230 gallon in-wall, room divider, reef build

[revhtree]

Looking good!

 

[MarsRover]

Alrighty, now that i am home from a Wedding obligation, i can start putting red sea reef mature kit in the tank!

Here is where we stand at the moment:

Tank: pretty much the same. Added an IceCap 3K gyre today to deal with the non overflow tower half of the tank's surface not making it past the center beam since my water level is so darn high Seems to be doing well. I also really like this unit so far. Can't beat the price. You can kinda see the surface scum is still working it's way out.

Sump: Picture of the reef octopus elite 220INT on it's egg crate stand with two, 8"x8"x4" marine pure blocks under it. LOTS of surface area for bacteria to grow! I gotta get rid of this flex pipe. I hate it. I have all the hard pipe i might as well use it. It doesn't appear i'll have overflow volume issues so i'm going to go for it. Now that i have the GIANT skimmer, there is no excuse for me not to plumb the hard pipes this weekend. Still need to get the ReefOctopus to work right.... The only way it pulls air is if i uncap the tube meant for ozone injection....hrmm.....

Water: Tested the water today as the first steps of the reef mature kit. pH is a bit low, and the Alk is super low. This all was expected based on my thread in the chem forum regarding the curing of the cement i used to build the rocks.

Display Calculated Volume: ~230 Gallons
Sump listed size volume: 40 Gallons
-volume of 103lbs dry marco Key Largo Rock

280lbs dry Marco Bahama Aragonite Sand
160lbs CaribSea Florida Crushed Coral
2gallons of BRS Natural Coral Frag mounts
some unknown amount of mortar/cement​

I'd say I have around 250 Gallons in my system total


Red Sea Reef Mature Starter Kit Day 1: Complete.
Red Sea Reef Mature Starter Kit Day 2: <today>

1. increase the dKH as per KH-Coralline Grow buffer as per the label:
   Label indicates: 1mL/100L = 0.1dKH
   System is 250 gallons = ~ 946.353 L
   Converting the label to my system size: (1mL/100L)*946.353L = 9.46353mL = 0.1dKH
   I'm deficient by (8.4dKH - 6.0dKH) = 2.4dKH
   which means i need 2.4dKH*(9.46353mL/0.1dKH) = +227.12 mL of KH Coralline Gro
   There is nothing living in the tank (except for maybe some rogue bacteria from the tank being up and running for a few weeks)
2. Add 20mL/100L of Nitro Bac ( = 189.27 mL for my system)
3. Add 10mL/100L of Bacto-Start ( = 94.63 mL for my system)
4. Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

and we're off!

​

 

[MarsRover]

Red Sea Reef Mature Starter Kit Day 1: Complete.
Red Sea Reef Mature Starter Kit Day 2: Complete.
Red Sea Reef Mature Starter Kit Day 3: <today>

Woke up to a semi cloudy tank --> bacteria blooming!!!
Ran lights for 10 hours today
Tank was less cloudy when i got home from work​

1. Add 10mL/100L of Bacto-Start ( = 94.63 mL for my system)
2. Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

Today's Measurements:

 

[MarsRover]

Today's numbers:

So, as per the directions for days 4 and 5 i dosed 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

Today is day 6. I need to bring my dKH back up to 8.4 by using the KH-Coralline Gro buffer. Doing the same math i did on day 1, this means i need:
(8.4-7.0)*(9.46353mL/0.1dKH) = +132.489 mL of KH Coralline Gro

It claims this is my 4 day dosage value..... and starting tomorrow add 1/4th (33.12mL) every day. I'm going to measure dKH again in the morning and see if it actually takes me up to 8.4dKH. Also plan on testing calcium too in the morning.

In addition to that i also have to add the daily 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

 

[MarsRover]

Performed 5% water change
adding 5ml of Nitro Back per 100L of tank water (47.32 mL for my system)
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

today's numbers:

 

[MarsRover]

It'd be sweet if someone knowledgeable could give some feedback on the idea of pre-feeding the tank, post full cycle and pre stocking with anthias. Idea is to slowly ramp up to a very slow, but continuous, feeding during the day of rotifers or similar.

