Lost Shepard's Reef
- Build Thread
- Thread starter Js.Aqua.Project
- Start date
- Tagged users None
OP
OP
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
3/31/24 Updates:
For the second week in a row one of my urchins decided to relocate my green birdsnest so I had to reglue it.
Due to the low Iodine values in the ICP and verification via Salifert, I have starred dosing Red Sea's Trace A and decided to add Trace D as well as I am already dosing Trace C for Iron. All of my Potassium tests (Salifert) have come back at 450ppm so I am not worried about that at all right now.
Current Tank Values:
dKH (Trident) 11
Ca (Trident) 458
Mg (Trident) 1320
NO3 (Red Sea Pro) 0
PO4 (Hanna) 0.03
Iron (Hanna) 2
Iodine (Salifert) 0
Potassium (Salifert) 450
On the the photo updates...
Right end:
Growth Updates:
For the second week in a row one of my urchins decided to relocate my green birdsnest so I had to reglue it.
Due to the low Iodine values in the ICP and verification via Salifert, I have starred dosing Red Sea's Trace A and decided to add Trace D as well as I am already dosing Trace C for Iron. All of my Potassium tests (Salifert) have come back at 450ppm so I am not worried about that at all right now.
Current Tank Values:
dKH (Trident) 11
Ca (Trident) 458
Mg (Trident) 1320
NO3 (Red Sea Pro) 0
PO4 (Hanna) 0.03
Iron (Hanna) 2
Iodine (Salifert) 0
Potassium (Salifert) 450
On the the photo updates...
Right end:
Growth Updates:
Last edited:
OP
OP
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
4/7/24 Updates:
So this has been the week that has reminded me of why I don't fully trust technology...
My Trident clogged and wasn't getting a sample, had to sort that out. It is still giving me "bad range" for Ca and Mg test...so still sorting that out.
Multiple of my Hydra 26HDs decided to reset their time and date...one still isn't behaving (see end shot below).
Had to replace the modem in the house because it decided to die.
Testing by hand today:
Ca 480 (Hanna)
Fe 0 (Hanna)
I <0.01 (Salifert)
K 450 (Salifert)
NO3 0 (Red Sea Pro)
PO4 .04 (Hanna)
On to the photos:
So this has been the week that has reminded me of why I don't fully trust technology...
My Trident clogged and wasn't getting a sample, had to sort that out. It is still giving me "bad range" for Ca and Mg test...so still sorting that out.
Multiple of my Hydra 26HDs decided to reset their time and date...one still isn't behaving (see end shot below).
Had to replace the modem in the house because it decided to die.
Testing by hand today:
Ca 480 (Hanna)
Fe 0 (Hanna)
I <0.01 (Salifert)
K 450 (Salifert)
NO3 0 (Red Sea Pro)
PO4 .04 (Hanna)
On to the photos:
OP
OP
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
4/8/24 Update:
I took the Trident down to its bulk components, pull the hub out, gave it a soak in RODI and flush it out with a syringe and needle. It definitely seems to have some build up in it again (not the first time I have flushed it). I also pulled the sample line off and flush it out too, while some water was getting through it was not filling the vial up like it should and was definitely part of my erroneous test results the past two days.
I did a factory reset on my problem lights but they are not linking as s parent-child, so for now programmed them as stand alone fixtures. Fortunately I plan ahead and save the lighting schedule as a present in myAI so I just reupload the programming and move on. However, it is a pain not having them all linked together; the next time I have more patience I will factory reset all of them and try to get them all linked up together again.
I took the Trident down to its bulk components, pull the hub out, gave it a soak in RODI and flush it out with a syringe and needle. It definitely seems to have some build up in it again (not the first time I have flushed it). I also pulled the sample line off and flush it out too, while some water was getting through it was not filling the vial up like it should and was definitely part of my erroneous test results the past two days.
