Frag tank "build"

[~reefchik~]

LOL...do you ever do stuff like this?

I love to read "build" threads here and elsewhere.  Well, I had one today!

This morning, I got this wild hair about having a place to put all these frags I'm seeing on the sand.  I thought since I'm doing a water change today,  why not pull out the Eclipse tank and set it up as a temporary frag tank?

Had the sand in...heater on...filter running....water in, several frags in and what's that I see?  A puddle?

Wipe up puddle.  Keep rubber banding frags on rubble rock.

What's that now?  Water dripping from top of bookshelf to shelf below THROUGH THE WOOD?   

The Eclipse tank now leaks since the last time it was used.  Swell. 

Run downstairs and snag a new Sterilite bin bought for storage.  Put the Eclipse in there for a moment.  Now what?

Good thing I never throw anything away.  I have a 5 gallon AGA tank that was used years ago as a refugium.  Oh and a little tiny Rio PH - hey it still works!  And a little Penguin filter, too.

That'll work.

Transfer everything out of the Eclipse into the 5 gallon tank (after it is water tested, of course    <<<quick learner here

It's up and running now, but no light.  So I bought an LED clip on light tonight off eBay, and will be interested to see how it works.

I may have pix tomorrow or so. 

And what started all this?  I read a thread somewhere last night about using a refractometer to check salinity rather than hydrometers.  I have a new one I hadn't used yet, so I went downstairs and tried it out last night.  Wow....way off.  My tank's been running at about 1.030 and my hydrometer says 1.025.  Yikes.  So my first project of the morning was to do a water change and add a bunch of fresh RO water to get the salinity down some.  I wondered why I couldn't keep turbos alive and some of my corals didn't seem all that happy lately.  Now I know. 

And that's how I ended up with a little frag tank on Tuesday 

[ghurlag]

Hey, Steph, I am having a few "anomalies" with my tank, too.  Do you think I could borrow the refractometer sometime in the near future, just to get a baseline?  What Hydrometer do you have?

I have a second tank as well, but it's for the damsel.  I have a double-strip NO fluorescent strip with daylight/actinic bulbs.  I'm going to add a 10g sump to it in the coming months.  I'm already seeing the need for a LOT of water changes.

let me know how that LED light works.  And get some pics up

[cyberwollf]

Link to the LED clip from ebay?

[Rayman]

sounds interesting, i would have expected it to go that way if it where me doing, good thing you learn so fast, can not wait to see pics.

[~reefchik~]

ghurlag, you're welcome to the refractometer.   I probably won't see you before the club meeting, is that soon enough?  I could try to leave it in the sound booth in a box with your name on it Sunday if you think that's safe.

[~reefchik~]

Link to the LED clip from ebay?

Sure:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260548439152

[ghurlag]

Steph, I'll let you know.  I have to formulate a plan

[~reefchik~]

As you can see it's in a sunny window. With a nice backdrop of snow, of course   

I don't intend to have this thing running long.  It's just a place to hold these frags til the next club meeting/frag swap/Gerber's trip, whichever comes first.  I can't find my old eggcrate frag stand to save my life, so the poor mutts are sitting on drifting sand today.  I'm headed out to Home Depot in a bit to buy more crate, I guess (what a waste!).

[ghurlag]

Steph, if you find some, can you pick one up for me, and let me know the cost, so I can pay you back?  (if it's not expensive).  I've looked a couple places and can't find the stuff to save my life.  I would be very grateful.

[~reefchik~]

Steph, if you find some, can you pick one up for me, and let me know the cost, so I can pay you back?  (if it's not expensive).  I've looked a couple places and can't find the stuff to save my life.  I would be very grateful.

You mean a refractometer?  I think this is the one I got:  http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4690+9957&pcatid=9957

[HUNGER]

looks good and looks like its working

[ghurlag]

sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant egg crate.  Did you find any tonight?  Where?  How much?

[UD Flyer]

I think all the Big Box stores carry it (lowes, home depot, menards).  I think its in the lighting department.

[jd]

I think all the Big Box stores carry it (lowes, home depot, menards).  I think its in the lighting department.

Yep, its round about $13 a 2'x4' sheet

[~reefchik~]

Nah.  I didn't go out after all.  I really must have strained my lower back with all the water hauling etc yesterday (major tank maintenance on two tanks in addition to setting this little one up).  By about 6 pm I knew tromping around icy parking lots and home improvement places was not on my list of favored things to do. 

Dinner and a glass of wine with Motrin chaser.....was. 

Anyway I'm sure I'll be fit as a fiddle tomorrow and I'd be happy to split the eggcrate with ya. I won't have any use for most of the sheet, anyhoo.  Sorry I misunderstood. 

[cyberwollf]

I can't imagine that led puting out hardly any PAR with only 3 watts. We'll check it when the par meter comes in. By the way, make sure you feed the corals to help make up from possible underlighting

[~reefchik~]

Yep, got my frozen cyclopeeze at the ready.  

I got to check out some LED lights in person today for the first time, at Lowes.  I also saw Xenon lights.  Interesting - xenon was higher rated for lumen output than LED.  Pretty amazing lights for something so small.  

I got the eggcrate too.  Ghurlag, I'll bring your half to church Sunday unless you have a better idea.  You can get it next weekend which is still before the meeting.  

ETA:  I also ordered myself a PAR meter.  I'm tired of worrying about how much light I'm getting and with a possibly lighting upgrade in the future for two tanks, I want to know what I have.  Took some comparison shopping but got a Hamilton for $74.

[Riderc82]

If you can get your hands on a Reef Hobbyist Magazine (it's a free magazine I picked one up at Marine Solutions) they have a really cool frag rack you can DIY.

[jd]

If you can get your hands on a Reef Hobbyist Magazine (it's a free magazine I picked one up at Marine Solutions) they have a really cool frag rack you can DIY.

+1 I'm thinking of putting together a group buy on the acrylic rod since I can't find it locally.

They also have them online, right click, save as...

http://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/downloads/pdf/version13.pdf

[cyberwollf]

ETA:  I also ordered myself a PAR meter.  I'm tired of worrying about how much light I'm getting and with a possibly lighting upgrade in the future for two tanks, I want to know what I have.  Took some comparison shopping but got a Hamilton for $74.

Thats a PAR meter or Lumens meter? Link?  Price sounds more like a lumens meter.

Mine/The club's PAR meter should be here on Monday.

[HUNGER]

If you can get your hands on a Reef Hobbyist Magazine (it's a free magazine I picked one up at Marine Solutions) they have a really cool frag rack you can DIY.

i seen that thats was sweet

[~reefchik~]

Thats a PAR meter or Lumens meter? Link?  Price sounds more like a lumens meter.

Mine/The club's PAR meter should be here on Monday.

This>> http://www.theaquaticdepot.com/milwaukee-sm700-waterproof-lux-light-me.html

I'm sure what you're getting is much better but this I can afford 

[cyberwollf]

Yea that's lux meter it's a
measurement of all light photons that hit the sensor. Where as PAR is only the light radiation that is in the correct wavelenthgs for photosythesis.

Don't worry. I will be traveling around to check peoples tanks in the near future 

[HUNGER]

yes you will 

[ghurlag]

Steph, thanks for the eggcrate pickup.  I have the Reef Hobbyist magazine with the DIY frag rack that was previously mentioned.  I'll bring it home from work and get it to you next week.