Achilles Tang

Let's wait for the investigations to conclude. In the meantime, let's appreciate how precious life is.

The RSS Courageous isn't a MCV. It's a Fearless class APV (anti-sub patrol vessel) When I go fishing in that area or when I was working onboard our cruise ship (my previous job) and passed by Horsburg, it's always reassuring to see MCVs or MGBs around, especially when piracy was rampant in the past. We never feared them. It was the tankers and freighters that were really scary.

With the current interest in DIY skimmer projects, you may have heard of the word 'Beckett' being thrown around. What is it? It's just a American brand for a range of fountain heads or nozzles. The 1408 is particularly suitable for use in skimmers and is rated to produce a fountain spray size that goes up 25 feet. There are different models that can can produce a fountain 50 feet high! Anyway, taking a close look at it.... it's nothing more than a plastic nozzle (made in China!) that effectively allows the mixing of air and water, producing foam. When driven by a powerful pump, it produces a lot of microbubbles. Take a look: Becketts are not available locally and are usually imported by marine hobbyists who seek an alternative to the poor range of good commercial skimmers available locally by designing their own DIY skimmers. Hopefully that would change soon as there are many good efficient skimmers from the US and Germany.

It has no bearing how hi-tech or low-tech your ship is when a giant tanker crashes into you... it was a navigational accident with human error most likely involved.

My thoughts on the matter are that it may have been human error mostly on the RSN ship, natural forces at work and the slight possiblity of mechanical failure causing a poor/slow reaction in avoiding the situation. 1. The accident happened when it was close to midnight. The next shift may have already been about to replace the duty shift which must have been fatigued and anticipating the changeabout, making them relaxed and losing concentration... just being human. 2. The OOW may be aware of the traffic in the area and perhaps posted lookouts, who may have noted the approaching ship. However, at sea, in the dark, you will not have a very clear visual indication of how fast a ship may be approaching, whether it is gonna be bearing down on you directly or may be passing a few hundred meters alongside. You would have relied on surface radar for anti-collision alerts. The question... was it switched on or monitored diligently? 3. The ship may have turned off its water jets and may be stationary or even anchored to save fuel and to facilitate the shift changeover. 4. The currents may have moved the ship into the path of the ANL Indonesia. Unlike specialised ships eg. salvage ships or oil drilling ships, the RSS Courageous would not have a GPS computer controlling small propellers along the hull of the ship to remain in a stationary spot. 5. By the time it was noticed that a collision was imminent, it may have already been too late. Even at full throttle, it may have not even moved more than 10 metres away from that spot due to the strong water current and big swells. Perhaps, in the emergency, some vital equipment/engine component could have seized up, or jammed, causing a delay. 6. Perhaps it did moved away but wasn't fast enough to turn entirely away from the fast approaching hulk of the freighter. The aft was rammed. And the rest we know. It was a credit that the ship did not sink inspite of losing the engine room and having two or three compartments flooded. Imagine the impact was big enough to break the mast. Now why didn't the much bigger ship give way or even notice the smaller vessel? It is a well known fact that bigger ships are the bullies of the open sea. Smaller vessels (even those in the right of the way according to international law) are at their mercies constantly. Ask any fisherman or yacht... YOU avoid the big ships, don't expect them to turn for you. Don't even hope that they would have noticed you in the first place. Even if they did, they would expect YOU to give way to them. Perhaps the captain told his crew to proceed, sayihg "they'll know how to move out of the way"... and by the time they got too close, it was already too late to swerve or stop. Even an emergency stop would have seen the ship taking a few shiplengths to slow down. I feel sorry that 4 lives had to be lost in an accident such as this in the name of national defence, especially when they were also ladies.

RODed in 1994. What do they call it nowadays? RDO? ORD? How about you? I was serving NS then... rare to be in the naval service. Was a NMSS at shipwright dept in Pulau Brani, later transferred to Gombak for secret work at Naval Plans. My secret work is now under water...

I have a friend who was onboard the RSN ship. He had ###### cuts. As an ex-Navy personnel... my heart goes out to the crew and the families of those women who died in this unfortunate accident. I am sure the Officer of the Watch will be in deep shit for what happened as well as the Captain. Their careers are good as gone. Not sure about my friend... am worried for him. Let's wait and see before we pass judgement. I am sure there could be a lot of factors involved. Those who have been there before knows how dangerous it can be and I have friends who had close shaves with tankers at night.

OP had one?? That's interesting! Anyway... if it's a mechanical gear changing the water flow... it's a matter of time before it clogs... and it doesn't look like it can be taken apart for cleaning. Also the water flow looks quite poor IMO. Someone should do a product review.

Hey! Dun kachow him until like dat lah!

