Gilroy 425g Build Thread (All Apex, all the time)

[jml1149]

I did this twice, unfortunately. The first time, my "simple" ATO got stuck OFF, water evaporated until the temp probe was out of the water, at which point it was reading ambient and never shut the heater off.

The second time, and this is my fault, I was cleaning up my wires and accidentally pulled the temp probe out of the water. Same thing.

Now, I use two temp probes and two heaters, both on separate outlets. I use the finnex Ti heaters, with external controllers, and dial the thermostats in to just past where the Apex temp is set to, so if there's a problem again, it won't overheat my tank.

Also, I use two 300W heaters instead of one 500W heater for my 120g tank + sump so that for whatever reason, if one sticks on, it won't be enough to overheat my tank.

I've also since learned how to properly secure my probes (thanks MPR) and have a MUCH more robust ATK.

This isn't a slight on any particular system, issues can and will occur with any product.

 

[ca1ore]

Yes. But when I had them out of the water before, the solution crystallized (precipitated) off the end of the tube and created stalactites. The Core7 additives are highly concentrated compared to say B-ionic. I think this may lead to an issue if you are pushing less than 1ml per dose.

I mostly solved this problem years ago by directing the output of my ATO to pour over the ends of the dosing tubes.

 

[ca1ore]

Yes. But when I had them out of the water before, the solution crystallized (precipitated) off the end of the tube and created stalactites. The Core7 additives are highly concentrated compared to say B-ionic. I think this may lead to an issue if you are pushing less than 1ml per dose.

ACK, double post ......

 

[Terence]

I mostly solved this problem years ago by directing the output of my ATO to pour over the ends of the dosing tubes.

This is a good tip, I just do not know how to get it to drip out of my float valve and then onto both tubes. I will see how I might be able to try this.

 

[Newb73]

I did this twice, unfortunately. The first time, my "simple" ATO got stuck OFF, water evaporated until the temp probe was out of the water, at which point it was reading ambient and never shut the heater off.

The second time, and this is my fault, I was cleaning up my wires and accidentally pulled the temp probe out of the water. Same thing.

Now, I use two temp probes and two heaters, both on separate outlets. I use the finnex Ti heaters, with external controllers, and dial the thermostats in to just past where the Apex temp is set to, so if there's a problem again, it won't overheat my tank.

Also, I use two 300W heaters instead of one 500W heater for my 120g tank + sump so that for whatever reason, if one sticks on, it won't be enough to overheat my tank.

I've also since learned how to properly secure my probes (thanks MPR) and have a MUCH more robust ATK.

This isn't a slight on any particular system, issues can and will occur with any product.

I use the apex probe holder....solid magnets. Or the probe holders built into my sump. I just much prefer the apex temp probes over the flimsy little ones on heaters. I also avoid glass heaters. Also I need 800 watts and you can't find 400w heaters, only 300s, meaning I would need 3 to split them. I also have to put one in my display during the winter after realizing that in the unfortunate even both my main pumps went down and I wasn't home, id only be able to heat the sump or boil the over flow but not heat the display.



Terrence.....Its time for Neptune to make a heater that's designed to run on apex, is titanium, 400w, has an internal thermostat and some how is designed to disappear in a display.......maybe a faux coraline covered plastic shell.

When you get it, I'll take 3 units.

 

[jml1149]

I don't know how complicated you want to get with this, but you could grab a PMUP and run it into a "mini-manifold" just for the dosing lines, and only run the PMUP when it's dosing.

I had the same problem with my kalk tubes, which made stalactites as well, but over a much longer scale. My plan was to tee the ATK line into the kalk line, and use a check valve on the RODI side to prevent kalk going up that line. Then, it would flush my kalk line, at the expense of the float valve protection.

I've since opted against this though, and run the ATK as designed. I now dose kalk through a stirrer, so it would be impossible.

 

[Terence]

Neptune heater - no thank you. Way too much liability there. Seen way too many companies have horrific recalls.

I have to figure something out - and I cannot be the only one running Core7 and a DOS that has this problem. I still think it has to do with the dosing amounts being so tiny.

 

[Terence]

All this talk...need some pics:

 

[Terence]

Top down shot of the "blob" I brought home from Utah last month. About 12"x16" I think. Yuuuuuge!

 

[Thoax]

Amazing pics

 

[Terence]

Amazing pics

Thanks!

 

[OnlyTono]

@Terence, what's that cream colored with purple colored polyp acro called? I need a frag of that

 

[Terence]

@Terence, what's that cream colored with purple colored polyp acro called? I need a frag of that

Sick, huh?

Purple Polyp Nasuta
I think I got this from Jason Fox Corals

 

[tcarter1936]

Top down shot of the "blob" I brought home from Utah last month. About 12"x16" I think. Yuuuuuge!

