The October 2011 Updates
Oct 1, 2011
Base rock is now split between a kiddie pool and a 60l tub. Never believed either of my phosphate test kits could detect a damn thing until I tested that water this morning. Didn't think that rock would leech that much of it that quick either. Expect it to be phosphate soup after I leave it soaking for a week while i'm not home :D
Oct 3, 2011
OK two updates:
- One of the two wave makers has already shat itself. One of the two heads turned into a vacuum and smarted going the wrong way, causing all sorts of noise. I was prompted to check it after I saw the lights dim for a second. It's unplugged, and I have an old powerhead in the tub.
- The Tetra Marine Salt Pro is almost as bad as Aqua One salt. I started mixing a batch yesterday so I have some ready for when I come back. A lot of undissolved material around the bottom of the tub - even after stirring it a lot, and the water being at 27C, it doesn't dissolve well. There was also a bit of crap on the water surface too. The water is finally starting to look clearish after one day. Glad I bought it for the sole purpose of using to cure rock, and maybe getting the new tank wet if I have any left by then. Not sure I'd want to use it in a tank once it's established.
Oct 6, 2011
Ordered skimmer today - went with a Bubble Magus 180CS - was only a little dearer than the 150 I was going to get.
Oct 11, 2011
OK - some now I'm confused and somewhat annoyed (actually I have steam coming out of my ears).
I put in the skimmer order on Thursday - site said it had stock at the time. Get an email 3 hours later saying that the order status has been changed to completed, which would lead me to believe that the items have been picked, packed and readied for collection.
I get an email today from 2Checkout with notes on it saying entire transaction has been refunded as skimmer has sold out.
So having hung around all day waiting for Fastway (who are a pain in the ass when they deliver here, as they don't have a local office, and if they miss you, the goods go to frigging Geelong until you call the driver, and he'll drop them somewhere local the following day) - waiting for the skimmer and some salt that I rather urgently need, I now get this set back. Remind me again why I waste time dealing with Guppys?
Now to add insult to injury, I'm stuck waiting for the funds to be returned to my account.
If they had heard of even remotely reasonable customer service, and I'd have happily swapped it for a 150-PRO. Would only have taken one phone call.. or a 5 second email. Feeling the urge to post this somewhere where a larger number of his customers can see it.
Oct 15, 2011
OK. Take 2 on the skimmer order. I've received the refund on the last order, so I've ordered a BM 150-PRO, a Devil/Diablo 3000 pump to use as a return pump, a Hailea HX-6830 for the ATO (wanted it for the 3.2m head - the container will be a long way from the cabinet. Not so much in height, but there will be a a decent horizontal gap), an ATO relay, some Corraline purple reef expoxy and some frag rocks (might be able to use these to fix problems when I try to stack the live rock).
As of yesterday, I also now have a stack of 25l water containers that @Syndontis kindly arranged and delivered for me. This should work well - won't actually fill them all, but at least I'll always have a few empties to use when opportunity arises to obtain some new water.
The ATO tub is gonna be across the other side of the room with the piping behind some other tanks. If it winds up having way too much go, I have a smaller Hailea that I can switch it out for (one that drives the ATO on the nano). The supply container is likely about 50l, so I'm not too worried about the ability to maximise how much water I pull out of it. This may get scaled down, but I I manage to get ridiculous amounts of evaporation in that room so I'm allowing for that to be scaled right up for a tank this big. I'll also have a ball valve in there for some flow adjustment. A bit hard on the pump, but it's not really expensive. If the increase in pressure makes a mess, then I will switch the pumps around.
All of my 50-60l tanks go through around 5l a week in evap. The cichlid tank can go through well over 10l a week, so I don't even want to guess what this system is likely to burn off. It's 3 times bigger tank anything I have at the moment, and I'd like it to be able to look after itself for a week if I need it to, so the numbers suggest that 50l is a good size. Gas heating is a bugger!
Am familiar with this float - use one on my nano. Never, ever, ever letting the new float go anywhere near light. They are a pain the backside to clean. If I wind up with a 'fuge in my sump, I'll be making somewhere dark for the float to live.
Oct 20, 2011
My order from Guppys is here.. though missing the Hailea pump.
Looks like the skimmer is gonna be fun to put together. Didn't think it would be so.. big :D
Oct 23, 2011
Pic heavy! Crap shots, but I'm in a hurry :p
The bottom of the tank
Top down. You won't see the return pipe when I'm finished.
The sump. Sideways.
The rock spas with 10kg of live rock added. The new pieces are more branch like. Not quite sure how they'll go in the scape yet, or if they're gonna be sump bound!
