Megabite's 180 Reef - Round 2

[MegabiteOG]

Trying something new to me.

My PH has never been ideal no matter if windows are open or bringing in outside air through the skimmer (that I currently do). I dose BRS 2 part + part C and currently dosing 135 ml Soda Ash and Calcium to keep my ALK at 8+ and CAL in the 400+ range. As you can see from the chart, my PH doesn't even break 8 at peak and dips below 7.8 nights. I was adding the soda ash from 12:30 AM to 9 AM.

As of tonight starting at 9:00 PM I'm replacing the Soda Ash with Sodium Hydroxide and continue dosing the same amounts. The mixture is 283g per gallon of Sodium Hydroxide that should be the equivalent of my Soda Ash mixture. The difference is the Sodium Hydroxide is supposed to boost the PH by about .2. If it does that, I will be a happy camper. I'm going to add the Sodium Hydroxide from 9 PM to 9AM.

Hope this helps without crashing the tank!

Here's a quick update on using Sodium Hydroxide. I've only been using it for 2 days but the results look promising in helping raise my PH. I've upped my dosing by 20 ml per day as well to 155 ml. dKH is stable at 8.1 and I may let it rise to about 8.5. I think I can safely do this being that I have elevated nutrients.

Updated PH chart

Nutrients and dKH

 

[Red_Beard]

Here's a quick update on using Sodium Hydroxide. I've only been using it 2 days but the results look promising in helping raise my PH. I've upped my dosing by 20ml per day as well to 155ml. dKH is stable at 8.1 and I may let it rise to about 8.5. I think I can safely do this being that I have elevated nutrients.

Updated PH chart

Nutrients and dKH

Wow, that is a pretty dramatic impact on pH! Very nice, i bet the sticks will love it!

 

[MegabiteOG]

Wow, that is a pretty dramatic impact on pH! Very nice, i bet the sticks will love it!

I'm pretty happy and hope the sticks like the elevated PH as well. So far they are.

Here are to quick iPhone pics that I took to compare at a later date.

 

[MegabiteOG]

The sodium Hydroxide continues to work well. Another very interesting thing it did (or it's a heck of a coincidence) is my ORP rose as well far beyond where it was. Here's the graph of PH with ORP overlay.

I have the ozone kick off when ORP hits 400.

 

[MegabiteOG]

14 week comparison shot. That digitata is growing like a weed.

 

[MegabiteOG]

Another couple of interesting observations (to me anyways) is that my torches are extending further than ever. Also, my ORP continued rising Evan after the ozone turned off. Both of these things happened precisely when I swapped from soda ash to sodium hydroxide which rose both ph and dKH. I purposely rose dKH from about 8.2 to 8.5

Was it the sodium hydroxide or the effect it had on ph and me raising Alk that effected the change. Good change so far in any case.

YouTube Link

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Another couple of interesting observations (to me anyways) is that my torches are extending further than ever. Also, my ORP continued rising Evan after the ozone turned off. Both of these things happened precisely when I swapped from soda ash to sodium hydroxide which rose both ph and dKH. I purposely rose dKH from about 8.2 to 8.5

Was it the sodium hydroxide or the effect it had on ph and me raising Alk that effected the change. Good change so far in any case.

YouTube Link

Sounds like someone, in the background, approves!

 

[MegabiteOG]

She just turned 6 months yesterday. So cute. She's always looking for me as I do a lot of stuff with her including reef tank stuff, 3d printing stuff and outside stuff like feeding the critters and even when I'm doing a little tractor work on my land. Love this little one.

 

[MegabiteOG]

Here are my contest pieces and how they're doing. The Battle Corals have been in the tank for 18 days and the SPS coral has been in for 14 days. All corals are starting to encrust the plug so I'm guessing things are going well.

BC - Aquadelight, Pink Caddy, and Snipers Blue (3/13/26 - 3/31/26)

SPS Corals - Tropicana (3/17/26 - 3/31/26) *I know, the color is off on this one. Color continues to be the same as the left photo.

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Here are my contest pieces and how they're doing. The Battle Corals have been in the tank for 18 days and the SPS coral has been in for 14 days. All corals are starting to encrust the plug so I'm guessing things are going well.

BC - Aquadelight, Pink Caddy, and Snipers Blue (3/13/26 - 3/31/26)

SPS Corals - Tropicana (3/17/26 - 3/31/26) *I know, the color is off on this one. Color continues to be the same as the left photo.

It could be my vision but I think I see some growth already.

 

[MegabiteOG]

You see it too!

I did notice that as well. The Aquadelight and the Pink Caddy has a bit of growth on the tips I'm pretty sure. The Snipers Blue in mostly on the base only. Don't see much on the Tropicana except for the base starting to encrust.

I'm really happy to see this bit progress on such a young tank. Tank will be 6 months old a week from Thursday.

 

[TheNative192]

Here are my contest pieces and how they're doing. The Battle Corals have been in the tank for 18 days and the SPS coral has been in for 14 days. All corals are starting to encrust the plug so I'm guessing things are going well.

BC - Aquadelight, Pink Caddy, and Snipers Blue (3/13/26 - 3/31/26)

SPS Corals - Tropicana (3/17/26 - 3/31/26) *I know, the color is off on this one. Color continues to be the same as the left photo.

Gorgeous tank! By chance do you know what settings and equipment you use for flow. I know every tank is different but I am curious what your numbers are like as I am planning to keep SPS as well.

 

[MegabiteOG]

Gorgeous tank! By chance do you know what settings and equipment you use for flow. I know every tank is different but I am curious what your numbers are like as I am planning to keep SPS as well.

