madweazl June 30, 2017 Author Share June 30, 2017 Sometimes it's all about what you don't see. I grabbed the Kessil H80 to cut down on the amount of light in the sump because it was becoming difficult to keep clean. I relocated the reactor to the return chamber and was able to hang the light low enough that it doesn't creep into the skimmer or return chamber but still more than covers the refugium (could drop it another four inches with the spread of the H80 if the hanger would allow). The skimmer wasn't impacted much from the extra light and subsequent algae growth but the former position of the reactor would clog up and slow down after about a week (still worked but performance was reduced quite a bit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 8, 2017 Author Share July 8, 2017 Maintenance performed: Did a round of testing today to see how my results compare to the Triton analysis (samples collected at the same time). Salinity - 1.025 (refractometer calibrated and checked twice) Alkalinity - 9.6 (Hanna) Ca - 420 (Hanna) Mg - 1335 (Salifert) PO4 - .049 (Hanna ULR) NO3 - 2.5-5.0 (Salifert) On the 6th dKH was 10.5 (been dosing Randy's recipe #1); alkalinity consumption was considerably higher when the levels were over 10 (dropped to 9.7 within 24 hours). Another 24 hours later it was 9.6. I've been trying to maintain 8-8.5 but may experiment with levels around 10 given the perceived increase in consumption. Ca was 459 on the 6th and is 420 today. Reduced dosing of alk and Ca to 15ml today and will check results tomorrow (ordered BRS dosing pumps the other day and awaiting arrival). Salifert alkalinity test has results .6 lower than the Hanna; this matches the delta I measured months ago. Red Sea test is .15 lower than Hanna so I tend to believe the actual results are somewhere between the Red Sea and Hanna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 8, 2017 Author Share July 8, 2017 Also bumped light intensity by 5% to 50% total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 9, 2017 Author Share July 9, 2017 Looking at some pics online, my strawberry shortcake doesn't look to be so; from what I see they're green with pink tips where mine is pink with green tips. Mystery acros FTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 11, 2017 Author Share July 11, 2017 Added a LET 48" T5 retrofit with an ATI Coral+ and Blue+. The acros seemed to have an immediate response and opened up a bit more than usual (they're new and just starting to open up and spread). The green toadstool immediately closed (being rehomed to make way for the acros anyways). Tomorrow I have the T5s coming on for two hours at the peak of the photo period (4pm). I need to find a better way to integrate them (the T5s) right now but I don't have the ability to dim them without an expansion for the controller (using the two existing dimming ports for the Kessils but I may swap them to the T5s and run a constant intensity on the Kessils). Might be a good excuse to switch over the the Profilux 4 since I really need the expansion, WiFi and dimming modules for the RA+. The dosing pumps should be here Thursday bringing the used relay count up to 13 (how did this happen). I like the extra light the T5s have cast into the nooks and crannies of the rock work; it has added a little more depth to the tank and has made the corals pop a bit more. Shimmer from the Kessils is still present though significantly diffused. Tank is only using about .2 dKH per day at this point but I expect this is going to increase fairly quickly now that the acros are really starting to encrust the plugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 12, 2017 Author Share July 12, 2017 Latest FTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 14, 2017 Author Share July 14, 2017 The BRS dosers arrived today so I got to work mounting them; I had no idea they were so large! Figured this was the best way to arrange them so I could still fill the ATO res (gotta due something about that blue...) and I still have room to add a third if/when the time comes. Think I'm out of red extension cords that fit (pretty sure all I have left are two foot cords and I'll need three foot cords to hit the lower relays of the second box) so I'll have to order a few of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 15, 2017 Author Share July 15, 2017 I still need some 3/16 acrylic tubing for the pick up lines in the bottles but it's up and running; here's hoping my math was correct (will be out of town all week)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 15, 2017 Author Share July 15, 2017 Looks like the controller is a bit off in regard to dosing inputs; I have it set to dose for 16 seconds every hour and a half but it only dosed for 12 seconds. I've bumped it to 20 seconds to see if that yields the 16 seconds of actual dosing I'm after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 15, 2017 Author Share July 15, 2017 (edited) Unintended consequence of running the T5 retrofit. The housing of the Kessil is 88°, the reflector on the T5 is 149°. Edited July 15, 2017 by madweazl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 20, 2017 Author Share July 20, 2017 (edited) Triton results were posted and there weren't too many surprises. Lithium was pretty high and outside of the salt mix, I'm not exactly sure where it would have come from. One big surprise was phosphate coming up at zero (I measured .049 with a Hanna ULR at the time I took the Triton sample). Calcium levels matched the Salifert results I took (about 20ppm higher than the Hanna kit at 420 vs 444 for Salifert). Might be worth looking into some iodine dosing. Edited July 20, 2017 by madweazl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 20, 2017 Share July 20, 2017 Triton has noted that Lithium is high on tests across the US. Nothing that we can do or be concerned about. Hey, maybe our fish will be more psychologically calmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 27, 2017 Author Share July 27, 2017 Maintenance performed: Increased duration of T5s to six hours (1400-2000) Increased alkalinity dosing to 19 seconds (9.1 on 20 July and 8.5 today at 18 seconds) Increased calcium dosing to 19 seconds (445 on 20 July and 440 today at 18 seconds) Calibrated pH probe (ordered a replacement as well) Everything is looking really good; all of the frags have been encrusting well and most have shown vertical/horizontal growth as well. The new Reef Raft Wolverine is coloring up really well; it was tan when I received it but the yellow is coming on strong now. The only thing that hasnt colored up much is the Cali tort; the green is coming back but most of the blue areas are still a drab tan with some blue. Seemed like I got some blue back in the first week but not much since. It is also encrusting slower than the rest. I may move it to the center of the tank where the light intensity is higher (currently on the far right and low). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 27, 2017 Author Share July 27, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii July 27, 2017 Share July 27, 2017 I hope you have an attach plan for those blue cloves. Those things can become a nuisance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 27, 2017 Author Share July 27, 2017 I hope you have an attach plan for those blue cloves. Those things can become a nuisance. They aren't blue cloves It's a pipe organ that is just as hard to kill apparently LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii July 27, 2017 Share July 27, 2017 haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 31, 2017 Author Share July 31, 2017 (edited) Moved this guy into more light; the tips are still a bright blue but the base color has browned off from the original vivid blue. It sits between the two Kessils now and should receive about twice the light it was previously getting even though it is a bit lower now. This has been the only coral to lose color, everything else looks great. Edited July 31, 2017 by madweazl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 31, 2017 Author Share July 31, 2017 Maintenance performed: Dosing increased to 20 seconds every 90 minutes. Of note, 20 seconds in the code is approximately 25 seconds of actual dosing. This only equates to about 12.66ml/day which seems to be quite low (possible since the frags are still very small). I'll have to mark the bottles to double check my math. Color increased to 70% on Kessils (from 65%) Intensity increased to 55% on the Kessils (from 50%) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 31, 2017 Author Share July 31, 2017 Combined with the .1dKH I'm dropping per day, looks like I need about 18ml to maintain current levels. 36 seconds per dose x 16 doses / 60 seconds = 9.6 minutes of dosing daily 9.6 minutes x 1.9ml per minute = 18.24ml 18.24ml / 16 doses = 1.14ml per dose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl August 3, 2017 Author Share August 3, 2017 (edited) Picked up the McCosker's wrasse I'd ordered a couple weeks back. It, like most of the fish I've purchased, has ich but looks well fed and otherwise healthy so I'm fairly confident he'll be ok. Also grabbed a Hector's goby that is pretty awesome. As for the corals, everything is looking pretty good and encrusting well. The one below is encrusting unbelievably fast (cant see it in the picture) and is probably my favorite in the tank right now. The tips are a beautiful purple/blue as it grows out that contrast really well with the green polyps. I don't know if the base color remains tan but the contrast is really nice and I hope it doesn't change. Edited August 3, 2017 by madweazl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl August 4, 2017 Author Share August 4, 2017 Ran some tests and ended up with some interesting results. Results from 7/9/17 (same day I submitted the Triton samples) PO4 - .049 (Triton came back 0) NO3 - 2.5-5.0 Today PO4 - .153 on the first test and .175 on the second NO3 - 0 This has me scratching my head. Vodka dosing has remained unchanged (1.4ml per day) so I don't understand why the NO3 levels have dropped, especially when we're feeding more now than we were a month ago (four more fish in the tank). In regard to the P04, I'm guessing that was probably related to me tossing a ton of macroalgae the other day (around 50% I'd guess); I generally only take out what is growing right around the weir (one or two handfuls). There is also more bacteria growing on the macroalgae that contacts the surface of the water now than previously observed (a lot more). None of the corals are exhibiting any observable negative affects at this point so I'm not planning on doing anything out of the ordinary (due for a water change this weekend but that wont have much impact on the levels). Ca - 435 (dosing seems to be holding this pretty steady) I'll measure alkalinity later this afternoon (typically do this around 430pm). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime August 4, 2017 Share August 4, 2017 Tanks looking good. Acros look happy. Nice pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl August 4, 2017 Author Share August 4, 2017 (edited) Alkalinity crept up to 8.9 dKH; either my math was wrong or consumption has fallen off a bit. Dropped dose from 33 seconds to 29 seconds (leaving Ca at 33 seconds). Increased duration of T5s by one hour for a total of seven hours (1300-2000). A few months back, something took a bite out of the red monti and it happened again a day or two ago; not sure exactly what did it but it usually heals within a few days. If it doesnt heal rapidly this time, I'll take it as a confirmation that something is awry in the tank and do some significant water changes to bring things back to "normal." This will require a different salt mix to retain the levels I'm after if I end up replacing what will likely end up 100% of the water over the course of a week. Thinking about the NO3 levels some more, I think it would be wise to reduce the vodka dosing but I just cant make sense of why this has dropped. Edited August 4, 2017 by madweazl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl August 5, 2017 Author Share August 5, 2017 I started to notice a lot of lime green sponge growing in the darker areas of the aquarium about six weeks ago. I have no idea what specifically they are but it got me curious, could these be contributing to the nitrate reduction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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