400g system from scratch pictorial
- Thread starter pclausen
- Start date
pclausen
New member
No, the "islands" wrap around the overflows, but don't actually touch them. Well, there might be 1 or 2 points that touch, and those would be the smaller pieces near the top. As mentioned, I have 2 of the CL manifold jets shooting water back there in the hope that there are no dead spots.
I realize that the AGA megaflows have inlet slits near the bottom and also in the middle of the stacks, but I made sure those are not blocked so that they will function as designed.
I realize that the AGA megaflows have inlet slits near the bottom and also in the middle of the stacks, but I made sure those are not blocked so that they will function as designed.
pclausen
New member
Water params
Water params
Ran the full suite of water parameter tests this morning and these are my current readings:
Temp 81.3
pH 7.93
ORP 389
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 0.0
Phosphate 0.0
Calcium 340
Alkalinity 2.57
As you can see, pH and calcium are below what they should be. Jorge @ Reeftek finally got my kalk reactor shipped and according to FedEx it will be here Tuesday. As you can see, I'm loaded for bear with Mrs. Wages pickling lime already. I just need the reactor.
Here is a plot of the first 3 parameters listed for the last week:
I broke down and ordered a new Tradewind 1/3 hp drop-in chiller. I had been looking at used ones on Ebay but they all wound up at close to the cost of a new one and shipping was quite high on most of them as well. I got free shipping and an additional discount for not getting a controller with it since I'll be controlling it via the ACII, not to mention a full factory warranty. My current temperature solution of leaving the door to the fishroom open and having a box fan sitting there blowing air in, along with leaving the house a/c on 74 all the time just isn't cutting it.
Water params
Ran the full suite of water parameter tests this morning and these are my current readings:
Temp 81.3
pH 7.93
ORP 389
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 0.0
Phosphate 0.0
Calcium 340
Alkalinity 2.57
As you can see, pH and calcium are below what they should be. Jorge @ Reeftek finally got my kalk reactor shipped and according to FedEx it will be here Tuesday. As you can see, I'm loaded for bear with Mrs. Wages pickling lime already. I just need the reactor.
Here is a plot of the first 3 parameters listed for the last week:
I broke down and ordered a new Tradewind 1/3 hp drop-in chiller. I had been looking at used ones on Ebay but they all wound up at close to the cost of a new one and shipping was quite high on most of them as well. I got free shipping and an additional discount for not getting a controller with it since I'll be controlling it via the ACII, not to mention a full factory warranty. My current temperature solution of leaving the door to the fishroom open and having a box fan sitting there blowing air in, along with leaving the house a/c on 74 all the time just isn't cutting it.
You also need a magnesium test kit, though. If you continue making graphs of test results, I would forget about ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from now on and concentrate on alk, Ca and Mg.
pclausen
New member
pH crash?
pH crash?
I'll be sure to pick up a magnesium test kit. Good idea about graphing alk, Ca and Mg. I was just looking at the parameters on the ACII and was sort of freaked out by the pH reading that had dropped sharply this morning and is currently reading 7.4! At the same time ORP has raised sharply.
Check out the graph from the last 24 hours (it doesn't show the latest pH data points):
The fact that the ORP went up sharply I think might have been a clue. I shut off the ac this morning because the weather is really nice outside with temps in the low 70s. So I opened all the windows so there is a lot more oxygen in the house. Could this have caused the pH crash?
If so, I guess I'll have to be very careful about opening the windows!
pH crash?
I'll be sure to pick up a magnesium test kit. Good idea about graphing alk, Ca and Mg. I was just looking at the parameters on the ACII and was sort of freaked out by the pH reading that had dropped sharply this morning and is currently reading 7.4! At the same time ORP has raised sharply.
Check out the graph from the last 24 hours (it doesn't show the latest pH data points):
The fact that the ORP went up sharply I think might have been a clue. I shut off the ac this morning because the weather is really nice outside with temps in the low 70s. So I opened all the windows so there is a lot more oxygen in the house. Could this have caused the pH crash?
