Pies

Infact maybee I have it around the wrong way? Maybee Tonne is metric and Ton is imperial? Hrmmm confused myself now. Pies

Dan_From_NZ - The thing is a metric ton/tonne weights less than an impreial ton/tonne, so they are not really the same. 20 Imperial ton/tonne weighs 16.3 Metric ton/tonne. pieman

hehehehehe 1400 litres isn't 14 tonnes, its 1.4 ton (1400kg -ish). About 5 trips to the ocean given the containers I have. FYI a 'ton' is a metric and a 'tonne' is imperial. Pies

Started to glue in the tank valve fittings for the bottom of the tank for the closed loop pumps and for the stand pipe etc. Need to get into Mico Plumbing tommorow if I can find the time and grab or order some bits. Closed loops - The plan for the closed loops is to 'suspend' them from the fittings through the tank. 25mm feeds and 20mm outlets. This will be useing PVC pressure piping, glued when possilbe, screwed only when nessessary (e.g. into the pump itself). The pumps only require one elbow on the intake (which is larger than the exhaust) so the pumps efficiently should be maxed out. The plan for the closed loops is to have them all plumbed in and finished by Friday. Overflow Box - I hope to have this organised this week, but can't see it being glued into the tank until late next week. Of course there is not way to fill the tank without the overflow installed. Return pump - I have an IWAKI 30 RLT here which I hope to use as a temp return pump, if it can pump that high! Because the pump I intend to purchase (IWAKI 100) uses the same plumbing (25mm x 25mm) I can finalise the plumbing using this pump and just install the new pump when it arrives. Which is likley to be well after Christmas based on finanical reasons. Lighting - Still sussing this one out. Again because of financial constraints I doubt I will finalise lighting until well into the new year, but I do have some 'spare' halides to light the tank with until I sort something else better out. Its not going to be perfect or pretty, but it should get me buy. The sooner I can get the tank filled, the sooner I can get some live rock out of my 2 sumps! Cycling. I hope the cycle process will be kept to a minimum as the new tank will circulate with the old tank and share water. Rock will be comming from a cycled tank into the same water, so it should be minimal. Collection of water - 1400 litres + is quite a few trips to the ocean, or 6 days of making water! So expect this to happen over quite a few weeks I am going to try and avoid adding fish to the new tank for as long as my will, will allow. I have a tank with no small fish in it, and the life is awesome. I am going to try and really get the 'pod' life population booming before I introduce any fish. Although that being said, the clowfish will enter the tank early, they are not particulary effective predators and I worry about my H.Magnificia anemone surviving without the clowns. So thats the plan. Pies

The RO/DI concept is just a way to ensure that you are getting as close to distilled water as possible. Because the reef tankers use evaporation to suppliment calcium hydroxide (Kalkwasser) and to avoid heat, its just a case of not wating to put anything else in except whats been taken out by evaporation. Same deal with saltmix, just add water. By water they mean water, not 'wet mineral soup'. From what I understand RO and DI work quite differently. For example an RO unit will remove sediment, parisites etc from the water, DI cannot and does not do this. RO is a mechnical filter and DI is a chemical filter. As I understand it. RO wastes a lot of water and good units are fairly expensive. The prefilters are only used to extend the life of the RO unit, which is mostly unded to extend the life of the DI media. Warren is probably right about 'why' use DI when RO is so good. I am going with the sheep on this one and doing it because its the 'norm'. It costs me about $20 a year to run the DI, so if that saves one coral or fish every 3 years its paid for itself. Pieman

Thats why the reef keepers use RO, its only there to prolong the life of the DI. Pies

IRA - I have no plans on purchasing any rock or sand at the moment. I am hoping I will have enough. If I need to order more rock or sand i'll let you know but there isn't any money in the bank for it right now. As for the TV, we will be may end up replacing it with a plasma very soon just to save space, I have an offer for the 3k cash pickup for the TV at the moment, but if you want it I can organise an auction. RRP $5999 + Cabinet. Pies

Thats a 34'' Sony ES flatscreen too... Good thing we have the 3M wide projector in the HT room only metres away Piemania

This tank is going to be a coral reef garden type setup, with a focus on stone coral, but will have a small number of soft corals, gorgonians, zooanthids and anemones. The stuff downstairs is doing fine, if not in survival mode. The 2 saltwater tanks downstairs merge into the one tank upstairs. The smaller of the 2 tanks has been 'sold' to a local fellow reefer & the existing 5 footer (740 litre, will become the sump for the new tank. Pies

OK well Wellington put on a typical day for us, so it was cold windy and raining for the tank and cabinet move... First of a big thaks to EVERYONE who helped out, couldn't have done it without the help and support of my friends. Thanks guys (and gals) I appreciate it very much. The crane arrives. There must have been about 1 inch of space on either side of the driveway for the guy to fit the truck down the driveway! He just backed in and stright down, didn't slow him down, didn't think it was very tricky at all! Good work Hank & thanks for the lift! Had to pop the window out, which thanks to Peter from Port Nicholson Glass was very little drama, shame about the weather! Crane that bad boy through there. I was dreading this part of the move, but in the end it took about 3 minutes and couldn't have been any easier. 9 People to move the tank about, and it was still heavy. The tank needed to be on its side to fit through the doorway. Tank weight estimated at 290kg, but some how seemed heavier. 8 people on the tank, could have used more but there just wasn't enough room. Words cannot describe how heavy and awkward (and scarey and dangerous) it was. We almost lost a pair of fingers poping it into the cabinet. Easy now, easy, careful... A bit of dispute on how to prepare the cabinet for the tank. This was by far the most awkward and difficult task we faced. Got it all done nice and easy in the end, but someone just about got there hand crushed, but other than that, fairly straight foward. Just need to put the tank on there and its sorted. So its all done an in place! Still a lot of work to do in regards to plumbing, floor strength etc, but a real milestone today, actually having the tank (the next milestone is paying for it . The cabinet looks awesome in the spot we put it, the floor looks great, and with my new ceiling lights and painted ceiling the room looks great, although it seems to have shrunk drastically over the last few hours. Again my thanks to everyone who has helped me get to this point. We had a great turnout for the BBQ and it was good to cathup with everyone. More pictures to come... Pies

