OneReef's 120g DreamReef
- Thread starter OneReef
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SNAKEMANVET
PREMIUM MEMBER
The 150 you had was a awesome tank,I was thinking of the radions,I read up alot of info on them,it's great led fixture, I may stay with the mhs for now.I can use that money for my corals.It will be sps/lps tank.Do you prefer the se bulb over the de.
OneReef
Reef Guru
This is just my opinion, but I feel that a reactor is safer and easier than dosing/doser. I've never had any issue in years with a Ca reactor. My alk dropped because I turned it off. Just like it would have had I turned a doser off. User error not mechanical error. When you dial in a reactor, you're done, set it and forget it.
If I remember right, I think Kermit's Reefs display tank crashed earlier in the year due to a doser malfunction... I think that's right, but not 100% sure
OneReef
Reef Guru
I have used both pretty extensively. I don't really have one preference over another. I like both. I went with the SE this time since Radium doesnt make a 250w DE. Other than the Radium aspect, I've used Hamilton, XM, Phoenix, and AquaMaxx. If I had to pick out on minor difference, and this may just be my perception, but it seemed that the 250w DE didn't heat up my canopy as much as the 250w SE. Maybe because it's enclosed in glass in a pendant. That may not be right, but that what it seemed like. Either one works well though, one doesn't seem standout from the other.
OneReef
Reef Guru
I've used Radiums before. I really like them and feel I get the best balance of both growth and coloration.
OneReef
Reef Guru
I was using Seachem AquaVitro Salinity salt, and running my reactor at a ratio of 1 air bubble every second, and 3-5 drips per second out of the effluent drip into the sump. You mentioned the knob adjustment, are you talking about the bubble count knob or the big knob on the front of the regulator? Both need the correct setting. Lowering alk doesn't make Mg go up. It is needed in correct parameters to balance Ca and Alk, but doesnt go up when one lowers. If you have never dosed it, it would have had to come from your salt, or your test was off. I've never had problems having had low pH, I've run at 7.8-8.0 before. I think as long as it is stable, it doesn't necessarily have to be up at 8.3. Stability is key like everything else. As far as regulators, I've always used a Milwaukee. Someone recommended another brand to me that I wanted to check on, but I'll have to get back to you when I remember the brand.
BassandReef
Member
I am referring to the bubble count knob. I guess I need to research how to set the big knob as well. I bought it second hand so I am not sure I actually have a Milwalkee regulator. There is no brand name on it anywhere.
OneReef
Reef Guru
Everything is looking really good under my new halides. I'm happy with the colors under it, and the few corals that I have in my tank right now look better than they ever did under my LEDs. My acans have colored up brighter and more colorful, and my Duncan's got greener.
I am having less brown sand and less green algae on the glass. That seems strange, but maybe it is the spectrum difference. I did add a little extra bacteria to go along with my biopellets, some MicroBacter7, maybe that has helped.
My water temp hasn't gotten out of control, I'm hitting 81* at the peak right now, which isn't bad considering I only have one fan running at the moment. I'll post some new pics soon, I have a big coral order coming in this week.
I am having less brown sand and less green algae on the glass. That seems strange, but maybe it is the spectrum difference. I did add a little extra bacteria to go along with my biopellets, some MicroBacter7, maybe that has helped.
My water temp hasn't gotten out of control, I'm hitting 81* at the peak right now, which isn't bad considering I only have one fan running at the moment. I'll post some new pics soon, I have a big coral order coming in this week.
Surf&turf
New member
Sorry for your loss, I went thru the same thing about 6 months ago. Lost all but a few SPS and some chalice's. I also had a big Alk swing and rearranged some rocks in the tank.
Been rebuilding slowly and everything is great again. Its a bummer though when you lose colonies the size of your hand.
Been rebuilding slowly and everything is great again. Its a bummer though when you lose colonies the size of your hand.
OneReef
Reef Guru
Thanks everyone for the condolences and PM's. I have pretty much mentally gotten over it, and am ready to roll again. I just had a nice SPS order come in from LiveAquaria. My two test SPS pieces have been doing great in my tank over the last 2 weeks since the crash. All is stable now. The new coral order had a mix of aquacultered, maricultured, and wild SPS. I'm going to see which of them are able to survive, as the wild are not as hardy as the aquacultered, so I'm interested to see how they do. They have a 14 day guarantee, so that may be useful if needed. I'll post pics soon.
I am starting to realize that I may have jumped the gun on removing some of my chalices. I tossed out about 20 of them that had gotten down to bare white skeleton. There may have been a slight film of brown skin left on patches of them. I kept a few and tossed the rest, as they were stinking up the tank (the living room smelled and the wife wasn't happy), and I didn't want dead coral polluting my water. The few chalices that I kept, have completely covered over with new skin and no skeleton showing. I had one that was bare white, and I had used a toothbrush to scrub all the dead skin off it and nothing was left. It is now regrown and showing eyes. Remarkable the recovery they are making. I have a feeling I might have mistakenly tossed out 20 good chalices. Bah!
