Susan's RS Reefer 3xl 900 Fantasy-Dream Build

[Susan Edwards]

Well, I did it. I ordered the hanna calcium and preordered the magnesium checkers. I'd like 1 standard to test.

 

[i cant think]

This looks like an interesting build!
Will read through these 30 pages in my spare time

 

[Susan Edwards]

This looks like an interesting build!
Will read through these 30 pages in my spare time

Thanks. Can you tell I "talk" a lot lol's.

 

[i cant think]

Thanks. Can you tell I "talk" a lot lol's.

I could talk about fish all day so don’t worry haha

 

[Susan Edwards]

So one of the challenges with this tank is the double sump system. If I do not add flow from front to back, the water stagnants and gets super gross. But with flow, my macro algae has too much flow and will flow back into main sump. trying this basket for now. Might make my own out of egg crate and mesh or even just mesh with some egg crate for stability so I can get it deep enough but not be so big to impede flow. Water is down a good 3 inches so basket has to be deep so I can clip to the wall. Going to look for reef safe magnets like used for frag racks. Eventually might use the front for the refugium and the back for a frag tank.

Good news on my new AI fuge light that stopped working. They are replacing.

Po 4 was down to .16 so that is good. Will ck again later tonight in case I need to pull out either phos guard or rowaphos and see what no3 is at. But corals are happy! Lots of puffyness happening and lots of PE

 

[Susan Edwards]

Okay, big

UGH!!!!
Just found an aiptasia!!! WHAT THE HECK! I have not added any corals in at least a month if not longer. No fish either. Just cuc!

If where I get my cuc has aiptaisia in their system, I won't be buying from them. Had to be the only place it could have been.

UGH!!!!

 

[blaxsun]

Pictures!

 

[Susan Edwards]

Pictures!

Ha! I hope I killed it with aiptasia X (I think it is called). Have a H crab sitting on that spot now. Will def. check!

Bummed that I am seeing algae again! I can always try to hook my santa monica algae scrubber up Things looking so good I do not want to dose reef flux again. Using MB 7 and MB Clean and will up nopox again.

And I guess I need to find more cuc. But hesitant to use the place before. A-possible aiptasia and B-half my order arrived dead. Maybe more than half. And the credit didn't match up with my "report" of what was dead. Not their fault as the mail took 4 days instead of 2. Another ugh

recalibrated my trident to my tank water. Alk tested way to low. Hanna at 8.6 and trident at 8.17. Might need to calibrate again. and retest alk to be safe

the joys and ughs and ups and downs of a reef tank lol's

 

[Susan Edwards]

Received my hanna calcium. Did 2 tests. 438 and 478.

Did another calibration of the trident. Retested with all the hanna's except mg (got that one on order. Ships 6/6 I think). Alk is low-8.2. I am dosing almos t 50 ml! Going to add another 5 tonight which takes it over 50 for the day. CA came up a lot with the hanna calcium. Got the newest with the new syringe. So instead of under 400 it is like 478. Mg right around 1400. We'll see what the next test says.

No3 down to 2.5 and po4 .09. Will test both again tomorrow. Might be time to remove some of the po4 removers and older purigen. I did up the nopox to 10ml. If numbers look good, I'll go several days without tests. I'm doing almost every day right now. Holding off on the awc until next week. Might just do 5% a week. Some algae coming back, so am doing my best to keep it from exploding. Need more cuc. Half of my last order arrived DOA. Not sure if that aiptasia didn't come in with them. Pretty sure the guy just gets them from vendors who get them from the sea or who knows.

Everything seems very happy. Need to do more pics and a video.

Still have a lot of apex programming to work out, a 2nd doser to hook up for RS coral colors--4 bottles. Would also like to hook up the DOS for AB+. Need a chiller cup to do that though. Or dose one of the coral colors by hand. Should see if I can add a shelf for the trident outside of cabinet or try to add a shelf inside with enough room under for the alk/ca/mg.

Ordered part of what I need for white worms. Need to see if hubby will let me have the small cube fridge in garage (he puts his pickels in there). Otherwise I'll get a smaller one just for worms. Want to do black worms too. So ordered containers, and soil. When I get all set up I'll order the worm culture. Then hunt for black worms and figure out how to raise those. Should start more brine shrimp too. I like feeding live.

Also still want my under cabinet led's and UV pump moved lol's . If my dau has to cancel 2 yr old's family b'day (they are all sick) then I'll claim hubby for part of sunday!!

I hope by the time a year hits, I'll have it all set up

 

[Sean Clark]

Received my hanna calcium. Did 2 tests. 438 and 478.

