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

fishguy242

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hi, test your alk and cal again with API.
never thought i'd say this ,but... put more trust in API... :oops: ...;):)
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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hi, test your alk and cal again with API.
never thought i'd say this ,but... put more trust in API... :oops: ...;):)
All my CA tests with API have been consistently around 360-380. Alk is only tested with hanna. If I test again tomorrow, it will be back around 8.5-7. It too has been consistant. Mag with API is also consistant but a bit more up and down. I just know my CA is not 279! I'll see what the 12 midnight and 6 am test results are
 
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Susan Edwards

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Sounds like it's all coming together and looking great!!! But never finished or without problems, right? Now, what fun would that be? lol
lol's. After the craziness of the holiday season with work, I'll take boring any day lol's. I hope I get to keep my day off tomorrow. Lost today's....
 
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Susan Edwards

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Very nice build! Red Sea tanks will always hold a spot in my heart.
Thanks! This is my 3rd. A 60g first tank. 45g used for 2 clowns and observing new fish and now the 240g. Had an aqueon 125 and hated it almost from day 1. Got spoiled with Red Sea
 
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Susan Edwards

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Have a super nice reefer sending me a bottle of calibration fluid for the trident for shipping costs! Could not find it to order anywhere!! I'll def. run it when I get it. Alk is testing around 8, ca less than 300 and mg about 1445. I tested with API after the trident tested--within a couple hours. I said 340--dropping and trident says 274. So either way my calcium is dropping and I'll cut back on the alk a bit. I've dosed 15-20ml 4x's today and will do 1 more at bedtime--before midnight. Alk still at 9.1 via hanna. I trust the hanna.

Got the apex atk (ato) all set up. Will mount the unit and plug into my apex tomorrow and see if I can get it working.

The 2 control panels also come tomorrow. Will move the right side RS 45 controller and MP 40 contoller to the right side to be mounted there. And prob. run an extension cord from the dedicated outlets to have a power strip on that side. I have 2 eb832's but 1 needs to be tested as it was giving me low volt errors. When I resolve that, I'll use that.

I have some of that really strong double stick plastic stuff that is reuseable. Plan to use that to mount everything to controller board to test placement, and once I have a plan that works, hubby will mount with brackets. Excited to get rid of this rats nest!

Took updated pics of corals to mark growth. Now to update the files
 
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Susan Edwards

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Wow. Another good, bad, and panicky day!
The good is I got a ton of stuff done. So glad I had an entire day off! Dosing is hooked up. Love the red sea doser. So easy to set up once tech support took me thru fixing it. Will contact the fish store and let them know I didn't get a new unit! Dosing Alk/CA/Mg and nopox. Plan to get another one to dose the Corel Trace Colors. But not in a rush. expensive but worth it. Have more clips coming to finish making the lines pretty! Might add a shelf even a small one on bricks to put the dosing containers up a bit higher.

Have my controller boards temp. set up. Cords are a mess behind but that is hubby's deal lol's. Will mount on wall with the French Cleats and make a cloth cover with velcro to shield equipment from splashes. I can't believe the cord mess I had to deal with. Next now is to plug in heaters/skimmer/mp40/rs45 into the apex. Cor 20's will not be in there. Need to hook them to apex but will wait until controller board is on the wall. Those controllers qualify as ugly as when they are unplugged and then plugged back in, it screws up the return area and overflow until I can get it back to where I had it (2 light bars). They'll have to be unplugged at least 1 more time to get set up. Ugh!! Used double sided adhesive tape on everything. Right side cabinet I put the power strip on top. I think it might look better on bottom. I have a 2nd e832 I can use there too after hubby checks the voltage error. Had to delete and reinstall the RS-45's They are a bit of a pain.

Another good with a good bit of panic: Set up the ato. Had it running. Went to computer to do the apex thing. Went back to tank to check it and there is water on the floor!! Major heart attack. No water over the sump edge but pouring out the side. I'm thinking sump broke. using towels (lucky I caught it before too much on floor). Then I see water coming out a tube... I had forgotten to hook the line into the pump! Then I went to garage to check the ato brute and water is spraying out. I put the siphon break piece in wrong so it was spraying up and not down...

