kinetic RSR 170

[RavenSF]

I got the same random flow generator with the drop down adapter. Every so often it seems to suck air in from the surface making a weird noise and blowing air bubbles for just a second. Have you experienced this?

Updates:

Clownfish:
Added another Fancy White Extreme and a Fancy White Gladiator from SA! They're from the same clutches as the first two. Now at 7 clowns. Aggression is low, and they are all eating well. Keeping an eye on the largest Fancy White Gladiator (the one I got in the first batch of two). He's kind of larger than the others and a bully. I'm surprised the bonded pair has totally mellowed out since I gave away the larger Vivid Fancy. I'm thinking of selling the larger gladiator if he keeps being a bully.

Cloudiness:
The tank has been 100% clear of cloudy bacteria since the UV was on. It cleared up 2 days after running the UV. I have had it off for 48 hours now and tank is maintaining it's clear look. I'm optimistic I can remove the UV completely out and not have to turn it back on.

Skimmer:
Switched out my Simplicity to the NYOS Quantum 120. So far these sound is better, and it's skimming! The Simplicty struggled, especially because I had to close the wedge pipe completely and skim as wet as possible to get it to do it's job. NYOS seems totally fine and now skimming nicely after a week. I'll probably take a photo soon.

Vivid Creative Aquatics Random Flow Generator Nozzle:
I ordered the new @Vivid Creative Aquatics random flow generator nozzle, with the red sea adapter kit in 1/2" size. They are a new sponsor on R2R. I was excited! After opening and installing, which was really easy, the adapter immediately sprouted leaks. A lot. The plastic seems a bit cheap and light. The finish on it is really not great, almost like it was just 3D printed out of something that's not very heavy duty. I guess I'm used to nicely manufactured PVC or acrylic, but this is kind of cheap. I'm guessing when the 3D printer layers on the plastic to make the tubing, it was just too thin. The idea is good, the execution not so much. I sent in a support email to see if I can get a replacement. But it is concerning because there was no damage to it, so it just came that way. The Quality Control isn't doing a quick water test, otherwise it would've been instantly clear it doesn't hold water. Hoping the replacement works, but skeptical on the quality. I hope I just have a dud.

Video of the spraying water:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7lv6hka6r5hhyg5/bad nozzle.mov?dl=0

 

[kinetic]

I got the same random flow generator with the drop down adapter. Every so often it seems to suck air in from the surface making a weird noise and blowing air bubbles for just a second. Have you experienced this?

Yup, I had the same issue. I ended up getting the splitter and now have two outlets. This actually stopped the sucking / vortexes. Try doing that!

 

[RavenSF]

Yup, I had the same issue. I ended up getting the splitter and now have two outlets. This actually stopped the sucking / vortexes. Try doing that!

Yeah kinda sucks, no pun intended, to have to buy another product to replace the first.

 

[kinetic]

Yeah kinda sucks, no pun intended, to have to buy another product to replace the first.

Exactly. Good thing it's not too pricey. The customer service is great, but the actual functionality of it is a bit flawed. I think the parts are kind of cheap, but they are affective.

Basically you need to reduce the "suck" through one outlet enough that it doesn't pull a vortex down from the surface. Either lower the return pump flow rate (which is usually not possible or not desired), or you can divvy up the amount being sucked in through one outlet. I find that dividing it into two does the trick!

 

[RavenSF]

It’s not super annoying yet so I’ll wait until my next BRS order or Neptune visit to get the splitter. I live how quiet this tank is with DC equipment, strange how when this thing sucks air it’s that loudest thing.

 

[kinetic]

It’s not super annoying yet so I’ll wait until my next BRS order or Neptune visit to get the splitter. I live how quiet this tank is with DC equipment, strange how when this thing sucks air it’s that loudest thing.

DC equipment is just incredible. How do you like the Skimz SN127? I'm rocking a NYOS Quantum, and while it's amazing, it's the loudest thing I have now (though still quiet) especially since it's not a DC motor.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I love your tank, it is inspiring me to set up my Red Sea Reefer Nano, I only have the tank so I want a 170 or 250 stand, that way I have more room in the sump area. So I will have to wait for the opportunity to buy a stand. I want to put it in the entrance to the house just there all by its self.

