The Upgrade Build... From 110 to 180

OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Marine depot is having the hardest time getting me the ATI blue plus bulb.
They have shipped 3 bulbs 3 separate times and i have received 3 broken bulbs.

This time they are sending two bulbs in the hope that at least one of them reach me unbroken.
 

Albertan22

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
750
Reaction score
781
Location
Alberta
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Bad luck with the bulbs! Nice to see some coral in the tank. Watch that gsp and have some razor blades on hand to trim it when it starts growing out of control. What did you end up deciding for your water change? Did you go daily or periodic? I’ve started daily and I think I’m happy so far but haven’t been doing it long enough to objectively evaluate the results.
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Bad luck with the bulbs! Nice to see some coral in the tank. Watch that gsp and have some razor blades on hand to trim it when it starts growing out of control. What did you end up deciding for your water change? Did you go daily or periodic? I’ve started daily and I think I’m happy so far but haven’t been doing it long enough to objectively evaluate the results.

The gsp is on an island all by itself. If it grows out of control then that's some extra special gsp.

The water change... I still have not made up my mind but I'm leaning towards periodic rather than continuous.
I may start out periodic and change to continuous once I see how the tank responds.
I have 1000L ready to go but still have not changed a single drop of water since the tank got wet.
 

Albertan22

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
750
Reaction score
781
Location
Alberta
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If your parameters are fine then for sure don’t start daily water changes. I started mine up when my phosphate got up around 0.12. I’m jealous about your elegance coral, I’ve been watching for one to show up at my LFS.
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My blue plus bulbs should arrive today.
I will update this post when they arrive and hopefully take pics of the tank with and without the new bulb if they come on one piece instead of broken pieces.
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Finally!
ATI Blue plus bulb arrived in one piece.

It's added to the tank and I'm hopeful it will do what I expect it to do which is aid coral growth and coloration.

20200725_102325.jpg

The tank is not hazy in person.
Better pics to come soon.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well,

I broke down and permanently installed the UV in a way I did NOT want to but pretty much had to. My durso simply can't handle the high flow required to be able to use my return pump to feed the UV. I use a jeabo DCP 15000 for my return pump. It can easily handle the flow required for the UV but my durso can't handle 1017gph without getting overwhelmed and "flushing" like a toilet. I can only run about 740gph through the return.

I have another jeabo DCP 15000 pump in the drain section of my sump. It feeds the UV which is mounted horizontally on the floor of my stand. The inlet and outlet are pointed up so I get no trapped air.
I have the UV dumping the water into the return section of the sump.
I have a 1 inch Apex flow meter installed on the output pipe.
I am getting 1016gph through the UV.
This is not the way I wanted to run my UV but it's the only way I can run it without having the pump and plumbing in the display like my earlier pic.

This should still be effective because I have the correct flow through the UV but not as effective as pulling water straight from the display in a closed loop.
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OMG!
Setting up my UV is proving to be a super pain in the ...
Having the UV pump in the drain section and outlet in the return section did not work. As I think about it, what happened makes perfect sense but I did not think of it when setting up.

The UV pump is pumping 1080gph from the drain section and dumping into the return section but the return pump is only pumping 740gph. The drain section water level was way lower than the return sectionwater level.
Water was flowing from the return section back to the biological and skimmer section. Water was so low in those sections of the sump that my skimmer was not working because I did not have enough water. Ugggh!

I now have the UV going from the return section to the skimmer section so my return pump can do is job and my water in the entire sump remains consistent (hopefully).

I think this is even less effective but hopefully still effective enough.
20200807_090842.jpg
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I can't get my water as clear as it should be.
I still use a Clarisea SK5000 filter roller and carbon in a reactor. Plus I have foam in my overflow that catches waste and quiets the water falling into the overflow.

I have a few issues to work out.
I have microbubbles that constantly get stuck on the rockwork. I don't know where they are coming from but I think it may be too much flow. I run 4 Neptune Wav's on the back wall and 2 Gyre 350's on opposing side walls.

I also have a few large messy fish. I have a 5 inch yellow tang, a 5 inch sailing tang and a 6 inch foxface along with a 8 inch lionfish.
The lionfish is not that messy but the others are large poop machines.

20200812_201401.jpg
20200812_201344.jpg
20200812_201333.jpg
20200812_201321.jpg


Any thoughts or advice?
 
