NEW Tank Build !!!

[AQD_ottawa]

Start with Prodibio Start up throw in all 30 vials and do the same again when you add fish, your water will go through a bio bloom this is normal.

After 1 week start with biodigest and Bioptim double dose, again - bio bloom, thats where I am at right now.

 

[loup]

I like your sump layout. Do you have a drawing of the measurement lying around?

 

[AQD_ottawa]

I can do something later next week for you

 

[this is me]

Looking good.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Nick,

You asked for a photo of the coral in the tank

here you go, I really must buy a better camera! Yes still cloudy, the prodibio is working overtime.

 

[this is me]

Yes, I posted it then I saw it on the previous page.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

its already turning green and the purple tips are coming back, I wont post more pictures yet I really want to beat the bio bloom first.

I got rid of it then added more prodibio and fish at the same time and of course the Heterotrophic Bacteria went into overdrive.

No ammonia
No Nitrite
.005 nitrate
.030 PPB phosphate

The power of prodibio

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Update to my Mitras coral colour transition

not doing bad!

This was taken today!

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Tank update pictures. As you can see the Monti colour is coming on fast!

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0.005
P04 = 00.00
Phosphorous = 0.036PPB
Ca = 420
ALK = 7.5
Mg = 1260
Salinity = 52.7
tank temp = 26.6c (80f)
Redox = 345 and climbing
pH = between 7.95 - 8.01 depending on time of day

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Jobs done today -

Balling system finally set up, just dialing it in now.

ProfiLux on the outside of the network and also Iphone APP set up.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

I now have email set up where the ProfiLux emails me directly (not via the PC) the Profilux has its own SMTP server.

I am getting an email every hour updating me of my sensor values. I will now look at adding more funky email notifications

 

[AQD_ottawa]

yes please check out the whole build for all info

 

[AQD_ottawa]

So here is my auto water top off configuration for the aquarium, controlled by the GHL ProfiLux system.

The water is controlled by a solenoid valve seen in the photo, it is important to get these the right way round otherwise they will fail fast, note the red dot marks input.

The solenoid reacts to a low water signal from the optical sensor in the photo, the solenoid is plugged into controllable power bar which is programmed to react to the optical sensors state.

For added security should the solenoid fail open to stop fresh water being dumped constantly into the sump you will see a high level set float valve from Bubble Magus, we will be supplying these soon.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Fish stock for new tank update.

well we had a few losses sadly, always happens with new import stock. Only one was a suspect loss the others explainable

I nearly lost my large watchman Goby, I have no clue how he managed this. He went missing did not appear for morning or afternoon snack, looked everywhere even checked under sofa for cardboard fish syndrome! Nothing. I was cleaning out my filter sock and there he was, stressed to hell, but what gets me is how on earth did he get through the overflow comb that is less than half his head width! I can only assume he jumped for the moon and amazingly landed in the overflow box! Then swift exit into the sump 11' below! So now he is back in the tank, cant say he is happy.

we lost our royal gramma within 4 hours, stuck to the Tunze pump, either got too close or simply pegged it from new import shock.

The Leopard wrasse was next, he swam from day one with a bend so the writing was on the wall there.

Then the saddest was the loss from being beaten to a pulp by my yellow tang. I had a real nice striped sail fin, all our tangs shoaled from day one no aggression, then came down one morning to find (named by my wife) Samantha giving the poor little guy 10 rounds of the tank side glass. Could not remove him and that was that

So Samantha is in the dog house, the sail fin is in the bin and I learnt that sail fins and yellow tangs are not the best of friends!

No more fish for a while, we have a healthy stock, will add some missing links in a few weeks once the corals have settled in. just hardy LPS and some hardy SPS for now, baby steps.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

well the losses became a bit more of a problem so we have set up a full QT which everything fish related goes through.

The system will be an invert/coral system for the next month or so while we build a good healthy fish stock in QT.

We have a few corals coming down from Colby at Bayside on Thursday, and looking forward to acclimatizing them while the fish go through 6 week QT cycle.

All initial fish will be QT'd at once and further additions for the same period

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Big switch out this week!

Decided to dump the dry rock and go with some very well cured bali left over that Reef Aquatica has, this was a way too good find not to take up. So I am having 70LB delivered on Tuesday.

I believe dry rock has its uses in this hobby, but its insane cure rates and various reports of leeching are not really what i want in my system, I have seen some strange happenings that in 20 years of using Live rock i have never had before.

I know there will be many here that will come out and say that DR is the best and the way to go, but personally for me, it is not for me, so moving on and going back to old school tactics.

On a plus side the fish are doing really well, the QT system is great, my stock are looking healthy and feeding on New Era Aegis food due to its medical properties.

3 weeks today i can introduce the fish to the system providing the parameters have stabilized with the new rock.

If anyone wants some Bali please let me know, it came in 3 years ago and is sitting in dark vats and pest free.

"Bali Kuta PREMIUM LR is very porous and light and have alot of room for bacteria to colonize, it is almost 50% lighter than the typical Fiji Live Rock used in reef tank.

On top of that Reef Aquatica's price is HALF the price of what is being offered in some national retail chains, making it much more attractive price for setting up that dream tank of yours.

All pieces are hand picked for light weight & shapes; most are medium to large sizes and have some really nice flat pieces for bridges and table top. This whole batch of live rock is CURED and also APTASIA-FREE, we actually employed an army of peppermint shrimp to ensure that there is no aptasia in these rocks, so you can have that piece of mind."

http://www.reefaquatica.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=415

My Naso in QT - taken before the daily bottom clean!

 

[AQD_ottawa]

So for my next trick

1 x

+

1 x

Automated shut off of return line to tank when return pump is stopped or in the event of failure, thus stopping sump from raising too high, this also allows for accurate auto water changes.

Only thing missing is the availability of the metric fittings required for the flow sensor, you cant buy them in the USA or Canada So when i go to the UK I will pick myself up a set.

 

[d2mini]

Nice updates!

Per the rock... nice choice! I don't blame you for switching.
But then again, you are talking to the Tampa Bay Saltwater poster boy. :lol:

What are the fittings that are needed for the flow sensor? I would need to hook it up to my Sch 80 PVC... 1.5" diameter.
Would you ever think of carrying them and supplying your retailers so they could be bought along with the flow sensor making it a seamless install?

And I don't know about you and your build, but with my build I'm starting to run into a problem where I'm needing sensors like this to reach further and further from the Profilux, so the cables are not long enough. Is there a way that the cables can be extended?

Post some pics when that rock comes in!

 

[AQD_ottawa]

I am going to the UK in July with flow sensors and USA size pipe and will see what I can bring back, once I have found them I can get my counterpart in the UK to send them across as needed.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

The is what you need, discard the male side

for the 9000L/ph sensor I think you need 32mm x 1"BSP female to male slip