Acer new 150 build

[acer]

Remembered to get a pic with full lighting.

 

[eliyareef]

Amazing

 

[acer]

Ya, it is very nice- I cannot ID it- Orange long skirt with full bright yellow center. Have looked in a few "Zoa Id areas" - no luck so far. I picked it up at LEAR frag swap last year- the person I drove with to the swap won a gift certificate in the hourly drawing and it was from a guy who only had Zoa's for sale. He did not want any Zoas so he gave the certificate to me. SO, I went over and picked these out- but forgot the name-- if they ever had a name. The original frag had about 4 polyps on it.

 

[acer]

Moving my Foxface from QT to the display. He is in my "transition box" within the display for two days so he and the other fish can see each other and hopefully prevent some of the usual shenanigans when adding a new fish to an existing tank.

 

[acer]

Update: Foxface in display and looking good = no other fish bothered him what so ever. He is eating normally - foraging for food and picking at rock.

I picked up a good looking Copperbanded Butterfly up at Reef gallery that is eating Larry's reef frenzy - so he is in the QT where the Foxface was and ate good immediately. Debating on using CP in my QT as I have had such bad luck on Copperbanded Butterflys in the past.

After 30 gallons of water changes as well as adding some Ca+ ( BRS Calcium chloride - 80% of suggested in the last 5 days ) and BRS mag solution ( 1/2 as suggested so far) via the BRS calculators ( 210 gallons in system) my new numbers are:

ALK= 10.4 DKH ( 2 tests using Hanna check with new reagent)
Ca+= 560 ( 2 tests using Hanna)
Mg+= 1260 ( 2 test using Salifert)
PH ( probe) ranges 8.3 during the day and 8.2 at night

Observations:

Alk came down by a WHOLE .2 doing a 30 gallon water change with mixed water that tested 7.8 DKH, and using auto top off for 2 weeks now with just RODI water.

My system is apparently NOT using a whole lot of ALK.

I think I have less water in my system than what I had figured of 210 gallons ( 150 display, 40 sump 3/4 full, and 75 refugium 3/4 full) . Otherwise my Ca+ would not be that high. Good thing I went slow on the adding of supplements.

10.4 DKH Alkalinity is still high- any suggestions? OR just continue to do 30 gallons per week of water changes using the new lower ALk Red Sea blue bucker water..

 

[acer]

OK - a few more 15 gallon water changes, ATO is just RODI - so no Alk supplement, and my Alk is now reading 9.8. So better- but not great. I have to remember that slow/steady is good in this hobby. Hopefully- in few weeks, Lear fragswap, my Alk should be about 9.0.

The Foxface is getting along great - no one even bothers him. Corals looking fine. Even the new frags I Got from Alex are colored up nicely. The Copperbanded is eating frozen brine and Larry's now in my QT.

 

[acer]

Updates: Lear fragswap goodies...

https://imgbox.com/5EMDMY4T

Testing results- Alk =8.9, ca+= 515. Ph= 8.4 daytime and 8.2 at night. No idea why my Alk went up. Beginning to think I am incompetent at testing.

 

[acer]

Ok- the wonders of reefing!? Have not added a single supplement in 6 weeks as my Alk was higher than I wanted. Just doing water changes. So, for all u chemists out there - figure this out. My Alk has gone up again- now it is 9.24 DKH. I rechecked twice and had purchased the solutions to insure the Hanna checker is working. Calcium is 450. Ultra low Hanna phosphate checker tested my water at .04, mg is 1350. So, why are my Acros dying and how is my ALK going up without any supplementing, and doing water changes using fresh blue bucket Red Sea water that tests at under than 8.2 ALK??

 

[acer]

Update, still have no idea why my alk was running high for so long, but it finally came down , and my cheato starting growing like crazy. So, today , did a full glass cleaning, moved some rock/ corals into different places, cleaned the mesh over my weir (bubble algae was found), the system must have released a lot of garbage as my skimmer started going crazy and overflowed. So, I restarted my dual gfo/ carbon reactor that I had not been running, lastly I changed out my filter socks early (5 days). As well as performing a 25 gallon water change. Will let system run for a few hours , take pics and do testing.

 

[acer]

Pics:

Edit: forgot to post test results- using Hanna kits : PO4= .04, Ca+= 413, Alk= 8.4.

 

[acer]

Well I may have figured out why I am having issues with SPS = Alex lent me his PAR meter and my Radion G3 xr30 using Color Lab program at 100% is reading only about 250 at a few inches below water surface and 150 at 12 inches. My Reefbreeders 24 is much better at close to 500 at a few inches and around 300 at 12 inches. I was putting the SPS under the Radion thinking it was the better light- well not according to the PAR meter. I emailed Ecotec today asking why my par is so low on the G3 xr30 - maybe its just worn out - it was an original G2 and I upgraded it with new pucks and fans almost 3 years ago.

