No Going Back Now.

[VictorMeldrew]

Hi all

I took a look at a different aquatic shop today and I am really pleased I did, I think it’s the best I have found so far. The Live rock was priced at £10 per kilo and they do deals when you buy in bulk, the manager of marine section was a day off today but I will be chatting to her another day to try and get some sort of discount if I buy 40 kilo’s off them. I picked up two, aqua one, 300w heaters that were on special offer, got them both for £20 (result ). I have been testing the heaters today and they seem to be working fine.

I also picked up a API saltwater master test kit which looks easy to use and tests for, High range ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate . I did not buy the reef test kit just yet; as I am thinking I will not need that until the tank is cycled, please tell me if I am wrong. I also brought a glass thermometer. The fish selection was also pretty good in the shop, I will also go there again to buy my sand and salt, it’s all very reasonably priced.

I also had a refractometer delivered today, what a fantastic little bit of kit it is. Things seem to be moving along nicely at the moment, the skimmer should be here very soon, i might be ready to go sooner than I thought.

For those interested, here is a pic of the test kit.



and the refractometer




Thanks

VictorMeldrew

 

[ben1987]

same refractometor as me!
looks really great on that stand. Just be careful about evaporation and your tv. You not going to wanna leave that room now. Tv Ps3 and marines

 

[BigC]

Hi,
Once you use up you existing test kit then go for the Salifert individual test kits. Probably a little more accurate. Most reefers use these.
Cant wait until the initial setup and aquascaping pics arrive.

Another wee thing I just noticed....the TV..above the tank. Might want to consider some fans to stop the evaporation getting into the circuitry.
Regards
BigC

 

[VictorMeldrew]

bigC is that you telling me in a polite way, that my test kit sucks , will it be ok for the cycle?

As far as the tv is concerned, i was always worried about things like that, thats why i got the stand made as low as i could, i am planning the hood very soon, will fans in the hood be surfice?

Thanks

VictorMeldrew

 

[ben1987]

id have the fans either end to try and take it away from the tv rather than in the middle on the back

 

[Keithbaxter]

That is a stand to be very proud of dude!

Well done.

Im looking forward to the rest of the pics as the tank developes

 

[VictorMeldrew]

That is a stand to be very proud of dude!

Well done.

Im looking forward to the rest of the pics as the tank developes

Thanks Keith, my brother-in-law built the stand, so i think he deserves all the credit for that, i designed most of it and stained it (lots of times), but he made it happen. I think he is well pleased with all the good comments so far regarding the stand

 

[VictorMeldrew]

Hello all

The skimmer arrived today and I am having huge problems fitting the thing, please help before I drop kick it out the window . The make of the skimmer is a seaclone 100 which can hang on the side of the tank or go in a sump, one of the main reasons I ordered this one is that it came with an optional extra of an extension kit, for tanks with a brace of greater than one inch, as you know my tank is a clearseal and any of you who have owned one will know, they have a glass brace that runs all around the inside of the tank (only very small holes in the corners), the brace on my tank is 3” all around so I ordered the Extension as well, which turns out to be just a black plastic triangle thing.

The problem is, I can not get the pump anywhere near going in the water where it is supposed to be, I hope the pics will help a bit in explaining this, I am completely stuck.

Notice the glass shelve thats causing the problem, the extension block thing is a mystery to me, its not shown here.





Any help here would be great.

Thanks

VictorMeldrew

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Can you put up a picture of the extension block as well?

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to say the tank and stand looks amazing by the way make sure you keep updating us with plenty of pictures as you go along.

 

[VictorMeldrew]

Hello mate

Here it is, it came with no instructions



I really can not see any way to make it fit, i hope this is just me being abit thick here, i have even thought about removing the end brace, as you can see in this photo, its only held on by a couple of blobs of silicone, how much support is it giving to the tanks structure?



Thanks

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Just a guess but:

You see where the black downward bit on the skimmer is (which clips onto the tank). This slids into the extension block where that slot is.

So have the skimmer with the clip facing right
have the extension block with the flat part facing left.
Slid the skimmer clip into the slot on the extension block.
I guess then the whole thing goes over the side of the tank.

On a tank that size I would definetly not remove any bracing at all. Its a whole lot of weight in that tank.

 

[VictorMeldrew]

I must have done everything with that block now, nothing seems to be getting the pump any closer to being in the water, even if the extension raised the skimmer up, the tube with the pump on the end does not over hang enough, it must do something, i paid a tenner for it after all, well stressed, i do not think its going to fit anyway i try it.

Thanks

 

[garybuk]

I must have done everything with that block now, nothing seems to be getting the pump any closer to being in the water, even if the extension raised the skimmer up, the tube with the pump on the end does not over hang enough, it must do something, i paid a tenner for it after all, well stressed, i do not think its going to fit anyway i try it.

Thanks

Soo its just the tubeing from the skimmer to the pump is not long enuff?


i had same tank and i have a v2 fit it fine?

duno waither pics will help! but i had the brace thing too! i guss its not much help as you already got your skimmer! but try getting a longer big of pipe would that help??

Also had a nother thort!

Tho im not100% sure if its safe? you could just move that brace over and resilecone it back on more along?

 

[john.o]

Umm
You see where the black downward bit on the skimmer is, Dose this not unclip and slide off, then you clip the extension block on. That would allow your skimmer to sit lower down which would then allow the pump to sit lower down in the water

 

[VictorMeldrew]

Thanks everyone, i have got some good ideas from the reply's today, from this thread and others i posted, i also got some great advice from another top reefer on here ( you know who you are ) I will try a few things over the next day or two and update when i have all it sorted.

Thanks

VictorMeldrew