My 500G Osama Reef-2

[Newbie Aquarist]

Wayne, can you elaborate on that, I added a big bag of phosban 3 weeks ago and then had those two corals melt.

Phosban has been known to drop phosphates really fast and unless you build up the dosing to your tank requirement, your corals will suffer. If you overdose it and place it in all at once then the results will be more worse.

Nice pickup on the phosphate reader. Looks like I will be purchasing that one as well as I am tired of getting false readings on my tester.

Nice review on the product to Steve.

 

[SPotter]

whenever I change gfo I always add 1/3 of the target amount at a time. So I will add 1/3, wait a week and another 1/3 and then wait another week add the final 1/3. As Wayne said, if you add too much all at once you will strip the water very fast and that is not good for your corals.

 

[slief]

Placed in tank 24 hrs ago .. All looking good.

Looking great!

 

[Osama]

Thanks Slief This guy is enjoying his new Kingdom. Moved from a 65g with 4 other fish and LR to the top of the tank & corals and now he has the run of the place over 10.8 feet run and he is getting me dizzy just watching go & he/she?? Exploring every cave and eating .. All is well...

 

[Osama]

Steve & Wayne I should be receiving my tester today. I think UPS should donate moneyS to our hobby.. Their truck is stopping almost daily here as of late!!

 

[Newbie Aquarist]

We should then grant this day as..........Osama Tuesday!!!!!

 

[Osama]

Thanks Wayne It seems like UPS likes your front door even better than they do mine ... What a hobby!!

 

[asonitez]

Osama - I have to ask - why didn't you go the route of like a large hammerhead pump or reeflo Dart's which seem to be the staples of larger reef tanks like yours? I've been using a Mag18 as my return for years on a much smaller reef and although I might try and replace it with a HY7000 or HT10000 internal pump it has been rock solid dependable for all of those years.

Just curious on your choice of pumps..

Also.. although you don't have Halides or anything you do have a lot of equip. Do you find HEAT to be an issue at all?

 

[Osama]

Hi asonitez: I am not an expert on pumps. I have sitting in my basement some very good pumps (IMO): Two large Sequence that I used for one year on my previous 320g tank, one brand new Little Giant had as a spare for I do not know for what anymore and an mak4. I rely on my Installer that had installed my previous system to let me know what is the latest and I follow his advise. I love the DC pumps so far they are quiet (VI to us) and extremely powerful and six level to control the amount of output..
As far as heat: I am from the old school of MH that produced a lot of heat. This setup with 5 Maxspect 160w LEDs on the main tank, so far have no problem with the heat at all. I need to buy a couple of stronger heaters to keep the temp steady in the tank as my two 300 W do not keep it at same temp at night when the FR is set at 65 degrees... Tank top is still open and things may change after the canopy is finished and the tank is framed up.. Thanks for your interest

 

[Osama]

MY APEX will not communicate email via AOL

MY APEX will not communicate email via AOL

Anyone using APEX and AOL for email and was able to setup the APEX to work with AOL. Neptune Rep was not able to set it up yesterday and suggested I open a yahoo email.. Would like to hear from your experience please and thanks

 

[Midnightt]

Hey Osama make sure you upgrade your APEX software first and foremost. It should help with unlocking more functionality and get the system ready for the Fusion release.

As for the emails I have not gotten anything to work lately but, I'm waiting to switch mine over to the new tank before I dive back into it. By the time that happens the new software will be out and from what I understand everything should be easier to program.

What all have you programmed so far?

 

[Osama]

Hi Midnight: System crashed on us the first day and we had a bit of flooding. Disconnected APEX. Now we are putting one item at a time. I have my four EchoTech MP 60s working off the APEX with very minor programming four different pump profiles. Yesterday we hooked up the lights to the APEX. simple program on at 7am off at 8pm and off if T>82 degrees.
Email did not work for AOL still hoping someone succeeded and will inform us.
Tell me more about Fusion release what it is where can I read about it and will it be something I can download into my new APEX... Thanks

 

[smb2415]

OSAMA are you considered a closed or open canopy? I am leaning towards a closed canopy with an intake and exhaust to outside. We have large tanks and moisture is a very real concern.

