Pasty's JBJ28 Haddoni Biotope--New Video (7.4.2014)

Went ahead and got an AquaC Remora skimmer / MJ1200 coming today also. I figure I'll install that while I've got everything out of the filter compartments this weekend. I'm fed up with the algae and am determined to eradicate it. I'll be sure to post pictures before and after of the install and some time lapse of the algae as it disappears....hopefully.

 

Saturday was a successful cleanup day. I blocked off the return ports and drained/cleaned all the back chambers. I removed quite a bit of junk so if you're a JBJ owner and it has been a while since you've cleaned back there, you might want to check it out. I swapped in a new bag of Purigen and gave the media basket a good cleaning. I changed my plumbing lines to clear 1/2" hoses that had more give than the old ones that come with the tank. Installed the Remora skimmer while I was putting it back together.

Initial install was easy enough but getting it set right in that limited a space was a little tough but not difficult. Also, I changed out the hose they sent for a longer piece so I could drop the motor further down into the chamber. Evaporation is already quick so I tried to give myself as much safety net as possible. First day or running was a bit loud as most people noted but once you get some foam going, it's really not bad. Noticeable but not outright terrible. Below is a picture of the first cup of "stuff" that I drained. I have since drained another like it. Overall, I grade it a B+ and the price is hard to beat.

 

Collection of detritus is the main reason you do not want LR rubble back in those compartments.

Congrats on getting tank maintenance done (more than I can say) , the skimmer is just barely broken in so I would expect a more concentrated skim in a few weeks.

 

Believe it or not, the majority of my detritus was collected from the outermost chamber (return chamber) and not the one that had rubble (I removed all of that for good anyway) Cleaning that mess out was tricky but I learned a few good tricks that involved a small siphon and a 2nd person pouring water in from the other side to flush the mess to the siphon.

 

I broke out the camera and the tripod and took some pictures of the tank and some new corals that I added yesterday.

Added two heads of Frogspawn, a patch of GSP and a disc of zoas with (what look like) Neon Green Dragon's Eyes and Eagle Eyes. Those are just guesses so, if you happen to know what they are, feel free to correct me. You'll see my battle with hair algae is still raging but my fight with cyano is turning around pretty quickly. Anyway, here are the shots....

FTS:


L/S:


R/S:


Growth shot:


New Zoas:


Growth of old zoas:


GSP:


Frogspawn:

 

Looking good, congrats on the new adds and you are right on the zoas.

 

For direct comparison, here is a shot of the toadstool from October of last year:

 

Tanks looking good! were those two clowns a mated pair?

 

No mating. Yet. I hope they eventually do.

 

My 28 gallons of private reef.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxMk-X1GJzA