hogfish? Any Pictures? lol

[kien]

I heard you have a Candy Hogfish? Any Pictures? lol

ya, he's another super speedy one that's hard to photograph! I'll see what I can do :-)

[FishingGoalie]

ya, he's another super speedy one that's hard to photograph! I'll see what I can do :-)

lol

[kien]

Bit blurry but you get the idea..

Male sunset fairy wrasse

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/14105354373_40dda5521c_o.jpg

Candy Hogfish

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5560/14085765934_b7b0294995_o.jpg

Sunburst Anthias

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7301/14062199006_93626b96f6_o.jpg

Parrot Fish (Scarus quoyi)

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/14062182196_50338572bf_o.jpg

Leopard Wrasse

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7297/13898679439_c19bcc111c_o.jpg

My female flame wrasse. Lost the male last year during the Calgary floods :-( Still on the lookout for another male.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/14085275955_9016a5615e_o.jpg

The Ultimate Ich Magnet!

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/13898695978_779837a735_o.jpg[/url]

Blasto photo bombers

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2919/14082154792_1d2720faab_o.jpg

Clowning around

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/14085771484_94933b0cd8_o.jpg

Lyretails

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/14085779224_7e6ff19bf9_o.jpg

[riceboy]

Man I need u to come over and take some pics lol, love the last anthia pic

[FishyFishy!]

Seriously...can we just nominate your anthiasesessss pics for POTM already?

[toytech]

Ok , what , parrot fish ? Like the reef eating ,coral crunching , 3 foot long 40 lb ,
parrot fish ? Ive seen a few snorkeling and none have been small so im curious what variety that is , and after a quick google search I cant find anyone selling them either?

[kien]

Somewhere under there is an urchin..

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/13898698359_742c26bc6f_o.jpg

Clams !

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/14085774524_e4d6056a57_o.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/13898690377_0c75d4c187_o.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7409/13898681447_cc48a7203b_o.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/14105360313_ed991367ce_o.jpg

Mushrooms

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5576/14085291825_606c642037_o.jpg

I'm not entirely sure what that thing in the middle is. I think it's a lephastrea of some sort. It kinda grows like a Goni but I'm pretty sure it's not a Goni.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2924/14082105761_df6f6efc71_o.jpg

[kien]

Ok , what , parrot fish ? Like the reef eating ,coral crunching , 3 foot long 40 lb ,
parrot fish ? Ive seen a few snorkeling and none have been small so im curious what variety that is , and after a quick google search I cant find anyone selling them either?

:lol: yes, a Princess Parrot fish (scarus quoyi). The only reef safe parrot fish that I've seen around (not that there are many parrot fishes available). Has never munched on any of my corals or inverts. In fact, he prefers grazing on algae off the rocks and glass, but will eat anything I throw in the tank.

[kien]

Man I need u to come over and take some pics lol, love the last anthia pic

Seriously...can we just nominate your anthiasesessss pics for POTM already?

thanks ! :-) Ya those anthias are seldom apart !

[lastlight]

bangin' top-downers boss!

[kien]

Aussie Gold Torch

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/14105358063_454756e393_o.jpg

Yellow-Green Torch

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5480/14062183096_9fda3d677a_o.jpg

Green forgspawn

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5154/14082161082_76882dffac_o.jpg

Yellow frogspawn

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7343/14082093681_ab49b179ba_o.jpg

Yellow hammer

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2901/13898695470_7c03f246a8_o.jpg

Bicolor octospawn

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7295/14085775414_e389380b6c_o.jpg

Green Alveopora

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7340/14062182956_41bd7eea77_o.jpg

[gregzz4]

Ya, I phyllia

Nice pics (as always)

[Slyguy00]

Awesome pics!

[Skimmer Juice]

wow a little jealous of that bi-color octo. As well as the gold torch.

[kien]

bangin' top-downers boss!

Ya, I phyllia

Nice pics (as always)

Awesome pics!

wow a little jealous of that bi-color octo. As well as the gold torch.

Thanks guys :-) Just playing around with a new (old) lens I picked up not too long ago. Seems to be OK. So ya, not too shabby for a used ten year old lens that I picked up on kijiji for $250 :biggrin:

[kien]

Orange Digi

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7345/13898698330_27f37f2ba1_o.jpg

Purpletip Digi

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5113/14082098131_c4218eec56_o.jpg

Booberry Digi

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14062198326_a035428046_o.jpg

Pink Stylo (that's confused and thinks its a digi)

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7381/14085291385_f1381ddc5e_o.jpg

Coralmaster's Rainbow Stylo

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/13898707720_181da5b60f_o.jpg

Purple Stylo
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/13898699000_6cb9b48b0d_o.jpg

Green Stylo

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14062188636_47333c8e24_o.jpg

[Slyguy00]

Wow thats a pretty sweet digi collection!

[monza]

Very cool!

[Reef Pilot]

Beautiful tank, and great pics,... almost like a pro photographer... haha.

[kien]

Sunset monti with some of my designer Blue Clove Polyps. Got lots (of Blue Cloves) if anyone wants some.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5529/13898696279_f6095ea6a7_o.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/14082153042_6c806c8b0b_o.jpg

Pink birdesnest

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/14062189266_c8b81e9d87_o.jpg

Purple and green maze brain i'm trying to grow out.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7327/14082153572_58f54e571e_o.jpg

Blasto

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/13898689279_2c6590d24c_o.jpg

Ponape Birdsnest

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2927/13898689037_1a6f897302_o.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/14105368083_523461c968_o.jpg

Another mystery coral.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/13898707588_98e49e5ccb_o.jpg

[FishyFishy!]

I heart blastos. Looks awesome!

[kien]

Lephastrea

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/14085295155_0759e03cbf_o.jpg

Confusa

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/13898704648_b11589fbb5_o.jpg

Undata

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/14082163852_75d154d308_o.jpg

Cyphastrea

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7347/14105371513_f2168975cd_o.jpg

Branching Cyphastrea

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2895/13898684519_b4bfb2702c_o.jpg

Favia

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/14062193206_073a3f0192_o.jpg

Favia 2

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7427/14062193976_19b95b20d4_o.jpg

Acan

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/14062193556_b647391dee_o.jpg

[lastlight]

nice shots once again. i notice bits of sand on a lot of your corals. is it snowing in there?

[kien]

nice shots once again. i notice bits of sand on a lot of your corals. is it snowing in there?

It's all your fault. At least I'm not raking the sandbed anymore.

[fragbox.ca]

your getting perfect color on that undata #jealous

[Kryptic4L]

your getting perfect color on that undata #jealous

and perfect nemo photo bombs.

[duncangweller]

Thank you Kien!

I was perusing the boards looking for info on placement for a couple of new frags when I found a coral on your 'growth' post that is the same as one I've been trying to name for two years!

it was an acropora austera this whole time......who would have thought.

Ta,
Dunc

[kien]

Thank you Kien!

I was perusing the boards looking for info on placement for a couple of new frags when I found a coral on your 'growth' post that is the same as one I've been trying to name for two years!

it was an acropora austera this whole time......who would have thought.

Ta,
Dunc

You're welcome! Glad I could help out :-)