Sarah's new 60 gallon!

Leave the sand. Buy new furniture. Or curtains. But definitely leave the sand.....

Thanks for talking me off the ledge guys, all I need is to be balancing on a kitchen chair scooping out sand, starting mini cycles, dripping water everywhere and ticking off everything in the tank.
I'll focus my redecorating vibe on something else. They do have the prettiest martha stewart drapes at home depot....

Update: Loooong over due. Pics to come soon.
So I painted the back of the tank yesterday, I don't know why I thought spray painting was my only option. (and an impossible option on my full tank) I grabbed a can of oil based blue and a teeeeny roller and bam, blue back. Looks very nice, I've been looking at cruddy salt covered bakgrounds for too long. I've had nothing on there for a while and the cords were driving me nuts.
My reef octopus skimmer died a few months ago. Nothing will resurrect it. I've tried everything. Blowing on the hose. Sucking on the hose. Shut up weirdos. I've taken it apart. Nada. It's a downer. In a sad state I actually went and bought a marineland canister filter. EEK! The guy at two turtles in akron swears by his and his tank is amazing. It worked for 2 weeks and died. The company sent me a new one. That one lasted 3 weeks. Now I have to call them again but I'm over it. I'm just going to buy another protein skimmer. Such equipment issues. I mean, how intense is my fish poop that I've killed 3 filtration devices?

All my fish are alive (knock wood) and prospering. Getting huge as a matter of fact. Well, the one banggai is huge, the other is small and picked on, it's sad. He hides out in a cave in front with my yellow (now gray) watchman. It's actually cool cause the watchman I've had forever, just never saw him, his cave was in back. He got a wuss friend and moved so now I can see them all the time.

Vary cool cant wait to see photos

SarahSmile said:

Blowing on the hose. Sucking on the hose. Shut up weirdos.

Click to expand...

:bounce:I died! :bounce:lmao :bounce:

Sounds like the pump motor seized up and then killed over by burning up trying to run. Before buying a new skimmer, contact reef octopus and see about buying a new pump. Most of the time, you will be able to for a fraction of the price but only spend the money if youre for sure its a goner; take it apart, clean the impeller (should slide out) and pump well with vinegar then plug it back in. You can also plug it in with the impeller guard (plastice that houses it) off of it, try to spin it with your hands and see if it starts up... if not, buy a new pump.

Glad to hear everything is alive and well!!

(Also I miss your updates... you make me giggle).

I laughed pretty hard a few times there. I'd follow buddy's advice. Don't give up on it till you are 100% sure it's a goner.

And, you must have some serious fish poo going on in there :p

I have strengths. I know I do. I just can't think of any now ok. Back off. It's too much pressure. However, mechanicalism (rhymes with cannibalism, go with it) is not one of them. You guys inspired me though, I unearthed the wreckage from the garage and spent a marvelous 3 hours tinkering. I got water all over me, the dogs, the floor, I did not fix the thing though. I pulled it all apart, again. I opened up the pump, pulled out the impeller, looked gunky. I cleaned it off, no difference. Just a quiet hum. No suction. What took me so long is I couldn't get everything back together without it leaking somewhere. I kept refilling and running it in the sink attached to the bucket. It would leak. I'd dump it out, make a mess, take a monkey wrench (look, tools, take that Mr. Orban, shop teacher who said I was hopeless) get all the pipes off and try to put it back together right. I believe you all are correct, it needs a new pump. I put a call into Reef Octopus, answering machine. There is one for 60 on ebay. Quick question, the air tube is half filled with water. Is that right? I don't remember that. When it starting initially dying it sounded gurgly. Like the air line was choking on water. .

Also, in my mechanicalistic zeal, I cracked one of the fittings with the wrench. Picture that scene in Zoolander where Ben and Owen are hopping around the computer making monkey noises and beating on the thing. That's a preeeetty accurate picture of my kitchen yesterday.

I was also making the "blue steel" face at the time.

SarahSmile said:

I was also making the "blue steel" face at the time.

Click to expand...

That's wicked hot.

the air hose will clear out when the pump is functioning. replace the pump and see what happens.

Good luck! I hate skimmer issues... Where are those tank pics? I can't wait to see!

I have missed these entertaining updates!!!!! Welcome back??

Hellloooooo! Ok, so I ordered a new impeller, tried it again, nope. Not the impeller. I'm thinking of sending the whole darn thing back to reef octopus to see if they'll fix. It's not under warranty anymore though. But, what the hey, I'm made of money right? Here are some pics of the result of my Van Goghing the hell out of the back of my tank. My huge colonies of gsp are all closed because I was messing with them.

I've got a wee bit o' cyano on one of the gsp, probably cause I have the worlds cruddiest water quality in there right now. Seriously, it's like Somali in there now. Poor refugee fish. I do have a C series canister filter on the way from Marineland, it's what they're sending as a replacement. It sits on the floor, I might actually use it, run carbon and filter floss. I dunno. I was just going to sell it...
Also on it's way to me....A KESSIL A350W. Oh yeah peeps, this is real and this is happening. Not a drill. I found a good deal on ebay, I like the kessil cause I can gooseneck it. goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, gooseneck! I have high ceilings and cannot hang leds. The guy snail mailed it from California yesterday soooo....should have it by Labor day.

The tuna blues are amazing :) I hope you enjoy the light. I'm not a fan of canisters but then again I don't see much difference from a carbon reactor... Which I use and hate cleaning lol

SarahSmile said:

I've got a wee bit o' cyano on one of the gsp, probably cause I have the worlds cruddiest water quality in there right now. Seriously, it's like Somali in there now. Poor refugee fish. I do have a C series canister filter on the way from Marineland, it's what they're sending as a replacement. It sits on the floor, I might actually use it, run carbon and filter floss. I dunno. I was just going to sell it...
Also on it's way to me....A KESSIL A350W. Oh yeah peeps, this is real and this is happening. Not a drill. I found a good deal on ebay, I like the kessil cause I can gooseneck it. goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, gooseneck! I have high ceilings and cannot hang leds. The guy snail mailed it from California yesterday soooo....should have it by Labor day.

Click to expand...

Can I just reiterate how much I missed your updates?

And the tank looks pretty awesome for refugee conditions. :D

lol, i just got goosed by sarah. Giggity. :D