Oct 27, 2011
Woo.. IBC delivered with thanks to Synodontis. Clean it tomorrow, then work out how I'm gonna get it filled :D
Base rock is now split between a kiddie pool and a 60l tub. Never believed either of my phosphate test kits could detect a damn thing until I tested that water this morning. Didn't think that rock would leech that much of it that quick either. Expect it to be phosphate soup after I leave it soaking for a week while i'm not home :D
Oct 3, 2011
OK two updates:
- One of the two wave makers has already shat itself. One of the two heads turned into a vacuum and smarted going the wrong way, causing all sorts of noise. I was prompted to check it after I saw the lights dim for a second. It's unplugged, and I have an old powerhead in the tub.
- The Tetra Marine Salt Pro is almost as bad as Aqua One salt. I started mixing a batch yesterday so I have some ready for when I come back. A lot of undissolved material around the bottom of the tub - even after stirring it a lot, and the water being at 27C, it doesn't dissolve well. There was also a bit of crap on the water surface too. The water is finally starting to look clearish after one day. Glad I bought it for the sole purpose of using to cure rock, and maybe getting the new tank wet if I have any left by then. Not sure I'd want to use it in a tank once it's established.
Oct 6, 2011
Ordered skimmer today - went with a Bubble Magus 180CS - was only a little dearer than the 150 I was going to get.
Oct 11, 2011
OK - some now I'm confused and somewhat annoyed (actually I have steam coming out of my ears).
I put in the skimmer order on Thursday - site said it had stock at the time. Get an email 3 hours later saying that the order status has been changed to completed, which would lead me to believe that the items have been picked, packed and readied for collection.
I get an email today from 2Checkout with notes on it saying entire transaction has been refunded as skimmer has sold out.
So having hung around all day waiting for Fastway (who are a pain in the ass when they deliver here, as they don't have a local office, and if they miss you, the goods go to frigging Geelong until you call the driver, and he'll drop them somewhere local the following day) - waiting for the skimmer and some salt that I rather urgently need, I now get this set back. Remind me again why I waste time dealing with Guppys?
Now to add insult to injury, I'm stuck waiting for the funds to be returned to my account.
If they had heard of even remotely reasonable customer service, and I'd have happily swapped it for a 150-PRO. Would only have taken one phone call.. or a 5 second email. Feeling the urge to post this somewhere where a larger number of his customers can see it.
Oct 15, 2011
OK. Take 2 on the skimmer order. I've received the refund on the last order, so I've ordered a BM 150-PRO, a Devil/Diablo 3000 pump to use as a return pump, a Hailea HX-6830 for the ATO (wanted it for the 3.2m head - the container will be a long way from the cabinet. Not so much in height, but there will be a a decent horizontal gap), an ATO relay, some Corraline purple reef expoxy and some frag rocks (might be able to use these to fix problems when I try to stack the live rock).
As of yesterday, I also now have a stack of 25l water containers that @Syndontis kindly arranged and delivered for me. This should work well - won't actually fill them all, but at least I'll always have a few empties to use when opportunity arises to obtain some new water.
The ATO tub is gonna be across the other side of the room with the piping behind some other tanks. If it winds up having way too much go, I have a smaller Hailea that I can switch it out for (one that drives the ATO on the nano). The supply container is likely about 50l, so I'm not too worried about the ability to maximise how much water I pull out of it. This may get scaled down, but I I manage to get ridiculous amounts of evaporation in that room so I'm allowing for that to be scaled right up for a tank this big. I'll also have a ball valve in there for some flow adjustment. A bit hard on the pump, but it's not really expensive. If the increase in pressure makes a mess, then I will switch the pumps around.
All of my 50-60l tanks go through around 5l a week in evap. The cichlid tank can go through well over 10l a week, so I don't even want to guess what this system is likely to burn off. It's 3 times bigger tank anything I have at the moment, and I'd like it to be able to look after itself for a week if I need it to, so the numbers suggest that 50l is a good size. Gas heating is a bugger!
Am familiar with this float - use one on my nano. Never, ever, ever letting the new float go anywhere near light. They are a pain the backside to clean. If I wind up with a 'fuge in my sump, I'll be making somewhere dark for the float to live.
Oct 20, 2011
My order from Guppys is here.. though missing the Hailea pump.
Looks like the skimmer is gonna be fun to put together. Didn't think it would be so.. big :D
Oct 23, 2011
Pic heavy! Crap shots, but I'm in a hurry :p
The bottom of the tank
Top down. You won't see the return pipe when I'm finished.
The sump. Sideways.
The rock spas with 10kg of live rock added. The new pieces are more branch like. Not quite sure how they'll go in the scape yet, or if they're gonna be sump bound!
Oct 27, 2011
Woo.. IBC delivered with thanks to Synodontis. Clean it tomorrow, then work out how I'm gonna get it filled :D
