★★★ Project " GENESIS (II) 2020 " ★ [ Re-Engineered / REBOOT ] ★ SPS 110G ★★★

[WallyB]

2nd Fathead Anthias Comes out (THE BIGGER ONE at top) Nice!

 

[Rakie]

Aww, a small restart for you too huh? It's going around heavily in my area, lots of people who've never had problems are having mystery tank nukes. Something funky going on

 

[WallyB]

THIS IS HILARIOUS!!!

You don't have to be a techie to Laugh at this ARDIUNO Fish Tank (Weather Maker) project.

 

[WallyB]

I'm BORED ( NOTHING TO DO except wait for SPS to Grow ) Next Mini Project

This is just to keep my hands out of tank.

Plus I want to improve the Vision code on AquaMon (this makes it more fun)

With the Code I developed to Read LCD displays, I can re-use it for Lots of Stuff.

Why This?

- I use my Point Point Salinity Monitor a Lot ( I Like Standalone/portable) and will never go Apex Probe.
- I keep killing my 9 Volt Battery (This Controller will fix that. [Turn on/Read value/SToreData/Turn off, then View Web Page])

- Plus (when my Salinity goes up too high...Due to two Part Dosing, or ATO offset)
--------> Happened to me this last week (Salinity of my LPS Tank rose to 1.036...Happened over long period)
--------> I tested Salinity and other parameters only after I noticed my LPS Stressed (a lot)...Lost a Torch.

-------------------> This controller will add alarms, thresholds, etmail, etc to improve the PINPOINT.
SOLUTION/FIX:
-------------> Simply Extract some Salt Water and Let ATO top-up with RO
-------------> Slowly Brings down Salinity
I do that process manually, and to do properly should be done over long period of time.
Painful to do slow. This will automate that slow process. (via the Kamoer Irrigation Pump I have)


Salinity too LOW (no need for this controller)
--------------> Fill an ATO RO Water Bucket with Salt Water
--------------> Use this Calculator LINK to figure out what salinity for bucket and how much (to get to Target)
--------------> https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/TargetSalinity.php

 

[fredk]

Thanks @ScottR ,

IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS NEW THREAD (NEED FEEDBACK)

...

Also do I write (too many words)/(document too much)? I sometimes feel I should talk too much /show less often, since it's too much for readers to read and keep up.

BE HONEST. Thanks.

You most definitely do not!!! I think its great that you give so much info on both the ups and downs of keeping a reef aquarium.

I think your last thread is a must read for people new to reefkeeping. Its a great look at how a persons approach to reefing evolves over time. Writing "Don't put all that junk in your tank" does not tell the same story as your detailed documentation of your experience.

 

[WallyB]

You most definitely do not!!! I think its great that you give so much info on both the ups and downs of keeping a reef aquarium.

I think your last thread is a must read for people new to reefkeeping. Its a great look at how a persons approach to reefing evolves over time. Writing "Don't put all that junk in your tank" does not tell the same story as your detailed documentation of your experience.

Thanks @fredk

I agree, that sometimes folks just post Short Term Wins, and never show the Long Term Result.
Lot of of time recommendations are made to add this, do that, but no follow up, or proof.
I like to hear the bads along with the goods.

Don't get me wrong. Plenty of Reefers do much better than me, and may not have the issues I had.

Learning from one's mistake and improving is key to Long Term Success.
It' painful to learn on Frags, but much more painful if you make it to Colonies and then things break.

Here is "HONEST" LIVING PROOF (or Dead Proof) of my Past Mistakes.
(Happened during few years of attempts at SPS)

Left Pile Proves, I'll never own a Ice Fire Enchinata, or any super sensitive SPS.

And HERE IS PROOF (my New Ways are showing positive results after a few weeks of No Messing around)

This Berry Wine was near death. And it's now making a Big Strong Comeback.

Just one example. And now I wish I never threw out some of the damaged SPS.

 

[WallyB]

Video Tour / AquaMon ( Visit from Tenurepro fellow Reefer with Camera )

Here is a much better Video than I did of the Alk Monitor.

