My 65G Shallow Reef Tank

[biodegraded]

As I've written before in this thread, and I quote:

The setosa!

Given the size and growth rate of that thing, I'm pretty sure it climbs out of the tank at night and roams around looking for dogs, cats and small children for food.

 

[Myka]

Nice growth!! Wow!

 

[westreef]

Bulent, with this growth rate, you need a bigger tank in 2 months:beer:

 

[kainic]

Your reef just exploded. Don't ever get rid of your stags, they give your tank a unique personality. You can get rid of your setosa, I'll be very pleased to accomodate it in my tank :rolleye1:

What's your opinion on calcium reactors? Are you dosing with doser or manually?

Keep up the good work.

 

[reefmutt]

I was looking at my Facebook page to compare photos I uploaded at different dates and noticed the growth rate since April 2016. I am astonished to say to least. Here are two photos for comparison:

18th April 2016

20th November 2016

My dosing salts and calcium hydroxide are clearly not going to waste.

This is quite amazing, Bulent! Very nicely done.
A beautiful achievement!!

 

[gregkn73]

I was looking at my Facebook page to compare photos I uploaded at different dates and noticed the growth rate since April 2016. I am astonished to say to least. Here are two photos for comparison:

18th April 2016

20th November 2016

My dosing salts and calcium hydroxide are clearly not going to waste.

Wow, excellent growth and colour simultaneously! You are a case study for coral farmers [emoji6]

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Bulent, That is stunning! I would say that is a banner 7 month period.

Your Setosa is encroaching on your acros. I must ask. Will it too, meet a Brave Heart ending?

If so I cannot watch. lol

Thank you sir. I noticed that my setosa is now too close to my millepora, but its end may well be much gentler. :fun2:

As I've written before in this thread, and I quote:

Given the size and growth rate of that thing, I'm pretty sure it climbs out of the tank at night and roams around looking for dogs, cats and small children for food.

:frog:

I nearly lost this coral last June due to bleaching. Fortunatelt, corrective action I took reversed its decline. I occasionally sell over growing sections, but the problem is that this coral grows in a very dense formation. This makes it almost impossible to cut frags.

Nice growth!! Wow!

Thank you Mindy.

Bulent, with this growth rate, you need a bigger tank in 2 months:beer:

Cheers. No kidding. This is why I am removing those corals, which I no longer want, so that my favourite ones will have more room to grow. Getting a bigger tank is on hold until after my youngest son, who is starting university next year, finishes his studies. Next year I will have to support not only my youngest son, but also the eldest one who is graduating with lots of student debt :headwally:.

Your reef just exploded. Don't ever get rid of your stags, they give your tank a unique personality. You can get rid of your setosa, I'll be very pleased to accomodate it in my tank :rolleye1:

What's your opinion on calcium reactors? Are you dosing with doser or manually?

Keep up the good work.

I would be happy to give you a large frag from my setosa if you lived in the UK. Thanks for your compliment Sergi.

I was told by some bigwigs that in a small tank like mine it would be difficult to have stable alkalinity with the use a calcium reactor. If I had a large tank, say 6-feet or more, I would consider it. Majority of my tank's calcium and alkalinity demand is met by calcium hydroxide dosing via a Deltec kalkstirrer. Remaining demand is met by RHF recipe no 2 via dosing. I use two AC-driven peristaltic pumps connected to separate digital timers. I dose magnesium manually as per Randy's recipe (i.e. 305 ml every time I dose 1 (US) gallon of Alk and Ca).

This is quite amazing, Bulent! Very nicely done.
A beautiful achievement!!

Thank you for your kind words Matt.

Wow, excellent growth and colour simultaneously! You are a case study for coral farmers [emoji6]

Thank you for this tremendous compliment. I appreciate it.

 

[reefmutt]

Bulent, I found a deltec km500 kalk stirrer in the dark recesses of my 'fish stuff' closet. I am going to set it up.
I am currently dosing kalk from a container which I mix every two days- this is getting tedious..
I plan to use a doser to feed the stirrer ro water from a reservoir. This way I don't have to worry about changes in seasonal evaporation rates and I can better depend on its daily production.
I've never used a kalk stirrer before, however, and am not sure if I should keep it stirring 24/7 (which seems like a good way to burn out the motor prematurely)
I was thinking of just stirring for a few hours before the doser starts. I will only dose at night.
Or.. I stir continuously while the doser is going to add cloudy, super saturated kalk. I assume this will add a much stronger solution than the static mixture I add now..
I guess I'm asking you to fill me in some of my knowledge gaps, here. And for your opinion on the best way to use the kalk with a stirrer..
Thanks in advance!