My KH is 8.3, Calcium 440. I have never tested my efluiant but there are heaps of tips for korallin reactors and tank sizes. So just match your driprate/bubble rate to that and let it be. Well its worked for me. I also have 10% of my media is the magnesium stuff from brendon, I am still doing magnesium a little but not as much. I quite like having to top off just a little mg. Piemania.

Mine doesn't allow me to blow through the wrong way, only in one direction. The sea swirls each have 2 holes drilled into the back, from memory (need to go hom and look) I can't recall what size they are, about big as an airhose (from memory). When you put you fingers in the tank to feel the flow 'escaping' from the anti syphon holes its barely noticable. I am driving 1 SeaSwirl with an Iwaki 30RLT at about 1.3m height. I got the instructions on hole size etc from an RC thread but its going back maybee a year ago now. Pie

You can't have the check valve the wrong way around, or nothing would come through, as they only allow flow in one direction. Sea Swirls - I've been using 1 for ages, I have 'reverse syphon' holes in the back of mine, never had an issue, don't epect there to be an issue with them on the new tank either. Havn't need to add airline hoses with checl valves or anything else. You need to get more air through your by the sounds of it. Pieman T Minus 1 day.

Hey talking about check-vavles shouldn't there be one on your CA reactor? (is that the brass looking thing with the clip?). If not, make sure you get a check vavle between the gagues and the reactor. As the bottle empties less pressure will allow the reactor to flood the gagues and bottle. Wrecking them both. I know its not your bottole but them shiney new gagues would be fuxored. Pies

Not sure if I understand what you trying do but the one-way air valves you want are often sold as 'check' valves about .80c at any petstore. Pies

If its the reverse syphon hole sucking air, than its not big enough (so the water is still syphoning, but the 'reverse syphon hole' is acting like a venturi intake. Either make the hole bigger or make another hole at the same level. That will fix it. I've just had another look at the picture. How come there are 2 elbows at the pump (between the pump and the sump)??? Can't you just lift the pump a few inches, turn one of the elboes 90 degrees, taa daaa, 1 less elbow? I am completely obsessed with plumbing at the moment, planning my own. It will be a low elbow , low friction affair. I've looked at non-return valves. They have a negitive effect on the pumps performance. Also, from what i've read on RC, after some time in saltwater they don't work 100% as all the life in the pipes starts to choke the moving part. So the people who do use them put a union on either side so it can be removed and cleaned/replaced at will. Pie

To continue from the discussion somewhere else about the efficiency of your Iwaki pump... From the picture, you have 2 elbows for the in-water to travel before reaching the pump. I would reccomend that you A. Remove the elbow in the sump itself, or if you feel you need an elbow to control the level of the last baffle, increase the size of the pipe before you reach the baffle. B. Why not rotate the pump 90 Degrees and get rid of the elbow attached to the pump? I think this would make quite a difference to the pumps power (I think your turnover would increase, and may resolve that other issue you are having with the air bubbles. Looking good. Pies

Yeah CISCO in .au tried running 12 mangroves for 6 months, made no difference. Switched to a suphor nitrate reactor and his problem was solved. Lots of others just belive that its a waste of electricity. Cool idea, just doesn't work unless you have like 1 million mangroves or something Pies

Don't overfeed. Don't have any biological filteration (filter wool, old carbon etc). For me its low bioload, VERY few feedings (1 or 2 times a week), large sump. Pies

I've seen Discuss for sale for as little as $35.00 in the stores. I understand there are some 'special' breeds, wild caught ones etc, but is there really much call for it? There is a guy who works for my company (Bilbo on this board I think) who breeds discuss, and I am sure there are hundreds of others too? Pies

Yeah don't forget nets, that could cost upwards of $15.00. Ohhhh and pieman coral import tax, which should run you about 5 pieces a shipment. Ohhhh and pieman fish import tax, should run about 2 fish a shipment. Sounds like HEAPS of fun Peter, good on ya. I bet you will be glad to not have to travel out of town every week, even if it does mean staying in Auckland Pie

Well the tank and cabinet is finished, got the call today. So a 10am delivery is confirmed. A setback (bad planning on my part). The cabinet will not fit through the ranchslider even with the door removed. because the cabinet is higher than the tank (700 vs. 980) turning the tank on the side will get it through, not the cabinet? So on Sat morning I have a crane comming to my house to lift the cabinet through a window (that will need removing) on the 1st floor! So expect some exciting crane tank action. Its a bit of a hastle I didn't need, but still, this weekend, the tank will be in its final resting place. YAY. Pie

An estiry is part of the foreshore, so it maynot be private property for long...

Christchurch water is mineral water and is not treated with any chemicals. However I personally don't think you should be using it un-filtered, for top-off or saltwater mix. There has to be lots of minerals etc in there that have an effect on the tank. Is tap water that bad? Yes. Pie

Sorry, thats my bad. Just had a look at my reactor, sorry about that. I had it right, advice wrong. *blush* Pies