I did a factory reset on my problem lights but they are not linking as s parent-child, so for now programmed them as stand alone fixtures. Fortunately I plan ahead and save the lighting schedule as a present in myAI so I just reupload the programming and move on. However, it is a pain not having them all linked together; the next time I have more patience I will factory reset all of them and try to get them all linked up together again.
OP
OP
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
4/28/24 Update
Haven't posted in a couple weeks so here are so updates on things that have been going on...
Had a recent Cyano outbreak, having been in the hobby about 10 years now I've noticed in Cyano can be cyclical with outbreaks occurring late-Spring to early-Summer and some years I've missed it - this year I wasn't as lucky. My Nitrates are still non-existent and my Phosphates are still really low so this was more environmental driven than nutrient driven.
So I treated with Chemiclean, did my first water change in 4ish years (about 32 gallons), replaced the carbon, GFO, and filter floss so now will be moving forward again. Going to give the carbon 24-48 hours to pull out some of the Chemiclean so that I don't have to deal with as many micro-bubbles is the display tank.
I refilled the media in my Calcium Reactor for the first time this year back on the 14th or so, which used up what was left of the Seachem media that I had remaining. I have not overall been a huge fan of the Seachem media because it is not releasing a lot of the Trace Elements like Iron, Iodine, and Potassium so I still find myself having to dose those separately.
On to the photos
Growth Tracking:
Haven't posted in a couple weeks so here are so updates on things that have been going on...
Had a recent Cyano outbreak, having been in the hobby about 10 years now I've noticed in Cyano can be cyclical with outbreaks occurring late-Spring to early-Summer and some years I've missed it - this year I wasn't as lucky. My Nitrates are still non-existent and my Phosphates are still really low so this was more environmental driven than nutrient driven.
So I treated with Chemiclean, did my first water change in 4ish years (about 32 gallons), replaced the carbon, GFO, and filter floss so now will be moving forward again. Going to give the carbon 24-48 hours to pull out some of the Chemiclean so that I don't have to deal with as many micro-bubbles is the display tank.
I refilled the media in my Calcium Reactor for the first time this year back on the 14th or so, which used up what was left of the Seachem media that I had remaining. I have not overall been a huge fan of the Seachem media because it is not releasing a lot of the Trace Elements like Iron, Iodine, and Potassium so I still find myself having to dose those separately.
On to the photos
Growth Tracking:
OP
OP
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
5/5/24 Update:
Trident:
So the Trident is trying to take our battle into extra rounds this past weekend...remember that I've had it since the beginning as I won it at MACNA 2019 in Orlando when the Tridents ere first coming out, and this this has no filter on the sample line, so I sometimes get clogs like nobody's business. I ran the whole sample line and cleared it with warm fresh water, I also let is soak in warm fresh water to dissolve anything still in the tubing. I also disassembled the "hub" again (at this point my Trident doesn't even get put all the way back together anymore) and flush it with warm fresh water and soaked it too. It seems to be working again but the calibration was way off so since I don't have any calibration on hand I pulled out the Hanna checkers and did the Alk and Calcium and ran each test three times for verification and then calibrated the Trident to the tank. I know this is what ABC Reagents and some other people recommend but I prefer to calibrate to a "guaranteed" reference standard as much as possible.
Water Chemistry:
Salinity - 34.4 ppt (via calibrated Hanna Checker)
Iron 0ppb - ugh
Iodine 0ppm - double ugh
Potassium - 440 ppm
Calcium - 390 - lower than the 450 Coral Pro should be (450)
Alkalinity - 13 - way higher that the 11.5 that Coral Pro should be (11.5)
NO3 - TBD
PO4 - TBD
Will raise my Iodine and Iron doses to get them closer to their respective targets of 60ppm and 10ppb.
Additions:
Because the school year is winding down, I moved some of the corals home that are in the tank at work, so there are some chalices that the Marine Biology Club students have been struggling with that we will see if the recover better in my tank at home verse school. I also brought by Micromussa lordhowensis (formerly Acans) home as well as a Pachyseris sp. from ORA that has begun paling out.
