reefmutt
Active member
bienvenue, Rene!
you'll have to stop drinking all that great coffee you give me when I visit!
Learning/rebuilding from my epic fail
- Thread starter reefmutt
- Start date
bienvenue, Rene!
you'll have to stop drinking all that great coffee you give me when I visit!
reefmutt
Active member
looking quickly at that link, you mentioned in the thread that your n was around .2-.1 (honestly, I'm not sure how you can read that salifert test kit..) and p was around .03.. those are very low numbers.. if i had those numbers, i wouldn't be dosing carbons..
i had perpetually high and uncontrollable p when i had immeasurable n (i say immeasurable because, i guess it is possible to still have some..) it was only once i revved up that bacteria with a carbon source and then started dosing nitrate did i see my p fall. this to me indicates that i was n limited..
if your system is in a decent balance and i would say that n of .2 and p of .03 is pretty decent, vinegar dosing becomes experimental.. and must be done with caution, imo.. well, it should always be done with caution, but you know what i mean..
DiscusHeckel
Acropora Gardener
Here are the instructions for Salifert Nitrate testing. You can test down to 0.2 ppm. If the colour in your test vial is lighter pink than 2 ppm when looking at it from its side (refer to low range), then it must be between 0 and 0.2.
In my set up, nitrogen appears to be used up as soon as it gets in the water column by corals, cheato and bacteria as I do not have any micro algae anywhere to consume it. No matter how many fish I had and how much I fed them in the past, I always measured less than 0.2 ppm nitrates. At one point, I thought my test kit was faulty, but it was not the case after using a different test kit. Lots and lots of flow, few rocks, which are strategically positioned so that they will not trap detritus, and use of macro algae always worked for me.
What I am trying to say is that interpreting test results in isolation without any reference to the big picture can be misleading. In my opinion, nitrogen dosing is not suitable for every set up and should not be a default action unless there is a real need for it.
reefmutt
Active member
I have used that test kit often... Maybe I'm just colour blind..
I absolutely agree with you.. Nitrogen dosing is rarely necessary and probably generally not a great idea, especially when things are in balance.. I believe that my stystem was out of balance and for me, dosing a very small amount of n seems to bring it back into a better nutrient balance.
I'm sorry, I got mixed up a bit.. Thought you were talking vinegar dosing.. I get what you are saying about nitrogen. Although I said that I wouldn't use vinegar in your case, I would say the same about nitrate dosing because you have such good n and p.
I thinks it's a tool for reestablishing a nutrient balance.. Which I lacked.
trueblackpercula
New member
Well the tank is getting there.. Tomorrow, I'll add salt and the add my live rock and let it cycle for as long as it takes..
This is not even fair to the rest of us.......LOL how on earth I will you set up the mitras? I have one over my tank and its super powerful i can't imagine three plus all the extra lighting you have. when you get a chance would be interested in your mitras lx6100hv graph and project. Here is mine running it right now at 56% and have been increasing 1% every seven days.
Michael
I am so following this thread as I see your vision and it looks like your system is going to be killer real fast.
renevilleneuve
New member
Hi Matt,I would be interested in more details as to the rest of the equipment you are using. What type of media are u using in your reactor? What skimmer? Dosing pump or regular pump on reactor?maybe these are newby questions,comes with the guy. Did I understand well that before you balance p or n you make sure Mg,Ca and Alk are ok? Would it be pertinent to clean rock with lye to remove p? Then start fresh without too many unknowns? I've probably asked before but I am still digesting information. How many gallons will you have on your system now?
reefmutt
Active member
Micheal.. I felt a sense of enthusiasm in your post that began a chain reaction of memories and feelings in me...
So, anybody who wants to skip the 'chick flick' sentimentalism can skip over this part..
I kept my first fish in a mayonnaise jar shortly after we gave away my cat because I had developed allergies. I was 6. I've been keeping fish for over 4 years, now. Through elementary and high school and through university I kept freshwater fish... I finally started focusing on discus and tanganyika cichlids because I could see a sense of community or level of interaction which was more complex than regular community fish.