Perhaps you might like my lobang. My tank was inspected by Hon and PacificBetta and they have gone to make orders with the guy who made my tank. He is able to help with the Starphire glass if you like and he can also use the best building silicon in the market. His prices are reasonable too. AT ps - I think 6mm is not advisable for a 5 feet tank too!

Can you post a pix of it so we can be aware and more cautious. Did you confront them? I wasn't aware solenoid valves are running hot. Should they?

I was in Tokyo last year and wanted so much to see the marine LFS there. But it was like chicken and duck... I didn't realise that many of the Japanese there really couldn't speak english! I did go to an aquarium shop at the Tokyo Observation Tower. The only 'dirty and rundown' LFS I see is Reborn... but it's nothing more fishtanks in a side-alley of a building. Which ones are in that category?

IMO, Coralife actinic 03 PLs are true actinics, having the same peaks as the FL version. Hon, I used them and my corals flourescence the same way... so what's the diff?? I see the same luminous effects as FL actinics... are you sure your bulb wasn't spoilt? I think some reefers confuse the blue PL blubs as being actinic.

hi limpc, Trying to battle your high nitrates huh? If you find a way to improve the size (horizontal area), it will be more effective. But if you are limited, then it's better than nothing. The only thing you can do to increase nitrification is to replace all the sand in your sandbed with much much finer sand (finer than #1) and have it up to 3" or 4".

Yeah... a new bulb should do the trick. Why isn't a PL actinic not as effective as FL actinic? The only thing would be the length of a FL covering more of a tank. PLs are supposed to produce more lumens than FL... being a more efficient design.

Downside to copperband... A reduction in tubeworms.

> Subject: FW: Bill and Hillary > > > > > Hillary Clinton goes to her doctor for a physical, only to find out that > she's pregnant. She is furious. Here she's in the middle of her first term > as Senator of New York > and this has happened to her. She calls home, gets Bill on the phone and > immediately starts screaming; "How could you have let this happen? With > all that's going on right now, you go and get me pregnant! How could you? > I can't believe this! I just found out I am five weeks pregnant and it is > all your fault! Your fault! Well, what have you got to say?" > > There is nothing but dead silence on the phone. > She screams again, "Did you hear me?" > > Finally she hears Bill's very, very quiet voice. > In a barely audible whisper, he says, > > > > > > > "Who is this?"

I think the Actinic PL is quite due to be replaced. PL lights produce more light than FL for the given wattage. I hope you have not mistaken some of the blue PL lights as actinics. The actinic PLs are Coralife brand. The blue PLs are Aqualux I think. These do not give the flourescence of true actinics like the coralife. If I am not mistaken... the old coralife actinics were busted weren't they? I gave you an extra blue PL together.

Unfortunately for us... fortunately for them... Oh well.. who doesn't dream of having a rare creature in our reef tanks. I will spend a bomb ensuring that it gets fed well that for sure!

In my reefing history... the only two aiptasia encountered with the new livestock I got... was destroyed with kalkwasser paste administered with a syringe. If it is in hard to reach place... I doubt if any biological control could reach it too. Just remove the rock and nuke it.

Quote: "My precious..." "You're damn right it's a gift!" Whahahaahaahahahahahaahaa!!! Sorry... it's a joke only those who were there will understand!

Arrrghhh.... I woke up this morning aching all over... arrrgghhh!!! At least I didn't get any bristleworm stings

I am rather curious what the combination of 6500 and 50,000k would look like together? I read that 50k looks like 12k in colour... not that dark or purple like actinics. Does EYE lighting do such demos? AT

Thanks Onghm for the compliments... I would say that my reef tank will continue to evolve... I haven't reached the stage where I can say I am happy with my landscaping yet... and besides... I still have space for a lot more corals... eventually, I want my tank to be SPS and acro-dominated. I am looking into providing very clean water and upgrading to stronger lighting in preparation for that day. It's hard to do a course of aqua-scaping, you just have to get your inspiration looking at nature. Pick up dive magazines or just look at landscapes.. mountains, valleys, ridges, peaks, bommies, pinnacles, plains... I left the rockwall aqua-scaping scene long ago... which is so common these days... although it would mean giving up space to free up more space (haha), it gives a more open feel and a hint that beyond my reef structure... there is the great wide ocean. It will be a struggle because we all want to put as much as corals as possibly can into our tank... plus the fact that corals will grow, expand and clash with one another... it will be a constant challenge to balance everything!

A reeftec is a direct drive unit unlike Streams which are magnetic drives. You just need to make sure that the prop is attached to the shaft securely enough as the torque will break either the prop's drive dog or the even the shaft itself. Your PHead has overheating protection, but why is that happening is kinda strange IMO.