Photo updates:
Growth:
End Shot:
Trident:
So the Trident is trying to take our battle into extra rounds this past weekend...remember that I've had it since the beginning as I won it at MACNA 2019 in Orlando when the Tridents ere first coming out, and this this has no filter on the sample line, so I sometimes get clogs like nobody's business. I ran the whole sample line and cleared it with warm fresh water, I also let is soak in warm fresh water to dissolve anything still in the tubing. I also disassembled the "hub" again (at this point my Trident doesn't even get put all the way back together anymore) and flush it with warm fresh water and soaked it too. It seems to be working again but the calibration was way off so since I don't have any calibration on hand I pulled out the Hanna checkers and did the Alk and Calcium and ran each test three times for verification and then calibrated the Trident to the tank. I know this is what ABC Reagents and some other people recommend but I prefer to calibrate to a "guaranteed" reference standard as much as possible.
Water Chemistry:
Salinity - 34.4 ppt (via calibrated Hanna Checker)
Iron 0ppb - ugh
Iodine 0ppm - double ugh
Potassium - 440 ppm
Calcium - 390 - lower than the 450 Coral Pro should be (450)
Alkalinity - 13 - way higher that the 11.5 that Coral Pro should be (11.5)
NO3 - TBD
PO4 - TBD
Will raise my Iodine and Iron doses to get them closer to their respective targets of 60ppm and 10ppb.
Additions:
Because the school year is winding down, I moved some of the corals home that are in the tank at work, so there are some chalices that the Marine Biology Club students have been struggling with that we will see if the recover better in my tank at home verse school. I also brought by Micromussa lordhowensis (formerly Acans) home as well as a Pachyseris sp. from ORA that has begun paling out.
Photo updates:
Growth:
End Shot:
Attachments
OP
OP
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
5/7/24 -5/8/24 Update:
So the Trident definitely took things to extra rounds last night and I was ready to throw it a dumpster cover it in kerosene and set it ablaze while laughing maniacally as it melts into a blob or orange and grey goo....
Anyway...so it's been throwing the "no water sample error" and I had dismantled the manifold and flushed it multiple times, even flushed the sample hose from the sump...but for some reason it didn't occur to me in this battle that the clog might be in the 5" piece of hose that comes off the manifold into the pinch valve and the adapts to the little segment that takes the line out of the Trident....because why not have as many segments of hose as possible in as small of a space as possible?
Needless to say...as I finally realized that I should take these two hose segments out to see if they were the problem, I knocked over my last bottle of calibration solution and yeah...some choice words were said. So I am going to mix up some fresh saltwater, test it 3 times for validation with my Hanna Checkers and call that close enough for this round of reagents. I will also use the Hanna a couple times this month so see how close the Trident is really running.
How can something that has truly helped the tank be so stable the past 5 years be one of the biggest quagmires I have to deal with?
So the Trident definitely took things to extra rounds last night and I was ready to throw it a dumpster cover it in kerosene and set it ablaze while laughing maniacally as it melts into a blob or orange and grey goo....
Anyway...so it's been throwing the "no water sample error" and I had dismantled the manifold and flushed it multiple times, even flushed the sample hose from the sump...but for some reason it didn't occur to me in this battle that the clog might be in the 5" piece of hose that comes off the manifold into the pinch valve and the adapts to the little segment that takes the line out of the Trident....because why not have as many segments of hose as possible in as small of a space as possible?
Needless to say...as I finally realized that I should take these two hose segments out to see if they were the problem, I knocked over my last bottle of calibration solution and yeah...some choice words were said. So I am going to mix up some fresh saltwater, test it 3 times for validation with my Hanna Checkers and call that close enough for this round of reagents. I will also use the Hanna a couple times this month so see how close the Trident is really running.
How can something that has truly helped the tank be so stable the past 5 years be one of the biggest quagmires I have to deal with?
Similar threads
