Rovster's Custom Reef Savvy build......FINALLY!!!

[rovster]

Eddie the spread I was seeing before going down to an empty bottle to a new one was about 25 ppm. The spread I recently discovered on a half used bottle was 12-14 ppm.

You say you want numbers. I have recently been targeting a lower alk. My target is 135 on the checker. Over the last 10 or so tests I've been within 1-3 of that number. That is what I feel has been an acceptable range of error with the checker and I've noticed it does vary over the course of the day (earlier in day readings are higher). On my last test I was down 10 ppm from the last test. On the second test it showed down 12 ppm.

Last test before noticing drop: 136
Tests that showed drop: 124, 126
Test with brand new bottle: 138

Salifert has pretty much been reading the same over this period. I'm not comparing the safety value to the Hanna value, rather if there is any degree of change from the last test.

 

[rovster]

Any word on the pics of whatever was in the box that mysteriously appeared on your doorstep? I think it had a BC on it?

Lol, soon enough. They came in a little rough, my guess is they overheated a little so they were a little bleached.

I've only mounted one, which was the Spainbow, and I broke it with my hamfistedness, lol. In a few weeks I'll get some pics up for sure...

 

[AquamanE]

Eddie the spread I was seeing before going down to an empty bottle to a new one was about 25 ppm. The spread I recently discovered on a half used bottle was 12-14 ppm.

You say you want numbers. I have recently been targeting a lower alk. My target is 135 on the checker. Over the last 10 or so tests I've been within 1-3 of that number. That is what I feel has been an acceptable range of error with the checker and I've noticed it does vary over the course of the day (earlier in day readings are higher). On my last test I was down 10 ppm from the last test. On the second test it showed down 12 ppm.

Last test before noticing drop: 136
Tests that showed drop: 124, 126
Test with brand new bottle: 138

Salifert has pretty much been reading the same over this period. I'm not comparing the safety value to the Hanna value, rather if there is any degree of change from the last test.

Although not a devastating drop I can see your frustration.

 

[rovster]

10-12 ppm is not significant enough to cause an issue, 25-30 is which is what people are seeing.

 

[rovster]

Well, good news is alk is trending in the downward direction, confirmed with backup Salifert kit. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come. I also cut my carbon dosing in half after a texting exchange with Zaffor. Nutrients were not necessarily a problem then and not really now, although they are a bit higher than they used to be. Tested tonight and nitrate was 5 and phosphate 0.03, although like an idiot I tested after dosing nitrate and feeding the tank, so I expect the levels were slightly elevated. Hopefully by next month I can start taking pics again.

 

[rovster]

Not realistic but a quick camera pic I took using my daughters sippy cup lid as a filter....



Things are looking decent. Burnt corals still burnt, but those not burnt are growing again. My pink lemonade is on overdrive lol. Finally seeing some action from my orange crush and PC superman too

 

[knukles55]

Bottom left what is that an elegance?

 

[rovster]

Yup! Had it for a few months now.....I LOVE IT

 

[rovster]

For you knuckles.....just for you lol....

 

[knukles55]

That thing looks awsome from afar lol.... and now that I've seen the video it looks awsome and healthy

 

[rovster]

Quick iPhone FTS....



Things are growing again. A few corals are still struggling but no total losses, although there are a handful I'm not too hopeful will recover. Been going back and forth between Hanna and Salifert and the more I do this the more I just want to give up on the checker. Today I checked my alk and it was down from yesterday and the day before. Great news but my tank always starts to throw me curveballs when I'm going to Disney....oh yeah I'm hanging out with that mouse again this weekend

 

[knukles55]

just leave us in charge over the weekend cant guarantee all the frags will have the same amount of branches as you originally left them with

 

[rovster]

Lol! Sorry knuckles but I already have someone. We have 2 dogs and a cat so our pet sitter feeds the fish and let's me know if anything looks off. Nice try though

 

[sahin]

Growth is good. Colours look very nice too. Just keep sailing in the same direction.

 

[rovster]

Growth is good. Colours look very nice too. Just keep sailing in the same direction.

I'm trying man. I do feel good about everything though now that I'm mostly out of the woods with my alk issues. My stags are starting to go crazy again, and color is showing up, albeit slowly. I use my tricolor as a guage on how good things are. Right now it looks kinda blah. When those blue and yellow tips start popping, everything else follows. I also moved around some pieces that I hope will like their new spots better. I have this Copps Hulk Mille that was kind of dormant and lately its developing some nice purple and green in its new spot. Alk has also been relatively steady. Just sucks I'm going out of town when my alk starts dropping. At first I thought it was the hanna reagent, but salifert is telling my alk is starting to drift down so that's great. I've also noticed the annoying cyano that's been lingering is getting much better. I'm not ready for macros yet, but soon I'll be taking some.

 

[dadummy]

looking good

 

[Deep Reef]

Looking great

 

[rovster]

So the last 4-5 months has been rough on my tank. I lost a few pieces along the way but I feel like things are finally turning around. I had lots of ups and downs and a kalk overdose accident, and honestly I'm surprised the damage wasn't more severe. It seems like the pieces that were doing amazing hardly took a hit, now they look good and are still growing. The iffy pieces now look not so good, and the not so good pieces didn't survive the months of rollercoastering alk swings.

I'm now exclusively using Salifert. I gave up on my Hanna checker for now. I've been maintaining my alk closer to 7 to give me a buffer because it seems any time my alk goes above 8 my tank does not react well.

Yesterday I got home ready to leave for Disney and one of you guys texts me how my tank is doing. I took a video right then and there, didn't clean the glass, sand nothing. This is my tank as it sits currently. If you look closely you can see some things are doing great, and some suffered. I haven't updated too much because I've been real frustrated but I'm feeling much better about things now!

 

[itz frank]

The only thing your tank is missing is some bryopsis. Let me know when you're ready for some and I'll come on by.

Jk. Tank looks great. I need to focus in on my dosing and Params. I would kill to have growth like yours.

 

[rovster]

I've got bubble algae, and I'm talking big balls lol.....