I know all the SPS were dead. They were bare with no skin left, and the bases that had encrusted on my rocks that were left after I broke them off and tossed them, are still dead and white. But I probably could have saved the chalices. One of them has taken on a new and better color. Could be the Radiums I guess. Lesson learned. I knew chalices could grow back from one eye, or a polyp or whatever, but these looked gone beyond that. I did save about 4 of them..... Onward and upward!
I am starting to realize that I may have jumped the gun on removing some of my chalices. I tossed out about 20 of them that had gotten down to bare white skeleton. There may have been a slight film of brown skin left on patches of them. I kept a few and tossed the rest, as they were stinking up the tank (the living room smelled and the wife wasn't happy), and I didn't want dead coral polluting my water. The few chalices that I kept, have completely covered over with new skin and no skeleton showing. I had one that was bare white, and I had used a toothbrush to scrub all the dead skin off it and nothing was left. It is now regrown and showing eyes. Remarkable the recovery they are making. I have a feeling I might have mistakenly tossed out 20 good chalices. Bah!
I know all the SPS were dead. They were bare with no skin left, and the bases that had encrusted on my rocks that were left after I broke them off and tossed them, are still dead and white. But I probably could have saved the chalices. One of them has taken on a new and better color. Could be the Radiums I guess. Lesson learned. I knew chalices could grow back from one eye, or a polyp or whatever, but these looked gone beyond that. I did save about 4 of them..... Onward and upward!
Not to argue, but is this not an issue with a Ca reactor?
In my experience, which is limited to the stores (Memfish) Ca reactors, I have never seen a tank "balanced" with only a Ca reactor. One or more of the parameters is always off and we have had all kinds of trouble with pumps going out, lines getting blocked, etc...
OneReef
Reef Guru
I've never had any pump issues or line blocks that you speak of. My Ca and Alk are usually always in balance after I get it dialed it. Ive been running a reactor for a few years, and never had to add any additives to balance them out. I guess you just have to get it dialed in correctly. There is an Eheim pump on mine, which is known for its quality, so I've never had any issues with it. Not sure how a line would get blocked, I've never run into that before. I'm normally happy with my Ca/Alk balance with it.
OneReef
Reef Guru
I've thought the same thing before. LiveAquaria is usually very good at quarantining and inspecting for pests, so I worry less about them than I might other companies. I also dipped them well after I received them. Ill keep my thread updated with info on them, they may grow like weeds and do great, or crash and burn. We'll see....ha
OneReef
Reef Guru
NEW SPS:
I got my new coral order in from LiveAquaria today. A couple of the bags had punctured and had no water in them, but I informed LA and let them know, and they said they would take care of it if those 2 didn't survive. They have a 14 day guarantee. I dipped all of them in Coral Revive dip for 10-15 minutes. Some are aquacultured, some maricultured, and some wild. I'm interested to see how each does.
I ordered the following SPS: Acropora Loripes, Acropora Carduus, Acropora Gomezi, Porites Cylindrica, Acropora Nasuta, Acropora Austera, Acropora Nobilis, Montipora Setosa, and Montipora Digitata.
I tried to get different varieties of SPS to test different species hardiness, as well as get some different colors. This will be the start of my new SPS tank. My new goal is to space all of my SPS out evenly, and to have a rainbow of colors, all staggered so that no 2 corals of similar color are near each other, for greater contrast.
Here are some pictures from my tank this morning (except the Red Dragon, it is a stock LA photo, I forgot to take a pic of it):
I got my new coral order in from LiveAquaria today. A couple of the bags had punctured and had no water in them, but I informed LA and let them know, and they said they would take care of it if those 2 didn't survive. They have a 14 day guarantee. I dipped all of them in Coral Revive dip for 10-15 minutes. Some are aquacultured, some maricultured, and some wild. I'm interested to see how each does.
I ordered the following SPS: Acropora Loripes, Acropora Carduus, Acropora Gomezi, Porites Cylindrica, Acropora Nasuta, Acropora Austera, Acropora Nobilis, Montipora Setosa, and Montipora Digitata.
I tried to get different varieties of SPS to test different species hardiness, as well as get some different colors. This will be the start of my new SPS tank. My new goal is to space all of my SPS out evenly, and to have a rainbow of colors, all staggered so that no 2 corals of similar color are near each other, for greater contrast.
Here are some pictures from my tank this morning (except the Red Dragon, it is a stock LA photo, I forgot to take a pic of it):
OneReef
Reef Guru
I added a 9" box fan into my stand, set it on top of my ATO container, tilted over, blowing down on the sump water. It made a huge difference in my water temp. It dropped almost 2* off my temp while the halides are on, and I have to make sure it cuts off when the lights are off, or else it will be fighting my heater in the sump, lol. Good stuff!
