baktabiznis
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cmcoker's Reefer 250
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OP
OP
So sprung a leak last Friday
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/306446/
Red Sea has been easy to deal with, submitted tech support form on their website Friday. No response by Tuesday morning, so called them up. I was put right through to Customer Service, emailed them the requested pic/video and by the afternoon was told a replacement will be shipped out. [emoji106]
So now just waiting and trying to think about if I want to change up my rockwork. I have been pretty happy with it but know I'll never get it back exactly the same... and I have a 5g bucket of rock that's been curing.. decisions, decisions..
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/306446/
Red Sea has been easy to deal with, submitted tech support form on their website Friday. No response by Tuesday morning, so called them up. I was put right through to Customer Service, emailed them the requested pic/video and by the afternoon was told a replacement will be shipped out. [emoji106]
So now just waiting and trying to think about if I want to change up my rockwork. I have been pretty happy with it but know I'll never get it back exactly the same... and I have a 5g bucket of rock that's been curing.. decisions, decisions..
OP
OP
Replacement tank has shipped and is in town, just waiting to hear from the shipper.
The new tank will not have the holess in the back glass according to Red Sea.
I am so very pleased with the customer service from Red Sea, it has really been refreshing after the horrible, crappy, no good experience with CADlights.
If anyone is oscillating between the two brands, the customer service, and difference in build quality, from Red Sea makes the extra cost well worth it.
And yes, I included build quality despite the leak, you can feel and see the difference in the materials used immediately when comparing the two. Every company can have a bad apple in the bunch, it's how they respond to these issues that makes a difference
The new tank will not have the holess in the back glass according to Red Sea.
I am so very pleased with the customer service from Red Sea, it has really been refreshing after the horrible, crappy, no good experience with CADlights.
If anyone is oscillating between the two brands, the customer service, and difference in build quality, from Red Sea makes the extra cost well worth it.
And yes, I included build quality despite the leak, you can feel and see the difference in the materials used immediately when comparing the two. Every company can have a bad apple in the bunch, it's how they respond to these issues that makes a difference
OP
OP
New tank arrived yesterday, so broke down the leaky one, stuck it in storage unit, got the new tank up. I cleaned out the sump, and the return and skimmer got a vinegar bath.
Not terribly happy with the rock work, it's a work in progress. As I started replacing rock, I realized I was out of super glue! So everything is stacked and seems stable, but will be adjusted in a week or so.
Not terribly happy with the rock work, it's a work in progress. As I started replacing rock, I realized I was out of super glue! So everything is stacked and seems stable, but will be adjusted in a week or so.
OP
OP
Removing the sandbed was the biggest problem since I needed to reuse it. I ended up scooping all I could. For the remainder, I put a salt bucket in a 5g bucket, used vinyl tubing to siphon the sand into the small bucket. This way it got flushed at the same time and I could remove the sand bucket, then toss the dirty saltwater that had overflowed.
OP
OP
During the tank break down, I gave the return a vinegar bath and cleaning. When I replaced it on the tank, it was LOUD. Like keep me up at night LOUD. So ordered a Jebao DCT 4000, now the loudest thing on the tank is the fans on my led power supplies. Yay.
Wrasse finally made it out of quarantine. He spent a day in an acclimation box, and was released only for my clowns to start chasing him into the corner. So now they are in timeout. I'll try to let them out in a couple days, if they keep it up they will be booted into the biocube.
Wrasse finally made it out of quarantine. He spent a day in an acclimation box, and was released only for my clowns to start chasing him into the corner. So now they are in timeout. I'll try to let them out in a couple days, if they keep it up they will be booted into the biocube.
OP
OP
Been thinking about how best to add some cheato.. this us what I came up with.
I took an old acrylic clipboard and cut it to the same size as one of the sock holders. Used a hole saw and drilled out the center to allow water through.
