Jasonanatal's JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Nano Reef Aquarium.

[Jasonanatal]

Hello everyone, it has been quite some time since I have had the chance to sit down and share the joys of recreating a beautiful piece of the reef right within my own home. I have focused on the preservation of a Nano Reef Aquarium within my home so that I can share the experience with my now 1 month 6 day old son Jayson Michael Natal.

[Jasonanatal]

Who Says Good Things Don't Come In Small Packages?

Life is full of difficult decisions especially when the decisions pertain to being able to provide for you family and participate in a hobby that you enjoy. So with that being said a large Reef Aquarium was definitely not in my future anytime soon. But that of course is not necessarily a bad thing. So I though why not venture into the world of Nano Aquariums. In my personal opinion it is definitely cheaper to setup and maintain. However, the benefit of being able to make a small mistake here and there that are acceptable in a larger aquarium definitely does not apply on this playing field. In the world of Nano Aquariums attention to detail is the key component in what seperates an aquarium that is doomed for catastrophe.

In search of the perfect aquarium to suite my needs I have decided to go with the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI which has an open back for easy access and addition of external components and a stock 150 watt Metal Halide Lighting System with 14,000k Bulb, Dual 300gph Return Pumps, JBJ Wave Maker and Protein Skimmer. So the Ms. and I drove out to a Local Fish Store and purchased the setup with Aquarium & Stand for just over $750.00, not a bad deal in my thoughts.


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Photograph Thursday October 25, 2007 - After a long drive and no help from any friends in lifting this Aquarium it is finally home. Too bad I actually have to go to work in 1 hour.

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Photograph Thursday October 25, 2007 - The location for my new JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium. I painted the room for this occasion.

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Photograph Thursday October 26, 2007 - Finally standing after 3 hours of ridiculous instructions to setup the stand, which I acutally had to hunt down instructions on Drs. Foster & Smith's website to complete the construction.

[Small Fry]

Gotta say, i love the nano cubes.

Do, the HQI definitely opens up some possibilities.

What r u thinkin, mini reef complete with sps?? Or just a pair of clowns and a nice anenome??

[Jasonanatal]

Gotta say, i love the nano cubes.

Do, the HQI definitely opens up some possibilities.

What r u thinkin, mini reef complete with sps?? Or just a pair of clowns and a nice anenome??

I'm actually going to create a full blown SPS Reef Aquarium. I like to push the envelope. :D

[Jasonanatal]

A Strong Foundation Is Just The Beginning.

Well in my past experiences I have dabled with different types of sand from different manufacturers and I always find myself coming back to my favorite. CaribSea Arag-Alive Live Aragonite Reef Sand. Best part about it the sand is already seeded with beneficial bacteria to speed up the cycling process of new Aquariums. A 20 lbs. bag can be purchased for around $28.00.

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Photograph Friday, October 26, 2007 - 20 lbs. of CaribSea Arag-Alive Live Aragonite Reef Sand made for the perfect sandbed. Looks absolutely beautiful as well.

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Photograph Friday, October 26, 2007 - Fillling the Aquarium with Instant Ocean Reef Crystals and RO/DI Water using the good old fashioned bag trick to reduce the sandstorm.

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Photograph Friday, October 26, 2007 - A beautiful look sand bed for the foundation of my greatest Aquarium ever.

[Phurst]

Ooooh, this is gonna be good. Tagging along!

[CarmieJo]

Very nice. I am happy with my NanoCube 24 and the MH on your's makes it that much better.

[Small Fry]

friday october 26th???? ARE YOU HOLDING BACK!?!?!

LOL, come on, post where your at now already, ur holding us in suspense :p

[Jasonanatal]

Harnessing the Power of the Sun In Order to Create Life!

Lighting was an important factor in the consideration of selecting a Nano Aquarium that was suitable for creating a full blown SPS Dominated Nano Reef Aquarium. Many of the Nano Aquariums available on the market currently availble with only Power Compact Lighting Systems which can sustain Soft Coral such a Mushrooms and Leathers at best. Some customizing option are availble to upgrade to Metal Halide Lighting Systems but come at a cost of drilling or removing stock Aquarium parts in order to achieve this goal. The JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI that I selected is a new product that comes stock with a 150 watt Metal Halide HQI Lighting System with four 1 watt LED Moonlights already intregrated into the hood for a 24 hour lighting solution. The electronic Ballast is a bit huge for my taste but it has integrated sealed ball bearing fans that run silent within it and 4 sealed ball bearing fans that are also integrated into the hood.

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Photograph Friday October 26, 2007 - Integrated 150 watt Metal Halide Lighting System with 14,000K Bulb and four 1 watt LED Moonlights. The glass is tempered to keep it from shattering from water condesation or splashing.

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Photograph Friday October 26, 2007 - The Electornic HQI Ballast is a bit large for my taste but it has integrate seal ball bearing fans which run silent. Don't ever touch it though, its hot!

[V]

way to go bud, glad to see you back on the horse.

if your ballast is excessively hot, i hope you have it on non heat resistance material, before your misses hammers you for melting the floor boards:huh:

[Jasonanatal]

Temperature Swings: Managing Heat & Keeping It Cool.

Maintaining an environment while minimizing the fluctuations within temperature whether it be too hot or too cold is a common concern with Nano Aquariums. Since my Nano Aquarium has a Metal Halide Lighting System integrated into the hood it was time to put a chiller into play. I have integrated a JBJ Artica 1/15 hp Titanium Chiller into the aquarium setup in order to cool things down a bit. But when the chiller does its job alittle too efficiently or the night time air cools the entire room I have installed a Marineland Visi-therm 100 watt Heater. The two pieces of equipment working in conjunction with each other manage to keep the Aquarium temperature within a range of 78.0 degrees Fahrenheit to 78.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The swing is minial at best but I'm thinking that sometime in the near future that I can install a Digital Aquarium Controller such as the Digital Reefkeeper 2 so that is can independantly controll both pieces of equipment to reduce the range even further.

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Photograph Friday, October 26, 2007 - My JBJ Artica 1/15 hp Titanium Chiller fed water by a Maxi-Jet 1200 powerhead.

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Photograph Friday, october 26, 2007 - Water Flow diagram for JBJ Artica 1/15 hp Titanium Chiller and Phosphate/Carbon Reactor.

[Jasonanatal]

way to go bud, glad to see you back on the horse.

if your ballast is excessively hot, i hope you have it on non heat resistance material, before your misses hammers you for melting the floor boards:huh:

Thank's buddy. The Ballest is actually on Hardwood Floors and it has little feet so it cool. Just have to remember when I'm feeding the Aquarium barefoot not to get to close.

[Phurst]

Jason, the setup is looking great. Fantastic job of documenting as well. I can't wait for you to start stocking it.

[Jasonanatal]

Jason, the setup is looking great. Fantastic job of documenting as well. I can't wait for you to start stocking it.

Phurst, thank you very much for the compliments.I actually already started stocking the aquarium so photographs are to be posted very soon.

[V]

sweet!

correction while no-ones looking, "Non heat resistant material, what a nuff nuff" ! :rotfl:

[Jasonanatal]

The Family: My Little Piece of the Reef.

Just thought I would stray off topic a bit and show some photographs of my family and myself. Smile!

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Photograph Saturday, October 27, 2007 - Me and my little frag... I mean son Jayson Michael Natal taking a nap while mommy cooks.

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Photograph Saturday, October 27, 2007 - My little man in his camo Go Navy! (Yes the Navy actually wears camo.)

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Photograph Thursday, October 25, 2007 - The little man and me at Beital's Aquarium. Already starting early or using him as an excuse to buy something for me... not entirely sure.

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Photograph Saturday, October 27, 2007 - The love of my life, my best friend and mother to my child Diana Rose Natal. She is the most beautiful mermaid I ever laid eyes on!

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Photograph Saturday, October 27, 2007 - The there just plain old me in need a shave desperately.

[Jasonanatal]

Aquascaping the Reef: The Journey for the Perfect Live Rock Structures.

With a limited amount of space I found that I had to be pretty precise in what pieces of rock I would purchase to recreate what I believe in my opinion would be the perfect structures for my NanoAquarium. The difficult part would be locating such pieces that would allow for not only a natural look but allowing for the most real estate to place my SPS Coral, Clams, Polyps, etc. As many of us now purchasing Live Rock from a store comes with its pros and cons just like many other things. Your definitely going to pay a large amount and quite naturally walk out with very little rock since your rock is weighed wet and you may get some cool hitch hikers that you love or get some nasty terrors that you just can't seem to get rid of.

Well I decided to turn to a local member and sponsor of the Talkingreef website since I have heard such great feedback about the quality of his goods and services. I gave Marc from Marco Rocks "The Finest Aquarium Rock Available" a call... and another call... and yet another call... and an E-mail... and eventually after finding out about the Hurricane in his area I finally got in contact with him after much stalking! :D I spoke with him about finding some of his signature pieces and placed my order. Now normally my patience is well... lets just say I have no patience. But I waited and wow is all I could say. My order of Marco Rocks was delivered in record time and the quality was amazing! I will never ever get my rock from anywere else. Thanks once again Marc for the assistance! So with Marc's cherry picked rocks and two sticks of Marineland Molding Putty I went to work (my wife thinks I should put up caution signs when I do this).

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Photograph Thursday, November 08, 2007 - My shipment of 27 lbs or Marco Rocks delivered via UPS. I'm glad the UPS driver thought this was too heavy to toss around (you should see some of my other deliveries).

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Photograph Thursday, November 08, 2007 - My Marco Rocks unpacked and quite frankly they are the most beautiful pieces of rock I have ever seen.

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Photograph Thursday, November 08, 2007 - After some trial and error and creative thinking my Captive Reef has been created... Gensis 2:2 And God had finished on the seventh day his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

[Jasonanatal]

Compensating for Evaporation While Minimizing Swings In Salinity.

Due to having a limited volume of available water evaporation is one aspect that must be checked in order to minimize the swing in salinity. I have installed a Do-it-yourself Automatic Freshwater Top Off System to effectively reduce the effect of Salinity reduction due to evaperation. The Float Switch is installed in the rear chamber of the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube Reef Aquarium which is activated when the water level falls below a particular level. Fresh RO/DI Water is then pulled from a 2.5 gallon All Glass Aquarium Resevior by use of a Tom's Aqualifter Pneumatic Pump rated at 3 gph. Once the water level has returned to normal the pump is deactivated and water flow stops. Their is a secondary safety float that will deactivate the unit should the primary float switch become stuck and continue to pull water from the Freshwater RO/DI Resevior to prevent an overflow of water into the aquarium which would result in a sever drop in salinity and a flood.

Personal Observation: I am definitely pleased with the results of the Do-it-yourself Automatic Freshwater Automatic Top Off System. However, their are some shortcoming to this system. Evaporation is currently occuring at a rate of about 0.75 gallon per week which represents about 50% of the Freshwater RO/DI Resevior capacity. I anticipate that once I incorporate Kalkwasser or another type of Calcium Additive that evaporation will increase requiring a need to upgrade the resevior capacity. Also the JBJ Wavemaker which is currently set to alternate pumps every 2 minutes causes chamber where the float switch is installed to have a slight reduction in water level with causes premature dosing of Freshwater into the Aquarium. I'm considering upgrading the the Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 "Water Level Regulation System with Static Sensor".


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Photograph, Thursday, October 26, 2007 - Do-it-yourself Automatic Freshwater RO/DI Top Off Float Switch with Secondary Overflow Sensor.

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Photograph, Thursday, October 26, 2007 - Freshwater RO/DI Resevior with Tom's Aqualifter Pneumatic Pump.

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Photograph Saturday, November 10, 2007 - Water Flow Diagram of the Do-it-yourself Automatic Freshwater RO/DI Top Off System and Toms Aqualifter Pneumatic Pump.

[CarmieJo]

Your tank is looking good. Thanks for sharing the pix of your family, your little guy is a cutie!

[Jasonanatal]

Your tank is looking good. Thanks for sharing the pix of your family, your little guy is a cutie!

CarmieJo, thank you for the compliments.

[Jasonanatal]

Electrical Sparks: Bringing Life to the Aquarium.

In order to allow all my toys to work of course electricity is required. I have used 3 seperate Power Strips to provide more then enough outlets for all the gadgets within the Aquarium while allowing plenty of space to add more. The load for each outlet is staggered to the next seperating each set of electrical components based on the level of importance. I'm not pulling an extreme level of power but just a precautionary measure.

Personal Observation: I'm considering replacing all power strips with an Eletronic Aquarium Controller such as the Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper 2 or the Neptune Systems Aquacontroller 3. This will allow me to better automate components of the aquarium with less clutter and allow for digital logging and control through a Personal Computer.

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Photograph Thursday, October 27, 2007 - 3 seperate power strips mounted within the lower cubicle of the Aquarium Stand each with Electrical Power Surge Supressing capabilities.

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Photograph Thursday, October 27, 2007 - Electrical Wiring Diagram for my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium.

[Jasonanatal]

Phosphate/Carbon Reactor: Giving That Extra Touch of Perfection.

I have incorporated a Precision Marine Fluidized Reactor which is filled with Fauna Marin Ultra Carb L (Fauna Marin Ultra Carb L is an extremely pure, vapour-activated and pre-washed activated carbon for efficient removal of yellowness, turbidity and harmful toxins, essential for maintaining good water quality in any aquarium. Ultracarb is almost entirely free of phosphate and has an extremely high capacity). This Reactor is maintained for 1 month and then media is swapped out. For the next month I will use ROWAphos (ROWAphos is the most effective phosphate remover on the market today. ROWAphos will not only remove phosphates but will never release them back into the system. The product is easy to use and will improve the water quality wherever Phosphate or Silicate is a problem. It is of interest to Marine and Reef Aquariums where its unrivalled capabilities have shown it to be extremely beneficial in the control of nuisance algae’s and the growth of hard corals. Unlike other phosphate removal products, it does not shock the animals or cause problems when used regularly. In fact constant use of the product is recommended, as its abilities to control nuisance algae is a major benefit). This schedule will rotate continuously for every month.

Personal Observation: I am considering purchasing a second Precision Marine Fluidized Reactor which will be daisy chained to provide constant removal of Ammonia, Phosphate, Silicates, etc. without the need to have a swapped media schedule within a shared Reactor.


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Photograph Thursday, October 26, 2007 - Precision Marine Fluidized Reaactor currently filled with Fauna Marin Ultra Carb L media for another 2 weeks.

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Photograph Thursday, October 26, 2007 - Precision Marine Fluidized Reactor Water Flow Diagram.

[V]

Ultracarb is almost entirely free of phosphate (http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/member-tank-projects/5394-jasonanatals-jbj-28-gallon-nano-cube-hqi-nano-reef-aquarium.html#) and has an extremely high capacity. (for absorption or high absorption capacity.?);)

mate, well done brother, your certainly cutting the mustard bud!
Great display graphs, great pictures, abit of background info, good chop up with the family inclusive,( your youngling looks great by the way) & to compound it all, the end product is coming out orsome.:cool:
You clearly dropped in cubes, but not quality. Look forward to your future updates, - just a side note though - dont make your posts tooooo good ok, your setting the bar alittle to high, & if im to compete in the same arena:p , i still love to be lazy remember,lol

[Jasonanatal]

Ultracarb is almost entirely free of phosphate (http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/member-tank-projects/5394-jasonanatals-jbj-28-gallon-nano-cube-hqi-nano-reef-aquarium.html#) and has an extremely high capacity. (for absorption or high absorption capacity.?);)

mate, well done brother, your certainly cutting the mustard bud!
Great display graphs, great pictures, abit of background info, good chop up with the family inclusive,( your youngling looks great by the way) & to compound it all, the end product is coming out orsome.:cool:
You clearly dropped in cubes, but not quality. Look forward to your future updates, - just a side note though - dont make your posts tooooo good ok, your setting the bar alittle to high, & if im to compete in the same arena:p , i still love to be lazy remember,lol

Brother V, thank you for the compliments as always. Now if I manage to slack off a bit what fun would that be. To bad were no longer doing Tank of the Month or featuring an Aquarium on a monthly basis like Reef Central. *hint hint*.

[Jasonanatal]

Water Quality & Chemical Test Results.