 

[Midnightt]

[So you are running the MP's through the WXM. Your lights are on for 13 hours!

The fusion release is in the link below. Copy and paste.

http://www.neptunesystems.com/macna-2013-announcements-round-up/

The fusion should expand the apex a little bit for you and make you programming a lot easier.

I remember your pumps shutting off. It had to be something in the programming telling them to shut down. I've never had mine, or anyone else's that I've programmed, do anything I couldn't trace to a program. Key thing is to get your firmware updated before you get everything on it so that if something does go wrong in the update your not really out much time. From what I understand, and I'm not Apex expert, the current firmware is limited on which emails will work with it. The new firmware and the release of fusion is said to correct that.

 

[Osama]

SMb: Our plan is for an enclosed canopy with access from front & back for ease of maintenance. After the tank and the small closet we have our attached garage. We will have fan exhausting to the garage and intake from garage as well.

 

[Osama]

MPs & Lights on APEX

MPs & Lights on APEX

Hi Midnight, first thanks for the link to fusion release. I will take a look a bit later today.
MPs are running off the APEX and as follows. I have set them to operate at 33% capacity and I have set four profiles as follows PF1 is a fall back profile and that is set at 8% which means if APEX goes down & comes back on it will have my MPS at a low speed to allow me to determine cause before I reinstate the desired speed. PF2=33%, PF3=50% PF4=75% and PF5= 100%. I am just playing and learning before I set two MPs in sync and two anti-sync and setup profiles for different wave patterns at different times of the day and a feed cycle etc... Sounds like fun to try after all else is done..My thoughts for the time being.. Plenty of other things to do before then!!
Lights are on/off based on times I set on APEX. Next (today or tomorrow) I will program the MPs to start at 25% then up to a peak at 75% in increments and the one light in the middle of the tank will go up to 100%.. Subject to change without notice!! and I enjoy my fish tank from when I am up (usually very early) till almost bedtime.. SO they stay up as well on reduced lighting. I had this cycle on my temp. 65g tank and everything was doing extremely well. Hope the same happens in a bigger deeper tank Thanks for your interest..
Neptune checked my firmware yesterday and three days ago. I have to find out somehow what is the latest version of firmware and make sure I got it.. another item on MY TO DO LIST. (Wife's to do list is on the back burner for a very long time)

 

[Midnightt]

haha Wife's to do list.

 

[Osama]

Not so loud Midnight.. She might hear us.. Actually she is wonderful and supportive of this amazing hobby. Today I had to move a frag she liked into a better spot as she thought HER FAVORITE coral is dying and after saying NO I ended up moving it and she is happier than .. and I may get dinner tonite..

 

[Osama]

MI-412 Amended procedure

MI-412 Amended procedure

Hi Steve & Wayne. My MI412 arrived and it had a note/amended procedure that reads "... always zero your unit using steam distilled water".. Steve: do you do that or use the tank water or?
then it says ".. .shake that cuvettes violently for 10 sec then let it stand for 1 min then shake again for 10 sec... stand for 4 mnts.." Is this also how you do the test?
Please advise of your process and thanks

 

[SPotter]

Hi Steve & Wayne. My MI412 arrived and it had a note/amended procedure that reads "... always zero your unit using steam distilled water".. Steve: do you do that or use the tank water or?
then it says ".. .shake that cuvettes violently for 10 sec then let it stand for 1 min then shake again for 10 sec... stand for 4 mnts.." Is this also how you do the test?
Please advise of your process and thanks

Hi Osama, those are new directions to me. I ordered my tester last year this time and havent had to order new reagents yet so I am not aware of the new instructions. I would fill with tank water, calibrate the tester, then set a timer for 4 mins (shake for 1 min, let stand for 3 min) and then press the button to complete the test.