I used the clear plastic corner protecters (that people put on to protect the corner paint on the walls) to add a flow director to the top of the acrylic and as the corner support for some egg crate.
Slide this into the front sock holder and added a light from the side. Added some cheato today, will see how it works out. I am thinking about zip tying some plastic mesh to the lower part of the egg crate to try and direct the water flow. May try this next weekend...
I took an old acrylic clipboard and cut it to the same size as one of the sock holders. Used a hole saw and drilled out the center to allow water through.
I used the clear plastic corner protecters (that people put on to protect the corner paint on the walls) to add a flow director to the top of the acrylic and as the corner support for some egg crate.
Slide this into the front sock holder and added a light from the side. Added some cheato today, will see how it works out. I am thinking about zip tying some plastic mesh to the lower part of the egg crate to try and direct the water flow. May try this next weekend...
OP
OP
Well, clownfish are jerks. My wrasse has bounced off the screen cover several times while I was around from the clowns bullying him. So the clowns went back in the acclimation box, but they were still spooking the wrasse from the box.
I was at the lfs and saw this used Biocube for sale.. I get 10% off for reef club membership and had a $25 gift certificate. So the clowns have a new home now.
Within hours of removing them from the tank the wrasse was much more relaxed and out and about in the water column.
I was at the lfs and saw this used Biocube for sale.. I get 10% off for reef club membership and had a $25 gift certificate. So the clowns have a new home now.
Within hours of removing them from the tank the wrasse was much more relaxed and out and about in the water column.
alanbetiger
Active Member
Do you still have that 14 gallon biocube? I forgot what happened to it
OP
OP
Yep, it's still setup. I had a hi fin goby and pistol shrimp in there but the fish died. The shrimp is still kicking around, so didn't want to add the clowns in there... most recent pic I have, I've rearranged a bit since.
OP
OP
Well, this wrasse is spooky, just the YWG coming out of his hole can send him out the water into the screen. Yay screen! It's saved him multiple times already.
So thought I'd see if adding more rock would make him more comfortable. Not totally happy with the scape but I've got some more rock to cure so I may change again. So far he seems a little less timid with the scape change, guess time will tell.
So thought I'd see if adding more rock would make him more comfortable. Not totally happy with the scape but I've got some more rock to cure so I may change again. So far he seems a little less timid with the scape change, guess time will tell.
OP
OP
Borrowed the club's par meter
May need to change up / add to the leds, I'll see how this goes for now.
Got a green slimer frag, acan frag and turquoise stag type mini colony at the swap last weekend, they're all in quarantine for now.
May need to change up / add to the leds, I'll see how this goes for now.
Got a green slimer frag, acan frag and turquoise stag type mini colony at the swap last weekend, they're all in quarantine for now.
OP
OP
Aiptasia is out of control, both in the display and my biocube 14! Placed an order with Salty Underground today for some Berghia Nudibranches, added a few trochus snails as well. Had been back an forth on the cost, but if it will eliminate this blight it will be worth it! Berghia arrive tomorrow, plan to take some before and after pictures.
OP
OP
Berghias arrived alive and well. I ordered 10 for the reefer and 4 for the biocube. Trochus however did not make it, one died in the bag and polluted the water.
I couldn't blow the Nudibranches off the bag with the provided pipette as recommended so I improvised.
I cut a portion of the bag off that had 4 nudies on it, for the biocube, and placed in a separate container with some of the shipping water. I rubber banded the rest of the bag to the plastic container they shipped in and started drip acclimation. Once acclimated I placed the entire container into the corresponding tanks, wedged against a rock.
I guess they are happy enough since I found egg whorls in both the tanks already.
Though 1 nudi in the reefer and 2 in the biocube are still hanging out in the container.
Time will tell! But I'm pretty sure 2 smaller aiptasia, near the release location in the reefer, appear to be gone.
I couldn't blow the Nudibranches off the bag with the provided pipette as recommended so I improvised.
