d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build

d2mini · Jul 2, 2018

@Abhishek Here's a pic from several months ago. It's an in-sump model so it's not "plumbed in" per se.
The skimmer pump sits directly behind the skimmer. You can see the white elbow under the left side of the cup that leads to the pump's output.
Under the black sump cover (beneath the reactor manifold) is the tray for the filter foam material, so the skimmer's output is over that.

Here's a pic Jeff took before packing it up and shipping it out...

Abhishek · Jul 2, 2018

@d2mini - Thanks man !! So this one is without mazzei venturi ? Is this the SVS24 or 30 ? And you said you are using fluval SP-4 to power it up ?

Regards,
Abhishek

d2mini · Jul 2, 2018

Abhishek said:
@d2mini - Thanks man !! So this one is without mazzei venturi ? Is this the SVS24 or 30 ? And you said you are using fluval SP-4 to power it up ?

Regards,
Abhishek

24, standard venturi, SP-4.

Abhishek · Jul 2, 2018

d2mini said:
24, standard venturi, SP-4.

Nice !!! Wonder if the fluval SP-4 will be enough to power a SVS3-30 ? Think I might need stronger pump.

Regards,
Abhishek

d2mini · Jul 2, 2018

Abhishek said:
Nice !!! Wonder if the fluval SP-4 will be enough to power a SVS3-30 ? Think I might need stronger pump.

Regards,
Abhishek

Check my Life Reef Skimmer Club thread on RC. But I think it would. When I had the 30" on my previous, much larger system, I started with a Mag 12 and when that died I moved up to a Mag 18.

Lilmatty5dimes · Jul 2, 2018

Awesome thread. Finally finished reading everything. Your jawbreaker shroom are some of the best I've seen.

d2mini · Jul 2, 2018

Lilmatty5dimes said:
Awesome thread. Finally finished reading everything. Your jawbreaker shroom are some of the best I've seen.

Thanks!

d2mini · Jul 8, 2018

Last week I added the Kamoer FX-STP pump to my CaRx and this weekend I added the second chamber. The pump has been working like a champ.

d2mini · Jul 13, 2018

Couple Non-Tank macros from today.

zzl630 · Jul 27, 2018

Dennis we need a micro photography workshop in Houston area. Love the details.

revhtree · Jul 27, 2018

Man those are super detailed photos! Nice!

happyschneiders · Jul 27, 2018

Gorgeous. What focal length did you use for those?

d2mini · Jul 27, 2018

revhtree said:
Man those are super detailed photos! Nice!

Thank you, sir.

happyschneiders said:
Gorgeous. What focal length did you use for those?

Thanks, 80mm on a cropped sensor so more like 120mm. #fujirocks

ddrueckh · Jul 27, 2018

Great pictures. The first looks to be happy and smiling while the second looks a little camera shy LOL

VJV · Aug 7, 2018

d2mini said:
Last week I added the Kamoer FX-STP pump to my CaRx and this weekend I added the second chamber. The pump has been working like a champ.

Hey Dennis, being tired of mixing my own solutions (I am dosing 380ml daily of each of the three part solutions currently) I have just ordered my first CaRx (the new tunze 3171 which does not need a feed pump and looks very straight forward).

Would love to see a post from a successful reefer about CaRx... setup, dialing in, maintenance, tips & tricks... [emoji6]

d2mini · Aug 7, 2018

VJV said:
Hey Dennis, being tired of mixing my own solutions (I am dosing 380ml daily of each of the three part solutions currently) I have just ordered my first CaRx (the new tunze 3171 which does not need a feed pump and looks very straight forward).

Would love to see a post from a successful reefer about CaRx... setup, dialing in, maintenance, tips & tricks... [emoji6]

No feedpump???? Hmmmm.... need to look into that. ;Bookworm

Keep your liquids handy. Get alk where you want it, let's say 8 dkh. Hook up the reactor. If you can, hook up a second ph probe to your controller to control the effluent inside the reactor. Or at least be able to monitor the ph.
Use Two Little Fishies REBORN media and set your effluent ph to around 6.7 to start. Create a drip rate that is a fairly fast.
Test your Alk before you start making sure its around 8 dkh, then start it up. Now you will test alk twice a day.

