Lunchbucket
Premium Member
good discussion guys. really getting some nice friendly conversations on boths sides! this is the way is should be 
Lunchbucket
Lunchbucket
--75g Barebottom/Starboard Reef Project--
- Thread starter arconom
- Start date
- Status
Travis
10 and over club
I stand corrected. I am doing some searching and trying to find out if the Hanna colorimeter "truly" is the most accurate at low readings. I just found that Custom Aquatic also sells the colorimeter: http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/searchhomekeyresult5.asp?offset=15
Someone in another thread stated that the Merck/Deltec kit is the most accurate so that is what has prompted me to investigate.
I did find out that the Hanna colrimeter only has an accuracy of +/- .04 mg/l. Can't believe I didn't notice that before. So maybe it is not all it is cracked up to be.
Lunchbucket
Premium Member
hmm...i didn't realize customaquatics had them...but then again they carry EVERYTHING. they are quite a bit higher then Madison's price though.
so deltecs kit is supposed to be more accurate then the colorimeter?? i don't see how it could be but i guess whatever. where are the deltec kits sold??
Lunchbucket
so deltecs kit is supposed to be more accurate then the colorimeter?? i don't see how it could be but i guess whatever. where are the deltec kits sold??
Lunchbucket
Travis
10 and over club
Not sure if the Deltec kit is more accurate or not yet. I'm waiting for the hard evidence. We will have to wait and see what the margin of error is on that kit. What I am sure about, is that the margin of error on the Hanna is pretty darn high. Maybe even too high to expect an accurate reading. I think the zeo guys have been doing 3 tests of everything and then averaging those 3 to help compensate for the margin of error.
The Deltec and Merck kits are the same. Deltec just relabled the kit and sells it under their name. You can get the Deltec kit from deltecusa.us. I'm sure you could find the Merck kit at some of the online vendors.
The Deltec and Merck kits are the same. Deltec just relabled the kit and sells it under their name. You can get the Deltec kit from deltecusa.us. I'm sure you could find the Merck kit at some of the online vendors.
arconom
Premium Member
I'm waiting for my Deltec Phosphate kit to arrive. Once it does I will setup my Phosphate reactor. I want to know my levels before I even use it.
I also finally got the chance to send a check out for a 25watt Aqua UV from one of my Reef Club members.
I'm doing alot of reading on this ick. ATM my fish isn't eating.
I want to thank everyone for helping me to try and find a solution to this problem.
I'm also looking into Buying a PH Controller for my Calcium Reactor.
I'm looking at the Milwaukee PH controller.
www.customaquatic
DI-MKSMS122 - $84.00
DI-MKSMS122-RS- $89.00
What's the difference?
-----------------------------------
Off topic
Lunch and Travis I'm surprised your not here on this Hijacked thread of the day
It's just starting to warm up:thumbsup:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=703782&perpage=25&pagenumber=3
I also finally got the chance to send a check out for a 25watt Aqua UV from one of my Reef Club members.
I'm doing alot of reading on this ick. ATM my fish isn't eating.
I want to thank everyone for helping me to try and find a solution to this problem.
I'm also looking into Buying a PH Controller for my Calcium Reactor.
I'm looking at the Milwaukee PH controller.
www.customaquatic
DI-MKSMS122 - $84.00
DI-MKSMS122-RS- $89.00
What's the difference?
-----------------------------------
Off topic
Lunch and Travis I'm surprised your not here on this Hijacked thread of the day
It's just starting to warm up:thumbsup:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=703782&perpage=25&pagenumber=3
Last edited:
Travis
10 and over club
arconom, let me know if that Deltec kit states an accuracy percentage. It doesn't look like anyone is going to step forward in the other thread. And it doesn't look like the Hach kit displays theirs. Kind of hard to compare test kits/instruments when one displays the margin of error but the others don't.
I will take a look at that thread. Sounds like fun.
I will take a look at that thread. Sounds like fun.
arconom
Premium Member
Well for this whole week my heater has been on none stop. It's only 77 in my tank. Why? Because it's cold as heck in NY and my sump is right on the cold basement floor.
I guess I will have to trim my return plumbing since I will have to put insulation under the sump. Any recommendations?
My reactor was holding a ROCK solid 6.7 for awhile. Just now I decided to check my PH of my effuent, It's 6.5. The effuent I guess has slowed down? Or the CO2 bottle is really effected by the cold? My effuent tube is not clogged. I check it almost everyday.
I guess I will have to trim my return plumbing since I will have to put insulation under the sump. Any recommendations?
My reactor was holding a ROCK solid 6.7 for awhile. Just now I decided to check my PH of my effuent, It's 6.5. The effuent I guess has slowed down? Or the CO2 bottle is really effected by the cold? My effuent tube is not clogged. I check it almost everyday.