Awesome, I'm loving seeing this tank mature from delivery to now. Great growth and colors. It's motivating since my tanks been up longer and not near as established. I have to step it up. Lol

 

[Terence]

Just finished a couple of tasks tonight.

1. Get my carbon filtration back online
2. Upgrade my RODI to 9 stages (well technically 8) and finally install a 3-way TDS meter!

First off I wanted to get my carbon filter back online. Sure I have been running without it for about three months, but now with the low to no water change Triton method, I needed to put it back online to help polish the water. I ordered up the best carbon money can buy in the hobby - or so it seems - the ROX .8 from BRS. This carbon has a tiny "stick-like" appearance. The best part about this stuff is it has almost no fines so there is really not much rinsing necessary at all. It supposedly has the best performance and lasts the longest. I run a two canister BRS filter made for Carbon+GFO but I just use it for Carbon on both sides. I drive it with my PMUP pump. I like to suspend my PMUP from the bottom so that it is less likely to suck in grit or have one of those sneaky snail/slug things decide its a great place to go!

After that it was time to tackle the RODI. From using a TDS pen I knew my water was good, but I really missed having the 3-way TDS meter (I used it on the system I had hodge-podged together for the kitchen water and never bought another one for the fish cave). So, I looked at BRS to get one - they were $45 each - not bad - but then I searched a little deeper and found that I could get a two-canister DI rig, loaded with DI resin, WITH the 3-way TDS filter for just $100 - only $55 more and I got the canisters filter set with canisters filled with DI resin for just $55 more. And then I thought, I just saw that video Ryan did on running separate cation and anion DI resins before running a mixed DI resin. Hmm. What if I changed over my existing 2-canister DI to cation and anion, and then add this dual-stage after that with the mixed bed - now that would be some clean water! Yep, that was the way to go!

So, before I put in the new one, I removed the TDS meter from the dual stage DI filter and then installed the TDS meter on my existing system to get a baseline. I had 282 out of the triple filter before RO, and then 18 after the RO and then 24 after the DI - HUH!? I have no idea how that could be because the DI was only about half depleted.

Anyway, I then installed the dual stage, moved around the TDS sensors, and turned on the water and let it flow for 10 minutes. I checked the TDS meter - 277 - 019 - 000 - WOOT!

So, how do I get to 9 stages? Sediment - 5 micron - 1 micron - RO - RO - Cation - Anion - Mixed DI - Mixed DI

Here are some pics.

 

[Terence]

Here are links to the videos on the carbon I used and the video on using non-mixed DI resin.

Carbon explanation on BRS160


DI Resin

 

[Ranjib]

looks awesome

 

[jml1149]

I thought I was boss with 6 stages of RO...

 

[Terence]

Just to give you all a feel for how much plumbing affects flow, I simply removed my 1"->3/4" adapter and one link of locline and locline nozzle from just one of my two return outlets and my flow went from 1126 to 1222. So, one fitting on one output took out 9% of the flow!

Working on getting those new eductors hooked up. Gotta go to Ace for a couple of fittings now.

 

[Terence]

OK, so I ran down to Ace to get two pieces of pipe to see how these new eductors might work - or not.

The sea-swirls have a 1.25" slip->1" threaded 90 elbow on them. This is what the sea-swirl comes with and I had a 1"-3/4" adapter screwed into, then the locline, then the locline nozzle. First tried to remove just the adapter and then held the eductor there to see what would happen. It pulled way too much air as it was evidently too close to the surface. Strike 1. So, I thought about what to do and decided to go and get a 1.25" 45 degree fitting and a 1.25"->1" slip bushing. I pushed a 2" piece of 1" pipe into that and then the eductor. I pushed this up on the sea-swirl and it seems to work great. Not too much back-pressure as someone had suggested. The only downside? Now it is protruding down nearly 6" into my display instead of the 2-2.5" it was before. The pics below show the difference. On the positive, you really could see how it swirls the water. Another downside is that this thing does rob the flow. With the 3/4" locline I was getting 1126. With just the elbow it was 1222. With no elbow (flow coming straight down out of sea-swirl) the flow was 1256. With the 45->1"->eductor the flow is just 1093 so its even worse than running the 3/4" locline. I guess that is the sacrifice you must pay to get the water movement this provides. And it does do that. Detritus was kicking up nicely off my rock like it never did before with just the locline nozzle.

In the end, I would love to run this nozzle, but in this configuration it is just too much of an eye-sore. Since this is all 3D printed, I think it is possible that the manufacturer might be able to make some sort of custom fitting that replaces the fitting that goes onto the sea-swirl and connects to the eductor with some sort of street fitting at an angle of about 60 degrees - this would keep it from sucking air but also not go so far into the tank.

Let's see what he has to say.