 

[RavenSF]

DC equipment is just incredible. How do you like the Skimz SN127? I'm rocking a NYOS Quantum, and while it's amazing, it's the loudest thing I have now (though still quiet) especially since it's not a DC motor.

I’m following BRS’s ULM YouTube series, so my is in the first month of cycling with no livestock and in blackout conditions. The SN127 is my third Skimz skimmer and probably my favorite. I have no complaints on the design and it seemed to work as soon as I put it in the tank. There’s nothing really to skim but it’s getting some stuff out already. I’ve always found the Skimz stuff to be dead silent and are very adjustable, ie water, air, pump speed.

 

[kinetic]

I love your tank, it is inspiring me to set up my Red Sea Reefer Nano, I only have the tank so I want a 170 or 250 stand, that way I have more room in the sump area. So I will have to wait for the opportunity to buy a stand. I want to put it in the entrance to the house just there all by its self.

That sounds like a great plan. Be careful that the nano is proper support on the 170 or 250 stand. Sometimes if you sit it in the middle, it won't have the proper support (as an example). Better yet, you could just build your own nano stand? Not sure if you have space / the means to make one, but it could be fun. I don't have the skill or time, but maybe one day I could build my own!

I’m following BRS’s ULM YouTube series, so my is in the first month of cycling with no livestock and in blackout conditions. The SN127 is my third Skimz skimmer and probably my favorite. I have no complaints on the design and it seemed to work as soon as I put it in the tank. There’s nothing really to skim but it’s getting some stuff out already. I’ve always found the Skimz stuff to be dead silent and are very adjustable, ie water, air, pump speed.

That's nice to hear. I've had Skimz pumps for my return etc., but they were incredibly loud for me. I went through four of them. I ultimately ended up with Reef Octopus VarioS, and they are actually undetectably quiet (I even used a dB meter, which registered nothing from inside the cabinet, when they were on). I worked with BRS constantly to see if I had some issues, but it seemed that I was just too sensitive to the sound. But glad the VarioS are working. I wish RO had a VarioS skimmer that was small enough for our tanks!

The NYOS does a good job, and I'm not too bothered by the sound right now. I'll probably not go crazy skimmer hunting again (went through a few, including simplicity). There is, however, a new Bubble King skimmer that's been in the works. It's tiny looking and rumored to have a DC pump! Hopefully it'll be sized for our tanks.

 

[kinetic]

Update:
Somehow my VarioS 2 pump wasn't pumping (head pressure or air bubbles maybe) for at least 3 months, and I just noticed it yesterday haha. I got it going by turning the flow all the way max, and it finally started pumping. So ridiculous, I'm dumb. This pump powers my chiller and carbon reactor (also hooked up to the same line is a UV and algae reactor, which are off and empty right now). Whew, it smelled really bad in my room for a few hours. I'll need to do a 20% water change today, but nothing in the tank looks amiss.

My Magnifica walked all over my tank last week. I decided to just let it wander and not try to place it back on the pedestal. It's now hanging out on the lower side of my rockwork near the BTAs. I guess I'll just leave it there if it's happy. The rock it's connected to is not flat and very porous. It's also the lowest point in the tank. Not sure why it likes it there. Maybe the flow?

I'm getting bored of the tank (not in a bad way, just comfortable). Nothing new other than the mag walking around. It's almost fully automated, so I don't need to do much with it at all. I just need to clean the glass every week and do a small water change. My ATO reservoir tops off automatically, dosing is automatic, feeding is automatic.

I'm wondering if I should get some coral soon to replace all my dead ones from the dinos. I have all my dosers sitting on standby. But a part of me is thinking I should just wait another month to give my tank a full year (started in August of last year).

