GoVols: Red Sea S-400

[GoVols]

O-Tay

Seeing a tad amount of cyano pop up for the first time since the spring of 2016... ;Wideyed

So if it does not recede fairly quick, we're going to stop... ;Stop dosing TM All For Reef and fire back up the calcium reactor. It's either that new carbon source, lots of trace elements or both.

Should have enough left over Reborn media, to last one more year.

On a better note:
Seems like the Alkatronic will be back online next week. Think I caught it in time to save it's ph probe, but it may be a 50/50 shot that it got dried out.

 

[PanchoG]

It sounds like a good plan. I hope the Alkatronic goes live again. I am always mesmerized by your walled hammer.

 

[GoVols]

It sounds like a good plan. I hope the Alkatronic goes live again.

lol
A small section from our cat's line damages.

I got it to prime back up, but new tubing should be in on Monday, then will see if it's ph probe is still solid.

 

[PanchoG]

lol
A small section from our cat's line damages.

I got it to prime back up, but new tubing should be in on Monday, then will see if it's ph probe is still solid.

OMG !
That reminded my why I declawed my cats.

 

[GoVols]

Well,
After close inspection the tiny amount of cyano is contained on my sps mont's from being stung by the bta, and the green branching hammer (Tossed in the back right side corner of the S-400).

There is not one spot of cyano on live rock, bb floor or the glass

That could just be a of nature taking it's coarse', on taking on dead areas of sps coral.

So, over the past few days we are dosing 70ml of All For Reef:

Cal holding at 460
Alk holding at 8.8 dHK

Seems like nitrates have come down every so slightly, but to close to call at this point.

So, we're staying the coarse with TM A-F-R, will keep updating as we go.

 

[GoVols]

Saturday late afternoon update:

As we went along for several more days, the cyano just would not start to recede.

So, Fired backup the GEO cal reactor on Wednesday evening. The cyano seems to be receding back, so the TM All For Reef is just not a good fit for the S-400. Since the time that this reef has aged, it just does not like to be carbon dosed, so not too surprised.

Coral colors are looking great and TM All For Reef has it's place, just not on this system as we sit today.

Letting the water stable out, and will go back to dosing TM A and K trace elements, to see the comparison with those against the Red Sea colors... ;Wideyed and... ;Writing, as we go.

The new tubing came for the Alka-T came in from Amazon on Monday.
It has the same ID (as the original line), but the OD is much wider, and a higher quality as well. Still have not go around to fixing it, or checking the Alka-T's ph probe.

On another note:
For a long time we were getting micro bubbles back into the main display???

To make a long story short. I had set the Abyzz at 65% and it was causing too much water to cascade into the sump's media section, causing air bubbles to make their way to the main return.

Reset the Abyzz back to 57% and the micro bubbles are gone, as is the S-Series down flow pipe's water line is staying dialed in a lot better as well.

Bout all we got over here.

 

[PanchoG]

Good to know the cyano is receding, your S-400 is looking great.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Dogs rule cats drool.

glad ur on top of things as always Freddie. Hope all is well.

 

[GoVols]

Had some time, this evening.

So put in the effort to fire the Alka-T back up.

Re-calibrated pumps A, C and the ph probe.
Then used baseline calibration, to home in to the Hanna.

New line is one the left / old line on the right.

As you can see the last test was done on 1/20/20

And dialed the Alka-T into the Hanna

Pretty good...

So we are keeping Action mode off, testing every 2 hours, to make sure the Alka-T and it's ph probe is truly stable.

Going to bring alk back up to 9.0 with Reef Builder, since the cal reactor back online.

PS
Our cat never chewed the acid reagent line... ;Hilarious
Covered all lines in Carmax Wintergreen lip balm, in hopes that our cat hates that smell... ;Wacky

 

[RichtheReefer21]

PS
Our cat never chewed the acid reagent line... ;Hilarious
Covered all lines in Carmax Wintergreen lip balm, in hopes that our cat hates that smell... ;Wacky

Dying over here. What a fix!

