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Wow, you should sell this stuff, my “Hose clamp” is hopes and prayers
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Thanks for the update! My RSR350 came in Friday. Built a control board yesterday and mounted it 6 inches from the back leaving around 11inches front to back space in the cabinet. Definitely agree it’s a little tight. I was trying to find an old radio cabinet To make my control center but just decided to keep it in the stand. I think I might make a build thread as well.Been really crazy at work, but I've been working diligently on my reef too! It's definitely, completely, undeniably, in the ugly stage. This one is really ugly too -- I've never had an ugly stage that hit it all: diatoms, cyano, dino, hair algae, brown algae, crusty sand, and more. Add to that that I haven't been on top of my water changes because of my schedule and you get an ugly tank.
On a positive note all params are all in line and I'm mixing up a batch of SW for a change now. Oh yeah, I converted the ugly guest shower to a mixing station. Can't remember if I mentioned that, but yeah that's a perk of being single I guess?
Stu-Tanks: I am prototyping a control board right now. The area of the cabinet under the RSR350 is just too small to have a layout that I like so I'm considering having my dad who's a great woodworker build me a matching cabinet on the side that will house the dosing setup and control setup. I'll attach a pic of my ugly prototype. The kessils I had spaced in thirds, but I recently abandoned them.
I switch to MH 150w DE 14k ... I love the Kessil's but MH was always something I wanted to try. I'm not super stoked on the PAR or color though -- which is frustrating -- so I'm accenting with a couple blue T5's to bring color and PAR back. I will record PAR figures once the bulbs burn in (hoping PAR increases and color improves over the 100hr burn in period). Overall though it's a much better blanket of light and shimmer which makes me happy. I think the T5's will bring it home.
I also bought a cheap Jebao doser. Corals are using up Alk steadily (but not Ca so that's odd) so it was time to start dosing. Only a few mL a day but stability is key. Once I get everything stabilized I will start looking into easy SPS that will be stoked under the halides.
Originally this was going to be an LPS heavy tank but I've recently caught the SPS bug (part of the switch to MH -- cheapest way to coverage) and I'm watching my future money burn in front of my very eyes.
I added some fish too. Now I have:
Baby blue tang
Baby tomini tang
2 firefish
2 clowns who refuse to go in their BTA of course
Striped blenny
Want to add a spotbreast angelfish and a few smaller fish and call it.
I also switched to the Hanna checkers and wow that was 100% worth the investment. If you're reading this and you don't have them... get 'em.
Parameters:
Alk: 8.2
Sal: 1.025
Ca: 450
Mg: 1350
Nitrate: undetectable
Phosphate: 0.04 (Hanna ULR)
pH: gonna start testing that more oops
Still not seeing good growth from the corals (some I've had for a while from a previous temporary tank) but I'm thinking that's because this tank is still new and in the ugly phase and getting everything figured out. Once I get the lights stabilized, nitrates detectable, and stop messing with it, I'm expecting growth to pick back up again. If there's anything I've learned it's that growth takes time, nothing happens fast (that's good, anyways), and patience is everything.