470 Gallon Mixed Reef - nuxx Reef

[nuxx]

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the test. Sure, the float switch gets tripped, but you wouldn't run a skimmer that wet, even with the Swabbie. Could you please explain a bit more what you're trying to achieve and why it is necessary to do things that way?

Thx

Dave.M

Since I've been skimming wetter, I noticed that when I turned off the return pumps to mess with something, when the pumps came back on and the sump was leveling out, the skimmer started filling up quickly.

I also now have the return pumps and skimmer on two different battery backups giving me from 60 to 90 minutes of power to both the skimmer and returns. We only get very short power outages during bad storms, so I really shouldn't have to deal with any situations that the returns go down when I'm not around.

Even if it overflows, it just drips back into the sump, but might splash a bit on the stand...

Just lets me sleep better at night.

 

[nuxx]

Had around 10"+ of rain and some tornados in the area over the weekend, so finally got around to finishing up the stand for the quarantine tanks.

Just need to get my tanks from the attic and start filling them up.

Waiting on two fish I special ordered to show up, then I'll get a few other fish into QT with them as well.

 

[nuxx]

New video...

Still having a bit of hard time with GHA, but we've knocked it back about 95%...

 

[nuxx]

Well thanks to a bad Nitrate test kit my parameters are all off.

Started to notice it when I added coral to the tank for the first time and everything pretty much melted away.

Test kit for Nitrates (which I based carbon dosing off of) was showing 0.
Before manual removal of GHA, phosphates were also showing 0.

I thought something was up, so I had a local reefer with an insane SPS dominated tank test my water.

Got the following back:
Sal - 1.023
Ca - 400 ppm
Alk - 6.1 dKh
Mg - 1120 ppm
NO3 - 64 ppm
PO4 - 0.32 ppm

Another SPS guy stopped by the house and got similar results.

All the while my nitrate kit was still showing 0...

Needless to say, I'm not about to start doing 100 gallon changes every other day until I can knock these numbers down.

Then start up with Vodka again, also ordered a large GFO reactor to try to kill off the phosphates.

Seems so stupid to let the water get this bad based off a test kit not working right... should have known I wasn't at 0ppm... :headwalls:

 

[spsfle]

Hey Nuxx, sorry if I missed it somewhere, but did you ever get the ATO started and what pump did you end up using

 

[nuxx]

Hey Nuxx, sorry if I missed it somewhere, but did you ever get the ATO started and what pump did you end up using

No problem.

I got the Avast Marine ATO Sensor and their diaphragm pump.

Works like a charm

 

[nuxx]

About to do the first 150 gallon water change...

Then do quick 100 gallon changes every other day or so...

 

[A_CoupleClowns]

Any updates?

 

[carlos danger]

I would of loved to seen the type of jack used. Thats crazy that you got that beast moved with only two people. I really need one of those jacks to help me!

 

[nuxx]

I would of loved to seen the type of jack used. Thats crazy that you got that beast moved with only two people. I really need one of those jacks to help me!

Yeah it was home made by Timfish. Was crazy we got it done with two people and my wife guiding it in lol

 

[nuxx]

Any updates?

After the following changes:
150 Gallon Change
100 Gallon Change
100 Gallon Change
100 Gallon Change
100 Gallon Change

I tested the water yesterday and got the following:

Temp 78.5
Alk 8.8
Salinity 1.026
N03 10-12 pmm
P04 0.19
Calc 490 ppm
PH 8.15

It's really going in the right direction.

I'm going to do two more water changes since all the equipment is already there and then start up with carbon dosing and GFO.

I bought a TLF Phosban 550 Reactor and Jebao DC1200 pump to run GFO. Will probably install it this weekend.

Added a Build MY LED fuge LED to the sump, but it's just not enough light, so I bought a cheap Chinese full spectrum dimmable LED to supplement it. It has 55 3 watt LEDS, and I'll try to adjust the color to match the BML coloration. Should be enough for our fuge area. After adding the BML the Chaeto has really taken off.

