How to assemble Maxijet venturi kit ?

[MandarinFish]

I may be retarded, but I need help.

How do you put a Maxijet venturi kit together with the pump and PM H.O.T. 1?

I want to make sure I do this right, quickly as my tank desperately needs skimming....

please advise ASAP

 

[MiltonP]

Your userid had me wondering about your experience with Mandarins and other Dragonets. Have you kept them successfully? I started the somewhat contentious discussion below regarding a 20L Dragonet tank. Thanks. Hope you get your answer quickly.

 

[coryc]

Remove the strainer from the intake side of the pump. Insert the basket from the venturi kit into the pump. Insert the red nipple into the center of the basket. Connect the airline to the red nipple. The output side of the pump should slip right on the skimmer. Make sure the other end of the airline is out of the water. HTH

Cory

 

[MandarinFish]

coryc - Thanks a million. I am going to set it up right now. You rock. Mighty helpful for a "junior reefkeeper"

MiltonP - Mandarin dragonets are what got me into reefkeeping. No, I actually have no dragonets.

I plan to breed them.

Since you asked, I'll give you my $.02 worth:

They need tons of copepods, isopods, amphipods. They are best kept in tanks with dozens and dozens of pounds of live rock to keep the pods flowing.

Despite being cute little psychedelic big-eyed frog looking fish, their nature is that they are absolutely voracious predators. They will clean out most tanks of 'pods in no time.

Can they be kept in a 20 L ?

If, and only if, you get one (no more than one - no, really) that you see eating brine or mysis at the shop. Also, it really helps if you have pod piles (sections of PVC laying on the sand's surface where the pods can live without threat) and a refugium. The little predators will clean you out otherwise. ALSO - bakpak skimmers supposedly form great pod refugiums in addition to a more standard one. A sump helps too.

I have a friend with one in a 40 gallon. I don't like it, but he did it without asking me. He has a refugium and a bakpak and his Mandarin eats brine shrimp. He is lucky.

Can it be done? I believe so. But if you don't keep pods flowing and safe from your Mandarin, and have a dragonet that eats other things, you are basically killing it slowly. Hope this helps

 

[reefworm]

MandarinFish,
coryc beat me to it! I posted same answer to your post on RC. Hope it's up and running ok. By the way, the PM collector rocks!

-rw

 

[MandarinFish]

It works!

I found the red nipple wouldn't fit in the basket, either side of either piece. But it fit the air stem end perfectly, so that's where it went.

This modification blows both the Rio 600 and 800 away. Soooooooooooooo much better skimming.

The animals in my tank thank you guys. Very helpful and quick. Much obliged.

 

[Anonymous]

Most retardo's do need help.but I like to think that Retards are just real different cool people to hang out with. Woweee! I am so glad to hear you(as a Retard) have taken the challenge of settin up a reef tank.......I am really impressed. Hey....ya know what..you should see this tank that I saw that a Bi-Polar I know set up. He put a 500,000,000,000 species tank together. It is fully matured with billions of Damsels. The only problem is he has had difficulty locating a Giant Squid. Do you know where he could order one from! I would really appreciate any help here. :?: