Stolireef Reborn -- Rebuild Thread

[Stolireef]

Until I got one, I never understood what the fuss was about. Now, I'm a believer.

 

[Stolireef]

I will say that my swings in pH were a little lower when I ran the fuge with 24x7 lighting. It's one reason I'm probably going to reinstall one.

 

[Stolireef]

Well, as promised in my last post, I installed a new fuge today. Petco 20 gallon (dollar per gallon sale ). I was basically able to reuse all of the plumbing from the old fuge and had a new bulkhead sitting around. I really like the additional space of the 20 as compared to the old ten gallon.

I definitely have noticed a decline in coral health since taking the old fuge off line. I can't put my finger on anything but I suspect that the fuge was providing oxygen to the water column as well as keeping the pH more stable. Now I've just got to get some chaeto and maybe a few more hunks of rubble. I can't wait to go back to watching all of the cool critters.

 

[Stolireef]

And the requisite pics.

 

[Stolireef]

I also have to relocate the float valve for my autotopoff. There wasn't enough room between the fuge and the sump so it's going on the other side of the sump. I just have to find someone with a right angle drill so I can get in there and drill the hole without draining everything.

Anyone?

 

[Stolireef]

Had an interesting weekend with the tank. After installing the fuge, on Friday, I stopped by an LFS and picked up about 10-15 lbs of well cured Figi base rock. By Saturday evening, the display was very cloudy. I've seen this before and I'm pretty sure it's either a microalgae or bacterial bloom. By this morning, it's almost completely gone. I really think this is a sign that my tank is still very early in the maturation process.

 

[Mael]

could be, the influx of micro's from the new rock could have clouded it up for a while or if the existing bacteria had a reaction to it, but it sounds like it is clearing up on its own.

 

[Stolireef]

Added a nice ball of Chaeto last night (thanks Zibba!!!). I'm now going to watch the tank pH to see what, if any, impact the Chaeto has. I've lost a few SPS frags over the past couple of weeks but zoas seem to be doing well. I may add some ReefStew over the next day or so to recolonize the fuge.

 

[Mael]

Gotta love the stew, been getting some every couple weeks to keep the mandarin happy. I am just ending a similar deal with zoas doing fine and sps not so much, lost an acro besides the monti.....weird thing is are thriving....sometimes these creatures are just confusing.

Im interesting in the chaeto impact as well....this last page has made me want an Apex

 

[Stolireef]

Well, after three days with Chaeto and 24x7 fuge lighting, there is a noticeable difference in pH stability. You can when I added the Chaeto (look for the sharp pH dip when I had to pull the probe for a couple of minutes). There is now no question in my mind that even a 20 gallon fuge on a 110 has a positive impact on water quality.

 

[m-six hundred]

When is the last time you calibrated that probe?

 

[Stolireef]

I actually don't worry about callibrating it. I'm tracking stability rather than empirical numbers. So long as my kH readings are OK, I don't believe in chasing a particular pH in a tank (other than, of course, in the Ca Rx).

 

[evolved]

The calibration will drift over time though, giving you a false reading regarding stability too.

 

[m-six hundred]

Stolireef Reborn -- Rebuild Thread

That's why they recommend calibrating it monthly. But I get the not wanting to hassle with it method.

 

[Stolireef]

I agree that the reading will drift but the drift is slow and doesn't impact on my ability to monitor stability. I don't worry about a very slow change in pH but rather big sudden swings. I never really look at the actual number.

The goal of the fuge/Chaeto was not to achieve a specific pH but to create greater stability which is pretty clearly demonstrated in the graph.