Looking great! I just took delivery of my reefer 250 tank/stand this afternoon!
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@Difrano glad to see you were able to get a Trident. Where are you going to place it? Tridents aren’t supposed to be placed below the surface level of the sump chamber they draw water from.Teaser ;Happy :
@Difrano glad to see you were able to get a Trident. Where are you going to place it? Tridents aren’t supposed to be placed below the surface level of the sump chamber they draw water from.
The test frag is doing great, it has new polyps, my only issue is that my urchin, hermits and tiger pistol love to move it around the tank, I am about to glue it into its final positions, I have new GSP from a friend and bought my 2 first ever SPS, a bird nest and a monti. They been there since Wednesday and still alive lol... I don't have new pictures, have been busy modifying the cabinet to install Trident DDR and DOS. Trident is working from last Tuesday will do a big update during week@Difrano I am curious how your one zoa tester frag is doing so far. So it’s been in there about a month now? I’m going to have a lot of zoanthids on the bottom of my RS250 kind of like a carpet of them covering the whole bottom is my plan.
@Waynerock do you have a build thread for your Reefer 250 yet? I’d love to see one.
@Difrano your going to love it, the area where I slack the most is consistent testing. Just being able to pull up your dashboard and see the big 3 is priceless. I am only using it to monitor on my holding tank but once the build is complete im going to use it to control the DOS. Big game changer for meTeaser ;Happy :
What kind of light are you using on your refugium? Also, what is the name of the algae you are using?Time for an update.
My parameters:
Parameters:
Temp: 78.5 F.
Salinity: Refractometer 1.026. Apex: 36.3.
pH: 8.02 Day - 7.6 Night
NH3: 5
Alk: 7.7
Ca: 480
PO4: 0
Equipment:
I added a salinity sensor to the Apex and for the first week it matched on spot with my refractometer, then after I did a cleanup of the sump and sensors to remove some algae buildup the sensor jumped 1% and never came down and now it doesn't match the refractometer:
No way that jump is possible in 1 minute and stay there, I checked for bubbles or detritus and nada, I have 2 more calibration solutions, later this week will perform a check on it.
Also bought a MP10 to add to the other side of the tank, because I am not getting turbulent flow with 1 MP40, I tested it yesterday and when turned on the MP10 it created a cloud of detritus that was accumulating due to the flow going in one direction. Its off now and a soon as the guard finishes 3D printing it will be put in full time operation. Regarding the MP40 I think it maybe an overkill for a Reefer 250 because I cannot set it to more than 50% without crating a tornado of fish, shrimp and sand. I am also trying to understand how the XWM works with the ecosmart modes on the vortech, so I can get maximum effect with tidal swell or nutrient transport, I will post some questions on the Neptune forums to see how it works with a XWM.
Bought a used DOS from a reef2reef user here in Orlando, I will not install it yet until I get more corals and figure out how to convince the boss (my wife) to add a extra cabinet on the side of the tank for a future dosing station and a future trident.
I used to buy my RODI water from TSA, but at the evaporation rate of the 250 is no longer economical so I decided to buy a RODI unit in Amazon, it arrived on Monday and had not installed yet. This is the unit: Aquatic Life Twist-In 75 GPD, 4-Stage RO/DI Water Filtration Unit
I am preparing a post with the unboxing and installation for later this week.
The skimmer is doing great, but today had a big overflow of the cup, yesterday was only 20% full and look like a lot of saltwater got in the skimmer cup, need to investigate because my sump level has been constant.
Livestock:
On my previous post I posted that I will not add more fish... well I lied. I went to my preferred LFS btw is Top Shelf Aquatics (for now on TSA) for the past 5 years, to buy the salinity probe they posted that they received a lot of captive breed Yellowline Cleaners goby, I always wanted to have them so I bought 2, one small and one bigger. After acclimation they went into the tank, they are super awesome fish I love to see them around in the glass backwall going in and out of holes in the rock. My only question here is why if they are "cleaners" they are scared to death of the other fish? The yellow Tang approach them with like intentions to be cleaned but they dart away. Is maybe because they are captive breed?
