reef

I thought i would try a new skimmer as i have heard all the rave about a skimmer called bubble king mad by a german co. Base Plate : 12.6“ x 19.6“ For Aquariums of 300g – 800g 530 G/H air input – 1600 G/H water Overall height: 26.75“ 1 Pump: 58 Watt/h The beauty about this skimmer is that it only uses a 50w pump which pulls in 2000L of air which is amazing as my Deltec uses 3x1260 to get the same result, so you do save some power, However you do need a second mortgage to purchase these.(so i only have to sell a few more Cataphylias which will pay for it as i really make a killing on these as you know MARK or i told you so ) The bubbles it produces are really small, even smaller than the Deltec. I will post some pics of the skimmer in action.

Just have not done a water change in 2 months so i thought it needed it. The corals look great and seem really happy.

I was looking for my large goby which was about 3-4 inch. and quess were he was. bloody grouper

Did a 600L water change this week. thought i would post some pics as lots of the coral were out of the water for about 1 hour.

So I sell deltec, whippy dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. As I have mentioned so many times, do something for the hobby. Bring some equipment in and do it for free like i do. It’s true I sell the best marine equipment on the market. But if you noticed it always is cheaper or almost the same price as overseas, Why is that MARK ELLIS . Maybe because it is done at such low cost so that hobbyist can buy top quality equipment at a reasonable price, Which means I make no money? or very little. If it was a business I would be making money and charging for my time and warranties, BUT I DON’T MAKE MUCH MONEY> ITS A HOBBY FOR ME< AND I ENJOY SEEING HOBBYIST IN NZ USING QUALITY EQUIPMENT. If I wanted to make money I would get a job with you, now that is what I call making money for jam.

Get a life MARK. Find me a link that has a diy stream that will pulse... ......... i thought so, you will never find it. Bad for businesss? what business ? selling a few streams is not a business . I think they call in a past time or hobby MARK.

t5 on at 12am , metal halides on at 1pm, metal halides off at 10pm, t5 off at 10.30pm

get a hang on skimmer. very important as it removes all the organics in the tank before they cause problems. http://www.deltecusa.us/Protein_Skimmers/_info_MCE600.html I would get 3-4 hagen 803 power heads, but if you have the cash get the 6000 stream with the controller. http://www.tunze.com

my bellus angel

To be fair steve start you own thread if that is what you get off on.

a month on and the regal angel is still doing well. Hopefully he wont start to eat my coral. My favorite fish Also added a leopard wrasse,

Nothing beats the real thing The streams can pulse and be controlled. Not cheap ,but great water movers

