Achilles Tang

Thanks Danano... but I can never beat your shots.. you're a true UW pro! Still learning! Anyway, I am sure you miss the turtles there! Sipadan has so many turtles that you can't be bothered to glance at them after the 10th one... unless they swim right at you... hee hee... I almost landed on one... he just swam right under me!

My refugium has been offline for about a year already! Too lazy to restart. LOL!

yeah... this advice was given some time ago.... it's incredible how much metal particles can be found in the sand!

The efficiency of GAC drops dramatically after the first week or two. Overtime, they may even become a form of biological filtration as their porous surface becomes colonised by bacteria. You know when its time to change out the GAC after a few weeks (depending on the dissolved organics content of your tank) when your water is visibly yellower. As long as there is ample water flow thru the GAC, there is no difference if it's applied in the sump or main tank (but who would leave a bag of GAC in the main tank?? )

Good GAC should be devoid of phosphates. Don't buy cheap ones. I use Seachem matrix carbon.

It may be some form of iron supplement. Some marine macroalgae may crash due to lack of iron in the water. But you have to dose appropriately and with care.

Here's the full email transcript.... names have been removed to protect the innocent! --------------------------------------- If you are allowing curing on both sides, then it is most likely enough. Regards Hor Cheong Tong DC Singapore Tel : 65-63593307 Fax : 65-62536070 Mobile : 65-97578795 Email : cheong.tong.hor@dowcorning.com -----Original Message----- From: 'me, mua, myself' Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 12:30 PM To: cheong.tong.hor@dowcorning.com Subject: RE: Ask a Product Question - SINGAPORE Hi Cheong, I agree on the safety aspects. This tank I want to construct is not too tall... but its wide... the dimensions are in feet 5L x 3B x 2H. The top of the tank will have euro-bracing (all along edge, there are horizontal panes) as well as a centre brace. The glass will be 12mm thick and we intend to let the tank cure for 7 days before we move it. In our humidity, do you see a problem? Thanks! Conrad --- cheong.tong.hor@dowcorning.com wrote: > There is a difference in water pressure if you have > a high and narrow tank > (eg. 2m high and 1mx1m tank) vs a wide tank that is > not high (eg. 1m high > and 2mx2m). For the high tank, the glass will be > subjected to very high > water pressure. the other tank would be much lower > pressure. > > Sealant is subjected to tensile and shear stress so > you have to be very > careful when designing the tank. Another observation > which I made is that > some tank makers think that sealant is some kind of > super glue, ie. you > glaze and after a short while, it dries up and the > tank can be used. In such > cases, if the pressure is too high, and if the > sealant has not built up full > adhesion on the glass, the tank will just collapse. > > > Regards > Hor Cheong Tong > DC Singapore > > Tel : 65-63593307 Fax : 65-62536070 Mobile : > 65-97578795 > Email : cheong.tong.hor@dowcorning.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: 'me, mua, myself' > Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 12:04 PM > To: cheong.tong.hor@dowcorning.com > Subject: RE: Ask a Product Question - SINGAPORE > > > Hi there, > > Thank you for replying. > > You expressed concerns using only the sealant to > hold > the tank together. Can you elaborate? > > Conrad > > > --- cheong.tong.hor@dowcorning.com wrote: > > Conrad, > > > > We do not warrant applications where sealant will > be > > immersed in the water > > long term. Nevertheless, sealant has been used > > successfully in the aquarium > > for many years so customers must understand that > > they do so at their own > > risks. > > > > When fully cured, DC795 will not react with > > saltwater, it is also resistant > > to ozone and UV radiation. What I would be more > > concerned with is the size > > and the design of your tank (eg. water pressure, > any > > supporting brackets) > > and whether you are using the sealant to support > the > > glass only. You would > > also need to allow sealant to cure fully (full > > adhesion build up) before > > using the tank. > > > > Regards > > Hor Cheong Tong > > DC Singapore > > > > Tel : 65-63593307 Fax : 65-62536070 Mobile > : > > 65-97578795 > > Email : cheong.tong.hor@dowcorning.com > > > > From: > > 'me, mua, myself' > > Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 2:45:35 AM > > To: product.inquiry@dowcorning.com > > Subject: Ask a Product Question - SINGAPORE > > Auto forwarded by a Rule > > > > Email: conradchua@yahoo.com > > > > Please enter your question. Include the material > > name and other information > > that will help us with your inquiry > > If I were to build a glass tank for marine > livestock > > with Dow Corning® 795 > > Silicone Building Sealant Black, is it safe in > terms > > of chemical leaching > > from the silicone? Does it react with saltwater? > > What is it's ozone or UV > > resistance like? Pls advise urgently! Thank you! > > Conrad > > > > > > > > >

To clear all doubts, here is an extract of an email from the Dow Corning manufacturer to me a few years ago! -------------------------------------------------------------------- We do not warrant applications where sealant will be immersed in the water long term. Nevertheless, sealant has been used successfully in the aquarium for many years so customers must understand that they do so at their own risks. When fully cured, DC795 will not react with saltwater, it is also resistant to ozone and UV radiation. What I would be more concerned with is the size and the design of your tank (eg. water pressure, any supporting brackets) and whether you are using the sealant to support the glass only. You would also need to allow sealant to cure fully (full adhesion build up) before using the tank. --------------------------------------------------------------------- I read the datasheet as follows: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES Physical Form: Paste Color: Black Odor: Slight odor Specific Gravity @ 25°C: 1.52 Viscosity: Not determined. Freezing/Melting Point: Not determined. Boiling Point: Not determined. Vapor Pressure @ 25°C: Not determined. Vapor Density: Not determined. Solubility in Water: Not determined. pH: Not determined. Volatile Content: Not determined. 10. STABILITY AND REACTIVITY Chemical Stability: Stable. DOW CORNING® 795 SILICONE BUILDING SEALANT, BLACK Hazardous Polymerization: Hazardous polymerization will not occur. Conditions to Avoid: None. .....and there's a line in there regarding Materials to Avoid: Oxidizing material can cause a reaction. Water, moisture, or humid air can cause hazardous vapors to form as described in Section 8. It may be just for the curing stage... which needs about 5 to 10 days for maximum strength (depending on amount used).

Abroad???

Hey congratulations and welcome to the club! (i mean the married club of course!)

How many microns are these? Are these suitable-sized for coral polyps to capture? Busy mugging huh? Don't accidentally release the ebola virus and do remember to zip up your containment suit completely. Still want to have supper with you at the end of the year!

Try to get rid of your algae fast...they'll overtake the tank if your nutrient levels are high.

Morg, The ones killed by kalk paste should be dead. Probably spread from some hidden nook. I know I have one or two which is really hard to reach. Actually, I have not started my anti-aiptasia war... my clams still have the aiptasia on them...

Sounds like fun!! Let's do a SRC paintball war!! SPS reefers vs the Softies! Hahaha!!!

Those photos that were missing.... I deleted those posts. Pls repost them. Remember...maximum width 700 pixels.

Hmmm... you forgot to thank me also... haha... kidding. Final tip: ALWAYS use metal clamps to secure the hoses to the piping. Don't give Murphy a chance to flood your house!

thc.... it's like bathing with icecold water and standing by a kettle of boiling water.

? You sure you're ready for this hobby then?

It has been explored by aquarists worldwide and everyone agrees its an interesting concept but a very inefficient one in reality as you cannot control the temperature and takes a lot of time and effort to monitor and 'top-up'. Water temperature fluctations is something to avoid to shocking your livestock, using ice is a number one culprit but it could do in an emergency only.

First to clear some misconceptions: 1. My father-in-law does not own a shipyard, he ran a few as a GM/consultant. He is a problem solver when no one can come up with a solution. Notorious for his fierce temper and ######-kicking but he has everyone's respect. I spent years tip-toeing around him... He think's I am crazy anyway with regards to this hobby. 2. My PVC pipes are welded to the PVC sheets by actual PVC welding... not PVC glueing. It's expensive like hell. But permanent and strong.

Interesting, Barracuda! You'll be the first in SRC to try use glass beads for DSB! Just make sure you don't get sandsifting gobies... or you'll find a gruesome mess of blood later.. LOL... kidding! Let us know how it turns out okie? Probably half a year later?

With the price of kalkwasser coming down these days, why even consider a lesser grade form of calcium hydroxide? I am using Reefez kalkwasser now, good stuff.

You talk to your fish? Do they surf this forum?

Reducing salt spray is the key to preventing corrosion problems. Evaporation is just water. Salt still stays behind in the tank.

Yup! That's aiptasisa alright. Just use a small syringe, suck up some kalkwasser paste and inject just over the mouth. They will automatically close up and suck in the kalkwasser paste and die almost immediately. Within a minute or two, you can scrap away the shrunken body and suck it out of the tank. Be careful with the kalk paste. Suck up any residue. This operation is best done with zero water circulation as you don't want the paste to go onto any other organisms.