Aquatopia

Here is a reply i got from someone in th U.S. who i emailed about mixing a pinwheel pump with the schuran counter-current skimmer which uses venturi for its air supply;- Observations? (I still think the Deltec is the way to go). Even this person has said air is the key and as air = bubbles, and i have seen more bubbles in a Deltec, then that seems the logical option. Am i missing some point?

I think someone has suggested MICO plumbing. Essentially they are a plumbing item. Also - some of the larger water gardens or garden centres who do ponds etc may help too. (Although i can imagine if anywhere will be pricey they will be - but advice there is free - you could always get them to SHOW you what all the bits are).

Reef - are you referring to the pinwheel impeller mod or is there a further mod too ? Can you buy these pumps separately? Im pretty much gonna go down the Deltec route i think, but its interesting to explore other possibilities. I think the combo of Deltecs pinwheel and Shurans counter current would be an awesome beast ! Incidentally, to be fair to Schuran i think i should have used the APF600 rather than the 850/1 as the match.

Alan - hmm - not gonna say the phrase which sprung to mind.

I heard they are better with a few of them. They LOVE bloodworm incidentally.

Off you go then.... :lol: :lol: :lol: Sorry Ira - misread - thought you HAD one of your own.

Ira - can you stick a quick pic up of one?

Caper - you got it buddy. Since its a small tank i would (and have) lifted it half full - but you MUST support all four corners. And half way is minimum. What fish do you have in your tank? Also if you have lots of heavy rocks then i would take them out too.

Ira - Can you buy a normal ehiem and then the needlewheel impeller for it separate? Im thinking for people that already have the pump maybe the impeller would not make the whole project that much more difficult. How much are the needle impellers then? (draws in breath before hearing the answer).

Ira - is that a nationwide store ?? (the containers place, not Port Nicholson Glass)

Hey Ira - you can keep the skimmer, I just want my rock, lol..... (But i know what you are saying). We would have to assess values or percentages for each portion and then pay that percentage of the price. How about someone start by listing what they think each part is worth as a part of the whole? The rock can only be worth, say $50 - cos its a big risk taking on stuff from someone you dont know (JUST KIDDING :lol: )

Alan, hmm, not sure on that - its flexible remember and i wouldnt hazard what may leach out of it. Its made out of similar stuff to carpet underlay remember. Can I PM you re making own tanks sometime?

Reef, what would we do without you. Thanks for that. Sounds like the Deltec is the score.

Reef and Control Thanks. So why dont both manufacturers use BOTH technologies? It begs the question - would the Schuran be better than the Deltec if you put a pinwheel eheim on instead of the standard 1260 ??? Would that work? What do you guys think? Ta.

Im intrigued as to the efficiency issues regarding different skimmers. DELTEC use pinwheel or needlewheel technology via the adapted eheim pump on some of their models. The claim is that the pinwheel breaks up the air into many more finer bubbles - thus creating far more surface area for the organic waste to attach to. This makes sense and for sure, the ones I have seen seem to be FULL of air bubbles in the water column. SCHURAN do not claim to use this technology, but are also considered to be at the leading edge. They use counter-current instead it seems. But i saw a small schuran on a retailers tank locally and there didnt seem to be many bubbles at all. So whats the difference? Are any of you using either of the biggies - say the Deltec AP850/1 or the Schuran Jetskim 200 ?? I know i would be happy with the Deltec, but have the opportunity of getting a cheap Schuran now (the Deltec deal fell through as some git got there first, lol) Just wanted some of your expert opinions on the difference between the two technologies

Caper - since its only a ten gallon tank would it be feasible to empty it say half way and get someone to help you lift it while a third person slides the poly underneath?

You can buy rolls of that spongy stuff that stops anything moving - Im not explaining this well am i - its like rubber almost and stitched together in criss-cross pattern. Some folk put it on their car dash to stop mobile phones sliding etc. Do you know what i mean? Anyone? :oops: Anyway, wondered whether that would be any good? Alan? Your thoughts?

Pies - your clowns have spawned? Awesome man. You've got it right then aye ! What do you reckon the chances are on raising the fry? Ive been seriously thinking about trying to breed friedmanis - they are supposed to be on the "easier" (sic) end of the scale for marine breeding.

Hey Aaron - on the subject of water storage - how long would you say synthetic water (since thats what most use) will last? Im assuming you keep it aerated and moving with some kind of pump or does it just sit there? Just wondering if that gives it the opportunity for bacteria to grow, or does yours get used up on a fast basis? Does it need to be maintained at a certain temp or would you say just empty out the amount you want to change and heat that up? Bearing in mind that in any small system introducing cold water might shock the inhabitants moreso than with a larger more stable system? This is something I have not addressed in my own setup yet either. Chris

Yip Pies - thats a good way to go. Like i said, this info is for folks who have found this site, and if they've done that (new or not to reefkeeping), they will have the wear-with-all to establish the street price for themselves, so street price is the only sensible way of looking at it.

Reef - Are you calling me a queen or are you just being respectful to our Liz !!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Anthony - ultimately i would say you ought not to compromise viewing angle just for a few extra litres of water. (Jet, I know what you are saying and i agree with the more the better, but Anthony is limited to space remember - and he needs to have enough access to get to the bits in the sump too). Work out where you will want to view it from mostly (I will be rearranging the lounge furniture to fit round my la-z-boy being the prime spot to view the tank). Work out what height you want it to be. Even go as far as measuring the height of your line of sight when you are seated where you will be the most. You can have SOME elevation from that, but not too much or you will be staring into the glare of your lights too, lol). The ONE thing i HATED about the tank i was setting up in the UK was it was TOO HIGH. They had made the cabinet big enough to hold my AP850 skimmer and then some (which was stupid as i never asked them to - i was planning on showing the beast off !!). So work out the internal dimensions of your stand and then work back from there. If you are putting baffles in (advised) remember that will limit the manoeverability of the bits n pieces inside the sump too. You dont need to go as far as having it so low that you can bring your skimmer up and out totally vertical, but you want to be able to get in there and do things and access the sump properly too. Let us know what height your cabinet would be (ideally) and we can work from there on the sump height. Jetskisteve is right though - the more water the better, notwithstanding other considerations.

Absolutely. And im getting some good ideas too as we go along. Im in the planning stage too. One thing ive learnt is to get as much info as poss, then devise a plan. It wont hurt to come back with the final plan - but its difficult to finalise "sections" of the overall plan untill you have considered all aspects as often changes to one stage affects what you do in others.

Cool Dave - will you PM the meeting location to us all (retain privacy that way).

It is Anthony - these are all just little suggestions. Some people would prefer to have the return piped outside because it can go behind the tank and would not be visible. Others would go for Kermits route and prefer it being inside the tank. At the end of the day, all you can do is listen to these ideas and make up your own mind. To say this is a confusing hobby is the worlds biggest understatement. Inside or out though, neither is right or wrong.