Date: Monday, November 05, 2007
Previous Water Change: Never
Temperature: 77.9 Degrees Fahrenheit
Salinity: 1.025 SG
Ammonia: 0.0 PPM or Undetectable
Nitrite: 0.0 PPM or Undetectable
Nitrate: 0.0 PPM or Undetectable
pH (Lights Off): Not Tested
pH (Lights On): 8.0 pH
Calcium: 420 PPM
Alkalinity (Carbonate Hardness): 9.0 dKH (Carbonate Hardness)
Magnesium: 975 PPM
Phosphate: 0.0 PPM or Undetectable
Notes:

45 ml. of Kent Marine Tech M Expert Series ionically balanced Calcium supplement added. Calcium level currently at 450 PPM.
62.5 ml. of Kent Marine Tech M Expert Series ionically balanced Magnesium supplement added. Magnesium level currently at 1350 PPM.
5 g. of Seachem Reef Builder pH supplement added. pH level currently at 8.1 pH. Alkalinity level currently at 9.5 dKH (Carbonate Hardness).
No Alkalinity supplement added.

[reefgirl]

Looks like JBJ fixed a lot of the glitches from the 24DX... nice looking tank!

[Jasonanatal]

Moonlight: Watching the Sea Come to Life at Night.

The JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium come with 4 1 watt Blue LED Moonlights built into the hood of the Aquarium. It emits a beautiful blue glow that is not intense enough to light up the room, but bright enough to allow night viewing within the Aquarium.


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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Four 1 watt Blue LED Moonlights installed into the Hood of the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Moonlight viewing at night.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Moonlight viewing at night.

[Jasonanatal]

Ultraviolet Sterilization: Safer than Ozone, Better for Fish and Corals.

After much thinking I have decided to install an my Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer. In my pesonal opinion I feel that it is safer then Ozone dosing and will provide a safer parasite free Aquarium environment for my Livestock and Corals with the benefit of destroying free floating Algae. The Aqua Ultratviolet 25 watt Sterilizer can handle Marine Aquariums with a total water volume of 125 gallons and features a safety window that allows you to see that the unit is currently on while still protecting you from Ultraviolet Radiation. The Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer has been plumbed directly into the rear center chamber of the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium and powered by a Aquarium Systems Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerheadrated at 295 gph. The unit has been mounted vertically and secured on the floor in order to ensure that air bubbles if pushed into the Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer are able to escape the unit.

Personal Observation: I have installed the Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer with some reluctance of the unit actually being to power for the total water quality. On one side of my debate you have a poweful Ultraviolet Sterilizer that will operate efficiently and eliminate any Parasite & Free Floating Algea with ease. On the other end of the spectrum you have a Ultraviolet Sterilizer that is too powerful for the setup and is not only eliminating Parasites and Free Floating Algae but beneficial Bacteria as well which could adversly effect the Aquarium Environment in some aspect. Well I guess experience will be my teacher and if any adverse effects are being observed then the unit can be easily removed from the system.


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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer measuring 22.5 inches in Height and 4.5 inches in Diameter.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer Ballast. Nicest looking Ballast I have seen.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Aquarium Systems Maxi-Jet 1200 Power Head rated at 295 gph. This particular type and manufacturer of Power Heads have been the most reliable I have ever used in my Aquariums.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer safety window. This feature allows you to observe the light in operation while protecting you from harmful ultraviolet light so that you know the unit is operational.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer plumbed into my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium with 0.25 inch Flex Tubing.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer safety window being obeserved at night.

[Jasonanatal]

Ultraviolet Sterilization: Safer than Ozone, Better for Fish and Corals Continued...


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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer plumbed into my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium with 0.25 inch Flex Tubing.

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Photograph Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium Diagram displaying the current equipment setup and water flow patterns.

[CarmieJo]

I don't have a UV sterilizer but I have read that the vast majority of beneficial bacteria is not free floating, thus the UV is of little consequence.

[Jasonanatal]

I don't have a UV sterilizer but I have read that the vast majority of beneficial bacteria is not free floating, thus the UV is of little consequence.

CarmieJo, that is just as I was thinking but just needed some confirmation from other members to make me sleep better at night. Everytime I work on the Aquarium I keep having dreams that it is flooding when I sleep. :unsure:

[CarmieJo]

CarmieJo, that is just as I was thinking but just needed some confirmation from other members to make me sleep better at night. Everytime I work on the Aquarium I keep having dreams that it is flooding when I sleep. :unsure:

I think that our aquariums are like babies, we become so attuned to the normal sounds that if some different sound happens it can bring us out of a deep sleep.

[Jasonanatal]

Our Habitual Duty, the Good Old Fashion Water Change.

During a normal day on the forum we Reef Aquarist can be onslaughted with different debates concerning what duration Photo-period is mody beneficial for our Corals or what Salt Manufacturer to use for your Salt Mixes and what level your Salinity should be at, etc. But in a world where I do it this way and it works and you do it the opposite and it works one thing we can all agree on. Their are no substitutions for water changes! Whether your Aquarium has been established for 1 month and you do weekly water changes or your aquarium has been estblished for years and you have your routine of doing water changes every 2 months it al narrows done to this one little fact. Water changes eventually have to be done and in an Nano Aquarium such as mine. Water changes are the deciding factor if all the money that I spent provides a beautiful habitat that my little one can thrive in or if I just wasted thousands of dollars for the world's most expensive headache.

My JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium receives weekly water changes every Saturday (Water changes used to take place on Sunday but my work schedule changed). But I can't just mix up a bucket of Saltwater and throw it right in. Due to the small volume in the system (28 gallons minus the space taken by the Live Rock, Live Sand, some of which I managed to recapture which the use of the chambers in my Aqua Ultraviolter 25 watt Sterilizer and Precision Marine Fluidized Bed Reactor) I have to properly prepare my Saltwater and get as closely to the temperature, salinity and pH in an attempt to minimize as much stress as possible for the inhabitants. I do so by incorporating a few devices listed below:

Two 5 gallon Buckets. One bucket to mix my Saltwater in and one bucket to syphon just the right amount of water out of my 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium when performing my water changes.
One 200 watt Marineland Stealth Visi-Therm Heater. Great for quickly raising the temperature of 5 gallons of water to 76.00 Degrees Fahrenheit which is were I prefer to keep my 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium water temperature at.
One Pondmaster Mag 7 water pump. Placed with the bucket and plenty of power to spare when mixing the Salt into the RO/DI Freshwater. Definitely beats mixing Saltwater by hand.
One Coralife thermometer. Allows me to monitor the temperature of the water so I know when it matches my 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium.
An RO/DI Filtration System. An absolute must in my book when keeping a Marine Aquarium.
A TDS Meter. A Measurement device used to ensure that Total Dissolved Solvement or TDS is as close to 000 PPM as possible.
Salt Mix. I personally used Instant Ocean since I started in the hobby but just this past week I switched to Kent Marine. I'm interested to see if their clams stand up.Personal Observation: I the past few weeks of conducting my water changes I have noticed that there is no place to actually remove water from that will not alter the water level within the Main Display of the 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium and should I choose to remove water from the Rear Chambers I would have to power off the entire Aquarium as to prevent the Pumps and Equipment from running dry and possibley damaging them.


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Photograph - My generic 75 gpd. RO/DI Filtration System. This monopolizes my bathroom and causes my wife to yell at my while I'm Filtering Tap Water.

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Photograph - Aquatec CDP 8800 Water Presure Booster. Most of us don't have the required water pressure within our home to operate an RO/DI unit without one of these. This one increases water pressure from 40 PSI to 120 PSI (water pressure is required to push water through the RO Membrane).

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Photograph - Color Changing Deionization Resin. This is on of the first items I look to replace when my TDS reading is not 000 PPM. The color changes from Black to Brown indicating that the lifespan of the chemical has been reached.

[Jasonanatal]

Our Habitual Duty, the Good Old Fashion Water Change Continued.....

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Photograph - Kent Marine Salt Mix. I just switched to this Salt Mix since Kent Marine is making some pretty strong statements concerning quality we will see how it holds up.

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Photograph - The final process of my water change. My trusty 5 gallon bucket, Pondmaster Mag 7 Water Pump for mixing, Marineland Visi-Therm Stealth Heater and a Coralife Thermometer for knowing when my bucket of water's temperature is the same as the Aquarium's

[Jasonanatal]

Video of My JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium.

Hello everyone, this is my first video of my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium shot Saturday, November 01, 2007. It nothing great but I'm sure I will be putting something together in the weeks to come. Enjoy!

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[CarmieJo]

Jason, thanks for the reminder that we all have this obligation in order to keep our critters in top form.

[Phurst]

Yes, and I'm glad this thread remained intact through the issues.

[Jasonanatal]

Jason, thanks for the reminder that we all have this obligation in order to keep our critters in top form.

CarmieJo, this should always be a number one priority of all Reef Aquarist in my personal opinon.

[Jasonanatal]

Yes, and I'm glad this thread remained intact through the issues.

Phurst, thank you for the compliment. I'm glad as well a put alot of work into this to start over again would not be cool. LOL

[CarmieJo]

CarmieJo, this should always be a number one priority of all Reef Aquarist in my personal opinon.

Unfortunately people forget, put it off, just don't do it, etc. And then they give newbs advice like "I haven't done a water change in years and look how great my tank is." Rrrr!

[Jasonanatal]

Thread Rating Request.

Could everyone take some time to Rate this Thread located in the upper right hand corner. It would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

[Jasonanatal]

Signs of Progress Which Tells Me I'm Doing Something Right.

We all spend hours and hours if not days in front of our Reef Aquariums looking for just the slightest signs of success. This could mean a spot of Coraline Algae on an area of Live Rock or even the growth of your favorite SPS Coral. Either way we get that fuzzy warm feeling inside and a sense of accomplishment in a hobby where attention to detail can never be understated if success if your goal. I've been keeping Reef Aquariums for about 2 years and in what I consider my best Reef Aquarium yet I managed to see a sign of success. Which I feel great because in my two years of maintaining a Reef Aquarium I have never accomplished this or at least been able to view it happen and bringing into consideration the size of my Reef Aquarium in relation to the difficulty make me say "look hunny all that time and money paid off".

My Electric Bue Legged Hermit Crab decided that it was time for some new clothes. I saw some of the legs laying at the bottom of the Sandbed and immediately searched for the little guy in a panic. After locating him hanging underneath my little drop-off my worries were over and then came the wow I've never sustained an environment where this could happen. I consider this a milestone in my Reef Aquarium which make me very happy!


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Photograph - First signs of death for my Electric Blue Hermit Crab and I start to panic.

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Photograph - More signs of death and no Eletric Blue Hermit Crab in sight.

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Photograph - Time to accept the fact that I may never have my little Electric Blue Hermit Crab anymore. My Halloween Hermit Crab is going to be lonely.

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Photograph - Found the little guy hanging out with the rest of the gang showing off his new clothes.

[CarmieJo]

Have you ever seen one of your hermits changing shells?

[Jasonanatal]

Have you ever seen one of your hermits changing shells?

CarmieJo, I have never actually seen the changing of shells but I heard it very interesting to watch. I doubt I will see it any time soon since the shells that my Hermit Crabs currently have are quite large already.

[Phurst]

Mine house hop a lot, It's so entertaining watching one looking for a new shell. It'll find one to try, pull it over, clean it up, then turn it over and over dumping out sand, and checking it over. Then it will pull the shell as close as it can, and hop from one into the other. It's very cool.

[CarmieJo]

I like how they measure and clean them. Sometimes I think they change just because they want a new house, not because they outgrew the old one.

[Jasonanatal]

Mine house hop a lot, It's so entertaining watching one looking for a new shell. It'll find one to try, pull it over, clean it up, then turn it over and over dumping out sand, and checking it over. Then it will pull the shell as close as it can, and hop from one into the other. It's very cool.

Phurst, I'm a bit jealous that you get to see such things in your Aquarium and I cannot. Maybe if I order them to do so they'll listen. LOL

[Jasonanatal]

I like how they measure and clean them. Sometimes I think they change just because they want a new house, not because they outgrew the old one.

CarmieJo, if only it were that easy in our lives to just jump into a new house, let alone search for a reasonable rent or availability of apartments in New York. LOL

[Phurst]

Ah, just give them time and empty shells.

[Jasonanatal]

Ah, just give them time and empty shells.

Phurst, patience is always sounds advice in this hobby.

[Jasonanatal]

Santa Made An Early Delivery featuring My New Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer.

Well everyone knows that it's not fair to everyone else within your family to purchase anything right before Christmas but I was really never one to concern myself with something like that especially when it comes to my 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium. With help of my credit card, Marine Depot and FedEx my new Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer was delivered early by Santa.

No everyone knows that with a limited water volume as in the case of my Nano Reef Aquarium it very difficult to maintain prestine water quality without the use of some fancy gadgetry... that is the case unless your a fan of daily to bi-daily water changes which I'm not! So I searched the Internet and Polled the Forums in search of a great Protein Skimmer for my setup. Now me selection was extremely limited since I had factors effecting what I could and could not purchase. These factors included:

Size of the Protein Skimmer, which affected where I could place the Protein Skimmer on the rear of my Nano Reef Aquarium.
Performance/Efficiency of the Protein Skimmer, which affected what type of bioload my Nano Reef Aquarium could sustain and what type of Corals and Livestock I could house.
Price of the Protein Skimmer, well lets face it I don't want to be left withouth any Christmas shopping money. My wife would murder me!Finally the decision was made to place an order with Marine Depot for the Tunze Nano DOC Protein Skimmer. Now many people that I questioned did not have any personal experience with this Protein Skimmer and where relying on the reputation of Tunze as the basis of their recommendation. Well I went along and said hell their Tunze if their bigger equipment works wonders then what do I have to loose, other then $12.00 in return shipping should it not work out they way I hoped. The equipment arrived a short time after and it was amazing to see the construction of this equipment. It was so simple that I started to question whether I would get the results that I wanted. After placing the base into the Rear Center Chamber of my 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium, which just fit with a little elbow grease and firm love.

Well after a few days of monitoring and documentation I can say hands down this is the most efficient and absolutely silent running Protein Skimmer I have ever used. Their are no micro-bubbles produced as a byproduct of the Foam Fractionization process and the sludge that this thing pulls out is comparitive to mud. Also the collection cup requires no twisting or unlatching to remove it. Simply grab and lift and it slides out with no problem. Best of all you don't have to turn off the Tunze Nano DOC Protein Skimmer 9002 when emptying and cleaning the collection cup. The Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer received the seal of approval from me hands down!

Personal Observation: Unfortunately the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer fits very snuggly within the Rear Center Chamber of my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium. However, the collection cup cannot be mounted properly withithout removing the Integrated Hood of the Nano Reef Aquarium entirely, unlatching the Integrated Hood and resting it in a position where it crosses the top edge of the top of the Nano Reef Aquarium Glass or Using a Dremil tool to modify the Read of the Integrated Hood to allow for the collection cup to sit properly on the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer body. Also note that the skimmer requires that the collection cup sit properly on the body without any break in the seal or the Protein Skimmer will not function as all!


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Video - This video was shot just a couple of hours after the installation of the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer. Please excuse the fact that the video is sideways.

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Photograph - Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer. A small package with big results.

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Photograph - Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer in operation Day #2.

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Photograph - Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer in operation Day #3.

[Jasonanatal]

Santa Made An Early Delivery featuring My New Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer Continued.....

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Photograph - Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer in operation Day #4.

[Jasonanatal]

My Most Prized and Only Derasa Clam.

Here is my 6 month old Derasa Clam. It has grown substatially while in my posession and has relocated 3 times in the 6 month period. It's first home was a 90 gallon SPS Reef Aquarium that was tore down do to associated maintenance expenses being too high. The second home was a 10 gallon Aqurium with 300 watt of Metal Halide lighting which was a halfway home for my most recent setup and it's final destination. During the time in its second home a 1 inch Bleech spot formed on the Mantel which is most likely due to too much light and a very immature Aquarium setup. It's new home and final destination... at least for the time being is my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium which has been up and running for 7 weeks now. It is very happy and since being housed in its new home has recovered from it's Bleeched Spot. The Derasa clam is roughly 3 inches in Width, has an amazing Mantel extension and has some significant weight when out of water I'm estimating 6 lbs to 7 lbs roughly. It is fed Marine Snow once a week on Mondays and a mixture of Cyclopeeze and Mysis Shrimp once a week Wednesdays as well. Funny thing is my Gold Stripped Maroon Clownfish has decided to host within it and honestly it doesn't seem to mind. Go figure!

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Photograph - My 6 month old Derasa Clam. My most beautiful Clam specimen.

[CarmieJo]

Nice! It looks like the skimmer is working well for you.

[Jasonanatal]

Time for a Little Do-It-Yourself Modifications: Making Some Space

Due to my recent addition of the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer which has been one of the most beneficial upgrades to my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium. However, in the process of solving one problem another problem managed to show itself. How about that for Murphy's Law? Even though the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer main body was able to just barely squeeze into the Center Baffle of the Rear Chamber of the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium the collection cup was too large and occupied a substantial amount of real estate that caused me to have to disconnect the stock Integrated Hood to accomodate for the Collections Cup's space requirements.


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Photograph - The Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer Collection Cup occupying just a little more space then I had hoped for.

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Photograph - The stock Integrated Hood of the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium disconnected from the latches and hanging about 0.5 inch over the front of the Aquarium edge allowing light to spill out. Not the prettiest site especially with someone who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder such as myself.

Now a couple of choices were available as possible resolutions for this issue. First solution would be to remove the stock Integrated Hood and purchase a pendant, hanging or bracket mounted Metal Halide Lighting System to replace the Integrated Hood. This option was indeed to most expensive and would wast a perfectly functioning Reflector, Electronic Ballast, and Moonlights. So I opted out of choosing this option. Second solution would be to get alittle creative and break out some tools without loosing an eye or finger in the process and reminding my wife that she cannot drive without a license and that the hospital is just a cab ride away! Plus this would save me money so that I could spend it on another form of equipment for my hobby. So I choose option two.

Here was the gameplan, I was going to use my Cordless Titanium Dremel tool in order to accurrately create an opening in the rear of the Integrated Hood so that it can be connected back to the latches while allowing suffiicient space for the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer Collection Cup to sit properly. I measure approximately 4 inches in Width x 0.75 inch in Depth in order to accomplish the end product. I made sure our son was out of the room and yes I wore safety goggles even though I didn't photograph them and went to work.

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Photograph - The Cordless Titanium Dremel tool that will help me save some money and maybe lose a finger.

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Photograph - The Integrated Hood disconnected entirely from the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium.

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Photograph - My work in progress no I just have to smooth the edges and clean up the mess before my wife yells at me that were having company over.

[Jasonanatal]

Time for a Little Do-It-Yourself Modifications: Making Some Space Continued.....
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Photograph - The surgery is complete and it doesn't look half as bad as I thought and here the kicker I still have all 9 I mean 10 fingers.

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Photograph - Now that looks just right! My Integrated Hood back on the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium with smooth edges. Now what can I buy with $250.00?

[Jasonanatal]

Electricity, Saltwater & Living Creatures Not a Good Combination.

My wife is such a wonderful woman who wants to make our very first Christmas together as special as it can be so she decided to give me a stocking stuffer from Santa Clause a bit early. I'm glad she pays attention when I bore her to death about the Marine Aquarium Hobby. It shows how much she loves me! Okay back on track, she remember that I had mentioned something about a Titanium Grounding Probe and decided to pick one up for me.


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Photograph - My stocking stuffer, the Rid Volt Titanium Grounding Probe.

This is definitely an area that I can see makes enough of a point through common sense. Unfortunately I don't own any devices that can measure the electricl current in water if any at all before I setup the probe in comparison to after using the probe. In theory it makes perfect sense and what does it cost me? Not a penny so I just connected it to a grounded outlet as instructed and submersed the probe into the Aquarium Saltwater within the Far Left Baffle of the Rear Chamber on my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium.

[CarmieJo]

Very clever!

[Jasonanatal]

Very clever!

Thank you CarmieJo, as always your compliments are very much appreciated we might have to start sharing the thrown as Nano King & Queen. LOL :agree:

[CarmieJo]

In my book there is always room for one more. :D

[Jasonanatal]

Something's Fishy with My Deresa Clam

Well I have all my thing packed for work and I'm just about to walk out the door and through the corner of my eye I see something unspeakable. My most priced possession and only Deresa Clam has an area of Pinched Mantel. Of all the things in the world why my Deresa Clam! Well out to work I go and hopefully in the morning I will see my Deresa Clam good as new. I'm come home the next morning and normally my Deresa Clam still has bout 0.25 Inch of the mantel extended during the Moonlight Photo-Period and brief time during the morning where both the Metal Halide Photo-Period and Moonlight Photo-Period are not in progress. But yet the same area that was experiencing the Pinched Mantel issue. With the Metal Halide Photo-Period about to kick in a few hours I decide to get some rest and come back to investigate.


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Photograph - My Deresa Clam displaying signs of Pinch Mantel.

Now the Metal Halide Lighting is on and the Deresa Clam should have the entire Mantel Extended but unfortunately it is still displaying sign of Pinch Mantel. So I do a little looking around and what do I see causing the problem... an Aptasia Anemone! Now in the past this particular coral had an Aptasia Anemone growing on the side of it shell which was removed by using a Tweezers. This particular Aptasia Anemone was growing within the crevis of the already formed shell and the new layer that was growing. Precisely located underneath the normal Mantel extension area. The same method of using a tweezer to remove the Aptasia was performed and within an hour the Deresa Clam was fully extending its Mantel as normal. Thank goodness!


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Photograph - My Deresa Clam feeling all better an hour after the removal of the Aptasia Anemone.

[Phurst]

Nice catch! That's a LOT easier than risking a FW dip!

[Jasonanatal]

Nice catch! That's a LOT easier than risking a FW dip!

Phurst, thank you. Personally I do not believe in Freshwater Dips as a resolution to any problem that I may be having with my specimens. I'm by no means implying that they do not work, but I feel that if their is always a method to resolve any issue that does not result in the added stress to my Aquarium specimens then that is the route I will take.

[Jasonanatal]

A More Detailed Look at Weekly Water Changes.

Hello everyone, I just thought I would go into a bit more detail on the processes that are included in the weekly water changes for my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium. As I have stated in previous post, the world of Nano Reef Aquariums is not forgiving in making honest mistakes or miscalculations which in the most minuscule amount can have devestating effects on the specimens your care for. This in turn means that I must pay careful attention to parameters of the newly mixed Saltwater as oppossed to the Saltwater already within the Nano Reef Aquarium.

Reverse Osmosis/Deionization or RO/DI Filtration

Well everything has to start somewhere and our first task is to ensure that nothing but the purist water possible can be used to in addition to a quality salt mixture. In order to do this I incorporate a Reverse Osmosis?Deionization or RO/DI Filtration System to purify the tap water coming from my bathroom faucet. Now some people might not now exactly what an RO/DI Filtration System is and how it works so here is a detailed explination. Water coming from you faucet has been chemically treated in order to bring it to any acceptable level for human consumption. Chemicals contained within the water can be anything from Flouride or Phosphates and here a kicker Arsenic. Well to be short about it their are many chemicals that vary from location to location that we do not want in our Aquariums. An RO/DI unit such as mine passes tap water at high pressures through Prefilters developed to chemically remove impurities (Carbon Prefilter) larger Solids (Sediment Prefilters and eventually extremely small solids (Reverse Osmosis Membrane) and finally removing the last amount of impurities both described as a chemical and mechanical filtration method (Deionization Canister) and into your bucket. Resulting in Freshwater that is reffered to as pure or scientifically have the least amount of Total Dissolved Solvents or TDS. Waste water is a byproduct of the filtration at a ratio of 1 gallon of purified water to an average of 4 gallons to 5 gallons of waste water which is expelled from the system at the Reverse Osmosis Membrane.

Notation: All Reverse Osmosis/Deionization Filtration Systems have a Reverse Osmosis Membrane labeled with a Gallons Per Day rating on them. This does not mean that you can leave your unit on for 24 hours and produce for example 75 gallons of Purified Freshwater on a system rate for 75 gallons per day. This means that your unit can process 75 gallons of water in that day which include both purified water in combination with waste water.


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Photograph - A standard Reverse Osmosis /Deonization Filtration System with Carbon and Sediment Prefilters rated at 75 gallons per day.

In order to confirm that level of Total Dissolved Solvents of the purified water a hand held TDS Meter or Inline TDS Meter is required. This device works by measuring the electrical conductivity of the purified water by passing electrical current from one prong and receiving/measuring it at the other prong. The closer the reading is to 000 the more pure that water. This device can also ensure that your Reverse Osmosis/Deionization Filtration System is functioning properly.


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Photograph - Hannah TDS Meter measuring the purity of the water.

Notation: Please ensure that your TDS Meter prongs are submerged in the water you are measuring the purity of. The photograph above was take for viewing purposes only. Also it is impossible to get the TDS Reading of saltwater so don't be alarmed if you place the TDS Meter in saltwater and the reading goes off the chart.

Mixing Synthetic Sea Salt for the Nano Reef Aquarium

Now this section is not meant to start a debate on what manufacturer of Synthetic Sea Salt will provide the optimal results for a Nano Reef Aquarium. Since I started in the Reef Keeping Hobby I was an avid Instant Ocean preffered hobbyist. But recently I have switched to Kent Marine Synthetic Sea Salt and I am quite pleased with the results so far. I measure my Kent Marine Synthetic Sea Salt at approximately 2.5 cups for 5 gallons of Freshwater which results in a Salinity Grade of 1.026 Salinity Grade or 35 Parts Per Thousand. I personally found standing at the bucket with a stick manually mixing the salt to be quite time cosuming. So I moved to a more aumated method incoporating a Mag-7 Water Pump to do the mixing for me. I also use a 200 watt Marineland Visi-therm Stealth Heater to match my Nano Reef Aquarium Water of 76 Degrees Fahrenheit and a Coralife Digital Thermometer to see when the temperature is an exact match.


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Photograph - Kent Marine Synthetic Sea Salt Mix. The bag include a sealing mechanism like a Ziplock which is worth the high price itself. the seal it creates is airtight which ensure that your Synthetic Sea Salt Mix will not get clumpy from absorbing excessive moisture.

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Photograph - My Pyrex measuring cup with Metric measurement for easy European measurements. Definitely comes in handy with European chemical dosing instructions.

[Jasonanatal]

A More Detailed Look at Weekly Water Changes Continued.....


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Photograph - Beginning of mixing process.

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Photograph - 10 minuts into the mixing process.

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Photograph - 25 minutes into the mixing process and the Saltwater is ready for the water change.


Notation: The time allowed for the Synthetic Sea Salt to completely mix with the RO/DI Freshwater is a personal preference and will vary based on what manufactuer's Synthetic Sea Salt you use as well as the Gallons Per Hour ratiing of the Water Pump used to mix it together. It normally take me about 30 minutes for water temperature and salinity grade to reflect the water parameters of the Saltwater contained withint he Nano Reef Aquarium.

Removing and Replacing Nano Reef Aquarium Water

Now this method is personal preference but to keep it short and sweet I incporaate a Python Syphon to remove Saltwater from the Nano Reef Aquarium and use to also add the newly mixed water so that I don't injure my back.


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Photograph - The Python Syphon one of the most useful items ever developed for the Aquarium.

[Jasonanatal]

New SPS Coral Frag Addition

On Saturday, December 15, 2007 I purchased a Coral Frag of Orange with White Polyp Montipora Capricornis from NaCl-H20 of the Manhattan Reefs Forum. It was dripped acclimated over a period of 2 hours and allowed 1 week before being photographed. It is honestly one of the most beautiful specimens I have seen.


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Photograph - Orange with White Polyp Montipora Capricornis from NaCl-H20 of the Manhattan Reefs Forum.

Coral Family: Acroporidae
Coral Genus: Monitpora
Common Name: Montipora Capricornis
Common Morphologies: Plating
Origin: Pacific Ocean
Acquired: Saturday, December 15, 2007
Lighting Requirements: Moderate to high. Metal Halide Lighting is suggested, but these Corals are tolerant of a wide range of lighting conditions and have been known to grow successfully under Very High Output Lighting or on occassion Power Compact Flourescent Lighting.
Flow Requirements: Moderate to high flow.
Availability: High.
Growth: Fast.
Difficulty: Moderate.

[Jasonanatal]

A Sad Day In My World of Reefkeeping.

I'm extremely dedicated in the maintenance required to have a thriving Nano Reef Aquarium and it is definitely heartbreaking to come across an issue directly related to a common task in the Reek Keeping hobby. I normally don't have to clean my glass of Algae but I do so just to remove even the finest film that may adhere to the Internal Pane. I use a Mag-Float Small which is rated for use on Glass Aquariums up to 30 gallons with a maximum pane thickness of 3/16 Inch. Now at the time of my cleaning my Photoperiod had ended and the damage that was created was not noticable until the next morning. When the lights came on I could see multiple abrasive marking on the Internal Pane of the Aquarium Glass.


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Photograph - Abrasive markings left behind after the use of my Mag-Float Algae Cleaner.

After a minor breakdown of sorts I reviewed some forum searches and found that scratching Nano Aquarium Glass is more common then you would think and not isolated only the JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Aquariums. But nothing was described to be near the level of damage that I experienced. In turn I contacted Transworld Aquatic Enterprises Inc. and advised them of the situation. I explained that the possibility for a grain or multiple grains of substrate being caught between the Internal Mag-Float and the glass could not have caused the abrasive marking since the pattern clearly depicts the bottom of the Mag-Float and that I never keep my Mag-Floats within my Aquarium. The Mag-Float is also removed after use and before use I make sure that no foreign objects exist that could possibly cause something like this. After a supervisor reviewed the photographs Transworld Aquatic Enterprises Inc. advised that they are sending me a replacement Aquarium. Which is both a blessing and a curse. It is scheduled to arrive on January 07, 2008 and I will set it up shortly after.

[V]

J, im not even going to ask how your going brother..lol, damn.....you dont do things in half measures do you? You know the saying, 'when it rains....it :raining:

Your thread is great, your continuing to explain the inner workings of our circle & im sure helping a great many people in the process.......Even some of the potential & plain freaky pit falls apparently. Besides that last mishap, your efforts are duly applauded. Just because your doing such a good job, im going to read your thread properly from the beginning now just in case i need to edit this post...lol J/K

[Phurst]

Wow, I've truly never seen anything like that before. I'm glad to hear they stepped up and are going to replace the tank, but man, that's still heartbreaking.

[Jasonanatal]

J, im not even going to ask how your going brother..lol, damn.....you dont do things in half measures do you? You know the saying, 'when it rains....it :raining:

Your thread is great, your continuing to explain the inner workings of our circle & im sure helping a great many people in the process.......Even some of the potential & plain freaky pit falls apparently. Besides that last mishap, your efforts are duly applauded. Just because your doing such a good job, im going to read your thread properly from the beginning now just in case i need to edit this post...lol J/K

Brother V, you know me quite well. If I'm not pushing to envelope or at least performing at top speed then I'm not a happy camper. This just gives me a chance to futerh document my setup and to make some modifications based on observations that I just wasn't ready to apply but by an act of nature now feel that I am required to. Just remember to rate my thread when your doing reading. I just got a present from the land down under for my Reef and will be unvailing it shortly.

[Jasonanatal]

Wow, I've truly never seen anything like that before. I'm glad to hear they stepped up and are going to replace the tank, but man, that's still heartbreaking.

Phurst, I'm glad as well. I was affraid that Transworld Aquatics Enterprises Inc. were going to leave me all washed up in the middle of an ocean of sorrow. But I was all happy and tingly inside when I say the E-mail containing the UPS tracking number for the delivery of my replacement Aquarium.

[V]

Your ordered one of my aqua-turds didn't you...lol
Free shipping cause they float.:p


& you are lucky to get a replacement tank, what are you doing with your new/old one now?

[Jasonanatal]

Your ordered one of my aqua-turds didn't you...lol
Free shipping cause they float.:p


& you are lucky to get a replacement tank, what are you doing with your new/old one now?

Brother V, you are hilarious! Well I'm not sure but I'm thinking of turning the Aquarium with the damaged glass into a frag tank with nothing but live sand, a few pounts of live rock and a 150 watt 10,000k Metal Halide HQI Bulb.

[CarmieJo]

Wow, that is an awful thing to have happened but I too am glad they didn't leave you high and dry. Any speculation on why it happened? Was it a new MagFloat?

[Jasonanatal]

Wow, that is an awful thing to have happened but I too am glad they didn't leave you high and dry. Any speculation on why it happened? Was it a new MagFloat?

CarmieJo, they were completely clueless as to why this happened. It was a brand new Mag-Float which I tested in a 10 gallon AGA just to be sure that it wasn't defective and I had been using it for 2 months with no issues. But hopefully it wont happen again.

[Jasonanatal]

New LPS Coral Frag Addition.

