Jestersix

So how large of a footprint do our reef tanks put down?

[quote author=Thales link=topic=2557.msg26518#msg26518 date=1194448237] is different from the 'educational' justification that people try to rationalize. They use 'educational' like its for the greater good. :D[/quote]

Yep. My impression a lot of times is that "educational" gets tacked on without much thought. It's a convenient and nice sounding label that makes everything all better.

[quote author=bookfish link=topic=2557.msg26520#msg26520 date=1194454271]Use only single pump skimmers.[/quote]

Skimming efficiency - low sump turnover, direct feed from Calfo overflow to recirculating skimmer.
 
[quote author=Thales link=topic=2557.msg26529#msg26529 date=1194463118]In Alameda, we have our own power company - 80-90% renewable energy without doing anything ourselves) and running during peak times doesn't do much. :D
[/quote]

Electricity and water in Alameda is good :D

I run my lights from 6pm to 1am to take advantage of the cooler night time temperatures. Plus that's when I'm home to see my tank.

I run Luminarcs with no canopy. I don't even need to turn on room lights at night :D
 
My footprint is 36"X18" (I had to do it sorry)

Evaporative cooling, low flow sump, at some point a gravity fed recirc mod on the skimmer. Lots of natural sunlight (although I'm rethinking that). E-ballasts, closed loop gyre, 17" deep tank. I do all I can, however it's funny how shipping livestock came up earlier as bigfoot. If that is a big culprit, I raise my hand first as in violation due to occupational reasons, I am involved in the problem. I will say though I recently went ~7weeks without loosing a fish in the 30 or so tanks I service. And if a client wants a tang in a 30g I can provide them with a # of someone who can take care of their tank.

BAR is amazing, I think in our own community we make a difference through captive propagation, and over generousness with not only animals, but with advanced knowledge as well to help turn people into reefing machines.
 
I still ro/di but only for topoff. I use tap plus prime for regular water changes.

Clean skimmer cup just about every day.

Lighting is from 4pm-12am on one side of the tank and 6pm-11pm on the other side of the tank.
 
[quote author=Raddogz link=topic=2557.msg26535#msg26535 date=1194472446]
I still ro/di but only for topoff. I use tap plus prime for regular water changes.

Clean skimmer cup just about every day.

Lighting is from 4pm-12am on one side of the tank and 6pm-11pm on the other side of the tank.



[/quote]
I been trying the same thing with the lights. 4pm-12am on one side and then 12am-4am on the other. how it working out for you? I been on this system for about a month. I also put up a mirror to reflect light back into tank.
 
I've been running it like this for the past three four months now without any ill effects. The clams are fine with this arrangement, but I will say the side of the tank that has the least amount of hours is also lit with a 400w light setup vs. the other side of the tank which is a 250w setup.
 
Eileen - I'm curious why you decided to use tap for water changes, but not top-off?

Norman - how does the "direct feed to skimmer from Calfo overflow" work? Any pics?
 
I have the ro/di and the waste water is minimal with five gallons a week which I can live, but have a harder time living with making fifty gallons of ro/di water every two weeks. I don't like having tap water sit even if it de-clorinated in containers - there really is no justifiable reason then that's just how do it. It's a stupid answer I know :D
 
No, not stupid at all, I was just curious. Makes sense for your system. My top-off is all kalk, which I keep mixed in a 90G reservoir. Using RO took a day and a half to refill it, and I was always worried I'd forget about it and overflow, plus I felt terrible watching the waste at a steady flow that whole time. Now I fill it in a few minutes with the garden hose, dechloraminate, dump in a container of Mrs. Wages and I'm done for another month - it makes me happy every time I do it! My water change is automated and constant, so that's also a matter of filling up a reservoir with the hose every couple weeks and mixing the salt. The older I get, the better I get at being lazy!
 
Hey Johara!

Good to hear from you! Glad the tap is working out. I may go that route if I can set up a cistern for fresh water - until then, DI and carbon unit for me.

