Nicely done, I've always wanted vortechs because they are less visible in the display, much easier to hide.
My 210 FOWLR Turned Reef
- Thread starter nonstophoops
- Start date
Nicely done, I've always wanted vortechs because they are less visible in the display, much easier to hide.
Don't worry you(and everyone else) will hear all about it!
For now here are a few pics of the stuff that will be hopefully all getting hooked up tomorrow!
Frag off the Teal Acro colony I got earlier this week.
Fish Trap(just in case, saw it in action, works well), 2 new BRS 1.1ml/min dosers, 3 Used Aqua Medic 50ml/min dosers(mix and match parts for 2 I think, but might be able to get a part or 2 to make them all work.), Avast Marine Works ATO Apex compatible with insurance mechanical float.
Full Apex package with 2 EB8's, PM 1, and Socket Expansion. Also with probes and all the calibration solution I need.
Pic of the Apex display, main unit, and PM 1.
EB8's, Temp Probe, Socket Expansion
Time consuming part of this will be getting everything hooked up on the proper outlets so I don't blow any fuses.
Took me a long time to get this just right and hopefully I can rig it up without too many problems.I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.
I am expecting some sort of christmas present.
On a serious note - those are the same as the dosing pump that I got. Let me know if you get them figured out good and if you think they are useable - read some pretty bad reviews on them.
If useable I will do something with it, just not sure what yet.
Cool stuff brother.
I am expecting some sort of christmas present.
On a serious note - those are the same as the dosing pump that I got. Let me know if you get them figured out good and if you think they are useable - read some pretty bad reviews on them.
If useable I will do something with it, just not sure what yet.
Cool stuff brother.
Coral growth is pretty good IMO. The color I am still somewhat uphappy with, but I think more light is needed(see below). I have my parameters stabilized pretty good now:
-Ph 8.3
-SG 1.025
-Temp 77.2-77.7
-Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, All 0
-Phosphate 0
-Calcium 440
-Alkalinity 8.3(Proly will bump this up to 9 even when I get the dosing pumps online)
-Magnesium 1300(Need to bring this up some)
Still bringing my lighting up since I have put my chiller online. Considering how my corals look at 7:30 a day of halides I will probably settle somewhere around 9 hours. Many people will say that is too much, but the 2 most successful tanks I have seen in person run their halides 10 hours a day. I also don't have my halides on nice reflectors, just the built in ones that are in my fixture. I don't get really high par, so a longer duration is needed. The last reason being that my tank is pretty deep and a lot of my corals are more middle depth than high up so they don't receive quite as intense of light.
The lighting reasons really make me want to get reflectors and I know a guy selling some with ballasts for super cheap. It would probably save me money in the long run because I would be able to run my bulbs a couple hours less a day. The problem is that they need to be like a foot off the water and then are another almost 10 inches tall. That means they would stick out the top of my canopy. Not sure if I want that or not.
Anyways, my cleaner wrasse died in QT overnight last night. Another strange death were the fish is fine and eating and within one day sulks and dies. I believe I figured out what the issue is however. Carbon. Ever since I incorporated a HOB filter on my QT I have been having problems. When there is no carbon on the system and fish are being treated I have had no problems. When carbon goes online problems start. My Carberryi anthias just made it thru what the Chevron couldn't. Now the cleaner wrasse died and the Midas Blenny(don't think I mentioned him before, but I got him a couple days ago. Cute little guy.) is doing well. Better than he was before I pulled the carbon. I am also going to be putting an Aqua C Remora on the QT since I am getting one used for $30!
I got the Apex controller firmware updated, which took forever and I had a ton of problems doing it. I am not very computer savvy and a lot of that crap is above my head. Plus I can't do it on my Mac because I guess it is even more complicated, so I had to use my girlfriend's. I started programming outlets, but still have a bunch to do to make sure I get them right. I have to make sure I get the power spread out evenly as well.
For now I just left my Apex Jr. running since I am going to be gone for the weekend. Reef Club Christmas Party, I hope there are sweet things in the raffle!! Then up north to get that tank setup which I am super stoked about. Had free tickets to the Packer game and passed to get this setup, I am that stoked!
Lastly, Forrest(Fleshy) and I are once again making a batch of our reef food. This version is new and improved and will include the following:
-1 pound tuna
-1 pound shrimp
-1 pound squid
-1 pound scallops
-1 pound crab
-1 pound lobster
-Some clams
-1 pound PE Mysis
-1 pound Reef Plankton
-1 pound Nutramar Ova
-1 bottle Selcon
-1 bottle Vitachem
-Some Garlic
-Some Zoe
-Some Marine C
-Maybe some vegetable matter
That's a lot of food split between us and it should last a long while. I am pretty excited to see how it turns out. No silversides this time(really messy with extra chunks that fish won't eat) and we are changing how we are blending and cutting it so we get a better assortment of particle size.
Everything sounds real good except one thing....your a PACKER FAN! Lol I'm a Giants Fan, that was a close game for the giants last sunday...
Serious note:
I want to see a feeding video of your tank whenever you have time, that looks like an interesting varity of food...I thought my variety of NLS pellets, brine shrimp, misus in spinilia was variety lol...
Also I hear you on the random fish dying, like my scooter blenny who would eat mysis shrimp perfectly fine die in a week...I'm going to be setting up a permenant quarentine tank somewhere after sump installed so pretty sure I'm going to have to cycle it...for carbon I've never heard of that causing problems with the HOB I used (same model pretty sure AC)...
I can't do video. Although I think I am getting a new camera for Christmas, so I will be able to then.
I feed NLS and mysis as well. I have to say I love the food we make though because it has all different sorts of stuff in different sizes that every fish and coral will eat. Plus everything is rinsed before freezing and doesn't need to be rinsed like store bought foods before feeding.
I think I have a bad batch of carbon to be honest. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have been checking everything to cross stuff off the list and that is all that is left. My QT parameters at time of death for the cleaner were Ammonia and Nitrite 0, Nitrate ~10, Temp. 75, Copper ~0. I had done a 10 gallon WC with water from the display a day before the fish went in.
I feed NLS and mysis as well. I have to say I love the food we make though because it has all different sorts of stuff in different sizes that every fish and coral will eat. Plus everything is rinsed before freezing and doesn't need to be rinsed like store bought foods before feeding.
I think I have a bad batch of carbon to be honest. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have been checking everything to cross stuff off the list and that is all that is left. My QT parameters at time of death for the cleaner were Ammonia and Nitrite 0, Nitrate ~10, Temp. 75, Copper ~0. I had done a 10 gallon WC with water from the display a day before the fish went in.
Unfortunately when they catch the lil' buggers in the ocean some ppl use cyanide. If they get a good dose the effects can be fatal not just on the short term but months after exposure.
As for activated Carbon it goes without saying that most chemical treatments stick to the carbon like glue as it should. Exceptions being Cooper-safe and sodium treatments. Unfortunately activated carbon is only good for about 30 days - if left unchanged, in time, it will release everything it has been holding back into the water.
As for activated Carbon it goes without saying that most chemical treatments stick to the carbon like glue as it should. Exceptions being Cooper-safe and sodium treatments. Unfortunately activated carbon is only good for about 30 days - if left unchanged, in time, it will release everything it has been holding back into the water.
