Pete's 280 log
- Thread starter psteeleb
- Start date
- Status
psteeleb
Team RC
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13306526#post13306526 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kar93
Glad to hear it, Pete. I love that name "lil chromis that could"What happened to him? Must have been in a really rough fight for that.
Best I can tell he got nabbed at night by one of my banded coral shrimps or the purple lobster, both, although considered reef safe, are opportunistic feeders at night.
I noticed what looked like a significant flesh wound one week ago today. He had meat in the area but the scales were gone on both sides making it look like he was grabbed by a big pincher and got away. Over a couple days the scared area just eroded to a gap that you see now. Best I can tell Chris is correct, the heart and liver are in that area. Granted he would be dead without a heart and I would thing it would be only a mater of days that he could survive without a liver. But as of now, other then swimming a little tail heavy he is acting almost normal.
I pretty much gave up on him on day two. But now, a week later, maybe he has a chance. I'd love to see him make it, and my hopes continue to increase every day.
psteeleb
Team RC
as I was walking out the door this morning something told me to do a quick check. Ph was lower then I would have expected with the Kalc reactor. I set it up on a timer on my RK2 on Saturday morning but had not checked to see if it was actually engaging. I did a quick alk check, it was also low. So I did a manual fill of the dosing chamber and headed to work. I'll have to test the timer out this after noon. Right now I can only think of a couple things;
1) RK2 timer not working
2) night mode may be on and over riding timer
3) 3 gallons is not enough,
4) the slurry is too week (maybe not enough Kalc powder in reactor).
live and learn
1) RK2 timer not working
2) night mode may be on and over riding timer
3) 3 gallons is not enough,
4) the slurry is too week (maybe not enough Kalc powder in reactor).
live and learn
BigJay
New member
Setting something up like this almost requires a day off work and staying up late to baby-sit the automation.
Let us all know what happened Pete.
The only thing I can think of is a mixing pump malfunction or something, but it's far too early for the impeller to jam in that thing.
The beauty of Kalk is that it should always mix to saturation strength in RO water, and precipitate out the excess. If the reactor is getting fed and mixed right, you should always get the same consistent strength of solution in your tank.
Let us all know what happened Pete.
The only thing I can think of is a mixing pump malfunction or something, but it's far too early for the impeller to jam in that thing.
The beauty of Kalk is that it should always mix to saturation strength in RO water, and precipitate out the excess. If the reactor is getting fed and mixed right, you should always get the same consistent strength of solution in your tank.
psteeleb
Team RC
good thought and thanks Jay. When I did the manual over ride this am the reactor circ pump appeared to be running fine.
I did a bunch of moving of rock around last night and stirred up detrious in my refugium and main tank. Not sure, but I guess this could contribute to a lower Ph, but, not sure why my ALK would be so low unless it just didn't dose.
I'll have to do a math check to see if zero dose for essentially two days would bring Alk from 7.2 to a low to mid 5 reading.
psteeleb
Team RC
quick check on the calculation
in my 300g system, a drop from 7.4 to 5.4 requires about 6 gallons of saturated lime water to bring back up. at 3 gallons a day for 2 days, it's looking like it just didn't dose.
Looks like I should have monitored the timer or at least checked parameters over the weekend. I guess my confidence was up on the timer thing, and I let some other things take priorty - like yard work, cleaning my 29gallon tank, watching football and some online gaming
in my 300g system, a drop from 7.4 to 5.4 requires about 6 gallons of saturated lime water to bring back up. at 3 gallons a day for 2 days, it's looking like it just didn't dose.
Looks like I should have monitored the timer or at least checked parameters over the weekend. I guess my confidence was up on the timer thing, and I let some other things take priorty - like yard work, cleaning my 29gallon tank, watching football and some online gaming
BigJay
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13312728#post13312728 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psteeleb
Looks like I should have monitored the timer or at least checked parameters over the weekend. I guess my confidence was up on the timer thing, and I let some other things take priorty - like yard work, cleaning my 29gallon tank, watching football and some online gaming
Same here, except mine was yardwork, a water change, a ballet tryout for my daughters, dance classes, a little leage "coach look" for my son, and boyscout popcorn sales. The kids were so tired on Sunday night, my wife and I had a few hours to ourselves.
