Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[tripdad]

Good afternoon, any good news on the nem walkabout? Hopefully it has taken root in a good spot?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Good afternoon, any good news on the nem walkabout? Hopefully it has taken root in a good spot?

So far so good. It went to the top of the back next to the overflow and has stayed there. Assuming that holds, I conclude it was insufficient light for its needs, but I won’t assume it’s stable there for a week or so longer. :)

 

[rishma]

I recall you have a par meter. If it stays put you should take a reading you’ll have a minimum value to shoot for on your preferred rock.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I recall you have a par meter. If it stays put you should take a reading you’ll have a minimum value to shoot for on your preferred rock.

Yes, that’s a good point. :)

 

[hoffyhill]

Air and Humidity Handling in Fish Room

Excessive humidity is a serious risk for mold and rust, and fish rooms with skimmers and open topped sumps and refugia are a big contributor to humidity.

This section details how I handled it in the past and am currently setting it up again.

1. The fish room has the 4 Brute can sump/refugia setup, 3 Brute cans for RO/DI DI, 2 for new salt water, and the skimmer. All big possible sources of water. The room is in the basement, below the tank. The RO/DI and new salt water are in closed Brute cans and do not need anything further to prevent humidity release.

2. There are currently 2 dehumidifiers in the basement, but none in the fish room (and none currently planned for it).

3. The fish room has a basement window to the back yard, with 3 glass panes. Two panes were replaced by wood during the first tank days, and are still there with holes in it for ventilation equipment (removed equipment but plugged holes).

4. In the current plan, one of the holes (4") will be occupied by a 6" exhaust fan from Amazon ($29) with a reducing adapter from 6" to 4". On the outside is an old plastic guard to keep pests out that was there previously.

5. I plan to cut a 6" circular piece of wood to plug the interior end of that fan, and through it will cut 4 holes for cheap 1" conduit hose so that all of the exhaust air is sucked through the hoses. $15 from amazon.

6. The other end of each of the 4 hoses will go through a 1" hole cut into the top of each of the 4 Brute cans in the sump refugium setups. That will pull air out of the Brute cans, keeping it fresh and oxygenated and normal basement CO2 levels even in a closed can, while sending all of the humidity outside.

7. The only tricky one is the skimmer can. The skimmer sticks up a couple of inches through a largish round hole cut into the top of that can (easy access for skimmer cup cleaning without removing the Brute lid, and needed to be that high to set the water depth outside the skimmer). I'll show pictures of it when the skimmer gets set up and working, but the plan is to just put an inverted cardboard box over the top of it, and the hose that runs through a different hole into the Brute will be sucking air in through the gaps around the box bottom. That keeps the skimmer using fresh air and exhausts the humidity. At least that's the plan. We will have to see how well that all works as I've never tried to put a skimmer into such a situation.

8. One of the other 4" holes in the window wood section also has an old plastic grid guard on the outside, and I plan to add window screen to the inside. That will allow fresh air to be entering the room. The humidity in the room should not get higher than the outside air. In Massachusetts, the air entering will be adequately dry most of the year.

9. In winter, the air entering the room may bring the room down too much in temp. The fish room is heated by the bare hot water heating system pipes passing along the ceiling on their way upstairs (I removed the old insulation years ago), but it may still get too cold. There are electric baseboard heaters from a previous owner who had a teenager living in the fish room, but we have never used them and I don't want to. I think in shoulder seasons I might plug the fresh air opening (then drawing air from elsewhere around the basement in this leaky 115 year old house and out the exhaust system) and during the coldest months when the house is very dry already, I may disconnect the exhaust fan from the hole to outside and just let it run and exhaust inside.

It's not fully set up yet, but I'll show pictures when it is.

Randy, long time follower of yours, first time poster
I’m playing catchup and only up to pg 11 so ignore if I’ll see this elsewhere in the thread. I’m curious if sucking air locally at each source could actually speed up evaporation? In my head, moving air across the water directly (read, faster) rather than moving it from the larger space, would keep drier air at that interface allowing for quicker evaporation.
I say that knowing I have absolutely no idea if that’s even how evaporation works but it tracks logically to me. Drier air sucks water faster? Or is evaporation rate more affected by temperature? Or is it a Fixed rate no matter the environment at the interface?
Also may be that you just don’t care because of how your setup and ATO works. Or that’s it’s super negligible. Just curious.
Thanks for everything you’ve been to this hobby!
Hoffy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, long time follower of yours, first time poster
I’m playing catchup and only up to pg 11 so ignore if I’ll see this elsewhere in the thread. I’m curious if sucking air locally at each source could actually speed up evaporation? In my head, moving air across the water directly (read, faster) rather than moving it from the larger space, would keep drier air at that interface allowing for quicker evaporation.
I say that knowing I have absolutely no idea if that’s even how evaporation works but it tracks logically to me. Drier air sucks water faster? Or is evaporation rate more affected by temperature? Or is it a Fixed rate no matter the environment at the interface?
Also may be that you just don’t care because of how your setup and ATO works. Or that’s it’s super negligible. Just curious.
Thanks for everything you’ve been to this hobby!
Hoffy

Glad you posted!

Drier air and moving air and hotter air will all speed evaporation, as will moving water, warmer water, and water without an organic film coating it.

If the context of the question is the air being sucked out of the sump head spaces at the top of the Brute cans, then yes, that will greatly increase evaporation and also heat loss. The water loss is no concern due to the ATO and the fact that I’m not delivering any chemicals that way.

