Melev's new 280g Starfire tank thread

[jnarowe]

I hope I am not out-of-line chiming in, but IMO there are no "reef safe" fish. I guess it all depends on your definition of reef safe, but our fish have nothing better to do all day but but go around and taste stuff. No predators to run from, for the most part incorrect conditions for spawning, and food once a day.

Our so-called vegetarian fish eat meaty foods, zoanthids, fan worms etc. Then there are the psychotic territorial fish that toss corals out of their "area". Ever find yourself wondering, "Hey, where'd that go?" Someone ate it stupid!

[thejuggernaut]

Just quit being poor and get one of these. Same gun Arnold used in Terminator 2.
HAHA

But on a more serious note. Are you dosing any kind of bacteria along with your vodka? I've been seriously considering vodka after reading the success people like Sunny are having with a basic vodka and bacteria setup. Also are you still manually dosing vodka daily. Any reason why you havent gotten some type of dosing pump for that?

[melev]

Originally Posted by Metal Man 1221

melev
9mm glocks are nice, but they tend to jam,
but in your position it is a very intimidating weapon if your just trying to scare some one

I figure if the gun of choice by the police is a Glock, it's good enough for me. After all, I can't wait for 911 to show up. "Excuse me, Mr. Criminal, please wait for a bit until my back up arrives..."

Originally Posted by David - Miami

I am not a gun fanatic by any means, but the most common household gun is a Glock 40 caliber. That has more stopping power than a 9mm.

I'll have to find out more. I didn't make the time to go to any gun stores today, waiting for the door & window repair guys to come by and give me a quote. Got my insurance company involved, but my deductible is high enough that this is going to be all out of pocket expense.

Originally Posted by gman107

what a great thread where else can you get advice for your saltwater tank (fish or reef) and get protein skimmer help and good gun recomendations. i like my s&w 5946 the shotgun is nice but if you miss youll f'up your whole place walls tv fish tanks youll have to chase em outside first then let er rip

This is an all encompassing thread. We're real reefers here.

I picked up two different S&Ws at Academy, and was surprised they were made of plastic and steel. Guess I expected the black part to be made of some type of metal. I may go to a shooting range Sunday with a club member. He's got some guns.

With a laser sight on the shotgun, would I still make a mess?

Originally Posted by jjstecchino

Calcium reactor question.

The reactor is a Coralvue Octopus dual chamber loaded with coarse arm media. The reactor has a ph probe on the first chamber connected to the apex controller which in turn control the co2 solenoid. The controller is set to turn off co2 if reactor ph is less than 6.55 and turn on if ph is greater than 6.65. it also turn off co2 if tank ph is less than 8.10.

I have the reactor running for 2 months but I cannot increase alk and ca as I desire. Alk stays at 7-8 dKh and Ca at 390-400 (SG is 1.025 mg 1325)

The effluent rate was set at 30 cc/min which may be a little too low. Boubble count was 2/sec.

I increased the effluent rate to 60cc/min, however as expected the reactor ph went up to 6.9 and the current bouble count is not enough. To let ph drop to 6.6 I have to increase boubble count to 120/min or more. This seem excessive to me. At this rate I see small bubbles of co2 going through the arm media and returning into the co2 recirculation line. Is this normal?

Am I doing anything wrong?


PS still second the shotgun over the pistol

Your current levels are well within the acceptable range.

If you can't get the Alk and Ca up, try lowering the pH level in the reactor a bit more. Make the low point 6.2 and see what happens for the next few days. If you increase effluent flow rates, you need to increase bubble rates to match.

Alternately, dose what it needs to bring it up, and have the reactor maintain it.

Originally Posted by Canoe

Needed: Reef Safe shotgun...

Not too safe, anyway. Maybe I can learn those moves I saw in Wanted:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uMlNKozweg

[melev]

Originally Posted by jnarowe

I hope I am not out-of-line chiming in, but IMO there are no "reef safe" fish. I guess it all depends on your definition of reef safe, but our fish have nothing better to do all day but but go around and taste stuff. No predators to run from, for the most part incorrect conditions for spawning, and food once a day.

Our so-called vegetarian fish eat meaty foods, zoanthids, fan worms etc. Then there are the psychotic territorial fish that toss corals out of their "area". Ever find yourself wondering, "Hey, where'd that go?" Someone ate it stupid!

You sound like a bitter man. He's right though. Fish don't read books, and don't seem to follow the printed rules.

Originally Posted by thejuggernaut

Just quit being poor and get one of these. Same gun Arnold used in Terminator 2.
HAHA

But on a more serious note. Are you dosing any kind of bacteria along with your vodka? I've been seriously considering vodka after reading the success people like Sunny are having with a basic vodka and bacteria setup. Also are you still manually dosing vodka daily. Any reason why you havent gotten some type of dosing pump for that?

That looks intimidating enough. Hopefully the rounds aren't too far out of my budget.

