Pies

Everything i've read say its a fun thing to try, but as layton said the nuetrient uptake of the mangroves is so minimal its unlikley to make a difference, unless you had an impractically large grove comparted to you display. I was going to do it with my new system, but after reading and talking to people who were doing it, or had tried it I decised it would just be a complete waste of time and energy. Pie

The zeovit system uses carbon. Calurpa Racemosa is the one pictured in Briananemones pic in this thread. Not wanting to dig up another debate, doesn't really matter where the refugium is, nor is there really any evidence that they work or are benificial, although it stands to reason they are, the can work against certain systems (BB Berlin method wants heavy skimming, so more water volume full of bugs, sand and weed is not going to help). Pie

Hi Rossco Refugiums are cool. I have a 740 litre refugium powering my tank on reverse lighting, and other 200 litres in complete darkness. Populated with rock, sand (DSB), calurpa and a few corals (frag grow out). I am currently in the process of removing ALL of the calurpa from my system. I am finding that I need to prune the calurpa every 3-4 days, which is a MAJOR hastle, and given the benifit I have decided not to bother. Also calurpa can cause water discolouration (yellowing of the water), not everyone reports them problem, it is certainly present in my system and I use carbon to remove the tiniting. As for biological filteration, the real benifit for the Refugim is to provide a. more water volume over the entire system b. provide pods etc to feed the main display tank. My own refugium is TEAMING with life, covered in pods, worms, mysidd shrimp etc. They are not nessessary but are a lot of fun and very cool. I would reccomend it for anyone who can fit one in. NOTE: You talk about Calurpa Taxifola, which get some press in the US a few years ago. Keep in mind the Taxifola is on the Noxious Plant list and should be considered, especially by MAF. So no-one has Taxifola here in NZ Calurpa Racemosa is readly available and the best of the calurpas i've tried, because its easier to remove than the other types. Still though like i've said, the novelty has well and truely worn off and I will not be using it again. Good luck. Pie

Do you know something I don't? WTF? Pie

Thanks guys. Yeah its all growing and comming along. The layout of the right hand side will change soon. When I get my new reflectors and do my bulb changes I will be removing my large sacrophyton, which is so big you wouldn't be able to get your arms around it. Going to remove a little rock from the right, and move some corals backwards. Reposition the Streams and consider an additional Stream, for a total of 4. Inititally 2 was fine, but as the corals are growing water flow patterns have changed. Otherwise its very much sit back and watch it grow and mature. Pie

Distilled water should have a neutral PH, 7 is neutral. I can see some other 'holes' with the theory too including even if you used water of PH 5, then its a long way of the effluiant of the reactor, so it would take an unpractical amount of time for it to disolve the carbonate. Reactors are good, particualry in larger tanks. The Balling method is also popular, but becomes more challenging in larger tanks, and is far more of a hastle than the reactor. Mine requires less than an hr ever 6 months to maintain. Pie

Continued from last night: Acros from another angle. Cool watching them fight each other for light and space. One growing directly under the other: My baby fungi: Live rock hitch-hiker: The bronze-ish coloured Montipora Reef was talking about: The same coral as the one about (its broken off from the top one). Same tank, same time. Both photos taken tonight: Stunning coral with cool history, parent colony from Steve Atkins, Reef and I have it, and now Suphew has it. Originally came from 3 polyps. Awsome: Full tank shot: PieMan

Mitch - Are you sure it wasn't a bristle worm? Bristle worms will get stuck in within minutes of an animal dieing they can detect dead flesh. Pie

It varies, but probably typically between 200-250 litres. So i'll make the waterchanges about 200. I've been a little slack with them anyway, so when I had the opertunity to do a large change I just jumped in and did it, which may have been a mistake. Interesting that the anemones and fish didn't seem any different all, nor does algae growth or anything else. Pie

Bob Fenners book talks about witnessing first hand 3 incidents where cow-fish have wiped out tanks entire fish population. Sorry to hear it wasp. Pie

The Streams are power heads. Ehiem pumps are AWESOME. I use about 5 on my system for closed loop and running equipment, and Tunze Streams for additional in-tank circulation. Pie

