JoelATX Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 I've finally gotten the sump and a power strip, to help manage the cords, all installed. The sumps been there for a few weeks but it was a mesh of cords and looked like a fire hazard. It looks kind of bare without the protein skimmer, it's still connected to the old tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 That's a sweet sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted May 31, 2014 Author Share Posted May 31, 2014 Live stock update! I have a few new things in the tank! Another Zoanthid, Green Button Polyps (Protopalythoa mutuki). If you look close, at the base of the main polyp there is a new one growing. Green Long Tentacle Anemone (macrodactyla doreensis) It took me a good 5 minutes to get it out of the bucket, then twice as long to get it off my fingers and stuck to the rock. It stayed there for about 36 hours, now its on the move! I think it may have touched my frogspawn, so I moved it. Sascha warned me it was a traveler. Indo Bright Orange Sun Coral, (Tubastraea faulkneri) When all the polyps are out it's like a beacon. If I have any of the scientific names wrong please let me know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted May 31, 2014 Author Share Posted May 31, 2014 New Protein Skimmer - SC Aquariums SCA-302 I've seen many favorable reviews on the internet and It's rated for 180 Gal. For under $200 hopefully I can't go wrong. I was a little worried when I saw the Amazon box, but then I started to unpack it. SC did not mess around with packaging. Every piece feels solid, it should be easy to disassemble and clean, four screws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I think you be pleased with that skimmer. I'm gonna get one also. A couple of guys here have them and like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 I finished assembling RapidLED's Dual Aurora Puck Kit (Dimmable). Man are they bright! I'll have to just turn them on one channel at the time, until the tank is acclimated. I'm using an Arduino to control them, even with just enough juice to turn them on they are very bright. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko's Reef Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Joel, love the tank. Rock work is amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Love everything about this build. Your colors are fantastic, and I appreciate the clean plumbing job. Following along Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 The aquascape looks pretty fantastic. Good job! I have an SCA-302 on my tank and it pulls out some major gunk. The instructions don't tell you this, but the operating level is 6-8" of water. I have mine in 8". Put a piece of Styrofoam under it and it will reduce the vibration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 Thanks for the compliments. I emptied the cup on the protein skimmer for the first last night, oh the smell. Anyone else have problems getting the cup off the throat? I had to grab it by the throat and wiggle and pull. It was not graceful! I think the skimmer is at 6 inches, it's not getting fine bubble all the way up the throat. Lowering it should help? The green tip already tried to give my frogspawn a handshake. One of the heads has a little damage. Yesterday, in a counter clockwise motion, the anemone moved all the up the tower. It was likely looking for more light. Which I'll be able to give it, thanks to the new LED lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 It takes about a week to break in. You're probably wet skimming right now to get anything after the first day. The cup is pretty secure on the neck. After a year I still have to wiggle it a few times to get it off. In 8" of water I have the venturi open to 3. You should probably be somewhere around 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Clean up crew is settling in nicely, but the stupid Nerite snails keep crawling out. The new skimmer is pulling out major funk, but it is a little touchy. The anemone is one hell of a traveller, it's been all over the left tower and has now moved to the center of the tank. Heading for the frogspawn and hammer!!! Some how I've made the sun coral angry, it hasn't come out in three or four days, I've moved him to a shader spot, in hopes that the new lights are the problem. If anyone knows any tips or tricks let me know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Suicide!!!!! I'm pretty sure the green tip anemone killed itself last night. Most of the time he moves by oozing his foot along. Maybe he took flight last night. The only possibility that it didn't mortally wound itself is you can see a little green in the picture. The pump was about 6 inches further away. He must has got some of the tentacles caught in the head, then retracked and move the power head even closer. I hope it doesn't foul the tank before I can get home this evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lamont Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Its still attached to your overflow though! It maybe still salvageable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 The first picture is before my shower. These were taken as I was leaving for work. What are his chances? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 pretty good. many an anemone has gone through a powerhead and survived. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemoon Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 (edited) I've seen them survive much worse. I had one go trough a maxijet once and almost make it with only a 1/3 of his foot left. This guys a touch cookie, i bet he'll be back to is old ways in a couple weeks. might want to look into ways to mod the maxijet ph to prevent it from happening again too, there's a lot of ways requiring varying degrees of DiYing. I ended up just rubberbanding a layer of gutter guard around mine to make it more difficult for him to get pulled through. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited June 19, 2014 by Bluemoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 mmmmm. touch cookie. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemoon Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 (edited) ahh you got me. what can i say besides, i absolutely love touch cookies. your favorite too ian? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited June 19, 2014 by Bluemoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 who doesn't love touch cookies?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 I got presents from Amazon today… Coral Frenzy - It got the Sun Coral to at least think about opening. Hydor Koralia Evolution 1150 - To replace the Maxi-Jet, I ordered it the evening before the anemone got injured. I was theorizing that the sun coral may want more flow. It will be driven by my Hydor SmartWave. My hope is that the pump will be safer and the cycling will give something a chance to retract away from it. Does this work in practice? Bonus- while moving the sun coral I notice that it has a new polyp that is opening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted June 22, 2014 Author Share Posted June 22, 2014 I got my custom made skimmer stand installed. The skimmer was precariously sitting a top the MarinePure plates. Now its nice and stable, sitting in about 8 inches of water. I also picked up this silicon pot holder to reduce the vibration, not that were was any. I also did a little re-plumbing to make it easier to remove the skimmer bowl. How do these bubbles look? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 The move has begun! Homie (23+ year old Clown) and Spot (Spotted Hank Fish) are drip acclimating. I had Spot in the net before he knew he was being captured. I needed two tries to get Homie, but both were pretty uneventful. I had the net in the tank for a few days, does that really help? Are these black sponges? Better pictures later. Now for the not so fun part, cleaning the old tank. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelATX Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 Well they have made it. Homie lost his color when I first dropped him in. But looks good now. Spots been cruising around the tank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 That's great that they both made themselves at home! Great build! Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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