Paul's' new build..

[reefkeeper2]

The Vortex Diatom Filter has been around for decades. I've had many over the years but they don't make them like they used to. It's basically a glass jar that you put diatomaceous earth and optional powdered carbon into . Water from your system mixes with this "mud" and coats a filter bag in the jar.The water gets forced through the mud and is cleaned down to 1 micron and then pumped back to your aquarium. It has saved me countless times over the years when the water quality gets compromised. A good example of it's usefulness is years ago I tried to fix a cyano problem with Chemi Clean. There was tons of it in the tank. After I added the Chemi Clean things started to go bad. All that cyano dying at once polluted the water so bad my fish were at the water surface gasping. They were going to die. I threw on that filter with a good dose of powdered carbon and in an hour the fish were noticably better. In two hours the tank was sparkling clean and though some fish had damaged fins they all were fine. I would have lost them all if I hadn't had that diatom filter. It's the powdered carbon that does the trick.
The problem with the Vortex filter is that it is clumsy and difficult to charge and clean. On top of that now they are cheaply made and the motor doesn't last long. When my motor died, I removed it and pluged up the hole where the shaft entered the jar. Then I put a submersible pump in my sump and connected it to that. Works like a charm.

 

[reefstarter]

Cool so basically it's a fine sand filter

 

[reefkeeper2]

Yes, but diatoms are porous where sand is not so it's a lot finer. If you put powdered carbon in a sand filter you would proabably clog it.

 

[Flame Angel]

Very much like a diatomaceous earth pool filter. Just 1/80th the size.

I use to have one years ago like Paul mentioned they have been around at least 32 years that I am aware of.

Almost like dialysis for the tank water.

I believe it should be mentioned that you have to be careful to not blow the diatomaceous earth into the tank. If I remember correctly it is an irritant to fish gills. (someone correct me if I am wrong here)

Yes, but diatoms are porous where sand is not so it's a lot finer. If you put powdered carbon in a sand filter you would proabably clog it.

 

[choff]

I had one on my first tank back in early 90s. I have not seen one since I got back into the hobby a few years ago.

...stupid auto correct

 

[reefkeeper2]

Very much like a diatomaceous earth pool filter. Just 1/80th the size.

I use to have one years ago like Paul mentioned they have been around at least 32 years that I am aware of.

Almost like dialysis for the tank water.

I believe it should be mentioned that you have to be careful to not blow the diatomaceous earth into the tank. If I remember correctly it is an irritant to fish gills. (someone correct me if I am wrong here)

You are right and it's one of those things that can make it a PITA to use. I take the outlet hose and connect it to the inlet hose and when the water turns clear disconnect them.

 

[cilyjr]

A quick recap of the past 7 months....

1.Old tank failing, new tank installed
2.New tank doesn't have the right number of bulkeads drilled. Greg fixes it.
3.Tunze pump shorts out, think it poisons water
4 Almost all livestock dies
5 Main pump bearings making noise-replace with new reeflow motor
6 Dialyseas breaks and cannot be fixed- replaced with genesis water system
7 Most new frags die from unknown cause. Effect lasts for about three and a half months
8 Exhaust fan above sump breaks
9 Co2 regulator stops working. Replaced with Carbon Doser
10 Carbon Doser breaks after 3 months use- under warranty thank God
11 One Hydra 52 breaks. AI sends a new board. Doesn't fix the problem. Another new board and all new LEDs finally fixes it.
12 AI Director fails. No light control for 6 days. Use old controller (which thank heaven I didn't sell) until new one arrives.
13 Diatom Filter breaks. Only one year old and motor is dead. I remake the whole thing with a submersible pump. Works better than original!
14 Accidently pour water over a Hydra 52 and melt the board. stupid stupid
15 First new fish introduced to system in over a year infect the tank with ick (despite precautions that didn't work) and die.

And that was the short list. Ithink I have had more stuff break and go wrong in the past seven months than all my reefkeeping years combined.

A rocky road no doubt. And though it's no consolation, the new tank with the dual overflows and open center is nicer looking then the older one with just 1 overflow.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Thanks, I think so too.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Well today I noticed ick on my triggers, rabbitfish and some clowns. Funny the tangs don't have it. Any recommendations to help them fight it off?

 

[reefstarter]

I was able to beat it in my 90 using vitamins in liquid form a neon goby a cleaner shrimp the vitamins help the fish fight it off if not too bad but that was one time and I think I was lucky I am sure everyone will say take them out and quarantine in copper and run tank fallow good luck Paul I know you can use some

 

[dannyp02908]

2 ways to do it, maintain healthy fish and they will fight it off or pull your fish to quarantine and run fallow. Knowing the size of your tank, option 2 seems nearly impossible. I have always had ick in my system. Got from a kole tang some years back. I sometimes will see it on a new fish when they are stressed but they usually pull through and I never see it again. I just know it is there.

 

[cilyjr]

You've got healthy fish that are comfortable in their tank. I'd bet on them being fine.

Is it only a few spots or are they covered?

 

[reefkeeper2]

You've got healthy fish that are comfortable in their tank. I'd bet on them being fine.

Is it only a few spots or are they covered?

Just a few spots. The ones on the rabbitfish's were gone by this evening. The triggers have the most with splotches on their fins. I don't understand a few things. First, the parasites are supposed to remain on the fish for five days. Then they drop off in the night around 3AM. Why would the spots receed in just a day? They are not supposed to leave the fish until its dark but the spots on the rabbitfish were gone by this evening. Makes no sense.

 

[reefstarter]

Are the spots kind of like xlear on the triggers ? Could be bacterial and not Ich ,

 

[reefkeeper2]

There are regular white spots on the body. On the fins it looks like a splotch. Better this morning.

 

[reefstarter]

Cool good to hear

 

[cilyjr]

Just a few spots. The ones on the rabbitfish's were gone by this evening. The triggers have the most with splotches on their fins. I don't understand a few things. First, the parasites are supposed to remain on the fish for five days. Then they drop off in the night around 3AM. Why would the spots receed in just a day? They are not supposed to leave the fish until its dark but the spots on the rabbitfish were gone by this evening. Makes no sense.

Do you have skunk cleaner shrimp? Or the cleaner gobies that eat them?

When I had a blue throat trigger and would get an outbreak, he would be the one that seemed most affected as well.

I can't seem to remember any of my fish with for a full 5 days. Perhaps that's an average or maximum possible?

 

[cilyjr]

Did the second idol die?

 

[reefkeeper2]

Oh yeah the idol died a few days after the first one. All of the fish look better except the female trigger. I raised the temp from 77.5 to 78 and will probably bring it to 79. Doesn't hurt the ick but helps the fish.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Yesterday I returned the Gigantea anemone to the display. I would have waited a little longer for it to gain more size but the pink skunk clowns have been trying to drive the percula clowns out of the magnifica. It's been clown wars here for a while. I have to say I am very surprised the gigantea survived. It was just a floppy piece of mush when I put it in the frag tank. Here it is now. Colors look good against the cyano::


Hope the cyano phase doesn't last too long.