Frequently asked questions on T5 lighting What are T5 lights and are they as good as the hype surrounding them suggests? We’ve got the answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions. > What are T5 lights? T5 is simply a collective term for a narrow-diameter fluorescent light tube. Standard 1†fluorescent tubes are sometimes called T8s. T5s run from a special ballast, similar (but different) to the type used for standard fluorescent bulbs. > Why are they better than normal fluorescent tubes? The makers claim that certain T5s are roughly three to four times more effective than a standard fluorescent bulb of similar wattage. Therefore, they’re being marketed as a replacement for the large banks of standard fluorescents used over many reef tanks. By using T5s you’ll be able to use fewer tubes than before, and squeeze much more light power under your hood. > Does the light they produce look different? Yes, T5s produce a “flatter†light, like that produced by a standard fluorescent, rather than an intense directed spot of light like a metal halide. The light levels throughout the tank are more uniform, but you don’t get the natural-looking rippling light effect on your substrate you get from a metal halide. Some reefkeepers reckon they lack the “punch†of metal halides for penetrating deep water, so many use a combination of the two types together. Compared to a standard fluorescent, they’re considerably brighter to look at. > Are they any good for corals? They appear to work well and are fast becoming very popular with modern reefers. Experts reckon the light produced may not match that of metal halides but can still be sufficient to get decent coral growth, even in the more demanding SPS corals. The size and coloration of corals from the T5-lit tanks we’ve seen is very close to that from tanks lit by metal halides. However, in very deep tanks you might need to confine the light-loving corals towards the upper layers of the tank to ensure they get plenty of light. > Do they have any advantages over metal halides? Fluorescents like T5s get very warm but the makers claim that they "don’t give off radiant heat", so they’re less likely to overheat the aquarium than halides. However, they still get almost hot enough to fry an egg on, so they must have more effect upon water temperature than the producers claim. Some can be installed within the hood, so they’re handy if space is limited, or if you’re unable (or unwilling) to suspend a luminaire from your ceiling. According to D & D Aquarium Solutions, their T5 bulbs should last for up to 15,000 hours with only a 20% drop off in output. This works out at about 1250 days (more than three years) based on a 12-hour photoperiod. Aquatic Solutions claim 18 months for their “double†tubes. This is far longer than either metal halide or standard fluorescent lamps. However, as all T5s are still fairly new and we’ve not seen any long-term data on how long the actual spectrum produced remains useful for corals it might be wise to wait and see on any lifetime claims for T5s. Virtually all other bulbs eventually deteriorate and we would expect the same to apply to T5s. Indeed, we’ve heard that some users believe they have already noticed some minor deterioration in their bulbs’ output. > How many do I need? The number and combination of bulbs you add largely depends on what you are keeping. You’ll probably be looking at four to six for the average tank, but you might get away with less if you’re keeping inverts that are tolerant of lower light levels, such as zoanthids, Pachyclavularia, Leather corals and corallimorphs (mushroom anemones). If you’re considering swapping your halides for T5s, D & D Aquarium Solutions reckon you ought to use three 54w T5s to replace each 150w metal halide. > Do they actually work out cheaper than metal halides? Individually, they’re cheaper to buy, but you may need more of them - maybe six or more if the tank is large. Costs can therefore work out similar to metal halides. You could save a few quid on replacement bulbs, though. Some T5 bulbs can be yours for as little as tenner, but you’ll be lucky to pick up a metal halide bulb for less than 50 quid. > How do the running costs compare? By our calculations, based on the recommendations of T5 distributors for the number of bulbs to use, electrical running costs are similar, and potentially slightly higher than with metal halides. The biggest savings will come to those who currently have a large number of standard fluorescents. T5s kick out more watt-for-watt so you could save a few quid on electricity if you’re thinning out the number of bulbs by installing fewer T5s. > What sorts are available? There are several different designs: stylish luminaire fittings, which include a built-in ballast, reflector and several bulbs, need to be suspended from the ceiling; slimline units, like those from STM and D & D with a ballast and one or two bulbs, are designed to sit under the hood, while canopies like the models from Arcadia and Aquatic Solutions sit on the top of the tank, replacing the hood. > All of those on the market look rather similar. Are there any significant differences? There are differences in the types of ballast used, which may have some bearing on performance, as well as minor differences in the build quality of the actual light unit itself. However, the most critical differences are in the quality and design of the bulb and reflector used. There are several different brands of bulb on the market, with each manufacturer making different claims about performance. D & D claim that their bulbs use a superior “A1 phosphor mix†and are the spectra designed specifically for use on aquaria. It’s a good idea to use a mixture of bulbs to get the spectrum and light quality you’re after. Ask your retailer. Experts reckon that the gull-wing style of w-shaped reflector is best, because it directs around the tube back to the tank, rather than pointing it back at the bulb

It keeps going up Mark every time you write a post, when will it reach $100k plus by Christmas. Tell me please. You should read the book correctly. He says that majority of them die due to unknown reasons, but thinks one of the reasons could be how they are collected, handled. So far about 15 Cataphyllias have been imported. I am aware of 4 are still going. Maybe you should add some value to the Hobby and try to find out why they died, and help us pin point the problem. So far I am aware that some hobbyist have had nitrates over 25ppm, some have put them under metal halides, some have not put them on the sand bed as they come from such areas and are not subject to high light. Etc. Maybe this is the reason they are dying. Come on Mark do something for the Hobby. Instead of always criticising the importers and shops. How many copperbands have arrived? I would say about 100 plus, how many are alive?? Not many. Maybe 2-3. So in terms of percentage the copperbands deaths are far higher. So MARK give a list of all fish and coral that should be banned and I will make submission to take them off the allowed list for you. This way will only bring in coral beauties and one or two coral. I think the point is, its all relative. Basically the whole industry should be looked at and maybe closed down as losses are high all round. More coral fish die than Cataphyllias but I don’t see you jumping up and down about all the other coral/fish.