On Saturday, December 29, 2007 I purchased a Coral Frag of Acanthastrea Lordhowensis from NaCl-H20 of the Manhattan Reefs Forum. It was dripped acclimated over a period of 2 hours and allowed 1 week before being photographed. It is my first every LPS Coral from Australia and I have been providing it with extra attention and some tender loving care since it was the smallest piece left from the fragging of the colony.


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Photograph - Completed mounting the Coral Specimen: Acanthastrea Lordhowensis to a Boston AquaFarms Reef Disc. Photograph taken Saturday December 22, 2007.

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Photograph - Coral Specimen: Acanthastrea Lordhowensis after a little over one week in my Nano Reef Aquarium.

Coral Family: Mussidea
Coral Genus: Acanthastrea
Common Name: Acanthastrea Lordhowensis
Common Morphologies: Encrusting
Origin: Pacific Ocean
Acquired: Saturday, December 22, 2007
Lighting Requirements: Moderate to high. Metal Halide Lighting is suggested. These are Shallow Reef Corals so their tolerance to light will vary.
Flow Requirements: Moderate flow. Australian Acans do best under medium flow. Medium flow is considered flow that will not disturb the coral or cause the flesh to peel off.
Availability: Low.
Growth: Growth rate increases when feeding, light and flow requirements are met. If you allow this coral to be exclusively photosynthetic then growth will be slower.
Difficulty: Moderate.

[Phurst]

Very nice acan!

[Jasonanatal]

Very nice acan!

Phurst, thank you for the compliments.

[Phurst]

Will it be staying on the sand bed? I'm picking up my HQI fixture today and I'm starting to think about how I'm going to have to rearrange some of the stuff in the tank.

[Jasonanatal]

Will it be staying on the sand bed? I'm picking up my HQI fixture today and I'm starting to think about how I'm going to have to rearrange some of the stuff in the tank.

Phurst, currently it will remain on the sandbed until it starts encrusting and reaching the end of the Boston AquaFarms Reef Disc. After that I will mount the Reef Disc on a piece of Live Rock to allow it to grow accordingly.

[V]

So this is your mussid ozzy eddition, nice bud.
Some can fetch a nice price tag along with it though, i definately wouldn't call them rare, but export can add to the weight quite easy. Not bad for a rock hugger lol
http://www.jareed.com/reef/images/acan_lord1.jpg

Food for thought from closer to home... check the hunger factor... Link me (http://www.asaquaculture.org/15.html)

[V]

Middle Beach, Lord Howe

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/76/178266135_c8efbc6d46.jpg?v=0

Kims Look-out
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/154/334391765_d0e0fac2ac.jpg?v=0

Mount Lidgbird is on the left, Mount Gower on the right.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/323613085_d51f7711a3.jpg?v=0

Totally controlled island thats mostly protected. & That includes people.:up:

[Jasonanatal]

So this is your mussid ozzy eddition, nice bud.
Some can fetch a nice price tag along with it though, i definately wouldn't call them rare, but export can add to the weight quite easy. Not bad for a rock hugger lol

Food for thought from closer to home... check the hunger factor... Link me (http://www.asaquaculture.org/15.html)

Brother V, well that's easy for you not to consider them rare since you live in Australia. Cheater! :p LOL "Just Kidding" When are you shipping me some then. LOL

[R. Deschain]

V,

Nice to look at those pictures since it's 15 degrees F here today in Ohio.

Jason

Nice acan. I've had an acan frag on a peg for a couple of months that hasn't grown much. Still looks healthy though.

[rroselavy]

Nice acan. I've had an acan frag on a peg for a couple of months that hasn't grown much. Still looks healthy though.

Raises a good question. How fast can Acans be expected to grow when thriving?

Nice specimen. They are definitely on my list...

[V]

Oie, good question, I'll leave the average growth rate for someone else, cause honestly without locking down a species i couldn't tell you.
There's plenty in the family & especially when your talking an enclosed environment a great many factors matter, some will require great light & love being high, some will love great light & happy to be shaded, others prefer low light & high flow, others prefer high light with low flow, plus couple that with the type & regularity in which you gross feed them & the space in which they have to colonize will dictate your question, or someone can tell you about 3inchs a year..lol

[Jasonanatal]

V,

Nice to look at those pictures since it's 15 degrees F here today in Ohio.

Jason

Nice acan. I've had an acan frag on a peg for a couple of months that hasn't grown much. Still looks healthy though.

Thank you for the compliments on the Acan. I have no previous experience with them so unfortunately this is a learning experience for me and could not provide you much information on speeding up their growth.

[Jasonanatal]

Raises a good question. How fast can Acans be expected to grow when thriving?

Nice specimen. They are definitely on my list...

roselavy, well I will be taking weekly photographs so we can document their growth visually and I'm sure that we can come to some sort of conclusion but as Brother V stated it honestly is dependant on the particular species and environment.

[Small Fry]

with my acan colony, that i had for about 6 months, i experienced growth of about 1 polyp (or head) every two months, relatively slow compared to most corals. Of course, mine died, so lets not measure by what i say XD

[thesaent14]

my god this nano tank have everything but living in NY where is the heater

[Jasonanatal]

my god this nano tank have everything but living in NY where is the heater

Thesaent14, their is a 150 watt Marineland Visi-therm Stealth Heater installed within the Middle Right Baffle within the Rear Chamber of the Nano Reef Aquarium. This Baffle and the Middle Left Baffle Both maintain a constant water level which was designed specifically for the placement of a Heater or two in my case for redundancy and reduced workload. (The second Heater will be ordered on Tuesday January 15, 2008). I will take more photographs to fully document when my replacement JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI SPS Reef Aquarium arrives.

[Jasonanatal]

Out with the Old In with In with the New: Elos & LaMotte Test Kits.

In my quest to achieve a striving Nano Reef Aquarium my philosophy mainly revolves around among the belief that you get back what you put into it. Now there is much debate on the accuracy of more expensive Liquid Test Kits in comparison to the less expensive and more accessible brands and this post does not provide any type of scientific information to back my particular opinion on why I choose these companies/test kits over their less expensive competitors. Both companies caught my eye since do to their use in very large and captivating Aquariums of other members of various online communities as well as the companies guidelines as to the preperation, storage and eventually sale of these quality items. Both Elos and LaMotte take pride and care in extensively documentating the shelf life and batch numbers for each test kit as my previous test kit Aquarium Pharmeceuticals Incoporated did none of that. And if a company can take the time to document even the most miniscul item then they definitely have my attention. (My wife being Italian and subecting my to the quality foods, drinks and culture of Italians had nothing to do with me selecting the Elos Liquid Test Kits).


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Photograph - My new Elos Expert Line Liquid Test Kit for Phosphate (PO4) and pH. Photograph taken Friday, January 04, 2008.

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Photograph - My new LaMotte Liquid Test Kits for Alkalinity (dKH) and Calcium (CA). Photograph taken Friday, January 04, 2008.

[rroselavy]

[B][U]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20SPS%20Reef %20Aquarium/CanonDigitalRebelXTPhotographs00-5.jpg
Photograph - My new LaMotte Liquid Test Kits for Alkalinity (dKH) and Calcium (CA). Photograph taken Friday, January 04, 2008.

LOL! I just picked up the ELOS dKH and Ca kits!

The only odd aspect of both ELOS kits that took me totally off guard is the lack of resolution of the tests. Both kits are titration methods. The Alk is 1 drop = 1 dKH, and the Ca test is 1 drop = 25 ppm. My first test for Alk was 8 drops (8 dKH) and Ca was 15 drops (375 ppm).

It was not until I re-read the Ca instructions that I realized that this was as precise as the dropper allows. The ELOS kit requires that you buy a "Reagent D" if you want more precision. This is really odd since the test seems almost identical to the Salifert test, down to the color of the reagents and solutions. The only difference is that the Salifert kit uses a syringe with a precision tip for much smaller drops. I do not see why the ELOS kit cannot do the same. If I am raising my Ca gradually with 2 part or Kalkwasser, I'd like to see the results more clearly to make sure my efforts are making a difference. The ELOS kit is almost half the number of tests than Salifert. For that, I would expect to have reagent D (or a precision tip) already in the box.

With that said, the glass vial is a nice touch, the test is easy to perform, and the NIST quality checks offer peace of mind.

I suppose the Alk kit is precise enough, but I was expecting precision to the nearest tenth of a dKH.

Please let me know how you like the Lamotte tests. I am very curious. I also appreciate those plastic cases they come with.

[V]

the bigger the hole, the more you use.....the more you use the quicker you'll use up the product.......the quicker you use up the product the sooner you have to buy..........the sooner you buy, the richer i get..umm, the richer whom ever own the company will get:p

[rroselavy]

The only odd aspect of both ELOS kits that took me totally off guard is the lack of resolution of the tests. Both kits are titration methods. The Alk is 1 drop = 1 dKH, and the Ca test is 1 drop = 25 ppm. My first test for Alk was 8 drops (8 dKH) and Ca was 15 drops (375 ppm).

I actually heard from the Elos rep today, who kindly explained in detail that there are many hidden aspects of Elos kits that are well worth the price. Apart from the NIST reagent checks, Elos is obsessed about maintaining the regents at controlled temperatures almost all the way to the customer. Precautions were made to insure that MD is keeping the reagents stored in a controlled manner. Other efforts, such as using safest reagents possible (which is usually more expensive), proper child-proof safety caps for the more toxic reagents, color charts re-calibrated every 6 months, and raised labeling for the visually impaired make the Elos kits stand out. He also made it clear that Elos will consider ways to improve upon these kits (including sensitivity) wherever possible and especially as increased sales afford.

There seemed to be real commitment there, and I appreciate that.

Jason- Please let me know how the Elos PO4 kit works for you. I hear it is a good one!

[Jasonanatal]

I'm Back in Business :up:

Hello everyone, this is going to be a very short post but with more to come this evening. I have decided that my 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQU Reef Aquarium will be put back into full effect with no expense spared. So here is a teaser photograph for your enjoyment. I hope everyone like.

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Photograph - 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium Teaser.

[Jasonanatal]

I'm Back in Business

Here a daylight photograph.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0135.jpg
Photograph - 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium Teaser.

[CarmieJo]

New light! Why did you go away from the stock light?

[Jasonanatal]

New light! Why did you go away from the stock light?

CarmieJo, At first I noticed that the top 1/4 of the Aquarium became uninhabital by even high lighting requirement SPS Corals. Also the closed lid design of the Aquarium definitely increased the temperature of the water by not allowing normal evaporation to occur. There is more but I will post shortly concerning it.

[Jasonanatal]

Lighting System Redesign

Nano Aquariums are just absolutely great and as being the new fade in the world of Reef Keeping their are a few design flaws that I feel are apart of any new product. My 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQI was the first Nano Aquarium to my knowledge to introduce Metal Halide Lighting as a stock component in their package giving Reef Aquarist the ability to maintain High Lighting Corals right out of the box. However, some of the drawbacks to this all-in-one design include increased Aquarium water temperature due to the decreased ability to normally evaporate water and the creation of what I refer to as
the "dead zone". The "dead zone is an area created in the upper 1/4 region of the Aquarium in which even high lighting Corals will not survive due to the lighting intensity being too high.

I decided to incorporate a redesign in my Aquarium to provide the most suitable environment for my inhabitants. I decided that I should completely remove the stock lid/integrated lighting system and go with a Pendent Style Reflector. This will create an open design that would allow normal evaporation to occur which results in natural reduction of heat of the Aquariumw water.


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Photograph - Google Sketchup Design of Aquarium Lighting.


For the choice of the reflector I decided to go with the Lumenarc III Stealth Mini Double Ended Reflector which has a 14.5 Inch length x 14.5 Inch depth footprint which provides more then adequate lighting. It is able to house up a 150 watt, 250 watt and 400 watt Double Ended HQI Bulb all by just adjusting the mounting brackets within the reflector. The reflector is currently suspended 11.5 inches above the surface of the Aquarium water by Yo-Yo Hangers which provide me the ability to adjust the vertical height of the reflector by utilizing its pulley system.


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Photograph - Lumenarc III Stealth Mini Double Ended HQI Pendent Style Reflector.


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Photograph - Yo-Yo Hanger Pulley System.

[Jasonanatal]

Lighting System Redesign Continue...
I have heard great things about Reeflux Double Ended HQI Bulbs so I decided to give them a try since many people have reported amazing growth with these bulbs. In the Lumenarc III Stealth Mini Double Ended HQI Reflector is a single 250 watt Reeflux 12,000K Double Ended HQI Bulb which put out such a beauitulf white/blue intensity that I have been searching for. So while were at it I thought that this would be not time to skimp on the Ballast. I choose the Coralvue Electronic Dimmable Ballast which is a revolutionary piece of equipment in my mind. With this device I can actually manually drive down the intensity of the Metal Halide Bulb to 35% of the original 250 watt intensity using a turn dial nob located on the ballast (the ballast has been snuggly secured in an accessible area of the Aquarium Stand for this reason). This is a great feature that is usefull when acclimating new Corals or reducing the heating effect of Metal Halide Lighting on those hot summer days. This new system is very promising and I cannot wait to get some Corals & Clams going soon.


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Photograph - Coralvue 250 watt Electronic Dimmable Ballast.

[Jasonanatal]

Chiller Upgrade

Originally I started out with a JBJ 1/15 hp Nano Chiller which seemed to be being overworked. The chiller was constantly on and the Air Filter was constantly clogged. The worst part was that the Aquarium water temperature had a very wide range of fluctuation which is not suitable for an environment that I would design to be as stable as possible. So I have decided to upgrade Chillers to a Pacific Coast Imports CL-280 1/10 hp Chiller. The control module of this chiller is a Digital LCD Display and maintains my Aquarium temperature at 79 degress Fahrenheit. Their is also an integrated Electrical Socket to control a heater (I am not personally using this feature in my setup).


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Photograph - Pacific Coast Imports CL-280 1/10 hp Chiller.

[Jasonanatal]

Automatic Freshwater Top Off System Redesign

I currently employed the use of a do-it-yourself Automatic Freshwater Top Off System that utilized a standard Float Switch with a Snail Gaurd, a Freshwater Resevior (2.5 gallon All Glass Aquarium) and a Tom's Aqualifter Pneumatic Water Pump rated at 3 gph. This solution worked fine but left gaps in certain aspects of the protection against water pumps running dry and over topping.

To address some of the gaps I turned to the Tunze Osmolator 3155 Automatic Freshwater Top Off System. This system incorporates an electronic time controller and current limiter for the pump connected whcih results in a higher operational safety. This unit protects the metering pump against running dry and reports an empty freshwater resevior. The precise water level is ensured by a non-wearing optical sensor and a transistor switch without any moving parts. This sensor is insensitive to soiling, light or magnetic fields.
Its “automatic eye” recognises the water level precisely, even small waves or level variations cannot irritate the unit. This is a definite improvement over situations where snail or wave can cause cause a Float Switch to accidently dose Freshwater which can adversly effect saliniaty levels. An independent safety sensor with a separate power supply circuit and relay control ensures reliable overflow protection. Finally all functions are clearly displayed by LEDs on the main control panel and safety messages are also indicated by acoustic signals. This is one of the more pricey units but definitely worth every penny in my opinion for the increased accuracy and incorporated protection features.


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Photograph - Tunze Osmolator 3155 Automatic Freshwater Top Off System.

[CarmieJo]

Nice. How are you regulating the heater now? With your (I forget which one you have) controller?

[IAreef]

I am running the same ballast on a SE reflux 12k with lumenBright reflector and I have been very happy with the results so far.

[Jasonanatal]

Nice. How are you regulating the heater now? With your (I forget which one you have) controller?

CarmieJo, I'm controlling everything with my Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2.

[Jasonanatal]

I am running the same ballast on a SE reflux 12k with lumenBright reflector and I have been very happy with the results so far.

IAreefm, I personally love the results so far. Now I need some Coral!

[IAreef]

I only have just a few pieces of LPS, as my tank is relatively new, I have one more "step" to go before I reach full intensity but I have already seen color improvement from when I brought them home from the LFS.

[Jasonanatal]

Controller & Automation Design

With a new job comes more responsibility and also increased hours spent at work rather then being home with your arm in the Aquarium. So I wanted to bring a new level of automation and control in my Reef Aquarium. I turned to the Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2. An amazing piece of equipment that after using it I honestly didn't know what I was doing without one. I managed to replace 4 bulky power strips with one Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 (8 Channel Stock Unit) and one Expansion Module. This device not only enhances the level of control that you have over your Aquarium and Aquarium Equipment but also performs Data Logging and allow your to remotely view your Aquarium via the Internet.

The Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 refers electrical sockets that it can control and display the staus from the main display as channels. Here is how I set my Digital ReefKeeper 2 for my Aquarium.

Jasonanatal's Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 Settings

Channel 1 (Tunze Osmolator 9002): This channel is set to always on for a constant supply of power to the Tunze Osmolator 9002 Automatic Freshwater Top Off System.
Channel 2 & Channel 3 (Pump One & Pump Two): These channels are set to wavemaker mode. These two channels switch on and off for a duration of 2 minutes each.
Channel 4 (Metal Halide Lighting on Expansion Module): This channel is set to turn on at 2:00pm and turn off at 10:00pm with a safety feature to turn off if the Aquarium water temperature reaches 81.5 degrees Fahreneheit.
Channel 5 (Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer): This channel is set to "Protein Skimmer" and is on until I enter standby mode to which turns the channel off. After standby mode has completed the channel waits an additional 5 minutes (time I choose and entered manually) before turning back on.
Channel 6 (Marineland Visi-Therm Stealth 100 watt Heater): This channel is set to turn off should the Aquarium water temperature reach 78.5 degrees Fahreneheit.
Channel 7 (Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Ultraviolet Sterilizer): This channel is set to turn on between the hours of 12:00am and 11:00pm. with a safety feature to turn off if the Aquarium water temperature reaches 81.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Channel 8 (Pacific Coast Imports 1/10 hp Chiller): This channel is set to turn on at 78.5 degrees Fahrenheit and turn off at 78.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Standby Mode is set to run for 30 minutes.http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0164.jpg
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Photograph - Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2.

[rroselavy]

This device not only enhances the level of control that you have over your Aquarium and Aquarium Equipment but also performs Data Logging and allow your to remotely view your Aquarium via the Internet.

Really nice equipment your employing.

I really like the RK2. Very nice (and stylish) controller. Technically speaking, the RK2 does not perform data logging, the free MyReef software does. This is an important distinction for me, since I do not have a PC to run MyReef; I use Macs. I was seriously considering getting an RK2 before I realized that the main unit holds no log data. The ACjr became the alternative, but now I'm fixated on having a (more expensive) ethernet-ready controller, such as the AC3 or the RKE.

With that said, there is a chap that used his noggin to perform RK2 data logging (http://reef.pantshead.com/?p=383) with a small device and graph the uploaded data (http://reef.pantshead.com/rk2/) on his website. Really nice graphs.

Argh... Do controllers simplify your reef setup, or just make everything more complicated and risky? I'm torn...

[Jasonanatal]

Really nice equipment your employing.

I really like the RK2. Very nice (and stylish) controller. Technically speaking, the RK2 does not perform data logging, the free MyReef software does. This is an important distinction for me, since I do not have a PC to run MyReef; I use Macs. I was seriously considering getting an RK2 before I realized that the main unit holds no log data. The ACjr became the alternative, but now I'm fixated on having a (more expensive) ethernet-ready controller, such as the AC3 or the RKE.

With that said, there is a chap that used his noggin to perform RK2 data logging (http://reef.pantshead.com/?p=383) with a small device and graph the uploaded data (http://reef.pantshead.com/rk2/) on his website. Really nice graphs.

Argh... Do controllers simplify your reef setup, or just make everything more complicated and risky? I'm torn...

Rroselavy, that is correct. The MyReef application actually will perform that Data Logging. But we should all have an Elos Biotopus Controller. :tongue2: The ReefKeeper Elite Does look very beautiful though!

[rroselavy]

Rroselavy, that is correct. The MyReef application actually will perform that Data Logging. But we should all have an Elos Biotopus Controller. :tongue2: The ReefKeeper Elite Does look very beautiful though!

LOL. If I had that kind of money, I don't think wouldn't be buying a Biotopus, unless there was an optional Espresso making module available for it... :)

Seriously, if I had $1300+ burning a hole in my pocket, I would rather spend ~$500 and get a really nice controller with ethernet and spend the rest on a Bubble King Mini 160 skimmer. Personal priorities I suppose.

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock Addition: Tiger Tail Cucumber "Holothuria Hilla"

Care Level: Easy
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Detrivore
Range: Indo-Pacific to Red Sea
Family: Holothuriidae
Water Conditions: 74-80° F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12

I picked up this beautiful specimen as an addition to my cleanup crew and preventative maintenance against Anoxic Spots (a buildup of Hydrogen Sulfide) within the subtrate as well as the removal of detritus in a small area. He is extremely beautiful and at least 10 inches in length.


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Photograph - Tiger Tail Cucumber "Holothuria Hilla".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWhzIvVO1rA
Movie - YouTube Video of my Tiger Tail Cucumber "Holothuria Hilla".

[rroselavy]

Very cool Tiger Tail. I have been thinking about getting one of these. 10" is long.

Your video shows him cleaning the glass...doesn't he burrow through the substrate?

[Jasonanatal]

Very cool Tiger Tail. I have been thinking about getting one of these. 10" is long.

Your video shows him cleaning the glass...doesn't he burrow through the substrate?

Rroselavy, well if it decides that it's time to reproduce (fission) I will keep you in mind. He is extremely active and has spent the majority of his time borrowing through the sand. However, he does like to climb the glass and explore from time to time. Hence the video opportunity.

[Jasonanatal]

Why Buy One When you Can Get Two for Twice The Price!

Well first off to all the Father's out their Happy Father's Day! As this is my first Father's Day my wife wanted to do something special for me. Now I have a few hardware projects that I have planned down the road but I didn't have enough controllable outlets. So my wife decided that she would purchase a second Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper 2 for me. So me being the wonderful husband/father that I am I didn't deny the gift and began the setup of the new gadget.


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[CarmieJo]

Cool! More toys!

[Jasonanatal]

Cool! More toys!

CarmieJo, I definitely agree but what until you see what I have planned.

[Jasonanatal]

Marco Rocks Cherry Picked Delivery

Since I decided to sell my initial Marco Rocks I called Marc once again and asked him to Cherry Pick a particular setup of rocks for me. After some back and fourth E-mail and telephone calls Marc and I agreed on some very beautiful pieces of Fiji, Tonga and Marshall Island and my shipment was sent off. My shipment arrived about 1 week ago and has been placed in a Rubbermaid Tub with a 1,200 gph Powerhead, Heater and Saltwater and has been curing since. I'm hoping that within the next few weeks this rock will be ready for aquascaping.


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Photograph - Marco Rock Cherry Picked Order Curing in a Rubbermaid Tube.

[CarmieJo]

I am looking forward to seeing your new aquascape!

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock Addition: Sea Hare "Aplysia Dactylomela"

Care Level: Expert Only
Temprament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, sg 1.023-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Max. Size: 1' Color Form: Green, Brown
Diet: Herbivore
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Family: Aplysidae

This animal was purchased to control my Hair Algae issue since I don't currently have a sufficient clean up crew (two Trochus Snails). I am not adding additional Snails or Hermit Crabs because I do not want to make aquascaping the Marco Rocks more difficult in having to sift them out of the sand. This also prevents me trapping or crushing these animals underneath the foundation of the structure that I will be creating.


YouTube - Sea Hare Eating Hair Algae.
Video - Sea Hair Grazing on Hair Algae in my Aquarium.

[Jasonanatal]

I am looking forward to seeing your new aquascape!

CarmieJo, I'm definitely looking forward to it myself. I'm getting anxious so I decided to go out and do some food shopping to occupy my time. LOL

[thesaent14]

i have to call this nano supernano because all the equipment anything ells you want to add

[Jasonanatal]

i have to call this nano supernano because all the equipment anything ells you want to add

Thesaent14, I definitely have some more projects in the work but I would hate to spoil the surprises. :tongue2:

[rroselavy]

i have to call this nano supernano because all the equipment anything ells you want to add

I was thinking the same thing. The equipment has "outgrown" the tank. Transitioning to a 60g cube will be pretty painless. :)

[rroselavy]

Livestock Addition: Sea Hare "Aplysia Dactylomela"

Care Level: Expert Only
Temprament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, sg 1.023-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, dKH 8-12
Max. Size: 1' Color Form: Green, Brown
Diet: Herbivore
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Family: Aplysidae

I like the way you format and present info in this thread. Good stuff.

The hare is really cool, but I am a bit confused. In the movie, your hair algae looks like it is on the substrate where it is easy to harvest by hand. Will you be able to keep the hare alive when he runs out of stuff to eat? Do they eat Nori sheets perhaps?

BTW: Why did you get rid of your previous rocks?

[Jasonanatal]

I like the way you format and present info in this thread. Good stuff.

The hare is really cool, but I am a bit confused. In the movie, your hair algae looks like it is on the substrate where it is easy to harvest by hand. Will you be able to keep the hare alive when he runs out of stuff to eat? Do they eat Nori sheets perhaps?

BTW: Why did you get rid of your previous rocks?

Rroselavy, thank you for the compliments on my formatting. As for the Sea Hear I could have went the route of picking things by hand but until I have my Phosphate Reactor and other equipment in place he is doing a great job. I am also attempting to get him on Algae Sheets as well. They are reported to do this naturally but I have never seen that happen in person. :cool:

[Reef Newb]

Jasonanatal,

Great build I hope that one day my BC 29 will be as well set up as your tank. Great job!

I have a question, in this thread you talked about a "dead zone" in the top 1/4 of the tank from having the MH bulb too close to the water with the hood on. I was just curious do you think that would be the case with only a 70w MH bulb. I had gotton and pokerstar monti and placed him in the top 1/4 of the tank and he started loosing color so I moved him towards the bottom of the tank and he seem to be doing much better. So Possibly that does happen with only a 70w MH. I was just wonder have you found anything that could live high in a nano cube type tank with that type of light or possibly found a way to get around that while still keeping the hood on. I dont really have the option of going topless as of yet, so I would really like to keep my hood on. Any of your experience and ideas are welcome..

Sorry if this is not the correct place to post this in your build thread. and once again great build.

[Jasonanatal]

I was thinking the same thing. The equipment has "outgrown" the tank. Transitioning to a 60g cube will be pretty painless. :)

Rroselavy, all that means is that I will have to buy double the equipment for my 60 gallon. :D

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal,

Great build I hope that one day my BC 29 will be as well set up as your tank. Great job!

I have a question, in this thread you talked about a "dead zone" in the top 1/4 of the tank from having the MH bulb too close to the water with the hood on. I was just curious do you think that would be the case with only a 70w MH bulb. I had gotton and pokerstar monti and placed him in the top 1/4 of the tank and he started loosing color so I moved him towards the bottom of the tank and he seem to be doing much better. So Possibly that does happen with only a 70w MH. I was just wonder have you found anything that could live high in a nano cube type tank with that type of light or possibly found a way to get around that while still keeping the hood on. I dont really have the option of going topless as of yet, so I would really like to keep my hood on. Any of your experience and ideas are welcome..

Sorry if this is not the correct place to post this in your build thread. and once again great build.

Reef Newb, well unfortunately I didn't get to do any extensive testing since I saw a problem and didn't want to take a chance with subjecting any corals to extreme conditions that would be harmful to their health. Sorry I could not be of more help.

[Reef Newb]

Thats ok I was just curious. My pokerstar monti was the only thing that didnt do to well up there but I have not put any other SPS high in my BC. I do have some green zoos that have started to grow towards the higher part of the tank so maybe they like it. I was just curious since your build thread was the first I had heard of this.

[Zombo]

I am so awestruck by the thought put into this build, the attention to detail given by Jasonanatal while configuring this and his obvious love of the reef and it's inhabitants. In fact, I am so awestruck, I will not start a tank thread on my 4 gallon Finnex pico, nor my DIY "FrankenWave 9". I couldn't hope to compare to this.
Awesome job, Jason.

[CarmieJo]

Hi Zombo and :welcome: to TR.

[Jasonanatal]

Thats ok I was just curious. My pokerstar monti was the only thing that didnt do to well up there but I have not put any other SPS high in my BC. I do have some green zoos that have started to grow towards the higher part of the tank so maybe they like it. I was just curious since your build thread was the first I had heard of this.

Reef Newb, well I'm pretty sure that with the right slow acclimation to the lighting intensity the Corals will adjust but with the new job and a 9 month old I really didn't have the time. :up:

[Jasonanatal]

I am so awestruck by the thought put into this build, the attention to detail given by Jasonanatal while configuring this and his obvious love of the reef and it's inhabitants. In fact, I am so awestruck, I will not start a tank thread on my 4 gallon Finnex pico, nor my DIY "FrankenWave 9". I couldn't hope to compare to this.
Awesome job, Jason.

Zombo, first of all welcome to the Talking Reef! We have some great members here and the community overall has been a great place to learn and share information with others. As for the compliments on my JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium, I thank you very much. It is indeed appreciated!

[Reef Newb]

Yeah I think I learned that the hard way.. and congrats on your child.. my daughter is 14 months old on the first. So i defiantely know that there is never enough time in the day :) great build again. I really hope I can whip mine into about half as good shape as yours.

[Jasonanatal]

Hardware Addition: EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W 2nd Generation

The standard JBJ 28 gallon Nano Cube comes with two stock 295 gph pumps which can be used simultaneously or in a on/off wavemaker mode using the JBJ Ocean Pulse Duo Wavemaker. This is great for the beginning hobbyist but in my personal strive to create and SPS dominated Reef Aquarium I realized that I needed something better. The answer... Ecotech Marine's Vortech MP40W 2nd Generation Pump. This pump is truly an amazing piece of hardware with numerous benefits, some of which I listed below.

Low velocity variable flow which actually creates an undertow on the sand bed of the Aquarium.
Controllable speed from 200 gph to 3000 gph which allows custom settings of flow to accomodate any Aquarium.
Wireless capabilities which allow synchronization or Master/Slave control of other Vortech MP40W Pumps.
No transmission of Heat/Electrical Current into the water column.
Minimal electrical consumption for operation of the pump.
Optional Battery Backup to ensure the well being of your Aquarium inhabitants in a power outage.
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Photograph - EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W 2nd Generation Pump.

[Jasonanatal]

Aquascaping: Marco Rocks Cherry Picked Fiji & Tonga Mix

Well as always I choose Marco Rocks to be the supplier for my aquascaping needs. After some conversation and swapping photographs of various pieces I confirmed my delivery and within two days beautiful Marco Rocks at my door! The rocks were placed into a Rubbermaid Tub and allowed to cure over the next 6 weeks. Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels were monitored on weekly basis and confirmed that the Marco Rocks were fully cured. I then carefully began my artwork within the Aquarium. I wanted to create a tiered level aquascape which would allow area between the tiers to have the fish swim through and hide during the day. This design will also allow me to place Colonies/Frags of Coral within the Aquarium to provide adequate light to each specimen. Each piece of work was carefully manipulated within the Aquarium to create a locking wedge so that no puddy was used to bind the rockwork together and allow stability to not be compromised.


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Photograph - Marco Rocks Cherry Picked Fiji & Tonga.

[rroselavy]

The answer... Ecotech Marine's Vortech MP40W 2nd Generation Pump. This pump is truly an amazing piece of hardware with numerous benefits, some of which I listed below.

See, now your teasing me! Seriously, when is the tank upgrade planned? :p

Any reason why you didn't get the MP20? If the MP20 was out when I set up my tank, I might have bought that instead.

---

Aquascaping looks good. Decent shelf space with plenty of sand space. I wish I placed my rocks a bit further back. I place them toward the center so there would be easy flow all around, but in retrospect I wish I had more open substrate in the front.

---

OK. I feel compelled to ask this. Is that a PBT (http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=01-3910-S) I see in a 28g? :o Seriously, when is the 200g tank upgrade planned?

[Jasonanatal]

See, now your teasing me! Seriously, when is the tank upgrade planned? :p

Any reason why you didn't get the MP20? If the MP20 was out when I set up my tank, I might have bought that instead.

---

Aquascaping looks good. Decent shelf space with plenty of sand space. I wish I placed my rocks a bit further back. I place them toward the center so there would be easy flow all around, but in retrospect I wish I had more open substrate in the front.

---

OK. I feel compelled to ask this. Is that a PBT (http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=01-3910-S) I see in a 28g? :o Seriously, when is the 200g tank upgrade planned?

Rroselavy, thank you for the compliments and I don't mean to tease but if I mention the word Deltec would that be teasing as well? :tongue2: As far as the Powder Blue Tang goes, yes I know the minimum Aquarium size for these beautiful animals but this particular one came from a Summatra Island order and I couldn't pass up the pure beauty. He is as healthy as can be and shows no sign of stress and even does his morning laps swimming against the EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W 2nd Generation Pump to simulate long distance swims, so for now no tank upgrade. As for my decision in models of pumps I choose the MP40W over the MP20W because is has been out and tested longer and even though you can buy the Upgraded Driver it still in the long run cost about $50.00 or more to upgrade. So I just purchased the MP40W to cut to the chase.

[rroselavy]

He is as healthy as can be and shows no sign of stress and even does his morning laps swimming against the EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W 2nd Generation Pump to simulate long distance swims

You mean kind of like this?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Swimergy_hybrid_swim_machine.jpg

[Jasonanatal]

You mean kind of like this?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Swimergy_hybrid_swim_machine.jpg

Rroselavy, exactly what I mean but I think my Powder Blue Tang has more color. :p

[CarmieJo]

You guys are a riot! Jason, I love the rockwork. It looks almost like a pagoda!

[Jasonanatal]

You guys are a riot! Jason, I love the rockwork. It looks almost like a pagoda!

CarmieJo, thank you very much for the compliments as always Carmie! Pagoda it may be... underwater Pagoda? :agree:

[V]

man thats sweet! My hat goes off to you bud. downgrading doesn't mean you need to slip in the quality department & your proving that fact!

Well done brother!

[rroselavy]

Whoah. I just noticed that your double posting your entire tank thread on MD and manhattanreefs! I feel so used, so violated. I'm never coming back...so don't wait up. I don't care if you get a Deltec MCE600 to win me back...I'm outta here! :rotfl:

[Jasonanatal]

man thats sweet! My hat goes off to you bud. downgrading doesn't mean you need to slip in the quality department & your proving that fact!

Well done brother!

Brother V, thank you for the compliments. Just trying to keep up with your standards! :D

[Jasonanatal]

Whoah. I just noticed that your double posting your entire tank thread on MD and manhattanreefs! I feel so used, so violated. I'm never coming back...so don't wait up. I don't care if you get a Deltec MCE600 to win me back...I'm outta here! :rotfl:

Rroselavy, well I actually just travers on Talking reef, Reefcentral, and Marine Depot now. I used to be on Manhattan Reefs but that website is like a competition site for New Yorkers. If you have better then the moderators then they get upset and try to trash your post. I don't go on their anymore! But my question is this why are you on Marine Depot forum yourself. ;) Come on you'll miss the goodies I have been delivered today and tomorrow!

[rroselavy]

Rroselavy, well I actually just travers on Talkingreef, Reefcentral, and Marine Depot now. I used to be on Manhattan Reefs but that website is like a competition site for New Yorkers. If you have better then the moderators then they get upset and try to trash your post. I don't go on their anymore! But my question is this why are you on Marine Depot forum yourself. ;)

Actually, I hang out on TR, RC, and NR the most...and in that order. I am not even sure I have an account on MD, but go over there to sift through the Calfo and Borneman forums from time to time.



Come on you'll miss the goodies I have been delivered today and tomorrow!

OK. I'll be good.

Just remember: "With great power there must come great responsibility (http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2005_10_06.html)".... :rolleyes:

[V]

wow, i wish i had time to spread myself like that ( i dont think that came out right:huh:lol)
Home, work, TR, Home, Bottleshop, Home:up:

[Jasonanatal]

wow, i wish i had time to spread myself like that ( i dont think that came out right:huh:lol)
Home, work, TR, Home, Bottleshop, Home:up:

Veriann, :tongue2:

[Jasonanatal]

Filtration Equipment Addition: Deltec FR509 Fluidized Media Reactor

After careful consideration of what design and manufacturer I wanted for Fluidized Media Reactors I have chosen Deltec. The Deltec FR509 Fluidized Media Reactor was designed to house Rowaphos but can be used for any media including Carbon, Sand, etc. To accomodate this reactor I constucted a reinforced shelf near my Aquarium that can hold weights in excess of 80 lbs. The reactor is currently plumbed to the Aquarium using standard vinyl tubing connected to a Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerheard. However, the feed pressure is not poweful enough to agitate the Fauna Marine Ultra Carb L (Long Lasting Activated Carbon) within the chamber. As a result I will be removing the Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerhead rated at 295 gph and replacing it with an Eheim 1260 Hobby Pump rated at 635gph. This should supply more then enough pressure to agitate the media and will be placed externally to minimize heat and eletrical voltage transfer to the Aquarium water.


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Photograph - Deltec FR509 Fludiized Media Reactor filled with Fauna Marine Ultra Carb L.

[Jasonanatal]

Inhabitants: Sumatra Powder Blue Tang

Maximum Length: 9.1 in.
Care Level: Expert Only!
Family: Acanthuridae
Reef Compatibility: Good
Minimum Aquarium Size: 200 gal.
Range: Indian Ocean
Diet: Herbivore- herbivore preparations, macro algae
Water Conditions: 74-80° F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4

Well many people are going to say that Powder Blue Tangs should not be housed in a 28 gallon Aquarium. I personally agree, under normal circumstances. I have owned Tangs before in larger Aquariums and I had noticed that every morning my Tang would actually be swimming against the current generated by an EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40 Pump. I came to the conclusion that this would simulate more long distance swimming rather then swimming edge to edge in a 200 gallon Aquarium. So I decided to experiment with my Aquarium. Only 28 gallon's in size but when swimming against a continuous flow of water from a EcoTech Marine Pump size of the Aquarium is not matter! Now this is in no way me advocating the purchase of a Vortech Pump and placing a Tang in a 10 gallon Aquarium. Their are many other aspects that require careful attention to detail such as Water Quality, Food, etc. thay must be taken under consideration! If their were any signs of stress or any other life threatening signs I would immediately transport the Tang to someone who could either give it a proper home or back to the Pet Store Credit or No Credit. I have included a video below to show my Powder Blue Tang swimming against my Vortech, although he gets thrown off a bit due to the Reef-Crest Mode.


YouTube - Powder Blue Tang
Video - Sumatra Powder Blue Tang swimming against an EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W 2nd Generation Pump.

[Jasonanatal]

Filtration: Plumbing My RO/DI Filtration Unit

I have alot of company in my home at any given time and one of the biggest complaints other then everyone saying that I play with my Aquarium too much is that I leave the tubes from my RO/DI Filtration Unit that stretches from the Bathroom through the Foyer and into the living room near the Aquarium on the floor and into my bucket. This not only present a tripping hazard but should someone accidently nock my tubring out then I have a flood. So I decided to make the best of it. I relocated my entire RO/DI to the wall next to my Aquarium and ran both incoming and outgoing water tubes on above the floor board. The tubing is secured using standard 1/4 Inch Cable Guide and I cut the corners with 90 degree elbows. No more tripping and spills here.


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Photograph - RO/DI Filtration Unit Plumbing from Living to Bathroom.

[CarmieJo]

Jason the tank is looking good. I would monitor the powder blue tang closely. Although he gets exercise swimming against the current I am not convinced that this approximates the swimming room of a 6' tank. Watching the video it appeared that he never went past the mid point of the tank (too much flow?) meaning that he can effectively swim 2 or 3 body lengths before turning back. I am afraid that this will be stressful to him.

[Jasonanatal]

Jason the tank is looking good. I would monitor the powder blue tang closely. Although he gets exercise swimming against the current I am not convinced that this approximates the swimming room of a 6' tank. Watching the video it appeared that he never went past the mid point of the tank (too much flow?) meaning that he can effectively swim 2 or 3 body lengths before turning back. I am afraid that this will be stressful to him.

CarmieJo, I'll keep a close eye on him for you. :up:

[Jasonanatal]

Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer Breaks

My Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer has been in operation on various Aquariums that I have maintained for over a year now and during my weekly checks I discovered that the bulb had finally burned out. So I decided to remove the bulb from the unit and I accidently dropped the bulb back into the Quartz Sleeve of the unit. This drop was no more then 1 to 2 inches in height and it was enough to crack the Quartz Sleeve and render my Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer useless until replacement parts are delivered from Aqua Ultraviolet. Lesson learned: in the future remove the Ultraviolet Bulb completely from the unit before attempting to disconnect from the 4-Pin Connector.

Aqua Ultraviolet actually has provided me with some of the best Customer Service I have had in a long time. Their website states that if you send an E-mail you will get a response back within the next 24 hours. I sent my E-mail on Sunday at around 8:00pm and got my answer on Monday at around 3:00pm. They discounted the replacement parts that are required to get my unit up and running again! The Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt Sterilizer should be back in operation in a week or two.

[Jasonanatal]

Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter Purchase

It's payday once again and I have decided to pull the trigger on an awesome piece of equipment from Deltec. The Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter is a device that was developed between Deltec and David Saxby that would create an efficiant method of filtering Nitrate from your aquarium water other then the measn of water changes. I just purchased mine from D&D The Aquarium Solution located in Pennsylvania and I'm hoping to have it delivered this weekend. That means I'm off to the liquor store now.

[rroselavy]

Jason-

Don't get me wrong, but I think you should pull the trigger on a much bigger, longer tank. You seem to have the money to spend on all sorts of gadgets, why not use some on a bigger house for that pretty fish? Also, a bigger tank means a bigger stand, so you can put all the equipment out of reach of your toddler. Seems like a win-win-win to me.

Just my two cents.

BTW: Why not just run the RODI feed/waste tubing under the house where it will not be treaded on? I am thinking that someday your going to see a leak in that room. Drill two 3/4" holes in the floor and your done.

Sorry - don't mean to be overly critical. You have some nice equipment. Hope the tank inhabitants benefit.

[Jasonanatal]

Jason-

Don't get me wrong, but I think you should pull the trigger on a much bigger, longer tank. You seem to have the money to spend on all sorts of gadgets, why not use some on a bigger house for that pretty fish? Also, a bigger tank means a bigger stand, so you can put all the equipment out of reach of your toddler. Seems like a win-win-win to me.

Just my two cents.

BTW: Why not just run the RODI feed/waste tubing under the house where it will not be treaded on? I am thinking that someday your going to see a leak in that room. Drill two 3/4" holes in the floor and your done.

Sorry - don't mean to be overly critical. You have some nice equipment. Hope the tank inhabitants benefit.

Rroselavy, I am just as overly critical in all my decision but I have one simple explanation for my current Aquarium situation. I unfortunately live in an apartment and my landlord has dictacted a stipulation in my lease that I cannot have an aquarium larger then 29 gallons in my home since he lives underneath my apartment. I wish I could purchase a bigger aquariuam, but all in time.

[rroselavy]

Rroselavy, I am just as overly critical in all my decision but I have one simple explanation for my current Aquarium situation. I unfortunately live in an apartment and my landlord has dictacted a stipulation in my lease that I cannot have an aquarium larger then 29 gallons in my home since he lives underneath my apartment. I wish I could purchase a bigger aquariuam, but all in time.

Gotcha. Sorry for the oversight. Makes sense now, even though I think your still crazy. :p

[rroselavy]

Filtration Equipment Addition: Deltec FR509 Fluidized Media Reactor
The reactor is currently plumbed to the Aquarium using standard vinyl tubing connected to a Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerheard. However, the feed pressure is not poweful enough to agitate the Fauna Marine Ultra Carb L (Long Lasting Activated Carbon) within the chamber. As a result I will be removing the Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerhead rated at 295 gph and replacing it with an Eheim 1260 Hobby Pump rated at 635gph. This should supply more then enough pressure to agitate the media and will be placed externally to minimize heat and eletrical voltage transfer to the Aquarium water.

The deltec has some decent looking fittings for external use.

Couldn't you use a granular (non-pellet) carbon so you could use a lower-wattage Eheim 1250 (or smaller)? Seem's like a lot of flow through a reactor. My return pump is a Eheim 1260. :eek:

For reference, I use Borneman's "Elements" carbon, which works quite well in my Simplicity reactor with only a maxijet 400.

[Jasonanatal]

Gotcha. Sorry for the oversight. Makes sense now, even though I think your still crazy. :p

Rroselavy, yeah I think I'm a bit crazy myself. :D

[Jasonanatal]

The deltec has some decent looking fittings for external use.

Couldn't you use a granular (non-pellet) carbon so you could use a lower-wattage Eheim 1250 (or smaller)? Seem's like a lot of flow through a reactor. My return pump is a Eheim 1260. :eek:

For reference, I use Borneman's "Elements" carbon, which works quite well in my Simplicity reactor with only a maxijet 400.

Rroselavy, I like using Fauna Marin Ultra Carb L which is a larger and heavier Long Life Actived Carbon. I already testing using a 295 gph pump to pull water out of the aquarium and up to a shelf I constructed to hold my equipment. Their wasn't enough flow to agitate the Carbon as I would have liked so if I double or even triple the flow then I could get teh tumbling that I'm looking for. However, I'm looking into Deltec's Carbon as a possible replacement.

[Jasonanatal]

Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter: Setup & Seeding

After a long day of server issues at work it great to be able to come home to my brand new toy, the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter. This was ordered from D&D The Aquarium Solution USA in Pennsylvania and delivered via FedEx the next business day. Much better then waiting 3 to 5 business days from Marine Depot on the West Coast. The function behind this device is to allow an area where Nitrate "NO4" can be converted to Nitrogren Gas "N2". Normally the average Aquarium Hobbyist will remove Nitrate "N2" from their aquarium through large scheduled water changes or maintaining aquatic planting. The Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter provides a large surface area where millions of bacteria can colonize and through a reductive process whereby oxygen from the nitrate molecules are utilized by anaerobic bacteria along with a carbon based food "Alchohol" can convert Nitrate "N04" into Nitrogen Gas "N2".

The Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter can be run in three different modes: Manual, Semi-Automatic and Fully Automatic. But since I currently own only the equipment for the Manual Mode for the time being. Since this is a natural bioligical process their is a period of seeding that must occur the Anaerobic Bacteria Colony must be grown. Water is taken from the aquarium and placed within the filter with just the recirculation pump turned on. Their is no additional water flow to or from the aquarium for this seeding period for the next 3 days. Also the Carbon based food (A mixture of 3 parts RO/DI Water and 1 part Vodka) must be provided 4mL twice a day through an injector port and syringe that is provided with the unit. Deltec does manufactur their own food but because their is alchohol contained within it it is not currently imported into the United States due to the extreme amount of paperwork and licensing that is required to import it legally. Unfortunately As the seeding process progresses I will keep everyone updated.


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Photograph - Deltec NPF509 Nitrate Filter.

[Jasonanatal]

Equipment: Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter: Setup & Seeding for Manual Mode

The Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter seeding process has a learning curve that starts out the same for everyone but is definitely a learning process once the beginning stage has been completed. The water placed in the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter has come directly from the aquarium to speed up the initial seeding process. The Tom's Aqualifter Pump that I have pulling water from the aquarium into the Delte NFP509 Nitrate Filter has been turned off after the initial flow testing was completed. The reason for this is that Anaerobic Bacteria that are responsible for converting the Nitrate into Nitrogen Gas exist in area of low oxygen. Preventing any saltwater from entering the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter causes the level of oxygen in the water to drop to levels allowing the Anaerobic Bacteria to colonize inside. It is also required that you feed the Anaerobic Bacteria a carbon based food. Deltec sells a Nitrate Fluid that is used for this purpose however it is not imported into the United States due to it having Alchohol. So in order to get around this minor problem I am creating my own Nitrate Food using a mixture of Vokda 1 ml and RO/DI Water 3ml which is feed in the morning (7:00am) and evening (7:00pm). This is how the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter remained for 3 days.

Yesterday evening was day 4 of the seeding process. This is when the Tom's Aqualifter Pump was turned on and allowed water from the aquarium to enter the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter and flow back into the aquarium at a very slow drip rate. Currently I have the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter to cycle through water at the rate of 1 drop of saltwater every 3 seconds. The saltwater coming from the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter was tested for the level of Nitrate leaving coming from it. Currently of have a Nitrate level of 10 PPM coming from the reactor which shows the Anaerobic Bacteria present within the have not reached a level able to fully remove the Nitrate from the water. I will test in 3 days to determine the Nitrate level coming from the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter.

The Deltec NFP509 flow rate and Nitrate Food is completely dependant on each aquarium setup. This is where the guesswork comes in. Also please remember that I am operating the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter in Manual Mode for the time being.