I'm planning on having about 15 anthias in this tank and I want the bacteria to be able to handle the bioload of the continuous feeding before I put the anthias in so I don't shock the tank.

I figure, grow enough bacteria to eat all the food ill be pumping in to feed the anthias. Then put anthias in, and they will obviously eat some/most of that food dosage. Bacteria will slowly die off and tank slowly approaches a sustainable population of bacteria for all the food the anthias eat/don't eat..

Thoughts?!?

 

[justingraham]

It'd be sweet if someone knowledgeable could give some feedback on the idea of pre-feeding the tank, post full cycle and pre stocking with anthias. Idea is to slowly ramp up to a very slow, but continuous, feeding during the day of rotifers or similar.

I'm planning on having about 15 anthias in this tank and I want the bacteria to be able to handle the bioload of the continuous feeding before I put the anthias in so I don't shock the tank.

I figure, grow enough bacteria to eat all the food ill be pumping in to feed the anthias. Then put anthias in, and they will obviously eat some/most of that food dosage. Bacteria will slowly die off and tank slowly approaches a sustainable population of bacteria for all the food the anthias eat/don't eat..

Thoughts?!?

Wish I could help ya but I don't know

I would say if u ghost feed the tank say a little bit more then you expect to feed the anthias and when u come back in a day and there is no ammonia it's a go in my book.

 

[thejuice24]

What app is that?

 

[LittleMaui]

Maybe you're asking about aquaticlog.com

 

[MarsRover]

What app is that?

@thejuice24 if youre asking about the app that charts my parameters, it's aquaticlog.com

 

[MarsRover]

Day 8:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 9:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 10: <15 Aug 2017>
Add 5ml of Bacto-start per 100L of tank water (47.32 mL for my system)
Add 5ml of Nitro Back per 100L of tank water (47.32 mL for my system)
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Grow
Added herbivore cleanup crew:
Added 12 trochus snails
Added 12 margarita snails
Added 12 nerite snails
Added 1 brittle sea star
Today's numbers:

Day 11:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 12:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 13: <18 Aug>
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro


Deviating a little..... doing one more maintainace day:

Day 14**
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 15** one more maintainance day....
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 16: back with the program
5% water change (~13 gallons)
Add 5ml of Nitro Bac per 100L of tank water (47.32 mL for my system)
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 17: So i realize that My nitrates are still high so i am evolving my own program based on the methodology of the red sea reef program. Two maintenance days are in order then 5% H2O change and add more nitro bac etc...
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 18:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 19:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 20: 25 Aug 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 21:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 22: 27 Aug 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 33.12mL of KH Coralline Gro

Day 23:
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
adding 20mL of KH Coralline Gro <ran out...more on the way>

Day 24: 28 Aug 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

Day 25: 29 Aug 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)
Add 5ml of Nitro Bac per 100L of tank water (48 mL)
Add 12mL Dr.Tim's Ammonium Chloride
Measured Ammonia level 1.0ppm

Day 26: 29 Aug 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

Day 27: 30 Aug 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

Day 29: 31 Aug 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

Day 30: 1 Sept 2017
Add 3mL/100L of NO3: PO4-X ( = 28.39 mL for my system)

Day 31: 2 Sept 2017
**missed day**

 

[justingraham]

Updates?

 

[MarsRover]

Yep! So i've gotten my auto doser working. working out the best way to implement the scheduling for it.

Also am cracking into the neptune flow sensors now. Hopefully will have those up and running soon! Then i can finish the plumbing under the tank.

Have the power switch rack mounted and the 1000W MH ballast mounted. Now that I have the dosing pumps working, i am waiting on some more IC's to show up so i can finish soldering those circuits and actually mount them to the electrical partition and have them dosing so i can stop doing it every night by hand (and forgetting sometimes....bad...)