If so, I guess I'll have to be very careful about opening the windows!
pclausen
New member
I'm pretty sure something must be wrong with my pH and ORP probes. I mean pH is currently reading 3.58 and went below 2 last night. ORP is also way off, currently reading 640. It is very odd that they would both go bad at the same time. I tried cleaning them but that didn't make a difference. I'm going to pick up a regular pH test kit to find out what my actual pH value is until I get this sorted out.
mikeo1210
Premium Member
Your alk is 7.2 dkh which is a bit low (8-11 is more typical). That and your calc level tell me you could be supplementing more.
A good place to start is by matching your kalk additions (drip rate) to your rate of evaporation. Your kalk should also be mixed using two teaspoons per gallon (saturated level).
Supplement more and monitor your alk level as you go. This will bring your calc and ph up. Once your alk and calc are balanced and @ optimum levels you'll find you won't need to test for ph.
Opening your window btw will increase your ph.
A good place to start is by matching your kalk additions (drip rate) to your rate of evaporation. Your kalk should also be mixed using two teaspoons per gallon (saturated level).
Supplement more and monitor your alk level as you go. This will bring your calc and ph up. Once your alk and calc are balanced and @ optimum levels you'll find you won't need to test for ph.
Opening your window btw will increase your ph.
Beverly
New member
If dripping kalk does not raise alk and Ca, they will have to be raised by supplementing with some kind of buffer as well as with a calcium supplement. Also, remember to monitor magnesium levels and supplement when required.
One thing I constantly monitor is pH using a PinPoint pH probe and monitor. The probe has a long enough cable to reach to all three of our tanks. It is calibrated every so often, especially if something seems out of whack.
Indeed, open windows and fresh air should increase pH.
One thing I constantly monitor is pH using a PinPoint pH probe and monitor. The probe has a long enough cable to reach to all three of our tanks. It is calibrated every so often, especially if something seems out of whack.
Indeed, open windows and fresh air should increase pH.
mikeo1210
Premium Member
Beverly said:
Saturated kalk is a perfectly balanced (both ca and alk) supplement. It will increase both if you dose more of it.
If a more stable ph is what you're after then dripping the kalk when your lights are off (when ph is suppressed) is your best bet.
As I mentioned I think alk should be your first priority as everything else will "fall in line", especially since you're using kalkwasser.
pclausen
New member
I'm not dripping kalk just yet as I won't have my reactor until Tuesday. I also have a calcium reactor (MRC CR-2), but I haven't hooked it up yet. I wanted to do the kalk reactor first and then supplement with the CR-2 reactor later. I think that will allow me to get my alk at the proper level first. I hope that once I bring the kalk reactor online, the ca and alk (and pH) will fall into place. Then as I get more corals that suck up ca, I'll bring the CR-2 reactor online as well. At least that is how I'm thinking of going about it.
Steve, I do have the ACII plugged into my pc full time. And I am using the ground insulator. I tried unplugging the serial cable, but that didn't change the readings.
Steve, I do have the ACII plugged into my pc full time. And I am using the ground insulator. I tried unplugging the serial cable, but that didn't change the readings.
pclausen
New member
As far as my pH and ORP probe woes, it has been suggested that I likely have a current leak of some sort. I'll test that by floating the probes in a separate container of tank water this evening to see what my readings are.
Went to the lfs yesterday looking for a sw pH test kit, but they didn't have one. I did pick up 12 Cerith snails and a rather large banded coral shrimp. He (or likely she) was only $8 and appears to have a body of at least 3" already. I understand that these guys are considered reef safe but that some have had issues with them. Very cool looking shrimp. I drip acclimated her for 1 hour and in she went. She crawled around the front of the rocks briefly before settling upside down in the first cave she found. I feed her a little brime shrimp last night with a turkey baster and she literally jumped forward after it. She is still doing fine this morning. If she causes problems down the road, I'll move her to the 55g.
The lfs had another shrimp that looked just like a banded coral, but it was HUGE. I would say a foot long or so. Didn't get a chance to ask the clerk what it was. Any idea? They had it in their main coral tank (150g or so) with plenty of tangs and lots of lps and a few sps corals as well as anemonies.