[Jasonanatal]

Equipment: Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter: Setup & Seeding for Manual Mode
Today is Day 4 Part 2 of the seeding process for the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter. Currently I have a Nitrate level of 5 PPM coming from the reactor which shows the Anaerobic Bacteria present within the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter are growing at what I can consider a substantial rate but still have not reached a level able to fully remove the Nitrate from the water. I will test in 1 day to determine the Nitrate level coming from the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter. The Nitrate levels coming from the outflow of saltwater of the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter must reach 0 PPM before I can move on to the next step in the seeding process, which is to increase the overall turnover rate of the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter from 1 drop of water every 3 seconds to 1 drop of water every two seconds. Here is where the learning curve and fine tuning of the device start to come into play. As the water level is increased, which must be done in very slow increments the food source must also increase, let the trial and error begin!

This is honestly an amazing device. Considering that the seeding period is almost creating the process of maturing an aquarium on a much smaller level. But having a device that can drop Nitrate levels from 10 PPM to 5 PPM in a 24 hour period with no water changes is just astonishing. So far the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter is proving that it is worth every penny!

[CarmieJo]

Sounds like this is working well for you. What is the media in the reactor made of? Are anaerobic conditions maintained by the slow rate of flow through the reactor?

[Jasonanatal]

Sounds like this is working well for you. What is the media in the reactor made of? Are anaerobic conditions maintained by the slow rate of flow through the reactor?

CarmieJo, I'm actually not sure what the composition of the material within the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter is constructed of. At first look I would roughly say some form of sponge like material with very large course stringy fibers. Also the slow drip combined with the recirculation of the water within the reactor chamber and the RO/DI Vodka Mixture assist in maintaining conditions to promote the continued growth and sustainability of the Anaerobic Bacteria.

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Photograph - Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter Reactor Chamber.

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock: Disaster Strikes and I'm Not Sure Why!

Well I just came back from a walk with the family and went to start my weekly water change only to find out that all of my fish are dead! I have lost my Starry Blenny, Dragonface Pipefish and Dwarf Flame Angel all to to what is currently unknown to me at this time. The thing that is a little puzzling to me is that my Tiger Tail Cucumber, Sea Hare, 10x Zebra Hermet Crabs, 2 Electric Blue Hermit Crabs, 1 Halloween Hermit Crab and 2 Trochus Snails are all alive. My two colonies of SPS Coral are showing signs of stress and I'm not perfectly sure as to what is causing the problem. So I'm in the middle of the water change and will let everyone know what I find.

[CarmieJo]

Jason, that is terrible. I had a similar situation in my nano where both of my fish died leaving everything else alive. I never figured out what happened so I can't give you much help there.

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock: Possible Cause to Livestock Wipeout Marine Velvet
Well after testing water paramters which have been lsited below. I have come to the conclusion of a possible disease that would be responsible for claiming the lives of my livestock. Base on reading multiple documents on the Marine Velvet Disease and comparing their symptoms detailed within the document listed below, with the symptons being displayed by my livestock I would definitely lean toward this being the casue.

Water Parameter Testing
Salinity: 1.026 SG "Tested with Refractometer"
Ammonia: 0.0 PPM "Tested with Elos Test Kit"
Nitrite: 0.0 PPM "Tested with Elos Test Kit"
Nitrate: 0.0 PPM "Tested with Elos Test Kit"
pH: 8.3 "Tested with Elos Test Kit"
Magnesium: 1350 PPM "Tested with Salifert Test Kit"
Calcium: 460 PPM "Tested with LaMotte Test Kit"
Alkalinity: 12.7 dKH Test with LaMotte Test Kit"

Symptoms

The symptoms of marine velvet usually involve the skin and lungs. Mild infections will usually only infect the gills and the fish may show minimal symptoms. As the infestation becomes more severe, the gills will become inflamed, bleed, and the lung tissue will begin to die. The fish will show signs of irritation and distress, with rapid breathing and lethargy. As the inflammation increases, the fish will lose its ability to transport oxygen across the gill membranes resulting in a fish that shows symptoms of suffocation, and if treatment is not initiated, death will often result. The skin is the site of attachment for the organism and in severe infections, small gold-colored spots will cover the skin, which can progress to create a "velvet" appearance which gives the disease its name. By the time the gold-colored velvet appears, however, the gills may be so infected that treatment is usually too late. Many fish die from this disease without ever showing any visible skin changes. It may be possible to visualize early forms of the infection on the skin by using indirect illumination. This works best on dark fish and can be done by shining a flashlight on the dorsal surface of a fish in a darkened room. Viewing infected fish against a dark background may also be helpful.

[CarmieJo]

dKH is a little high, the range it 7-11. I don't think that would hurt your fish.

[Jasonanatal]

dKH is a little high, the range it 7-11. I don't think that would hurt your fish.

CarmieJo, that is strange. I took a look online to confrim and everyone recommended Alkalinity dKH level is different. The Seachem bottle recommends that Alkalinity dKH levels for a reef aquarium be kept at 8 dKH to 14 dKH. Any clarification on this.

[CarmieJo]

I have always aimed for the 7 - 11 range and most usually have my tanks around 10. Here is a good article by the master of reef chemistry! Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php)

[Jasonanatal]

I have always aimed for the 7 - 11 range and most usually have my tanks around 10. Here is a good article by the master of reef chemistry! Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php)

CarmieJo, well actually my base Alkalinity level was 176 PPM or 9.9 dKH I actually labeled it 12.7 because I dosed with Seachem Reef Buffer to raise my pH level from 8.1 pH to 8.3 pH which according to the isntructions would raise Alkalinity levels by 1.4 dKH for every raise of 0.1 ph. I hope this helps more.

[CarmieJo]

Calcium and alkalinity are inversely proportional and you may experience problems with low Ca if your alk is too high.

[Jasonanatal]

Calcium and alkalinity are inversely proportional and you may experience problems with low Ca if your alk is too high.

CarmieJo, thank you. I have always had fuzzy thoughts on the relationship between Calcium and Alkalinity. I actually have to force myself to sit down and read some documentation fully.

[CarmieJo]

Yeah it is that chemistry class stuff that glazes your eyes. Here is a good article A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php).

[Jasonanatal]

Yeah it is that chemistry class stuff that glazes your eyes. Here is a good article A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php).

CarmieJo, thank you for the article. I will read over it this weekend.

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock: Electric Blue Hermit Crab "Molting"

Well this is definitely a sign of good things happening within my aquarium. This is the second evidence of molting that I have found in last couple of weeks.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0411.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0428.jpg
Photograph - The Electric Blue Hermit Crab Molting.

[Jasonanatal]

Equipment: Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter "Adjusting"

I initially added the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter to the arsenal of devices on my aquarium for two main reasons. I wanted to be able to provide the highest quality water conditions by biologically converting Nitrate to Nitrogen (This would address the Nitrate levels of water that was not removed from the aquarium during scheduled water changes) by the use of Nitrifying Bacteria as well as receiving natural trace elements provided by the use of the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter. Deltec advises that the recommendation size aquarium for this product should be within the range of 50 gallons to 250 gallons. Now I know what most of you may be thinking... great larger then necessary which means more efficient or overkill but still great to have. Well, I personally went with the notion of "Go Big or Go Home" resulting in me overlooking something that unfortunately has come with a heavy price.

The Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter provides an area that is somewhat isolated from the rest of the aquarium were salwater rich in oxygen and other chemicals (Nitrate and Oxygen being our primary focus) enter the chamber of the reactor, being regulated manually by a flow valve in my setup. The Colony of Nitrifying Bacteria within the reactor chamber which are responsible for converting the Nitrate in Nitrogen are provided conditions which stimulate their growth and reproduction (Low Oxygen Levels and a Carbon Based Food Source "RO/DI & Vodka Mixture" which is injected twice a day). Efluent from the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter is then returned to the aquarium at a rate currently of 1 drop per every 2 seconds. This does not seem like much but when converted to a more understandable format this device can process nearly 2 gallons of saltwater each week.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0348.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0349.jpg
Photograph - Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter Flow Valve & Reactor Chamber.

However, it is my hypothesis that since my Nitrifying Bacteria Colony within the Reactor Chamber is young their utilizationg of the the Carbon Based Food "RO/DI & Vodka" is not as efficient as a fully matured Nitrifying Bacter Colony resulting in Carbon Based Food "RO/DI & Vodka" being returned back to the aquarium prematurely. Thus resulting in various adverse effects such as my aquarium inhabitants dieing and my Coral Colonies displaying signs of Rapid Tissue Necrosis and Recessed Polyps. So I have drastically reduced the dosage amount of the Carbon Based Food from 8 milliliters per day to 1 milliliter which equates to a mixture ratio of 0.375 milliliters of RO/DI water and 0.125 milliliters of Vokda.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0429.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0430.jpg
Photograph - SPS Corals within my aquarium displaying signs of Rapid Tissue Necrosis.

[CarmieJo]

Have you seen better polyp extension since you reduced the vodka? Did you see this Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php) article?

[Jasonanatal]

Have you seen better polyp extension since you reduced the vodka? Did you see this Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php) article?

CarmieJo, actually I have just decided to reduce the dosing requirements for the Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter today. I will be implementing that change starting tomorrow after a 10 gallon water change. Hopefully then I will see a gradual increase in the overall health of the Corals. Thank you for the article to add to the bookshelf. :D

[rroselavy]

Equipment: Deltec NFP509 Nitrate Filter "Adjusting"

However, it is my hypothesis that since my Nitrifying Bacteria Colony within the Reactor Chamber is young their utilizationg of the the Carbon Based Food "RO/DI & Vodka" is not as efficient as a fully matured Nitrifying Bacter Colony resulting in Carbon Based Food "RO/DI & Vodka" being returned back to the aquarium prematurely. Thus resulting in various adverse effects such as my aquarium inhabitants dieing and my Coral Colonies displaying signs of Rapid Tissue Necrosis and Recessed Polyps. So I have drastically reduced the dosage amount of the Carbon Based Food from 8 milliliters per day to 1 milliliter which equates to a mixture ratio of 0.375 milliliters of RO/DI water and 0.125 milliliters of Vokda.

I have NO idea how this vodka dosing works. I find it strange enough that they make vodka based pizza sauce. :p ...but the Ockham's razor principal usually bites people (like me) in the butt when things get too complicated.

I agree with your assumption that the scale of the vodka dosing may have been too much for your tank. Seems more reasonable to assume that the new device is most probably the cause of sudden death.

Sorry to hear about your losses Jason. Hope to see the tank rebound.

[Jasonanatal]

I have NO idea how this vodka dosing works. I find it strange enough that they make vodka based pizza sauce. :p ...but the Ockham's razor principal usually bites people (like me) in the butt when things get too complicated.

I agree with your assumption that the scale of the vodka dosing may have been too much for your tank. Seems more reasonable to assume that the new device is most probably the cause of sudden death.

Sorry to hear about your losses Jason. Hope to see the tank rebound.

Rroselavy, thank you. I'm actually in the process of getting things straightened out. However, I am once again without work so I'm focusing alot of time on finding a new job once again. Damn economy.

[CarmieJo]

Sorry to hear that you are out of work.

[Jasonanatal]

Sorry to hear that you are out of work.

CarmieJo, thank you. I'm actually in the process of sorting through some jobs now and I have a very good catch that will hopefully pan out today. :fingers:

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock: Amphipods "Gone Wild"

It has been quite a while since I actually stood in front of my aquarium for some night viewing. During my exploration I was astonished to see hundres of little creatures zipping in and our of the live rocks. At first thought I worried about the life of my Starry Blenny and immediately started to conduct a Google search in order to find out what these little creatures were and if they posed a threat to any of my inhabitants. After some reading I found that these were Amphipods and that their existance is usually a sign of a very healthy aquarium. I decided that I wanted to get these little guys on video so I used my Hard Drive based Sony Handycam with Nightshot to get the footage. I hope everyone enjoys.


YouTube - Amphipods at Night.
Video - Amphipods living in the live rock at night.

[rayme07]

looks like copepods thanks Jasonanatal

[rroselavy]

Nice. I have a 20T at work that I maintain as a QT. It has been devoid of fish from day one, so now it has a healthy amphipod population that I enjoy watching during my days at work. I recently QT'd some snails and brought home a bunch, and when I went to acclimate them I found 2 small bristle worms and a micro brittle star in there as well. It is cool that this diversity lives in our systems.

[Jasonanatal]

looks like copepods thanks Jasonanatal

Rayme07, I'm pretty sure their Amphipods from various photographs that my wife and I compared as well as their size. Some of these guys are almost a quarter or an inch if not larger. But I could wrong. :p

[Jasonanatal]

Nice. I have a 20T at work that I maintain as a QT. It has been devoid of fish from day one, so now it has a healthy amphipod population that I enjoy watching during my days at work. I recently QT'd some snails and brought home a bunch, and when I went to acclimate them I found 2 small bristle worms and a micro brittle star in there as well. It is cool that this diversity lives in our systems.

Rroselavy, diversity is definitely the spice of life in the aquarium. I just love that fact that I have a definite sign of a healthy aquarium with all the things that have went wrong. Now I'm curious to know if a Green Target Dragonet or a Mandarin Dragonet is suitable for living in my aquarium. I have found documentation that they eat Copepods but nothing about Amphipods.

[CarmieJo]

Jason, I think they are amphipods, they definitely have that comma shape.

[rayme07]

Rayme07, I'm pretty sure their Amphipods from various photographs that my wife and I compared as well as their size. Some of these guys are almost a quarter or an inch if not larger. But I could wrong.

yah i think im wrong from what it looked like to me but of course i was tired so that impared my vission so it was kind of hard to see also is that a nudibranch in the video i love sea slugs. thanks
Raymond:)

[CarmieJo]

I think it was Jason's Dwarf Sea Hare.

[rayme07]

I think it was Jason's Dwarf Sea Hare

Thanks carmie I thought it might be one of those two thanks again
Raymond :)

[Jasonanatal]

I think it was Jason's Dwarf Sea Hare.

CarmieJo, you are correct CarmieJo. That head moving in the video is my Dwarf Sea Hare which is the only Algae Grazer other then my two Trochus Snails in my aquarium.

[Jasonanatal]

Corals: Oregon Blue Tortusa (Acropora Tortusa) "SPS Coral Addition"

Care Level: Easy in SPS tank!
Lighting Requirements: High- Metal Halides
Water Flow: Moderate
Aggressiveness: Peaceful
Range: Indo-Pacific
Family: Acroporidae
Water Conditions: 74-80° F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12

I am so happy to have found a local Reef Keeper who had a frag of this Coral available (MattT5 of Reef Central). The Oregon Blue Tortusa (Acropora Tortusa) is a beautiful specimen and has already shown full polyp extension within a few minutes of being introduced into my aquarium. I can't wait to see this grow into a colony.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0493.jpg
Photograph - Oregon Blue Tortusa (Acropora Tortusa) purchased from MattT5 of Reef Central.

[Jasonanatal]

Corals: Tri Color Acropora (Acropora Tortusa) "SPS Coral Addition"
Scientific Name: Acropora Valida
Care Level: Intermediate
Disposition: Semi-Aggressive
Placement: Middle to Top
Lighting: High "Metal Halides"
Waterflow: Strong

This is another beautiful specimen received from MattT5 of Reef Central.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0491.jpg
Photograph - Tri Color Acropora from MattT5 of Reef Central.

[rayme07]

Those are cute little butiful frags you got there.LOL
Thanks Raymond:)

[Jasonanatal]

Those are cute little butiful frags you got there.LOL
Thanks Raymond:)

Rayme07, thank you.

[rroselavy]

Hey Jason-

I am thinking of getting the same Tunze Osmollator that you have. My Elos Osmo is only a single-sensor unit with some nice electronic protections - but a single-sensor unit none the less.

I'll be hooking it up to my Kalk reactor, so it needs to adapt to 1/4" rigid airline. I'll need to get a barb->stem adapter to do this. Do you know what the inside diameter of the Tunze tubing is?

Thanks!

[Jasonanatal]

Hey Jason-

I am thinking of getting the same Tunze Osmollator that you have. My Elos Osmo is only a single-sensor unit with some nice electronic protections - but a single-sensor unit none the less.

I'll be hooking it up to my Kalk reactor, so it needs to adapt to 1/4" rigid airline. I'll need to get a barb->stem adapter to do this. Do you know what the inside diameter of the Tunze tubing is?

Thanks!

