Karim's in wall 380g tank

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/2A44D0AF-7802-4E37-844F-2FC1E801A592_zpssjqfhgnf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/2A44D0AF-7802-4E37-844F-2FC1E801A592_zpssjqfhgnf.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2A44D0AF-7802-4E37-844F-2FC1E801A592_zpssjqfhgnf.jpg"></a>

These two colonies merged and are growing over several other species now... need to weed this garden!
 
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/4C39C697-83DF-47BA-B7A6-37E13B64E3E4_zpsxa0kplkc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/4C39C697-83DF-47BA-B7A6-37E13B64E3E4_zpsxa0kplkc.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 4C39C697-83DF-47BA-B7A6-37E13B64E3E4_zpsxa0kplkc.jpg"></a>

Coral aggression gone wild
 
I think the footlong birds nest needs to go... another weed with several baby colonies at 8" each

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/888E4E2E-E921-4836-ADE5-0A80CE22D335_zpsnk2fduzu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/888E4E2E-E921-4836-ADE5-0A80CE22D335_zpsnk2fduzu.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 888E4E2E-E921-4836-ADE5-0A80CE22D335_zpsnk2fduzu.jpg"></a>
 
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/5E86C388-93AF-4957-ADB5-82BB0856DBF3_zpsjnccsbea.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/5E86C388-93AF-4957-ADB5-82BB0856DBF3_zpsjnccsbea.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 5E86C388-93AF-4957-ADB5-82BB0856DBF3_zpsjnccsbea.jpg"></a>

I know it's not an sps but this favia has fully encrusted its foot long rock on both sides. Need to figure out how to frag it.

And this white spongy stuff is growing wild under the rocks

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/A5F6AFA6-A298-4204-B175-67DC18020031_zps1ylmfpef.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/A5F6AFA6-A298-4204-B175-67DC18020031_zps1ylmfpef.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo A5F6AFA6-A298-4204-B175-67DC18020031_zps1ylmfpef.jpg"></a>
 
Now for my shameful secret...

I had stopped maintaining the tank about 6 months ago with family and work responsibilities becoming more critical. At the same time, I had set up a high light secondary tank over my aux sump.

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/5A2E6AE0-1BA8-4B95-87B9-93F93C383033_zpscmsifobj.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/5A2E6AE0-1BA8-4B95-87B9-93F93C383033_zpscmsifobj.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 5A2E6AE0-1BA8-4B95-87B9-93F93C383033_zpscmsifobj.jpg"/></a>

Well, several systems started to fail... the surge tank PVC feed had a leak- so turned the surge off. The skimmer pump stalled so turned off the skimmer. The monster ATS got overgrown, so I turned it off and removed it. The sump ATS became overgrown with Xenia. The GFO filter got clogged- took it offline. The GAC also got too old - offline...

So essentially, there's almost nothing running to remove waste, except the highly lit secondary tank.

I also stopped feeding... with a mandarin and trigger in the tank!!!

And I stopped water changes (why not? It's going to be a disaster anyway)

Shamefully, I even stopped changing my

The only thing I did was add kalk. The Apex controlled the rest.

But, it didn't die!! It actually flourished... so much that my wife says my "meddling" is bad for the tank.

This... is what happened to the secondary tank:

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/62AF83E1-FE30-48D0-9648-B0D556F15A77_zps8gmqd8ff.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/62AF83E1-FE30-48D0-9648-B0D556F15A77_zps8gmqd8ff.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 62AF83E1-FE30-48D0-9648-B0D556F15A77_zps8gmqd8ff.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/6A1D4A56-6D9C-4852-B0A4-E1EBD517E95C_zpsytpo6lwa.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/6A1D4A56-6D9C-4852-B0A4-E1EBD517E95C_zpsytpo6lwa.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 6A1D4A56-6D9C-4852-B0A4-E1EBD517E95C_zpsytpo6lwa.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/9B8AE2DF-0B26-4CF0-BC05-9C7E3C54E2C9_zpszg4ysnfh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/9B8AE2DF-0B26-4CF0-BC05-9C7E3C54E2C9_zpszg4ysnfh.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 9B8AE2DF-0B26-4CF0-BC05-9C7E3C54E2C9_zpszg4ysnfh.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/FA1007ED-31E9-4FBC-A9DD-652953EB0611_zpsdzermxmy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/FA1007ED-31E9-4FBC-A9DD-652953EB0611_zpsdzermxmy.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo FA1007ED-31E9-4FBC-A9DD-652953EB0611_zpsdzermxmy.jpg"/></a>

