drummereef's 180g in-wall build

[Nanook]

The bulbs are a little bit dimmer compared to Radium, but I attribute this to the fact that they are more blue instead of whitish gray. The bulbs have grown on me quite a bit and my corals SPS are actually growing faster than they were with Radium bulbs.

 

[tegee]

Thanks Nanook...I thought they look a bit dimmer. My DT does not look as bright upon first look. But I am hoping to that my sps get a bit of a jump from the 14k's vs. 20k Radiums.

So far the overall look of the tank is negligible regarding color, but it is far too early to see how my sps's react.

Some have mentioned a color shift at the 5-6 month mark (yellow/pink-ish), but they are running on an electronic ballasts and not an HQI. So I am hoping that I can get at least 9-10 months out of them??? If so, these Phoenix bulbs may be a blessing in disguise; especially at $69.00 each!

Thx....

 

[Nanook]

Yep, too soon to tell for me too as I have run Radiums for a long time. I do have a good friend that has run DE Phoenix bulbs over his 120g tank now for about 8 years and he keeps them running for 12 months every year. His tank looks amazing.

 

[Nanook]

I really need to get out the PAR meter and see what numbers I am running every few months.

 

[ericauch]

one day i will have ears like yours.

 

[drummereef]

Brett....

Just a quick question (and Nanook if you are out there too)......

Many thx in advance...Tony

I think Nook sufficiently answered your query.

There is very little difference between using a stirrer and a still reservoir if you only fill the reservoir up in single batches like what you're doing.

The main benefit when using a kalc stirrer (or reactor) is when you introduce more water at each dosing without stirring it, or the solution can become diluted.

So here are some options

Kalc in a top off reservoir:
If you use a top off reservoir where you add water every couple days the addition of the water should agitate the kalc powder on the bottom of the reservoir enough to reach saturation with the residual solids falling back to the bottom. The water should remain saturated for days (I'm sure it drops some but my understanding is it's negligible). On the flip side; if you replenish your reservoir constantly (though bad for your RO/DI filters) without stirring your saturation will dilute over time, though how much I don't know.
Downsides: slight variants in solution saturation, providing a control for potential over dose with top off fluctuations, and clogging your top off pump

Using a Kalc drip from a jug or bucket etc:
This will work just like the top off reservoir where as long as you mix up the solution with the addition of more water your solution should stay very constant.
Downsides: maintaining the drip rate

Using a Kalc reactor with top off:
Using a kalc reactor or stirrer will provide a constant saturation regardless of how you introduce more RO/DI water and should be down stream of your pump.
Downsides: providing a control for potential over dose with top off fluctuations. Cost

Using a Kalc reactor independent of top off:
This allows you to provide additional controls and continuity out side of top off. You can set the reactor to dose a specific amount at specific times. This is usually done with a separate pump in your top off reservoir and you adjust your dosing to be less then your daily top off allowing the normal top off to pick up the remaining evaporation. You can also set the pump on a controller with a high pH off command without interrupting top off demands.
Downsides: cost

You don't want to introduce the suspended solids to the tank or you will get a huge pH spike (been there done that a couple times :uhoh2: )

Amazing information as always Pete. The biggest hurdle I'm dealing with is two-fold... Regulating the drip rate like you mentioned. The drip seems to slow throughout the day because of bubbles and/or precipitate. not a big deal but means more maintenance.

And secondly, the other issue is raising the pH significantly without raising Alk. I thought Kalk dosing does more for Ca but it seems the harder I push the pH the more Alk is added as well. I understand it's a balanced additive but I was under the impression it maintains levels, not raises them. I may be mistaken here...

Just seems like I can't push my pH higher than about 8.25 without significantly raising the Alk. I'm wondering how guys who deal with Dinos get their Alk up in the 8.4-8.5 range with Kalk safely. Unless they have a huge uptake demand from their corals etc...

 

[tegee]

Amazing information as always Pete. The biggest hurdle I'm dealing with is two-fold... Regulating the drip rate like you mentioned. The drip seems to slow throughout the day because of bubbles and/or precipitate. not a big deal but means more maintenance.

And secondly, the other issue is raising the pH significantly without raising Alk. I thought Kalk dosing does more for Ca but it seems the harder I push the pH the more Alk is added as well. I understand it's a balanced additive but I was under the impression it maintains levels, not raises them. I may be mistaken here...

Just seems like I can't push my pH higher than about 8.25 without significantly raising the Alk. I'm wondering how guys who deal with Dinos get their Alk up in the 8.4-8.5 range with Kalk safely. Unless they have a huge uptake demand from their corals etc...

Brett....

I use Kalk (in a reactor during all top-offs) to maintain pH when in use with my calcium reactor.....so my application is slightly different.

I find the more I drive pH up the higher the Alk is driven. Maintaining Calcium is a side benefit imo when dosing Kalk. I find it drives Alk far more then Calcium....HTH.

 

[drummereef]

Brett....

I use Kalk (in a reactor during all top-offs) to maintain pH when in use with my calcium reactor.....so my application is slightly different.

I find the more I drive pH up the higher the Alk is driven. Maintaining Calcium is a side benefit imo when dosing Kalk. I find it drives Alk far more then Calcium....HTH.

That is so weird. :uhoh3: From everything I've read about the stuff it's like it's supposed to be opposite of that - drives up Ca but maintains Alk. Some people even have to occasionally buffer their tank because it "supposedly" can't "keep up with Alk demands. I'm finding the same to be true as what you've found but find it odd that others are finding the opposite to be true.

 

[dzhuo]

The drip seems to slow throughout the day because of bubbles and/or precipitate. not a big deal but means more maintenance.