To make adjustments.... if your alk gets too high, pull the plug on the C02 until it drops back to 8 dkh. Hook it back up and either raise your effluent ph a little by reducing c02 or slow down your effluent drip keeping effluent ph the same (will require less c02).
If alk gets too low, add liquid alk until it's back up to 8 dkh. Now increase c02 a little bit, or increase effluent rate, keeping ph the same (will require more c02).
Generally, i find it easier to keep my effluent rate the same and play with the co2 amount. Unless drastic changes are needed.

It's going to take some fooling around and a lot of alk testing until dialed in, but the key is never use the reactor to change your alk, only to keep it stable.

VJV · Aug 7, 2018

d2mini said:
No feedpump???? Hmmmm.... need to look into that. ;Bookworm

Keep your liquids handy. Get alk where you want it, let's say 8 dkh. Hook up the reactor. If you can, hook up a second ph probe to your controller to control the effluent inside the reactor. Or at least be able to monitor the ph.
Use Two Little Fishies REBORN media and set your effluent ph to around 6.7 to start. Create a drip rate that is a fairly fast.
Test your Alk before you start making sure its around 8 dkh, then start it up. Now you will test alk twice a day.

To make adjustments.... if your alk gets too high, pull the plug on the C02 until it drops back to 8 dkh. Hook it back up and either raise your effluent ph a little by reducing c02 or slow down your effluent drip keeping effluent ph the same (will require less c02).
If alk gets too low, add liquid alk until it's back up to 8 dkh. Now increase c02 a little bit, or increase effluent rate, keeping ph the same (will require more c02).
Generally, i find it easier to keep my effluent rate the same and play with the co2 amount. Unless drastic changes are needed.

It's going to take some fooling around and a lot of alk testing until dialed in, but the key is never use the reactor to change your alk, only to keep it stable.

Thanks for the quick and detailed answer [emoji106]. Now Waiting for the post in everyday reefing [emoji6]

I have the P4 so aim to buy a second PH probe to monitor call reactor well... PH.

You did not mention bubble rate nor effluent rate... do you tube the reactor so that the solenoid is almost always open with a slow drip rate and bubble count or are you in the camp of cracking open the effluent valve and use the PH probe to open and close the CO2, using a higher melting point? (Have seen posts saying that this method prevents clogging).

Thanks!

d2mini · Aug 7, 2018

VJV said:
Thanks for the quick and detailed answer [emoji106]. Now Waiting for the post in everyday reefing [emoji6]

I have the P4 so aim to buy a second PH probe to monitor call reactor well... PH.

You did not mention bubble rate nor effluent rate... do you tube the reactor so that the solenoid is almost always open with a slow drip rate and bubble count or are you in the camp of cracking open the effluent valve and use the PH probe to open and close the CO2, using a higher melting point? (Have seen posts saying that this method prevents clogging).

Thanks!

I did mention effluent rate... but i said "drip rate". Sorry.

I said start off setting it to a fast drip. Like around or near a broken stream. I do that just because it helps keep the effluent line from clogging. But in your case, with your reactor not needing a feed pump, not sure if you will need to do that or not.

Bubble counters I don't take much stock in. I just use them as a visual to see that c02 is actually being introduced into the reactor.

VJV · Aug 7, 2018

d2mini said:
I did mention effluent rate... but i said "drip rate". Sorry.
I said start off setting it to a fast drip. Like around or near a broken stream. I do that just because it helps keep the effluent line from clogging. But in your case, with your reactor not needing a feed pump, not sure if you will need to do that or not.

Bubble counters I don't take much stock in. I just use them as a visual to see that c02 is actually being introduced into the reactor.

Thanks! My bad [emoji849]. The Tunze reactor uses the recirculating pump to draw CO2 and water at the same time (sort of like a slimmer pump). You do control the drip rate with a knob going into the pump.

With about 1,5dKH of daily Alk consumption I guess I will need to start strong ....