 

[grassy_noel]

Update:
Somehow my VarioS 2 pump wasn't pumping (head pressure or air bubbles maybe) for at least 3 months, and I just noticed it yesterday haha. I got it going by turning the flow all the way max, and it finally started pumping. So ridiculous, I'm dumb. This pump powers my chiller and carbon reactor (also hooked up to the same line is a UV and algae reactor, which are off and empty right now). Whew, it smelled really bad in my room for a few hours. I'll need to do a 20% water change today, but nothing in the tank looks amiss.

My Magnifica walked all over my tank last week. I decided to just let it wander and not try to place it back on the pedestal. It's now hanging out on the lower side of my rockwork near the BTAs. I guess I'll just leave it there if it's happy. The rock it's connected to is not flat and very porous. It's also the lowest point in the tank. Not sure why it likes it there. Maybe the flow?

I'm getting bored of the tank (not in a bad way, just comfortable). Nothing new other than the mag walking around. It's almost fully automated, so I don't need to do much with it at all. I just need to clean the glass every week and do a small water change. My ATO reservoir tops off automatically, dosing is automatic, feeding is automatic.

I'm wondering if I should get some coral soon to replace all my dead ones from the dinos. I have all my dosers sitting on standby. But a part of me is thinking I should just wait another month to give my tank a full year (started in August of last year).

As much fun as it would be to throw a bunch of new stuff in the tank, I think your inclination to hold off for a little while longer is the right one. I mean worst case, you're bored. Best case, you let the tank mature and adjust a little longer before adding new things and save the tank from another dive into the weird algae abyss.

I'm glad to hear you turned off the algae reactor (I guess I missed this in your posts above). It feels to me like maybe you were nutrient deficient and that opened the door for the nasty outbreak. What are your parameters at these days? Are you registering Nitrate and Phosphate now?

Would love to see another lovely photo of your tank. I think it's the all-white color scheme and the clear back glass that makes it look so clean. I'm wishing I could remove the film from the back of my tank, but it is an All-in-One, so there's no way to do that...

Glad to hear things are progressing well!

 

[kinetic]

As much fun as it would be to throw a bunch of new stuff in the tank, I think your inclination to hold off for a little while longer is the right one. I mean worst case, you're bored. Best case, you let the tank mature and adjust a little longer before adding new things and save the tank from another dive into the weird algae abyss.

I'm glad to hear you turned off the algae reactor (I guess I missed this in your posts above). It feels to me like maybe you were nutrient deficient and that opened the door for the nasty outbreak. What are your parameters at these days? Are you registering Nitrate and Phosphate now?

Would love to see another lovely photo of your tank. I think it's the all-white color scheme and the clear back glass that makes it look so clean. I'm wishing I could remove the film from the back of my tank, but it is an All-in-One, so there's no way to do that...

Glad to hear things are progressing well!

Thanks. It's not clear how much of an advantage it would be to hold off longer. Nothing has really changed in the last three months, and I don't have any other numbers to chase. But yes, I think it wouldn't hurt to wait.

My tank is still super nutrient deficient, which is my biggest worry long term. Even the algae reactor's algae starved and died (which is why it's been off). The dinos came because of this, and nothing I could do would change this, other than dosing no3/po4 directly. I literally removed all forms of filtration, other than rock/sand. No sponges, filters, skimmer, etc. Still undetectable no3/po4 (though probably due to the dinos eating them up). Dosing no3/po4 longer just made the dinos stronger. I decided to just give my tank what it seemed to stabilize at, which is no no3/po4. I'm dosing 3ml of NoPox daily, which has effectively beaten the dinos at their own game.

The upside is, my tank looks great without any nuisance algae at all. My anemones are pretty happy with just photosynthesis at this point.

I'll post another photo soon, just nothing has changed, other than the magnifica moving, so it's pretty much the same.

 

[gig 'em]

I'm sure change in flow caused the change in the mags location. Could also be finding a new spot it likes better in terms of light and flow.

I'm sure you've said this somewhere else on your thread, but you're on instagram right? I know you're a very skilled photographer so I was just wondering if I could drool over your other photos too [emoji16]

 

[kinetic]

I'm sure change in flow caused the change in the mags location. Could also be finding a new spot it likes better in terms of light and flow.

