My Tank Thread (Take3) ★Total AUTOMATION★ DIY Doser, Sump, AlgaeScrubber, WaterChnges

[Wally.B]

Nice. Very curious to see how that little guy does in the mixed reef.
Personally, I don't think you have a specific problem in that sps tank.. I think it just needs to settle with stability for a while.

Well if settling is what it needs I'll continue to wait.
As I mentioned there are corals that are doing well.

But this is curious. The Red Dragon just bleached too.

I've killed a lot of Red Dragons, but this time it's different.

The skin in pealing off, like a human's skim after sun burn.

Maybe I've never been around to see this, but whenever a Red Dragon bleached it simply went white.

It's finished, but I'm moving it to my Frag tank as a last chance.

 

[JonezNReef]

Looks like RTN. Also if tips are burning then maybe there is something up with your Alk. Just a thought

 

[Wally.B]

Looks like RTN. Also if tips are burning then maybe there is something up with your Alk. Just a thought

I agree burnt tips could be alk.

But I'm a fanatic checking alk since this is a new dosing regime setup.
I check alk like every other day.

It's 7.7 ROCK SOLID, for weeks.

Not even 8.0 or 7.5.
7.7 Tested Every other day.

 

[Wally.B]

DOSING ALK STREAM (Not Dosing ALK SPIKE)

You got me thinking since I'm searching for a reason for excessive bleaching. Those Sunsets bleaching, the Red Planet that looked great for a long while and now the Red Dragon.

There is no indication of any ALK spike since my water testing show that.

However that is from Tank water that has been properly mixed.

Perhaps when I installed the Doser and tubes as show below, I made a mistake.

Is it possible that when I dose the ALK hits the surface water, and doesn't mix, but skims across the surface toward the RETURN PUMP Section. (RED ARROWS)

That Return pump feeds my Sea Swirl that rotates back and forth in my tank, injecting water from the Sump.

If the Dosing ALK isn't mixed properly before returning to tank, it could be a steam of ALK coming out of Sea Swirl.

Yet water does mix since (even if surface doses make it there). In the picture it shows blue arrows in the Refuge. That water entering the Refuge overflows into the Return section, so that means additional water mixing into the Return pump area.

My dosing is very light (7.5 ml) each time, twice a day (5:00am, and 5:00pm).
And it's only AquaForest COmponent 1,2,3.

However when I adjusted the tank flow recently, I created Apex profile to not run the Gyre XF150 high at night. So the Sea Swirl is the greatest Circulation in the tank.

Plus when I finished the Frag Tank, I borrowed the CP-25 Pump, thus reducing the flow in the Display Tank further. Make the Sea Swirl even more the primary circulation, especially at night, and especially at 5am when one dose happens.

Extremely unlikely the cause, but just throwing this out there since it may have happened to someone.
It doesn't explain why some corals are ok, and others not. The good ones may be lucky since Sea Swirl wasn't pointed in their direction, and if true, another coral could be next.

Crazy theory?

A good test that I'm going to try, is a few (ml) of Coral Snow, where the dosing happens. I'll see where the white cloud goes.

 

[Wally.B]

SEA SWIRL Stream (Test) Coral Snow

So I did the Coral Snow test.

It took a while for the Coral Snow to show up in the Sea Swirl output, so that means there was mixing.

But here is what the output with Coral Snow Cloud looked like.
It's directed at the corals, which is normal (and good).

And the Sump did Cloud up completely before the tank clouded up, so that confirms mixing in Sump.

However this small adjustment on Sea Swirl Funnel can't hurt. (More Horizontal and not pointing at Corals).

Could have been a problem since tank is quite small for this Large Sea Swirl and Poweful DC Variable Speed Return pump.

 

[reefmutt]

I know people who dump their two part solutions by hand directly into the display. probaby not ideal but is isn't killing corals.
I think you are good with your system.
Your red dragon rtned like normal, you just happened to catch it in the act this time.
Is there growth on the acros that are doing ok?

 

[Wally.B]

Is there growth on the acros that are doing ok?

My collection of Dead Corals is growing for sure

But this is one Example, the Original Bonsai that have been around for many weeks. Started a quick growth, and now looks like not much.

But look at the Acro Photo on Right. That one has had the best coloration, and it started Encrusting.

Now it has some burnt tips, and the Back Side looks pitted.

