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

[Terence]

Watching these tiny frags grow is more interesting than watching the world series.

 

[IronVulture]

I just received two itty-bitty frags (the smallest frags I have ever tried to grow) of the Walt Disney acro from @vhuang168 . I cannot complain because he gave them to me free - now my challenge is to grow both of them into awesome colonies! If I get that little fleck on the right to grow it would be true miracle!

Just don’t kill it 1 polyp can turn into a thousand.

 

[Albertastorm]

Don't understand what you mean. With a big enough refugium, you will still be able to have a skimmer nearby and also pump through it and up to the display and not really lose anything. Just make sure that area is low flow.

I have will have water flowing out of refugium into a sump with roll filter and protein skimmer...I will be filtering out all the goodies that would normally be feeding tank?

 

[Terence]

I have will have water flowing out of refugium into a sump with roll filter and protein skimmer...I will be filtering out all the goodies that would normally be feeding tank?

Yes, if done in that manner. If you want to run the filtration, split the drain line coming back to your filtration with part coming to the refugium, and the remainder into the filter section - that line will have the rollermat on it. The refugium just rolls right into the sump. The skimmer will not be an issue for the things you want to get back into the DT. Don't worry about that.

 

[Salty1962]

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.

Very Nice Terence!

 

[Salty1962]

So, if you ever wondered if carbon makes a difference, take a look at my PAR in the tank with the only change being saturday night putting my carbon back online. About 8% more light is penetrating to the sensor now that it is less yellow. You can see it got somewhat better yesterday (24 hours) but today it is even better. Can't wait to see what it shows tomorrow. So cool to be able to see these effects using the Apex.

I know when I change mine I have to reduced my intensity for a couple of days, dang nutrients!

 

[Terence]

Well I got a few more frags in - at least one of them I have been waiting a while for - its called "Dippin' Dots" and it originated with my good friend Brandon Hill from Zoanthids.com/Ultra Corals. I have been spying this coral for some time. I also got from him others like forest fire digitata, UC twisted-dick, Snuffle-something-or other and a couple more. If you want great corals, especially the hot sticks and zoos, make sure to check out zoanthids.com or ultra corals!

Here are a bunch of pics I just took - things are growing in nicely and you can see where I put some of the frags.

 

[Stylo328]

Great photo bomb. I really enjoy following your thread. There’s a ton of great info in here.

 

[Terence]

Just looked at these pics again and can’t believe how stunning that purple polyp nasuta is. At least for me. Love the contrast.

 

[Terence]

did a quick video tonight -

 

[Vivid Creative Aquatics]

My absolute favorite piece from that video tour - I could stare at that all day.



Looks like you found away to get the 1in RFG Nozzle on one of your Sea Swirls. Hows your tank responding to the more variable flow?

 

[Terence]

Yep, love that coral.

I have the RFG in there the last way I did it. Needs to change - hate how it looks. Just too lazy to cut down some fittings to make it work a bit better. Need to get on that but lots going on with a senior in high school and lots of work travel. I still think it may need to be too far down in the water column to keep it from sucking air so we will see . . .

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Your corals look great. I wish my tank looked half as good as yours.

 

[Terence]

Your corals look great. I wish my tank looked half as good as yours.

Flow, Light, Water balance, Nutrient export, Stability, Fuel, Hands out.

Flow - get much more than you think you will need. Don’t worry about return pump flow. In tank flow. Sorry, I am going to plug my product here. If you have a 90g or larger tank there is no better and cost effective way to get 8000gph of flow than 2 WAV for $200 each. If it’s too much flow for the substrate, change the substrate or remove it. You will never be running all 8000 because of modes. But halve that and you are seeing 40x in a 90g. I have five WAV in 425g. Running about an average of 70%. That’s about 30x. This is key to a healthy reef tank IMO.

Light - I run about 200 PAR on the sand bed with a more blue leaning light spectrum. Get something that is in the middle of controllability. What I mean is that it has proven modes/mixes/presets where you can do the “Kessil” approach. That is, one channel for blue-white shift and one channel for intensity. Or, something like Radions AB+. Any proven method. Monkeying around with color channels will have you chasing your tail. I think the Philips light is the best out there. Period. Too bad they are not bringing them yet to USA for everyone.

Water balance - testing and staying on course with one method for a long time is key. If you want to do two part, use one like c-balance or ISV that has more than just the two ions. Or, go the calcium reactor route. Either way you will need to do water changes if for nothing else the trace elements. Now I run Triton. It is something new in that I do not run filter socks or do frequent water changes. So far it is blowing me away but I will let everyone here know the long haul results. I have 10L of the stuff right now so that’s six months at least.

Nutrient Export - Forever I have used a RDP refugium with macro algae for nutrient export. Long before it was so en vogue. The only difference now are these kessil h380 lights. Omg do they grow macro. With the tank breaking down the waste and the macro pulling it out, you have a great way to not only up your pH, but keep the nitrates and phosphates down as well.

Stability - sorry to plug again but I give tons of credit since 2009 for my successful tanks to the Apex. I have been able to not only maintain the stability through the automation, but have caught so many catastrophes in the making in eight years I have lost count.

Fuel - I am not talking here about the seachem product of the same name (which is a decent product btw). I am talking about food and nutrients as reef-fuel. Put a lot in, let them (corals, fish, all the way down to micro organisms) eat it, and then take out the rest with the methods above. This is the true secret to tanks like my good friend Brad Syphus (first MAHY). He feeds the hell out of his tanks and exports the junk. And it shows in his coral health and growth.

Keep your hands out - every time you put your hands in the tank you are potentially introducing contaminants, you move things around, you disturb the environment. As much as possible set it and leave it alone. I am better at this now than I ever have been because it is more difficult to reach into my tank. Again, this is another secret to brads success in my opinion.

Well I hope this was helpful to all who have hung out here with me on my little journey so far.

Oh, guess what, this is almost the #1 viewed tank thread on R2R! Thanks for helping me get there - My hope is to keep it going for a long, long time!

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Thanks for the tips.

 

[dragon99]

You only plugged two products there, such restraint

Your right advice seems right on though. Does sticking a camera in the tank count (no hands tho)? Cuz I'm about to go do that...

 

[Terence]

Your right advice seems right on though. Does sticking a camera in the tank count (no hands tho)? Cuz I'm about to go do that...

Only if your fish are not exhibitionists.

 

[Terence]

Just coming back from PA right now - actually on the airplane. Went out there to install some sweet new gear on Sanjays tank. Amazing system and what a great guy. He was already a long time NS customer beginning with the AC3. He had an Apex Classic. So, we swapped that out for a 2016, added some other cool fail-safes for his RO and ATO. Put a flow sensor on his Pax Bellum ARID reactor - and he found out he had 1/3-1/4 the recommended flow - just 100gph! We also put in leak sensors as well as a PMK so that Mr. Photon could get some total daily light measurements on his reef (not just spot measurements). All in all a great trip. The only downside is that now I have a new must-get-fish-list. Some of these may seem strange, but he explained a lot to me - and I will post more on this later if/when I get any of these:

- Femininsus Wrass - OMG!
- Marginalis Butterfly - aiptasia eater but better survival rate than copperband
- Rolandi Damsel - cool little guys - he had 4-5
- Traceyi damsel
- various pygmy angels
- and the holy grail - that Lennardi Wrasse - don't think I will ever get one of these - but i can dream can't I?

Anyways, if you want to see a recording of the live stream from yesterday, here is the FB link -

 

[Terence]

The infamous Terence pose:

 

[Stylo328]

Really enjoyed the video. Thanks!