I'm sure you've said this somewhere else on your thread, but you're on instagram right? I know you're a very skilled photographer so I was just wondering if I could drool over your other photos too [emoji16]

Yeah, the flow never changed, but I wonder if flow hasn't been great in that exact location. Every month or two the mag will just wander around, but come right back. The last two times, I placed it back on the pedestal because it went way up onto the glass. This time I let it roam, and it did a full lap around the tank, came back to the rockwork, and is now happily sitting close to the bottom where the other BTAs settled down. I'm guessing that's the ideal spot for flow + light right now. I'm considering moving the flat pedestal rock to that spot and placing the mag on top.

And yes, I'm on Instagram: http://instagram.com/artchang
More of my work at http://artchang.com and http://priime.com/artchang

 

[gig 'em]

Yeah, the flow never changed, but I wonder if flow hasn't been great in that exact location. Every month or two the mag will just wander around, but come right back. The last two times, I placed it back on the pedestal because it went way up onto the glass. This time I let it roam, and it did a full lap around the tank, came back to the rockwork, and is now happily sitting close to the bottom where the other BTAs settled down. I'm guessing that's the ideal spot for flow + light right now. I'm considering moving the flat pedestal rock to that spot and placing the mag on top.

And yes, I'm on Instagram: http://instagram.com/artchang
More of my work at http://artchang.com and http://priime.com/artchang

Breathtaking photographs! You have a true talent. Thanks for sharing!

 

[grassy_noel]

Yeah, the flow never changed, but I wonder if flow hasn't been great in that exact location. Every month or two the mag will just wander around, but come right back. The last two times, I placed it back on the pedestal because it went way up onto the glass. This time I let it roam, and it did a full lap around the tank, came back to the rockwork, and is now happily sitting close to the bottom where the other BTAs settled down. I'm guessing that's the ideal spot for flow + light right now. I'm considering moving the flat pedestal rock to that spot and placing the mag on top.

And yes, I'm on Instagram: http://instagram.com/artchang
More of my work at http://artchang.com and http://priime.com/artchang

Yeah, just checked out your instagram. Drool-worthy sounds about right.

 

[kinetic]

Finally, an updated photo! Here's the magnifica in its new spot. It disliked the pedestal position, walked all around the tank, and settled here for almost a month now.

Here's an unfiltered, unedited video (just put clips together and added music). Turn up the quality:

 

[Vivid Creative Aquatics]

Finally, an updated photo! Here's the magnifica in its new spot. It disliked the pedestal position, walked all around the tank, and settled here for almost a month now.

Here's an unfiltered, unedited video (just put clips together and added music). Turn up the quality:

Been a while since I checked in on your build - looks really nice.

 

[choss]

Great video. I see you have three clowns in there. Do they all get alone?

 

[kinetic]

Been a while since I checked in on your build - looks really nice.

Thanks so much! I ended up installing the RFGs. I used superglue to patch up the leaking pieces, added a bunch of locline and finally got them to stop sucking air and spraying. Overall they work well after the mods.

Great video. I see you have three clowns in there. Do they all get alone?

If you go back a few pages (or towards the beginning) I had about 6 or 7 clowns. They did great until I introduced the magnifica. The mocha davincis were an established pair, and larger than the others by a lot. They kept the others in check and nobody was fussy. But then I added the magnifica. All the clowns went in, but ultimately the pair kicked everyone out. What then happened is the tank became one "territory," and the magnifica another. The pair had control of the magnifica, and the juvies had the rest of the tank to fight over. Since there was no clear dominant clown, they fought badly. The smallest was constantly picked on, luckily I have plenty of friends nearby who wanted him. Then the next smallest, and the next, until I just had one left. A lot of friends have clowns from me now =)

So the pair don't really care about the last guy who's out in the tank. He has the run of the rest. Though since the magnifica moved to where the BTAs are, he no longer is hosted by the BTAs, so he's anemoneless. Poor guy.

If I did it again, I would probably start with a lot more clowns, maybe stick with just all from one clutch. Or I would start with a lot more anemones so it feels like one gigantic territory with a dominate female and male.