I am thinking about getting a new as close as possible plug and play nano tank and the AMW 102 looks pretty neat to me. Please make suggestions on what choice you would make in that size range of complete systems available in SA and what mods goes with these tanks?
The reason for my anticipated move to this tank is primarily to get rid of the huge electricity consumption of metal halides and chillers. A mild day in the recent weeks seems to be around 32 degrees and the hot ones goes towards the higher 30 s and some goes into the 40 s. Apart from this I think it is time for me to stop forever tinkering with the fish tank and get the unused vehicles ready to sell as well as finishing all those small jobs my wife has to very patiently remind me of every now and then.
Reading the above it says to me I am planning to become a bit lazy and I need a a tank that can almost look after itself.
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Items by herkie
Marine Aquariums of South Africa
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Aquaria AMW 102 advice and comments
Posted: February 19th, 2012, 4:35pm CST by herkie
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Magic collection day but can this be trusted?
Posted: January 8th, 2012, 7:45pm CST by herkie
Danie Botha and myself had a absolutely magic day at THE beach in KZN and I'm sure SK had the same experience. Quite a few more species fish was on display and the weather was as good as one can want. I got this one slug like thing that is beautiful to me but I am not sure if it can go into my tank. Please give me your advice, it is hanging around in a pyrex lid and I would like to make the right decision asap.
And this is the slug.
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Nikon D60 SLR camera for sale.
Posted: December 19th, 2011, 1:37pm CST by herkie
I have a D60 Nikon SLR camera with a 18-55mm lens for sale. It also comes with a original Nikon Bag, software and charger. The camera is in very good condition and has not taken many photos. I am selling it because it is not really used and I can only take auto photos with it because when I get back to the camera I have forgotten about the tricks and adjustments learned 3 months ago. Selling price R4250.00 and I am in Richards Bay KZN.
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My new ATS
Posted: November 24th, 2011, 8:50pm CST by herkie
I have not been using a ATS since my sump rebuild and I miss it dearly every time I have to clean the tank so I have decided to build a new ATS that will grow more algae and one that will also be more user friendly.
The main body in place
The empty light holders
The body from another angle
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New sump advice
Posted: September 12th, 2011, 10:39pm CDT by herkie
I believe in natural, simple, easy to care for systems. The KISS principal, Keep It Simple Stupid.
So for me its big DSB systems and refugiums. With a nice size cheato ball.
But at the end of the day, its your choice.
The quote above was Riaan's advice in another thread and I like it so I would like to stick to it although it is almost too late. My sump started cracking and the water leaks became hectic.
While getting glass prices I got hold of a weird shaped tank that I have turned into a sump in the meantime. The dimensions are 1600lx600hx400w and I think that will leave me with 320l capacity. The first chamber will house the overflow from the sump, a wool filter and the skimmer. The sump has 6 chambers of which 5 will be full of live rock and the last one will have an overflow into a standard 4 ft tank that will have a pump area and as much as possible area for a DSB. What I have never understood well is the concept of a refugium. How do you suggest I build the 4ft sump to incorporate a fuge and what is the purpose of a refugium in simple as possible language. -
Will the lions chomp the shrimp?
Posted: September 7th, 2011, 9:07pm CDT by herkie
Jeaques caught a beautiful cleaner shrimp, will the lions eat it or should he put it in my tank? -
This is my crisis!
Posted: August 25th, 2011, 7:59pm CDT by herkie
The wife calls at 15h00 and says my sump is leaking water. I am not too worried by this and tell her to remove the filter floss and sponge between the sump return and skimmer chamber. When I get home I find this
and this.
I now wonder if I will be able to keep my sand and rock alive if I can find a big enough temp tank to put my dsb sand and the sump rock into. Plus the 2 Lions and the Rockcod.:(:(:( -
MH globe repair project
Posted: August 15th, 2011, 7:29pm CDT by herkie
My MH light did not come on the last 2 days and I have found the metal running from inside the globe to the connector has corroded away. I think I can grind a bit of glass around the metal connector off and if I can do it the plan is as follows: I can drill a small hole through the blue part and then solder a piece of wire to the metal stub that was opened with the Dremel and then run the wire to the outside of the connector. I am fairly confident I will be able to do this but the problem I see is the heat the globe generates. Will it be enough to melt the solder?
I will order a new globe tomorrow but the coral also needs light in the meantime, do you think it is worthwhile to spend time on this globe?
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Will this beach ever be the same again?