 

[acer]

I did hear from Ecotek. They asked for pics if tank, etc.

Also due to my issues of high Alk and my lazyness of not testing enough. I ran an Alk test=results= 9.8. What!! Every Sunday I do a 15-20 gallon water change - my total water is about 210 gallons. I have been reading about other people having high Alk issues- read that Randy Holmes Farley (chemistry guru) says Alk can cone from frag plugs, artificial rock,etc. And I do have 2 pieces of man made rock = both shelves if u look at my pics. Both have been in the system since it began. Hmmmmm... I won a box of Reef crystal Salt- so that's not helping either. Will test the new salt mix and post.

 

[acer]

Still having high Alk issues. But that's not the biggest issue I have which is a development of a small drip leak from the center bulkhead of my setup. It's been a few years but I am pretty sure I did the bulkheads like this from inside to outside: Internal overflow -> bulkhead flange side inside of internal overflow -> rubber washer-> hole in rear of tank-> rubber washer->external overflow -> bulkhead nut. Since the leak is coming from somewhere between internal overflow-> tank glass-> external overflow I can't say exact reason for leak 2 years after tank has been setup. I could try to just tighten bulkhead nut located inside the external overflow, but that may crack the bulkhead or one of the walls of either of the overflows- making things worse.

 

[KyleC.]

Bullheads have threaded, or glued connections?

 

[acer]

Threaded- no glue used. So, I am thinking try to tighten just a bit, if it cracks then replace bulkhead by draining tank down to beable to remove overflows-.

 

[KyleC.]

IMO, I wouldn’t tighten something I originally tighten before, for the reason you mention. Order replacement bulkhead washers, drain, remove threaded fitting, remove bulkheads. Clean bulkheads, replace bulkhead washers, and add a little thread tape to your fitting. Be careful when threading fitting back in with thread tape applied. Throw water back in, and power on. Should be down for less than an hour. I would rather lay a rag down to suck up a drip, for a couple days, then crack it and get water everywhere...

 

[acer]

Yep, good plan. Just will have to take off canopy to see if the bulkhead is loose first. I may actually already have a replacement bulkhead. Time to start looking through boxes.

 

[acer]

Well , figured a temp fix until I have new bulkhead in hand, some help to lift canopy off rank, etc. I lowered the level of water in the external overflow and the leak has basically stopped. Tank setup isn't silent anymore, but not too loud either. So, the situation is no longer an emergency. It's been two years since the main tank install ,etc - so need a reminder- the tank has 3 holes for 3x 1 1/2 inch schedule 40 bulkheads. So, if I decided to replace the current schedule 40 bulkheads - what size schedule 80 bulkheads would fit into those same holes and what amount of water flow would they accommodate? I am pushing about 2300 GPH from the Reefflo pump from basement. I could reduce that flow some - we'll see.

 

[KyleC.]

All depends on what size holesaw was used, when the glass was drilled. Link below, is the bulkhead chart.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/instructions/article/selecting-the-correct-bulkhead

 

[acer]

So far the external overflow is working fine now that I have about 1/2 the water in it as before. Since i was loosing my Acros I went on a hunt to figure out why. My nitrates are a bit high, the Alk was also a bit high- 9.0. So, I scratched my head and tested my RODI- sure enough it tested at 10 - what the "beep". So last night I switched out the DI, and all three pre-filters and the TDS immediately came down to 0. so Today I came home thinking I this under control again and find New issue= the Reefflo pump must have a broken seal, came home to water all over the basement, pump still running. Its been running solid 24/7 for 2 years. So guess that not too bad- due to this being a common issue with these pumps I was prepared. I had another Reefflo pump ready and waiting, so with the plumbing setup to make it easy to service the pump or switch out a pump done properly - it took longer to clean up the water on the floor than it did to switch out the pump. Because the new pump is the better /stronger gold motor - I had to reduce the outflow some or my plumbing was working too hard - this pump is way stronger and quieter than the other one. Get everything all set and quiet and add new water,etc. Thinking again- OK crisis averted - then I see the small accumulation of water in the front ( where the glass and the bottom black bracing meet) of the 75 gallon refugium tank - you gotta be kidding!! Sure enough, after wiping it down a few times. I have come to the conclusion that somehow there must be a small leak either below the black bottom bracing or in the bottom of the tank because I cannot see where the water is coming from. OK NOW I am really irritated !!