Pete's 280 log

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12299573#post12299573 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Wow, a lot can change overnight! Glad you guys are okay.

So be honest, you're just trying to top my finger injury story, right?

Marc - thanks again for the help and advice.

You're finger is no big deal. Just soak it in some skimate and wrap it up is some GFO and you'll be fine. All joking aside, I hope it heals up okay, those finger tip wounds can get real painful (throbbing pain) after a couple days. If you don't feel it you may be lucky and cut a nerve, but, that can be good or bad depending if the feeling ever comes back. If you have'nt seen a doctor just make sure you keep it clean, noooo skimate dipping for you for at least a couple days.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12299065#post12299065 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
looking good how much Lr are you going to be using if this hasnt been asked already?

thanks

when I first set up the tank I got lucky and bought 270 lbs of live rock from a guy that was tearing down a tank he had running for 6 years. I also added about 110 lbs of lace lava, it's been in there about a year and a half so I guess it could be considered live by now (lots of critters living in and on it).

I may add a few more pounds or replace some as I want to build a couple more shelf areas for sps

 

[psteeleb]

I may end up regretting not getting that sponge off of my green plate. It has spread to a few other areas. Oddly enough it appears to be equidistance form the center, kind of reminds me of a fairy circle made of mushrooms. It may be total coincidence or maybe there was an issue with the plate when it was that size, leaving it less defensive in that area.

I have it posted in the SPS forum to see if anyone may have seen this before and have any suggestions on if, and, how to deal with it. If you have any suggestions please chime in here or in the SPS forum. TIA

 

[Hop]

psteeleb,

Just wanted to chime in and tell you that your build and tank are amazing. I'm not sure how I missed seeing this thread over the past two months, but wow. Sorry about the few hiccups, but I guess we all have to adapt and overcome

But again great thread! I think it motivated me to get up and go work on my tank for a while today!

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12312262#post12312262 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
psteeleb,

Just wanted to chime in and tell you that your build and tank are amazing. I'm not sure how I missed seeing this thread over the past two months, but wow. Sorry about the few hiccups, but I guess we all have to adapt and overcome

But again great thread! I think it motivated me to get up and go work on my tank for a while today!

thanks Hop

as for the hiccups - I consider it a live and learn. And, I'm still living and still learning

 

[psteeleb]

I'm looking forward to setting up my new GEO 618 Kalc reactor this weekend. I just need to find my timer and may need to make a store run for some tubing and fittings

 

[melev]

Hey, you unpacked it finally. Looks as nice as I expected.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12314116#post12314116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Hey, you unpacked it finally. Looks as nice as I expected.

Definitely excellent quality - I really like how you can actually see the top o-ring seal

 

[chrismunn]

somebody get this guy a PAR meter! im interested to know the results of testing between the two different ballasts.

and what happend to marcs finger? this is the second time ive read about it in five minutes.

nice rennisance reef music by the way

 

[PaPa_Johnny]

psteeleb I'm shooting in the dark just putting a theory out so take it for that. When TBS ships rocks with sponges on them everyone says they will not survive because they are exposed to air. I don't even know if it's possible, but can you pull the plate (is it a monti?) out of the tank and just let it "air" for several minutes. Should be "Redrum" for the sponge. Remember, I'm asking more than stating.

 

[chrismunn]

good point papa_johnny! its when air actually gets into the labrynth of the sponge that kills it. you might even be able to hold an airline up to the sponge while the monti is still in its position under water? is it worth a try?

 

[psteeleb]

nice idea johnny - that coral should be fine out of water for a bit. i'll have to give that a try. I getting realy serious about pulling all my acros and dipping them - at least to the extent I can. I have some basal stn but, I'm just not sure if its the AEFW or not. I'll dip a coule and see how they do and go from there

anyone have any idea on how long the eggs take to hatch and how often you need to treat them to kill off the cycle?

 

[psteeleb]

Before I switch over to the Kalc reactor I wanted to make sure my Ca and Alk were okay. Ca tested in at 488 and Alk at 6.2, very frustrating. Mg tested okay at 1288, but I’d like to see it get a little higher

I have been using 2 part since I set this tank up. Since about a year ago I always seem to have a low Alk high CA imbalance. I’ll constantly dose extra Alk to try and get it up in the 8’s. I haven’t checked it in the past few weeks, but thought I was adding enough extra Alk to maintain the level apparently I was wrong. I added more Alk yesterday (spread over 9 dosings) and tested again, 7.6, so I’ll continue to add more today.

Any ideas on why Randy’s 2 part recipe one would get the Alk consumed faster then the Ca?

Some thoughts:
My Ca has tested in and around 500 for several months using the 2 part, maybe this being on the high side is causing a problem.

MG has been in and around 1250 for several months; maybe it not being 3 times Ca is an issue.

