Budget Beginnings

[Euphylliaphyle]

Mocking up the height and placement of my new-to-me Radion XR15 G4s using cut out shipping boxes before mounting brackets in the wall. The boxes sit on top of my solid acrylic lid. I'm doing a floating shelf type of mount so no brackets or cables show from the front.

 

[X-37B]

Mocking up the height and placement of my new-to-me Radion XR15 G4s using cut out shipping boxes before mounting brackets in the wall. The boxes sit on top of my solid acrylic lid. I'm doing a floating shelf type of mount so no brackets or cables show from the front.

Cool way to do a mockup!

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Cool way to do a mockup!

Thanks!

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Installed my new-to-me XR15 G4 Radions today. Shades have been ordered.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Shades are on the Radions.

Haven't posted parameters in a minute. Here's from last week. Phosphate wars continue. Everything else is pretty stable:

Friday, Sep 4, 2026

● Dosing 10.0 ml/day AFR starting 7/28/2026. New batch AFR starts 7/3/2026.
● Tests are post-today's AFR dosing.
● Phosphate, nitrate tested before a.m. feeding.

○ Ca: 470 ppm (+10/14d)
(target: 400-450 ppm)
per Salifert titration
○ Alk: 9.6 dKH (nc/14d)
(target: 8-12 dkH)
per Salifert titration
○ Mg: 1,380 ppm (+60/14d)
(target: 1,250-1,400 ppm)
per Salifert titration
* Stay with 10.0 ml/d AFR.
○ pH: 8.2
(target: 8.1-8.4)
per API colorimetric
○ Salinity: 1.0256 SpG/ 34.7 ppt
(target: 35 ppt)
per TropicMarin hydrometer
○ Temperature: 80.2°F
(target: 73-84°F)
per ThermPro
digital meat therm.
○ Nitrate: 47.2 ppm (-6.7/14d)
(target: 5-50 ppm*)
per Hanna HR Checker
○ Phosphate: 0.47 ppm (-0.21/10d)
(target: 0.06-0.3 ppm*)
per Hanna ULR Checker
* Re-test phosphate on 9/8/2026.

Had some cyano or red algae on a rock.

My Pencil Urchin found this patch last night and seems to be taking care of it without further intervention on my part.

Here is my AWC performance stability over August. I think that piece is good to go for an extended vacation:

I just need a tiny UPS to prevent time reset when the power flickers. It only needs to last a few seconds without grid power before the whole-house generator kicks in.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

For anyone interested in details regarding how I mounted the Radions:

My tank backs against a wall, the other side of which is a small hall closet. I used 16" HD "L"-shaped shelf brackets. After laying out the location in pencil on the wall, I first drilled a 3/16" pilot hole such that the center distance from the bracket top would land the top of the subsequent 5/8" hole needed (to pass the power cable connector for the light through) tangent to the top of the bracket. This would hide about half the finished hole diameter with the thickness of the bracket filling part of that hole. I used a 6" long 3/16" bit for the pilot hole. Being sure to keep the drill square to the wall, I was able to locate the bracket slot on the opposing (closet side) drywall using the pilot hole. I cut a precision slot in the drywall using a utility knife from the tank side. The idea was to pass the power cable through the hole in the wall before installing the bracket, making the rather large hole needed as inconspicuous as possible and running the wire under the bracket.

I was less meticulous cutting the slots on the closet side, allowing the brackets to float in any direction to achieve level while constraining location using the more precision tank-side slots. After running the wires, I sent the brackets from closet-side out, positioning the wall mounting arm of the bracket upward, to keep it away from the wire. After leveling the brackets in two axes on the outside, I blocked them in place so I could mark mounting hole locations on the closet-side drywall. Then I removed the brackets and installed drywall inserts for the screws, reinstalled the brackets and installed the screws. I used a smaller diameter screw than the holes allow for, so I could get a few degrees of bracket rotation for leveling the brackets before tightening.

