FarmerTy's 215-gallon SPS Tank

JCOLE

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Pikachu and BC Bubblebath Unicorn about to touch.

Awesome colors and to top it off that is about the manliest thing I have heard all day! LOL :D :D

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FarmerTy

FarmerTy

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Which variant of the yellow-tipped dragon is in the background? AND do you know if there's any real diff between WWC little red ferrari and JF fire dragon?
It is a JF Firedragon and it’s the same as WWC Little Red Ferrari. They often share pieces between each other it seems. I’ve even seen it on JF site listed as Firedragon/Little Red Ferrari.
 

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What do you like better, the psycho asylum or rainbow envy? I don't have either, but bubba said that his psycho asylum was sick. And also, any vivids confetti? Great thread btw, don't let these Neanderthals tell you otherwise ;)
 
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FarmerTy

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What do you like better, the psycho asylum or rainbow envy? I don't have either, but bubba said that his psycho asylum was sick. And also, any vivids confetti? Great thread btw, don't let these Neanderthals tell you otherwise ;)
Jeez, hard to choose to be honest. I liked the Psycho Envy from day one but the Rainbow Envy has really started to show some impressive colors. Both I can say I can honestly appreciate under full spectrum lighting... which I think is more the exception then the norm with most tenuis in my opinion.

Vivid Confetti is an instant classic, in blue or full spectrum. I don’t really trust most of the other new offerings from Vivid. Their pictures seem a little too good to be true and based on some frags that friends have gotten, they were disappointed from the pic to reality.
 

CCauthers

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Jeez, hard to choose to be honest. I liked the Psycho Envy from day one but the Rainbow Envy has really started to show some impressive colors. Both I can say I can honestly appreciate under full spectrum lighting... which I think is more the exception then the norm with most tenuis in my opinion.

Vivid Confetti is an instant classic, in blue or full spectrum. I don’t really trust most of the other new offerings from Vivid. Their pictures seem a little too good to be true and based on some frags that friends have gotten, they were disappointed from the pic to reality.
Do you have any pics of your confetti?
 
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FarmerTy

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Quick updates:
1) After correcting temp in tank, corals have been responding very well to the change. Growth seemed to have accelerated even more and come that weren’t happy are looking nice lately
2) New Dastaco CaRX still doing a great job supplementing Ca/Alk. Currently at dial set point 3.25 and it goes to 10. I am using kalk too.
3) Moved 90% of my Colorado Sunbursts to the back up tank in anticipation of maybe getting a nice green/purple magnifica from my anemone expert buddy.
4) Still working on sprucing up the display that has largely been ignored the last couple years
5) Backup system is finally getting on point after on/off neglect. I hope to have a calcium reactor setup on it before the end of the month and start transferring cut frags and backup frags into it.
6) Looking to get a smart thermostat controller for the minisplit in the room to monitortemp/humidity at all times and set ranges to keep temp and humidity if it falls out of range. Also allows me to adjust settings remotely if needed.

RR Pretty in Pink
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RRC

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You've mentioned using Kalk. I was using it at one time in my ATO water but it caused too many problems with return pump and general buildup. Are you using a kalk reactor/stirrer? Do you have any buildup issues?
 
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FarmerTy

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You've mentioned using Kalk. I was using it at one time in my ATO water but it caused too many problems with return pump and general buildup. Are you using a kalk reactor/stirrer? Do you have any buildup issues?
I use a 50g storage container and fill it up every 1-2 weeks and then dump 1.5 cups of kalk in it, turn the pump on to circulate for 3 mins, then let it settle and turn back on the ATO. I use an old Mag3 pump in there. Been running for about a year like that. I’ve never cleaned it out and my Mag3 is still doing its thing and it was old already.
 

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I use a 50g storage container and fill it up every 1-2 weeks and then dump 1.5 cups of kalk in it, turn the pump on to circulate for 3 mins, then let it settle and turn back on the ATO. I use an old Mag3 pump in there. Been running for about a year like that. I’ve never cleaned it out and my Mag3 is still doing its thing and it was old already.
So, a noob question: the goal of mixing kalkwasser into ATO is smoothing/bumping pH, right? And it is common to need the bump when using CaRx. Is there a secondary goal of using kalk? The CaRx should handle the ALK, Ca and Mg consumption -- at least mine does.

I run a CaRx on my frag system. pH ranges 8.1 to 7.8 day/night. Is it worth me replumbing my ATO setup for kalk to achieve higher values? What do you shoot for in pH range?
 
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FarmerTy

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So, a noob question: the goal of mixing kalkwasser into ATO is smoothing/bumping pH, right? And it is common to need the bump when using CaRx. Is there a secondary goal of using kalk? The CaRx should handle the ALK, Ca and Mg consumption -- at least mine does.

I run a CaRx on my frag system. pH ranges 8.1 to 7.8 day/night. Is it worth me replumbing my ATO setup for kalk to achieve higher values? What do you shoot for in pH range?
Originally I did kalk mainly to boost my pH due to the pH depressing effects of running a calcium reactor. But as my consumption went up, it greatly helped keep up with the demand in my tank as my calcium reactor became a bit undersized with the increases in tank volume and coral volume.

Without kalk, my pH was in the 7.9-8.1 range. With kalk, I’m in the 8.1-8.4 range. Thanks to some pushing by my buddy @bubbaque, I ran the higher pH and saw great improvement in growth rates of the acros. This is why I still continue using it even though my new Dastaco reactor can easily supplement uptake these days.
 
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FarmerTy

FarmerTy

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Kalk is the reefing wonder drug. I feel like everyone should make an attempt to incorporate it. It's a) balanced alk/Ca b) cheap c) raises pH
The only downside is that for many (most) reefers it's not enough to maintain alk on its own
Agreed! I buy a 5-gallon bucket at a time of it. If BRS sold a 10-gallon I would buy it instead.
 

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It is a wonder drug along with outside air for the skimmer! I get about the same pH bump that FarmerTy does. In the summer with the house closed up, I used to bottom out at 7.7-7.8. Now I bottom out at ~8.0.
Wait another Aggie reefer? We've found another diamond in the rough!
 

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: 68 37.4%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 61 33.5%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.4%
  • Other.

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