I dose twice a day 4oz of each product (8oz ea per day). I use the same little measuring container to dose. It gets a build up of calcium deposits on it, could this be a problem, maybe the Alk precipitates on the cup and I’m actually dosing less?

Or, are there some critters maybe corals that just consume more Alk?

I hope this goes away or at least gets stabilized to some extent by adding the Kalc reactor. I’ll be monitoring it daily for a week and supplement as needed until I learn what my tank needs under the new setup. I’m considering dosing 3 gallons a day as my tank ill usually evaporate at least this much.

Any thoughts on the subject will be appreciated.

 

[melev]

Your magnesium is too low. It has to come up between 1350 and 1400. I would only dose that right now, using Mag Chloride and Mag Sulfate (7.25 cups Mag Flake & .75 of a cup of Epson salt in exactly 1 gallon of RO/DI). Using Jdieck's Reef Calculator, you can find out exactly how much you need to add.

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

Then whatever that number is, cut it in half and dose the first dose today, and the second one tomorrow.

I have some already mixed up if you don't have access to what you need and want to pick it up today. It looks like I have 3500ml on hand.

Once Mg is up, it stays up a long time. And I have a feeling you'll see your alk rise up as a result.

Because your reef is doing so well, I wouldn't use my kalk yet. Maybe 1 gallon over night each night, watching the tank closely for any response. Look at the corals, the color, the water clarity (and of course your numbers, but almost secondarily) to see how everything acts to the new method. There's no reason to rush this one.

I dose twice a day 4oz of each product (8oz ea per day). I use the same little measuring container to dose. It gets a build up of calcium deposits on it, could this be a problem, maybe the Alk precipitates on the cup and I’m actually dosing less?

You should have two different cups, and when you dose, pour VERY slowly into an area of high flow. It could take as much as a minute to pour 4 oz in the tank. You want it to add gradually like smoke, not in flake form as that precipitated into a solid and is essentially inert.

 

[psteeleb]

Thanks Marc

I have both the Mag Chloride and Mag Sulfate. I have some mixed but not in that ratio, I have it mixed from Randys DIY two part, recipe #1. The Randys formual may be better for long term stability but not for raising it, so I'll mix up a batch at the ratio's you listed and start adding some today.

I'll also use two different dosing cups for adding the 2 part, I was wondering if that may be a posible issue, sounds like you concur. And I'll pour it in sloooowly.

And thanks for the other insight on th eKalc reactor, makes good sense not to rush into using it.

 

[melev]

That recipe I typed is RHF's #2 recipe. That is how I mixed mine and apparently it works well because my Mg is always sky high. I dosed well over two months ago, and it finally came down to 1500ppm as of last night's test.

Pouring in two part is something I believe many people don't know enough about. I remember when I used to dose B-Ionic, I quickly noticed the difference between pouring it in and trickling it in in tiny portions. The water tested more consistently when I didn't add it all at once.

That unused doser of yours would have been a better system since it would trickle it in slowly.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12319731#post12319731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
That unused doser of yours would have been a better system since it would trickle it in slowly.

It isn't sold yet, so it may end up being used

 

[psteeleb]

doubled up

 

[psteeleb]

I want to start collecting ideas for setting up a QT tank for my acropora's. I'm thinking a 50g stock tank, with a couple power heads, heater and some lighting. This is very conceptual still but my focus is to eradicate or to at least minimize AEFW's.

My thoughts are to pull all the acropora and let the tank run without them for about 3 -5 days, but I'm not sure how long these things live without acropora. This won't deal with eggs but I'm banking on them being on the acropora.

The acropora will go through a dip or two and a close-up inspection for egg eradication, then be placed in the tank for a couple days. I have several questions:

Will the tank need a skimmer, or can I do water changes?

What should I treat the tank with? It seems FWE has marginal effects on AEFW's

How long?

Or, should I keep the QT tank basically chemically clean and just dip and inspect the acro's a few times?

I'm also thinking about adding a couple more wrasse and maybe 10 pepermint shrimp to the tank to go after these pests and their eggs.

 

[melev]

Too many changes are being done at once. Leave your tank alone for a while, before you wipe out your corals in an effort to erradicate a pest. Those guys were probably in there for some time and your tank has done very well overall.

People that set up a quarantine SPS system are essentially setting up another reef tank with all the related equipment. The corals are kept there while the reef is SPS-free for three weeks or more. Those corals are dipped, rinsed, run over with flow from a power head, and placed back in the quarantine tank until the next treatment. It is very aggressive and I don't recommend it unless you have a true plague on your hands.

Remember Sanjay's talk at Next Wave? He decided not to do anything more than add a couple of wrasses and blow off the corals two or three times a week. His tank looked great to me.