Zoom
Premium Member
Both of my tanks run around 77F in the winter about 79F in summer . I saw nothing wrong yet. by the way i have no heater on the 200g . I have one 100W on the 90g FOWLR tank. Is been cold around here also and good thing i don't have a basement my tank are in my one story home, if i had a basement most likely i will need to put some super heaters in the tanks.
Travis
10 and over club
It may be beneficial to put some insulation under the sump in the winter but what about the summer? In the summer, you will benefit greatly from having a sump that is directly on the concrete. Not sure how much work is involved in draining your sump and sliding some insulation under it. If it isn't "too" much work I would cut your return pipe and install unions that are about 12" apart. Then make one PVC piece with unions at each end that will fit when the sump has insulation under it. Also, make another section that will fit when there is no insulation under the sump. Then you can switch out the insulation in the spring/fall and pop in the required return section. That would be your best bet in regards to electricity.
Your easiest route would be to throw another heater on the tank. But I like to keep the heaters on my tank to a minimum unless you are controlling them with a separate digital controller. Heaters can stick on and you don't want to have too much heating power on the tank to the point that it can quickly overheat.
I have noticed that my CO2 rate to my reactor DOES vary drastically when the room gets cold. There was one night this past fall that a cold front came in. I still had the fans in the windows as it wasn't too cold outside that I needed to close up the window. Anyways, the cold front came with some strong wind that was blowing cold air right into the fish room. I went down to check on the tank and was caught off guard at how cold it was in there. I looked at my bubble counter and noticed that the bubble rate had almost doubled. I left it as it was. I closed up the window to the room. By morning, it was room temp in there and the bubble rate was back to normal.
There a couple different solutions to avoid this:
1)Place the CO2 tank remotely in a room where the temperature stays more stable than in the basement.
2)Use a ph controller to control the CO2. I will probably go this route myself. The mini reactor you are getting from Kevin already has the probe holder so you would just need the controller and you would be good to go. About the cheapest you will get a decent controller for is a Milwaukee from DIYreef.com.
BTW, I just finished reading that hijacked thread. Took a while as the posts were long. Interesting discussion, however.
Your easiest route would be to throw another heater on the tank. But I like to keep the heaters on my tank to a minimum unless you are controlling them with a separate digital controller. Heaters can stick on and you don't want to have too much heating power on the tank to the point that it can quickly overheat.
I have noticed that my CO2 rate to my reactor DOES vary drastically when the room gets cold. There was one night this past fall that a cold front came in. I still had the fans in the windows as it wasn't too cold outside that I needed to close up the window. Anyways, the cold front came with some strong wind that was blowing cold air right into the fish room. I went down to check on the tank and was caught off guard at how cold it was in there. I looked at my bubble counter and noticed that the bubble rate had almost doubled. I left it as it was. I closed up the window to the room. By morning, it was room temp in there and the bubble rate was back to normal.
There a couple different solutions to avoid this:
1)Place the CO2 tank remotely in a room where the temperature stays more stable than in the basement.
2)Use a ph controller to control the CO2. I will probably go this route myself. The mini reactor you are getting from Kevin already has the probe holder so you would just need the controller and you would be good to go. About the cheapest you will get a decent controller for is a Milwaukee from DIYreef.com.
BTW, I just finished reading that hijacked thread. Took a while as the posts were long. Interesting discussion, however.
Lunchbucket
Premium Member
dang that would be a sweet way to use the cool concrete floor as a "chiller" in the summer. the heaters even run when the lights are on?
add another heater but use a controller for them.
hmm..never noticed any fluctuation in my Co2..but then i again i run pH controller so i don't see my rate on all the time. i will only run a reactor w/ a controller
Lunchbucket
add another heater but use a controller for them.
hmm..never noticed any fluctuation in my Co2..but then i again i run pH controller so i don't see my rate on all the time. i will only run a reactor w/ a controller
Lunchbucket
arconom
Premium Member
Awesome Idea on the sump Travis. But I think I might wait for plumbing changes until my new sump I ordered arrives But I will be doing that DUBV trick.
I did put another 50watt heater in the sump last night. The temp is up to 78.
Also I was thinking about changing something. I hate the fact that my sump and 98% of peoples sump are on the floor and you have to get on your hands and knees to look or change something.
I would like to raise it up. Maybe to waist level or lower. I totally forgot why people don't do this. But I know there is a major reason why people don't. Someone refresh my memory. Water drain speed? I forgot help me out someone.
Kevin sent me a E-mail and he sent out my Mini reactor today.
I also bought the Milwaukee PH controller. There are 2 different Milwaukee PH controllers. The one I bought is the standard one but the other I was wondering about is for people who have a soleniod that works in reverse? On/Off for example.
To my purchase I ordered 4lb of TLF Kalk. I'm all out of kalk.