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Bulent, I found a deltec km500 kalk stirrer in the dark recesses of my 'fish stuff' closet. I am going to set it up.
I am currently dosing kalk from a container which I mix every two days- this is getting tedious..
I plan to use a doser to feed the stirrer ro water from a reservoir. This way I don't have to worry about changes in seasonal evaporation rates and I can better depend on its daily production.
I've never used a kalk stirrer before, however, and am not sure if I should keep it stirring 24/7 (which seems like a good way to burn out the motor prematurely)
I was thinking of just stirring for a few hours before the doser starts. I will only dose at night.
Or.. I stir continuously while the doser is going to add cloudy, super saturated kalk. I assume this will add a much stronger solution than the static mixture I add now..
I guess I'm asking you to fill me in some of my knowledge gaps, here. And for your opinion on the best way to use the kalk with a stirrer..
Thanks in advance!

Hi Matt,

Your strategy is sound. I use an AC driven peristaltic pump, which feeds RODI to my stirrer at a rate of 4 ml per minute.

You should run your stirrer 24/7. If you do not, then calcium hydroxide starts to harden and puts pressure on the motor every time it starts to rotate the rod inside the stirrer. I had the same question when I bought my unit. I wrote to Deltec and the reply I received reassured me that this is the right thing to do. Below is the conversation I had with Deltec:

Bulent:

Dear Wolfgang,

Statistically, how long should the stepper motor is expected to
last before replacing? I will be adhering to the instructions and will be
running the motor 24/7. If I ever have to stop the motor, I will not
re-start it before manually string the kalk paste first.

Deltec:

Dear Bulent,

The motor last a long, long time. There are many units still running after
10 or even 15 years 24/7 it is correct to stir the calcium hydroxide first
if the motor has been stopped for some time

Regards
Wolfgang

Providing that your dosing pump does not inject RO water too fast, there should not be any clouding of the supernatant.

One thing you need to bear in mind is that supernatant will be strong in the first few days after starting with fresh calcium hydroxide. Then, its strength will gradually drop. Deltec instructions tell you to use 150 grams of calcium hydroxide at a time. I use 250 grams instead. I prepare fresh calcium hydroxide when undissolved undissolved calcium hydroxide gets down to the same level as the water intake inside the reactor. I have marked the point as shown in the photo below. I experimentally evaluated that supernatant's strength is at its lowest when the incoming water does not have any contact with undissolved calcium hydroxide as it enters the reactor.

I hope this helps.

Bülent

 

[reefmutt]

Thanks for that, Bulent. Very helpful.
I didn't realize there would be such a distinct line of separation between the kw sludge and the supernatant.. I thought they'd mix more but I guess the slow speed of the stirrer avoids this. So, I can assume that the mixture I am using now will be as strong as freshly mixed kw in a stirrer.
Currently I am adding 3.5 ml/minute but would like to increase this with my new method of dosing through the stirrer.
How long does that 250g of kw last and how long do you dose per day?
Do you dose 24/7?
I've been dosing 11.5 hours/day overnight thus far.
How many inches high does that kalk precipitate go (in your chamber) when newly replenished?
How often does the stirrer need to be dismantled and fully cleaned?

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Thanks for that, Bulent. Very helpful.
I didn't realize there would be such a distinct line of separation between the kw sludge and the supernatant.. I thought they'd mix more but I guess the slow speed of the stirrer avoids this. So, I can assume that the mixture I am using now will be as strong as freshly mixed kw in a stirrer.
Currently I am adding 3.5 ml/minute but would like to increase this with my new method of dosing through the stirrer.
How long does that 250g of kw last and how long do you dose per day?
Do you dose 24/7?
I've been dosing 11.5 hours/day overnight thus far.
How many inches high does that kalk precipitate go (in your chamber) when newly replenished?
How often does the stirrer need to be dismantled and fully cleaned?

Calcium hydroxide accumulated below the line is not necessarily junk (i.e. impurities). I simply get rid of it because its strength diminishes greatly at that point. I can effort that because I still have enough Rowa Kalk that will last another 8.5 years.