Shortly after I began university, and working in a pet store to fund school, I saw my first reef tank - probably in 1991. The manager of one of the franchise stores in which I worked was into reefs and I began helping him unpack coral orders. There was no going back. The reef tank embodied everything I wanted to do in an aquarium. It was the closest thing to a fully functioning ecosystem you could find in your living room.
The manager's name was Robin.. He's around here, on occasion.. Hopefully he'll drop by at some point.
Anyways! My first reef tank was in my In-law's house and it was a standard 50 gallon, my next tank, in my wife's and my first apartment we a custom 75. My next tank,in our next apartment was a standard 125. Next, in our first house, was a custom 210 with another 200g of sumps in the basement. We moved again and I got a standard 265, had kids, renovated and set up my glorious custom 300.. Until another major reno leading to my current set up. All of those installations were more exciting that the next and keeping each tank more rewarding than the last..
This past two years with this tank was not like that.. It was pretty much joyless work and frustration..
Last night, when I read your post, I had the first sensation of giddy excitement I used to feel when embarking on a new project.. This hobby can be so intensely rewarding and satisfying when things go well but when it fails, it can be like living in the gulag..(not that I know what that's like, but I can imagine.. Not fun)
so, Michael, I thank you for following me and for your excitement! It has reconnected me to the fun, art, science and creative expression of reef keeping..
reefmutt
Active member
Mike, I forgot to mention that I really only acces the Internet with Mac and I can't really view your program.
One of the frustrations of GHL... Their lack of Mac accomodation.
My program will not see the white led make it over 30% and that will be in high efficiency mode. The Blues will get closer to 90% during peak..
One of the frustrations of GHL... Their lack of Mac accomodation.
My program will not see the white led make it over 30% and that will be in high efficiency mode. The Blues will get closer to 90% during peak..
reefmutt
Active member
Ok! Sentimental crap done. Tech time!
All good, legit questions which I should have already answered!
This supposed to be a short movie.. Not sure it'll work..
I've detailed lighting..
In the tank, I recently purchased two maxspects gyres which I will put on the right and left back glass. Then, I will either get two more for the sides, near the front of the tank or put two tunze streams on rotating devices. Just like I am a fan of multiple point sources of light, I am also a big fan of multiple point sources for flow, preferably with a method of randomize get the flow in the tank. More global approach. I think the random flow coming from multiple directions is great for moving detritus but more importantly, the corals thrive in this type of water motion, ime..
So, once the watt has swirled around in the dt, it drains down to the tank in the back in the left. A good amount of detritus settles here. (more about this later)
The water than drains into the skimmer area in the left no then down through the (needing to be changed) filter sock and into the main sump. There are a few voracious peppermint shrimp who live in there for removing aptasia from corals.
The skimmer is an RLSS db10i. Love the skimmer. Works like a beast and is very quite as it pulls tons of air. My return is a basic dc pump. I have my aio biopellets in the deltec fluidized reactor. My calcium reactor is a deltec pf 601s. Filled with Two Little Fishies Reef Bones.
On the right, in back is another tank which is connected to my RO unit. I fill this tank for wc water. Both back tanks are connected by a mixing/drain pump. I have plumbed both tanks together and also connected the plumbing to my city drain. This allows me, when doing water changes, to use my pump to stir up the detritus in the left tank(connected to the system) and then pump the water down the drain. I can then open the valves and pump the new mixed water on the right into the recently drained tank on the left. It's about 28 gallons. No bucket carrying or hose dragging.. I do that all day during the week.. Don't need to do it on my system..
My skimmer is also connected to the drian and a cold water supply so that I can send skimate directly down the drain and wash out the skimmer cup at the same time. I remove the skimmer cup once in a while to clean it all out.
As for parameters. If you don't have some crazy algae problem, yes, get your calc, alk, mag sorted out and stabilized first and then tackle n and p.
With the dt, my system volume is just about 300 gallons.
