Acer's new build thread

DAM- today the Multi-bar was stuck on the intake of the wave pump- so I am sure he will be dead when I get home from work. Had him eating reasonably well- but never got over his shyness. For him to get stuck meant he was weak- so probably was not eating as much as he should have been. RRRRRGGGG.... he would have been a great addition to my reef.
 
OK some updates/quick synapsis/lesson learned:

I had a bad fall "healthwise" -so did not test much/at all and performed reduced water changes as well. Result= Lost many of the acros/sps corals - but softies and other corals and all fish doing fine.

So started getting serious about the tank again 1-2 weeks ago and my Alk was off the charts according to my Hanna checker ( read 300)= Freak out time. Then I realized the reagent was 6 months expired. SO, ordered new reagent. In the meantime, while waiting for the new reagent. I tested my ca,mg and they were low = 322 and 1050 respectively. Added Calcium chloride Bulk reef solution to raise ca+ 50 ( max per day). Could not add any Mg+ - I was out of Mg chloride and had only Mg Sulfate. So, ordered Mg Chloride. Lesson= watch your inventory on supplements.

So, while trying to figure out how my ALk got high I checked my salinity = 1.028- hmm - I purchased a new refractometer a month or 2 ago. SO, found my pinpoint salinity calibration fluid. Yep the refractometer was calibrated incorrectly from the factory- it was reading high- so I adjusted it and now my tank water was good= 1.024. So one issue solved. Lesson = don't assume the factory setting on equipment is correct.

I did some reading and talked to a few friends and it seems the Hanna ALK reagent that is 6 months past expiration date should not be all that inaccurate- so I went up to LFS - had them test. Their kit said 16 DKH- so ya now I am very concerned- debating on how to lower my ALK. I also had brought my Reef Crystals water that was in my mixing station to the LFS I was using to see if it tested high as well and was the reason for the Alk being so high- it tested over 14. So, ya- I am thinking - problem is not solved - but at least the reason for the high Alk is found. SO, I purchase new salt to mix = Red Sea blue bucket- says it should mix to around 7 DKH. Well - I mixed it up and did a ALk test and it read 12- WHAT !? Also tested the new water for Ca+= 515, and Mg+ 1350. Today I got my new Hanna ALk reagent and retested both tank and the new Red Sea water in my mixing station- the tank read 10.6 DKH and the Red Sea water tested 7.8. LESSON= make sure your reagents are not expired and don't assume someone else's test kits are all that accurate either.

So, will be doing a 30 gallon water change today using the new Red Sea salt - then slowly adding some Ca+ and Mg+ supplements over the next week to get back to optimum reef tank specs. Tank should be ready to go just in time for the LEAR fragswap!!
 
Best way to get your numbers back in check is a lot of water changes, it will save you time and money trying to get your numbers back by dosing. I think you are on the right track. I think I read something where red sea salt has high ALK or is there 2 red sea salt version like a reef red sea salt version? Kind of like Instant oceans and reef crystals.

I also use Hanna ALK tester and have found it to be pretty consistent over the years.
 
"I had a bad fall "healthwise"

First things first, do you have this parameter back in order?

After that is back in check, I agree with Loui. Water changes (only) will get you back in check quicker than chasing numbers by adding other additives to fix each parameter number.
 
Yes, mostly- however, i really need to figure out the dosing and if all I am doing is water changes, then i will never know what I need to dose. I also purchased a 100ft cat5 cable so I can finally use my Apex for more than temp monitor and to Run my Jeboa flow pumps. Hopefully, to run my 2 BRS dosers.

Can anybody ID these Zoa's for me?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/E45hvOHsu1bOli4E2
 
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The recommended consistent water changes will get you back where you need to be, the easiest way.
From there, you need to test your daily consumption & set dosing from there.
For sps, you need to test regularly, I will blow though an ALK test kit in 3 or 4 months. Knowing the expiration dates on these tests & yours was 6 months past expiration you're not testing nowhere near enough!
Stability is the key. I learned a long time ago not to chase numbers, learn what your tank tells you.
 
I also use BRS doser and BRS 2 part. Once you get your numbers back to the desired levels. Start with about 10ML of both ALK and CAL, do your testing every 2 days (every day is better)if your numbers go down dose some more until your numbers stabilize.
 
Well, been a while since putting a pick in a post at Reef Central-
since photobucket is no longer viable- i thought i would try anew one. This is my foxface in the "transition box" being moved from QT to main tank. Will keep him there for 2 days -
hopefully reducing the normal shenanigans when putting a new fish in an established tank.

http://imgbox.com/4kYlEoLl
 
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Update: Foxface in display and looking good = no other fish bothered him what so ever. He is eating normally - foraging for food and picking at rock.

