TheWB’s IM Lagoon 50

[TheWB]

I'm using the BRS heater and so far so good. I went with the 200W but wonder if I could have got away with the 100W? It's hard to judge, particularly in the summer when it only has to raise the temperature about 2 degrees instead of around 10 in the winter but time will tell! On the definite plus side, it is nice and compact and short enough to even fit into chamber 2. That's one thing about this shallow tank, heater choices seem very limited. There is no way my 125W Eheim Jager would ever fit.

I ordered the 200w with the controller. They were 25% of so it was like $63 bucks. I ordered a bunch of necessities to tide me over until after Xmas, couple boxes of salt, some replacement filters and resins for my RODI unit, etc.. and I saw the sale and figured now was the time. Spent more than I wanted to but I needed it. The Neotherm has been great but I don’t trust heaters to last no matter how well they work and going with something smaller is appealing. Having backups on hand is one of my goals at the moment. Right now my backup return pump is the original no name one that came with the tank. I really hope I don’t have to use that before I can get a new one and use the CurrentUSA as the backup. I also wouldn’t mind having a backup EB832 power unit for the apex but I can get away with using the dj switch for a period of time if I have to. I’m glad I have it hooked up. It powers the light and the uv at the moment because there’s no need for them to be on the apex.

 

[jcolliii]

I hear you on the backups - after getting 4 months out of a skimmer pump, I plan on having a spare of everything! BTW, for heaters that fit, I've found the Petco fixed temp (78 degrees) heaters work well, are very compact, and with it plugged in to an external controller keep excellent temperature.

 

[TheWB]

I hear you on the backups - after getting 4 months out of a skimmer pump, I plan on having a spare of everything! BTW, for heaters that fit, I've found the Petco fixed temp (78 degrees) heaters work well, are very compact, and with it plugged in to an external controller keep excellent temperature.

That’s interesting. I was not aware of the Petco fixed temp heater. I’ll have to file that away if I need something in a hurry.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I may try the Tunze 9004 dc In the first chamber.

I'd like to find more people who've done this and I keep asking myself how much I'm really losing by putting a skimmer in the first chamber. Of course it's an unfair comparison because my new tank still has such a light bioload but I just looked at my Tunze in my other tank and that thing really skims! That skimmer cup just looks awesomely nasty this evening (perhaps I should go empty it). I also really like the adjustable DC pump on it. I think if I end up having issues with the NuvoSkim I might just give it a shot and see what happens.

 

[TheWB]

I'd like to find more people who've done this and I keep asking myself how much I'm really losing by putting a skimmer in the first chamber. Of course it's an unfair comparison because my new tank still has such a light bioload but I just looked at my Tunze in my other tank and that thing really skims! That skimmer cup just looks awesomely nasty this evening (perhaps I should go empty it). I also really like the adjustable DC pump on it. I think if I end up having issues with the NuvoSkim I might just give it a shot and see what happens.

I’d do it. What do you have to lose? If it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work.

 

[Algaewarrior]

I have the 9001 on my biocube. Took me a while to tune it just right. I wish I had the controllable dc pump. Im using the hydor slim skim on my new build. So far so good. I wish there were more options for nano skimmers on the market. Is the first chamber empty before it goes to the filter sock/media basket?

 

[TheWB]

I have the 9001 on my biocube. Took me a while to tune it just right. I wish I had the controllable dc pump. Im using the hydor slim skim on my new build. So far so good. I wish there were more options for nano skimmers on the market. Is the first chamber empty before it goes to the filter sock/media basket?

No, the first chamber is where the sock or basket goes. The second chamber is supposed to be for a skimmer or a fuge.

 

[TheWB]

I did a couple of things to the tank today. First, I added a feed port to the screen top. BRS has this now for $19.99 and it’s just two halves of plastic rings with 8 screws and nuts that hold it together on each side of the screen. Then you cut out the screen netting inside the ring and you’re good to go. No more moving the whole screen top just to feed the fish. If you have a 3d printer I’m sure this could be easily knocked off but I don’t have one so had to buy it.
‘The second thing I installed was a super simple diy algae scrubber. It’s literally just a 6 inch by 4 inch piece of knitting screen roughed up and zip tied to the bottom of a intank floss holder. I’m going to run my fuge light on an opposite lighting schedule to the tank and see if I can grow some hair algae there and reduce what’s in the display. If it doesn’t work it only cost me 69 cents for the knitting screen. Hopefully it works. I was never able to get Chaeto to grow and I kept Ulva alive but it never grew either. It’s not very big but if it works I can do a larger scrubber in the skimmer chamber, move the skimmer to the other side and relocate the heater, I can probably make that fit in the extra space in the return chamber.

