ridetheducati
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Posts posted by ridetheducati
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Came home today to a Luxcore metal halide ballast not working. Initial troubleshooting indicates a ballast problem, not a bulb problem.
After further review, it was a faulty bulb.
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Sorry for the delay.
The system is maturing, not as quickly as I would like, but maturing. I can attribute the slow pace to using 100% dead rock. High quality seasoned live rock, such as Tampa Bay Saltwater is the best method. Never doing 100% dead rock again. 22 months in and I am just starting to see signs of a mature system. With a mature system mistakes can be made and the system does not reactor negatively. The old salts out there know what I am talking about.
Still running AF. I run my nitrates at 2 - 5 PPM and phosphates at .02 - .05 PPM. I stopped running AF ABVE because of my moderate nutrient levels. Only running Pro BIOS and NP Pro. For those hobbyist that rinse Zeomix several days in advance of using it, ensure that you make note of the day the media was rinsed. Otherwise, a blanket of silicate based brown algae film will form on glass and sand bed. Guess how I became aware of this scenario.
Came home today to a Luxcore metal halide ballast not working. Initial troubleshooting indicates a ballast problem, not a bulb problem.
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Add a ball valve to the siphon to manage flow.
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Over the years I have not had success with large groups of anthias or chromis. Very disappointing. Females turn male and the battles begin.
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Consider Odontanthias borbonius.
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With frequent water changes with a good salt and small dosages of a product I am trying out; I most likely will not use AF Components A,B, or C. I am running 2.5 liters of Zeomix in a Vertex reactor at 250 gph. No need to shake the stones. Shaking the stones helps keep them clean of detritus, but AF does not require it. I am running the following AF products in order of preference:
- AF Zeomix - 2.5 liters changed every six weeks
- AF Pro Bio S - 6 drops per day - maintains nitrates at 2ppm and phosphates .02ppm
- AF NP Pro - 6 drops per day - maintains nitrates at 2ppm and phosphates .02ppm
- AF Aminos - 12 drops per day
- AF Vitamins - 12 drops per day
- AF Build - not currently using
- AF Energy - not currently using due to experimentation with another product
- AF Micro E - not currently using due to experimentation with another product
- Test product #1 and #2 - 5ml per day
I recently matched one Reefbrite XHO with the Radiums. 1,200 watts of Radiums are overpowering the Reefbrites, I can barely tell they are on. I am going to try running at 250w for six months to see how well the system responds.
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Appreciate the input Graham. I have the SRO 5000 with all the bells and whistles. I agree with your assessment of the BB5K, it is an excellent pump that maybe slightly too strong for the skimmer body. That is a key reason why I installed the neck extender, more dwell time.
I am considering setting up ten more QT tanks in order to get more fish through the process. My fish bio-load is extremely low; I need about 20 more fish.
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The Red Dragon 3 Mini Speedy skimmer pump is $550.
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The current skimmer is working well and removing all the nasties. I just want, sorry need a new toy.
A replacement pump for the ATB is approximately $350.
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I thought it was fish poop
Thank you
It includes that waste as well.
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For the price. You might as well go for the 250. It's not that much more.
I do not have enough DOCs to keep the 250 viable.
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The BK keeps calling me, collect.
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On the fence, what do you think? 300g SPS dominated.
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Did you calculate the equipment displacement of water ? Not really 50 gallons. Just saying. Looking good lots of open space to work with.
From above.
...approximately 50g...
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Installed the sump without any issues. Due to the increased water volume, adjustments were needed on the calcium reactor and coral feeding (aminos, vitamins, and micro elements). The sump added approximately 50g to overall system volume.
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Awesome update! Our tanks are at very similar points now. I am using aquaforrest as well. How are you running the zeo mix? How much potassium do you have to dose daily? Do you notice a difference when using their (or any) bacteria supplement? We're you using vodka and vinegar before you switched to aquaforrest? If so how did you make the switch? I am currently using a mix of the three even though they say not to. I would guess that's because they can't make money from vodka and vinegar.
I am going to order some salifert potassium tests from china soon if you want to throw down and get some on my order, they are pretty cheap.
My corals have also benefited from maganese and potassium especially now that the tanks adjusted to a high amount of carbon sources.
I wish our experience with Brendan went anywhere near well. In the end of the long horrible experience our tanks crashed because we never got the skimmer we paid for and it was like a row of dominos after that. Thank god the bank got our money back eventually. I will be making my own stuff from now on.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
I am running 3 liters of Zeomix at 300 gph. I have not setup the dosing pump for potassium waiting until I install the new sump. Currently manual dosing potassium 3 ppm per week. My system went two months without dosing a carbon source, the system did not need it. I attribute that to my low fish bio load.
The new Salifert potassium test kits should be in country as of this post. Keep an eye open at BRS, PA, MD, and Amazon.
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are you metal halide now? why do you need a chiller?
I have been running MH for 16+ years and do not need a chiller. However, I would like assistance during the difficult stretch of the summer months when the home air conditioner is not running and the outside humidity is high. During those days the system will approach 82 degrees. A couple of fans and dehumidifier have been my key cooling tools.
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I bounce between XM10 and Radiums. Post 464 are XM bulbs and post 471 are Radiums.
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Thanks for asking. The system is doing well. There are a few updates that I will briefly discuss.
Compare to the image on post #464
1. Incorporated Aquaforest
Three months ago, I started using Aquaforest products to feed corals and manage nutrients. Using Zeomix, Pro Bio S, NP Pro, AF Aminos, AF Vitamins, AF Energy, AF Build, AF Micro E, and AF Reef Salt. Over the years I have learned that Manganese and Potassium are key elements in my system.
2. Corals
The system is 98% stocked with SPS; need to acquire the JF Fox Flame and Firecracker. Chalices are not doing very well; I think the 400w MH and strong flow does not provide optimal conditions. Most likely will remove the chalices and bring in more Acan Lords. The sampling of Acans I collected a few weeks ago are doing well.
3. Custom sump
I recently had a custom sump built (60x24x16) by Pure Reef and plan to install it in a couple weeks. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is top notch, impressive. Thanks to Marco for facilitating. My sump design was inspired by the Royal Exclusiv Dreambox. No filter socks as I am not a fan of removing the goodness from the reef.
4. Fish collection
Not much traction in this area. The Barbonius Anthias is the most recent addition.
5. On the horizon
Install chiller, frag tank (have not committed), and install ReefBrite XHO.
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Do you have a positive ID for dinos?
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There has been discussion around dinos using fish and inverts as possible transport mechanisms.
Based on my theory, systems less than 2 years old are candidates for possible dino infection. Especially setup with dry rock and sand. Lack of bio diversity may be the root cause.
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How the heck did the dinos show up in there with dry rock, dry sand, new saltwater and nothing else in there? Do they have dry spores that make them show up from being on the rock previously? I'm getting ready to set up a new tank with dry rock and really would get discouraged if this is how it started.
There has been discussion around dinos using fish and inverts as possible transport mechanisms.
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Have you treated for flukes?
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How much space do you have? I recommend either a 120g (4x2x2) or 180 (6x2x2).
The Looking Glass
in Dedicated Tank (Build) Forum
Not sure if you can find Lumatek ballasts any more. Luxcore is available.
Never was a fan of running a zero and zero system (NO3 and PO4) for a SPS dominated system. I like a dynamic high energy system, high inputs and aggressive exports.