Heh don't get me started, have a look at the last 12 months of RC:TOTM to see truely stunning SPS coral colour with DSB and no Zeovit etc. I think my tank is low in nutrients, again I would emphisise that the DSBs can help reduce nutrients, not add them. Also you've seen my skimmer in action, and its pulling a lot of gunk. Also I feed little (1-2 times a week max). Still I get diatom growth on the glass, and the tank makes enough algae to keep the tangs fed and pods for the fish. Ha! I gave all my zeovit product to JetSkiSteve when I came to the realisation that 1. I couldn't afford to run it on my large tank 2. That I belive I can obtain similar results without it. Still, if someone wants to pay me to use ZEOVIT i'd happily start using it again. Honestly though, the tank is looking poor, coral colour/growth since the water change is WAY OFF what it was. A week ago I would have described the tank as looking 'sick', but its recovering now. The pink monti is interesting, i'll post a pic of the parent coral tonight so you can see the 2 radical colour differences from the 1 tank. Pie

The truth? I think it was bad water from my last water change, I did a large change (350 litres), and the tank 'rejected' it or something. Not sure. So in future I will keep the water chantes at under 10%, aiming for 200 litres. Maybee it was just as much of a 'shock' as anythign else? NSW, DSB i'm doomed either way! Every chance, i'll do it tommorow. The DIY reflectors are going to rock, again thanks for the templates. Although it turns out they are not quite right (a few degrees off) but 'my man' who is building them has solved all that. Can't wait for them actually, big thanks to you and Tim for inspiring me to finally do it. I will either go all 14k NARVA, or 3x NARVA and 2x 10k (whatevers) depending on price and availablilty. I really like the 14k narvas, but want to try some 10k again. I am using SE 400s and can't wait to see how those new reflectors make em work! Good luck with the bulbs, I ran 10k BLVs on my old tank and was always happy with the look and the coral growth/colour, hence my own plan to pop a few 10ks in. Quarter 4 2005, sorry still in work mode... Its a frag from a coral at the other end of my tank which is the 'rust/orange' coloured one. The pink is slightly higher in the tank. The orange/rust coloured one remains that rust/orange colour with much thicker branches. So current may be playing a part. My own observations with the montipora digitata is that they grown 'spindely' to begin with, then fatten. The rust coloured one is in an awkward spot but i'll try and take a snap of it tommorow, also I have the purple one, a gold one and a green one, all growing differently in different spots... Go figure. My params are all pretty normal: SG .025, Temp 26deg, Alk 8.5, CA 400, mg 1250, PH 8-8.3. And you've seen my skimmer. Cheers Pie

Not wanting to fuel the debate, but I have had 2 of my Streams running for over 2.5 years now, not a single issue. I don't like the Streams, in that I hate seeing them and wish I had a better way to stealth them, but from a functional point of view, impossible to beat. I run 3 in my tank currently. Mind you, if you spend that kinda of money maybee you want people to see them, be the most expensive thing in the tank by a long way... Pie

Not very happy with the tank at the moment, feels a little 'flat'. Growth rates remain OK. Plans for Q4 this year, bulb replacement, new reflectors for halides, new wiring for T5s, remove my LARGE sacrophyton. Pic updates: Pies

That counts SteveA & me out, our tanks arn't mini We also have Barney up in Ngaio and Spinedoc north. Happy to meet at my place, or visit my place whenever. IRA - i'm keen for some zooanthids if they are in nice colours. Piezola

No doubt that moving him will stress him and potentially make him worse. I'd be inclined to just leave him be and let the great circle of life work out whats what. Good luck with it. Pie

Sure, got a chiller big enough to do 2500 litres of water in stock? Pie

29 is my mildly concerned zone, 30 is the ring and order a chiller zone. Pie

Awesome, I am impressed. Did I mention it was awesome? AWESOME!

Ive used Aquamedic since I got my reactor, medium grade. Have no intention of changing and have purchased another bucket for the next time I need to re-load. Pie

You can import knifes, guns, drugs, sharp sticks, cigaretts and alcahol. A few corals in the hands of the pet industry seems silly. The thing that I find really silly is that 'soft coral A is allowd, but soft coral B isn't' No explination as to why, just isn't. Live rock isn't allowed in, but corals attached to live rock is (in that MAF inspects all the shipments that come in and much see the rock, but don't care). Bah, business as usual I guess. Pie

Its stupid. Ever look at a map? All the oceans are kinda connected to each other...

Wasp - You saw the pics of my blue tank? Had mayve 15 spots per square centermeter. I fed my tank heavly, and let him be. Over time it faded and dissapeared. Good luck, its a PITA for sure, awesome fish too I hope it works out. Pie

That will be awesome. Are you using DE or SE bulbs? What are you doing for reflectors or are you going to buy some of those swanky Aquamedic lights JetSkiSteve was selling? Pie