I hope you got that pump thing worked out - I was out of the country or in the hospital when it happened :D
 
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=2557.msg26534#msg26534 date=1194470262]
My footprint is 36"X18" (I had to do it sorry)

Evaporative cooling, low flow sump, at some point a gravity fed recirc mod on the skimmer. Lots of natural sunlight (although I'm rethinking that). E-ballasts, closed loop gyre, 17" deep tank. I do all I can, however it's funny how shipping livestock came up earlier as bigfoot. If that is a big culprit, I raise my hand first as in violation due to occupational reasons, I am involved in the problem. I will say though I recently went ~7weeks without loosing a fish in the 30 or so tanks I service. And if a client wants a tang in a 30g I can provide them with a # of someone who can take care of their tank.

BAR is amazing, I think in our own community we make a difference through captive propagation, and over generousness with not only animals, but with advanced knowledge as well to help turn people into reefing machines.
[/quote]
"Lots of natural sunlight"I was thinking trying this since I been over to Lap's place and when the sun hit his tank the Acan's go wild. I have never seen Acans expand so much(1-1 1/2) each. They really seem to like some sun light. :)
 
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=2557.msg26534#msg26534 date=1194470262]
My footprint is 36"X18" (I had to do it sorry)[/quote]

Man, that's a big foot! What soze shoe to you where :D jk
 
[quote author=nash link=topic=2557.msg26588#msg26588 date=1194588097]
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=2557.msg26534#msg26534 date=1194470262]
My footprint is 36"X18" (I had to do it sorry)

Evaporative cooling, low flow sump, at some point a gravity fed recirc mod on the skimmer. Lots of natural sunlight (although I'm rethinking that). E-ballasts, closed loop gyre, 17" deep tank. I do all I can, however it's funny how shipping livestock came up earlier as bigfoot. If that is a big culprit, I raise my hand first as in violation due to occupational reasons, I am involved in the problem. I will say though I recently went ~7weeks without loosing a fish in the 30 or so tanks I service. And if a client wants a tang in a 30g I can provide them with a # of someone who can take care of their tank.

BAR is amazing, I think in our own community we make a difference through captive propagation, and over generousness with not only animals, but with advanced knowledge as well to help turn people into reefing machines.
[/quote]
"Lots of natural sunlight"I was thinking trying this since I been over to Lap's place and when the sun hit his tank the Acan's go wild. I have never seen Acans expand so much(1-1 1/2) each. They really seem to like some sun light. :)
[/quote]I love the natural sun, however if you look at my tank from the angle the sun hits it versus the opposite angle, the difference in color is very obvious. The sides that get sun are brown with pale highlights, the sides that don't are full color. Also the difference in colors from Summer to Winter is obvious as well. The upside is weed like growth.

I still think this discussion should include more about livestock, it's not just energy, it's also the impact on the reefs themselves. Look at the end of Soylent Green, Dude hadn't seen a flower in like fifty years. He was willing to die to experience the beauty of nature again, that would suck.
 
[quote author=Thales link=topic=2557.msg26461#msg26461 date=1194297398]
[quote author=nash link=topic=2557.msg26440#msg26440 date=1194248810]
wax covered cardboard that they are shipped in.

[/quote]

Other then that part, I agree with what you say 100%.

Other then LR, only Tonga and Hawaii really are the only ones to ship their fish/corals in wax cardboard, from what I have seen :)
 
[quote author=GreshamH link=topic=2557.msg26637#msg26637 date=1194677765]
[quote author=Thales link=topic=2557.msg26461#msg26461 date=1194297398]
[quote author=nash link=topic=2557.msg26440#msg26440 date=1194248810]
wax covered cardboard that they are shipped in.

[/quote]

Other then that part, I agree with what you say 100%.

Other then LR, only Tonga and Hawaii really are the only ones to ship their fish/corals in wax cardboard, from what I have seen :)
[/quote]

Cause live rock doesn't count? :D
 
OK, I stopped :)


Don't get me wrong, we use a TON of those boxes for live rock, but I'd say like 1 of them to like 20 normal. Places like SDC, Quality, well, most of 104th, rebox in their own box. That is a HUGE waste IMO. Resusing the boxes when possiable should be protocal everywhere.
 
I guess the point is we all invidually contribute as well as attribute to the overall "waste" in this hobby. If we itemize everything out and we are all that concerned you might as well crawl under rock and never come out. :D

This hobby like any hobby contributes to "waste", it's can we all live with it knowing it impacts not just the here and now but the future as well.
 
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