Electrobes
Valuable Member
Glad to see your tank is turning for the better! What part of SW FL do you live in Brad? I just moved to Fort Myers.. I feel like I've said this to you before but it must be my toddler-induced amnesia! 
Saltgator's 240 Build
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OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Glad to see your tank is turning for the better! What part of SW FL do you live in Brad? I just moved to Fort Myers.. I feel like I've said this to you before but it must be my toddler-induced amnesia!
LOL. Yep we spoken. I'm about 10-20 minutes North of you in the Cape right off 41. I'm on SWFMAS as BC13.
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Thanks M&T. Now if I could only get my DT to look as good as y'alls, LOL.
Electrobes
Valuable Member
No way!? Man I must be getting old. I've got to come see your tank, I've been talking a lot with Ron (Reefman). He's been over twice since our trade of our lighting pendants. If you ever need help with anything let me know, I love projects or just chatting about reefs.
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
No way!? Man I must be getting old. I've got to come see your tank, I've been talking a lot with Ron (Reefman). He's been over twice since our trade of our lighting pendants. If you ever need help with anything let me know, I love projects or just chatting about reefs.
Yeah I've borrowed a item from Ron and purchased a few frags a while back. We'll have to meet up, I'm really wanting to see your system in person. Not sure if I could really show off the 240, it's kinda bare or most are frags,lol, but your more than welcome to see it.
Electrobes
Valuable Member
Nice! Looking forward to it!
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Well.... Here's today's forecast...
Eating mysis at lfs and enriched brine just minutes ago.
He is for....
Look closely, one decent 1 that I tried to epoxy over turned into 4+!! Woooosaaaa!!!
I have no idea, but cheap ($35) at lfs.
Adam @ battle corals has sent me some beautiful frags (adjusting to LEDs and of coarse the egg crate is blooming algae)
Thinking of getting rid of ALL my lps and going all sps. Haven't made my mind up yet. I'd only be getting rid of 2 meat corals, 3 acan colonies, and a softball size hammer. Thoughts???
Y'all have a good Thanks Giving and thanks for looking.
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
Eating mysis at lfs and enriched brine just minutes ago.
He is for....
Look closely, one decent 1 that I tried to epoxy over turned into 4+!! Woooosaaaa!!!
I have no idea, but cheap ($35) at lfs.
Adam @ battle corals has sent me some beautiful frags (adjusting to LEDs and of coarse the egg crate is blooming algae)
Thinking of getting rid of ALL my lps and going all sps. Haven't made my mind up yet. I'd only be getting rid of 2 meat corals, 3 acan colonies, and a softball size hammer. Thoughts???
Y'all have a good Thanks Giving and thanks for looking.
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Wow=bad, or Wow=good???? LOL, just kidding. Thanks
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
azjohnny
Active Member
Hey Gator
just found your build, nice score on the tank, do you have any equipment pics?
Its good to see the tank is coming around, I bought my present FOWLR acrylic tank used and it had issues ....LOL....When I upgrade someday i will probably just give it away
Do you like the acrylic tank? I really like the light weight, it was helpful when I had to move it
just found your build, nice score on the tank, do you have any equipment pics?
Its good to see the tank is coming around, I bought my present FOWLR acrylic tank used and it had issues ....LOL....When I upgrade someday i will probably just give it away
Do you like the acrylic tank? I really like the light weight, it was helpful when I had to move it
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Thanks for looking. I love the acrylic, but it is a pain to clean coraline off (and mine tends to only grow on my front panel, lucky me). Other than that, I love it. As far a equipment shots, I'll have to get some up. I run a 55ish gallon acrylic sump with a swc 230, a reef octopus 140 pellet reactor, a 2.5-5 gallon refugium fed by a maxi jet, and 2 submersible pumps for returns. I really don't like my sump, so I'm currently looking into used ones. I'll see if i can get some equipment shots this week and maybe some updated FTS. Rearranging my rock work, getting that coraline off and getting my sps frags and ALK happy is my main goal currently. I appreciate it.
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Boy oh boy, how I love troubleshooting!!! Me and my ALK are Not seeing eye to eye at all!!! While running my pellet reactor, my ALK was at 10 causing burnt tips on my sps frags (all but 3, 1 unidentified acro, 2 encrusted monties). Noticing this and getting feedback from members, I choose to lower it to 8 over a lengthy period. During this time, I've traded or sold my acan colonies, my meat and doughnut corals, and purchased a Hanna checker for my ALK. With 2 days of solid reading at 8.1 (dKh) and 8.3, last night it was back at 9.8!!! Chasing numbers is slowly causing me to consider letting my gsp and xenia (both flourishing) to consume the 8 feet of acrylic and just say whatever to sps!!! <<< this or giving up on the pellets and going strictly back to gfo and carbon (maybe in this nice reactor instead of sump bags).