If you have a small air pump, use it and it will help stabilize the drip rate.

And secondly, the other issue is raising the pH significantly without raising Alk. I thought Kalk dosing does more for Ca but it seems the harder I push the pH the more Alk is added as well. I understand it's a balanced additive but I was under the impression it maintains levels, not raises them. I may be mistaken here...

Just seems like I can't push my pH higher than about 8.25 without significantly raising the Alk. I'm wondering how guys who deal with Dinos get their Alk up in the 8.4-8.5 range with Kalk safely. Unless they have a huge uptake demand from their corals etc...

Limewater will raise both alk and cal but according to Randy, this is not a concern especially if your target is 8.6:

Don't worry about raising calcium or alkalinity with this method. The higher pH will accelerate calcification by organisms and abiotic precipitation. Beware that you may eventually clog pumps, impellers and intakes this way, and you might get white precipitates on surfaces (that is usually okay for a short term treatment and does not usually harm corals).

How fast does alk & cal raise?

 

[drummereef]

If you have a small air pump, use it and it will help stabilize the drip rate.

Limewater will raise both alk and cal but according to Randy, this is not a concern especially if your target is 8.6:

I'll look into the air pump idea. So if I continue to dose Kalk what's the upper limit of Alk I should start to get concerned about? Last I checked this morning I was around 9.6dkh. That was up from 8.0 roughly 3 days ago.

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


I cranked up the lights after 3 days blackout period. There's definitely an initial difference of the amount of Dinos present. I clearly see die off of much of them but there's still a few bits sticking around. Mostly on the overflows and a little on the glass. Corals have lost some color throughout this whole ordeal but I'm guessing with time the colors will return. Fish are doing great, eating well and don't seem too mad me after the blackout.

Here's the FTS for the month of May.

 

[henrystyle]

So the 14k Phoenix 250w SE bulbs are the truth a.. Anyone hear anything about the 400w version?

 

[110galreef]

I'll look into the air pump idea. So if I continue to dose Kalk what's the upper limit of Alk I should start to get concerned about? Last I checked this morning I was around 9.6dkh. That was up from 8.0 roughly 3 days ago.

9.6dKh......:eek2:

I thought you were aiming for like 7-8dKh with the ULNS???:headwally:
Did I miss a change here for your target? Or is this just creeping up as a result of the kalk.:headwalls:

Why another variable with the kalk? If your ph was low 8's you were fine.

 

[cromedogg33]

I think he's trying to combat dino's by raising PH/dKH. ULNS can work in higher dKH I believe, just not with the pellets. I think he has the pellets offline right now.

 

[110galreef]

I think he's trying to combat dino's by raising PH/dKH. ULNS can work in higher dKH I believe, just not with the pellets. I think he has the pellets offline right now.

:eek1: pellets offline now too?
Man things happening like crazy! We need an update to the updates!:lolspin:

Yeah the lower alk was tied the ULNS & biopellets....but if pellets are offline now, and just trying to kill dino's ok.

 

[drummereef]

I think he's trying to combat dino's by raising PH/dKH. ULNS can work in higher dKH I believe, just not with the pellets. I think he has the pellets offline right now.

Indeed.

:eek1: pellets offline now too?
Man things happening like crazy! We need an update to the updates!:lolspin:

Yeah the lower alk was tied the ULNS & biopellets....but if pellets are offline now, and just trying to kill dino's ok.

:lol: Yeah, I took them offline last week to get ready to raise the pH for the Dino issue. I know, I know it's a shocker but whatcha gonna do. I was afraid I'd toast the SPS by raising the Alk so it was probably for the best in the mean time. Been dripping Kalk 24/7 to get the pH up so we'll see how much it helps.

 

[110galreef]

So the BIG question is:

ARE THE PELLETS GOING BACK ONLINE?

have you checked your PO4 now that they have been offline?

 

[drummereef]

So the BIG question is:

ARE THE PELLETS GOING BACK ONLINE?

have you checked your PO4 now that they have been offline?

That would be the million dollar question, well... actually only about 5 bucks but that's OK. :lol: At this point I just need to deal with the Dinos and make sure they go away for good. The 3 day lights out period really helped but there's a few sticking around. I'm only running the lights about 4 hours right now, so hopefully with the reduced light cycle and dosing Kalk they will go bye bye.

At that point, once the dinos are gone for good, I'll address the bio pellet situation and see what the nutrient levels are looking like before making a decision.

Here's the CRAZY part... I haven't done a water change in well over 3 weeks and have been feeding the chromis (and other fish) somewhat heavily. Just tested PO4 with the checker and it's 0.00!! Seriously? :fun5: What's with my tank...? LOL.

 

[cromedogg33]

I doubt he has the bio load to really care about pellets right now, although we are working on that

Small steps first......

Brett, I finally broke down and put my Ca reactor online because trying to keep up with dosing was getting out of hand for me. I was dropping 1 to 1.5dKH daily and couldn't get it above about 6.8

I'm staying steady now at 8 and everything is starting to look a bit better.

 

[drummereef]

I doubt he has the bio load to really care about pellets right now, although we are working on that

Small steps first......

Brett, I finally broke down and put my Ca reactor online because trying to keep up with dosing was getting out of hand for me. I was dropping 1 to 1.5dKH daily and couldn't get it above about 6.8

I'm staying steady now at 8 and everything is starting to look a bit better.

How many corals/clams etc do you have in your tank? That's a pretty large demand. Glad to hear the corals are looking better, I'm sure they weren't too happy in the 6's. Refresh my memory, were you dosing 2-part?