Posted: August 9th, 2011, 10:57pm CDT by herkie
This the Phoenix that is stranded at Sheffield beach. I heard an attempt to get it off the beach will be made on the 30th of August and I am not so sure if it can be done. The ships bow is about 1,5 metres off the ground so it must be lying quite solidly where it is resting on the ocean bed. My question is what effect is it going to have on the beach apart from being ugly, surely the currents will be changed and this could well end up with a beach with very little rock and and none of the beautiful specimens found here left.
The crowds visiting the beach is already littering and I have seen so many people trying to catch any fish or hermit they see-to do what with?
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What is this?
Posted: August 9th, 2011, 10:26pm CDT by herkie
A friend of mine collected this thing and has it in his tank. It has legs and walks around-I wonder if it can be trusted cos it looks weird to me.
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Is this fish OK to keep?
Posted: August 1st, 2011, 7:13pm CDT by herkie
I have made a huge mistake by putting some fish in my tank that should never have been in there. The fish was removed and I have decided to ask on MASA before adding a fish to my tank again. Can you please ID the fish and let me know if it is safe to have in my tank. I would not like to have fish that will cause harm to any other fish, coral or invertebrate.
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Veggies
Posted: July 25th, 2011, 11:58pm CDT by herkie
I would like to chop some fresh veggies up anw freeze it with some water to feed to the fish sometimes. How do you do it and what veggies do you use? -
New tank lighting
Posted: July 18th, 2011, 10:59pm CDT by herkie
I was given a tank with the dimensions 730l x 450h x 440w and would like to start it as a reef tank. The heat problems with my other tank that has MH lighting in it was bad last summer and I think I must go for T5's in this tank. I have never had a tank with t5 lighting and don't have a clue how many to use-please give your advice. -
Salinity
Posted: July 16th, 2011, 8:37pm CDT by herkie
I notice just about everybody is happy with a salinity of 1024. It makes me wonder why, the salinity of our local waters are not nearly the same and varies quite a lot.
This year the water I collect is on average around 1022, but a few years ago when I started I always had to add fresh water to get the level down from readings of up to 1028. I seem to remember the water we collected for SK's concrete tank was around 1026.
I am using the same mechanical perspex tester and I have stripped it down and cleaned it to see if it does not give me a false reading due to settlement on the needle and it did not change.
These differences in readings does not seem to have any effect on the fish we get in the local waters and the bit of coral that have not been taken off the rocks does not seem to be unhappy either.
My question is why are we striving for 1024 when the reading from the oceans goes up and down? -
Ozone
Posted: July 15th, 2011, 9:22pm CDT by herkie
I am not sure what ozone is, what it is used for, how one uses it. Please help educate me. -
Overflow link
Posted: June 2nd, 2011, 7:53pm CDT by herkie
Can someone please help me find a link to a thread with plans for one of those overflows that sits on the glass with half inside and the other part outside. A friend needs to build one to use on a tank that can not be driled. -
Monster LED's
Posted: March 11th, 2011, 6:07pm CST by herkie
I have been looking at this and it seems to me as if this can work if we can add some blue.
Access Denied
If the link does not work look at Solar Technologies -
LED diy
Posted: February 19th, 2011, 8:06pm CST by herkie
I just had a look at this thread and it looks as if it is working fine. What do you think?
LED build and PAR readings (pic intensive) - Reef Central Online Community -
Can you ID this fish please?
Posted: February 19th, 2011, 3:23pm CST by herkie
Can you ID this fish please and more importantly is it reef safe?
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Your T5 lighting advice please
Posted: February 8th, 2011, 9:52pm CST by herkie
The Zululand heat is killing me and trying its best to destroy my very brave Haleia HC 500 chiller plus the electricity costs is running away. This convinced me the MH lights are more suitable for the upcountry reefers whose tanks does not overheat regularly.
LED lights are too expensive and it seems as if it is still in the early research and development stage. That leaves me with the T5 option.
My tank is 520 mm deep, 370 wide and 390 from the front to the overflow. I have looked at T5's before and never considered it an option because The T5's are longer than the tank width.
I now wonder if it will work if I mount the tubes from front to the back. The piece of tubes that is then sticking out at the back of the tank will then be above the small pre sump attached to the back of the tank. The overflow water runs down this slope that might become a scrubber lighted by the too long tubes.
The overflow slope than could become a extra ATS.
This is a side view of the tank.
And a front view so you can see what is in the tank.
Please advise me what tubes I should use and how to place/mount them.