ReefAddict

So I've been using a Rubbermaid Brute trashcan to hold my RODI water for a while now and mixed in salt in a separate container. I got lazy and started mixing my IO salt in the same trashcan once the water is full. After a few weeks of doing this there is a noticeable smell when I remove the lid. Is this normal? It smells almost moldy.

They closed their retail store Incredible Corals.... Artfully Acrylic will still be open as far as I understand. They sent an email and were selling their display tanks and misc stuff from the store. I have had great luck with everything I buy from Reef Escape in Fairfax. I've been to BRK and they were super nice but I haven't bought from them yet.

If they are unhappy they typically move on their own. I have 4 in one of my tanks. 3 haven't moved more than an inch, 1 moved constantly until it found its happy place. I would just leave it be for now and observe.

Looks great!

I just noticed one of my bulkheads has salt creep on it. Couldn't be more than a few days old. The bulkhead is only about a year old. Should I attempt to tighten it, or just replace it? Is this a replace immediately situation or I can wait until the weekend?

I have 2 Mars Aqua 300w fixtures I could loan for a few months.

Looking great so far, keep up the good work!

Artfully Acrylic in Manassas, only purchased live stock from them, but their tanks look really nice.

So far it looks like cleaning has done the trick. I cleaned it yesterday while doing normal maintenance and it has been steady ever since. Thanks for all the advice.

Wow, great pictures! Really nice setup.

My PH probe was calibrated a few months ago, my Apex is only a 3-4 months old. Do they need to be calibrated frequently? I'll check the timer on my doser, it's a GHL doser 2 when I have been near the tank I do hear it at the appropriate times.

I dose BRS 2 part, I dose Soda Ash at midnight, and Calcium around 2:00pm. The swing starts at around 8:30pm my fuge light comes on at 8:00pm then again in the morning when the light goes out at 8:00 am. my DKH is currently 8.4 using the Hanna Checker.

Are PH swings like this normal? My refugium light comes on shortly after the DT lights turn off. I get a pretty significant PH swing (at least according to my Apex). It seems to happen when the fuge lights come on and also when they turn off.

Ghost feeding, raw shrimp, or using ammonia are probably the most popular options.

Google "Corynactis" or strawberry anemone. I had them in my tank before, multiplied to about 10 or so, they never bothered anything in the tank so I left them alone.

I've had some success with cutting the base off and then covering the remnants with Kalk paste. Given the right conditions it will spread and become a nuisance. In my tank it has actually climbed to separate rocks that were not touching. You can actually see it stretch out like Mr. Fantastic and then it's in two places.

+1 I would grab some distilled.

Hard to tell, could be..... looks like a Cerith Snail at a quick glance.

You probably know, but you do not have to have a cycled QT it's just easier. A hang on the back filter with some filter floss, charcoal and an ammonia badge along with testing supplies and you'll be good to go. Frequent water changes will be necessary, but totally doable. I would go ahead and do TTM as well, but that's just me.

Most LPS I feed Mysis or whatever I feed my fish. SPS I have used Reef Roids, but I don't use it much as there is probably more than enough for them to eat in the water.

I don't believe it poses an issue. I have a Husky and inevitably dog hair is in the tank.

Sounds like you are over dosing. There is a BRStv video that describes it in length, but I can't access Youtube at the moment for the link. I would stop dosing everything for 2 days and recheck the levels. I have a 125 gallon with about a 30gallon sump as well, with a fair amount of SPS (frags mainly) and some larger LPS corals. For comparison, currently I am dosing between 35ml and 45ml of BRS Two Part daily to keep my ALK at 8.3 I am using a GHL 2 doser. The white build up I believe is the calcium which is an indication of over dosing.

I've experienced the same after a long vacation come home to exploded growth. Most LPS and some other corals like and feed off the dirty water. It's a balancing act to find the right mix of coral growth while keeping algae at bay.

Here's what Neptune Systems had to say: To clarify, the conductivity probe functions by measuring the displacement of NaCl ions in the water. The conductivity probe is not a refractometer. It's not going to read like your refractometer. This is common. It's a conductive sensing probe. Your refractometer is designed to detect specific gravity/density of all the salts in your water like KCl, MgCl, not just NaCl, but the conductivity probe will give you a closer look at the true salinity (ppt) reading in your aquarium. I got this response in less than two hours after letting them look at my system. Pretty awesome customer service. So I guess I will test the probe in the calibration solution to make sure it is still calibrated correctly and then re-evaluate.

So my Apex conductivity probe reads 2-3 points higher than my refractometer. Now I know they are technically measuring different things, but which would you recommend following. I'm at 1.026 or 35 on my refractometer, which I have always used on all of my tanks. I setup my apex fusion a few weeks ago and it measures in the high 37's. Should I adjust to the Apex or stick with the refractometer? Both were calibrated as per included instructions.