Acer's new build thread

Retested and got 1350 MG today- so Maybe I put 2 scoops in of Reagent #2 or something else weird happened during test yesterday. Either way - feel much better.
 
1350 is a great Mg number.

I keep my tanks at 77 to 78...... just had more success there. It might hurt growth, I'll have to look into it more.
 
Apex programming = not really. Got a temp probe set up and figured out how to turn on/off/ variable for the Jeboa wave pumps. I could not figure out how to even change the time. Lol , I build all our PC's and networked my office. But the Apex stuff makes little sense to me.
 
acer said:
Apex programming = not really. Got a temp probe set up and figured out how to turn on/off/ variable for the Jeboa wave pumps. I could not figure out how to even change the time. Lol , I build all our PC's and networked my office. But the Apex stuff makes little sense to me.
Click to expand...

If you want, you can send me a copy of your code and let me know what you want to do. I MIGHT be able to help. No guarantees, but I feel like I can get most things to work OK with the Apex.

- Ivan
 
new pics

new pics

New pics after rearranging tank following LEAR fragswap ( lots of new frags), had to drill new holes in rock, etc.

1) full pic after re-arranging and drilling.

2-3-4) closer pics

5) Close up of Hawaiian Pocillapora
 

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Tank looks great. I can see you wasted no time filling it up :). Might want to re-consider some of your SPS placement, once they start growing they will be touching each other in no time.
 
Thanks....Yes, I hope so. I figure if none fail and all grow I will have to sell, give away, etc in about a year.

Also, will post that my Alk is 8.8 Dkh, and the PO4 is .025, PH= 8.1 - 8.2, temp = 78. Nitrates/nitrite and ammonia are near 0.

Still having hair algae issues, especially in substrate- but is seems to be slowly getting better.
 
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acer said:
Thanks....Yes, I hope so. I figure if none fail and all grow I will have to sell, give away, etc in about a year.

Also, will post that my Alk is 8.8 Dkh, and the PO4 is .025, PH= 8.1 - 8.2, temp = 78. Nitrates/nitrite and ammonia are near 0.

Still having hair algae issues, especially in substrate- but is seems to be slowly getting better.
Click to expand...

Good numbers, my po4 is at 0.04 currently. I too am having GHA issues. I am considering running nopox again. I had started my tank with it but had clouding issues that I initially attributed to bacterial bloom (though I think that was not the case now). I am wet skimming now and added a few hermits to the tank to help. I did vacuum my substrate last week and it looks good now, just algae on the rocks...


Good luck with the SPS, my kh and Ca are off and once I get them stabilized I will add some SPS...
 
Thanks- I think much of my algae issues in the substrate are from one bag of "live" sand that was bad. Probably my fault as I ordered some of my sand too early - so it sat in garage for several weeks. I remember opening the bag and it stunk- washed it well , but I did not think I had enough substrate so I used it - in spite of my initial thought not to. So my PO4 was pretty high initially - running GFO and have a bottle Sea Klear phosphate remover waiting I got from a friend, just in case if the po4 does not continue to lower toward .01 or if Hair Algae doesn't continue to reduce. I did not check the Ca+ as reef crystals are usually high enough and I have been doing water changes weekly of about 20 gallons. Although , reef crystals are also usually high in ALk- and mine test showed I am currently not high. So I wonder if the corals are using the Alk and Ca+ - so I guess I should check the Ca+. I am using Kalkwaser in my auto top off which is holding my PH well and I hope helping the ALk and Ca+ parameters. I have 2 BRS dosers at the ready - but rather not use them until I have to. Still need to get my Apex fully set up.
 
acer said:
Thanks- I think much of my algae issues in the substrate are from one bag of "live" sand that was bad. Probably my fault as I ordered some of my sand too early - so it sat in garage for several weeks. I remember opening the bag and it stunk- washed it well , but I did not think I had enough substrate so I used it - in spite of my initial thought not to. So my PO4 was pretty high initially - running GFO and have a bottle Sea Klear phosphate remover waiting I got from a friend, just in case if the po4 does not continue to lower toward .01 or if Hair Algae doesn't continue to reduce. I did not check the Ca+ as reef crystals are usually high enough and I have been doing water changes weekly of about 20 gallons. Although , reef crystals are also usually high in ALk- and mine test showed I am currently not high. So I wonder if the corals are using the Alk and Ca+ - so I guess I should check the Ca+. I am using Kalkwaser in my auto top off which is holding my PH well and I hope helping the ALk and Ca+ parameters. I have 2 BRS dosers at the ready - but rather not use them until I have to. Still need to get my Apex fully set up.
Click to expand...

