suphew

Yep thats the bad boy. As far as I know I have the only one, there were going to be two arrive and I was going to share with someone else, but only one showed up, and his anemones are all at the back of his tank and can't be seen.

I think if you re-read my post I you will find I didn't attack the information you posted based on your lack of qualification, but just how you stated your conclusion as fact, when in reality it was just your own unquailified views. The first part of this statement I agree with, however this isn't based in reallity, the reason for running BB is to suspend the matter in the water so it can be removed, therefore there aren't matching import and exports between BB and sand. The second half of your statement is purely based on the correctness of the first, so is therefore incorrect. I think you are basing this all on two questionable assumptions, firstly that all thing's being equal, all the import will be either turned to food or will end up in the sand bed,if this is the case what is the skimmer doing? And secondly that water has the same ability to process food (i.e hold bacteria) that a huge volume of media does. If this were true then wouldn't we all run bioballs in our sumps or great wads of filter wool, for months on end?

An interested post, a want make a couple of comments. First and please don’t take this an attack, I know very little about the subject at hand. You posted a lot of information but it is only based on what you have read and your own conclusions, not solid scientific research, that you have done, you aren't a marine biologist, yet you state your own unqualified conclusions as proven fact. While discrediting the findings of (as far as I know) qualified people. Don't say this to argue with you, but so maybe you understand why people are so quick to disagree The secondly, and I know nothing about marine bacteria, but I do know that in fresh water there are many times the amount of bacteria living on surfaces that in the water. A sand bed has a huge amount of media and surface area, perhaps this explains why it works? Also my understanding of BB and suspending matter in the water was so that the skimmer is able to remove it? This would explain why in two identical tank, fed the same, one without sandbed, that the corals get more food with the sandbed. Because the sand bed puts it into a form the corals use (bacteria), where as in the BB it is skimmed out.

I have an anemone shrimp (Periclimenes brevicarpalis) in my tank, I have noticed since it went in that all my larger anemones (4) have started moving around and arn't looking as happy. I found one refference online that suggested they eat anemone tenticals but all other refferences say they are safe. Does anyone know anything about them? The anemones don't look damaged at all, they are just moving and not expanding as fully, I have also added a little more flow to the tank, started dosing vodka, and have been adjusting my cal reactor because the bubble counter was leaking, so there could be other reasons for the anemone movement, but all this has been done for over a month (other than the cal reactor) so would have expected the anemones to have setled down by now.

I wouldn't it can contain other stuff that might alter you water parameters and heavy metals.

Yep many times, no problems, Pies has also. We both have 4-5 different types of anemone's

Was just reading about DVSxin the paper today, the reckon for a house under 150m2 about 5c a day.

Thought you would like that one :lol:

A 'T" on the end of your down pipe can help as well, if this doesn't work try puting some baffles in you sump so the water goes over then under then over etc deviders this should force the bubbles to the surface.

whats is your point? who said a durso was as quiet as a full siphon? Its a bit like saying something that is so quiet you can't hear it isn't as quiet as something that makes no noise. Its interesting that you are trying to use physic's to justify this non-arguement yet are happy to make statements like "The difference in safety margin is negligible" when any one who has an understanding of physic's will tell you that there is a huge difference in safety margins between something like my durso (50mm with 40mm bulkhead) that will handle 3-4 time the volume going through it and a full siphon that is adjusted so it only just handles the flow. If you dont believe me I'll double the flow through mine and you double the flow through your's and we'll see who gets wet first. I'm not going to post on this subject again in KP's thread, unless KP asks, it is pointless going over old ground again, and spoiling a good thread.

Hope mine dont go the same way, one is fine and out all the time, looking nice and healthy, the other was out heaps but for the last couple of weeks has been playing coy, haven't seen it for a few days.

Seems not all users of siphon systems agree with you. A little bit like claiming durso's aren't quiet but don't make or tune them correcty.

I must admit that I am supprised at how cheap the classics are after looking on line, however the 2215 has about the same spec as the fluval 204 I have, I paid $200 for mine the online price for the 2215 is $245 but maybe you can be buy cheaper if you shop round.

It's not the mixing of media thats a problem, its having to remove it to get to the mechanical filter sponges. I'm not saying they aren't fine filters I just find the fluval setup easier.

Try and find as small a partner as you can, (with-in reason of coruse) I haven't ever had problems with pairing up clowns, though I have never had Maroons and only done it a couple of times. As I understand it they in the wild if the female (larger dies, the next largest male will grow and become female if the largest male dies the next largest takes it place. I'm happy to be corrected here, but I don't think you will have much of a problem.

I have never tried to 'find' anything wrong with full siphon systems, if people want to use them, that is fine by me. All I have done to point out to newbies that might not understand there is a trade off between noise and margin of safety in this choice. As well as the on going adjustments that MIGHT be neccessary.

I would rather have the valonia stuck on the stainer than blocking up the tap restiction. Go the durso, don't have to worry about this stuff :lol:

Yeah cannister filters are the bees knees. I like fluval filters because I think they are good quailty with out the high prices of the ehiems. Plus I like the way the fluvals have the media, it allows you to remove and clean the mecanical filter sponges without the need to remove all the other media. But they all work well and are better in many ways over other filter types, volume of media, ease of access and cleaning are the main ones.

Damn, sorry, hope he doesn't send the boys round. :oops:

chimera, sorry did I get that wrong? Always thought he's was James.

I would be proud to have that tank, but have to agree with James, the arches help but it does just look like a line of corals (although stunning looking corals). The pictures make the tank look very long and thin, maybe it is less 2D in real life.

Moving the water doesn't really make any difference to the cycling/bacteria in the tank as very little of it is in the water compared to what is on the surfaces of filter media, gravel, etc. But it will make the transfer easier on the fish since the water parameters wont change so much. Also try and aviod putting the water that the fish were transferred in back into the tank, it will have amonia etc in it from the fish. Not a problem if you only adding a fish or two but when your moving all your fish in to a new (all be it cycled) setup it wont help. If you can try and take off the top centimeter or so of gravel and keep this wet and unwashed before you clean the rest of it. It will contain a huge amount of your bacteria. Also if you plan on having a well planted tank this is a great time to add something to your gravel for the plants. Aquadic clay works well and is cheap from most plant shops it's sold to use with lillies. Otherwise look into products like laterite from your LFS. Mix the product with your washed gravel and then spread the uncleaned gravel over the top to hold it all down and keep it out of the water. It will make the plants grow far better and save you having to buy and add fertizer later. Also means the fertizer isn't in the water where algae can get at it and most plants feed better via their roots than leaves

Yeah go mad with the holes. The strainers not there to restrict the flow, so the more the better. Also the holes will slowly close up as the algae, tube worms, corraline, etc grows, the more holes you have the less affect this will have. But I wouldn't go too large with them maybe 2-3mm(?), because you have a tap inline restricting your flow if anything large like a snail gets trapped on the tap it will cause the water level in the over flow to rise quickly (I'm sure you know this already). Also don't glue it in place, you need to be able to take it out to clean it, plus if your tap does get blocked you are going need to be able to somehow get to it if the blockage jams.

I have never said it isn't quiet. No I haven't but thanks for asking My concerns regarding them are purely because of safety and hassle, but we have been over this, I'm sure most people understand the up and down sides of each system. But if not would suggest they PM me, yourself, or start a new thread, so we don't make a mess of KP's thread.

Why would you want a tap in your over flow? You would get wet evey time you adjust it, its another reason for having to put your hands in the tank, the tap is going to get a built up of tube worms etc on it, and lastly it makes it harder to switch to a durso once you realise the full siphon is risky and a PITA :lol: :lol: