Pete's 280 log

[melev]

My little coral has been through it all, Pete. Infestations, low salinity, low alk, high alk, temperature swings, high nitrate, high phosphate, etc...

Too much light could nuke a coral in mere hours. I'm sure we can get another frag over to your system in the future. My colony seems to be growing steadily.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13544136#post13544136 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
My little coral has been through it all, Pete. Infestations, low salinity, low alk, high alk, temperature swings, high nitrate, high phosphate, etc...

Too much light could nuke a coral in mere hours. I'm sure we can get another frag over to your system in the future. My colony seems to be growing steadily.

The light hasn't changed other then water clarity may have increased due to the ozone being activated. Then again I replaced bulbs a couple weeks ago, and they may still be in a "burn-in" high intensity state, they are definitely more intense then the older bulbs. So, maybe I had it on the fringe of light tolerance to a point of it being weak, and the ALK swing just did it in.

Assuming there will be another frag coming this way, I'll find a place that's a little lower. If I recall you have the main colony about 20-24" deep. That may line up nicely with where I currently have a prostrata colony that would probably like more light anyway. Plus it would place it front and center as a nice show piece.

 

[psteeleb]

Basic parameters today based on Salifert test kits

ALK = 7.8 DKH
Ca > 500
Mg = 1335 +/-

The Granulosa has no skin left what so ever - looks like a total loss

all other corals are looking great

 

[melev]

Epic Fail. I'll get you a new one soon. Maybe the day I build my manifold. :lol: OMG - it may never happen!

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13547279#post13547279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Epic Fail. I'll get you a new one soon. Maybe the day I build my manifold. :lol: OMG - it may never happen!

hey thanks - I think

anyone know of a decent video posting place that doesn't compress them beyond recognition?

I tooks some videos to show flow on SPS & LPS corals located in different areas of my tank but using youtube and photobucket they loose way too much clarity and get choppy

here is a Google test video of my chips acro that is just about dead center of the tank and at least 3' from a source of flow(PH, CL or return)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3523323259702493128

 

[BigJay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13547279#post13547279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Epic Fail. I'll get you a new one soon. Maybe the day I build my manifold. :lol: OMG - it may never happen!

Maybe Pete and I can swing by sometime and convince you to finally start that project.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13558614#post13558614 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
Maybe Pete and I can swing by sometime and convince you to finally start that project.

I offered, but strippers keep odd schedules.

 

[melev]

I don't see how the hour of the day matters when it comes to gluing PVC together. What do you have specifically against 3 a.m.? After all, RC goes into backup-mode for about 45 minutes, and we need something else to do. Right?

 

[DaveJ]

Pete, sorry to hear... but alk shouldn't be raised more than 1dkh a day and I shoot for .5 per day if mine ever gets low where a big adjustment is needed. In the future, these are the guidelines I follow..

Alk - no more than .5 per day.
Ca - no more than 50ppm per day
Mg - no more than 50ppm per day

Your alk related issues may not be over, alk issues tend to show up a week or so later. Keep an eye on base recession and tissue dissolving (starts looking splotchy) on the corals. There isn't much you can do to prevent it at this point, other than maintaining steady numbers.

I'd seriously recommend a ca reactor or dosing mechanism for you, especially if you plan on doing any traveling. Both will keep your numbers more or less stable and not have major swings. In my system, alk will drop .5dhk or so per day... so if I was doing daily dosing, that would be a .5 swing low to high point when I dosed. Smaller, steady dosing is really the way to go, either by dosing pump or reactor. I test alk twice a week or so to keep an eye on the levels.

 

[melev]

I don't think that is true about Magnesium, Dave. That is one you can dose in larger amounts without fear of detrimental issues. This is stated on Jdieck's Chemistry Calculator, which I just saw again recently when I was doing a little calculating.

On Alk, .5 dKH may be true, but I know I've gone more than that without incident.

Heck, I disagree with all of those guidelines. I'll shut up now.

 

[psteeleb]

Thanks Dave

my ALK issues are a lot less severe since I've been using a Kalc reactor. I think I just got a bad reading the other day. And believe me, I've had my ALK issues and have seen plenty of base erosion due to it being low (in the 4's and 5's more then I'd like to remember).

I do like and try to use the slowly bring it up approach. In this case I was under the presumption that 3 or 4 DKH were in the danger zone, not 1 or 2. but live and learn unless you can learn from someone else.

I do need to let my Ca drop some, so instead of supplementing my Kalc with some occasional 2 part, I'll just add the Baking Soda to keep the ALK in the 7 DKH range and let the Ca deplete till it drops below 500

long term plan is to get a Ca reactor to work in conjunction with the Kalc. I just can't afford it right now, I'll have to sell a bunch of frags before I get one. And even then I'd like to get a digital SLR first. It's called having 2 kids in college.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13558745#post13558745 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I don't see how the hour of the day matters when it comes to gluing PVC together. What do you have specifically against 3 a.m.? After all, RC goes into backup-mode for about 45 minutes, and we need something else to do. Right?

Marc
If I was up at 3 a.m., I don't think I would be gluing PVC. :lol:

I'd have more primal thoughts in mind :lol:

 

[BigJay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13558762#post13558762 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DaveJ

I'd seriously recommend a ca reactor or dosing mechanism for you, especially if you plan on doing any traveling. Both will keep your numbers more or less stable and not have major swings.

I've been adding/using around .5 dkh per day, and adding a little less than 100ml of two part solution 1 for a .6 swing when the tank is dark.

The problem with limewater, is that three gallons of the saturated stuff will only give Pete's 300+ gallon system around 1.1 DKH and maybe 10ppm calcium. Anything more than that has to be done with other chemicals because it pushes the limit of his evaporation rate.

My long term plan is to add a pair of drew's dosing pumps and set them up to dose a total of 100 ml per day each of two part in small portions multiple times throughout the day. That way if alk demand is higher than calcium, I can always set the alkalinity pump to dose longer.

 

[psteeleb]

With the cooler weather - I don't think I evaporated 3 gallons a day the past couple days as my sump level was high. I drained some water and checked salinity and it was a bit low 1.0245 instead of 1.025.

I may have to install those other fans I bought but just never got around to installing over my sump. Or, I may cut back to 2 gallons every other day and supplement with 2 part. Actually, this may not be to bad as it will help me bring down the Ca levels to under 500 ppm (assuming I only supplement the Alk).

 

[psteeleb]

Water Flow demonstration

Water Flow demonstration

Below are clips showing polyp movement in my tank at the locations show by the number in the full tank shot

Main returns 4X700~2400gph from a 3600 gph rated pump, the for returns have the 4X flow accelerators ~ 9600gph located just inside of overflows on the top of the tank. Two pointed along back glass and two pointed toward front glass

Closed loop - 850gph through a large SQWD so say 600 gph through Penductors 5X's ~ 3000gph located fron bottom outside edges of tank

4 Korilia #4's on alternating 2 each side on 4 minute intervals, located upper front sides of tank

location of videos
1 - chips acro, dead center of tank about 3 ft from any flow point
2 - frogspawn, located left side lower 1/3 of tank. protected by rock work on bottom and 3 sides
3 - Green Birds nest, located high right center of tank
4 - Green / Yellow Stylo - located mid right upper 2/3
5 - Marc's Milli, located center upper 2/3
6 - Pocillipora - located deep in left side lower 1/3 protected top bottom and back by rockwork
7 - Prostrata, located center, lower 1/3 in front of tank

1) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3523323259702493128&hl=en

2) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8133941474621474896&hl=en

3) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8790904338922898051&hl=en

4) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1627073155615827232&hl=en

5) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-789073956106658684&hl=en

6) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=278498045797349503&hl=en

7) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4040646673604791159&hl=en

 

[psteeleb]

I installed these electrical box splash guard covers a while back but never took pictures or posted them. Someone on another thread was asking about them so I took some pictures and decided to add them here.

closed - the plug comes out a small slot in the bottom.

Open

 

[ReefEnabler]

nice safety precaution pete. reminds me I need to go over my whole system and double check for liabilities like that!

too bad about that granulosa.... I hope you are able to keep the alk stable from here out.

how often have you been mixing the kalk reactor? is it on a timer or are you still just doing it manually? i'm doing mine manually, but every once in a while I turn it on and leave it on for a day or so and the ph will get up to 8.3 or so..... need to put it on a timer

(not that 8.3 is bad, but just indicacates alot of kalk slurry making it into the tank which might be too much).

 

[psteeleb]

My Kalc mixes at the same time the 1 gallon tank fills, at 11:30 pm, 4:00 am and 8:00 am. It run for 5 minutes and I add Lime to it about every 5 or 6 days.

With the lower evaporation I just cut it back to 2 gallons a day and will add Alk via Baking Soda. I'll check my Ca level again this weekend and see where it stands before I go back to the 3 gallons a day. Plus I need to force more evaporation so I'll be rigging up those extra fans.

 

[BigJay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13562802#post13562802 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psteeleb

With the lower evaporation I just cut it back to 2 gallons a day and will add Alk via Baking Soda. I'll check my Ca level again this weekend and see where it stands before I go back to the 3 gallons a day. Plus I need to force more evaporation so I'll be rigging up those extra fans.

Sounds like an excellent plan, that should lower your calcium and stabilize your alk.

As for flow, have you considered looking into the korallia magnums yet?

 

[DaveJ]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13558876#post13558876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I don't think that is true about Magnesium, Dave. That is one you can dose in larger amounts without fear of detrimental issues. This is stated on Jdieck's Chemistry Calculator, which I just saw again recently when I was doing a little calculating.

On Alk, .5 dKH may be true, but I know I've gone more than that without incident.

Heck, I disagree with all of those guidelines. I'll shut up now.

That's ok to disagree, you'd just be wrong ... those are my guidelines. Two parts calculator say 1.4dkh, 50ppm on ca and 100 mg. I cut those in half just like I do any manufacturers dose on things that could impact the tank, except calcium which I follow directly.

Sounds like a plan on the fans etc. just dosing consistently will help quite a bit.