North Dakota Mini-Ocean

[hummermaniac88]

Nice tang!

 

[Zestay]

wow. amazing

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

Added a couple more Acros today as well as a brain coral...The brain was in a bit of rough shape, but he basically gave it to me for free! So I will see if i can nurture him back to health. Also, my partner in crime and I re-organized the fish room and all of the cords. it looks much better and more professional. Still a bit more to do, but its coming along. I will post some more pictures tomorrow of all the new livestock.

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

Added 6 more ORA coral frags yesturday...I am hoping to get some pictures up this weekend. Also, I am getting 6 Tyree LE corals from Medicine Man that should be here Tuesday (I am trying to get him to sell me 10 others he has in his tank)

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

This one will be a reference point for a few months down the road...I did buy it like this.

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

 

[benihana]

I love the shot of you chilling in front of the tank (all you can see is your feet)

Nice pics, the fish look like PIGS!!

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

Couple updates...

I ordered a Geo 1218 calcium reactor and a custom Geo 818 Kalk reactor. The Volcano reactors just could not keep up with the demands of the tank. I will hopefully have these reactors early next week...Yes, I am dosing

Also, I am having problems with my IceCap Ballasts...they seem to be interferring with my ACIII Pro when the lights are on. My pH has a .15 swing from on to off...any thoughts?

I will post pictures this weekend.

 

[benihana]

The swing is normal. Mine swings from 8.05 to almost 8.50.

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

But how the heck can you control things then?

 

[benihana]

IIRC, pH will swing just from having the lights on. Even the pH in theocean swings do to the CO2 in the air, and the amount of light from the sun on a sunny or cloudy day. I am sure you alreay have if/then statements programed in your ACIII, but you could always add lights = off if pH = X.XXX

 

[jnarowe]

That ballast thing is somewhat common and there is discussion of it in the Neptune forum. A .15 pH swing is actually quite small. I get about a .30 - .40 swing between day and night cycles.

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

But it gives false positives which could screw up my kalk dosing and other stuff.

 

[moumda]

IMO, you only need to worry about ph when it gets too high. That's when you want to shutoff kalk. If you set the ph controller at about 8 you'll shut off co2 to your reactor. Therefor when your ph climbs you'll add co2 to reactor to bring it down. When it falls you'll add kalk to topoff. They should help stabilize ph if you set your program right.
BTW: Great tank!!!

 

[jnarowe]

yeah, that's the screwy thing about kalkwasser and Ca reactors. They don't really run 24/7, just when conditions are correct. My Ca reactor only turns on part way into the light cycle and shuts off when the pH gets below 8.10.

I was gonna mention too, that in my "next" system, I will use a dosing array like a series of Profilux or SpectraPure pumps.

 

[Reefaquariumnut]

But wouldn't the calcium fighting the kalk cause them to be on all the time? I know what your saying, but how I had it setup with the volcano reactors was the calcium was on 24/7 and I dosed kalk at night after lights shut off to bring up the tank to 8.4. From that point to the next night the pH would drop to 8.1ish. Maybe I had this all wrong.

 

[jnarowe]

First off, each system and owner is a bit different. Keep that in mind. I use evaporative cooling at about 14g/day est. and my Ca reactor still only came on during the second third of the light cycle. My kalk doser would run any time the water level would allow it, and the pH was below 8.35.

I have my Ca reactor set tor turn on when the tank pH is above 8.10, and when the reactor pH is between 6.42 & 6.45. This method keeps my alk at 8.0 & Ca pegged at 420.

 

[jnarowe]

BTW, you really want them on all the time IMO, but it's just not possible in my current system. And I don't think you had it all wrong. Having your Ca reactor actually on 24/7 is the holy grail.