I added a couple of snails to the refugium to keep the algae growth at bay. Talking about the refugium the fern caulerpa is growing like weed, yesterday removed a bunch like a baseball size, if any of you are interested on having some I can ship it and you pay only the shipping. I have a small issue with cyano on the refugium and I think is because the slow flow down there, nothing to be scared of but I don't want it to reach my DT (it will eventually but you know...). The amphipod population is awesome, they are everywhere, my issue is that they like high emotions and jumping from the DT to the sump is one of their preferred, but they get stuck in the filter sock so every time I clean the sock is a mess because to save as many of them as I can most of the times 70% of the crap comes back to the tank ;Facepalm. I have not seen an explosion of copepods, I might reseed the tank later in June.
With the reduction on flow from my MP40 the Firefish came back to the open, and the tank looks awesome, Tang clowns damsels are doing great.. now my YWG/Pistol pair are something crazy, they disappear for weeks just to come back as nothing happened, the first time on request from my daughter I tore apart the rock work on the left side just to find them both chilling under the base rock, it was good because I was able to redo the aquascape on the left side that I did not like so much. after that they disappeared again, but this time I decided to wait and the come and go.
Corals side, the Zoa frag is doing Ok and a neighbor that I did not know that he has a 75 gal reef from 10+ years gifted me some GSP, Xenias and mushrooms, so they are in now.
I am in love with the Reefer 250 and the setup is coming along as I envision it, tank is getting out of the uglies and coralline is spreading from my old rock to the new rock. GHA is reducing a lot and the Tang just love to grace on it.
Now lets see some pics:
FTS:
Il Duo:
Side view:
New Kids on the block:
Sump
Refugium
Amphipod condo:
I am using this light, is awesome.What kind of light are you using on your refugium? Also, what is the name of the algae you are using?
Thanks for the information. The regular caulerpa gets pieces tangled in my skimmer. This might work better. Thanks again.I am using this light, is awesome.
Amazon.com : Finnex FugeRay Planted+ Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, Cliplight : Pet Supplies
Amazon.com : Finnex FugeRay Planted+ Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, Cliplight : Pet Supplieswww.amazon.com
My algae and mushroom corals that live in the sump love it, plus is not red or purple as standard refugium lights the white color give it a better look.
The algae is Fern Caulerpa, also know as Mexican fern scientific name Caulerpa sertularioides I have it since 5 years ago on my old biocube, today doesn't look good due to very low nutrients. It grows super fast even an inch a day. I used to trim like a baseball size a week.
Tank is looking great!! How much are you feeding? You would think with the number of fish you have in there youd be able to read some level of nutrients. Id suggest to try and feed more, and If that doesnt work Id probably even start dosing n03 and p04. Ive used Seachem Flourish in the past for p04, ive never had to dose nitrates but Ive heard good things about Brightwell NeoNitroTime for a 2 month update!
My parameters:
Temp: 77.5 - 78.5 F. Apex
Salinity: Refractometer 1.025. Apex: 33.3.
pH: 8.02 Day - 7.6 Night Apex
Alk: 7.9 Apex
Ca: 501 Apex
Mg: 1364 Apex
PO4: 0 Hanna
NO3: 0 Nyos
FTS:
Equipment:
First of all I would like to thank @eag for his excellent article on how to calibrate the conductivity sensor and the hidden feature of temperature compensation!
(Almost) Everything You Need to Know About Apex Salinity Calibration and TC Factor
I was trying to calibrate my new salinity probe a few weeks ago, and ran into all sorts of problems. Calibrations that were way off the mark, big fluctuations in readings that couldn't possibly be correct (and were verifiably not), etc. After...www.reef2reef.com
So equipment wise I added a Trident and I can't stop saying good things about it, so far have worked flawless and no issues at all, I got it used form a local reefer and also got a DOS and a DDR with it, I had to rework my cabinet in order to be able to fit the Trident, DOS and DDR (The boss still doesn't approve an Ikea side cabinet).
In order to raise pH I added a temporary external line t my skimmer that suck air from outside so far still having the same pH swings between day and night, only difference is when I have more people at home pH doesn't drop like a rock anymore, I am still debating if I need a CO2 scrubber.
I also destroyed the dry side of the MP10, I was cleaning the glass with the flipper and knocked the wet side, due to procrastination my dry cables were not zip tied and the dry side it fell like 5 ft while running, it started making noise like grinding metal and the drive was faulting after 30 seconds of the pump running, so I found several video's and articles on how to replace the bearings on the MP10, so I did it but still the same noise, look like the motor shaft was damaged, so I bought a dry side at saltwateraquarium.com, it arrived today replaced the old one and everything is working fine now.
