Craigb350s SPS Maniac's Reef - Colours Update July18th

[Janci]

Looking great Craig.
Those clams are gorgeous.

 

[Craigb350]

Well finally got the calcium reactor online, Ended up with a far more reliable German equivalent of a Neptune apex system.

its an IKS Aquastar, Kh is holding steady at 9.0, but I am keeping an eye on it just till it the tank gets into its own rhythm.

 

[Janci]

Nice installation.
Will you run ALK at that same number or lower later?

 

[Craigb350]

Im wanting to run it at 8.4 when it settles

 

[Craigb350]

Dropped the peri pump slightly and tested 12 hours later now holding at 8.4kh, I will see how I progress with this and see if it holds.

If it does I think that's it.

 

[Craigb350]

Reactor is now dialled in and been holding steady at 8.4 for last couple of days!!!

On the other hand I think I am getting abit lazy with the nutrients few corals have lost abit of colour, so I changed out the media and put some carbon in last night.

It really bugs me about when I designed this tank in the wall, I have no means of being able to clean the back glass, its covered in coralline and it bugs the hell out of me, also how can I clean the acrylic wier panel, any ideas?

Urchins aren't doing there job properly!!

 

[Craigb350]

Managed to scrub some more of the back of the tank, still wish I could do more, I need to clear the sandbed too, it’s full of frags at the minute, I think maybe there is too much going on, oh well tonight’s readings were good while I am tracking the reactor, mag 1350 calcium 440 alk 8.4 dKH and holding.

 

[YHSublime]

Nice tank! I enjoy how it's part of the wall with the cabinets around it! Seems like the calcium reactor is doing it's job, and holding you right where you need to be! Tagging along!

 

[Craigb350]

Nice tank! I enjoy how it's part of the wall with the cabinets around it! Seems like the calcium reactor is doing it's job, and holding you right where you need to be! Tagging along!

Yeah some days I like it, some days I would prefer to be able have the open look again so I could keep all the nasty coralline algae off I like the more minimalistic look that modern reef tanks are like.

Just don't know if I could bare going through all that's involved in getting a reef tank to mature to the state this one is now haha,

 

[YHSublime]

Yeah some days I like it, some days I would prefer to be able have the open look again so I could keep all the nasty coralline algae off I like the more minimalistic look that modern reef tanks are like.

Just don't know if I could bare going through all that's involved in getting a reef tank to mature to the state this one is now haha,

That's when you go nano, and just keep your current one as well! Just kidding, I'm a firm believer in one tank at a time! FWIW, I use this long handled scraper from algae free and it does a decent job.

 

[Craigb350]

That's when you go nano, and just keep your current one as well! Just kidding, I'm a firm believer in one tank at a time! FWIW, I use this long handled scraper from algae free and it does a decent job.

Yeah im going to have a look into one of those

 

[Craigb350]

Picked some nice new frags up,

Will get some ids soon.

 

[Janci]

The size of those frags keeps amazing me.
I guess we are spoiled here.

 

[Craigb350]

The size of those frags keeps amazing me.
I guess we are spoiled here.

Haha they are small,

the high end stuff are harder to get hold of, I managed to get hold of Sunset millipora and Vision millipora

 

[Janci]

They look great though.
It will be interesting to see how they turn out when growing.

 

[Craigb350]

Been monitoring the Ph of the tank since adding the reactor,

Through the day with the lights on tank is holding steady at a ph of 8.2
Through night time when the sump is light is dropping to 7.8

I have the air feed from skimmer away from the tank but a lot of the guys over here route the line outside to give a more stable ph, any experience of this?

 

[Janci]

Been monitoring the Ph of the tank since adding the reactor,

Through the day with the lights on tank is holding steady at a ph of 8.2
Through night time when the sump is light is dropping to 7.8

I have the air feed from skimmer away from the tank but a lot of the guys over here route the line outside to give a more stable ph, any experience of this?

My pH is in the same range as yours. A little too low and too big range for my liking.
I am checking to get air from outside, but that is not so easy. I will be happy if I can take from outside the cabinet.
Second option is an CO2 scrubber... for which I already have the media and only need to think on how to fabricate a simple reactor.

 

[Craigb350]

My pH is in the same range as yours. A little too low and too big range for my liking.
I am checking to get air from outside, but that is not so easy. I will be happy if I can take from outside the cabinet.
Second option is an CO2 scrubber... for which I already have the media and only need to think on how to fabricate a simple reactor.

Mine is routed outside the cabinet currently,

I could run a co2 scrubber, I am driving my media quite hard, reactor ph is at 6.0

 

[Craigb350]

Did some work on the tank last night,

Changed out the media, mixed up 10% water for a change

I am trying a new salt, I have switched to Quantum SPS macro probiotic, it gets some good reviews so we will see how we go,

Sticking a few frags down and noticed I have had a few casualties, Vision Milliopora frag was stripped, Pink millipora colany was showing big rtn, but to fair I believe this was caused by coral warfare with a staghorn next to it.

Mangaged to frag the good bits so time will tell, Either that or it was some collateral damage from switching to the Calcium reactor?

Either way I checked the parameters of the tank last night, still fine Mag 1360 ppm, Cal 420 ppm and alk 8.4 dKH.

It could be the nutrients so I have ordered some fresh test kits to get a better idea.

 

[Janci]

Bummer on the casualties.
Are the corals placed very close to each other?
I have several close, but until they do ot actually touch, all seems to go well.

Do you use probiotic salt before as well?
This salt can take out nutrients I believe.