50g SPS build
- Thread starter cpllongjk
- Start date
Congrats on the 2nd child. I have two myself. For the past 6 months I've been keeping the fish alive and growing algae. Tonight I did my 3rd water change in the past 2 weeks, completed my 2nd dose of flatworm exit to rid my tank of stds (red flatworms), and exchanged the zeolites in my reactor.
When I changed out the zeolites I noticed something not so good with my reactor. My beloved kz zeovit reactor has been leaching what I think to be iron into my tank for a while now. The magnet at the bottom, which I epoxied a year ago very well and sealed, leaked and was apparently leaching into my tank. I'm not messing with the magnet anymore and believe this is a serious design flaw with the kz reactors. I've had this reactor so long and have no wish to change it out but will miss the ease of the magnetic churning for the zeolites.
Anyone have an idea on how to fix it? I will try and post pictures soon but essentially all it is, is a magnet placed in a half pvc cap and glued/epoxied to the base of the inner reactor.
When I changed out the zeolites I noticed something not so good with my reactor. My beloved kz zeovit reactor has been leaching what I think to be iron into my tank for a while now. The magnet at the bottom, which I epoxied a year ago very well and sealed, leaked and was apparently leaching into my tank. I'm not messing with the magnet anymore and believe this is a serious design flaw with the kz reactors. I've had this reactor so long and have no wish to change it out but will miss the ease of the magnetic churning for the zeolites.
Anyone have an idea on how to fix it? I will try and post pictures soon but essentially all it is, is a magnet placed in a half pvc cap and glued/epoxied to the base of the inner reactor.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Post up a photo. I used the glue used to stick aquarium piping together years ago to fix a plastic part on a skimmer I accidentally snapped off. Maybe you can cover the thing in such a type of glue?
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
This is the problem I was talking about with the KZ Zeovit reactor. You can see the magnet on the base of the chamber came apart and was rusting in the tank. I've tried epoxy and it worked for a few months but fell apart again and leaked. Any ideas?
Hmmm...that looks SO much like the Magnets used for the Ecotech MP10's. In fact mine busted just like that.
Here is the glue I was talking about: http://www.worldofpools.com/tangit-all-pressure-glue-details.htm
I used that stuff for fixing plastics to be used anywhere around the tank.
I had my MP10 burst and look just like that. It caused crazy algae too.
I cant be certain but I believe the algae is caused from the excess iron in the magnet leeching into the tank. As we all know iron feeds algae.
Thanks for the link to the glue, I will check it out. I am hesitant to even put it back in my tank now, I was thinking of getting a magnet and putting it in an enclosed pvc caps and then pvc gluing them together and gluing that to the base of my reactor. Essentially making my own magnet "case" that will be 100% water tight.
What do you think? I just need to find some caps with flat surfaces and a magnet to fit inside them.
Thanks for the link to the glue, I will check it out. I am hesitant to even put it back in my tank now, I was thinking of getting a magnet and putting it in an enclosed pvc caps and then pvc gluing them together and gluing that to the base of my reactor. Essentially making my own magnet "case" that will be 100% water tight.
What do you think? I just need to find some caps with flat surfaces and a magnet to fit inside them.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
If you can get a magnet that is strong enough in a similar shape, and you can enclose it fully, then I would do that.
Is there a KZ distributor/Rep you can contact for a replacement? Stuff like this sometimes certain companies will just send for free.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
I've had the rep for Ecotech in the UK send me a whole wetside for my MP10 posted to me. All free. They cost quite a bit too. Had other companies like Tunze as well help out. So worth trying.
Just a couple pictures of the tank and where it stands after a few water changes, flatworm exit doses, and a few rock adjustments. I still have a ways to go before I can add anything to the tank other than the fish that are occupying the tank.
Inhabitants are as follows:
1 Yellow Tang
1 Royal Gramma
1 Maroon Clown
1 Cardinal
1 Green Chromis
Fish for the future include:
a school of Chromis (4-5 more)
mystery wrasse
helfrichi firefish
and maybe a anthia or two depending on if my bioload can take it. I will be close to being maxed out imo.
Those Chromis poop a lot.
Inhabitants are as follows:
1 Yellow Tang
1 Royal Gramma
1 Maroon Clown
1 Cardinal
1 Green Chromis
Fish for the future include:
a school of Chromis (4-5 more)
mystery wrasse
helfrichi firefish
and maybe a anthia or two depending on if my bioload can take it. I will be close to being maxed out imo.
Those Chromis poop a lot.
BTW I see that I never updated you all on the ESV Bionic Seawater System.
Where to begin. Well, lets start with the goods.
1. Once water is made, and heated mixing time takes less than 20 minutes to fully dissolve.
2. If you have a digital scale, pretty cheap imo, you can get water changes 100% the same every time.
3. No inconsistent batches from settling in the bucket/bag like with other sea salts.
4. IMO the best salt for pico tanks or nano tanks where you do 10g or less in a water change.
5. You can adjust the magnesium, alk, and calcium just by adding more or less of 3 of the regents
Bads:
1. Very expensive, sometimes twice the price per gallon vs Instant Ocean/Reef Crystals
2. Sometimes annoying to make sure you have almost same amount of reagent/salts added vs a few cups of this salt and forget it for a day.
