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Pete's 280 log
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scaryperson27
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This is a fast moving thread!!
scaryperson27
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Speak of the devil, a thread split 
BigJay
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Woot! Congrats on the thread split Pete. Now you'll have to post more pics here.
As for the high PH, a dead fish should release organics and DOC into the water that lowers the PH over time. Are you running your new halide bulbs now? More light would contribute to the higher PH. This has to be frustrating though, since your kalk drip can't run regularly and supplement alk and calcium as it should. That means you have to test more often and doze more two part by hand.
Given the size of your lobster I wouldn't put it past him to eat a sand-dwelling fish. That's a free meal just waiting for him.
As for the high PH, a dead fish should release organics and DOC into the water that lowers the PH over time. Are you running your new halide bulbs now? More light would contribute to the higher PH. This has to be frustrating though, since your kalk drip can't run regularly and supplement alk and calcium as it should. That means you have to test more often and doze more two part by hand.
Given the size of your lobster I wouldn't put it past him to eat a sand-dwelling fish. That's a free meal just waiting for him.
psteeleb
Team RC
Yes - I'm running the new bulbs and I think your right, more PAR = more photosynthesis = higher O2 = higher Ph. If the new bulbs are going to mess with my Ph that much, I'll just up the Ph set points to on @ 8.20 and off @ 8.25.
The Ph dropped below the set points last night, but the RO/DI feed tank did not feed the Kalc reactor. After lowering the kalc reactor it started the feed, so again, there just isn't enough head pressure to get it started. I'll raise the holding tank to the next shelf tonight, this should increase head pressure from about 6" to about 2'.
I thought the extra organics from the dead fish affected Ph but wasn't sure which way. thanks for the info.
thanks on the congrats split - looks like I need to work on a summary
psteeleb
Team RC
I got started on the coral moves. I the big staghorn was moved over about 18" freeing up the big rock in the middle of the tank for other SPS. Seems like it took forever to get to this point as I had this in mind well over 6 months ago.
here it is before I moved it
and after - had to work with just one of my 400s on and things are kind of stirred up, but you can see how much room it frees up on the big rock structure on the right of this picture. I have already moved some mille's to what will be called Mille mound
and here is a picture of my prostrata now with a bright green cap behind it. Normally it's more bluish but with that 400w 10k on right over it the reds come out. Plus it was just moved so the polyps are all pulled in
here it is before I moved it
and after - had to work with just one of my 400s on and things are kind of stirred up, but you can see how much room it frees up on the big rock structure on the right of this picture. I have already moved some mille's to what will be called Mille mound
and here is a picture of my prostrata now with a bright green cap behind it. Normally it's more bluish but with that 400w 10k on right over it the reds come out. Plus it was just moved so the polyps are all pulled in
psteeleb
Team RC
So here starts the summary
So here starts the summary
I bought this used tank that is 7'X2'X3' ~300g. It came with a nice oak cabinet stand and canopy, sump, main pump, closed loop pump, 4 mh 250w light ballast, and a chiller (that I later found to be defective). Initially this was going to go up against a wall or be used as a room divider but I had this space, kind of a hallway actually that seemed just perfect
so I moved the tank in that space and started the plumbing and added some DIY / Lace lava rock landscaping. I had intentions to buy live rock and go through the whole cycle thing but I found someone breaking down a 7 year old system with 270lbs of nice live rock and what was left of his SPS collection. So, in about a days noticed I had to go full blown salt water. On a Saturday I rinsed a good 200lbs of pulverized limestone, bought a bunch of RO/DI water to mix salt all in the tank, and then headed to the other side of the metroplex to get some of the rock. The next day I went and got the rest of the rock, the SPS and what ever livestock he had left. It was a mad rush but the only thing I lost was 2 brittle stars
tank on day one 9/24/06
I later decided to close in the tank with some modified doors and built in cabinetry as shown in this sketch
and here it is a week shy of two years later
front
and back
I've been though a ton of changes and had my share of issues like red bugs, AEFW, and have killed off corals for reasons I don't know why. I'll do a recap on the plumbing and electrical systems in another reply
So here starts the summary
I bought this used tank that is 7'X2'X3' ~300g. It came with a nice oak cabinet stand and canopy, sump, main pump, closed loop pump, 4 mh 250w light ballast, and a chiller (that I later found to be defective). Initially this was going to go up against a wall or be used as a room divider but I had this space, kind of a hallway actually that seemed just perfect
so I moved the tank in that space and started the plumbing and added some DIY / Lace lava rock landscaping. I had intentions to buy live rock and go through the whole cycle thing but I found someone breaking down a 7 year old system with 270lbs of nice live rock and what was left of his SPS collection. So, in about a days noticed I had to go full blown salt water. On a Saturday I rinsed a good 200lbs of pulverized limestone, bought a bunch of RO/DI water to mix salt all in the tank, and then headed to the other side of the metroplex to get some of the rock. The next day I went and got the rest of the rock, the SPS and what ever livestock he had left. It was a mad rush but the only thing I lost was 2 brittle stars
tank on day one 9/24/06
I later decided to close in the tank with some modified doors and built in cabinetry as shown in this sketch
and here it is a week shy of two years later
front
and back
I've been though a ton of changes and had my share of issues like red bugs, AEFW, and have killed off corals for reasons I don't know why. I'll do a recap on the plumbing and electrical systems in another reply
psteeleb
Team RC
a few top downs from today with the new 12ks on
looks like I busted a tip on the purp/blue prostrata
I just couldn't get a good focused picture of the chips but here's the best one I got
I think this mille I got from MakoJ a while back is going to realy like this new spot.