I cut a portion of the bag off that had 4 nudies on it, for the biocube, and placed in a separate container with some of the shipping water. I rubber banded the rest of the bag to the plastic container they shipped in and started drip acclimation. Once acclimated I placed the entire container into the corresponding tanks, wedged against a rock.
I guess they are happy enough since I found egg whorls in both the tanks already.
Though 1 nudi in the reefer and 2 in the biocube are still hanging out in the container.
Time will tell! But I'm pretty sure 2 smaller aiptasia, near the release location in the reefer, appear to be gone.
OP
OP
Well berghias are continuing their work, I've notices more aiptasia on the glass since the berghias have been in the tank, also some of the aiptasia has moved or releases from the rock to avoid them, I guess?
Ive actually see the B erghias nightly for the past few nights, right as the lights are going off. There is definitely several sizes of them, so hopefully the end of the appy plague is near!
My wrasse has finally chilled out and will actually take food from my hands. He is not hitting the netting daily anymore, it has been several weeks since I have witnessed a jump. Yay!
About time to start quarantining another fish or two. Thinking a Mccoskers wrasse and maybe a lawnmower blenny...
Ive actually see the B erghias nightly for the past few nights, right as the lights are going off. There is definitely several sizes of them, so hopefully the end of the appy plague is near!
My wrasse has finally chilled out and will actually take food from my hands. He is not hitting the netting daily anymore, it has been several weeks since I have witnessed a jump. Yay!
About time to start quarantining another fish or two. Thinking a Mccoskers wrasse and maybe a lawnmower blenny...
alanbetiger
Active Member
Cool! I couldn't find much info about the Berghias, other then one per 10 gallons. I've got about 30 aiptasias in my 350 display so yeah.....not liking the cost of that! I have an cluster of about 10 aiptasias that I can at least release them close to a big food source.
So you are 2 months down the road?
Do you think they so far have just stopped the multiplication or have actually dented the population 20-50%?
Have you found any Berghias in your sump? I have visions of that I buy a bunch of Berghias and then they just multiply in the sump to repopulate the display a year later.
So you are 2 months down the road?
Do you think they so far have just stopped the multiplication or have actually dented the population 20-50%?
Have you found any Berghias in your sump? I have visions of that I buy a bunch of Berghias and then they just multiply in the sump to repopulate the display a year later.
OP
OP
So this is the same rock on the right side of the tank (circled in red on FTS). I released all the berghia on the right side base rock, wrasse sleeps on the left and wasn't sure if he was gonna try to snack on them. (He ignores them so far) there are still like 2 or 3 large aiptasia on the rock where I released them, to the right of the purple line, but that's all that's really left (on that side of the line)
Left side of the tank is still infested, I still have them popping up over there, even in the sandbed, though I have seen one berghia over there on the hunt.
Overall, I think the number is less probably, I just think the Berghias need to get to a population were they can eat the aiptasia faster than the aips can reproduce. That's probably why they recommend so many of them to start. What I have read says they are pack hunters, but I've only seen them attack individually. That's probably why the big aips are still there..
I have not found any in the sump.. I am running a filter sock and some cheato down there, so I dunno if I am filtering them out/removing with cheato, or if they are not making their way down there.
They are definitely making progress in the biocube as well, 50% reduction of aiptasia in there, they got a couple that had sprouted under the GSP on the sand bed.
The aips were stinging the GSP and that portion is already recovered and it's starting to grow again. I think the smaller tank gives the berghia an advantage.
I have debated pulling a certain infested rock (thats not attached to strongly) and putting it in a 5g bucket with flow and heat, annoying the aips to cause them to reproduce and maybe catch a few in the tank and have a backup culture... if i do that you are welcome to have some. Otherwise, once I'm clear in the display if I can catch them, I can pass those along..
The other day I saw you had the 350g on the local forum, thought you had sold it? Guess not?! Lol