Just recently, I started collecting and actively feeding my main tank with it

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/5099125F-5EAF-485C-92FC-2B156F0CA045_zpsh92zlgnd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/5099125F-5EAF-485C-92FC-2B156F0CA045_zpsh92zlgnd.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 5099125F-5EAF-485C-92FC-2B156F0CA045_zpsh92zlgnd.jpg"/></a>
 
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/33107314-90F4-40E3-AF72-F27167F424F7_zpsk2ugwnpf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/33107314-90F4-40E3-AF72-F27167F424F7_zpsk2ugwnpf.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 33107314-90F4-40E3-AF72-F27167F424F7_zpsk2ugwnpf.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/CABDC418-1517-4734-8E0E-922C04BBEA7B_zpsrmtsbddb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/CABDC418-1517-4734-8E0E-922C04BBEA7B_zpsrmtsbddb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo CABDC418-1517-4734-8E0E-922C04BBEA7B_zpsrmtsbddb.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/654C0AD9-0D6F-47C4-B757-78F5AF321B3F_zpsie2iyrbz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/654C0AD9-0D6F-47C4-B757-78F5AF321B3F_zpsie2iyrbz.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 654C0AD9-0D6F-47C4-B757-78F5AF321B3F_zpsie2iyrbz.jpg"></a>

This mass is full of pods and completely recycles the food in the system.

Results are good-

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/4A261F16-3008-4CFA-B046-391D6D9C3977_zps6ftrjkvz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/4A261F16-3008-4CFA-B046-391D6D9C3977_zps6ftrjkvz.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 4A261F16-3008-4CFA-B046-391D6D9C3977_zps6ftrjkvz.jpg"></a>

But it's making me rebuild my core tank philosophies.
 
Karim, bottom line is that your method works... and it doesn't seem to matter WHICH method you're using. :0)

Any update on the move and upgrade?
 
Thanks. I'm learning and sometimes nature just provides new data that shows me how little I know. I'm also starting to think of the reef like a pet that ages.. from a puppy that needs lots of care and attention to a teenager to a mature dog that just needs to do his thing.

We're house hunting! Finding a house with the right orientation and space for a sunroom isn't easy.

Also learned that I'm technically looking for a "conservatory", not a sunroom or greenhouse.
 
Karim,
can I know your light schedule?
How many hours per day?
do you have 400 or 250W MH? no other light correct?

beautiful color in your sps

you do not dose any coral food correct?
 
Since you're asking about color, I'll share another embarrassing datapoint. I haven't changed any of my RODI media is 6 months. With my consumption, I go over 0ppm dissolved in 8 weeks. I'm scared to find out what it is now.

So no protein skimming, no water changes, no feeding, no GAC, no GFO.

Just ATO and kalk.

The reason I choose to divulge my embarrassing RODI failure is the potential that I'm inadvertently dosing something through negligence. The algae may be sequestering it for now, but some may be getting into the corals.

Without some kind of export soon... I may run into a wall. Or not.
 
karimwassef said:
3 x 400W MH two socket

No feeding of any kind at this point

I start at 8am and run to midnight.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if understand correctly.
From 8 am to mid night you have 16 hours of Metal Halide light per day??

I ask because I understand that 6 hours is of metal Halides is what most people do in their tanks?
 