So I think my ato is working and my dosing is as I hear it. Control panel needs hubby. Ordered more red sea dosing line clips to finish making that neat.

did not get my led lights under cabinet installed or the replacement skimmer pump in the 45 gal tank. Or Christmas put away. Need another day off!

Have a couple more small apex items to add.
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Towel in case the doser falls off lol's
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All my CA tests with API have been consistently around 360-380. Alk is only tested with hanna. If I test again tomorrow, it will be back around 8.5-7. It too has been consistant. Mag with API is also consistant but a bit more up and down. I just know my CA is not 279! I'll see what the 12 midnight and 6 am test results are
Hi Susan, on one of your prior posts you mentioned ordering a hamster ball. What do you use that for?
 
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Susan Edwards

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Hi Susan, on one of your prior posts you mentioned ordering a hamster ball. What do you use that for?
I got one to put the chaeto in to keep it from going all over. Last year, my secret santa draw asked for one for that purpose and I thought it was a great idea. I did get a small one. The one he ordered was huge!

Now I just need to figure out how to screen the in/outlets to that second sump to keep stuff from the refusium out of the main sump. Like macro algae or even snails. A lid too I imagine if I put hermits or snails in there. Here is that section of the second sump

second sump with divider. UV pump in 1st chamber (being moved to main chamber so my reactor can go here) Main sump on other side of that left wall
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flow between front and back
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Inlet next to powerhead and UV/manifold pump
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outlet from refugium back into main sump. you can see both inlets
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refugium. want to put a guard or some such on both of these
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Susan Edwards

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So I have something very tiny growing. I can't get a good pic of it but it looks like it has "coral features", tiny brown specks/dots on it and "whiskers", not just a solid green blob. Could one of my corals spawned? I have birds nest and pocillopora

Horrid pic but I can't get better
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I got one to put the chaeto in to keep it from going all over. Last year, my secret santa draw asked for one for that purpose and I thought it was a great idea. I did get a small one. The one he ordered was huge!

Now I just need to figure out how to screen the in/outlets to that second sump to keep stuff from the refusium out of the main sump. Like macro algae or even snails. A lid too I imagine if I put hermits or snails in there. Here is that section of the second sump

second sump with divider. UV pump in 1st chamber (being moved to main chamber so my reactor can go here) Main sump on other side of that left wall
20220104_201216.jpg

flow between front and back
20220104_201227.jpg

Inlet next to powerhead and UV/manifold pump
20220104_201244.jpg

outlet from refugium back into main sump. you can see both inlets
20220104_201247.jpg

refugium. want to put a guard or some such on both of these
20220104_201300.jpg
Thanks for the information. I gave up having a refugium because the cheato kept clogging the skimmer. I may give this a try.
 
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Susan Edwards

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Update:
Ordered more CUC. Some will go to the 45g observation tank. I have algae starting so ordered a bunch, including 2 emeralds. Hope I don't regret those.... Also ordered chaeto so I can get the refugium updated. I have 3 rocks and media/rubble in there. No sand. Still debating whether it needs it or not. Still need to come up with a way to strain water going to and from.

New pod order arriving this week and phyto. I need to find a space to dedicate to growing my own phyto and pods and brine shrimp. I checked out a set up online but so expensive. I think I can take my own jars, wrap led lights around and cover with black duct tape. Need to see if it matters what kind of led lighting. Something to think about for toward end of month.

Ordered the hanna no3 HR checker. I like my alk and po4 checkers. Plan to run my potassium, iodine and other tests tonight. I usually just do a pipette of each of the coral colors.

Moved some corals: micro goni wasn't as happy as I'd like, the torch more front of rock to get more varied flow. The galaxy is in the corner. Might need to move it to a better lighting as it is on the bottom, but up top it was getting too much flow. Moved 2 favias down to sand bed. They are not thriving. A 3rd one seems to be doing fine higher. Shifted the pictinia so the fish don't keep shifting it into sand. Saw some 2 inch stingers on it this am!!

gave 2 pocillipora to Melanie @Sgchick today and had a nice visit. Looking forward to seeing what she does with her tank! Nice to chat with another reefer and in person yet.