I also have the emergency overflow rails built and installed. They are coated with a clear coat. I'm going to unwrap the nifty Honeywell "Lyric" Wi-Fi water leak detector and install that into the emergency overflow section. Again, this section is for if something leaks or goes severally wrong with my doser, sump, anything, i'll have a separate system to warn me of the leak and provide some extra time before i have water all over my floor and electronics!

Still waiting for Nitrates to go down. I've completed the Red Sea reef mature program and we have no problem eating ammonia and nitrites, but Nitrates are still high. Waiting for those little bacteria to grow.

 

[Marcus1212]

Great build! I am following

 

[MarsRover]

So, I've been dosing NOPOX for some time now, my bacteria that converts NH3 >> NO2 >> NO3 are STRONG. The issue is the bacteria that converts NO3 >> N2 Gas.

I have been having issues with getting temperature sensors stabilized (having a systematic creep in measurement with thermistors). Ditched them for a while in lieu of having to setup my dosing pump since i was going out of town and the temps in my home are maintained at sufficiently warm that the tank should be >78 at all times.

I'm starting to think that later assumption is wrong. So i need to jump in, go hard, and get these temp sensors up to snuff so i can have them trigger my heater.

Snowflake Eel just started Quarantine with Chloroquine Phosphate today. She's been eating like a champ (mostly squid) from chopsticks ever since i got her, and she is young, less than 1ft long, so she should be nicely trained to only eat from me once i get her QT'd and any tank mates QT'd and acclimated.

Thinking about starting the coral migration over soon......

 

[MarsRover]

FINALLY got the flow sensors working....would be a lie if I said a part of my failure wasn't self induced!

For documentation:

hall sensor V+ input >> internal green wire >> 3.5mm plug lower ring
hall sensor ground >> internal black wire >> 3.5mm plug Sleeve

 

[MarsRover]

Wahoo!!!

I am starting to migrate my corals over...slowly.....

Also, I'm very happy to say that I finally have Twitter setup so my tank's automation is tweeting everytime it does something!

Right now i only have NOPOX setup but every time it doses NOPOX, it takes a picture and posts it for you all to see!!

Follow my tank here: https://twitter.com/MarsRoverReef

 

[reef_ranch]

I like the twitter idea for the NOPOX dosing, but aren’t you going to end up with too many pictures to easily see the progression? Maybe you could put the pictures on a loop at some point to create a time lapse video of the algae progression.

 

[Florida_Angel]

Well I think the base of the standpipe tower turned out....okay.... I have to keep reminding myself that it is only a base structure, like base rock. Going to let it keep baking until tomorrow when I can get more sand after my exam and pile more concrete on top. I'll have to seal the bottom, probably with an acrylic sheet and some silicone just to prevent detritus from accumulating somewhere unreachable.

I don't know...I think it came out pretty cool! I'm reading through your whole thread...and I can see this is going to turn out looking pretty neat in your tank!
And like everyone else on here...your CAD skills are insane! lol maybe you should get into tank designs as a side hobby!

 

[Florida_Angel]

whoo....

Okay so i placed an order for another 50lbs more of Marco rock. Today the last of my marco sand came (total ~280 lbs). I put all the sand in the tank today after finally leak testing the tower and successfully showing it won't leak.

I'm waiting on the remainder of my crushed coral to come in. But that will be added last to top the sand.

We started crafting the 50lbs or Marco rock i already have and I think we have settled on an aquascape.

Looking from above it will look like a claw that makes two arches, a main arch that bifurcates off an secondary arch. Heres a drawing. Side views (mine is on the left and GF's on the right) and her top view:

Then we went ahead and drew it on the glass. In the foreground glass, you can see the main arch (black red) which comes towards the fore-glass and drawn on the back glass (blue green) is the secondary arch that will angle towards the back glass from this perspective.

So, i'll have to wait for more rock to show up this week!

What do you all think?!?

Yesterday I ordered the acrylic to make my sump. should be picking that up monday which should keep me preoccupied this week.

Question - why did you go with having the sand so deep?