So true.

It appears only advance reef keepers can keep them. So I can’t see how it is irresponsible. Not everyone has lost them. I still have mine and have explained that it appears that they need some form of nutrients. Many corals die once they leave the shops and most die due to the irresponsible hobbyist for trying to save money by buying cheap equipment or making diy equipment that does not work. Goniopra is another coral that has the same problem and I was totally against bringing them in until I started to try a few and know after 6 months I still have mine.. Acropora were in the same camp but until I started to educate hobbyist that you need good equipment more hobbyist are keeping them. I actually find them easier than leather corals to keep. Saying that I am irresponsible for bringing them in seems very short sighted. What about the other 10-20 species of coral/fish that we get that are hard to keep. It’s only hard to keep if you don’t have the experience or don’t invest enough money to buy the correct equipment I am not saying that the cataphyllias died due to incorrect equipment filtration in this case as many years ago they were very easy to keep but it would be of good value it everyone who lost them or has one explain what sort of filtration they have, how much light does the coral have etc, etc. this way we might be able to see what conditions the coral is doing best in and pin point the problem. I can keep almost every coral/fish that come in and that is because I have spent years gaining experience. If anyone is going to get them in the future I would get some reef solution and see if we get more people that have success with these coral. Sometimes i dont know why i bring fish in as 60-70% of them die within a year. The only way this is going to improve is to educate hobbyist , however we are very limited in NZ with experianced hobbyist and this will take some time.

They are much brighter. try keeping acropora under NO. would not work. Bulbs last for about a year. you can get normall t5s and Ho t5s. Its the ho that you want as they use electronic ballast.

When a coral is fully open why would it be dead? Layton you are on the money, I think it comes down to who the suppliers are and how long they have had the coral at the holding station. There could be many factors why these coral die, maybe to much light. Not enough food etc, too high nitrates etc etc, the list can go on. I could say the same thing about copperbands , acropora just to mention a few. How many of these are alive? Not many.

you are using the colourmeter incorrectly as you dont multiple anything, the actual reading is the phostphate level, so in your case its .42 mg/l or .42ppm which is how most phosphate test kits read. so Scientifically 1 milligram per litre (mg/L) = 1 part per million (ppm)

Brought in about 15 over 12 months, Survival rate about 75% . But when they arrive you can see that some are not looking that great. Once they are slightly damaged they dont seem to recover. Cataphyllias do need some form of food and do seem to like tanks that are not skimmed much. Low light and med current. should be placed on sand bed.

Well done cees/warren. dont have any problems having a forum moderated as some content has really been out of line.

You can afford it,, put it on the mortgage. whats another $5k

There certainly is not a lack of supply of SPS coral, most shops don’t keep them as they are a risk item. Light is very important for these corals so an upgrade to metal halide or t5 should make a big difference. As hobbyist get more experience and start spending money on quality filtration I envisage that SPS coral will become very popular as it is overseas.

Mine is fantastic, 6 months and still going strong, I am aware that another 4 are also still going, but thay are all also feeding reef soloution Feed mine reef soloution which is a varied of vitamins ,minerals etc, Chris would have lost his due to his water quality,should not have been put in a tank that was not fully matured. Once damaged they will never come back. Thats a tuff call, As if that was the case then no fish and coral should be allowed in as most of it dies within the first year.

Merck test kit .05mg .10mg 025mg 1 mg(sample solution) .092 .10 mg .25mg 1mg .092 .14mg .25 mg 1mg .046 .098mg .25 mg 1mg Translated prepared four solutions with different phosphate concentrations. Exact contents of the individual solutions were only it well-known. Thus the test persons did not know before how much phosphate in the respective solution were present. Everyone of the test persons had to read off and after the indicated color interpret each test All the test were done by advanced hobbyist with more than 12 months experiance. Were did i say this ???