The line shown on the closet wall was for planning and as a sanity check. It is imprecise at best.
On the tank side, I used stainless steel hardware to mount the lights to the brackets, then detail brush-painted the exposed hardware with flat black enamel paint. I used black nylon zip ties to hold the wires to the underside of the brackets between the fixtures and the wall.

Here is the end result:

I tidied-up the closet side wires and mounted the power bricks using hook-and-loop straps:

I drilled another hole closer to the floor through both wall faces and passed the 120v supply through to the inside of the tank stand, where they are plugged in.

(The tubing and wires seen to the rear of the power cord through-hole are for the AWC and run under the house to the mixing station. My wife thinks that's her laundry room).
Thanks for reading!

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

FTS, 09/10/2026

 

[Tahoe61]

Looks pretty slick. Congrats on the new lighting.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Looks pretty slick. Congrats on the new lighting.

Thank you! Radions are out of my reach financially, but I got these used G4s two generations behind current G6s and for a fire sale price. Could not pass this up.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

I was given a Monti cap frag on Nov 12, 2025. Newly mounted, it looked like this:

After some minimal initial encrusting growth, by Feb 13, 2026 it developed what appeared to me to be an algae coating. I was advised that it is highly unusual for this to happen on a living specimen, so was repared for the worst:

Here is how it looks as of Sep 20. 2026:

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

More Cerith Snail babies on the way.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

I succumbed yesterday to an impulse purchase. It was my wife's impulse, and I rarely override those. We bought a chunk of Favia we both liked. It is muted gray and light blue in white light and kind of a wintergreen or mint with light blue eyes in evening blue light. This pic is from last night as the lights were starting to fade. After KCl dip/ rinse / H₂O₂ dip/ rinse, I placed it on edge in the tank front corner until I figure out what to do with it longer term. I'd love to lay it flat in the sand bed, but my Neon Dottyback will have it buried in sand in short order, I fear. Do you think this on-edge placement will allow adequate food capture? I may just leave it here.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

October 1, 2026 FTS, 9:00 A.M., lights are ramping up, corals just starting to open:

New Favia is in lower right corner.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

I was getting a slightly concerning amount of coralline on my two optical water level sensors for my ATO/AWC system. After an overnight soaking in a dilute citric acid bath (1/8 cup in 16 fl. oz. RO/DI), the coralline came off easily with a toothbrush.
Since an earlier post on how I mounted these sensors was mostly text with minimal "after"-only images, I'll try to clarify here.
Here is the tee I fabricated and super-glued the sensors to. Make sure you have your sensor spacing worked out with precision before gluing!:

Detail of the bevel I cut to dovetail with the magnet casing:

Here are a couple of views of the finished assembly:

As a preventive measure, I fabricated a couple of shades for the sensors from some black silicone tubing I had on hand. Here are the tools and materials used:

The two shades are in the first pic withe the raw tubing. Here is a close-up of one shade:

Mounted, they look like this:

Here are the shaded sensors back in the tank:

I will need to watch for at least two things: CUC entering the shades and affecting sensor accuracy and algae buildup on the inside of the shades, especially at the bottom where light still reaches. I may need to cut the shades at a 45° angle so there is no part of the bottom exposed to direct light.

 

[kevgib67]

I was getting a slightly concerning amount of coralline on my two optical water level sensors for my ATO/AWC system. After an overnight soaking in a dilute citric acid bath (1/8 cup in 16 fl. oz. RO/DI), the coralline came off easily with a toothbrush.
Since an earlier post on how I mounted these sensors was mostly text with minimal "after"-only images, I'll try to clarify here.
Here is the tee I fabricated and super-glued the sensors to. Make sure you have your sensor spacing worked out with precision before gluing!:

Detail of the bevel I cut to dovetail with the magnet casing:

Here are a couple of views of the finished assembly:

As a preventive measure, I fabricated a couple of shades for the sensors from some black silicone tubing I had on hand. Here are the tools and materials used:

The two shades are in the first pic withe the raw tubing. Here is a close-up of one shade:

Mounted, they look like this:

Here are the shaded sensors back in the tank:

I will need to watch for at least two things: CUC entering the shades and affecting sensor accuracy and algae buildup on the inside of the shades, especially at the bottom where light still reaches. I may need to cut the shades at a 45° angle so there is no part of the bottom exposed to direct light.

