Back in the hobby.

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well, it has been 13 years since I last had a saltwater tank.
A little history - as a kid I was very serious freshwater aquarist and was able to run “net neutral” aquarium hobby. Since moving to US from former USSR 30 years ago, I was too busy for any hobbies for a while. Then my wife saw a saltwater tank at the Scripps Aquarium in San Diego and got fired up. “Why don’t you start a saltwater tank?!” I told her, that it was a lot of work and the only guys in the old country that I knew spent all their free time maintaining the aquarium. She promised me that she would take care of it after I would do initial setup. We started a 180gal mixed reef aquarium and it was going great. I asked my wife to take over daily duties and she responded: “ I am expecting!”. Well we had a kid and I gave her two years to adapt. Then I had asked her again and she told me:”I am expecting!” The tank eventually crashed and was taken down.
I have waited for 13 years. I will not ask my wife to take care of my aquarium again - we don’t have stamina for any more kids.
We are planning to set up a 317-350 gal (depending on water level in sump) mixed reef.
CDA folks have been super helpful. Trent is great and Zoya is a pleasure to deal with.
I will post more pics and equipment setup in the subsequent posts.
Sorry for the lengthy write up - I always felt that this hobby had the way of changing people’s lives.

B60FFFFB-EB90-412E-A422-5C9B850D1A7F.jpeg 05B2833E-AD55-4F75-A290-4D3DFDCFE7D4.jpeg E8BD9D11-CF93-464D-A2E4-45400052BAD3.jpeg CFA9E4C7-023B-4DCB-87A3-6E529BD06482.jpeg
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So, here is the setup so far. Old Reef Octopus Diablo with the Ocopus pump converted
to variable speed with the new module. For the return I am using one Fluval SP6. Got a titanium heater rated for 800W and TECO -2000 chiller. Put in a Neptune and will be adding flow sensors on the returns as well as on the UV. Have a Tunze ATO installed.
Bought off a bunch of Marco rock from the fellow reefer here in San Diego area. What do you guys think of the rock scaping. I kind of went with the old “put a big pile of rocks in the back and leave the front for fish swimming” design.
 

Attachments

  • CE36288C-DAA9-45EC-B1C0-50D1CC38F134.jpeg
    CE36288C-DAA9-45EC-B1C0-50D1CC38F134.jpeg
    169.3 KB · Views: 45
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So, here is the setup so far. Old Reef Octopus Diablo with the Ocopus pump converted
to variable speed with the new module. For the return I am using one Fluval SP6. Got a titanium heater rated for 800W and TECO -2000 chiller. Put in a Neptune and will be adding flow sensors on the returns as well as on the UV. Have a Tunze ATO installed.
Bought off a bunch of Marco rock from the fellow reefer here in San Diego area.
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well, first setback. Set up Trident today. It says that Test C Fail. Reset the test c
And still got the same message.
I better figure it out I guess.
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So far so good. Figured out the Trident situation. The fish are happy. Yellow tang is eating like a pig, purple is not too far behind. Blenny is around and looks healthy (knock on wood), but doesn’t seem to eat. I put some seaweed in and hope to lure him to try a bite.
My wife and kids report seeing the wrasse during the day but it is nowhere to be found when I get back home...
Next on the list is setting up the 2-part dosing and setting up the DOS. Slow progress.
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well, another small setback, but an annoying one. Connected the Apex DOS and container, calibrated the whole thing. Added B-ionic and set up the dosing schedule. The system diligently started counting down the volume of the additive remaining. Ca++ is going up, alkalinity didn’t budge. Increased the dose, still the same trend. Two days later looked at the containers and they are still full! The issue is in the connection between the tubing and the DOS containers. It is not water/air tight. The pumps work and draw fluid from the containers when the tubing is submerged in fluid. Anyone dealt with it before?
 

