My path towards SPS

Shawn_epicurious · May 4, 2020

ReefnFG said:
The salinity probe takes a week or 2 to settle to where you can calibrate it. So I just turned the alarms off for those 2 weeks then calibrated it. Also did you enable the temp correct factor in the advanced settings (it should be set to 2.2, don't forget to click the orange update button. I've done that a time or 5)? Another point, make sure you float the sealed calibration in the tank to warm them to your tank, especially the conductivity solution because that reading is temperature dependent. If possible place the probe where it wont get blasted with micro bubbles from the skimmer or drain lines. Personally I don't use the number it gives, I use it more to monitor stability. If it reads 33.5 for a few days and I see a large drop I know a lot of fresh water was added and something is wrong. Or watch for it to rise and then I know my ato container is empty.

The ORP probe is similar where it needs 2-3 weeks to "season to begin giving better readings but there is no calibration solution needed for that.

I will try this : ) thank you

Shawn_epicurious · May 8, 2020

I said I wasn’t going to buy any new fish or corals for 6 months while my tank matures and I get some new things in place.... the new things are happening : ) but I have a problem.

I have a few clown fish... of course. Who doesn’t right? I don’t have an anemone for them. I did... a green carpet anemone. He was kind of small and I think they kind of “nested” him to death. Now they‘ve started nesting one of my corals.

Should I go ahead and get an anemone? Or am I worried about nothing?

Shawn_epicurious · May 13, 2020

Progress... it feels like I am moving at a snails pace right now. Getting my hands on this equipment has been tough! I still have not been able to get the Trident system.... but...

I did get the Neptune controller. I have it set up now. I also managed to get the Apex DOS 2 stage dosing system... it’s all set up now. It’s running thru the Neptune, but without the Trident, it’s very limited. I am not even using it yet. I also got an Octopus calcium reactor. It’s “mostly” set up. I had to get the bottle filled with CO2. I just need to connect it now.

I have my heater, my skimmer, the dosing system and the calcium reactor running thru the Neptune now... really would like to get that Trident system! And... of course, I am struggling to get the salinity probe and PH probe calibrated (waiting on calibration fluids to show up in my mail)

so yeah.... not really using any of it yet : (

Shawn_epicurious · May 16, 2020

Shawn_epicurious said:
We talked about about the what we would put in the three stagesof the dosing system. To be honest, I am not certain what I want in the 3rd stage yet. I have time for research on that....so... I’ll figure it out : ) That’s why I am starting six months early

how does this set up look?

I have activated carbon in this now : ) I don’t mind saying, it is really polishing my water : ). I can see a difference.

(edit) I added the pics : )

Shawn_epicurious · May 29, 2020

I am very close to having my equipment ready. I just got the final piece (maybe : ) in the mail. I have my Trident sitting here, still on the box.

Now for the hardest part of this plan... wait for my tank to mature... oh well, it will give me a few months to get batter and keeping my water parameters stable : )

Shawn_epicurious · Jun 9, 2020

Tomorrow is a big day! I am turning everything on. Collecting the equipment was a challenge... collecting the supplies this equipment uses... yeah, proved to be tougher still. No matter, I have a 4 month supply of everything I need (I think lol) I’ll post again tomorrow : ) Success story or not.

And I am certain I will end up with a stream of questions.

Shawn_epicurious · Jun 10, 2020

Didn’t happen : ( the world got it the way today lol

Shawn_epicurious · Jun 10, 2020

So, this is my plan over the next few days (it was supposed to happen today)... oh well : (

I am not sure what to dose...

The calcium reactor media has magnesium in it. I’ll have the reactor going thru my Neptune.
...I still have to get my PH probe to finally finish a calibration... smh
run the Trident.... and just let it measure and monitor for now... a few weeks. (Find my baseline) And then decide what comes next. In other words, I want my system to tell me what it needs.

With the schedule I am on... I have 5 months to get this right... stable. My tank needs time to mature : ) 5 months before I start buying livestock again.

