Mostly I post on CRC's site. So I'll catch up here:
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject:
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Ok so - I think I'll start putting one rock in a week or two going forward. With the frags I have now and the swap in just over a week... I need some more rocks to make high spots for some of these SPS and other high light loving corals.
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:52 pm Post subject:
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moved total of four softball - if you could call them that - sized reef rocks from the 29g cure bath to the main display now - two at a time and a little over a week or so apart. Having to move some corals down as tips are bleaching - I am assuming from the new light intensity
But I'd hate to lose the corals. Finally getting around to moving my RO/DI system from the back porch under the eves (but wife booted me off there) to the side of the house but got rained on - to the garage. I still have a 50 gal makeup drum out there. The hose leading to the garage has a crack (1/4") and is spraying water while feeding the RO/DI unit - I think is leaking about as much as the RO wastes. I need to swap that hose for the one in the back or get a new one. Got some new DI resin so I plan after making this water change water and the stock water for the next change I'll replace all my RO/DI filters.
Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:33 am Post subject:
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On another note, I stopped my unreliable gravity drip system kalk addition a few years ago after too many issues. While I did enjoy the benefits of kalk, the issues like varying drip rates as the level changes, accumulation of precipitated CaCO3 on the tip dripper, Precipitation of CaCO3 on the fluid surface due to interaction with CO2 in the air, one more thing having to mix and set, issues of it suddenly not working to the occasional set and forget for a few hours and found nearly the entire volume dripped in and pH now at 9.4~~~!!!!
However, again after watching Mr.SaltwaterTV and his video about Kalk being King (see under Tank Chemistry – Kalkwasser)…, I have to agree. Even though I run a Ca Rx, I think I would like to see more stable pH from the hydroxides and take advantage of the extra Ca as well. So following his guidance, I opted to mix some Kalk in a bucket and then once mixed, dumped that into my ATO bucket which needs to be refilled every 2-3 days. At that rate it should stay in saturated, and I only pour in the clear stuff. Since I also just did a water change which brought my sump level up just beyond normal, it is going to take until today to see how much the one tsp of kalk per my 4 gallons does for my 125g tank. I suspect I'll be up to 3-4 tsp of kalk per bucket fill before Thanksgiving.
Also going forward, I’ve decided two 18-20 gallon every two weeks to twice a month 24-26 a year of water changes is better than what I’m doing now: monthly at best. I’m hoping due to the increase regularity it will be easier to keep track of when it is really time to change.
After testing my tank water last night I have come to the conclusion that the relatively small amount of MgCl I put in the Ca Rx is now depleted. Or my test kits being a few months beyond expiration are off. Other than that parameters are good.
Now that the RO/DI is in the garage, I’m considering expanding into a whole Fresh/Salt mixing station with dedicated pump, hard piping and a cam-lock port to connect for water changes and mixing on/off times controlled with X10.
Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:46 am Post subject:
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I forgot to add I've move six rocks total now into the main display and so far things are going well. NO3 (Nitrates) are at 5 after the water change - thus motivation to do more changes. This represents about half of the remaining rocks.
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