But I will be doing that DUBV trick.I did put another 50watt heater in the sump last night. The temp is up to 78.
Also I was thinking about changing something. I hate the fact that my sump and 98% of peoples sump are on the floor and you have to get on your hands and knees to look or change something.
I would like to raise it up. Maybe to waist level or lower. I totally forgot why people don't do this. But I know there is a major reason why people don't. Someone refresh my memory. Water drain speed? I forgot help me out someone.
Kevin sent me a E-mail and he sent out my Mini reactor today.
I also bought the Milwaukee PH controller. There are 2 different Milwaukee PH controllers. The one I bought is the standard one but the other I was wondering about is for people who have a soleniod that works in reverse? On/Off for example.
To my purchase I ordered 4lb of TLF Kalk. I'm all out of kalk.
Travis
10 and over club
In regards to people's sumps being on the ground... I think it is because most setups don't allow much space so placing the sump right under the tank is the most convenient thing to do. The sump will function the same if it is raised up a bit. Just make sure the water level in the sump is lower than the drain bulkhead in the tank and you should be good to go. I agree that an elevated sump would be nice. But I, and probably most other people, don't have the extra room to spare. The nicest part about an eleveated sump would be siphoning the detritus.
Not sure about the difference between the 2 Milwaukee's. Do you have a link to each? If they are the same price, I would guess that one is set up to turn ON when ph gets to an upper limit (for example... running the CO2 on a calcium reactor or planted tank). The other one is set to turn OFF when PH gets to an upper limit (for example... turning off a kalk reactor when ph gets too high). But that is just a guess without seeing the two controllers.
Not sure about the difference between the 2 Milwaukee's. Do you have a link to each? If they are the same price, I would guess that one is set up to turn ON when ph gets to an upper limit (for example... running the CO2 on a calcium reactor or planted tank). The other one is set to turn OFF when PH gets to an upper limit (for example... turning off a kalk reactor when ph gets too high). But that is just a guess without seeing the two controllers.
arconom
Premium Member
Travis
http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/brandsubcategory.asp?brandID=MK&subcatID=di-mc
I called up and thats what the tech said. I guess older solenoids stop the co2 when they are on, the new ones stop the co2 when there off. Not sure of tech part of it but there is a few dollar difference.
He said the RS stand for Reverse Setpoint
I haven no problems with spending money where it needs to be spent but for 189.00 on the Pinpoint I can't see it being alot better for what I need.
I think when I get that new sump I will elevate it. I have my whole basement. I have the room. Your right it would be great to siphon detritus.
http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/brandsubcategory.asp?brandID=MK&subcatID=di-mc
I called up and thats what the tech said. I guess older solenoids stop the co2 when they are on, the new ones stop the co2 when there off. Not sure of tech part of it but there is a few dollar difference.
He said the RS stand for Reverse Setpoint
I haven no problems with spending money where it needs to be spent but for 189.00 on the Pinpoint I can't see it being alot better for what I need.
I think when I get that new sump I will elevate it. I have my whole basement. I have the room. Your right it would be great to siphon detritus.
arconom
Premium Member
I havent went to the DIYreef.com in ages. I'm glad you reminded me of the place.
Check out this link
http://diyreef.com/shop/index.php?cPath=70
scroll down to this 30PPT Salinity Reference Solution 2 oz. bottle.
It's actually a pretty cool reference solution. You can check your refractor even more.
The link I sent you was 5$ cheaper on the PH controller, no biggy.
I still wonder why that Biophos is recommended to use in the mini reactor?
Also in the meantime I think I want to try a 14k SE bulb, but the par stinks on all of them I think. I have the 14k hammys and they don't start to good on my ballast. One side flickers. Maybe I should try the coralvue's?
Check out this link
http://diyreef.com/shop/index.php?cPath=70
scroll down to this 30PPT Salinity Reference Solution 2 oz. bottle.
It's actually a pretty cool reference solution. You can check your refractor even more.
The link I sent you was 5$ cheaper on the PH controller, no biggy.
I still wonder why that Biophos is recommended to use in the mini reactor?
Also in the meantime I think I want to try a 14k SE bulb, but the par stinks on all of them I think. I have the 14k hammys and they don't start to good on my ballast. One side flickers. Maybe I should try the coralvue's?
Travis
10 and over club
The only real difference between teh pinpoint and milwaukee is that the pinpoint will read to the nearest 100th where the milwaukee only reads to the nearest tenth. For our applications, I don't see the extra $$ being worth it.
I really don't know why the Bio-phos is recommended. I have yet to see any hard evidence that it won't leach aluminum at lower ph's.
I forget, what bulbs are you running currently?
I really don't know why the Bio-phos is recommended. I have yet to see any hard evidence that it won't leach aluminum at lower ph's.
I forget, what bulbs are you running currently?
- Status