Thanks for the silversides BTW, the RBTA absolutely loves them. I soak them in Zoe for a few minutes to thaw, and then hand feed them. It's really neat to watch how it slowly devours each piece.
Next week I'd be happy to help run another water test battery if you're up for it.
PPS: Too bad for the Browns eh?
psteeleb
Team RC
hehe - right<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13312858#post13312858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
Same here, except mine was yardwork, a water change, a ballet tryout for my daughters, dance classes, a little leage "coach look" for my son, and boyscout popcorn sales. The kids were so tired on Sunday night, my wife and I had a few hours to ourselves.
Thanks for the silversides BTW, the RBTA absolutely loves them. I soak them in Zoe for a few minutes to thaw, and then hand feed them. It's really neat to watch how it slowly devours each piece.
Next week I'd be happy to help run another water test battery if you're up for it.
PPS: Too bad for the Browns eh?
Glad to hear about the RBTA, I get first dibs if it ever splits. I've been thinking about my 29 being a nem/clown tank.
and certainly on the water testing. I moved the rocks around yesterday in order to make room for relocating some sps; including the big staghorn. Having an extra set of hands and eyes will be handy. I want to turn that middle rock structure into a mille mound in the front and nice sps digitada types on top, but the staghorn is overshadowing the area so it needs to move over.
Some of my frags on the far right haven’t been looking so good and I'm blaming the lights mostly as that bulb is probably pushing 18 months. I order a new set of 12k Reflux for the 3 250s last night, so I'll be changing them out later this week with hopes to see some improvements.
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
good luck Pete, I'm battling similiar issues with my Kalk reactor automation.... I'm basing it all from topoff, and the pH does get around 8.2 or so before nightfall, but when I wake up in the morning its back down to 7.8 or so, lower than I'd like. I'm not even testing the alk yet since I know it will be off if the pH is .....
one really interesting thing is that the pH of my RO water resevoir went sky high, about 10.5 according to a pinpoint pH monitor???? The dosing pump pulls water straight from the resevoir and through the reactor, so I wonder if somehow trace amounts of calcium hydroxide could be traveling UPSTREAM, through the dosing pump and into the RO tank?
I might have to introduce a middle-man resevoir like you did to prevent that Really great idea btw....... automating this stuff is never as simple as it sounds!!
one really interesting thing is that the pH of my RO water resevoir went sky high, about 10.5 according to a pinpoint pH monitor???? The dosing pump pulls water straight from the resevoir and through the reactor, so I wonder if somehow trace amounts of calcium hydroxide could be traveling UPSTREAM, through the dosing pump and into the RO tank?
I might have to introduce a middle-man resevoir like you did to prevent that
Really great idea btw....... automating this stuff is never as simple as it sounds!!
psteeleb
Team RC
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13313186#post13313186 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanBrucks
good luck Pete, I'm battling similiar issues with my Kalk reactor automation.... I'm basing it all from topoff, and the pH does get around 8.2 or so before nightfall, but when I wake up in the morning its back down to 7.8 or so, lower than I'd like. I'm not even testing the alk yet since I know it will be off if the pH is .....
one really interesting thing is that the pH of my RO water resevoir went sky high, about 10.5 according to a pinpoint pH monitor???? The dosing pump pulls water straight from the resevoir and through the reactor, so I wonder if somehow trace amounts of calcium hydroxide could be traveling UPSTREAM, through the dosing pump and into the RO tank?
I might have to introduce a middle-man resevoir like you did to prevent that
Ryan - thanks on the kudos on the design.
It's my understanding that getting a good Ph reading on RO/DI water is near impossible with our standard tests and probes. I'm not sure, but I thought it had something to do with the lack of carbonate/bicarbonate.
Are you running fans 24/7 to assist in evaporation and top off at night? A secondary reason I didn't want to go strictly top off was the Ph swing day to night.
My Ph swing was around 7.98 to 8.20. When I manually did the limewater the low was around the 8.13ish rang and highs 8.24ish.
