d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build
- Thread starter d2mini
- Start date
networkcrasher
Member
How have you liked your new fuge light so far Dennis?
d2mini
Premium Member
It seems ok, but for some reason my cheato isn't growing at all. It's surviving just fine, but no new growth. On the other hand, my dragon breath macro is growing pretty well. So I dunno if it's the light, the lack of nutrients, something about this strain of chaeto or what. The light seems to be an appropriate size and the spectrum is similar to what I've run in the past. Oh, and also getting plenty of HA on the walls of the fuge.
networkcrasher
Member
Well that's interesting. Must be nutrients I imagine as that light and your other, previous, LED one are pretty similar except for wattage.
That sounds about right to me. Well-kept, low nutrient reef tanks probably don't have enough excess nutrients to support faster growing, green macro algae. The slower growing reds may be more appropriate for your situation. Having the chaeto ready to go for any nutrient spikes could also be a good thing.
Krazie4Acans
New member
Dennis Have you looked into C02 binding as the reason that your chaeto isn't growing? I had this problem on my system when I was running a CA reactor and having to dose additional ALK. My chaeto stopped growing because the ALK was binding all available C02 in the water column and not allowing the cheato to use it to grow.
I had to change media in my reactor and stop dosing Alkand then added an air stone before the chaeto in my sump to introduce additional C02 into the water for it to use. Works great and I haven't had any issues with micro bubbles making it back to the display (although I think I remember you were toying with the micro bubble curtain idea at one point?).
d2mini
Premium Member
I've never heard of C02 binding. How do you even know that's happening?
I'm dosing 2 part (ESV Bionic) until I can get a CaRx set up again.
I did just start nano bubbles again this week though. But just 4 hours per night so far.
Krazie4Acans
New member
My only indicator that is was happening was a slightly lower than normal pH reading on my tank. I had a friend having the same problem and his chaeto reactor stopped growing chaeto even though his N03 and p04 were elevated.
I read up on it and decided to add the air stone to see what that did and within hours I noticed the color of the chaeto change and a couple of days there was noticeable growth changing nothing else on the system. There were a couple of good threads on "the other forum" about it if you search.
Wazzel
New member
Seem's like it's been one thing after another with this tank.
Major things I've posted here, minor things I haven't bothered with.
After a year now, I still don't feel like I could leave the tank for a long weekend.
And now I can show you what happens when your skimmer hose slightly detaches from the pump in the middle of the night. :angryfire:
The other day I was emptying the skimmer cup using the valve at the bottom. I usually tilt the skimmer slightly to make sure I drain as much as possible. This time there was suddenly a fountain of water spraying up out of the sump. Pulled the plug and investigated and found that the tube and clamp seemed loose at the pump side. I tightened the clamp (or so I thought) and got it running again.
This morning I wake up, walk out into the tank area and it's too quiet. The tank isn't running. Get close and step in a puddle of water. Crap. Open the doors and there is at least a gallon of water in the sump tray and water everywhere else in the stand. Walls, ceiling... and then I see dangling power adaptors. The water sprayed all over a standard APC surge protector (which was still on btw) and a few of the sockets were completely melted. Two power adaptors fell off, leaving their prongs inside the melted sockets. One of them powers my Profilux external "Touch" display, which is daisy chained before my water change station and ATO powerbar so that was down too. Both vortechs were plugged into this power strip but luckily the Ecotech battery backup was going, because the GFCI circuit that this power strip and the Powerbar that runs my system pump was tripped.
Got things mostly cleaned up before leaving for work. At lunch I bought a new surge protector.
This evening I finished cleaning up, installed the new surge protector and everything is plugged back in and running.
Except for one MP40 which is tripping the GFCI if I plug it in. The prongs on the plug are black so it seems it got damaged too.
The culprit was the hose between the pump and skimmer intake. The barb on the Waveline pump seems a bit lower profile and the hose was just a bit not tight enough, and apparently the clamp too. Luckily I had some silicone tubing that seems to be a hair tighter and it's softer so the clamps really seemed to clamp it down tight.
Fingers crossed.
Thankfully though... that is all that happened.
I have a new power adaptor on the way from GHL (kudos to them for jumping on this asap for me, including driving to the post office since they missed today's pickup), and I'll pick up a new power cable for the Vortech.
For now its running off the battery backup.
This could have been A LOT worse.
That could have been really bad and a big fear of mine. One of the reasons I keep all my power strips out of my stand. Glad no one got hurt or your house damaged.
CoralNerd
Active member
Tell us what they are. [emoji15]I like these little guys. Very easy and a 10 year battery. Fire and smoke. I have them everywhere. Above sump equipment in basement, under stand, workshop, above electric panels, etc. Picked them up at local hardware store. Have seen them at Lowes and Menards.
BigJohnny
Active member
Brand name?I like these little guys. Very easy and a 10 year battery. Fire and smoke. I have them everywhere. Above sump equipment in basement, under stand, workshop, above electric panels, etc. Picked them up at local hardware store. Have seen them at Lowes and Menards.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
BigJohnny
Active member
Stickboy97
Member
D2, if u need some chaeto that grows like crazy let me know. I'm pulling some out of my sump every week & tossing it.
I probably pull a large gallon bags worth every week.
I probably pull a large gallon bags worth every week.
d2mini
Premium Member
Awesome, if you are ever heading anywhere more central like FJW or OceanLife and have a sandwich baggy amount, let me know.
cjcoopertag
New member
Hey Dennis can I assume that you are no longer going to use the Triton Method? I was just getting ready to start it myself but not sure that I want to now.
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