Shaun's 2000 Litre (530 USG) Living Reef & Red Sea Max S 650 LED Design & Build

GoVols · Mar 5, 2021

SPR1968 said:
Day 1, life.....

1 year later....

Amazing!!

SPR1968 · Mar 6, 2021

GoVols said:
Amazing!!

Thank you Freddie, it’s certainly been an exciting adventure!

I sit most evenings between the tanks, TV off, just chilling with them. At night time when they go ‘blue’ there just so relaxing.

As with all our systems, pictures do not give a true picture of what they look like in real life, with the movement and life....

SPR1968 · Mar 10, 2021

The Deltec Nitrate Reactors been running since 23rd February, although I did a reset and added a whole 100ml bottle of Seachem Stability 5th March

At the time it was showing nitrates higher than the tank level as clearly the bacteria within the unit were still aerobic rather than the anerobic ones we need when the oxygen within the water is depleted These are the ones than turn nitrate into nitrogen gas within the reactor and hence lower the nitrate levels.

So 5th March I gave it a boost of bacteria, switched the water flow through it off to allow oxygen to be used up and tested today 5 days later. The nitrate coming out is now zero which is what we need.

So the idea is we turn the flow through it up very slowly. It was started at 1ml/min which is about 1 drop every 3 seconds (the Kamoer FX STP2 is very accurate and ideal for this task) so I’ve turned the flow up to 2ml/min.

The idea is to leave it another few days, test and if nitrate is zero, turn it up again by no more than 1/3 and repeat with a target of around 37-50ml/min to turn the tank water over around every 28 days or so depending on levels. If nitrate shows, dont turn it up and leave it for a few more days to catch up.This may take a few months but that’s the idea. Although the volume/minute is relatively small, it’s running 24/7 so will soon add up once it gets going.

Just to remind you what we’re talking about here you go

najer · Mar 10, 2021

SPR1968 said:
The Deltec Nitrate Reactors been running since 23rd February, although I did a reset and added a whole 100ml bottle of Seachem Stability 5th March

At the time it was showing nitrates higher than the tank level as clearly the bacteria within the unit were still aerobic rather than the anerobic ones we need when the oxygen within the water is depleted These are the ones than turn nitrate into nitrogen gas within the reactor and hence lower the nitrate levels.

So 5th March I gave it a boost of bacteria, switched the water flow through it off to allow oxygen to be used up and tested today 5 days later. The nitrate coming out is now zero which is what we need.

So the idea is we turn the flow through it up very slowly. It was started at 1ml/min which is about 1 drop every 3 seconds (the Kamoer FX STP2 is very accurate and ideal for this task) so I’ve turned the flow up to 2ml/min.

The idea is to leave it another few days, test and if nitrate is zero, turn it up again by no more than 1/3 and repeat with a target of around 37-50ml/min to turn the tank water over around every 28 days or so depending on levels. If nitrate shows, dont turn it up and leave it for a few more days to catch up.This may take a few months but that’s the idea. Although the volume/minute is relatively small, it’s running 24/7 so will soon add up once it gets going.

Just to remind you what we’re talking about here you go

That is one heck of a juggling act to get going but I love the idea!

SPR1968 · Mar 10, 2021

najer said:
That is one heck of a juggling act to get going but I love the idea!

Yes, it’s basically carbon dosing but in a controlled and restricted environment, rather than the whole system, and hence why there often referred to as Nitrate Filters.

The Kamoer FX STP means you have total control over the flow through it, because to much would crash the reactor.

I have to say the Kamoer is brilliant, and for anyone looking at a system for automatic water changes this is ideal and if my DOS every fails it will be replaced by 2 of these. The fact that it’s Wi-fi makes is even better It’s also an ideal companion for a standard ‘normal’ calcium reactor

I use a Kamoer 4 channel doser on the S650 and it’s been faultless for nearly 5 years

SPR1968 · Mar 11, 2021

I’m glad I don’t live with the Sea Monsters.... Hiding amongst the Aiptasia

Janci · Mar 11, 2021

SPR1968 said:
I’m glad I don’t live with the Sea Monsters.... Hiding amongst the Aiptasia

Love this... Happy to see those great colours of the softies

SPR1968 · Mar 12, 2021

Janci said:
Love this... Happy to see those great colours of the softies

Hey Jan, you are officially worse than me at coral ID (well assuming you meant soft coral and not soft slug! Lol)

Its a Candy Cucumber, Colochirus Crassus to be precise (ok I looked it up! lol)

I ordered it from a new online supplier (new to me) here in the UK, it’s a beautiful creature especially close up....

Janci · Mar 12, 2021

SPR1968 said:
Hey Jan, you are officially worse than me at coral ID (well assuming you meant soft coral and not soft slug! Lol)

Its a Candy Cucumber, Colochirus Crassus to be precise (ok I looked it up! lol)

I ordered it from a new online supplier (new to me) here in the UK, it’s a beautiful creature especially close up....

This is what happens if you are out of the reefing business... I still believe they should call it soft.