Stolireef--New SPS Build
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Stolireef
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Aquascape Pictures
Aquascape Pictures
I finally got the aquascape how I envisioned it. I decided to skip the acrylic rods so I'd have some flexibility down the line. The goal was to create a mixture of very high flow areas and a few lower flow regions. I did a bubble test and the two coves create a somewhat protected area whereas the more open areas get huge flow.
Aquascape Pictures
I finally got the aquascape how I envisioned it. I decided to skip the acrylic rods so I'd have some flexibility down the line. The goal was to create a mixture of very high flow areas and a few lower flow regions. I did a bubble test and the two coves create a somewhat protected area whereas the more open areas get huge flow.
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Stolireef
Active member
So this is a real head scratcher. I just tested ammonia and its back to about 1.5 ppm. Not sure how that could happen. Either way, I don't trust magic cycling juice. Going to pick up some well cured reef rubble from my LFS and do it the old fashioned way. At least I know I have ammonia to feed the rubble.
Stolireef
Active member
Sirreal: I should have thought of checking the nitrites. Just too early in the morning and not enough coffee. Sure enough, they are at over 4ppm so it is starting to cycle.
JDA, always good advice. I'm not in any kind of rush. I was just curious as to whether BIO Spira works as advertised. Based upon the movement of both the ammonia and nitrite numbers, it's definitely doing something. I don't plan the introduction of any livestock for at least three weeks and even then, it will be a very slow process. I'm more of a coral keeper than a fish keeper and the fish load will stay pretty low.
Tentatively planning on the following fish in the following order (keep in mind that this is a 110 with about 130 total water volume supported by over 100 lbs of rock and a Vertex 180i skimmer).
1. Week 3-4 depending on numbers. Either a black capped basslet or a royal gramma
2. Week 6-8. Helfrichi fire fish (yeah expensive but I just love the way they look).
3. Week 10-12. Long nose hawk fish.
4. Week 16-18. Some kind of fairy wrasse or two
5. Week 20-24. Yellow tang and either a powder blue tang or a purple tank. Little worried about keeping a yellow and purple together since they are so similar in body shape.
6. At the 8 month mark, depending upon pod production, I will likely add a mandarin.
All of the above is subject to changes but relative to the size of the tank, I don't expect dramatic changes in the numbers or sizes of the fish. I know that the powder blue will outgrow my tank but I have several local friends with 500+ gallon tanks that would be happy to take him/her when he gets that big.
zibba
New member
Ahem....http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2629007
Consider it!
I have a nice yellow tang in my frag tank when you're ready and if you decide to go with the yellow vs. purple. I'd recommend not going with a yellow and purple though. Tried two convicts and two yellows in my tank and removed one of each when I did the swap. They were just too hard on each other. After two years in the tank together, they never calmed down. Finally both singles and look and act much happier.
Get a smaller powder blue and you'll have it for a very long time before you need a bigger home (if at all). Blue hippos grow fast; PBTs, not so much.
Like the other stocking plans.
Consider it!
I have a nice yellow tang in my frag tank when you're ready and if you decide to go with the yellow vs. purple. I'd recommend not going with a yellow and purple though. Tried two convicts and two yellows in my tank and removed one of each when I did the swap. They were just too hard on each other. After two years in the tank together, they never calmed down. Finally both singles and look and act much happier.
Get a smaller powder blue and you'll have it for a very long time before you need a bigger home (if at all). Blue hippos grow fast; PBTs, not so much.
Like the other stocking plans.
Stolireef
Active member
Day 2 of pure ammonia/Bio-Spira cycle. Ammo is at around 1.5 and Nitrites are above 4 (highest reading on Salifert kit). Moving right along.
New Vertex skimmer is set to arrive today. Won't be seeing any action for a while but at least I'll have something new to play with.