Last edited:

merereef

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 17, 2016
Messages
704
Reaction score
769
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I can't get my water as clear as it should be.
I still use a Clarisea SK5000 filter roller and carbon in a reactor. Plus I have foam in my overflow that catches waste and quiets the water falling into the overflow.

I have a few issues to work out.
I have microbubbles that constantly get stuck on the rockwork. I don't know where they are coming from but I think it may be too much flow. I run 4 Neptune Wav's on the back wall and 2 Gyre 350's on opposing side walls.

I also have a few large messy fish. I have a 5 inch yellow tang, a 5 inch sailing tang and a 6 inch foxface along with a 8 inch lionfish.
The lionfish is not that messy but the others are large poop machines.

20200812_201401.jpg
20200812_201344.jpg
20200812_201333.jpg
20200812_201321.jpg


Any thoughts or advice?

How old is your system. What colour are those bubbles are the redish or brown?
 

merereef

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 17, 2016
Messages
704
Reaction score
769
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The water being cloudy due to bacteria bloom most likely... just leave it alone and let it settle it will clear on its own. If it really bothers you runa uv stereliser that will clear it fast
 

TheWB

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 22, 2017
Messages
2,315
Reaction score
3,575
Location
Puyallup,WA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I can't get my water as clear as it should be.
I still use a Clarisea SK5000 filter roller and carbon in a reactor. Plus I have foam in my overflow that catches waste and quiets the water falling into the overflow.

I have a few issues to work out.
I have microbubbles that constantly get stuck on the rockwork. I don't know where they are coming from but I think it may be too much flow. I run 4 Neptune Wav's on the back wall and 2 Gyre 350's on opposing side walls.

I also have a few large messy fish. I have a 5 inch yellow tang, a 5 inch sailing tang and a 6 inch foxface along with a 8 inch lionfish.
The lionfish is not that messy but the others are large poop machines.

20200812_201401.jpg
20200812_201344.jpg
20200812_201333.jpg
20200812_201321.jpg


Any thoughts or advice?
I don’t know man, I’ve never seen bubbles just sitting on the rocks like that before with no sign of where they came from. Not saying it’s anything other than just bubbles cuz I don’t know, but it’s weird. Where are your nutrient levels right now?
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Alk........8.6
Cal........464
Mag......1314
PH.........7.86
Salinity..35
Temp.....77.6
ORP.......345
Phos......0
Nitrate..0

I'm not sure how I got to 0 nitrate and phosphate because I feed pretty heavy.
Time to up nutrients.
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've been out of pocket for a while.
Tank is doing fairly well.

Still no notable dinos. Most corals are doing fine. Some are growing.
I'm having an issue with the elegance coral though. He not doing well at all but I'm trying to keep the water as good as I can and hope he bounces back.

I will post pics later today.
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've been so busy with life.
The tank is doing pretty dang good. I still have slight issues with particles in the water even though I use the clarisea sk5000. I believe it's because of the large pop machine fish have in the tank and the extreme water flow I have.

Most coral are doing really well except for the elegance. It was doing great but like a lot of them, it suddenly went from great to bad to pretty much gone. I may try another one in the future.
Zoas are not doing great either. Not bad but, not great. I've had challenges with my chalice too. Hollywood Stunner goes through losing flesh every other month but it's still kicking.
All SPS are doing really well! No problems at all. They are growing (slowly) and I get great poly extension. Duncan's are also doing well but slow growers.
My torches, frogspawn and hammers are doing well too. One hammer was in a fight with a torch and has receeded but I moved them a little farther apart and it's still kicking. Time will tell if it comes back.

I'm still not real happy with my light color. It's still too light blue for my taste but I'm reluctant to play with it because the tank is doing good overall.

I keep saying pics to come but today I'm REALLY going to take some pics and post them.
 
OP
OP
Dj City

Dj City

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
3,163
Reaction score
3,405
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm doing my version of a deep cleaning..
I turn the return pump off, clean the glass, turn the sand over, take a powered and blow off all the rocks and blow the sand then hook up my fluval fx6 canister filter and let it filter out all the crap. I use some Seachem clarity to clump the smallest partials together for quicker and easier removal.
This method works pretty well for me.

Well...
Since my elegance has kicked the bucket, I'm looking for a new centerpiece coral. Something big and bold.

Any suggestions?
 
Last edited:

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 32.8%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top