SaraB's 268 Gallon Build¦ Try #3!

...I have a section of pure white sand in the center of my display tank and that section of the tank reminds me of your tank when I look at it, less the incredible SPS of course ;)
:eek:

...Gary has been using B-Ionic for longer than I've had a saltwater tank. Last year he switched from B-Ionic to the BRS 2-part and didn't have the same results as he did with the B-Ionic. He gave me all of the left over BRS product and I've been dosing with it since early this year. After all my issues he asked/suggested that I too switch over to B-Ionic as he's had nothing but positive results ... hence the switch. :spin2:
Hum, interesting. I'd like to know if you see the same results down the road.

...I'm starting to like simplicity more and more! I've got such a confusing looking set-up that my husband asked Dan where the rest of his tank equipment was ... he was shocked it all fit under the tank in the stand...
:lol: Don't be fooled Sara. My equipment might fit under the tank but I've got reef stuff stashed all over the place. Plus it think it's like expenses expanding to fit your income. If I had the sq. footage for a fish room like yours...oh baby :fun5:
 
Hum, interesting. I'd like to know if you see the same results down the road.

I've used B-Ionic for a long time, as Sara stated. I dose every day and don't test for alk and Ca because the levels never change. I switched to BRS two part because it was infinitely cheaper. I worked at it for many months and simply couldn't get my parameters stable. I found myself adding two and three times more chemicals than I ever did with B-Ionic. Then corals started to die. I couldn't figure it out and was getting frustrated.

It was Sara who suggested I go back to B-Ionic because it was only after I switched to BRS that I started having trouble. I switched back to B-Ionic and, within a month, my parameters were stable and the corals recovered and started growing again.

Sara's use of the BRS stuff was supposed to be temporary until she got a new reactor system set up. Use of the BRS stuff went on for much longer than planned. Switching to B-Ionic was part of the overall plan to fix her system problems. I'm convinced it has stabilized the water and, coupled with raising the husbandry bar, has played a role in turning her system around.

The key component, as she stated, was getting the deep sandbed out of the refugium and generally eliminating that container as a collecting point for organics. As she gets the substrate out of the frag tank, things will only improve more. You have to see for yourself how concrete hard that frag tank substrate is and the junk that had collected in it.

Gary
 
I would remove the remaining sand from the fuge and just fill it up with rocks. My sump basically has the skimmer in it with rocks all around.

As far as EcoBAK is concerned. The short term results are positive. Yes, it will be more costly than VSV but not overly so. Definitely cheaper than Prodibio or Zeovit, which are basically the same ideas. Since using EcoBAK and cutting out vodka, the remaining cyano has disappeared now that there is no more carbon source in the water column to fuel their continued existence.
 
I've used B-Ionic for a long time, as Sara stated. I dose every day and don't test for alk and Ca because the levels never change. I switched to BRS two part because it was infinitely cheaper. I worked at it for many months and simply couldn't get my parameters stable. I found myself adding two and three times more chemicals than I ever did with B-Ionic. Then corals started to die. I couldn't figure it out and was getting frustrated.

It was Sara who suggested I go back to B-Ionic because it was only after I switched to BRS that I started having trouble. I switched back to B-Ionic and, within a month, my parameters were stable and the corals recovered and started growing again.

Sara's use of the BRS stuff was supposed to be temporary until she got a new reactor system set up. Use of the BRS stuff went on for much longer than planned. Switching to B-Ionic was part of the overall plan to fix her system problems. I'm convinced it has stabilized the water and, coupled with raising the husbandry bar, has played a role in turning her system around.

The key component, as she stated, was getting the deep sandbed out of the refugium and generally eliminating that container as a collecting point for organics. As she gets the substrate out of the frag tank, things will only improve more. You have to see for yourself how concrete hard that frag tank substrate is and the junk that had collected in it.

Gary
Thanks for that Gary very interesting information. I'm trying to narrow down some issues and this helps. BTW your pictures are the best I've ever seen. The photo stacking thing you do is simply amazing...I'm a big fan.
 
Hmmm, I wonder if I can play this game too on a late Sunday night ...


August2010Box.jpg
 
Sara, did you guys take the viper out for a weekend spin :hmm5:

So.... What's in the bags?

Nope, had to take the truck so we could launch the ski boat in and out of the lake yesterday for wakeboarding ;)

I've got 5 torpedo shaped jumpers for the cube! These are the first ones to go into the cube since it was set-up. Just going to add maybe a pistol goby pair and move my tailspot blenny in as well as he's been in the frag tank in a holding pattern.


August2010Fish.jpg
 
Man, offline for a day and I miss all the fun :strange: So some some new jumpers...what'cha get? I see the Nemateleotris, which variety? What else Cirrhilabrus, Paracheilinus, Halichoeres or perhaps a Macropharyngodon? :bigeyes:
 
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