Did another calibration of the trident. Retested with all the hanna's except mg (got that one on order. Ships 6/6 I think). Alk is low-8.2. I am dosing almos t 50 ml! Going to add another 5 tonight which takes it over 50 for the day. CA came up a lot with the hanna calcium. Got the newest with the new syringe. So instead of under 400 it is like 478. Mg right around 1400. We'll see what the next test says.

No3 down to 2.5 and po4 .09. Will test both again tomorrow. Might be time to remove some of the po4 removers and older purigen. I did up the nopox to 10ml. If numbers look good, I'll go several days without tests. I'm doing almost every day right now. Holding off on the awc until next week. Might just do 5% a week. Some algae coming back, so am doing my best to keep it from exploding. Need more cuc. Half of my last order arrived DOA. Not sure if that aiptasia didn't come in with them. Pretty sure the guy just gets them from vendors who get them from the sea or who knows.

Everything seems very happy. Need to do more pics and a video.

Still have a lot of apex programming to work out, a 2nd doser to hook up for RS coral colors--4 bottles. Would also like to hook up the DOS for AB+. Need a chiller cup to do that though. Or dose one of the coral colors by hand. Should see if I can add a shelf for the trident outside of cabinet or try to add a shelf inside with enough room under for the alk/ca/mg.

Ordered part of what I need for white worms. Need to see if hubby will let me have the small cube fridge in garage (he puts his pickels in there). Otherwise I'll get a smaller one just for worms. Want to do black worms too. So ordered containers, and soil. When I get all set up I'll order the worm culture. Then hunt for black worms and figure out how to raise those. Should start more brine shrimp too. I like feeding live.

Also still want my under cabinet led's and UV pump moved lol's . If my dau has to cancel 2 yr old's family b'day (they are all sick) then I'll claim hubby for part of sunday!!

I hope by the time a year hits, I'll have it all set up

For the Hanna CA test, how are you measuring the 9ml of RODI water into the couvet? Consistency is key for this particular test. I would suggest using an adjustable pipette like this one. I consistently get back to back test results within 2ppm.

 

[Susan Edwards]

For the Hanna CA test, how are you measuring the 9ml of RODI water into the couvet? Consistency is key for this particular test. I would suggest using an adjustable pipette like this one. I consistently get back to back test results within 2ppm.

I use the pipette it came with. But as you are filling it to line on the bottle, I'd think any syringe would work

 

[Susan Edwards]

For the Hanna CA test, how are you measuring the 9ml of RODI water into the couvet? Consistency is key for this particular test. I would suggest using an adjustable pipette like this one. I consistently get back to back test results within 2ppm.

wow, nice pipette. The kit now comes with a smaller one like that, without the window, for adding the 1 ml tank water.

 

[Sean Clark]

I use the pipette it came with. But as you are filling it to line on the bottle, I'd think any syringe would work

wow, nice pipette. The kit now comes with a smaller one like that, without the window, for adding the 1 ml tank water.

0.01ml tank water.
The idea is to instill consistency into the process. Filling it to the line is not consistent. Ones interpretation of the meniscus line could vary by a lot and throw off the results. By using a controlled measurement that is consistent test after test you can presume a higher level of consistency.

 

[Susan Edwards]

0.01ml tank water.
The idea is to instill consistency into the process. Filling it to the line is not consistent. Ones interpretation of the meniscus line could vary by a lot and throw off the results. By using a controlled measurement that is consistent test after test you can presume a higher level of consistency.

that makes sense

 

[Forty-Two]

Susan you should get the MasterTronic - makes things much easier.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Susan you should get the MasterTronic - makes things much easier.

will ck it out.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Tank a week away from 8 months! Looking pretty good right now. One of these days I should hook up the apex par meter and check my numbers.

Alk driving me nuts. 8.3! Dosing 50 ml now. Did a 5ml manual add. Last test with hanna it was 8.2. Mg at 1400 and ca 461. I cut that down a bit as it was a bit too high. Just need alk to get back to 8.6 or so.

No3 at 26 and po4 at .14. Saturday I was at 9 and .09 so I suspect some testing errors/flucuations. Dosed some mb7 tonight and upped nopox by 2 ml

Ordered voss water for the bottles and on etsy lids and bulkhead kits for the bottles so I can get my trace colors hooked up with a second doser. Going to order 2 urchins and more cuc. Going to try Oceans garden for cuc and algae barn for the tuxedo urchins. Need my nitrates down a bit more for them.

 

[blaxsun]

8.3dKH is a good number, too.

 

[Susan Edwards]

8.3dKH is a good number, too.

lol's. I'd like it to be around 8.6-8.7 just for some buffer. It used to be pretty consistant. But all the corals seem happy at least.

 

[blaxsun]

lol's. I'd like it to be around 8.6-8.7 just for some buffer. It used to be pretty consistant. But all the corals seem happy at least.

Trident-controlled dosing is the ticket!