I picked up a good looking Copperbanded Butterfly up at Reef gallery that is eating Larry's reef frenzy - so he is in the QT where the Foxface was and he ate good immediately. Debating on using CP in my QT as I have had such bad luck on Copperbanded Butterflys in the past.

After 30 gallons of water changes as well as adding some Ca+ ( BRS Calcium chloride - 80% of suggested in the last 5 days ) and BRS mag solution ( 1/2 as suggested so far) via the BRS calculators ( 210 gallons in system) my new numbers are:

ALK= 10.4 DKH ( 2 tests using Hanna check with new reagent)
Ca+= 560 ( 2 tests using Hanna)
Mg+= 1260 ( 2 test using Salifert)
PH ( probe) ranges 8.3 during the day and 8.2 at night

Observations:

Alk came down by a WHOLE .2 doing a 30 gallon water change with mixed water that tested 7.8 DKH, and using auto top off for 2 weeks now with just RODI water.

My system is apparently NOT using a whole lot of ALK.

I think I have less water in my system than what I had figured of 210 gallons ( 150 display, 40 sump 3/4 full, and 75 refugium 3/4 full) . Otherwise my Ca+ would not be that high. Good thing I went slow on the adding of supplements.

10.4 DKH Alkalinity is still high- any suggestions? OR just continue to do 30 gallons per week of water changes using the new lower ALk Red Sea blue bucker water..
 
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I am glad that you are figuring things out and that its making more sense now. I would continue to do the water changes with the lower alk salt. Eventually its going to creep down. If you are doing an extra lot of water changes then you should probably feed heavy to compensate for reducing the nutrients so drastically.
 
Math doesn't exactly work out for the water change that you did. You should have gotten 3x more drop in alk:

((150-30)*10.6 + 30*7.8)/150 = 10.04

That's what your alk should be after a singe water change. To go from 10.4 to 8 in a single water change you would have to change:

150*(10.4 - 8)/(10.4 - 7.8) = 138 gallons

Not recommended :D Not all at once.

So... how about some good base point for your alk consumption? No water changes/dosing/kalk for 48 hours. Test once when ready and test again in exactly 48 hours. The drop will be your tank's actual alk consumption. This will give you an idea how long it's going to take to drop it down to where you want it. With or without water changes.
 
Thats what I thought as well- didn't actually do the math but figured it should be more of a change than that.. So, what the heck? I guess its possible some alk in the ato line or bottom of the bucket was released into tank.

Edit: well ,i looked over you math. U cant use 150. Because I think I have about 200 gallons of water in the system.
 
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Ah, I didn't realize the full extent of your enterprise :D
Then, your alk should have been at most 10.18. And you would need to do a 184gal wc to drop it down to 8. :)

Something's a bit off somewhere still. kalk water would certainly explain it.
This is one of the reasons I don't do kalk in ATO, btw. Tried it once, never understood how you could have any control over your alk, when dosing depends on your evaporation, which, in turn, depends on a bunch of external factors you don't have any control of either. Lots of people seem to be swearing by it. I'm sure they somehow got it to work. It just never made complete sense to me...

So.... then how about cleaning out your ATO container?
 
OK - a few more 15 gallon water changes, ATO is just RODI - so no Alk supplement, and my Alk is now reading 9.8. So better- but not great. I have to remember that slow/steady is good in this hobby. Hopefully- in few weeks, Lear fragswap, my Alk should be about 9.0.

The Foxface is getting along great - no one even bothers him. Corals looking fine. Even the new frags I Got from Alex are colored up nicely. The Copperbanded is eating frozen brine and Larry's now in my QT.
 
Good progress. Once coralline algae start growing and SPS growth picks up, your alk will start dropping like a rock without additional supplement. So you may see your alk even lower in a couple of weeks if the system is stable and params are mostly good.
slow change is good though. Keep it up.
 
Updates: Lear fragswap goodies...

https://imgbox.com/5EMDMY4T

Testing results- Alk = 8.9, ca+= 515. Ph= 8.4 daytime and 8.2 at night. No idea why my Alk went up as i had it down to 8.6 1 week ago and have not dosed anything. Beginning to think
 
Ok- the wonders of reefing!? Have not added a single supplement in 6 weeks as my Alk was higher than I wanted. Just doing water changes. So, for all u chemists out there - figure this out. My Alk has gone up again- now it is 9.24 DKH. I rechecked twice and had purchased the solutions to insure the Hanna checker is working. Calcium is 450. Ultra low Hanna phosphate checker tested my water at .04, mg is 1350. So, why are my Acros dying and how is my ALK going up without any supplementing, and doing water changes using fresh blue bucket Red Sea water that tests at under than 8.2 ALK??
 
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