http://www.reefaddicts.com/blog.php/278-Blown76mav en Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:59:14 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.reefaddicts.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.reefaddicts.com/blog.php/278-Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/28236-Great-Barrier-Reef Mon, 10 Sep 2012 01:18:11 GMT Great barrier reef on animal planet Great barrier reef on animal planet ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/28236-Great-Barrier-Reef http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/28143-Well-it-was-a-good-run Sun, 08 Jul 2012 20:02:40 GMT As the title says it was a good run. For 6 years I've enjoyed this hobby, but the last year or so has been an uphill battle. Zoa eating Astria's, then the hair algae and the final blow RTN of all SPS. I'm done, everything is for sale. Maybe in the future I will get another tank but its time for a break. I know the electric and water bill will be less, not having to worry about the tank on vacations will be a nice thought. Yes I will miss sitting in front of it for hours and hours staring in wonder and awe.

later

Lonnie ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/28143-Well-it-was-a-good-run http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/27994-Zoa-eating-Asterina-Starfish Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:18:44 GMT Ok, I admit this problem is my own mistake of trusting someone who gave me a frag. I didnt' quarantine or even look at it as this friend had never had any pest and his reef was doing great. Over the last month or so I've noticed my zoa's dissapearing, some here some there but never a whole lot. Within the last two weeks I've lost at least 3 colonies of 30 polyps or more and seem to be loosing more every day. I have found Zoa eating Asterina Starfish on the polyps so I know what the culprit is, I'm removing at lest 30 per day from what colonies I can remove from the tank. I've had the white ones for years without any problems, these are the dark green/gray ones.

I know a harliquin shrimp will help but I doubt I can get one in time to save my colonies. So I've fragged off what I could, checked and tripple checked for those nasty little starfish and have set up a small 10g tank so hopefully they can grow and I can find a way to deal with this.

So I guess here is my question if I remove all my zoa's and these have nothing to feed on will they die off or do I have to take out all my rock and drain the tank and let everything dry out for a few days. These things are in the main tank, plumbing, sump, etc....:GRRR::GRRR::GRRR:


I'm about ready to PBITAWA, after 6 years I guess its my turn in the barrel. ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/27994-Zoa-eating-Asterina-Starfish http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/27654-Can-a-tank-be-too-clean Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:41:11 GMT Ok, so here's my problem if you want to call it that. About 3 months ago I decided to try a 3g a day water change on my 400g system. Around 8 weeks the SPS started to grow and color up nicely. Over the last 2 weeks or so my ORA Tri-color has went from Cream/Purple/ with green polyps to a REALLY light cream color, not bleach white but no purple and no green polyps. It started out Brown/Purple with green polyps.

My tests are showing 0's across the board, 450 ca and 9 DKH. Can it be that I've gotten the water too clean. I've lost some zoa's (which I expected) and my GSP isn't taking over anymore (good thing)

I'd take pics but the color on the pics and what I'm seeing are way off. My Red Planet is growing at a outstanding rate, much more than ever before, the ORA Pearlberry is looking like the ones pictured on ORA's site. All the other SPS (no names) are coloring up fine. Polyps are extended at night like normal.

I'm a little lost, ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/27654-Can-a-tank-be-too-clean http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/10990-Check-out-this-tank Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:22:41 GMT http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Chad-Ochocinco-sleeps-underneath-a-whole-bunch-o?urn=nfl-wp6214 Now this is what I call... http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shu...urn=nfl-wp6214


Now this is what I call a tank, any suggestions on how to talk the wife into it:drool::drool: ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/10990-Check-out-this-tank http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1880-New-TV-Show-about-Saltwater-tank-builders Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:55:04 GMT Anyone see this yet? A co worker told me about it today, gonna have to try and catch it. http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/ Anyone see this yet? A co worker told me about it today, gonna have to try and catch it.

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/ ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1880-New-TV-Show-about-Saltwater-tank-builders http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1626-My-superman-nano-tank Sun, 08 May 2011 02:06:39 GMT I thought I'd share how I built my nano tank for my daughter. This was originally going to be a seahorse tank but I found out later it was too short.

1st I laid out the design I wanted, I wanted something different to show off some acrylic skills. :)



2nd I made a cardboard template so when I bent the acrylic I could make sure the 1 piece side was correct.



I then made the bend marks on a flat piece of acrylic.




Now it was time for some heat, I used a heat gun, but you could use a small torch just be careful not to overheat the acrylic or it will bubble.