 

[TheWB]

I tried out Aiptasia X today and so far it appears to work as advertised. I just loaded up the syringe and applied a liberal amount to each aiptasia. They go right for it if you let a little out of the injector as you approach. Now it’s wait and see if it really stops the spores they shoot out when threatened so that they don’t grow back so quickly. I doubt I got them all but I got every one I could see which was about 25.

 

[Algaewarrior]

I tried out Aiptasia X today and so far it appears to work as advertised. I just loaded up the syringe and applied a liberal amount to each aiptasia. They go right for it if you let a little out of the injector as you approach. Now it’s wait and see if it really stops the spores they shoot out when threatened so that they don’t grow back so quickly. I doubt I got them all but I got every one I could see which was about 25.

I never had luck with aiptasia x. It just seemed to spread after I treated. Filefish was the only thing that helped me. Took a little guy just about 2 weeks to knock them out.

 

[Algaewarrior]

That's a cool way to do a diy at. What light will you be running on it?

 

[TheWB]

That's a cool way to do a diy at. What light will you be running on it?

The Innovative Marine Chaetomax. It’s already installed from previous attempts to grow chaeto. Hopefully this works better.

 

[firmefatboy799]

I did a couple of things to the tank today. First, I added a feed port to the screen top. BRS has this now for $19.99 and it’s just two halves of plastic rings with 8 screws and nuts that hold it together on each side of the screen. Then you cut out the screen netting inside the ring and you’re good to go. No more moving the whole screen top just to feed the fish. If you have a 3d printer I’m sure this could be easily knocked off but I don’t have one so had to buy it.
‘The second thing I installed was a super simple diy algae scrubber. It’s literally just a 6 inch by 4 inch piece of knitting screen roughed up and zip tied to the bottom of a intank floss holder. I’m going to run my fuge light on an opposite lighting schedule to the tank and see if I can grow some hair algae there and reduce what’s in the display. If it doesn’t work it only cost me 69 cents for the knitting screen. Hopefully it works. I was never able to get Chaeto to grow and I kept Ulva alive but it never grew either. It’s not very big but if it works I can do a larger scrubber in the skimmer chamber, move the skimmer to the other side and relocate the heater, I can probably make that fit in the extra space in the return chamber.

post pics please

 

[TheWB]

post pics please

Nothing too exciting but here you go.

 

[jcolliii]

simple, elegant, and inexpensive idea. Hope your algae scrubber works out works for you.

 

[TheWB]

simple, elegant, and inexpensive idea. Hope your algae scrubber works out works for you.

Thanks, I just figured why not? Got the idea from @intricate_reefer the other day. I was thinking about doing something else more complicated but he mentioned something similar to this and it’s something I could do right away with very little involved. Nothing to lose if it doesn’t work.

 

[intricate_reefer]

Nothing too exciting but here you go.

There it goes not giving me updates again, really makes me mad SMH. Looking great though, that was exactly what I saw someone make with the cut off filter sock holder. Im really curious to see how it works for you. I also saw those feeder doors, how do you like it? As far as the Aiptasia X, I never had much luck with it and seemed to make them spread. I have been using this stuff called F-Aiptasia that is pretty similar but works much better. It actually hardens over the Aiptasia so it doesn't spread and then you just break the crust and suck it out during water change.

 

[TheWB]

There it goes not giving me updates again, really makes me mad SMH. Looking great though, that was exactly what I saw someone make with the cut off filter sock holder. Im really curious to see how it works for you. I also saw those feeder doors, how do you like it? As far as the Aiptasia X, I never had much luck with it and seemed to make them spread. I have been using this stuff called F-Aiptasia that is pretty similar but works much better. It actually hardens over the Aiptasia so it doesn't spread and then you just break the crust and suck it out during water change.

Thanks Rob, I was going to use the filter sock frame but this just seemed like a lot less work for the same result. The feeder door works great. I do need to get an X-acto knife and trim the netting out of the way better so it sits down further but other than that it’s great. It’s only been a day with the aiptasia x so we’ll see. So far there’s no sign of any that I used it on, they seem to be gone and I actually saw one blow up. If it doesn’t work out I’ll likely try to get the proper peppermint shrimp or a File fish.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Nothing too exciting but here you go.

I was thinking of trying one of these feed doors but was admittedly waiting for someone else to be the guinea pig! lol First one I've seen in action and it looks great! Nice work.

 

[Griev]

Nothing too exciting but here you go.

Oh man that feed door gives me so many ideas. Would be pretty easy to make different size/shape doors for multiple purposes with the 3d printer. Might end up making little openings for mangroves to poke through or something!