I saw the Ph yesterday morning at 7.98 and had a feeling something could be off, but didn't pay it much attention. Then it hit that low again today and I thought something had to be off as I just didn't think it should drop that much with 4 hour intervals of dosing over the lights off cycle. So, I checked the Alk, and confirmed something is wrong.
I suspect your Ph reading on the RO/DI may not be an issue, and your Ph swings are being amplified by topping off with lime water during lights on.
BigJay
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13312938#post13312938 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psteeleb
hehe - right
Glad to hear about the RBTA, I get first dibs if it ever splits. I've been thinking about my 29 being a nem/clown tank.
You've got it.
Let me know when you're ready to start. I'm open Saturday for sure, but if you need a hand before then call me.
Maybe the frags want more of that 400 watt love too? Fish2morrow had a pretty good deal on SE 250w reeflux 12K bulbs, they were selling them for less than I could find them online with shipping.
psteeleb
Team RC
Instinct told me I should have check with them first, but I got the go ahead last night from the wife and placed an order on-line for $59.99 ea and free shipping.
I should probably go ahead and put the 400's on a timer. Right now I just run them for an hour or two here and there. I plan on cutting back on the 250's when I do this.
I may try move some of the sps tonight, if I do, "I'll give you a call.
Some of the corals are not it what I would call ideal locations right now
psteeleb
Team RC
quick study of direct and shaded light on coral
quick study of direct and shaded light on coral
here is an interesting and direct correlation of light on two different SPS colonies
first an overview of the study area; the large staghorn is shading two SPS below; a birdsnest and an Acropora sp. ( I call the blob). Both corals were positioned under the staghorn about 4 months ago and had fairly even growth patterns, colors, PE etc.
close up of the birdsnest
- the shaded area has more growth, more PE and more depth of color
- the direct light area; less growth, less PE, and appears more blanched
the Acropora
- direct light area has an abundance of new growth and bright polyps. color appears lighter
- shaded area, less growth in terms of branches per sq inch but branches appear thicker, color appears richer
quick study of direct and shaded light on coral
here is an interesting and direct correlation of light on two different SPS colonies
first an overview of the study area; the large staghorn is shading two SPS below; a birdsnest and an Acropora sp. ( I call the blob). Both corals were positioned under the staghorn about 4 months ago and had fairly even growth patterns, colors, PE etc.
close up of the birdsnest
- the shaded area has more growth, more PE and more depth of color
- the direct light area; less growth, less PE, and appears more blanched
the Acropora
- direct light area has an abundance of new growth and bright polyps. color appears lighter
- shaded area, less growth in terms of branches per sq inch but branches appear thicker, color appears richer
psteeleb
Team RC
Seeing how I spent part of Sunday cleaning my 29g, I may as well post a few pictures
this is a self contained system with no sump but has a HOB Remora. There is a built in fuge area in the back that was supose to alow for pod growth but the fish reguarly go back there. Teh back does have about 6-8" of live rock rubble that allows for pods to have a safe area. On the bottom right of the fuge is a small maxijet pumping water into the live rock, and on the left side there is a 1" sloted pipe with another maxijet that pulls water out off the live rock and into a hydor flow deflector. I also have a HOB filter that is primarily for carbon. the tank gets a 15% water change ever 2-3 weeks. Other then salinitiy I have never checked parameters as the water for water changes comes from my main. It gets about 2-3 cups of RO/DI top off daily
FTS
shrooms
fuzzier shrooms
one of two fire fish
clowns
this is a self contained system with no sump but has a HOB Remora. There is a built in fuge area in the back that was supose to alow for pod growth but the fish reguarly go back there. Teh back does have about 6-8" of live rock rubble that allows for pods to have a safe area. On the bottom right of the fuge is a small maxijet pumping water into the live rock, and on the left side there is a 1" sloted pipe with another maxijet that pulls water out off the live rock and into a hydor flow deflector. I also have a HOB filter that is primarily for carbon. the tank gets a 15% water change ever 2-3 weeks. Other then salinitiy I have never checked parameters as the water for water changes comes from my main. It gets about 2-3 cups of RO/DI top off daily
FTS
shrooms
fuzzier shrooms
one of two fire fish
clowns
- Status
