Some updates, and other unrelated

[Heathd]

Took some photos as I did my monthly update so I can compare growth of various different corals. I also added a new skimmer, which I am loving. I am also adding a proposed drawing of the new sump I plan on either building, or paying someone to build... depends on how lucky I feel .

Everything is pretty much to scale, except the return pump. I didnt bother to check the dimensions on the return pump. Scale is at the top of the doodle.

 

[FLESHY]

Welcome to the darkside....macros and skimmers.

That being said...we need to send you some of fleshy's super special tang food!

That guy needs to be fattened up, no wonder he gave you an ich scare there for a little bit.

Glad/sad to see that my "superman" monti is still brown, but at least it looks as if it is growing, be careful, I would hate to be the guy responsible for having your tank overrun by a ****ty brown coral.

 

[Heathd]

Welcome to the darkside....macros and skimmers.

That being said...we need to send you some of fleshy's super special tang food!

That guy needs to be fattened up, no wonder he gave you an ich scare there for a little bit.

Glad/sad to see that my "superman" monti is still brown, but at least it looks as if it is growing, be careful, I would hate to be the guy responsible for having your tank overrun by a ****ty brown coral.

Thing about the tang, he eats like a pig, but hasnt put on much weight. Maybe my fatso blenny is beating him to most of the nori sheet I put in.

 

[FLESHY]

Start soaking your nori sheet with selecon.

What else are you feeding?

How often is he getting the nori?

How big a piece? I feed a piece of nori that is almost the size of my blue tang...everyday. Very rarely does he not eat the whole thing.

 

[thisissimple]

what's he eating, he does need fattening. Have you tried new life?

sump design looks good man, designing that stuff is fun isn't it?

a couple things.

1. think about using a filter sock to keep detritus out of the sump.
2. you might need more room in the top of the sump for when you turn the pumps off (very, very important). What happens when you turn the pumps off is all the water in the pipes flows back into the sump, you really don't want that baby to overflow.

also with the water height, 11 inches deep also might be above the optimum water level for your skimmer to work well. 6 - 8 inches is pretty common for smaller skimmers. Call the manufacturer.
3. I would keep substrate out of the sump, just go with macro.
4. Think about dropping the water level in each chamber, and adding an underflow into your "fuge" chamber.

Nice design in general and I like your use of the graph paper to set it up. keep working on it!

 

[Heathd]

what's he eating, he does need fattening. Have you tried new life?
I do NLS flake, garlic infused pellets, sheets of green nori, and mysis shrimp. A good sized sheet gets put in every day, buy flake, pellet, and mysis are alternated between. The tang takes no interest in anything but the nori sheets. Im open to other suggestions though, as I like my fish fat, and he is the only one who isnt.

sump design looks good man, designing that stuff is fun isn't it?

a couple things.

1. think about using a filter sock to keep detritus out of the sump.
I dont like filter socks. I think they are a nitrate bomb and need more maintenance then I am willing to do. Sounds bad, but its true. I have a bunch of hermits running around in my sump to deal with the ditritus that settles.
2. you might need more room in the top of the sump for when you turn the pumps off (very, very important). What happens when you turn the pumps off is all the water in the pipes flows back into the sump, you really don't want that baby to overflow. Already calculated that, and I am well within the limits. I have less the 3 gallons spill over when the pumps are off.

also with the water height, 11 inches deep also might be above the optimum water level for your skimmer to work well. 6 - 8 inches is pretty common for smaller skimmers. Call the manufacturer. 10.5 is optimal for the skimmer I have, but 11 is within the operable height.
3. I would keep substrate out of the sump, just go with macro.
I do a 50/50 mix of crushed coral and sugar grain sand in the fuge area. It keeps it from compacting, and gives the bristle worms somewhere to hide, when I add them.

4. Think about dropping the water level in each chamber, and adding an underflow into your "fuge" chamber. Not following?

Nice design in general and I like your use of the graph paper to set it up. keep working on it!

Thanks

 

[FLESHY]

My brother has 4 filter socks that he rotates...he also cleans one like every week. No less a nitrate bomb than letting it accumulate in your sump, actually probably better.

Mixing substrates in my experience, and based on everything I have heard...actually contributes to compaction. Think about it this way, large grained substrates will keep open the micro pore space, because they will lodge against each other. If you add sugar grains, they will fill in the cracks in between...and as the whole thing settles (because now you cant siphon it-sugar sand) you will get compaction.

 

[Heathd]

My brother has 4 filter socks that he rotates...he also cleans one like every week. No less a nitrate bomb than letting it accumulate in your sump, actually probably better.

Mixing substrates in my experience, and based on everything I have heard...actually contributes to compaction. Think about it this way, large grained substrates will keep open the micro pore space, because they will lodge against each other. If you add sugar grains, they will fill in the cracks in between...and as the whole thing settles (because now you cant siphon it-sugar sand) you will get compaction.

The hermits keep my fuge clean...er, well they did before I put them in the display and destroyed my fuge for the skimmer. And they were perfect down there. Very industrious little jerks that would eat all the junk and not have anything to really screw up.

Im not sold on filter socks. I think they suck, and should be cleaned every other day, or daily. Thats just my opinion.

As far as compaction goes, the crushed coral is going to lodge itself against another peice of crushed coral, and so on, with sand filling in the gaps to keep crap on the surface. And even if it does compress, the microfauna will keep it stired up well.