On a good note, my newest addition, a 6 inch vlamingi tang (traded the 2 acan colonies for him) has settled (2 weeks in qt then to the reef) in and the harassment by my black tang has subsided.
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On a good note, my newest addition, a 6 inch vlamingi tang (traded the 2 acan colonies for him) has settled (2 weeks in qt then to the reef) in and the harassment by my black tang has subsided.
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
schooleyosis
2500 Club Member
I am battling the same exact issue Brad. My params were rock solid for almost 3 months at 425/CAL, 10/DKH, 1350/MAG. I slowly started lowering my dosing amount of ALK to lower the DKH from 10 to 8. I checked my params 2 weeks ago and came up with 500/CAL, 8.5/DKH, 1400/MAG. Did a water change last week and one yesterday to hopefully lower the CAL and get things back to normal. It really is a test to try and figure out the exact levels and usage of our tanks. Seems once you get it nailed down it doesn't stray too far unless a new coral is added or lost.
I actually switched salts from IO to regular RedSea to help maintain a lower ALK as well. Keep up the good battle my friend. You'll get it figured out soon. Just takes testing params a few times a week rather than every once in a while.
Also, please don't let your gsp and xenia take over, you have a beautiful setup to allow that to happen. Let's see some pics of the new tang. Congrats!!!
I actually switched salts from IO to regular RedSea to help maintain a lower ALK as well. Keep up the good battle my friend. You'll get it figured out soon. Just takes testing params a few times a week rather than every once in a while.
Also, please don't let your gsp and xenia take over, you have a beautiful setup to allow that to happen. Let's see some pics of the new tang. Congrats!!!
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Thanks. Yeah, allowing the gsp and xenia to take over would be extreme on my part. I've tested every day and it's just getting to me getting where I know it needs to be and then watch it jump back where I came from. Not to mention watching my acros wither away. I just keep remembering when it was growing great and I decided to start messing with things. I had a HA breakout during hypo treatment on my fish. While my work horses (my tangs) were in qt hypo, HA took over and caused my decision making to jump on Bio pellets. I guess I broke the most important rule (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). Anyway, here ya go, not the best cell pics from qt.
Plus some shots of the Picasso eggs.
Their thread too. https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/anemone-clownfish-discussion/103708-picasso-eggs-question.html
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
schooleyosis
2500 Club Member
Beautiful looking fish! congrats.
Yep, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I think once the bio-pellets take off and you get your params situated you'll be glad you added the bio-pellets.
Yep, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I think once the bio-pellets take off and you get your params situated you'll be glad you added the bio-pellets.
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
That's just it, I can't seem to tell yet. Maybe I'm just going too slow.?. I'm only up to half of my recommended dose in bio pellets (500ml, need 900-1000ml) after 2+ months. I never seeded my pellets with any bacteria, but let it start it's own. My Rio pump is plenty strong (backed down a bit from extreme tumble) and no clumps during the tumble. I don't know, lol. Thanks for the kind comments too.
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schooleyosis
2500 Club Member
I'm no bio-pellet expert but I've read that it takes at least 3-4 weeks for the pellets to seed with bacteria. I've only been running for 3 weeks, and I'm only running 125mL of the recommended 750mL for my water volume. I did test my nitrates and phosphates the day I started running them and will retest those next week which will be one month of running them. I do also plan on adding another 125mL of pellets at that time. After I test and add more pellets, I plan on testing once per week just to see what is going on with those 2 params.
So, if you have not tested those params I would begin to and monitor how much the bio-pellets are stripping out. Your flow rate and pellet amount will determine just how much you are stripping from your tank.
I've read that they will strip like 10 to 1 times as much nitrate as phosphate. There are many great EcoBAK threads on many forums out there. I'd suggest reading as much as you can.
Also, are you running a refugium? Maybe running some macro algae in your sump for a few months to soak up some of the nutrients in the system will help as well. Just throwing some ideas out there.
So, if you have not tested those params I would begin to and monitor how much the bio-pellets are stripping out. Your flow rate and pellet amount will determine just how much you are stripping from your tank.
I've read that they will strip like 10 to 1 times as much nitrate as phosphate. There are many great EcoBAK threads on many forums out there. I'd suggest reading as much as you can.
Also, are you running a refugium? Maybe running some macro algae in your sump for a few months to soak up some of the nutrients in the system will help as well. Just throwing some ideas out there.
OP
OP
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Running a 3 week old fuge growing nicely. My phosphate was zero at the beginning and nitrate was .5 . I've tested several times (every couple weeks) and still the same numbers. I've read over most of those threads, but have considered it may have been my fault for: 1- not seeding the pellets and 2- not going with the ecobak (using brs brand now).
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
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