 

[GoVols]

Dying over here. What a fix!

lol
It's working so far...

Guys,
I just started using the TM PRO mix, it takes about 1 cup more!!, to mix 5 gallons to hit .35ppt... ;Stop

Guess the Red Sea Blue Bucket is coming back home!!

 

[GoVols]

Welp,
It's been awhile, want to thank @HolisticBear for being there to chat with.
Micheal has also guided me with dosing phosphates...

First off, our cat chewed thru the Alk-t's lines again... ;Hilarious

Going to put up a solid barrier / new inner pump tubes with a new ph probe are on their way.

Noticed a tad amount of dinos and dosed Vibrant, the dinos were gone with 24 hours, just did a second dose Monday and filter socks are collecting a lot of filth.

Tried one more dose of TM AFR, but the next day, cyano was coming back in. I guess the only carbon source that I can dose (with no cyano) is Vibrant.

Meanwhile been hunting a replacement for Reborn media.

@90's reefer helped out!!
Looks like Tunze is a winner / melting right at 6.8 ph in the main reactor and alk is holding tight.

It's pretty much 99% pure, so we should be able to go with the TM trace elements.
No strontium within the Tunze media, so the Red Sea colors are out of play.

All live stock are doing very well, but the scape is out of balance from all the coral growth. Montis growing up sides walls and back glass. Got some hard calls to make down the line, but we'll figure things out.

Hope you guys are doing well, and please stay safe!!

 

[X-37B]

Welp,
It's been awhile, want to thank @HolisticBear for being there to chat with.
Micheal has also guided me with dosing phosphates...

First off, our cat chewed thru the Alk-t's lines again... ;Hilarious

Going to put up a solid barrier / new inner pump tubes with a new ph probe are on their way.

Noticed a tad amount of dinos and dosed Vibrant, the dinos were gone with 24 hours, just did a second dose Monday and filter socks are collecting a lot of filth.

Tried one more dose of TM AFR, but the next day, cyano was coming back in. I guess the only carbon source that I can dose (with no cyano) is Vibrant.

Meanwhile been hunting a replacement for Reborn media.

@90's reefer helped out!!
Looks like Tunze is a winner / melting right at 6.8 ph in the main reactor and alk is holding tight.

It's pretty much 99% pure, so we should be able to go with the TM trace elements.
No strontium within the Tunze media, so the Red Sea colors are out of play.

All live stock are doing very well, but the scape is out of balance from all the coral growth. Montis growing up sides walls and back glass. Got some hard calls to make down the line, but we'll figure things out.

Hope you guys are doing well, and please stay safe!!

Good to hear!
I run DSR EZ-trace dosed daily and esv strontium dosed weekly.

 

[najer]

I stopped afo as it fueled cyano and worked out expensive for me.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Meow? Is running some sort of conduit the shelter the lines for the alka-T possible?

Bad kitty!

 

[GoVols]

I stopped afo as it fueled cyano and worked out expensive for me.

Well,
Simon that makes at least two of us, thanks for sharing.

 

[GoVols]

Meow? Is running some sort of conduit the shelter the lines for the alka-T possible?

Bad kitty!

lol, Rich

going to plexi glass that entire area...

 

[Raege]

Goid to hear you have a winning g replacem
ent.

 

[drawman]

Curious why you decided to dose PO4? Was the carbon source causing it to bottom out?

 

[GoVols]

Curious why you decided to dose PO4? Was the carbon source causing it to bottom out?

Well,
I was already treading like .018 before the TM AFR, but dosed phos up to .05

Still got some cyano with AFR on the last dose, when phosphates were higher, but I wanted to try it one more time, a week after we stopped dosing the AFR.
70mls is the daily dose, but this reef just hates most carbon sources.

Nitrates going to take awhile to safely dial back down with water changes.
I think we're down to 25-30ppm, but really need to break out that NYOS kit, hard to tell with Salifert on the high side.