@tenurepro came over for a Demo and he filmed the Demo and a brief Tour of my Setup.

 

[WallyB]

FINAL TANK ( SPS FRAG Setup) FTS

Not only did @tenurepro make that Fantastic Video.

He is helping me get my Tank on the Right Track......

With his knowledge, experience and PROVEN SUCCESS.
(his YouTube Channel is living testament to that)

He just gave me some cuts of his Thriving SPS.

Includes a Great Selection ( Pink Caddilac, Shockaholic, Anacropora, Fox Flame, Blue Tort, Bonsai, Berry Wine, Miyaggi)

I just mounted (Squeezed in) the Last Frags into this New Tank Setup.

Not everything listed here (forgot some names), but here is basically the variety I have

(Listed [roughly] Top to Bottom)​

After the Labout's Wrasse in QT goes in tonight, with NET TOP Tight.

TANK Will Be SEALED and no more Changes

 

[WallyB]

MISTAKE OF PAST ( CAUGHT By AquaMon) ** IT's doing it Job [ Avoiding SLIP-UPS!! ] **

This is exactly one TRAP I've fallen into, in the past.

My Alk has been stable for months. Hardly any Frags, some dying... so I actually lowered my Two Part Dosing.

Over last week and even today, I added more Frags (Healthy ones).

When I ran an Alk Test TODAY the ALK showed 7.1 (which wasn't the usual 7.8 dkh)

My first reaction was the ALK Monitor is off and needs better Calibration.
Of course, I pulled out my Salifert Test to Double check ALK=7.1 so AquaMon was correct.

Basically the New Frags are Eating Alk and there are more than a dozen NEW (40 including Healers in Total), so this will continue.
I adjusted my Dosing (UP) to compensate for the new ALK Consumption.

In the past, I would discover the ALK DROP a bit TOO LATE....
Alk below 7, sometimes close to 6 .....and I would notice/react when corals showed stress.

Even worse, I would overreact and bring up ALK in a panic, too quickly

I often did the NEW FRAG DAMAGE since New Frags looked Great (Tank looked Better...so Happy times coming [NOT!!]).
And I move on to other distractions.

x *** BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER. *** Changing Load on Tank needs EXTRA Attention to Dosing and other things.
**** And even more IMPORTANT *** The New Frags need extra Stability as they acclimate to their new home.

 

[tenurepro]

Just test more often and adjust dosing accordingly ... you should see even more consumption as you increase light and frags start taking off...

 

[WallyB]

GENESIS (II) Seeds ( Frag Reference Photos )

Just some photo's to speed up the painfully slow wait. (Better than quick Deaths)

Let's hope these don't become distant Memories like in the past.

Actually things look on the upswing. Kind of a (Glow) in the Tank during ( Peak lighting ). I've thought that before.

Most but not all the frags. Easy to Shoot straight on.

At this point, I'm not looking for any Special, Color, Growth or PE. JUST WANT ENCRUSTING And Staying alive.

 

[ScottR]

Thanks @fredk

I agree, that sometimes folks just post Short Term Wins, and never show the Long Term Result.
Lot of of time recommendations are made to add this, do that, but no follow up, or proof.
I like to hear the bads along with the goods.

Don't get me wrong. Plenty of Reefers do much better than me, and may not have the issues I had.

Learning from one's mistake and improving is key to Long Term Success.
It' painful to learn on Frags, but much more painful if you make it to Colonies and then things break.

Here is "HONEST" LIVING PROOF (or Dead Proof) of my Past Mistakes.
(Happened during few years of attempts at SPS)

Left Pile Proves, I'll never own a Ice Fire Enchinata, or any super sensitive SPS.

And HERE IS PROOF (my New Ways are showing positive results after a few weeks of No Messing around)
Whoa! Looks like you can get a CaRx going with all of that. IME with SPS, they’re easier to keep in older tanks. If the tank is too young and not enough biodiversity, it just makes it so much harder. Something to do with having the right strains of bacteria I guess. So as you improve the tank over time and tinker less, this also helps.

This Berry Wine was near death. And it's now making a Big Strong Comeback.

Just one example. And now I wish I never threw out some of the damaged SPS.

 

[WallyB]

QUICK UPDATE ( Frag Health, Stability & "NO Additives") Initial OBSERVATIONS

I'm not considering barely a week that I'm "out of the wood" yet....however.

- No Frags have bleached (even my sensitive NEW Purple Dragon)
--------> All frags look perked up Colors/PE and not going downhill. They look noticeably better each day.

- No Cyano which always started within days of adding AMINOS or Polyp-booster (coral Feeding).
-------> Plus I actually added 3 new Fish to the system so Bio-Load has increased.

- Algae Scrubber is growing Macro Algae nicely (no Algae in DT)

- I've increased Two Part dosing a tiny bit and looks more increases are pending.
-------> My lights are in acclimation mode and they will reach target in about a week

SIDE NOTE: Now that AquaMon is running on real tanks, I'm making some fine tuning code adjustment to improve operations (run more smooth/faster/stable), and user experience (feature/maintenance).
Looks like I will get Salifert Test Results to match Hanna results.

 

[crusso1993]

QUICK UPDATE ( Frag Health, Stability & "NO Additives") Initial OBSERVATIONS

I'm not considering barely a week that I'm "out of the wood" yet....however.

- No Frags have bleached (even my sensitive NEW Purple Dragon)
--------> All frags look perked up Colors/PE and not going downhill. They look noticeably better each day.

- No Cyano which always started within days of adding AMINOS or Polyp-booster (coral Feeding).
-------> Plus I actually added 3 new Fish to the system so Bio-Load has increased.

- Algae Scrubber is growing Macro Algae nicely (no Algae in DT)

- I've increased Two Part dosing a tiny bit and looks more increases are pending.
-------> My lights are in acclimation mode and they will reach target in about a week

SIDE NOTE: Now that AquaMon is running on real tanks, I'm making some fine tuning code adjustment to improve operations (run more smooth/faster/stable), and user experience (feature/maintenance).
Looks like I will get Salifert Test Results to match Hanna results.

Are you running a brand name or a DIY scrubber?

 

[WallyB]

Are you running a brand name or a DIY scrubber?

Brand name and DIY is the same thing. A light and surface/container to grow Algae in.

Space and maintenance the most important thing about Algae Scrubbers.

Mine is DIY (Super Simple & Easy to Clean/Harvest). Scrubber is Built into DIY Sump.


Basically One compartment in Sump (the Incoming from DT...so first Pass at Nutrient before Skimmer).

And one of these Panels on the OUTSIDE OF THE SUMP (Shining inside)


The Compartment has a Dark Liner so No light gets into rest of sump.
It also has a guard screen on Output, so any Loose Algae doesn't get out.

 

[ScottR]

Growing macro in a scrubber? Now that’s something I have to see. What type of macro is that?

 

[crusso1993]

Growing macro in a scrubber? Now that’s something I have to see. What type of macro is that?

There's always gotta be a wise guy. Usually it's me but, lately, you have been stealing my thunder, @ScottR . Well, it's because I let you plus I may be getting a little softer with age.

 

[WallyB]

There's always gotta be a wise guy. Usually it's me but, lately, you have been stealing my thunder, @ScottR . Well, it's because I let you plus I may be getting a little softer with age.

This is what I used to get out of scrubber. Mix of Hair and Some thicker Macro (which peeled off like butter).

I eventually stopped that Macro and Replaced it with Cheato, NO screen.
Works a bit slower but less mess.

 

[ScottR]

This is what I used to get out of scrubber. Mix of Hair and Some thicker Macro (which peeled off like butter).

I eventually stopped that Macro and Replaced it with Cheato, NO screen.
Works a bit slower but less mess.

Now that is some serious scrubbing!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Beautiful; layout and presentation