A nano tank to replace my 140g setup

[tgunn]

A few small update shots:

Tyler

 

[tgunn]

Doh! My cardinal was sucked up against the overflow this morning. I wasn't sure he was doing well. He always hung out in the bottom corner of the tank and seemed to refuse food where the dottyback was a pig from the start.

I'm thinking I might stop getting fish from my usual source. He keeps his water at 1.020, and it takes FOREVER to acclimate back to my 1.026. I wouldn't doubt that this stress (though down over a 45min-1hr period) is what put him over the edge.

Tyler

 

[tgunn]

Well, the usual myriad of "startup" algae is running its course. I've got some stringy hair algae sticking to the sand, plenty of brown diatom algae on the overflow, and even some cyano to boot!

So far my levels are remaining pretty stable. I'm going to have to do another Ca and Alk test to night to see how those levels are doing.

I had hoped to get some critters for the sand, but it appears thats going to have to wait -- the effects of the recession has hit and we're down to just my income now, and that took a recent cut. So fun fun fun!

 

[tgunn]

Current FTS:

This stammacorra has been a real "comeback"; it was hardly a 1/4' speck in my old 140g's sump that hardly held on under the light of a 6500k bulb for the macroalgae; and low and behold it's coming back. I didn't even know it was still in my old sump!

Starting to color up:

Tricolor is doing well and coloring up nice:

Purple cap is still hanging on after "adjusting' to the nano:

The bali aquaculture has nice polyps but pretty ugly coloration otherwise; it was a pretty green before. Oh well.

Purple digi is doing well:

 

[tgunn]

For the first time ever hair algae is in my tank!

 

[melev]

You could remove the locline, and soak it in vinegar for an hour or two to get it clean. I do that whenever the opportunity arises, which helps reduce the possibility of spreading it.

Thanks for all the pictures. You've got some nice pieces in there. The first one is a Psammacora.

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15075703#post15075703 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
You could remove the locline, and soak it in vinegar for an hour or two to get it clean. I do that whenever the opportunity arises, which helps reduce the possibility of spreading it.

Thanks for all the pictures. You've got some nice pieces in there. The first one is a Psammacora.

Hey Marc,

Good idea for the loc-line; I never thought of that... Duh. I will pop it off and give it a good 'ol muriatic soak.

I have been using a home made PVC siphon wand with a plastic scraper blade to clean off the overflow. I find it works nice because I can scrape off and suck it up right away. Only downfall is that doing a 5g water change I need to be fast. Not like with my old 140g where I could siphone out 20g and not even notice it.

Psammacora; that's how to spell it. Ooops. I was real off on that.

Thanks! I'm quite happy with the pieces I've got; they are all from my old 140g. I figured it'd be nice to "keep it alive" in some small way.

Tyler

 

[tgunn]

Few updates from May 27 (yes, slow to post 'em):

Over the past few weeks I've made a concerted effort to measure my Ca and Alk every second day. I've determined that dosing 13.8mL of Randy's 2 part Ca and Alk every second day keeps my Ca and Alk stable at around 420ppm and 8.3dKH respectively.

However, I've QUICKLY grown tired of dosing 2-part every second day (any less frequently and the alk and calcium swing more than I'd like).

So I'm thinking of converting my old phosban reactor into a little calcium reactor. After all, I still have a CO2 cylinder, regulator, pH controller, media, and a dosing pump from my old 140g. My other thought was to just buy a clear 10" filter housing and convert that.

I "could" run the old calcium reactor from my 140, but I think a 30" tall reactor might be a wee bit overkill on a Solana.

Tyler

 

[melev]

I don't know if the Phosban Reactor can handle the pressure, so you need to keep a very close eye on it.

For smaller tanks, dosing 2-part is usually easier. I dosed ESV's B-Ionic in my 29g and my 55g for years and years.

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15133876#post15133876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I don't know if the Phosban Reactor can handle the pressure, so you need to keep a very close eye on it.

For smaller tanks, dosing 2-part is usually easier. I dosed ESV's B-Ionic in my 29g and my 55g for years and years.

Hmm, that is a good point Marc. Perhaps a filter canister is a better choice.

Maybe I just need to get a massive syringe and give a shot at manually dosing using that. If I'm forced to do something every other day then I will have an excuse to sit and watch the tank more often.

 

[new2u]

tgunn give me moar pix!

Your last update shows your tank as a bunch of red Xs

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15238423#post15238423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by new2u
tgunn give me moar pix!

Your last update shows your tank as a bunch of red Xs

Lol, looks like I'll need to take some new pics. I find it strange everything is showing up as Red Xs. I will have to look into that. Could be a permission problem on my gallery.

Tyler

 

[tgunn]

Wow, haven't posted here for a while. Things are going well with the nano.
My flush valve on my RO/DI system pooched out today and it won't make water any more. So I've ordered a new restrictor online. It also turns out I'm using the wrong restrictor; I've got one for a 100GPD membrane while I'm using a 75GPD membrane. Ooops!

Tyler

 

[tgunn]

RRRR! There are no local companies that sell RO flow restrictors and NONE of the American sites that carry what I want ship to Canada. This is really frustrating. A stupid $6 restrictor is rendering my RO system useless...

 

[melev]

You can put a inline ball valve in the waste line and twist it down to the 4:1 ratio you need. It's a simple solution, and you can find John Guest fittings (1/4" in and out) at Home Depot or Lowes.

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15497840#post15497840 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
You can put a inline ball valve in the waste line and twist it down to the 4:1 ratio you need. It's a simple solution, and you can find John Guest fittings (1/4" in and out) at Home Depot or Lowes.

Really? It's that simple? Okay, I can certainly do that; I have plenty of 1/4" JG ball valves kicking around. Hmm, actually I think I even have a 1/4" PVC gate valve somewhere in my box 'o' parts; that'd work too.

Thanks Marc! Never even thought of that route.

Tyler

 

[melev]

It's just not as tidy a solution, but it is a solution. If I had one here, I'd stick it in the mail but all I have are the kind for 100gpd.

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15497877#post15497877 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
It's just not as tidy a solution, but it is a solution. If I had one here, I'd stick it in the mail but all I have are the kind for 100gpd.

I'll definitely get the right part, but if this can hold me until then, I'm happy.

I just hooked up the mini gate valve and tuned it in... However, the downfall is that the waste line seems to still be trickling even with the valve on the output of the RO shut off.... It's not as fast as when I open the RO line to make water, but it still seems to be running.

I have just installed a brand new check valve on the RO housing, and a brand new auto shutoff valve as well...

Hrmm.. curious!

 

[tgunn]

I am getting 0 TDS out of the membrane when I'm running it. So I dunno...

 

[melev]

It may just be taking longer to pressurize the system with that waste line crimped down like that.

0 TDS is a good thing.