if you want some pointers on the skimmer pm me i will call you tonight. and no worries about the hagen stuff its really powerful , its great that you have that skimmer going trust me to take out the nutrients. its funny no one believes in this stuff.

Mine are nice also, very happy with them. This is the second order I've got from Greg, and they just keep getting better. Yes, Marie's tank is VERY nice!
I taught her well.:lol:

You have pm.

My frags are all doing great but then I'd expect nothing less from the coral master :razz:

Yup, he delivers every time.

Hows the new skimmer working, get it dialed in yet? No more leaks I hope!

All is well. I LOVE this skimmer. Of course I've only owned 3 different types.:redface: But I like this one the best! Lots of froth and pretty easy to dial in. Have repaired the leak. How's the elbow?

leaks what the heck, you better send that skimmer to me Lance i will show you how to use it....

Ha!

Elbow no good, tried doing some tank work today, didn't work out so good. Hopefully hear next week about seeing specialist, need to get it fixed got lots to do, I really want to get that 90gal corner set up.

If you need a hand just let me know.

Update:
The new tank continues to grow hair algae at an alarming rate :frown: I swear it grows an inch per day! Never seen anything like it. My Lawnmower Blenny is getting fat! (He thinks he died and went to H.A. Heaven). I moved the Fox Face over from the 90 gal and he too is eating the stuff. But between the two of them they're not making a dent in it. I've been changing 25% of the water every 3-4 days; running Rowaphos in a reactor; nitrate sponge and carbon in a canister filter; lights out for most of the day; and removing and scrubbing the smaller rock every day. If it doesn't start to let up soon I'm going to remove the corals and do an extended black-out. NO3 & PO4 are undetectable on Salifert test kits. MrFish55 brought his Medusa ChemTester colorimeter over and PO4=0 and NO3=.17 (Pretty good readings). Any suggestions? Anything I've missed?
On a positive note, the new skimmer is great. Skims well, runs quiet, and is easy to use. Here's a pic after 48 hrs of running the skimmer. About 1/3 liter of skimmate.

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2484.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2473.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2474.jpg

Find a way to grow something else (chaeto, maybe?). In my case, that meant finding a way to install a refugium where I didn't plan one. You have to aggressively weed the HA, while allowing the chaeto to grow. Little by little, you'll switch the nutrient uptake to the refugium and away from the HA.

May also help to darken the tank for a day off and on, while you light the refugium 24/7. Your coral won't mind a day of darkness every now and again.

For weeding, I recommend a continuous siphon. You place a filter bag in your sump, then start a siphon with flex tubing that pulls water out of the tank into the sump through that filter bag (keep your return pump running). While holding the pipe in your hand weed the algae and let it get immediately sucked away into the filter bag. You can do this as long as you can stand it.

NO3 was 7.2 if I remember correctly, bring a sample over tomorrow and we can check it again.

I had started some macroalgae in the sump, but it hasn't really had time to grow out yet. I can't siphon into the sump because it is in another room, but I used a 5 gal bucket and a 5/8 hose for a siphon and a Mag 950 returning it to the tank. Worked pretty good; must have collected a bushel of the damn weed. I have been alternating lights on and lights off every other day and I AM making progress. The HA has now stopped growing and the stuff I remove does not come back. Whooot! I am winning the battle, slowly but surely.

Ya see that is what happens when you use lots of Cycle. sorry i for got to tell you that...:cry: But running the skimmer wet all the time will take it out like stated early when i was talking to you.

It's coming around. Every day there is less and less of it. At least the Lawnmower Blenny and Foxface like it.:lol:

So the Hair Algae battle goes on, but I'm slooooooowly winning. Today looks better than yesterday, which was better than the day before. At the rate it's disappearing I'm hoping it will all be gone soon. NO3 & PO4 levels are both low and I continue with water changes every 3 days, to keep them that way until the algae dies off. Here's a full tank shot showing the HA. (ugly isn't it)

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2493.jpg

And one from the left side and one from the right.

