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75 gallon tank

29 gallon feeling jealous of all the attention the 75 is getting?

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5 Comments
by
blakew
, 03-06-2012 at 12:04 AM (1304 Views)
I suppose the 29 gallon must be feeling jealous of the attention and parts bill for the 75 gallon. Today while I was home for lunch the second of the main tank power compact light units went up in smoke. Horrible smell! Luckily, I was home and was able to get it unplugged and outside. No fire, but did I mention the horrible smell. Fried ballast is not a pleasant smell.

So in the last couple of months both 65 watt power compacts (used for the main lighting in the tank) have given up the ghost and the power compact unit over the hang on the back fuge went out as well. Atleast with the other two the ballast just made a vibrating noise and died. The last of the three made sure its demise will be long remembered.

Unfortunately, that left me with no lighting over the tank. When the fuge light went out I just took the fuge off and cleaned it so I can put it on craigslist. When the first of the main tank lights went out, I figured I could limp along with the one remaining light until I got the 75 up and running. Unfortunately, this plan didn't come to fruition.

I had always hoped to have the 75 cycling by March because I knew it would be a busy month. My other hobby (growing/dwarfing Japanese maples) takes up most of my time (and money) during March due to repots, changing out soil, pruning etc. Also, my wife is going to see her family in Arizona this month, and I had promised to get her phone set up with some movies and books for the trip. Her mom sent her a standby ticket and sitting at the airport by yourself with nothing to do is never fun.

The timing and the shortness of funds left me with few options. So off I went to the closest pet store and found the cheapest 30" light solution I could on short notice. It's an Aquasun 2 lamp t5 unit. Lighting over the tank went from a barely adequate 130 watts of power compact to 48 watts of t5. I hope not too many of the ricordea's die due to loss of light. The xenia I'm not too worried about (turned into more of a pest than an interesting specimen) and the hair algae long age killed most of the zoa's.

The good news in all this is due to multiple large water changes, reduced feeding, pulling as much as I physically can, using phosphate remover, and cleaning my skimmer with vinegar (improved skimmate production) I think I'm beginning to finally turn the corner on the hair algae. The remaining stuff in the tank is beginning to turn a very light green to yellowish color. I was also able to find Rod's Foods at a store in Renton. Long drive for fish food, but I'm often in the area anyway, so I picked up some of the original mix yesterday. I'm hopeful that the t5 "temporary" unit will get me through without too many ricordea looses and the new regiment will finally get the phosphate issue under control so it doesn't get transferred into the 75.

Blake

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Categories
‎ Tank Entry , ‎ Lighting , ‎ Equipment

Comments

  1. melev's Avatar
    Why do you think these light ballasts are all failing?
  2. blakew's Avatar
    I'm guessing age. I've had the 29 for over three years and the coralife power compact units were used and came with the tank. The one that came with the hang on the back fuge was just a cheap piece of crap that I'm suprised lasted as long as it did. I've read several light comparison websites which seem to indicate the life expectancy of the coralife PC ballast is between 3 and 5 years, so it was probably time. Pretty much all the equipment in my little 29 has had to be replaced over the years. I've had 1 aquario powerhead that used to feed my charcoal reactor go out. I've replaced 2 maxijets (one power head for water movement and one power head that feeds my skimmer). Recently I replaced the stealth heater that came with the tank with one of the 150's that I'll use in the 75.

    I just thought this was the cost of buying used stuff. It's part of the reason I've been going slow and trying to buy good stuff this time around. I figured on trashing most of the pumps and lights from the 29 once the 75 was up and running (or using the pumps for water changes until they died). The acrylic skimmer and hang on the back fuge I'd planned on selling on craigslist, but I pretty much figured most of the stuff was worn out. I'd just hoped it would last until the 75 was running.
  3. blakew's Avatar
    Here's an updated full tank shot with the new light.
    Updated 03-06-2012 at 02:20 AM by blakew (retouched photo so it wasn't so washed out)
  4. pepper'scove's Avatar
    blakew,

    I would recommend keeping as much of your old equipment as is still working. You never know when that stuff will come in handy! Also, not that I'm an expert by any stretch (just read some of my other blogs and you'll find out what a noob I am), but it might be helpful if you posted your maintenance routine that you follow for the various pumps and things. Calcium can build up on all of our equipment and periodically our equipment will get unhappy if we don't clean it off.
  5. blakew's Avatar
    While I guess it could be a maintenace issue, I don't think so. The pumps and lights get cleaned approximately every couple of weeks when I do water changes. I've never ran any of them in vinegar, but they're pulled and cleaned with different sizes of bottle brushes and a tooth brush. The lights are wiped down to remove the salt creep and the plastic lenses a cleaned when I do water changes as well.

    Around the time the rio pump failed there was alot of talk on "the boards" about the rio pumps having problems, so I just assumed I got one of the bad ones. As I said before the lights and maxijets came with the tank which I bought on consignment from a lfs. I've had the tank for over 3 years and no telling how long the previous owner had the equipment, so it was probably just time. Old equipment fails.

    My original post about the 29 being jealous was in jest. The failures did occur at an inopportune moment, but old equipment dies. A couple more weeks and maybe I could have replaced the last of the power compacts with one of the two AI Sols that I plan to use over the 75. This would have provided better light to the 29 for the rest of its limited life and I would have been able to move the Sol over to the 75 once it's up and running.

    Just venting my fustration at the timing. Thanks for following along.

    Blake