Alk drops, especially for me and soulpatch as we do AWC, maybe not as much for those that do weekly changes, but I suspect your Ca is fine. Apex can be a pain, all those wires!!!
 
Pittsburgh said:
probably automatic water change
Click to expand...

Yes, automatic water change. It appears that as we make up large batches of water for the change (I personally make 55 gallons at a time and it sits for up to a month in a drum) the alkalinity drops quickly. My personal belief is that this happens to everybody on some level but we add kalk or 2-part to compensate in our DT's. We do not in the drum that sits and then when added it "lowers" the alk. It is a fairly widespread problem that many have postulated on in other boards. you may be seeing some issues related to this. I use a fairly high alk salt in the HW marinemix and there is some debate when it starts that high if the alk drops quicker. Not a lot of solid data.
 
I think Alkalinity drop in mixed stored salt water was explained by Randy long time ago. Alkalinity (carbonate) and calcium under right conditions form calcium carbonate, the basis for coral hard skeleton. As the calcium carbonate is being formed by corals, calcium and alkalinity levels drop. This same calcium carbonate can be formed through precipitation. Which to some degree is inevitable, especially in salt mixes with elevated parameters. From his article, calcium carbonate precipitation may occur because:

The supersaturation is pushed to unusually high levels. This can be caused by a rise in pH, a rise in temperature (as on a heater), or more obviously, by a rise in either calcium or carbonate.
Click to expand...

So if you have a salt mix with particularly high concentration of alkalinity compared to natural sea water, it will eventually precipitate into calcium carbonate. Salt water with higher levels of dissolved Alk and/or Cal is just less stable.
 
I will have to check my 30 gallon "mixing/storing bin" to see if I have any calcium carbonate deposits on it. I don't have any on the heater - just checked it as I picked up a new heater controller at the swap this weekend for $15 - installed it yesterday. The sensor is off (high) by 2 degrees in it ( according to an actual mercury thermometer) - but that is easy enough to compensate for - just put the set temperature to 75 rather than 77. Now i just have to remember "why" I set it to 75 - its hell getting old ya know.
 
Pittsburgh said:
I think Alkalinity drop in mixed stored salt water was explained by Randy long time ago. Alkalinity (carbonate) and calcium under right conditions form calcium carbonate, the basis for coral hard skeleton. As the calcium carbonate is being formed by corals, calcium and alkalinity levels drop. This same calcium carbonate can be formed through precipitation. Which to some degree is inevitable, especially in salt mixes with elevated parameters. From his article, calcium carbonate precipitation may occur because:



So if you have a salt mix with particularly high concentration of alkalinity compared to natural sea water, it will eventually precipitate into calcium carbonate. Salt water with higher levels of dissolved Alk and/or Cal is just less stable.
Click to expand...

I think this is absolutely true and certainly part of what is going on, however, it does not completely explain everything. Such as how quickly the drop can occur for some and why it occurs for others with lower starting parameters and when there is not excessive heat. For example, those using "regular" parameter salt such as IO or those storing salt in colder conditions.

That said, I do believe that is what is mainly going on for me. I have pretty good caco3 deposits on the inside of my storage drums and I live here in TX. Just not convinced that is the only thing occurring fore everyone...
 
Thought I would post a funny pic. This is my Urchin who is constantly decorating himself with coral.

<a href="http://s1028.photobucket.com/user/acer327/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-03/IMG_20170312_124602478_zps3vjcsmtf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y342/acer327/Mobile%20Uploads/2017-03/IMG_20170312_124602478_zps3vjcsmtf.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170312_124602478_zps3vjcsmtf.jpg"></a>
 
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