Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Freenow54]

Refugium Lighting

Looks like I need to change my refugium lighting setup. In Brute can #1, the bubbles coming into the can from the water coming down from the display have cause enough salt spray from popping that the led bulb shorted and tripped the gfi.

Another lesson that I already knew but ignored, spread out the plugs in gfi in a way that there’s not important things tripping each other. In this case, the ATO also went out. Rinsing the bulb in tap water and placing it on a dehumidifier to dry seems to have fixed it.

I decided that, at least temporarily, I can put a glass sheet between the bulb and the spray. It would work, but at least in Brute 1 the spray is already visibly getting into the glass (in 30 min).

Long term, at least in Brute 1, I may need floss or something to trap bubbles. I’m open to suggestions of how to stop bubbles. :)

Also as I harped on in other threads And this example is textbook, Ask an Electrician consider ARC Protection on Receptacle or entire breaker

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Also as I harped on in other threads And this example is textbook, Ask an Electrician consider ARC Protection on Receptacle or entire breaker

The breaker is a gfi, which might be a mistake since it may cause all the gfi outlets (5) on that circuit to shut down from one device issue. :)

 

[Freenow54]

The breaker is a gfi, which might be a mistake since it may cause all the gfi outlets (5) on that circuit to shut down from one device issue. :)

Please research Arc Protection . It can protect against fires in the walls

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Pool noodle to the rescue!

Looks like the bubbles were stopped perfectly with a section of an old pool noodle with a couple of zip ties through the center. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Please research Arc Protection . It can protect against fires in the walls

Yes, I have arc faults in the barn. Caused us to do a bunch of rewiring due to odd wiring where electricity went out one breaker and back another.

 

[Miami Reef]

Pool noodle to the rescue!

Looks like the bubbles were stopped perfectly with a section of an old pool noodle with a couple of zip ties through the center. :)

Your PhD went to good use!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Your PhD went to good use!

lol

 

[rtparty]

Dr Jimmy Rig-Holmes-Farley has a ring to it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Nutrient testing

Got my Hanna HI 774 phosphate ULR from Amazon. Tested tank water twice: 0.16 and 0.17 ppm. Plenty of phosphate without being above my concern trigger of 0.3 ppm. Not sure where it came from. Maybe I overdosed early on, or from rocks (old or new) or maybe dying local macroalgae from the ocean (cannot really tell).

Did some additional testing with my Hanna HI 782 Marine Nitrate HR, and got 0 again. Could mean 0-2 ppm, which seems low to me. I had stopped the ammonia dosing when the first batch of rock came, but time to restart. I think I’ll just add 0.1 ppm per day for a while. I manually added that as ammonium bicarbonate just now while I get auto dosing set up again.

My better BRS 1.1 mL per min doser (unused in box but at least 10 years old) is being used for phyto. Pulling out my two old used ones, one doses 0.89 mL per min (tested over two 20-min periods) and one doses nothing. It’s an easy decision which to use, and using the stock solution I made (4.3 mg/mL) it will take about 21 mL per day for the full system of about 900 L.

Thus, I’ll set this timer for about 24 minutes per day of ammonia dosing. I made it a few weeks ago, but it is in a glass bottle with a screw cap so I expect the concentration is unchanged.

 

[Pod_01]

Looks like I need to change my refugium lighting setup. In Brute can #1, the bubbles coming into the can from the water coming down from the display have cause enough salt spray from popping that the led bulb shorted and tripped the gfi.

So I never used refugium, but after few recent discussions I decided to try one, mainly to raise pH at night.
To make long story short I decided on the following light:

Not sure if it is good or bad but what I liked about it is that it can be submerged under water.
With all the potentials to spray water in the sump I think it is really neat idea.
I use it submerged and no spray concern…

 

[twentyleagues]

So I never used refugium, but after few recent discussions I decided to try one, mainly to raise pH at night.
To make long story short I decided on the following light:

Not sure if it is good or bad but what I liked about it is that it can be submerged under water.
With all the potentials to spray water in the sump I think it is really neat idea.
I use it submerged and no spray concern…

I like the idea but I do have concerns that the lens will grow algae. Any issues with this? I also dont like pink fuge lights I like natural 6500-8000k lighting for my macros. I do understand that the pink color will grow macros and it does it pretty well most green ones anyway reds seem to like more white light.