I've been dosing one vial of Prodibio's BioClean each week to add a little diversity, hopefully.

Still dosing it manually. I'd like to get the Deltec Vodka reactor I saw at MACNA in the future.

[thejuggernaut]

Originally Posted by jnarowe

I hope I am not out-of-line chiming in, but IMO there are no "reef safe" fish. I guess it all depends on your definition of reef safe, but our fish have nothing better to do all day but but go around and taste stuff. No predators to run from, for the most part incorrect conditions for spawning, and food once a day.

Our so-called vegetarian fish eat meaty foods, zoanthids, fan worms etc. Then there are the psychotic territorial fish that toss corals out of their "area". Ever find yourself wondering, "Hey, where'd that go?" Someone ate it stupid!

Yea our fish have it made!

[thejuggernaut]

A vodka reactor...never heard of it...ill have to check it out

[purebullet417]

mac you have a pm. feel free to ask me any questions in my thread if you need i just updated it with pictures tonight also if you want to see how it looks now

[Dtronic]

I bought this one at a gun show. It's a Smith & Wesson 8 shot 357 and it has railmount too. I was thinking of a shotgun, but have alot of corners in my house. Also I love revolvers for their simplicity but 5 or 6 shot doesn't seem enough. As soon as I saw this one I bought it and then researched it later.

Back story on the gun is here. http://www.woodscustomrifles.com/id34.html

In short it was designed for swat team's shield guy, the one holding a ballistic shield who is the point man in a forced entry.

[cayenne]

Originally Posted by Metal Man 1221

melev
9mm glocks are nice, but they tend to jam,
but in your position it is a very intimidating weapon if your just trying to scare some one

As a person that has just as much money wrapped in firearms as I do reefing, I am a very avid shooter and collector.

I don't know what was wrong with the Glock you were shooting (probably a worn extractor), but 9mm or any Glock's for that matter don't tend to jam. If you have one that does, I would suggest letting a local Glock armorer look at it.

They are simply known for being not so pretty firearms, that just plain work no matter the conditions.

[bazzapalooza]

Should this site be renamed melevcentral, awesome as usual. Looking forward to next podcast. Looking to fly over for MACNA 2010 where is it gonna be?

Bazza

100 gallon reef with 2 thick clowns riding the wave from the newave 5500 powerhead.

[Cprowler]

Still looking for a video cam?

Not sure if it's any good but might be worth a look.

http://sellout.woot.com/Default.aspx...8f8889bdf901c2

[evilspaz]

Hey Melev, just read though a couple of the splits you've really given me some ideas on my 220G, thanks.

Hows your back been? ive just been getting over a fracture in my own back, feels great to be out of the brace.

[Hal]

Have you considered the Taurus "Public Defender"? It's a revolver that shoots .45 slugs or .410 shotgun shells.

http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-PD410.htm

There's also a lot of buzz around the Springfield Armory's XD line.

[swearint]

I am not a Glock expert, and it has been awhile since I have fired one. However, there were two things that I did not like about them. One is the safety design, it is/was on the trigger and in my opinion prone to unintentional firing. If your finger is on the trigger, the safety is off. Second issue was the clearance of the slide over the top of my hand, I got pinced.

Todd

[Snakebyt]

i know alot of the leos around here have switched over to XD. Seem to be nice guns, but ill just stick to my trusty ole scattergun for home defense, first 2 rounds are 00 buckshot, the rest are slugs. The reason i like my 1300 is because with it having a short barrel and such a wide spread you can aim in a general direction and you are almost guaranteed to hit the target, so if the wife ever has to use it she dont have to be a good aim to do some real damage.
Once thats done, the slugs are just overkill, but im from texas we overkill everything.. lol

[kayl]

Originally Posted by Snakebyt

i know alot of the leos around here have switched over to XD. Seem to be nice guns, but ill just stick to my trusty ole scattergun for home defense, first 2 rounds are 00 buckshot, the rest are slugs. The reason i like my 1300 is because with it having a short barrel and such a wide spread you can aim in a general direction and you are almost guaranteed to hit the target, so if the wife ever has to use it she dont have to be a good aim to do some real damage.
Once thats done, the slugs are just overkill, but im from texas we overkill everything.. lol

00 buckshot is good for HD, but Birdshot won't overpenerate and will still get the job done...

The XD is a great gun - Bought a .40 subcompact for my first gun and it's great!

Melev- I'd recommend a 12 gauge shotgun for Home defense. It's much easier to hit with a shotgun than a pistol and you've got much more "stopping power" with the shotgun. If you do get a pistol, be sure to practice to acquire and then maintain your skills.

If you do get a pistol, I highly recommend dry-fire practice. What this entails is removing all ammuntion from the room in which your practicing, removing the magazine, racking the slide to ensure that the chamber is clear and then double checking all of the above.
Then you can practice the trigger pull. Google "dry fire exercises" and practice; dry fire practice will help improve your skills more than just going through the range and blazing through ammo. (It's not as much fun though )

[Metal Man 1221]

Originally Posted by cayenne

As a person that has just as much money wrapped in firearms as I do reefing, I am a very avid shooter and collector.