and my favorite from today
the blob from the topside is looking awesome, I can't wait to see what it does now
looks like I busted a tip on the purp/blue prostrata
I just couldn't get a good focused picture of the chips but here's the best one I got
I think this mille I got from MakoJ a while back is going to realy like this new spot.
and my favorite from today
the blob from the topside is looking awesome, I can't wait to see what it does now
psteeleb
Team RC
thanks for the offer Jay, it was kind of spur of the moment. My wife told me her nephews were coming over today and that I needed to get the fish area cleaned up and kid proofed. So I went ahead and finished a water change and did the major coral relocations. There is still more to come, but I'll need to mount a few and figure where I want them.
psteeleb
Team RC
thanks Chris - I need to confess, it's not a normal look. That prostrata is usually more purple from the sides. But it definitly was red when I had the 400w 10ks on. There was a post a ways back that showed the difference on this coral from the top but with full PE. Now add to that I did not have the 12k's on, or the Atinics on, plus the fact the polyps were all retracted from me pulling the coral for an inspection and to allow to place that green plate under it. All these factors are outside my normal display features and the red was very intense. I do think when I used the autofix feature in photobucket it may have added to it, but it was late at night so I wasn't paying attention to how close to the real color it was. But it was a nice red
psteeleb
Team RC
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13381348#post13381348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
Very nice! I need some motivational picsJust about every one of my sps decided to bleach out over the past two days and I can't for the life of me figure out why
Your tank is looking great!
thanks hop, and sorry to hear about your SPS. I hope whatever it is you find it and get it fixed before too much damage.
I was talking to another reef tank owner last night, he's one of the guys I look up to and have learn a ton from. He was going through a tip bleaching event, after some discussion and based on several other posts recently on RC we kind of concluded that a sudden increase in Alk may have been his issue. His alk had dropped so he took actions to bring it back up watching PH and didn't take it up into double digits or anything drastic but still had the event. We aren't even sure that's what happened but the circumstance and other similar events seem to point to that direction. I'm not sure if that helps at all, it may only point out that we contine to learn more, in mass, through forums like this.
BigJay
New member
Anytime Pete. How's the staghorn doing in it's new location? I hope it goes well, sometimes SPS don't like to get moved. You've got so much light though it probably doesn't matter.
I was at Marc's last night and we made some fish food out of seafood from the asian market (chopped squid, octopus, clam, etc). You've got to try some of this stuff. Yeah I know it contains a ton of nitrates and phosphates, but the fish love it.
psteeleb
Team RC
The stag is looking great, more night time PE then ever, same with my Mille's and several others. Only the torts don't seem to like the changes much.
Let me know when you guys are going to do the food thing again. I want to go that route but just haven't gotten there yet. SERVO convinced me of it a while back but I just haven't gotten to it.
BigJay
New member
I have the leftover frozen stuff to make more. Do you have a food processor?
The stuff smells foul but the fish love it. It's packed full of phosphates. I'm planning on feeding it as an occasional treat. I'll have to bring a little by.
If you're free this weekend sometime we still need to head to Neptunes. They have achilles tangs and I might head over and take a look.
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