WXM module also arrived yesterday. I'm going to use it to control the MP40s since I really hate playing with the three little buttons (reminds me of the three shells in Demolition Man). I don't know why Ecotech can't add a little LCD screen to guide you through the setup.
Also installing a better 500W titanium heater. Old one was keeping up but I don't trust old heaters. Also will be calibrating ph probe today just for kicks.
New Vertex skimmer is set to arrive today. Won't be seeing any action for a while but at least I'll have something new to play with.
WXM module also arrived yesterday. I'm going to use it to control the MP40s since I really hate playing with the three little buttons (reminds me of the three shells in Demolition Man). I don't know why Ecotech can't add a little LCD screen to guide you through the setup.
Also installing a better 500W titanium heater. Old one was keeping up but I don't trust old heaters. Also will be calibrating ph probe today just for kicks.
Stolireef
Active member
The ups and downs of reef equipment...
Installed a new Finnex 500W heater. Really nice piece of equipment, hooked it up to the Apex and it was keeping my tank at 78 degrees dead on.
Speaking of my &^%%*( Apex...
Tried to hook up the WXM module. Mounted it, plugged it in and in seconds, it was found by the head unit on the local display. One hour later, I finally call Neptune to find out why Fusion wasn't seeing it only to be told that only the new Apex will pick up the WXM module in Fusion. You have to use the regular Apex web interface to find it. So, punch in the IP address of the Apex and ...
Cannot connect. Still have an open ticket with Neptune to figure out what's going on. Yes, checked IP, Port, Firewall, etc. So, no control over Ecotech yet...
Speaking of Ecotech, have I mentioned how much I hate the three little buttons. I still can't get my older MP40 to go into slave mode. I really really hate the three little buttons.
Tomorrow should be fun.
Installed a new Finnex 500W heater. Really nice piece of equipment, hooked it up to the Apex and it was keeping my tank at 78 degrees dead on.
Speaking of my &^%%*( Apex...
Tried to hook up the WXM module. Mounted it, plugged it in and in seconds, it was found by the head unit on the local display. One hour later, I finally call Neptune to find out why Fusion wasn't seeing it only to be told that only the new Apex will pick up the WXM module in Fusion. You have to use the regular Apex web interface to find it. So, punch in the IP address of the Apex and ...
Cannot connect. Still have an open ticket with Neptune to figure out what's going on. Yes, checked IP, Port, Firewall, etc. So, no control over Ecotech yet...
Speaking of Ecotech, have I mentioned how much I hate the three little buttons. I still can't get my older MP40 to go into slave mode. I really really hate the three little buttons.
Tomorrow should be fun.
Stolireef
Active member
Got an early start and pulled the Vertex out of the box. I have to say it appears to be one of the best made pieces of equipment I've seen in a while. It's at least as well made as my Geo Ca RX and that's really saying quite a bit. I also love (at least in theory) the screw on collector cup. Way easier to use than the normal O ring push on cups. It won't be put in the sump until the cycle is complete but overall, it's a major step up from my previous Reef Octopus Classic 150 Int.
Stolireef
Active member
I guess I spoke soon. The skimmer body has a crack where the water exits and the pump appears to be both damaged and disconnected from the base plate. Fortunately, I'm dealing with Marine Depot so I'm not worried about getting this taken care of. More fortunately, I won't need to skim for at least a few weeks so it's not an emergency.
Stolireef
Active member
Day 4 of pure ammonia/Bio-Spira cycle. Ammo is undetectable, nitrites a little less than 2, Nitrates at around 50. So the cycle is moving nicely. I'll be adding some additional ammonia when the nitrites drop to 0. By middle of next week, both Ammo and nitrites should be at 0 and then comes the first big water change.
Stolireef
Active member
Also got the WXM module all set up. For those of you with an Apex and wireless MP40's this is a god send. No more playing with the three little buttons. No fancy progamming. Just play with the built in charts and modes in Fusion. Right now I'm running Reef Crest at about 80 percent on anti-sync. Looks really good.