I followed Dr. Ron's latest advice regarding the Cerith snails and sat them in an empty bowl for 10 minutes and then placed them on the glass right at water level. A couple of them fell down once or twice before they got a good grip. But they all appear to be doing fine this morning. Some are on the glass, others are making tracks in the sand, and still others are on the rock work.
I'm also starting to see a few tunnels in the sand up against the glass. And this is all before my sand activator package is here, which won't be until Thursday.
I thoroughly cleaned the 2nd canister filter I had running on my 55g before those Cichlids went into the pond. It is now running on the main tank with 2 sponge filters and a carbon pad. I'm seeding it to be my quarantine tank filter. Running the carbon has made the water crystal clear. I definitely plan to run carbon full time in my other canister filter (the one currently running just 6 micro pads), given how clear the water is now.
Went to the lfs yesterday looking for a sw pH test kit, but they didn't have one. I did pick up 12 Cerith snails and a rather large banded coral shrimp. He (or likely she) was only $8 and appears to have a body of at least 3" already. I understand that these guys are considered reef safe but that some have had issues with them. Very cool looking shrimp. I drip acclimated her for 1 hour and in she went. She crawled around the front of the rocks briefly before settling upside down in the first cave she found. I feed her a little brime shrimp last night with a turkey baster and she literally jumped forward after it. She is still doing fine this morning. If she causes problems down the road, I'll move her to the 55g.
The lfs had another shrimp that looked just like a banded coral, but it was HUGE. I would say a foot long or so. Didn't get a chance to ask the clerk what it was. Any idea? They had it in their main coral tank (150g or so) with plenty of tangs and lots of lps and a few sps corals as well as anemonies.
I followed Dr. Ron's latest advice regarding the Cerith snails and sat them in an empty bowl for 10 minutes and then placed them on the glass right at water level. A couple of them fell down once or twice before they got a good grip. But they all appear to be doing fine this morning. Some are on the glass, others are making tracks in the sand, and still others are on the rock work.
I'm also starting to see a few tunnels in the sand up against the glass. And this is all before my sand activator package is here, which won't be until Thursday.
I thoroughly cleaned the 2nd canister filter I had running on my 55g before those Cichlids went into the pond. It is now running on the main tank with 2 sponge filters and a carbon pad. I'm seeding it to be my quarantine tank filter. Running the carbon has made the water crystal clear. I definitely plan to run carbon full time in my other canister filter (the one currently running just 6 micro pads), given how clear the water is now.
pclausen
New member
That's what I have (a pH probe and monitor), the problem is that my readings have been inaccurate since Saturday morning. I also have a Milwaukee pH monitor, but the probe for it is sitting 100 miles South of here (I forgot to grab it when picking up a used CO2 reactor a while back).
My only reasoning for wanting to pick up a cheap pH test kit was to ensure that my pH stayed in the ballpark of what it should be. But based on recent feedback in the Neptune support forum, I think I have a stray current or something messing up my reading, so I'm not overly concerned with my current values any longer.
As Mike suggested, I'll concentrate on getting my kalk drip going and monitor my alk level. That should bring pH and calc inline. I should have my reactor tomorrow. Tonight I'll get my dosing pump plumbed in and the float switch installed. This will replace my simple float valve. That valve would get clogged pretty quickly if I was to use it for my kalk drip.
I have a magnesium test kit on the way, so I can check that parameter as well. Too bad they don't make calc, alk or mag probes.
My only reasoning for wanting to pick up a cheap pH test kit was to ensure that my pH stayed in the ballpark of what it should be. But based on recent feedback in the Neptune support forum, I think I have a stray current or something messing up my reading, so I'm not overly concerned with my current values any longer.
As Mike suggested, I'll concentrate on getting my kalk drip going and monitor my alk level. That should bring pH and calc inline. I should have my reactor tomorrow. Tonight I'll get my dosing pump plumbed in and the float switch installed. This will replace my simple float valve. That valve would get clogged pretty quickly if I was to use it for my kalk drip.
I have a magnesium test kit on the way, so I can check that parameter as well. Too bad they don't make calc, alk or mag probes.