Now it was time to bend. You need a good straight edge. I used a table saw and a scrap piece of wood. You want to heat up the top side until the acrylic rises, then heat the bottom. Repeat until it starts to fall no matter which side its heated on.





A few more bends and its starting to take shape.



Now to finish it up and only have one seam on the side, which is actually the back corner.




Ok, you may have noticed that the corners didn't line up in the last pic. Thats ok because I'm going to use a flush trim router bit to clean it up later.

Once the back seam was glued and flush trimmed I glued it to the bottom, again I will flush trim to fit after the glue dries.



Heres a shot of the flush trim process, this assures that the bottom is perfect even if I'm not....



I decided I wanted to hide the power head and heater so I made this fake overflow/cover. It would also allow me to ad an overflow later if I so desired.







Tight fit but it works.



Now it was time for a water test.



I decide to add some sand and a piece of live rock.

Sadly my daughter lost interest in this tank after one of her friends decided to scare the clown fish into carpet surfing. I've been thinking about setting it up as a frag tank. ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1626-My-superman-nano-tank http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1473-Blue-Green-Chromis-Spawning Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:06:30 GMT Well it seems my Chromis have decided to start spawning. I shot some video but its not the best. Pretty cool though, I now have a mated pair of... Well it seems my Chromis have decided to start spawning. I shot some video but its not the best. Pretty cool though, I now have a mated pair of clowns and chromis. Any ideas how often this will happen? Sorry the videos aren't the best but I'm sure I'll get another chance.


]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1473-Blue-Green-Chromis-Spawning http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1471-Worm-ID Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:58:52 GMT Well I noticed some of my Zoa's missing about a month ago, a few nights ago I seen this worm stretched out on the sandbed. Since I have already removed one elucid worm, I really didn't look forward to this, but it had to be done. I came home today and removed the three rocks (with corals) on top of the rocks it was last seen in. I sprayed each rock with freshwater and waited to see what happened, which was nothing more than the usual pods, and bristle worms leaving the rocks. Finally I decided to submurge the rock in a 5 gallon bucket of super hot water. That got him to leave his home. This thing is about 3/4 round and 6-7 inches long in the pictures. When it was stretched out on the sand bed, it was at least 12-15 inches long. It doesn't look like a bristle worm but that's what I'm hoping for. :huh: I doesn't look like the last elucid worm I removed but I wasn't gonna take a chance. I got it all removed and rock and coral put back in. :)


]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1471-Worm-ID http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1321-App-for-iPhone Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:49:27 GMT Ok, this may seem like an odd request but since Verizon now has the iPhone I would like to set it up to control my reef. My question is what app and... Ok, this may seem like an odd request but since Verizon now has the iPhone I would like to set it up to control my reef. My question is what app and what controller (and anything else) do I need? Also will this app work on an iPad as well, seeing how a co-worker won 3 of them and gave me one today :)

Thanks in advance. ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1321-App-for-iPhone http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1151-Merry-Coralmas Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:45:39 GMT Heres a little poem our local reef club did, enjoy.

Twas' the Night Before Coralmas, when all through my tank,

Not a creature was stirring, not even my 'pod, Frank.

The filter socks hung in their holders with care,

In hopes that the detritus would all land there.

The fish all lie down in their beds,

While visions of Rods-Food danced in their heads.

When out on the sandbed there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to bed to see what twas' the matter.

Away to my tank I flew like a Wrasse,

Turned on the moon lights, and put pants on my arse. (hehe)

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a carpet anemone and 8 hermits as reindeer.

With a orange fishy driver, so wiggly and quick,

I knew it must be my clownfish St. Nick

More rapid than damsels his coursers they came

And he whistled, and gurgled, and called them by name;

Now Monti! Now Maxi! Now Chaeto and Cree;

On Turbo! On Tunze! On Korilla and Kalkie!

To the top of the tank! To the top of the rockwall!

Now swim away, swim away, swim away all!

As xenias in the tank pulse with delight

When levels and currents both are just right

Up to the top of the tank they all go

With hermit crabs climbing and leading the show.

And then in the glimmer of lights on the rock,

I saw there my cleaner shrimp I call Jacques.

As I crept in closer, my shrimp turned around

Down the reef wall St. Nick came with a bound.

HE was dressed in stripes, from his head to his fin,

But his stripes were not clothes, but actually his skin;

With a bundle of goodies that many would be thankful,

He opened the sack like a clam’s mantel.