3. More storage space required vs bucket method
I feel this salt fits the "The I want my water perfect every water change person." I ran nano tanks for years and know how important exact water changes are to the aquarium. This salt fits the bill. With my water changing 10g tank, I've figured out I have about 9.2 gallons per change. I honestly do not think that ESV's solution is the best. I think it really depends on budget and time. If you want salt ready NOW, this salt is for you and if you don't mind waiting a bit, do something else. I can say one thing for certain though. Do not buy this salt if you plan on doing really big water changes. The salt is way too expensive vs the competition.
I have some ReefCrystals left over that I need to unload from my dad's garage. I will probably conclude my testing on salt after that runs out and make my full decision before buying more. If I had to rate ESV Salt I would give it 4/5 stars, with the star taken due to cost vs competition.
Happy Reefing, Jared
Where to begin. Well, lets start with the goods.
1. Once water is made, and heated mixing time takes less than 20 minutes to fully dissolve.
2. If you have a digital scale, pretty cheap imo, you can get water changes 100% the same every time.
3. No inconsistent batches from settling in the bucket/bag like with other sea salts.
4. IMO the best salt for pico tanks or nano tanks where you do 10g or less in a water change.
5. You can adjust the magnesium, alk, and calcium just by adding more or less of 3 of the regents
Bads:
1. Very expensive, sometimes twice the price per gallon vs Instant Ocean/Reef Crystals
2. Sometimes annoying to make sure you have almost same amount of reagent/salts added vs a few cups of this salt and forget it for a day.
3. More storage space required vs bucket method
I feel this salt fits the "The I want my water perfect every water change person." I ran nano tanks for years and know how important exact water changes are to the aquarium. This salt fits the bill. With my water changing 10g tank, I've figured out I have about 9.2 gallons per change. I honestly do not think that ESV's solution is the best. I think it really depends on budget and time. If you want salt ready NOW, this salt is for you and if you don't mind waiting a bit, do something else. I can say one thing for certain though. Do not buy this salt if you plan on doing really big water changes. The salt is way too expensive vs the competition.
I have some ReefCrystals left over that I need to unload from my dad's garage. I will probably conclude my testing on salt after that runs out and make my full decision before buying more. If I had to rate ESV Salt I would give it 4/5 stars, with the star taken due to cost vs competition.
Happy Reefing, Jared
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Really like the rockwork. Hopefully that brown algae film will disappear soon. A large bunch of snails like Trochus, Astrea, etc will eat most of it and then keep it under control.
Hold out on the future fish stocking as long as possible if you can. In fact I'd wait until most of that brown algae starts to die back.
Keep the updates coming.
Hold out on the future fish stocking as long as possible if you can. In fact I'd wait until most of that brown algae starts to die back.
Keep the updates coming.
The brown algae is pretty much dead. I wiped it off the glass tonight and the filter sock is picking it up. I'm not adding anything until I get my parameters stable. I checked po4 tonight and it reads 0.3 but I know for a fact some of it is locked up in the algae/rock and I can't detect it. I've also been using Coral Snow and it really smothers the algae and my skimmer picks it up.
I can't check nitrate because my son took my test kit and did something with it. In fact, I lost most of my test kits. The only ones I have are the dKH and po4 because they are meters lol. Guess I have to buy more test kits.
I can't check nitrate because my son took my test kit and did something with it. In fact, I lost most of my test kits. The only ones I have are the dKH and po4 because they are meters lol. Guess I have to buy more test kits.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Be careful with those test kit reagents, some of them can be pretty nasty if kids swallow or splash into eyes etc. My kids dont mess with my tank, and I dont lock the stand door. Yes, I fixed a lock on it a couple of years back, but now my kids dont mess with the tank as they are 4 and 6. But I still leave the test kits in the kitchen away from where they can get hold of the reagents.
Im 99% sure my wife threw them out. I talked to her and its been months since she saw them.
Thats what I need to do today is put a lock on my fish room. I had all my stuff in my room but when Im not home I cannot control what my wife or whoever is watching our kids let him do. Most of the time he got into my stuff someone else was watching him.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Yup lock it.
I still lock my stand door when relatives with kids come round. They always want to open the stand door and mess in the sump or press the button on my GHL or the mess with the Vortech controllers.... :angryfire:
Re-aquascaped the right side. I was never happy with it. I love the left side. I tried to give access all around for my magnet cleaner and also spots to put corals all around and at different levels.
What do you all think? Sorry about the tank being cloudy, I took photos after I redid aquascape.
Front View
Side View
What do you all think? Sorry about the tank being cloudy, I took photos after I redid aquascape.
Front View
Side View
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Thats better! :thumbsup: Now just let the tank mature. Keep up the water changes and keep the parameters stable and the tank will progress nicely.
Look out for signs of Coralline algae on the rocks...once you get lots of these you know the tank is heading in the right direction.
Look out for signs of Coralline algae on the rocks...once you get lots of these you know the tank is heading in the right direction.