On the not quite so good, one of my anthias has a white nose-can't tell if it an injury or ick. Have seen my cleaner goby doing some cleaning. I will keep an eye. Up the garlic and vitamins. Am ordering some frozen blackworms and some freeze dried mixtures. And will see if I can find some frozen clams and mussels (already shelled) and do a batch of food. As they like cold (kept in fridge) I might see if I can find space in garage to culture. Need to research that.

Hoping hubby can mount the french cleats for the control boards tomorrow and mount my doser. I think when I'm gone for a week to my dau's, hubby will prefer to manually top off lol's. So far the apex is working but I'm not leaving it on all the time, just when I'm here to monitor and off at night.

Off to feed corals some AB+. Need to save some for after lights out
 
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Susan Edwards

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It was great to see you again today Susan!! Your tank is looking amazing!! Thanks so much for the two pocillipora. Still have to get some kind of gel to take any pics that aren't super blue..haha . Hope the new pieces do ok in my new tank!!!
I think they are pretty hardy!! I hope! You can use orange cellophane. Like from a craft store or what is used to cover baskets. I should have given you some!! I have some covering my camera lens and used that before I got the filters for my phone. Just taped it over the camera.
 
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Susan Edwards

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tested tonight. Ca is low. Just keep dropping. Be glad when I can calibrate the trident but even my api test is dropping.

ca 300. Dosing 50 ml. Upped to 65 and adding an extra 25 today to bump it up. Must have coral growth happening!
Alk 9.2. Dosing 30. Taking it down to 25
Mg 1430 Dosing 80. Upping to 85. Would like to see 1450-60
No3 at 10. Turns out I was using the freshwater cards! But still a good number
PO 4 .17 a bit higher. Will test tomorrow and change out the phosguard

tested iodide, potassium, iron and stro. Zero on all but the potassium which is at 380. Will start dosing 2 ml of coral colors except for potassium. Will keep that at 1.5 and start dosing daily instead of every 3 days. Might also dissolve an iron table and supplement with that. Also will supplement with separate iodide and stron until the coral colors numbers are at least registering. Plan to dose this eventually.

Hubby got my doser mounted. Need to get a 2nd Red Sea doser next month. Also have an extra DOS. Will be dosing
Doser #1 Alk, CA, Mg, nopox
Doser #2 Coral Colors A B C D
Dos Phyto & AB+

Have the apex dosing chambers-2- but not sure if I'll use. The AB+ will be in a cup chiller, and the phyto in a bottle. Saw some smaller bottles with 3d printed top/mounting items on etsy for the ABCD. I don't want to use the containers they are in as I can't see. NoPOx I'd rather be in a smaller see thru container.

Hubby also got the water change system mounted in garage. Any issues and everything shuts off. I haven't had my instructions yet lol's. He still has some tweaking to do like switching a line (he says). He also hooked up a sump pump to the dehumidifyer and ran the line through my wall (where all my other lines run) and into the washing machine drain. Nice to have a laundry room next to my office! The awc will also drain there. Now to find a final place for it.

Won't get my control boards done for a couple weeks. I leave sunday for my daughter's house for 4-5 days. Am SUPER nervous leaving my tank!!!! I am only 1.5 hrs away but won't have a car. Hubby will have to come get me!

Next post will have pics of the water change area

2 controller boards from adaptive reef & dosing cabinet. Not everything on them yet. Will add a shelf in back for the trident and other dosing containers. Bricks and wood for right now. Or I'll put the neptune 3 chamber in back. Waiting on clips to tame the lines. Doser mounted to a pull out board.
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Susan Edwards

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Water change station pics. When it is all done and neat and pretty, I'll do a forum post showing everything from the set up to the board my hubby designed and wrote software for in case anyone is interested. He'd share it!

He also ran wires into my office where the tank is so the alarms will drive me nuts until I figure out what to do lols

Light showing the saltwater tank is too full
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sensors on the saltwater tank showing full and overfull. There is also a drain line for the excess if all fails but it will fill a container fast due to the pump lol's. And yeah, the nozzle on the water pipe is wrong.... Need to replace
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