Tmc Auto Top up update

As promised a while back I would review this auto top up unit. All I can can say is it is faultless, works with no problems. Just set and forget!! Just remember to keep your top up reserve tank topped every week or so, depending on it's capacity. The only indication of it been there is the small hum from the pump when it is activated. I would say though this top up unit would only be suitable for nano style aquariums and maybe a little bigger. For big aquariums maybe you would need something with a bigger, better pump.

New V2 Auto top up from TMC

After needing an auto top up unit for some time, with quite high costs for a unit that function seems very minimal. I have always been put off until now. Whilst reading ultra marine I saw a review and advertisements for the TMC V2 auto top up and more surprising is it's very affordable price tag. After further investigation it seems to have really good reviews on forums and blogs. I have to say it is a real good, easy to set up and cheap unit that functions perfectly. This should give me more stability and time to enjoy the aquarium.I will in a few weeks report back any improvements that it will hopefully make.

Balling Lite mixes a Simple Reference guide

After mixing fauna Marin balling lite mixes for some time with confusion and no simple reference guide I have decided to add a small article to help me and fellow reefers. To simplify matters for all I am publishing this information in grams per litre not the confusing unit as used by fauna Marin. This is because myself and many others mix using smaller amounts.

Magnesium mix = magnesium chloride hexahydrate diluted to 500 grams per RO litre.

Alkalinity mix = Sodium Bicarbonate diluted to 125 grams per RO litre with 12ml of iodine added. A little tip to help dilute salts is to heat RO water in the microwave for a few minutes.

Calcium mix = Calcium chloride dehydrate diluted to 500 grams per litre with 12 ml of heavy metal complex and 12 ml strontium/barium complex. Warning, when mixing calcium it gets very hot very quickly, this is normal. Just be careful.

When mixing place half the amount of RO water needed into container then add balling salts to the container , then top up to litre unit. If you start with a litre of water then add salts you will end up with too much for your container.

Always mix salts into water, not water into salts.

I hope this guide will help you in the future feel free to bookmark or print and use as a quick reference guide in the future.

Plus one My Reef Blog if you like it

Google have created a new interface for it's users to vote/like websites or blogs. I felt it only right to integrate this to this blog and give you the opportunity to vote if you so wish to do so. The add on is found in the right hand user column. Don't forget to vote for all your other favourite sites and help other hobbyist find these great websites much easier.

Preferred Nano Reef Lighting poll results so far.

Well after a few months of introducing this poll to this blog it appears that led lighting is becoming the norm when selecting a lighting option for a nano reef tank. It's surprising that this option is used as much as T5's. Metal halide appears to be used very little maybe this is due to the cost of energy bills? Please post your thoughts and opinions as always.

new Deltec MCE300 Skimmer

Christmas has just been and i decided to treat myself. As you may well know from previous posts. One of my to buys, was a new skimmer. After reading reviews and comments posted on reefing forums i decided to buy a Deltec MCE skimmer.

 It's awesome, running at just 10 watts it produces loads of micro bubbles. It is producing much more waste than my old TMC V2 500 skimmer and this was running from a ocean runner 2500 pump using 50 watts of power. so this should save me some money to help with the purchase of a auto top up unit. Not only is it cheaper to run it is much quieter and tidier.

This in turn has got rid of all the piping running to the storage cabinet underneath and as given me the chance to tidy the cabinet up and make things much more accessible.

Here you can see it in operation.



This shows how much tidier it is.



And the cabinet



Comments welcome.

What lighting are you using?

With all the lighting options available. LED, Metel halide, T5's. What is your preffered option? For the very first time i have added a poll for all blog readers to let everyone collectively know. You can enter your option on the top of this page. lets see what reefers use and prefer. All comments welcome in this blog post. 

Ecotech and D&D New Cree LED Lighting Options.

Upon the desisson to adopt metal halide with my current led setup. I may now be changing my mind again.
The news of big aquarium manufacturers such as ecotech and D&D, utilising the new Cree LED lighting technology  is making me listen.  Metal halide performance is becoming achievable with led lighting with many advatages, such as reduced heat, lower running costs, and much more it has to be the way to go.

The Ecotech Radion XR30 has 24 cree XP lights totaling 130 watts. these consist of blue, white and green bulbs. the unit is upgradable and its customisable functionalitly allows users to exchange firmware online. Like most things Ecotech is utilisers the 'w' wire less technology  to sync with pumps to create variouse weather conditions. More information is available at ecotechmarine .

D&Ds equivalant the A1 SOL has 24 cree LED's, 16 white and 8 blue totalling 75 watts claiming high enough output to keep many SPS Corals. I beleive this unit to be aimed at the nano style aquariums like the ecotech, but this does'nt mean multiple units cant be used togeather. Variouse hanging kits are also available, again more info available at theaquariumsolution.

Vortech MP10 placement

For some time now i have used the Vortech MP10 power head for water movement and i am really happy with it's performance, even more so from reading articles about there underrated flow rates. These power heads produce much more flow than stated on there specification sheet, leaving other competing brands behind with rated turn over/flow.

Regular readers of this blog will know about my battle with algae, well it as started again but in a different form (unsure of name). The thing is the algae is only on the right hand side of the reef aquarium. From my photos you will see my aquarium is approx 90cm wide, 40cm depth and 60cm deep, with a tall rock formation on the left hand side and of cause the location of my MP10. I feel this is reducing flow to the right hand side where the algae is growing and i consider this to be the cause.

My options to solve this problem are to purchase another Vortech MP10 but feel this to be a costly solution. the more favorable solution that i have decided to put to action is to relocate the powerhead to the centre of the back glass. This has in turn created more uniform flow throughout the aquarium, and time will tell if this cures the algae problem.

LPS and SPS corals do grow with LED lighing.

The challenge of keeping LPS and SPS is demanding enough just maintaining good stable parameters but many say they cant thrive under LED lighting. I have to disagree, below are some growth shots for you take a look at. I know colouration is'nt great but these corals have almost doubled in size in the last 12 months.

Before

Now

Before

Now