Lagoon Reef Build

David Caplan

David Caplan

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Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
I guess I am just used to sterilizing everything, as I cannot allow contamination in my pod/rotifer cultures.

Everything that touches my tank/cultures is rinsed with boiling water (cooler if it can melt), then soaked in cleaning vinegar/hot water (+peroxide if it was previously used in a system with organics), then scrubbed with a toothbrush/hose brush/cloth, rinsed clean and then either re-soaked or cleaned with a mr-clean magic eraser.

My crazy cleaning techniques really contributed to me wanting to have connected systems, it just makes everything so much easier as I don't need to worry about cross contaminating systems.

Tonight I am taking apart all the plumbing on the tank and giving it a good soak n scrub.

Any tips for overflow cleaning? I noticed there is macro-algae growing on the glass.
 
EricTMah

EricTMah

Aquariums by Design
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Mar 2, 2014
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Kitchener, Ontario
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www.aquariumsbydesign.ca
David Caplan said:
As I did my weekly skimmer clean yesterday I was wondering how this worked? If I was to empty the liquid from my skimmer and not actually clean it, I wouldn't be getting any of the densest skim mate out. Maybe it's my OCD, but my skimmer collection cup is soaked in hydrogen peroxide and cleaning vinegar for an hour before it is scrubbed see-through then returned to the tank.

The way I understand the skimmer to work is that it will create bubbles and push the nasty stuff up towards the cup, but by that same token, the moving returning water from burst bubbles could easily drag down pieces of skim mate. Also, does this not cause an odor around the sump/tank?


Also, for anyone else using filter socks I found a tip that saved me a ton of time. Soak in a solution of hydrogen peroxide, bleach and hot water. The peroxide is the only effective method for disintegrating the nano-particulate caught in the sock, the bleach only sterilizes it and whitens it. My filter socks that would last 1-2 days after a cleaning now last 4.
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You should be cleaning your skimmer of any film around the collection cup at least once a week. The proteins that form around the neck and cup will cause your bubbles to collapse. I'd soaking in vinegar and Peroxide is a bit overkill. Usually just rinse and wipe out under running water will due.

As for filter socks. Hot water and bleach don't mix. Bleach begins to break down and dissipate when added to hot water. I soak mine in cold water and bleach for a day. Then rinse in hot water and soak in hot water for another day. Then hang to dry before I use them. This will ensure no bleach left behind.


Sony Xperia Z3
 
David Caplan

David Caplan

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Jan 30, 2015
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Toronto, Ontario
EricTMah said:
You should be cleaning your skimmer of any film around the collection cup at least once a week. The proteins that form around the neck and cup will cause your bubbles to collapse. I'd soaking in vinegar and Peroxide is a bit overkill. Usually just rinse and wipe out under running water will due.

As for filter socks. Hot water and bleach don't mix. Bleach begins to break down and dissipate when added to hot water. I soak mine in cold water and bleach for a day. Then rinse in hot water and soak in hot water for another day. Then hang to dry before I use them. This will ensure no bleach left behind.


Sony Xperia Z3
Click to expand...


Thanks, I knew the smell was too strong. I guess the peroxide has been doing all the work. I will try cold water next time.
 
David Caplan

David Caplan

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Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
My friend grabbed an Olympus Tough TG 4 point and shoot. It is an underwater camera with a microscope mode. Very cool! I took some test shots to figure out all the settings.

March called this a Bloodshot Paly, can't find any pictures to compare, but it is extremely bright.


 
BigReefer

BigReefer

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Jun 1, 2011
Location
London, Ontario
EricTMah said:
You should be cleaning your skimmer of any film around the collection cup at least once a week. The proteins that form around the neck and cup will cause your bubbles to collapse. I'd soaking in vinegar and Peroxide is a bit overkill. Usually just rinse and wipe out under running water will due.

As for filter socks. Hot water and bleach don't mix. Bleach begins to break down and dissipate when added to hot water. I soak mine in cold water and bleach for a day. Then rinse in hot water and soak in hot water for another day. Then hang to dry before I use them. This will ensure no bleach left behind.


Sony Xperia Z3
Click to expand...



i would be afraid to use bleach and some how get it into my tank though this makes me very worried
 
BigReefer

BigReefer

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Jun 1, 2011
Location
London, Ontario
Pistol said:
Bleach is very unstable and evaporates fairly quickly, so if you air dry the socks for 24 hours or so and let them dry completely then the bleach is gone.
Click to expand...

how much bleach should i add .... should i use like a 5 gallon bucket then put like a cap full??
 
David Caplan

David Caplan

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Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Picked up some strange Zoas and Palys this week. Also a tang. None of them came with any ID, anyone got any ideas? As far as I can tell it looks like a very juvenile dussumieri tang.





 
David Caplan

David Caplan

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Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Can't get enough of this chalice frag. I wish there was a mother colony to look at. The golden mushrooms I got from FragCave started showing some cool colours, but they were so compressed on the rock it was hard to see. I split them up last night, and wow, are the colours amazing.





Edit, forgot this one:
 
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