...lol... I still have to improve my lighting, improve my flow and am still considering a refugium. (I am running out of room in my cabinet)

Shawn_epicurious · Jun 12, 2020

Finally, a bit of success today... and of course, an absolute failure lol. Gotta love it.

It seems I missed buying a pump for my calcium reactor lol. It is on its way here now now... smh.
PH probe has proven to be a lemon... finally... Neptune is sending me a new one.

My Trident is now turned on! I have to give credit to the people at Apex... a series of videos made installing this thing idiot proof. Unboxing this thing (having never dealt with technology like this) was a little frightening. It “looked” very complex... lol. Once I found the install videos it was all beyond simple : )

one step forward, 2 steps back : ) ...still a good day!

Shawn_epicurious · Jun 25, 2020

I have been watching my “new” numbers now for two weeks. I have a new PH probe and it calibrated on the first try... but it is reading low. The API test has consistently been around 8.1 - 8..2. I have been told that probe needs a few weeks to settle in and then recalibrate it. I have not turned the calcium reactor on yet... coming soon.

The media I chose for the reactor has magnesium in it. I am hoping it is enough to increase my mag a little... but it’s the calcium I am worried about. I am already in the right range because nothing in my tank is using it.

Should I add something that will start using it? ...not sure what to do...

Rick.45cal · Jun 25, 2020

Shawn_epicurious said:
I have been watching my “new” numbers now for two weeks. I have a new PH probe and it calibrated on the first try... but it is reading low. The API test has consistently been around 8.1 - 8..2. I have been told that probe needs a few weeks to settle in and then recalibrate it. I have not turned the calcium reactor on yet... coming soon.

The media I chose for the reactor has magnesium in it. I am hoping it is enough to increase my mag a little... but it’s the calcium I am worried about. I am already in the right range because nothing in my tank is using it.

Should I add something that will start using it? ...not sure what to do...

Don’t quote me on this, but I believe Randy Holmes Farley has mentioned that magnesium in your CaRX will never increase the magnesium level, all it will do is maintain what is being used via consumption. If you want to boost it up you will need to manually add a magnesium source.

By the way, it looks like you have a great plan in place and are working towards a good goal.

.

Shawn_epicurious · Jun 25, 2020

Rick.45cal said:
Don’t quote me on this, but I believe Randy Holmes Farley has mentioned that magnesium in your CaRX will never increase the magnesium level, all it will do is maintain what is being used via consumption. If you want to boost it up you will need to manually add a magnesium source.

By the way, it looks like you have a great plan in place and are working towards a good goal. .

I’ve read that from Mr Farley as well... and thank you btw ! : )

It make me feel good that someone on this forum likes my plan! I am at a weird place in this plan...

I now have the ability to add everything I need to hit perfect specs for an SPS tank, yet... nothing in my tank is using any of this yet. I think my Mag will go up when I first turn the reactor on... because nothing is using Mag. Same with calcium. I don’t have the stability yet for real SPS... and yet I need to start using some of the elements...I may need to add more mag later. My dosing equipment is not in use for anything yet either. I am not certain I should be adding things that are not getting used yet.

The next step in my plan includes turning on my calcium reactor. My Neptune can keep the calcium level in a “range”, but the setup for the “switch” on the Neptune is based on Alk...

Am I about to create a calcium problem? ...nothing is using it

Rick.45cal · Jun 25, 2020

Shawn_epicurious said:
I’ve read that from Mr Farley as well... and thank you btw ! : )

It make me feel good that someone on this forum likes my plan! I am at a weird place in this plan...

I now have the ability to add everything I need to hit perfect specs for an SPS tank, yet... nothing in my tank is using any of this yet. I think my Mag will go up when I first turn the reactor on... because nothing is using Mag. Same with calcium. I don’t have the stability yet for real SPS... and yet I need to start using some of the elements...I may need to add more mag later. My dosing equipment is not in use for anything yet either. I am not certain I should be adding things that are not getting used yet.

