3 things not to forget...

steveh · 10-07-2008, 12:38 PM

3 things that strike me everyone should remember to do: (1)Change the carbon regularly- the MAX carbon is fantastic quality and really makes a difference. I have made a note in my outlook calendar to ensure its replaced every 8 weeks. (2)Change the lamps after 9 months. Again, I have diaried this in so I can't forget. This has a major impact on the success of coral growth. (3)Keep the polycarbonate lamp lens cover clean- I have seen enough salt-encrusted lens covers to mean this has made the diary as a weekly maintenance task! It obviously will have a serious impact on the efficacy of the lighting if it's allowed to "fog up"

BigAl07 · 10-07-2008, 12:40 PM

8 weeks is a tad on the long side for carbon change/clean. I don't have a RSM but that just seems like a long stretch of time.

steveh · 10-07-2008, 03:20 PM

It's generally a fair point. however we know from testing the MAX carbon that it remains effective for up to 3 months. We tested the qty and quality within the confines of the MAX and are very comfortable with the results. Having said all that, I have still elected to change every 8 weeks rather than 12.

BigAl07 · 10-07-2008, 03:25 PM

Oh I'm sure the media itself if still intact but I'm more concerned about detritus and other things that can become clogged in the media and create water quality problems. I don't have any RSM experience so I am totally out of my element but with most other reef tanks any "media" can become clogged with detritus in just a few weeks. Some users will rotate several bags in over a few weeks and weekly take each bag out and clean/replace it according to it's time in the system. It's the granularity that causes the problems

Reefmack · 10-07-2008, 07:38 PM

A good carbon might go 8 weeks, if any detritis is rinsed off maybe once a week. Placing it over the skimmer pump with the sponge on top (as Steve is doing in re-setting up his RSM), should keep it relatively detritis free. I very rarely run any of my chemical media for the recommended times though.

10-07-2008, 12:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
steveh Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 288 View Gallery Karma Komment	3 things not to forget... 3 things that strike me everyone should remember to do: (1)Change the carbon regularly- the MAX carbon is fantastic quality and really makes a difference. I have made a note in my outlook calendar to ensure its replaced every 8 weeks. (2)Change the lamps after 9 months. Again, I have diaried this in so I can't forget. This has a major impact on the success of coral growth. (3)Keep the polycarbonate lamp lens cover clean- I have seen enough salt-encrusted lens covers to mean this has made the diary as a weekly maintenance task! It obviously will have a serious impact on the efficacy of the lighting if it's allowed to "fog up"

10-07-2008, 12:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: 3 things not to forget... 8 weeks is a tad on the long side for carbon change/clean. I don't have a RSM but that just seems like a long stretch of time. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

10-07-2008, 03:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
steveh Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 288 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: 3 things not to forget... It's generally a fair point. however we know from testing the MAX carbon that it remains effective for up to 3 months. We tested the qty and quality within the confines of the MAX and are very comfortable with the results. Having said all that, I have still elected to change every 8 weeks rather than 12.

10-07-2008, 03:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: 3 things not to forget... Oh I'm sure the media itself if still intact but I'm more concerned about detritus and other things that can become clogged in the media and create water quality problems. I don't have any RSM experience so I am totally out of my element but with most other reef tanks any "media" can become clogged with detritus in just a few weeks. Some users will rotate several bags in over a few weeks and weekly take each bag out and clean/replace it according to it's time in the system. It's the granularity that causes the problems __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

10-07-2008, 07:38 PM	#5 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,156 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: 3 things not to forget... A good carbon might go 8 weeks, if any detritis is rinsed off maybe once a week. Placing it over the skimmer pump with the sponge on top (as Steve is doing in re-setting up his RSM), should keep it relatively detritis free. I very rarely run any of my chemical media for the recommended times though. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

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