NEXT IS MY MONTI (Been around for over a year)

When I started this DT, it took off, showing white tip growth.
It's stop growing, and that is a clear indicator that things are slowing down.


I have been too afraid of Increasing Lighting. For good reasons.
But that is holding me back from getting to Proper Par Levels and growth.


BTW. Frag tank is young, but hasn't killed or hurt any SPS yet.

 

[Wally.B]

Is this PINK CADILAC Alive?

As I mentioned before the Pink Caddilac lost it's tips.
It no longer glows under an Actinic or UV Light.

But unlike ALL Other Corals that have bleached and died, it's hasn't gone white. It is all GREEN.

It is also not growing brown algae on is Skeleton.

It's sitting in my FRAG tank for now.

IS IT ALIVE?

 

[Wally.B]

SOME GOOD News (For a change). The Power Brown in Mixed Kittchen DT

So The Power Blue Tang is Amazing (great Looking) addition to the Kitchen Tank.

He is really gettting along with the 3 Blue Green Chromis Fish.

They get along with him..

….And now they Get Along with each Other. (Almost inseperable, especially near the feeding station).

The whole Tank Social Behaviour has changed. Wife and Kids like the change.

The Chromis’s actually don’t hang around in Caves, killing each other.

They swim around the whole tank, and are schooling again.

And due to Competition for Food, every Pellet Dropped in is eaten (before it hits the bottom)!!!!

Wish I could accomplish this in my SPS tank inhabitants. I would feed more and that would be great for the Corals.

 

[Wally.B]

FRAG TANK (Frag Reference) Aug 1st, 2017

So I got the Frag Tank setup with Sump, since I shut down the QT with Powder Brown Tang.

I trust the Frag Tank more than DT, and I'm feeding it OysterFeast Daily.
Brought up the Lights to close to 250 PARS.

Going Down South to "Turk and Caicos" in a week, and last year we enjoyed some Amazing Snorkeling at "Coral Gardens" which is out of this World.

We bought a I-Phone Sleeve case as seen below last year, and it was Useless.
For Some reason it would work pefect on Land, but wouldn't Focus under water.

This year I'm prepared, since I got this Case and Camera combo (used on Kijii) for dirt cheap.

Learning to use it and I just tested it on the FRAG TANK.
Put it under water and distance is far enough for the Cannon S95 to get a decent Photo.

This is much better than shooting thru Glass as seen in Center Photo.
Better than shooting top shot over water since no reflections.

I haven't even test the RAW shooting mode, it was just Auto Setting.

I have a reference point on my Frags to see how they do over time.

 

[LuizW13]

I can't believe i went through 10 pages of this! If only your luck with your corals was as good as your DIY skills :fun5:

 

[Wally.B]

I can't believe i went through 10 pages of this! If only your luck with your corals was as good as your DIY skills :fun5:

I hope it wasn't too painful.

It puzzles me why I have such SPS troubles.

But I may have a clue.
That little piece of Green Slimer that I placed in my Mixed Tank is looking Super.Bright Green, Showing Better PE than in my FRAG and DT (where there is a same Green Slimer Piece).

It shouldn't be doing well at all. Hi Nitrates, Hi Phosphates, Barely any circulation, and Low Lighting.

To soon for any conclusion yet.

 

[LuizW13]

I hope it wasn't too painful.

It puzzles me why I have such SPS troubles.

But I may have a clue.
That little piece of Green Slimer that I placed in my Mixed Tank is looking Super.Bright Green, Showing Better PE than in my FRAG and DT (where there is a same Green Slimer Piece).

It shouldn't be doing well at all. Hi Nitrates, Hi Phosphates, Barely any circulation, and Low Lighting.

To soon for any conclusion yet.

I hope you figure it out! this is all a bit daunting to me now that I want SPS corals in my system.

 

[reefmutt]

Geez, Wally.. I gotta say non of those sps frags look particularly good..
And yes the pink Cadillac is dead.
Sometimes a type of green algea can colonize the skeleton below the flesh of the coral so when it does, the green skeleton is exposed. I've had it happen to me on a few occausions..

 

[Wally.B]

Geez, Wally.. I gotta say non of those sps frags look particularly good..
And yes the pink Cadillac is dead.
Sometimes a type of green algea can colonize the skeleton below the flesh of the coral so when it does, the green skeleton is exposed. I've had it happen to me on a few occausions..