The next step in my plan includes turning on my calcium reactor. My Neptune can keep the calcium level in a “range”, but the setup for the “switch” on the Neptune is based on Alk...

Am I about to create a calcium problem? ...nothing is using it

If you run your reactor and nothing is consuming alk, cal, and Mg the levels will all increase together at the same rate. That’s the beauty of a calcium reactor is that everything stays in balance.

Boosting your Mg level now may help you get coralline algae growing on everything, which in turn will start consuming alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. If you are looking for a stable environment, it may be in your advantage to do it now as opposed to later, for the simple fact that making a change now will mean that it will be one more parameter that remains the same over the next 5 months

.

Shawn_epicurious · Jun 25, 2020

Rick.45cal said:
If you run your reactor and nothing is consuming alk, cal, and Mg the levels will all increase together at the same rate. That’s the beauty of a calcium reactor is that everything stays in balance.

Boosting your Mg level now may help you get coralline algae growing on everything, which in turn will start consuming alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. If you are looking for a stable environment, it may be in your advantage to do it now as opposed to later, for the simple fact that making a change now will mean that it will be one more parameter that remains the same over the next 5 months .

I had not thought about the coraline factor! You rock. Thank you Rick!

Rick.45cal · Jun 25, 2020

Shawn_epicurious said:
I had not thought about the coraline factor! You rock. Thank you Rick!

Hey no worries!

Shawn_epicurious · Jul 1, 2020

Okay so, everything is calibrated and established now. I will call this my starting point. I need to raise a few numbers into a more acceptable range... I am not as far off as I thought I would be.

Shawn_epicurious · Jul 22, 2020

Curves in the road...

I have not been able to make myself turn my calcium reactor on yet. I am glad I have it! But I don’t have
SPS yet... I am not using calcium. So... I just bought a basic 2 part dosing package from BRS. It has all the right measuring and storage equipment and of course, the dosing liquids. I am just going to dose manually at first until I get a feel for how much... or how little... I need to maintain stable water parameters... then Ill set up my Apex DOS and let the Neptune do it. At least until I reach a point where I am doing a lot.

Walk first... run later : )

Shawn_epicurious · Aug 14, 2020

I have been neglecting this thread : ( I have actually done a lot since last I posted. I am 2 part dosing now (by hand) ...getting a feel for it before my Neptune/DOS takes over. My Carx is now ready to turn on, I am just not using enough calcium yet to warrant turning it on. I have stuck to my plan... no new livestock for 6 months... my tank is now 7 months old... 3 more months before I let myself buy new corals.
I have upgraded my lighting now! I installed a 61” T5HO non-dimmable Hybrid fixture and got a nice PAR meter. I am getting very close on equipment. I still need to address my flow... coming : ) I may need to address waste removal still... my phosphates are too high still for SPS.

The colors in my tank have come to life!!! I don’t know what did it lol... I did a lot recently. The colors are just Poppin’!

Water stability has been my primary goal throughout this... I have achieved a very nice stability on everything but phosphates... Am open to advice

Hydrored · Aug 15, 2020

I run an oversized skimmer and algea scrubber, feed home made 3-5 times a day and ab+ daily. Since running the calcium reactor my phosphates bumped up a bit but even with all the feeding I have it nailed at .08-.10

I find that the calcium reactor will bump up your phosphates.

Im subscribed to the heavy in and out method.

Shawn_epicurious · Aug 15, 2020

Hydrored said:
I run an oversized skimmer and algea scrubber, feed home made 3-5 times a day and ab+ daily. Since running the calcium reactor my phosphates bumped up a bit but even with all the feeding I have it nailed at .08-.10

I find that the calcium reactor will bump up your phosphates.

Im subscribed to the heavy in and out method.

Okay so... I just heard something new... “heavy in and out method” I’m assuming that means heavy feeding and heavy export of waste?Idont have any algea scrubber...