Help with new 125 gallon build

[tassod]

Updated Pics

Updated Pics

Here are current pictures of tank:

 

[SimonSKL]

Your tank looks great, Tasso! Fish are happy and healthy.

 

[tassod]

Your tank looks great, Tasso! Fish are happy and healthy.

Thank you Simon, could not have done it without your help. Everyone who has chimed in has contributed to me being successful but none more than you. I truly appreciate it.:bounce3:

 

[tassod]

Here is a pic of my graph on PH data for today. You can see each little spike equals when the dosing pump turned on and it makes sense since the dose was being put into the fuge where the PH probe sits as well. PH would come down to normal after pump shut off but gradually has climbed which is expected.

 

[tassod]

Yippie! My alkalinity test tonight is showing 8.23 dkh. Can I start dosing Magnesium? Calcium is already at 576.

 

[SimonSKL]

Yeah, you definitely don't need any calcium but keep an eye on it. Every time you measure alk measure cal also. You are not too far off with mag so you don't need much but you can start dosing if you want.

How did you prepare you magnesium solution?

 

[tassod]

I followed the instructions per the BRS video, 5 cups Magnesium Chloride and 3 level cups of Magnesium Sulfate to a one gallon jug, fill with RO/DI water and mix.

 

[tassod]

the BRS reef calculator says I need 725.8 ml of Mag solution to go from 1260ppm to 1320ppm. That seems a little high to me.

 

[SimonSKL]

I followed the instructions per the BRS video, 5 cups Magnesium Chloride and 3 level cups of Magnesium Sulfate to a one gallon jug, fill with RO/DI water and mix.

Perfect. That's exactly how I prepare mine.

 

[SimonSKL]

the BRS reef calculator says I need 725.8 ml of Mag solution to go from 1260ppm to 1320ppm. That seems a little high to me.

Unlike alk and cal, you can add a lot of mag at a time and still safe for the tank. The recommendation is no more than 100ppm per day. So your 725ml is only equivalent to 60ppm. Just spread that throughout the day and you will be fine.

 

[tassod]

Unlike alk and cal, you can add a lot of mag at a time and still safe for the tank. The recommendation is no more than 100ppm per day. So your 725ml is only equivalent to 60ppm. Just spread that throughout the day and you will be fine.

ok will do, thanks.

 

[tassod]

Everything is working great so far, PH has stabilized to 8.25 even with the dosing. MAG is also dosing. One thing i noticed though which i dont understand is that there seems to be significantly less flow coming out of the GFO reactor from when I initially installed it, the carbon reactor is at the same flow rate and so is the UV. I tried dminishing the flow on the carbon and UV but it did not make a difference. What could be the issue?

 

[SimonSKL]

GFO has a tendency to compact into a solid mass over time which restricts the water flowing thru it. I have to adjust the flow from time to time to break the GFO loose. This is another reason I don't put too much of GFO in the reactor.

 

[tassod]

Well, even with my valve fully open, i cannot get it to tumble. I may have to get an pump for it unless i can figure something else out

 

[SimonSKL]

This is a video of my GFO reactor. Your don't need a lot of flow thru it. As you can see there is only a small area that the GFO actually tumble.

http://s667.beta.photobucket.com/user/SimonSKL/media/GFOReactor_zpsc65c0554.mp4.html

 

[tassod]

This is a video of my GFO reactor. Your don't need a lot of flow thru it. As you can see there is only a small area that the GFO actually tumble.

http://s667.beta.photobucket.com/user/SimonSKL/media/GFOReactor_zpsc65c0554.mp4.html

Thanks for the video Simon. I don't even get that in mine, nothing tumbles at all. I will first try switching it around with the carbon reactor and see if there is any difference in flow.

 

[SimonSKL]

I have my GFO reactor first before carbon after the return pump. My Blowhole pump runs on high all the time and I feed 4 outlets with the outflow before going to the DT: GFO, Carbon, UV, and calcium reactor.

 

[tassod]

I have my GFO reactor first before carbon after the return pump. My Blowhole pump runs on high all the time and I feed 4 outlets with the outflow before going to the DT: GFO, Carbon, UV, and calcium reactor.

Yup, same here with me minus the calcium reactor so I am only feeding 3 outlets and my GFO is first in line like yours. Same setup, same hardware. I wonder if something is wrong with the gate valve.

 

[tassod]

Here is a pic of my setup again. Its the first valve that is in line after the return:

 

[SimonSKL]

Can you take a picture of the outflow from the GFO reactor when you can?