 

[Miami Reef]

You’re doing a great job with the nutrients, Randy.

0.17ppm is actually great. Nothing will be PO4 limited. The corals will be nice and fluffy.

I agree that adding ammonium bicarbonate is the optimal next step for nitrate.

So far so good!

 

[rishma]

So I never used refugium, but after few recent discussions I decided to try one, mainly to raise pH at night.
To make long story short I decided on the following light:

Not sure if it is good or bad but what I liked about it is that it can be submerged under water.
With all the potentials to spray water in the sump I think it is really neat idea.
I use it submerged and no spray concern…

I was going to recommend the same lights.

 

[rishma]

I agree that adding ammonium bicarbonate is the optimal next step for nitrate.

There is a good thread in this forum which that will tell you all you need to know :)

 

[rishma]

Nutrient testing

Got my Hanna HI 774 phosphate ULR from Amazon. Tested tank water twice: 0.16 and 0.17 ppm. Plenty of phosphate without being above my concern trigger of 0.3 ppm. Not sure where it came from. Maybe I overdosed early on, or from rocks (old or new) or maybe dying local macroalgae from the ocean (cannot really tell).



Did some additional testing with my Hanna HI 782 Marine Nitrate HR, and got 0 again. Could mean 0-2 ppm, which seems low to me. I had stopped the ammonia dosing when the first batch of rock came, but time to restart. I think I’ll just add 0.1 ppm per day for a while. I manually added that as ammonium bicarbonate just now while I get auto dosing set up again.

My better BRS 1.1 mL per min doser (unused in box but at least 10 years old) is being used for phyto. Pulling out my two old used ones, one doses 0.89 mL per min (tested over two 20-min periods) and one doses nothing. It’s an easy decision which to use, and using the stock solution I made (4.3 mg/mL) it will take about 21 mL per day for the full system of about 900 L.

Thus, I’ll set this timer for about 24 minutes per day of ammonia dosing. I made it a few weeks ago, but it is in a glass bottle with a screw cap so I expect the concentration is unchanged.

I have seen reports that phytoplankton dosing can cause nutrients to go down. I have never done it consistently enough to comment. I suppose zero nitrate isn’t a big surprise especially if you are not feeding fish.

When is the yellow tang coming?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So I never used refugium, but after few recent discussions I decided to try one, mainly to raise pH at night.
To make long story short I decided on the following light:

Not sure if it is good or bad but what I liked about it is that it can be submerged under water.
With all the potentials to spray water in the sump I think it is really neat idea.
I use it submerged and no spray concern…

Thanks. I’ve seen those. I’ll keep them in mind.

If one goes by watts only, I’d need 14 of them to match the intensity I have now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have seen reports that phytoplankton dosing can cause nutrients to go down. I have never done it consistently enough to comment. I suppose zero nitrate isn’t a big surprise especially if you are not feeding fish.

When is the yellow tang coming?

I’ve heard that too. Not sure I am 100% convinced, but that may be contributing.

There’s no hard date on the fish, but I expect to arrange them with Dr Reef for very soon after the second rock arrives, which is presently scheduled for May 15. Along with the yellow tang will be a pair of mandarins and some green chromis.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

0.17ppm is actually great. Nothing will be PO4 limited. The corals will be nice and fluffy.

I agree that adding ammonium bicarbonate is the optimal next step for nitrate.

So far so good!

Now that you mention it, corals are coming fast. Dwest has very kindly offered to send me some corals from his long standing tank. They are planned for about 5 days after the final rock arrives.

Chief among these is a baby elegance (the little guy in the front bottom) from an elegance that he has had for 30 years.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Two other corals that are coming from Dwest are a cali tort and a green leather. He is moving his home and tank so there is a window of opportunity to get them, but one implication is that both will be unmounted. I’ve never mounted a hard coral in my life. He gave me some good advice on how to do it, but I’ll take and tips and suggestions so I don’t screw it up. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Finally, DIY reefer has very kindly offered me a frag of a yellow Fiji leather. I had one years ago and loved it. It should look good in my lighting. No exact shipping date sent, but it will be soon too. This is his mother colony:

Yellow Fiji Leather?

I can say that the Tonga yellow leathers can get very close, if not just as yellow as their the Fiji counterparts. That is, before they sit under blue LEDs and turn green/brown. There is a hypothesis that they need more green light (as found in halides) to keep/re-develope that true "canary...

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