Curtis Scott

I would love to see what other members here are doing. Any additional advice on why you think your method works well or why you choose a certain method over another would be very helpful.

I have been using http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-color-changing-medical-grade-co2-absorbent.html since early september and have only one more refill from the container I purchased. This is being used in the air filter I purchased from them as well that connects to my Avast CS1. Pros: It works. My ph from ~ 7.8 to ~ 8.2 and now only swings ~ .2 during the night. Easy to use. Cons: I've realized this could start to get expensive. Need a better way to monitor the CO2 levels and not have to wait until the ph is getting low to adjust it. (I guess I could set up an alert in my Apex) Need to stabalize the ph so every 3 weeks it's not dropping so low. Can't use my fireplace in the tank room because it uses up all the filter media way to fast. (found this out over Thanksgiving) Are there better alternatives to removing CO2? Would going from dosing (B-Ionic 2 part) to a calcium reactor help solve this problem?

I noticed the same thing over this past week. Another thing I noticed and have been able to track is how bad my wood burning fire place effects my CO2 and in turn lowers my ph. :(

I have always ran Rowaphos and have even been running ChemiPure Elite ever since my Cyano outbreak at the beginning of the year. I'm thinking of pulling them out of the system this weekend, especially after reading these post. I'll be keeping an eye on my phosphates and nitrates after I do, just encase. Question for those not running it... Are you guys running carbon?

I forgot to mention... I grow plenty of Cheato too. After speaking with Matt at Marine Scene about my SPS color being dull, he recommended Potassium to me to improve my coral colors. Not wanting to dose something before confirming it was depleted, I purchased the Potassium test kit from Salifert and confirmed my Potassium was at 200ppm and no where near the recommended 400ppm level. I started dosing Potassium to keep levels around 400ppm and my colors have really improved. Now I'm looking to make sure my iron is in check.

I'm interested to see if their is an accurate test kit for Iron that I could use to test my tank. Has anyone had success with testing for iron accurately and dosing with a product like Brightwell Aquatics Ferrion to bring the levels back up to natural sea water levels?

+1 great idea!

Pretty scary stuff indeed.

79.5 - 8.5 (only gets this high in the sump when I feed the tank)

A Florida man died after contracting a flesh-eating bacterial infection while wading in a river on Saturday. ... Konietzky's death is the latest in a string of cases in Florida involving Vibrio vulnificus. The salt water bacteria, which are related to those that cause cholera, have already afflicted 26 people in Florida this year, causing nine deaths, according to Florida Department of Health data. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/henry-konietzky-dies-flesh-eating-bacteria-vibrio-vulnificus_n_4018360.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Very impressive growth. Congrats!

"We may or may not actually have an extra WP40 left over from the group buy too" Awesome, who should I contact about this?

Looks like I'll be in the market for a slightly used MP40es while I save for a new one. Just encase I can't find a good used one. thanks guys

I'm in the market for one and wondering if I should consider purchasing a used one or go with a new one. Is purchasing a used one hit or miss with reliability? Or are these things pretty reliable and purchasing a used one would be a good way to save a few bucks? I currently run a MP40es on the right side. The MP10es will be going on the left side of my 75g tank (mostly SPS).

+1

Josh, I've been keeping reef tanks for over 5 years and I'm still only running a 75g w/ 30g sump. While I know I could probably go bigger, I just don't really have the time or experience to have something that is that big of an investment (time and money) have something go wrong on me. I just don't feel like I'm prepared yet. There are many things to think about like with a tank that large like: flooring support liability insurance, if you are renting and something catastrophic happens (flood) making sure the environment is ready for this, humidity/heat export, fresh air import, and I'm sure I missing more than a few other things as I've never had to plan out a tank of this size cost of salt, supplements, food ect (general upkeep) auto top off RODI, saltwater production and water changes for a tank this large and many more I would pass on this set up for now. Choose to concentrate more on slowly working your way up to knowing more and being able to plan through all the basics of a smaller set up. Over time as your experience grows and you become more comfortable in your knowledge of reef keeping successfully, then consider to moving up to larger tanks. I know you have been recommended some reading material, but I'd like to run a couple books by you that really helped me: The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists (Microcosm/T.F.H. Professional) http://www.amazon.com/The-Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Professional/dp/1890087998/ref=pd_sim_b_6 Reef Secrets http://www.amazon.com/Reef-Secrets-Alf-Jacob-Nilsen/dp/189008767X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379678489&sr=8-1&keywords=Reef+Secrets This hobby is really all about baby steps. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Congrats on getting your Apex set up! I know how tough it can be for the first time setting one up and getting it working from a wifi bridge ect. This would be awesome... Following along!