Looks like we're on the right track

My wife is going on a short vacation with her mom next weekend, so I might also finish putting all the QT tanks on the stand and think about what's next

Still slacking on getting the frag tank up and running... thought I'd focus on getting the display back to where it needs to be. :hmm5:

 

[A_CoupleClowns]

Good work! Keep it up and everything should be perfect in no time!

 

[nuxx]

Good work! Keep it up and everything should be perfect in no time!

Thanks

Did a 100 gallon change yesterday and will do the last tomorrow or Wednesday.

Had to fill up our RODI container and automatic water change container, so had to put filling up the water change container off for a bit.

 

[nuxx]

Did two more 100 gallon changes...

Now my parameters are sitting at:
Temp 78.5
Alk 8.8
Salinity 1.026
N03 8 pmm
P04 0.18
Calc 490 ppm
PH 8.13

Starting up our TLF Phosban 550 reactor tonight to lower phosphates and will do 10 ml of Vodka for a week, then up to 12.5 ml if no drop in N03.

One of our WP40s burnt out, so I ordered a replacement RW-20. Will end up replacing all the WP40s and WP60s with RW-20s. Should be here tomorrow.

Also added some more light to the fuge, hoping the Chaeto will take off.

Added the following:
Build My LED - XB Fuge LED
Chinese Full Specturm 165 Watt Full Spectrum (3watt x 55 - White, Blue, Green, Red, etc...)

Here is a video:

 

[nuxx]

Got the first batch of coral in the frag tank...

 

[nuxx]

Finally ditched the Jebao controllers for full APEX control.

Spent last weekend taking out 7 old Jebao controllers and power supplies. Had an extra controller and supply there from when a WP40 burnt out.

Added 3 Jebao to Apex adapters and 3 6.5 amp power supplies so I could run two pumps on each adapter. Had to also add an addition VDM module for the Apex.

I'm now running over 10 programs throughout the day ranging from calm to flush with various waves (synced and un-synced) and crest modes.

Also in the morning and evening a very calm wave runs, then goes to a low constant speed overnight.

The wave and crest modes make a bit of water noise, but they're pushing a lot of water.

The evening and night modes are dead silent, basically all you hear from the tank now is the impellers from the returns, so pretty silent of a system.

Also it's funny... the Crosshatches are not big swimmers and like to hang out in their far end of the tank. When "Reef Crest" modes kick in, they start playing in the water and swimming all around. Pretty funny. I mostly noticed them being most active in the early morning and right before lights out before. Guess it has to do with them being deeper water fish and not liking the lights that much.

I'll try to get a video later, but they're putting some wood in our house today so it's a bit loud...

Overall, extremely happy with the change!

 

[McPuff]

Ugh... I freaking love this tank! Really wish I could fit a big tank down my stairs!! The crosshatch triggers were a terrific addition by the way. :0)

 

[nuxx]

Thanks

Think things are finally turning the corner on the tank as well.

Moved the first batch of coral and QTed inverts over from the frag tank a few days ago.

Still fighting some dying hair algae, so I think the GFO is annoying the LPS I added.

Going to pick up some new frags from a hobbyists in town today and ordered a bunch of CUC as well

 

[nuxx]

Lots going on finally!

Built the magnetic frames for the stand, going to skin them this weekend. Going to use some whitewashed / distressed boards. We measured wrong on one... oh well nobody will see it

Extended the siphon breaks on the returns and now aren't seeing too much flow back. This is the normal sump operational height and then with both return pumps off and also the skimmer off. The returns are on a battery backup, so should only turn off after about 2 hours of no power.

Acclimating the coral we took over from the frag tank after an 80 day QT period. The Rainbow Hammer was a little annoyed, but is now starting to come out a bit more. Some of the other LPS and ZOAs were annoyed when I was running more GFO, but I've cut back as I beat a lot of the GHA down. Have some SPS on the other side of the tank acclimating as well.

Went ahead and ordered the "final" 2 Kessil A360WEs as well. Bringing the total up to 6, which I think will do for the foreseeable future. Should be here Thursday. I'm really eager to see what another 2 will do. Going from 3 to 4 was a big difference.

Here are the new frags in the frag tank going through their 72+ day quarantine, along with the Linckias and a Sea Hare.

 

[iced98lx]

Nice! Post before and after on the two new Kessils being added!