I don't know what was wrong with the Glock you were shooting (probably a worn extractor), but 9mm or any Glock's for that matter don't tend to jam. If you have one that does, I would suggest letting a local Glock armorer look at it.

They are simply known for being not so pretty firearms, that just plain work no matter the conditions.

is that so?

well i stand corrected, iv fired a few and they all did that, but they also werent very new, so that probably was the cause

but yes they are very nice firearms, maybe ill have to find my self a "new" one and see how it fires

[melev]

Originally Posted by evilspaz

Hey Melev, just read though a couple of the splits you've really given me some ideas on my 220G, thanks.

Hows your back been? ive just been getting over a fracture in my own back, feels great to be out of the brace.

I've had about 13 treatments so far, and while I'm better it just isn't resolved yet. Today, the chiropractor tried a new method on my neck, which I was happy to hear the cracking sound both times. And I felt better. I've been getting traction, adjustments, electric stimulation and laser therapy. Pretty much all the options they have, without going under the knife. I'm hoping this will be all I have to go through, but you never know.

The pain is constant, and certain positions make it more obvious than others. I'm not on my computer nearly as much as usual, which is kind of strange to me, but on the plus side, I'm enjoying my reef tank. I find that sitting watching tv aggravates it, and am often standing while I watch just to reposition my spine. I'm sure some might wonder if I'm just making this stuff up since I'm still doing things, but I'm trying to keep a good attitude while being one step above miserable all day long.

I've been reading more, and my mother sent me a book entitled ""Healing Back Pain - The Mind-Body Connection" by John E. Sarno, MD. Maybe I'll find something to assist in that book.

Originally Posted by Hal

Have you considered the Taurus "Public Defender"? It's a revolver that shoots .45 slugs or .410 shotgun shells.

http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-PD410.htm

There's also a lot of buzz around the Springfield Armory's XD line.

I did see the Taurus at Academy. However, I was thinking Glock at the time, so I kind of blew the guy off. Then again, he wasn't really doing much to impress me and it was quickly killing the sale that day. A friend invited me to join him at the range on Sunday, but after all day long on Saturday with the DFW Coral Farmers Market, plus Greg Hiller speaking to our club afterwards, plus dinner after that, and the long drive home... I was pretty much wiped out for Sunday. The last thing I wanted to do was go anywhere.

Oh, did I mention my headaches? Ugh. I'm sure it is all connected to my back situation, and a nice $1500 MRI could provide the necessary proof / bad news.

So back to my reef... The tank is doing well. The recent addition of the Astrea snails has helped with nuisance film algae on the walls of the tank. I'll see about getting some new pictures up later this week. I posted a couple I took of the angled tank a few minutes ago in that thread.

[Sisterlimonpot]

Who knew that being a professional stripper would ruin your back.

Normally, I would be a sceptic with all that mind-body stuff but after trying it myself on a medical issue that the docs couldn't cure i found it to be the answer I was looking.

[gkarshens]

Is that $1500 out of pocket? No insurance? I got an MRI done before I had insurance for $400. They originally told me $1800. I started calling around shopping prices and they ended up beating my lowest offer. I know it is a bit of a drive but I was super happy with my Orthopedic doctor and facility here in Austin if you want the info.

[melev]

Gabriel, it would be OOP because I don't carry regular medical insurance, only major medical.

[jnarowe]

So, I am a huge fan of Sarno and his original book, "Healing Back Pain", virtually cured me of my neck spasms. I had debilitating spasms throughout my bachelorhood that could land me in bed for a few days. But, reading your descriptions I have to say, it sounds to me like a bulging disk(s). FWIU disks start to degrade in your early 20's and in some cases can "squirt" out-of-line. This creates a bulge, and pressure on the spinal nerves, and therefore pain. Sitting only exacerbates it. An x-ray would be very telling.

I go in every few months for an x-ray to check on my screws, rods, and fusion. I highly doubt that the chiropractor is doing you any long-term good. I know it feels better when you are done with a session, but just like our reefs, it's important to find the root cause. I would bet dollars-to-donuts, at least one bulging disk.

So my story about Sarno is long and very positive, but this is not the place to re-count it. Maybe give x-rays a try?

[PQ45]

The RBTA thread is beautiful by itself, I wouldn't add a thing. All your tanks are amazing.

[melev]

I had x-rays taken, and they were compared to the ones taken in 2002. And there was definitely some deterioration between C5 and C6, or C6 and C7. He's also getting my alignment back where it should be, so it isn't a total waste of time. But I'm concerned this may be worse than I'd hoped, and require surgery - I'd like to avoid that of course.

[Snakebyt]

lets hope it dosent come down to surgery, but if you do have to have it, at least they can get it fixed and you can live without pain