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2494.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2495.jpg

Here's a shot of the sump with the macroalgae starting to grow out. Lights are running 24/7

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2526.jpg

My 2 HA munchers: Foxface and Lawnmower Blenny. The Blenny is getting so fat he kind of rolls in the current. :lol:

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2531.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2544.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2496.jpg

And one of the only other fish in the tank so far. (Bannerfish)

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2537.jpg

Looking better than the other day, not so long and stringy, definately better than my sea horse tank!

Ha!

Update? are things starting to settle in for ya. lets see some new pics.

The tank is looking much better. Hair algae is nearly gone. I got a few more fish. (Falco Hawkfish and 12 Chromis). I have been trying to catch my Coral Beauty for the better part of a week now. (Little bugger is too smart for the bottle trap I used on the Foxface). I think I'll try to find some thin clear plastic like Chaloupa did for her Powder Blue (see TOTM thread). If not I'll have to resort to a baited hook. Aside from that everything else if going pretty well. I may change the 10K MH to something else. They're Coralife and I don't really like them. I have Ushio 10K in the 90 gal and like them, so I may try them, maybe in a 14k though. I will post up some pics shortly.

Lance i love my 12-15 k range less chance to get the yellow look. the reef flux is a good one

Ok Mike, thanks.

Ok, a few pics from tonight.

FTS

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2618.jpg

Right side

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2621.jpg

Left side

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2622.jpg

Center

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...IMG_2623-1.jpg

My new little Falco Hawkfish

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2620.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2619.jpg

As you can see, the HA is almost gone. I tried to get a shot of the LM Blenny but he wouldn't co-operate. His belly is so fat he looks like a little Buddha with gills. Time now to get a CUC for the tank. I also like to keep a few hermits in the sump as they do a great job with the detritus. As soon as I can catch the Coral Beauty from the 90 gal I can start to look for some of the larger fishes I've been wanting. IE. a tang or two, Harlequin Tusk, a large Angel, and then move the SF tang over from the 90. In the next little while I will be placing some livestock orders so if any Powell Riverites want to piggyback on my order, let me know.

Looking good, did you get that school of chromis from Bob? I was thinking of some blue chromis for mine. How are your frags from snappy doing?

Love the aquascaping you've done.

Those platforms should provide some great bases for BIG colonies.

Just let me know when and where :mrgreen:

*Edit* Oh and did you want a large hairy green mushroom? I have one thats just about detached, if you don't want it then it gets flushed (unless someone else speaks up of course)

Sure. Let me know when you want me to come and get it.

Yes, from Bob. All 12 of them. Snappy's frags are doing fine. Some are growing faster than others, but all in all pretty good. They've coloured up nicely.

I don't work tomorrow and monday, if the blazer is in the driveway it means I'm home...staring at my fish tanks :lol:

ok.

My wife doesn't like my bare bottom!
 

So I decided to cover it up.


http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2660.jpg

I put down a very thin layer of Carib Sea crushed coral (just enough to cover most of the bottom). I left the back part of the tank BB.
I couldn't use sand as there is too much flow. Anyway she's happy now. I liked the BB: very easy to keep clean. This looks better though. If I decide to go back to BB there's not much to remove.

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2666.jpg


And my new acquisitions:

Lamarck's Angel ( she's about 3.5" long and a very pretty silvery blue colour)

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2659.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2665.jpg



I also got a bunch of assorted snails, a few peppermint shrimp and a frogspawn coral. The shrimp are relegated to the sump as the Hawkfish might eat them; and the Harlequin Tusk (on order) definitely will. Also have a Chocolate Tang coming soon. When the Chocolate tang gets here and after QT, I will put it and the SF tang (from the 90 gal) in at the same time to avoid any conflict.

That angel looks even better than it did in the store, you must have got there just after me, the sand sure brightens the tank up, looking good.

Yeah, nice little angel (and supposedly reef safe). She was eating within an hour after going in the tank.

Tank is looking great! How many Bannerfish you got in there? just the 1?

Thanks. Yup, just the one.

Very nice. I love the rock work.

I second that. The rock layout is very well thought out. Grown in that is going to be beautiful. I save the odd FTS to a folder for future inspiration when I'm reading to buy my rock. Yours has been added...

Thanks, so much.
I filed a few of the tank myself when I first set it up so I can see some before and afters.