Yeah, I know.

So I'm going to do a bit more to help compare things.

I cut a few more pieces. A "Bird of Paradise", "Carolina", The "Green Slimer" and one more "Acro".

And put into the Mixed Kitchen Tank.

Not the best pictures, but good enough for future reference.

One Slimer isn't going to tell the story, but 4 SPS will certainly shed some light.

3 Environments, All same SPS.

 

[Wally.B]

All 3 Environments (Alk & Calc).

For now I measured the two most important Parameters.
The N & P I pretty well know that the Kitchen tank is pretty High. And Very Low in the two SPS tanks.

ALK (Frag Tank) = 7.7
ALK (SPS TANK) = 7.7
ALK (Kitchen TANK) = 8.0

CALC (Frag Tank) = 425
CALC (SPS Tank) = 420
CALC (Kitchen Tank) = 410

Not much of a difference. So the Kitchen Tank won't be a shock to the SPS on those two parameters.

 

[Wally.B]

One more Frag (Into Mixed Tank) for Ultimate Miracle Test

This will certainly be interested.

This Frag was already dying in my SPS DT.

It continued to bleach slowly in Frag Tank.

So before it's all gone, I split it and One Piece is in the Kitchen Mixed Tank.

If it survives in the Kitchen DT that will be a Miracle.

 

[reefmutt]

Death by a thousand cuts...
You are working with poor odds here..
Still, curious to see what happens.

 

[Wally.B]

I EXPECTED THIS (Frag Tank's) First Problem

The Frag tank is young, and it will take time to age/mature. (Assuming Coraline will eventually cover everything).

I did Shut down the QT and have it running a sump (with the Skimmer)

I also added a nice large Live Rock, covered in Coraline and Sponges underneath.

BUT with the Coral Feeding and Higher PARS it's showing first signs of ALGAE.

A thin film of brown is covering the racks and glass.

And some of the Plugs are showing Green Algae (hair like).

But this will be fairly easy to maintain/clean compared to the FRAG DT.

TIME TO PUT ON THE BLACK COVER on the Baffle Filter Box.

 

[Wally.B]

Some SPECIAL Automation (Vacation Auto Feeder with Apex Light Flasher Warning)


I'm doing this more for the Corals in the SPS tank (Too Keep Nutrient Levels up). Not so much for the Fish, which will be ok for 7 days.

I'm skipping the Neighbour to Feed the Fish while away next week (He would only come once anyway).

I setup my Ehiem Feeder before, but fish are so trained to come to feeding area (when I approach).

When using AutoFeeder, food get's wasted since they don't come right away. The new Powder Brown Tang is also learning the feeding area, so don't want to disrupt his GOOD PELLET EATTING HABIT.

So some Advanced Apex Programming will do the trick.

Basically using two APEX Virutual Outlets, I add two extra Statements to my Normal T5 (On/OFF) schedule program.

This Causes the T5 Light to Flash (on/off every 4 seconds) Just before the Feeder Feeds. (Flashes for 1 MINUTE)
The Feeder which is not Apex Controlled is programmed (to feed just after the T5 Flashes) (Or during Light Flashes).....Your Choice.

Over the next week the fish will be fed this way and trained.
Then during the vacation they will hopefully learn the Auto Feeder Routine (we me not present).

Here is how the programming works (NOTE: Virtual Outlets, must be put into AUTO mode).

**NOTE *** this type of programming ONLY Allows you to Flash (while T5 Light is OFF)
********** If you schedule the Flasher (this way) during T5 On Time the T5 Will not turn on
********** There is a another more advanced way to Flash the T5 during on time, but I forgot how I did it (Using Virtual Outlet Latches). It's possible, just more complex.


**NOTE *** Any shorter Duration than 5/4 seconds and Flash is Unreliable. This may vary if your Apex is busy doing many things

** NOTE IMPORTANT ** Never use Flashing for Metal Halide Lights. (Bad Idea to Bounce you MH Ballast).

********************************************
** ANOTHER COOL USE FOR (Feed Light) FLASHER **
********************************* You can use this Light Flashing, by adding it to the Apex Feed Button. (ie. When you Push Apex Feed, it can do whatever Feed does, and Flash Your light(s) too )

Both my tanks will run this way.

When I get back, I'll keep this setup and only feed Frozen Food Personally from then on.

One more step closer toward Total Automation