His fins – how they flapped! And appeared to glow!

His eyes were like pearls, but his brows lie low!

With his eccentric little mouth, moving up and down,

And no beard on his chin, after all he's a clown;

A piece of seaweed he held tight in his teeth,

And anemone tentacles circled him like a wreath.

He had a small face and he swam lazily

Keeping his pace with carpet anemone.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old clown,

And I laughed when I saw him, as I settled down.

A wriggle of fin and a twist of his tail

Soon gave me to know that he wouldn't fail.

He made not a noise, but went straight to his work

Delivering cyclopese, and then turned with a jerk.

He dashed to the homes of each of the fish

And delivered to each, their own favorite dish.

Then sprang to the anemone, to his team gave a gurgle

And away they all went, crossing over each hurdle.

But I heard him exclaim as they drove out of sight,

Merry Coralmas to all, and to all a good night!






]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1151-Merry-Coralmas http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1129-Video-of-my-240g-reef-tank Mon, 13 Dec 2010 01:49:36 GMT Well I tried my hand at making a video with my camera, apparently youtube didn't like my choice of music so there is no sound :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8khTRRZ6htQ ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/1129-Video-of-my-240g-reef-tank http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/937-Random-tank-pics Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:45:05 GMT Well seems like everyone would rather tank pics than floor pics go figure.... :) Heres a few. Image:... Well seems like everyone would rather tank pics than floor pics go figure.... :)

Heres a few.











]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/937-Random-tank-pics http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/935-240g-Upgrade-The-end Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:12:51 GMT Well not really the end as we all know there is never an END to this hobby. Always upgrading, swapping, buying etc.... But I did get the room... Well not really the end as we all know there is never an END to this hobby. Always upgrading, swapping, buying etc....

But I did get the room done inside and out. Tile is laid, over 400 sq ft of it! I wish I would have done that first it would have been WAY easier.

When I started this hobby a few years ago I never realized I would have to be a carpenter, plumber, chemist, tile layer or electrician. I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting that I've learned over the years but those seem to be the biggest.

Oh well on with the pics.

Outside



Inside




ya it was fun cutting around the stand, I should have just added some 2x4's and made it easy but I like challenges. :D



Once the shelves are up, baseboards reinstalled I plan on a short video "tour" ]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/935-240g-Upgrade-The-end http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/821-My-240-upgrade-(Huge-post) Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:57:50 GMT Now for the rest of the update Its the weekend so work has been done, I glad to say the the outside of the fish room is 95% done. Still need to... Now for the rest of the update

Its the weekend so work has been done, I glad to say the the outside of the fish room is 95% done. Still need to clear coat and cut a piece of trim, trim the rest of the basement and then save for carpet. But I did get paint on the walls, trim installed and have started on the inside. Bulkhead came in yesterday so I can soon start on the plumbing.





Ok heres how my doors look and work.

The right door is the over door, I made the back panel 1" shorter than the trim so when I nailed the trim on I had an overhang.



Left door is the under door, the back panel is 1" longer than trim



Heres how they look from the inside when closed.



And finally a teaser shot of the inside of the room. I still have some trim painting and such to do but by the weekend I should have some nice shot for you guys.



Can you say plumbing nightmare? Not really but thats' a lot of fittings and not all of then, these are just for the return to the sump.




Oh ya getting a little closer, that's 64 gallons of saltwater goodness. When it hits 200 I'm draining my 150 and having a moving party.



closer

Got the plumbing from the sump to the pump done, from the pump to the manifold done, and some of the return (need to drill another hole)


Don't mind the grass on the manifold, I'm gonna wash it before I install it for good.





A little more water...getting closer



Well I got the majority of the plumbing done, all I need to do is figure out where I want to run the return lines from the manifold to the tank. I even busted out some acrylic and made a filter sock holder/heater holder.





Once that was done, I figured it was time to attack the lights. I used a system that another person in my reef club used. Its a pocket door track from Stanley and the mounting hardware. You only need the rollers but this is everything it comes with. This will allow me to move the lights off to the side of the tank for maintenance, aquascaping etc...



Mounted the rollers on the MH fixtures.



Once the rail was installed I just slid the lights in place and as you can see this works out really well.





Once all that was done all I had to do was test the system to see if I had enough light and if it was going to show through the doors. I can say I am very happy, no extra beams of light to be seen anywhere.



]]> Blown76mav http://www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/821-My-240-upgrade-(Huge-post)