Rroselavy, the measurement of the inner tubing is 1/8 of an inch. Go ahead and buy it... you know you want to. :agree:

[Jasonanatal]

Equipment: Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer "Performance"

It is time for my monthly cleaning of the my Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer, so I thought I would take this opportunity to give everyone some insight on its overall performance. Especially since most people are very interested in moving away from the stock protein skimmers that are usually provided with their nano aquariums. The photographs below span from Monday, September 08, 2008 through Saturday, September 13, 2008. In just less then a full weeks time, the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer managed to produce 125 ml of skimmate which is roughly 1/5 of the entire collection cups capacity.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0549.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0562.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0565.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0567.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0568.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0569.jpg
Photograph - Monday, September 08, 2008 through Saturday, September 09, 2008 - Photographic timeline of the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer's performance.

[rroselavy]

The foam head looks much lie some of the high end skimmers out there, a overflow of brownish cruddy bubbles into the cup. Good stuff.

I bet you would do even better than 125ml overall if you cleaned the cup every other day...

[Jasonanatal]

The foam head looks much lie some of the high end skimmers out there, a overflow of brownish cruddy bubbles into the cup. Good stuff.

I bet you would do even better than 125ml overall if you cleaned the cup every other day...

Rroselavy, what I meant by cleaning the protein skimmer was that I actually disconnected entirely from my aquarium and cleaned every component. I wasn't refferring to just emptying the collection cup. I apologize for the confusion.

[rroselavy]

J-

I was referring to the skimmate progression pictorial, not your deep cleaning...

[rroselavy]

What kind of tuning adjustments does the 9002 allow?

[Jasonanatal]

What kind of tuning adjustments does the 9002 allow?

Rroselavy, the only tuning adjustment that can be made to the Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer is to adjust the airflow that is introduced to the water via a blue knob on the device.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0572.jpg
Photograph - September 14, 2008 - Tunze Nano DOC 9002 Protein Skimmer Airflow Adjustment Knob.

[bbl_nk]

Good pics Jason...Thanks for keeping a detailed progress for us to admire.

[Jasonanatal]

Good pics Jason...Thanks for keeping a detailed progress for us to admire.

Bbl_nk, your very welcome. Thank you for tagging along on my thread.

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock: Picasso Percula Clownfish "Amphiprion Percula"

Size: 1 - 2 Inches
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Docile
Origin: Aquacultered
Minimum Aquarium Size: 10 gallons
Reef Compatible: Yes

I managed to get my hands on one of Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums "ORA's" most sought after aquacultured specimens, the Picasso Percula Clownfish. This little guy was purchased from House of Fins in Stamford, CT. According to the store sales people he was a Grade: B Picasso and because of that many people had passed on purchasing him, but not me. This little guy deserved a home in my aquarium and was purchased for a super sale of $80.00 (normally priced at $120.00). Hopefully in the near future I can locate a second Picasso Percula Clownfish to introduce.


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/Jasonanatal/28%20gallon%20JBJ%20Nano%20Cube%20HQI%20Quarantine %20Aquarium/IMG_0601.jpg
Photograph - September 18, 2008 - My new Picasso Percula Clownfish purchased from House of Fins in Stamford, CT.

[rroselavy]

Cool. I dunno if its just the pic, but he looks kind of thin... I say STUFF HIM LIKE A PIG!!! TREAT HIM LIKE A KING!!!:p

[Jasonanatal]

Cool. I dunno if its just the pic, but he looks kind of thin... I say STUFF HIM LIKE A PIG!!! TREAT HIM LIKE A KING!!!:p

Rroselavy, he is not as thin as the photograph shows. It was a little difficult getting a photograph of him because he wouldn't stay still. I think that he prolonged stay at the pet store took it's toll. But you know I always tend to over do things so he will be treated like royalty during dinner time. LOL

[Reef Newb]

Cool find congrats. Hopefully you will find a second one for an equally as good deal. And if you get them to breed down the line, I want in line :)

[Jasonanatal]

Equipment: EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W Generation 2 Pump

I finally managed to get some free time to actually read the entire manual from the EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W Generation 2 Pump. And as you all probably figured out by now I'm always one to push the envelope, so I got this crazy idea to make some waves in my 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube. So I thought I would share this video after I tinkered with the waves settings.


YouTube - EcoTech Marine Vortech Generation 2 Pump. "Long Video"
YouTube - EcoTech Marine Vortech Generation 2 Pump.
Video - Friday, September 18, 2008 - Video of the wave making capabilites of my EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40W Generation 2 Pump.

[Jasonanatal]

Cool find congrats. Hopefully you will find a second one for an equally as good deal. And if you get them to breed down the line, I want in line :)

Reef Newb, that definitely sounds like a plan to me but I would have to get Rob involved since he is the expert clownfish breeder. If you see one let me know.

[Reef Newb]

I will keep my eyes open for you. I have seen a few at an LFS here near my job in San Francisco, but they are usually very expensive and not really much help 3000+ miles away.

[Jasonanatal]

I will keep my eyes open for you. I have seen a few at an LFS here near my job in San Francisco, but they are usually very expensive and not really much help 3000+ miles away.

Reef Newb, if you see any I would definitely have no problem sending you the money via PayPal for the purchase and shipping items if you didn't think it wasn't too much of an inconvenience for you. Just a thought. :agree:

[Reef Newb]

That sounds good I have to go to a few places this weekend and I will let you know what I find.

[CarmieJo]

Wow Jason you really have that water moving!

[rayme07]

jason Im amazed how butiful that clown looks the orange color it very vibrant coming off the fish it look awsome. Also the wave maker looks nice it was realy swaying thanks for sharing:up:
Raymond:)

[Jasonanatal]

That sounds good I have to go to a few places this weekend and I will let you know what I find.

Reef Newb, that would be greatly appreciated. :up:

[Jasonanatal]

Wow Jason you really have that water moving!

CarmieJo, that it definitely is. I was starting to get worried that it might go over the other end lol. :o

[Jasonanatal]

jason Im amazed how butiful that clown looks the orange color it very vibrant coming off the fish it look awsome. Also the wave maker looks nice it was realy swaying thanks for sharing:up:
Raymond:)

Rayme, thank you for the compliments.

[Reef Newb]

Well 3 LFS later no picasso clowns. I will be going to a few in a few weeks as well. I will keep my eye open for you though.

[StevieT]

I think I could have helped you with the cup. I have made a few of these for the JBJ recently since the Tunze is a good choice, but the cup doesn't work right.

This is a JBJ cup in a RSM just for picture sake

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m238/StevieTdrill/IMG_4932.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m238/StevieTdrill/IMG_4933.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m238/StevieTdrill/IMG_4935.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m238/StevieTdrill/IMG_4540.jpg



Very nice tank !

[rroselavy]

SteveT - Pretty nice. I am not fond of rectangular collection cups because I have found them harder to clean, but in this case, fitting the cup trumps the shape of the cup. BTW: Is the neck of your collection cup the same height and diameter of the Tunze 9002 cup?

[StevieT]

Thanks. I created the cup to solve the Issue with the RSM hood clearance with the Tunze 9002, that was after making a media basket, so I had the acrylic and boom things started off....

Yeah, round is easier to clean, but overall you need to dump this since the Tunze is more of a liquid skimmate. The neck is easy to clean with a finger, and for the tight areas I believe the Tunze came wiht a cleaning wand that I use.

Yes, the diamater of the Tunze tube is 1.5" and so is my cup, the height is the same bellow the cup, the area that goes into the skimmer. The distance between the deflector on the tunze cup is the same on my cup, the only difference is the shape and height, which helps in most AIO tanks since the filtration is rectangle in shape, and the tunze cup is round.

more info here on my build thread if you would like:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=161619&pid=1689249&st=0&#entry1689249

[CarmieJo]

Hi StevieT and :welcome: to TR.

[StevieT]

Thanks CarmieJo!

[rayme07]

Hellow StevieT welcome to TR.
Thanks for showing us you JBJ cup it looks neat.:)

[Jasonanatal]

Well 3 LFS later no picasso clowns. I will be going to a few in a few weeks as well. I will keep my eye open for you though.

Reef Newb, thank you very much for looking around for me. If you manage to find a Snowflake Percula Clownfish that would be awesome. :up:

[Jasonanatal]

Thanks CarmieJo!

SteveT, thank you for the compliments on my aquarium. Nice design on the collection cup. I actually have seen your thread on Reef Central. Would you be able to start a thread on the Skimmate Progression using photographs over a weeks time to so that I can make a comparison to the Standard Tunze Collection Cup. I'm sure individuals who currently have or want to purchase this Protein Skimmer would definitely be interested. Thanks.

[StevieT]

SteveT, thank you for the compliments on my aquarium. Nice design on the collection cup. I actually have seen your thread on Reef Central. Would you be able to start a thread on the Skimmate Progression using photographs over a weeks time to so that I can make a comparison to the Standard Tunze Collection Cup. I'm sure individuals who currently have or want to purchase this Protein Skimmer would definitely be interested. Thanks.

You're welcome, it is fun reading through other tank threads, just a bit of a change is nice from the tank I own.

Possibly Nano-Reef? I have a few photos on RC but have yet to post an actual thread farther than an ID.

Sure, I can do that. It will be in my RSM and will come out of that sized cup, which is wider than the JBJ cup I make by 21mm, but it will give you a good idea of what it can do. Overall the skimmate production is pretty much matched with the stock Tunze cup and of course every tank will be different. But I think you have a great idea and I will start taking pics today.

[Jasonanatal]

You're welcome, it is fun reading through other tank threads, just a bit of a change is nice from the tank I own.

Possibly Nano-Reef? I have a few photos on RC but have yet to post an actual thread farther than an ID.

Sure, I can do that. It will be in my RSM and will come out of that sized cup, which is wider than the JBJ cup I make by 21mm, but it will give you a good idea of what it can do. Overall the skimmate production is pretty much matched with the stock Tunze cup and of course every tank will be different. But I think you have a great idea and I will start taking pics today.

SteveT, awesome. I look forward to the new thread.

[Jasonanatal]

Chemistry: Two Part Calcium Additive Issue "When It Rains... It Pours!"

I wanted to apologize for my dissapearance for that last few weeks. My new job has been extremely demanding and I have had a few issues that I am in the process of dealing with when it comes to my reef aquarium. So here are the laundry list of problems.

During my weekly water changes I would conduct my normal testing using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Liquid Test Kits and it would show a rather large level of Calcium depletion. So I would calculate the amount of Kent Tech CB Two Part Calcium Additive that would be required to make up for the loss of Calcium and then add the necessary amount. Soon after I would see the results of my dosing as a calcareous substance form on the glass which would take me hours to remove.


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Photograph - Friday, October 26, 2008 - Calcareous substance formed on aquarium glass.

Amphibious as well as others explained that it could be from a bad batch of additive or too much additive being dosed in a short period of time. He generously sent me a complimentary set of Ocean's Blend Two Part and Magnesium to resolve my problem which I have been dosing by the instructions for 1 week and so far no signs of the Calcareous substance.


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Photograph - Saturday, October 11, 2008 - Ocean's Blend additives.

[rayme07]

Glad everthings turning out ok. Once again dicks there to save the day. lol :D

[Jasonanatal]

Equipment: American Marine PinPoint pH Probe

I finally decided to place an order for my American Marine PinPoint pH Probe that connects to my Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2. I also purchased plenty of calibration fluid so that every 2 weeks I can remove the probe to calibrate it to make sure everything is within working condition. This little device has actually led me to see a gradual decline in the pH of my reef aquarium which I'm currently working toward rectifying.


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Photograph - Saturday, October 04, 2008 - American Marine Pin Point pH Probe.

[CarmieJo]

I am glad to hear that the Ca issue seems to be under control!

[Jasonanatal]

Chemical: D&D The Aquarium Solution H2Ocean Salt

As you all know I'm always itching to purchase quality products for use in my reef aquarium so I purchased a bucket of D&D The Aquarium solutions H2Ocean Salt. This salt is derived from the process of solar evaporation of water from the Red Sea and I have heard good things about it so why not give it a try. I'll let everyone know if their are any added benefits from using this salt. However, their definitely is something to be said when a company invest time and money into extra wrapping for this salt.


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Photograph - Saturday, October 11, 2008 - D&D The Aquarium Solution H2Ocean Salt.

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock: Kole Tang "Ctenochaetus Strigosus"

Maximum Length: 7.1 Inches
Care Level: Moderate
Family: Acanthuridae
Reef Compatibility: Excellent
Minimum Aquarium Size: 70 gallon
Range: Indo-Pacific, Hawaii
Diet: Herbivore- herbivore preparations, macro algae
Water Conditions: 74-80° F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4

The body of the Hawaiian Kole Tang is brown in color and is marked with about 35 fine, light, longitudinal lines which continue onto the rear of the soft dorsal and anal fins at the back of the body. Indian Ocean specimens bear spots, rather then the distinctive stripes. The Hawaiian Kole's eye is encircled by a bright yellow ring, small blue spots cover much of the head, and the chin appears to be a purplish color. Some juvenile specimens have a greenish yellow color with blue markings and faint dark stripes. The Kole Tang has a very interesting history from Ancient Hawaiian times. It was considered as "Royal" food and was kapu (forbidden) to be caught or eaten by anyone accept Royalty. The penalty, if found with the Kole, was death. Remember, if you have one of these fish, it has a very sacred history with the Hawaiian people, and in Hawai'i today is prized as a delicacy. Even though the Kole Tang is one of the less aggressive Surgeonfishes, it will battle with its own kind, and possibly with close relatives. Because it is less aggressive it may also be picked on by other, more aggressive Surgeonfishes. For this reason it is best kept singly, one per tank, but it does make a good choice when it comes to compatibility with other more docile, non-related species. To reduce compatibility problems, if you decide to put this fish together it generally helps to introduced them into the aquarium at the same time. Like all Surgeonfishes, the Kole has a very sharp spur or razor by the tail. It may seem small, but it can inflict a pretty nasty cut. Therefore, use caution when handling this fish. This fish is a workhorse when it comes to eating various types of algae in an aquarium, particularly brown diatom microalgae (http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/weekly/aa091100.htm). From our experiences of keeping this fish we could put a few in a tank that had a brown diatom algae accumulation on the glass, and within days it would be gone. All that was left were the little lip marks on the glass where the algae used to be. The Kole Tang spends it day constantly grazing and eating, so providing it with an environment with plenty of algae growth is best. However, beware not to put one in a small reef tank, as it can do a lot of damage if you have delicate plants and algae growth that you want to keep. In a very large reef tank the plant growth can recover, as the Kole has so much to pick from. The Kole Tang adapts to eating tank fed foods extremely well. It will accept blue-green alga Spirulina, fresh romaine lettuce and other vegetable matter such as broccoli and zucchini. It likes nori (dried seaweed), flake foods made from dried marine algaes, and will even nibble on some meaty foods like dried shrimp and blood worms. When feeding with fresh romaine lettuce, broccoli or other fresh vegetables, place these foods in the freezer long enough to partially freeze them, then let them thaw out. This helps to break down the tough fibrous matter in the plants and allows the fish to digest them more easily. You can also blanch them to get the same results.


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Photograph - Sunday, October 19, 2008 - My new Kole Tang "Ctenochaetus strigosus".

[Jasonanatal]

Livestock: Aarrowhead Crab "Stenorhynchus Seticornis"

Care Level: Easy
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Carnivore
Range: Carribean
Family: Majidae
Water Conditions: 74-80° F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12

The Arrow Crab uses its very long legs to walk over the reef and to climb over almost any obstacle. It will not bother corals, however the occasional large specimen may pick at small passive fishes. Some Arrow Crabs will eat troublesome bristle worms. Overall, a great reef inhabitant that can live for several years in the home aquarium.


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Photograph - Sunday, October 19, 2008 - My new Aarowhead Crab "Stenorhynchus Seticornis"

[rayme07]

Jason nice write ups on both and also beautiful pics of your new livestock.:up: Thanks :)

[Jasonanatal]

Jason nice write ups on both and also beautiful pics of your new livestock.:up: Thanks :)

Rayme07, thank you!

[Reef Newb]

Jasonanatal,

Hope all is going well looks like your tank is doing really well. I just had a quick question, How is your flame angel doing with the SPS and clam? I was thinking about adding one, but a little nervous about the angel with my SPS.

Thanks,

Daniel

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal,

Hope all is going well looks like your tank is doing really well. I just had a quick question, How is your flame angel doing with the SPS and clam? I was thinking about adding one, but a little nervous about the angel with my SPS.

Thanks,

Daniel

Reef Newb, honestly it is a luck of the draw in my personal opinion. I have owned two Dwarf Flame Angels in other aquariums housing SPS and Clams and never had a problem. This latest on seems to pick at the Polyps but leaves my clams alone. It's definitely worth a shot for such a beautiful fish.