I own a Lamar dosing pump but haven't set it up yet.. Once the system is all up, I will use it for dosing vsv, if necessary and for controlling flow in the ca reactor, if I can get the flow out of it I need.
As for cleaning/washing rock before using it, many people do do that. I didn't. Although, the rocks did get a serous high pressure wash in the summer with the carden hose..
Let me know if I left anything out.. Rene, please never hesitate to ask a question..
trueblackpercula
New member
Hey Matt,
Got a question about your white as our fixtures have two whites. The first are White: 12 Cree XT-E cool white's and second being Neutral White: 6 Cree XT-E neutral white's are you saying that the won't be over 30% at all withing the project spectrum or that the over all high output setting of the overall project won't exceed 30%
Well below is a picture I took to show you my project. It has been working much better now that I reduced the overall setting to below 60 % I have two sps on the bottom of the 31" deep tank and they look good.
Oh and I know all about when the tank is good everything is good but when the tank has issues so do I LOL I have learned a Lot about keeping Sps over the past 20 years and its only been in the past two years that I have learned the most. I hope to someday have an amazing reef like your someday. Thanks for the inspiration as well as we all need that every now and again.
Michael
Got a question about your white as our fixtures have two whites. The first are White: 12 Cree XT-E cool white's and second being Neutral White: 6 Cree XT-E neutral white's are you saying that the won't be over 30% at all withing the project spectrum or that the over all high output setting of the overall project won't exceed 30%
Well below is a picture I took to show you my project. It has been working much better now that I reduced the overall setting to below 60 % I have two sps on the bottom of the 31" deep tank and they look good.
Oh and I know all about when the tank is good everything is good but when the tank has issues so do I LOL I have learned a Lot about keeping Sps over the past 20 years and its only been in the past two years that I have learned the most. I hope to someday have an amazing reef like your someday. Thanks for the inspiration as well as we all need that every now and again.
Michael
reefmutt
Active member
Mike, that program looks very similar to an old program I ran.. I like it.
I actually have the 6200s. I upgraded my Mitras when the 6200s came out.
The white leds will not go above 30% within the light project. Which means, using my lights in high efficiency (not high output) mode, the actual output of the leds will be even lower..
I actually have the 6200s. I upgraded my Mitras when the 6200s came out.
The white leds will not go above 30% within the light project. Which means, using my lights in high efficiency (not high output) mode, the actual output of the leds will be even lower..
reefmutt
Active member
WOW, pretty good for a 10 year old
D'oh!!! Good catch..
It was supposed to say 400 years!
reefmutt
Active member
Ok!! Pic time.
I'm very happy to have taken out the good camera.. Never once did this before the fail.. But I'm feeling excited to get these little frags into the min tank.. Probably will be a while yet but anyways here a few shot from today. These re cropped but still have all the blue from the lights so some of them look more impressive than really are..
These are all macros..
Tubinaria:
Couple chalices:
Torch:
Darryl V. Sand dollar monti: too blue.. Survivor from the fail..
I'm very happy to have taken out the good camera.. Never once did this before the fail.. But I'm feeling excited to get these little frags into the min tank.. Probably will be a while yet but anyways here a few shot from today. These re cropped but still have all the blue from the lights so some of them look more impressive than really are..
These are all macros..
Tubinaria:
Couple chalices:
Torch:
Darryl V. Sand dollar monti: too blue.. Survivor from the fail..
reefmutt
Active member
I should point out.. After that discussion about no3 additions with discusheckel, that my long term intentions are to go back to dsb and fuge for maintenance of nutrients.
I am only using the cano3 to control my p..
I think that I will probably always run an undersized amount of pellets just for bacterial maintenance but if there comes a day when my n and p stay in balance without cano3 additions, I will have no reason to keep using it..
I am only using the cano3 to control my p..
I think that I will probably always run an undersized amount of pellets just for bacterial maintenance but if there comes a day when my n and p stay in balance without cano3 additions, I will have no reason to keep using it..
M007
Acro Whore
Ouuulala!
renevilleneuve
New member
Did you get the red dragon?