Reverend Turtle

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 26, 2017
Messages
388
Reaction score
504
Location
The Crab Nebula
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well, another small setback, but an annoying one. Connected the Apex DOS and container, calibrated the whole thing. Added B-ionic and set up the dosing schedule. The system diligently started counting down the volume of the additive remaining. Ca++ is going up, alkalinity didn’t budge. Increased the dose, still the same trend. Two days later looked at the containers and they are still full! The issue is in the connection between the tubing and the DOS containers. It is not water/air tight. The pumps work and draw fluid from the containers when the tubing is submerged in fluid. Anyone dealt with it before?
What kind of tubing are you using? If I'm not mistaken, BRS suggest using ro line.
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am actually using the one that came with the DOS and DDR. Perhaps that is an issue. The nice thing about that one is - I can see the fluid moving through it.
 

Reverend Turtle

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 26, 2017
Messages
388
Reaction score
504
Location
The Crab Nebula
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't have a DOS so I can't help from experience with it. But if it's sucking air then I would add zip ties around the tubing to tighten it against the fitting. If it's even possible.
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thank you, but I am afraid it is not possible. The tubing goes inside the fitting much like on the RO systems...
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well, we are off and running.
The tank is working well. I added a bunch of coral WAAAY too early, but it was a killer deal and I figured that it would be not too bad of a way to gain some experience. Interestingly enough as I was dipping the coral I found a little fire goby in the bucket. I panicked and threw it in the tank without any acclimation. Figured it will die.
2 hours later the goby emerged and was looking great! We’ll see what happens to the corals. I am slowly bringing up alkalinity and Ca++. I am using B-ionic for now, but planning to start Ca++ reactor soon. Any thoughts on which one? The volume of the system is 330 gal(267 in the main tank and about 70 in the sump).
 

Attachments

  • 967AA82E-EF13-436F-AB46-7297588DD3D6.jpeg
    967AA82E-EF13-436F-AB46-7297588DD3D6.jpeg
    249.4 KB · Views: 41
  • F4FC2769-BD84-4144-8213-2ACF564264E3.jpeg
    F4FC2769-BD84-4144-8213-2ACF564264E3.jpeg
    218.3 KB · Views: 45
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok. Thank you very much to everyone who tried to help with the DDR issue. I contacted Neptune customer service. Have received response the same day. Sent them the proof of purchase and they sent me replacement attachments. All took less than 24 hours. The new tubes arrived yesterday. Took the old ones out of the DDR, put new ones in and re-primed the pump. Problem solved. AWESOME JOB NEPTUNE! Another satisfied customer.
 
OP
OP
TAHK

TAHK

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
98
Reaction score
29
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
On a different note - one of the acro colonies started to bleach, I think . Well, I knew it was going to happen, so there is no surprise. At least fire goby is keeping me company.
 

Attachments

  • C5E01383-378B-47E2-8C44-00D7F7A5A480.jpeg
    C5E01383-378B-47E2-8C44-00D7F7A5A480.jpeg
    230.5 KB · Views: 41
  • 14727E74-F009-45E0-9CFE-4EE4BD22057B.jpeg
    14727E74-F009-45E0-9CFE-4EE4BD22057B.jpeg
    210.7 KB · Views: 50
  • 8A774732-BB57-4972-8166-A3A7C938375D.jpeg
    8A774732-BB57-4972-8166-A3A7C938375D.jpeg
    227.9 KB · Views: 38
  • 3EA19B6F-F51C-4674-939B-6897F77A5AF1.jpeg
    3EA19B6F-F51C-4674-939B-6897F77A5AF1.jpeg
    249 KB · Views: 47
  • 3AF0A87B-8F03-4113-9C75-1940E6FB9A49.jpeg
    3AF0A87B-8F03-4113-9C75-1940E6FB9A49.jpeg
    273.1 KB · Views: 49
  • 59EEFAF4-B171-4625-A7BD-E483790F829D.jpeg
    59EEFAF4-B171-4625-A7BD-E483790F829D.jpeg
    231 KB · Views: 44

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top