Skimmer is a beast I think the issue I am having with low nitrates is due to the skimmer being too efficient removing waste. I put the skimmer on a night schedule to try keep my pH OK. I will check how it work.
Tank status:
Tank have been running awesome so far, still learning a lot and making mistakes, those are the major events:
Livestock:
- The small yellowline cleaner liked the thrill of jumping on the overflow and then get trapped in the filter sock or the filter cup. I rescued him twice from there, but the third one he did not survive, will explain it in the next bullet point.
- To test if the tank was ready for SPS, I went to TSA and bought 2 "easy" SPS, one frag of monti and one frag of a green bird nest, I added both frags to the tank, everything looked fine for a week until one morning I woke up and the birdnest looked like it was bleaching in the middle, the night before found the small cleaner in the filter cup chilling as always and decided to leave him there until next day, he used to spend some time in there before, so I went to work. When I came back that night lights were out already and noticed that the Xenia in my sump was gone, melted to nothing, the day before was perfect, also when I went to rescue the cleaner he was dead... I did not understand what happened, me and the kids did the fish funeral and honors and then went to sleep, next morning looking at the tank finding clues of what happened I found that the birdnest was completely gone, just the bare skeleton and some dead flesh hanging from it, also noticed that one of my GSP test frags was melted too, when I took it off it was covered on dead flesh from the BN, so I assume that the xenia died the same way and the cleaner was trapped in the cup was not able to escape the toxic flesh of the BN, so I am guilty of fishslaugther . I posted my findings in the SPS forums but people just don't believe me. Monti is doing OK.
- Since the tank started I was not able to get PO4 >0 and NO3 was always hovering 5 ppm based on API test, past several weeks it was looking more like a 0 than a 5, after this issue with the BN I bought a Nyos nitrate test based on BRS recommendations, and is reading 0. I know that I am having an issue with low nutrients because my huge Caulerpa in sump is melting fast and from almost covering all the sump I only have a few strings left, I am really afraid that Dinos will take over because I am seeing some Cyano on the DT sand, and Cyano = Dinos when you are on low nutrients range. I have been dumping literally tons of food on the tank and cannot get NO3 or PO4 to raise.
- Since adding the Trident I am in love with the automatic testing of Alk Ca and Mg... don't care how much will cost on reagent it is worth every penny. Now I have another mistery, my Alk is dropping 0.2 per day but my Ca is keeping steady and Mg is slowly dropping as you can see here, the alk spikes are because I am manually dosing liquid soda ash to not affect the Ca:
- So on my tank I only have 1 SPS and is a small Monti, and just a few frags of Zoas and GSP, I do have coraline growing everywhere, I don't understand why only alk is being consumed and no Ca?, I checked some great articles from @Randy Holmes-Farley, but cant figure out what's going on here.
- This week I am planning to install the tubing to the DOS and automate my Alk dosing to keep it stable around 8.5.
So my plan now is to raise NO3 and P04 before Dinos show up, maybe adding some reef roids.
- The day I went to TSA I saw a Yellow Watchman goby that was not that yellow, more like a grey watchman goby, I fell in love with "she", I think is a she due to coloration. And when I got her to the DT my YWG was all over the place, not fighting or jawlocking it was more like a show off, they live in the same rock structure but not yet sharing the same burrow let's see how it goes.
- Also replaced the fallen yellowline cleaner with a blueline cleaner and love him too, is getting along with the other yellowline.
- Added the birdnest now gone and a monti. and lost 1 frag of GSP and a big colony of Xenia that was living in the sump.
- Also added a Florida fighting conch and I just love it, is like a vacuum cleaner for sand.
- Rest of livestock is doing great, I can sit for ours watching the tank, just love it.
- Regarding CUC I am finding dead hermits here and there, IDK what is going on, maybe fight for shells?
Now some pictures, still learning how to get good pictures with my cellphone and old camera:
Coraline showing up in my returns
Peek-a-boo
Tank is looking great!! How much are you feeding? You would think with the number of fish you have in there youd be able to read some level of nutrients. Id suggest to try and feed more, and If that doesnt work Id probably even start dosing n03 and p04. Ive used Seachem Flourish in the past for p04, ive never had to dose nitrates but Ive heard good things about Brightwell NeoNitro