Heat loss is certainly undesirable right now, and I may divert the exhaust fan outlet back into the room for the winter.

The main reason for it is oxygenation, and in my mind that overrides the heat loss concern, although I have no proof it is significant or important.

 

[Tradevg]

There are exhaust fans that come with a humidity sensor to switch on/off. Not sure how high the minimum humidity needs to be before they turn on but might be worth a look.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There are exhaust fans that come with a humidity sensor to switch on/off. Not sure how high the minimum humidity needs to be before they turn on but might be worth a look.

Thanks. :)

 

[skey44]

Hey Randy
I ran an ICP and was quite low on a lot of traces and iron. I’m already dosing AFR for most of my chemistry needs, I do also run low dilution kalkwasser (2tsp/8ga) in my ato for pH boost.
I’m also trying to lower some metals (tin/aluminum) with serial water changes for dilution.
Was considering adding brightwell chaetogrow to my dosing that’s a source for things I’m deficient or zero in. Are you using this still? and how much are you dosing?
I’m considering starting this and a couple of drops of lugol’s solution daily for iodine instead of full blown trace element dosing.
Thanks for any input of resharing your thoughts on this.
I saw your icp post a little while back and this is basically a late response/question related to that.

 

[rishma]

Hey Randy
I ran an ICP and was quite low on a lot of traces and iron. I’m already dosing AFR for most of my chemistry needs, I do also run low dilution kalkwasser (2tsp/8ga) in my ato for pH boost.
I’m also trying to lower some metals (tin/aluminum) with serial water changes for dilution.
Was considering adding brightwell chaetogrow to my dosing that’s a source for things I’m deficient or zero in. Are you using this still? and how much are you dosing?
I’m considering starting this and a couple of drops of lugol’s solution daily for iodine instead of full blown trace element dosing.
Thanks for any input of resharing your thoughts on this.
I saw your icp post a little while back and this is basically a late response/question related to that.

I don’t think lugols the best iodine supplement, but I don’t recall why. I used it for years way back when. I now use redsea reef colors iodide because it was cheap and at my LFS. It might also not be the best.

FWIW I dose AFR and always had low iodine. I started dosing 1ppm iodide weekly and for the last several years my ICP has shown a steady iodine value. It made no difference to my tank that I noticed but I keep dosing it because I have it.

 

[skey44]

I don’t think lugols the best iodine supplement, but I don’t recall why. I used it for years way back when. I now use redsea reef colors iodide because it was cheap and at my LFS. It might also not be the best.

FWIW I dose AFR and always had low iodine. I started dosing 1ppm iodide weekly and for the last several years my ICP has shown a steady iodine value. It made no difference to my tank that I noticed but I keep dosing it because I have it.

Thanks for input. I don’t have an iodine source so I can buy whatever.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hey Randy
I ran an ICP and was quite low on a lot of traces and iron. I’m already dosing AFR for most of my chemistry needs, I do also run low dilution kalkwasser (2tsp/8ga) in my ato for pH boost.
I’m also trying to lower some metals (tin/aluminum) with serial water changes for dilution.
Was considering adding brightwell chaetogrow to my dosing that’s a source for things I’m deficient or zero in. Are you using this still? and how much are you dosing?
I’m considering starting this and a couple of drops of lugol’s solution daily for iodine instead of full blown trace element dosing.
Thanks for any input of resharing your thoughts on this.
I saw your icp post a little while back and this is basically a late response/question related to that.

FWIW, I have never used chaetogro, though some folks do and seem happy with it. I use AFR and diy trace elements, such as iron gluconate.

 

[skey44]

FWIW, I have never used chaetogro, though some folks do and seem happy with it. I use AFR and diy trace elements, such as iron gluconate.

Ok Gotya. Thanks for that information.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Magnifica Update

Since it started its walkabout and got to the back wall 9 days ago, it moved to the top of the back and has been in that general area ever since. The flow is lower back there and while bright at the top (I’ll take light readings tomorrow), it is oriented vertically so on balance would not seem to be getting more light.

Plan is to just leave it be to see what happens, and if nothing else does, I may just leave it there.

Here are two pictures:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Cyano Update

I’ve been away and have done nothing to the tank for more than a week after adding a bottle of microbe Lift Special Blend, and the cyano in the rocks seems to be greatly reduced.

Could be the bacteria, the lower temp (around 75 down from the usual 78 due to very cold weather), or perhaps some feeding difference.

I’ll keep monitoring and blow off the rocks tomorrow to see if what cyano is there returns, but I’m pleased with the change.

Here’s the rock at the base of the anemone island which had been getting substantial cyano. This picture was taken at 7 pm which is peak time for the cyano each day.

 

[dwest]

Is this the stuff you are using?

Amazon product

 

[jonelder68]

Is this the stuff you are using?

Amazon product

Makes me want to barf just thinking of that smell

 

[fandaga]

Magnifica Update

Since it started its walkabout and got to the back wall 9 days ago, it moved to the top of the back and has been in that general area ever since. The flow is lower back there and while bright at the top (I’ll take light readings tomorrow), it is oriented vertically so on balance would not seem to be getting more light.

Plan is to just leave it be to see what happens, and if nothing else does, I may just leave it there.

Here are two pictures:

Looks awesome in that spot.

Edit. Also I love the milka stylos- what a great coral!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is this the stuff you are using?

Amazon product

The pic doesn't show for me, but it is this:.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Edit. Also I love the milka stylos- what a great coral!

It has done supper well. I got it from a local reefer as it was outgrowing his tank. :)