Very nice build, well done!

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Very nice build, well done!

Thank you!

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

My air venturi has collected quite a bit of coralline, making it a bit more conspicuous than I'd like.

Disregard the "cloudiness." One of my urchins was on a rampage the night before and bowled over a couple of my long-standing corals in/on the sand bed. I had to move some rockwork and sand around to make room for some new rubble to glue my Caulastrea and Hammer to. Hence the cloudiness.
To make the venturi less conspicuous, I shaded it.
I used blackout window film, attached to my acrylic tank lid in strategic locations to shade the venturi, a NPS coral and a red silicone anti-slip pad for a magnet, which was also conspicuous.

Here is the venturi, "after":

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Peeking out from the bottom of my in-tank skimmer:

Bellactis lux?

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Latest Oceamo ICP-MS:

Concerned about tin and lithium. I haven't yet found the source of these.

Nor can I figure out how to get rid of this double-posted image of the "Pollutants" page:

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Today's test results. Phosphate still vexes me.

Sunday, Oct 11, 2026

● Dosing 11.0 ml/day AFR starting 9/27/2026. Newly mixed batch AFR from Lot 52928 powder (1st use) starts 7/3/2026.
● Tests are post-today's AFR dosing, pre-AWC
● Phosphate, nitrate tested before a.m. feeding or phyto dosing.

○ Ca: 440 ppm (-15/14d)
(target: 400-450 ppm)
per Salifert titration
○ Alk: 9.3 dKH (+0.7/14d)
(target: 8-12 dkH)
per Salifert titration
○ Mg: 1,380 ppm (+105/14d)
(target: 1,250-1,400 ppm)
per Salifert titration
* Stay with 11.0 ml/d AFR.
○ pH: 8.1 pre-dawn, 8.2 mid-day
(target: 8.1-8.4)
per API colorimetric
○ Salinity: 1.0254 SpG/ 34.8 ppt
(target: 35 ppt)
per TropicMarin hydrometer
○ Temperature: 80.5°F
(target: 73-84°F)
per ThermPro
digital meat therm.
○ Nitrate: 33.5 ppm (-16.6/14d)
(target: 5-50 ppm*)
per Hanna HR Checker
○ Phosphate: 0.40 ppm (+0.09/14d)
(target: 0.06-0.3 ppm*)
per Hanna ULR Checker
* Re-test in 4 days, Oct 15, 2026


* https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randy’s-thoughts-on-nutrient-target-ranges.1087/


Last (9/27/26):
● Sample for Oceamo ICP-MS at same time.
● Dosing 10.0 ml/day AFR starting 7/28/2026.
● Tests are post-today's AFR & trace element dosing, pre-AWC.
● Phosphate, nitrate tested & ICP sample drawn before a.m. feeding, phyto dosing.

○ Ca: 455 ppm (-5/9d)
(target: 400-450 ppm)
per Salifert titration
471 per ICP-MS
○ Alk: 8.6 dKH (-0.7/9d)
(target: 8-12 dkH)
per Salifert titration
7.66 per ICP-MS
○ Mg: 1,275 ppm (-45/9d)
(target: 1,250-1,400 ppm)
per Salifert titration
1,283 per ICP-MS
* Increase to 11.0 ml/d AFR.
○ pH: 8.1 late morning
(target: 8.1-8.4)
per API colorimetric
○ Salinity: 1.0257 SpG/ 34.6 ppt
(target: 35 ppt)
per TropicMarin hydrometer
33.6 PSU per ICP-MS
○ Temperature: 79.0°F
(target: 73-84°F)
per ThermPro
digital meat therm.
○ Nitrate: 50.1 ppm (+9.8/9d)
(target: 5-50 ppm*)
per Hanna HR Checker
69.42 per Oceamo
○ Phosphate: 0.31 ppm (-0.01/3d)
(target: 0.06-0.3 ppm*)
per Hanna ULR Checker
0.193 per Oceamo