I dose about 14 hours a day (if I remember correctly). So, 250 grams of calcium hydroxide lasts (up to the line) about 7 to 8 weeks. I fully clean my stirrer every time I replenish it (i.e. every 7 to 8 weeks). I simply wash it under pressured warm water. Occasionally, I soak the whole unit including its hose in diluted white vinegar (one or twice a year).

As for "How many inches high does that kalk precipitate go (in your chamber) when newly replenished?", I have never measured it to be honest, but will do it when I replenish it next time, which will be around new years eve.

Finally, the strength of effluent from the stirrer is never as strong as that of freshly prepared kalkwasser except the first few days after replenishment.

 

[reefmutt]

Is that 8.5 years exactly or 'give or take' a couple months?
Thanks again for all the info, Bulent. You are always such a reliable person to ask for help. I really appreciate it!
I only asked about the height as a laziness move instead of actually having to weigh out 250g of kalk but I do have a good scale so I'll put in the extra effort and weigh it out..
I will probably end up dosing pretty much the same as you.. maybe a bit more. And then rely on my ca reactor for the rest.
Thanks again!

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Is that 8.5 years exactly or 'give or take' a couple months?
Thanks again for all the info, Bulent. You are always such a reliable person to ask for help. I really appreciate it!
I only asked about the height as a laziness move instead of actually having to weigh out 250g of kalk but I do have a good scale so I'll put in the extra effort and weigh it out..
I will probably end up dosing pretty much the same as you.. maybe a bit more. And then rely on my ca reactor for the rest.
Thanks again!

You are welcome Matt. Anytime...

As you probably know, you need to be careful in handling calcium hydroxide and avoid breathing fumes while mixing it in water. I put dry powder inside my reactor first, and then add about 1.5 litres of RODI and finally give a quick stir before replacing the rotating rod and motor head quickly to minimise the contact time with air to avoid precipitation.

Cheers

 

[reefmutt]

More good advice. Thanks!

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Hi Matt,

Below is a scenario to be avoided:

This happens when your RODI reservoir runs dry and your peristaltic pump keeps pumping air. Fortunately, your stirrer will dump undissolved calcium hydroxide for not more than a few minutes. After you refill your RODI container, you need to ensure that you collect any effluent in a separate container while you are purging air accumulated inside the feeding tube. Once effluent starts to drip, you ought to stop your peristaltic pump to allow the solution to settle. This takes up to 90 minutes.

I am glad that I noticed it this morning. While dealing with the peristaltic pump connected to my kalk stirrer, I also noticed that I forgot to switch on my other peristaltic pump that is connected to my Alk solution. I switched it off 3 days ago during water change. As of 7 pm last night, alkalinity dropped to 5.5 dKH. This is not the first time it happened though.

 

[DiscusHeckel]

On a more cheerful note here are some of my wet friends:

 

[markalot]

Great pics Bulent, glad to hear nothing horrible happened from the Alk drop.

I have almost everything on a feed timer so don't forget to turn it back on. My old brain forgot once too often.

 

[kainic]

On a more cheerful note here are some of my wet friends:

I'm thinking on buying a female Genicanthus melanospilos. How big is yours and do you think it has overgrown your tank (or will do)?

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Great pics Bulent, glad to hear nothing horrible happened from the Alk drop.

I have almost everything on a feed timer so don't forget to turn it back on. My old brain forgot once too often.

Thanks Mark. My corals do not show any adverse signs when alkalinity sinks below 7 dKH. However, some of my corals, especially A. lokani, start to look dull if alkalinity goes higher than 8.5 dKH, which happened several times in the past.

I'm thinking on buying a female Genicanthus melanospilos. How big is yours and do you think it has overgrown your tank (or will do)?

Sergi,

My female G. melanospilos is about 3 in long excluding her tail (4" including her tail). She seems happy, eats well and looks slightly overweight. When I bought her back in March 2013, she was about 2" (excluding her tail).

How would I know if she has overgrown my tank?

 

[Jim Z.]

Your tank is looking good. I'll be chopping up some corals in my 50 to make room for my hand so that I can scrape coraline algae off from the glass. Alk drops are scary, but if levels are restored slowly, little or no damage occurs...............Jim