Yes. I run 16hrs of MH. Here's the APEX current draw

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/9F34294A-9AAB-4F1C-BDCD-1320C49ECBB2_zpsx4i0n3vg.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/9F34294A-9AAB-4F1C-BDCD-1320C49ECBB2_zpsx4i0n3vg.png" border="0" alt=" photo 9F34294A-9AAB-4F1C-BDCD-1320C49ECBB2_zpsx4i0n3vg.png"></a>

I stagger them one at a time (left to right) for an hour to replicate sunrise and sunset
 
I will say that the photoperiod is probably not possible without my algae scrubber running 600W of LEDs 24hrs a day and my heavy kalk additions to maintain Ca and Alk.
 
Here'a my controversial pH over time due to kalk control loop. I am using pH as a proxy for Alk (it really isn't in most cases).
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/3A81C39E-FB38-422A-95B6-C68EC8B89CCB_zpsxcz9xddj.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/3A81C39E-FB38-422A-95B6-C68EC8B89CCB_zpsxcz9xddj.png" border="0" alt=" photo 3A81C39E-FB38-422A-95B6-C68EC8B89CCB_zpsxcz9xddj.png"></a>

And here they are superpositioned
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/A00BA7C9-8A60-4B3E-9CC3-115DBE0C5822_zps4dk2xzba.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/A00BA7C9-8A60-4B3E-9CC3-115DBE0C5822_zps4dk2xzba.png" border="0" alt=" photo A00BA7C9-8A60-4B3E-9CC3-115DBE0C5822_zps4dk2xzba.png"></a>
 
Here's how I set up the weird staggered pH to photoperiod windows:

I turned off all kalk for a week (act of faith that the corals wouldn't starve)

I logged the natural pH cycle as a result of the corals consuming the Alk and Ca in the water - it was a sinusoid that was offset from the photoperiod.. it ranged between 7.95 and 8.25

I replicated it with a square approx from Apex kalk dosing. I just added 0.15 to the loop target.

I measured my Alk for the next few days. Found it steady at 8.0 - 8.5 & left it there
 
karimwassef said:
Since you're asking about color, I'll share another embarrassing datapoint. I haven't changed any of my RODI media is 6 months. With my consumption, I go over 0ppm dissolved in 8 weeks. I'm scared to find out what it is now.

So no protein skimming, no water changes, no feeding, no GAC, no GFO.

Just ATO and kalk.

The reason I choose to divulge my embarrassing RODI failure is the potential that I'm inadvertently dosing something through negligence. The algae may be sequestering it for now, but some may be getting into the corals.

Without some kind of export soon... I may run into a wall. Or not.
Click to expand...

My tanks don't look anywhere near as nice as yours, but I'm in a similar boat. I tried all sorts of stuff before just throwing a ton of chaeto in the sump and everything has done better since. The latest tank, a 170 (only been up a around a year) is still on its initial fill, and I don't even remember if that was RO or tap. I had planned to let it sit for a couple weeks then do a water change with salt from RO, but the nitrate/phosphate levels never got much above zero for more than a day (not a low range test kit) so that first water change never came. Starting a kalk drip has been the second best thing for the tank after adding the macro.
 
It does challenge some on my sacred cows on healthy reef maintenance where stopping RODI cartridge changes, turning my skimmer off, and stopping water changes turns out to improve my color and growth.

I won't take the credit for accidental success through negligence though. I will say that the two experimental variables that are in play seem to be the critical ones - forced kalk and the algae garden. ATO just keeps it from running dry.

To be fair, the chiller (outside the house) is still working- even in the winter with freezing outside temps... that's what happens when you run 1200W MH reef @ 16hrs and 600W LEDs algae @ 24hrs ... I doubt that this will be sustainable in he summer. I may have to cut both back to 8hrs and 18hrs.
 
This picture shows some of the particulates common in my tank - constant food supply

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/C604D115-0A33-4AAA-AE3E-0986279B9747_zpszhvwryb8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/C604D115-0A33-4AAA-AE3E-0986279B9747_zpszhvwryb8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo C604D115-0A33-4AAA-AE3E-0986279B9747_zpszhvwryb8.jpg"></a>
 
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