Thanks @TheNative192. As for flow, I have a bunch of info on page #13 of this thread. Here's most of the info below. Hope this helps.

I run AI PH's. Two Orbit 4's, two Nero 7's, and two Nero 5's.

As I'm sure you know, pump placement has everything to do with your rockwork and corals. This video shows where my pumps are relative to my rock work. The 5's are pivoted upwards while the 7's are pointed pretty straight foward. I fist set intensity to a level that I feel there's movement on every part of the tank. Then really keep and eye on your corals to and see if they all or at least most like it.

I needed to tweak this setup a lot for accomplish where I am now. It was either the SPS loved it or the softies/ LPS did but not so much the other. It's tricky in a mixed reef and why I chose 6 pumps. If all SPS, blast away or all LPS/ softies usually do well in shifting gentler currents. You can usually tell shortly after making an adjustment if you're in the ballpark by looking at your corals and sand. But the test to see if you have it right is after a few days.



No easy way to share, so I mapped it out. See if this works.

 

[TheNative192]

Thanks @TheNative192. As for flow, I have a bunch of info on page #13 of this thread. Here's most of the info below. Hope this helps.

I run AI PH's. Two Orbit 4's, two Nero 7's, and two Nero 5's.

As I'm sure you know, pump placement has everything to do with your rockwork and corals. This video shows where my pumps are relative to my rock work. The 5's are pivoted upwards while the 7's are pointed pretty straight foward. I fist set intensity to a level that I feel there's movement on every part of the tank. Then really keep and eye on your corals to and see if they all or at least most like it.

I needed to tweak this setup a lot for accomplish where I am now. It was either the SPS loved it or the softies/ LPS did but not so much the other. It's tricky in a mixed reef and why I chose 6 pumps. If all SPS, blast away or all LPS/ softies usually do well in shifting gentler currents. You can usually tell shortly after making an adjustment if you're in the ballpark by looking at your corals and sand. But the test to see if you have it right is after a few days.



No easy way to share, so I mapped it out. See if this works.

Thanks so much! Right now in my 47 inch 80g tank I am rocking two Orbit 4s as my primary source of flow so I was curious what other people were doing. My tank is a lot smaller and right now I have been just using pulse mode alternating with some reduction on each side to keep it random. I appreciate the detailed look!

 

[matthol98]

Here are my contest pieces and how they're doing. The Battle Corals have been in the tank for 18 days and the SPS coral has been in for 14 days. All corals are starting to encrust the plug so I'm guessing things are going well.

BC - Aquadelight, Pink Caddy, and Snipers Blue (3/13/26 - 3/31/26)

SPS Corals - Tropicana (3/17/26 - 3/31/26) *I know, the color is off on this one. Color continues to be the same as the left photo.

these are looking great

 

[MegabiteOG]

Thanks @matthol98!

 

[MegabiteOG]

Thanks so much! Right now in my 47 inch 80g tank I am rocking two Orbit 4s as my primary source of flow so I was curious what other people were doing. My tank is a lot smaller and right now I have been just using pulse mode alternating with some reduction on each side to keep it random. I appreciate the detailed look!

My tank before this was a 48" and was running two Orbit 4's and two Nero 5's. Footprint was 4' X 2' X 2' more or less.

Here's my thoughts on tuning your flow. I'd turn one pump off and position and run the other pump to your liking. Then do the same with your other pump on the other side of the tank with the first pump off. What you're looking for is for flow to reach all parts of the tank with each of the pumps. Once you're satisfied with the positions of each, turn them both on, BUT run run the opposite side pump in reverse and slow while running whatever program you like on the other.

After doing this, pay attention to your livestock and sand and see if things are initially happy. Happy = polyp extension, opened up LPS and softies etc. Fish usually are fine with most flows. You can then tweak this moving forward. Give it a couple of days of a certain flow to see how your livestock react. It's not instant. Then tweak if needed.

I took a few weeks of doing the above to get to where I like it. And even then I tweak it now and again (reposition pumps/ change intensity) as corals grow and flow change is needed.

There is NO PERFECT FLOW. All you're looking for is enough movement all around the tank to clean off corals and rock of most of the detritus.

Good luck!

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Haha! You made me spit out my drink. Love that saying!

Nice lawns and homes all! I've got a couple of mows down this year and was working on finishing mulching a very large island we completed last year. Thank god for the tractor.

Yes, I just did something not seen often. I quoted you from a different thread and posted it here.

Nice property you have there. How large is it? Also, what series is your Kioti? And lastly, are those solar panels on the right side along the treeline?

 

[MegabiteOG]

No problem at all.

Just over 4 acres. About 2.5 of lawn, 1 of wild forest with a small creek, and .75 of orchard and garden. I was looking for bigger property, but really like this one. Lots of wildlife out back.

It’s a DK6010 HST. I first bought a Kubota LX2610 SU, but was a little light for its intended purpose and preferred the ergonomics of the Kioti as I had one in my previous home (CK 3520) in AZ.

Yes, I’ve been playing around with solar. It’s just four 550w panels. It supplies power to a small 7.2wh battery backup hooked to my network, main computer, and security/ surveillance system.

 

[bmheath]

Nice control display for under $40.

It's very convenient installed on the cabinet in front of the tank. I have it on magnets so I just pull and use if I want it in my hands. Lots of times I don't have my phone or iPad on me then have to go look for it to do things. It's always on and charged up for viewing and using.

Where did you get this?