The Upgrade Build... From 110 to 180

[Dj City]

I have the kalk stirrer set up and online.
I am using the jeabo dosing pump to feed it from the ATO rather than using the Dos.

I am dosing 180ml 21 times a day and dosing 100ml 3 times a day at peak pH time which is 6pm to 8pm.
I'm using the jeabo doser because doing a continual very small dose does not push the water through consistently as I had hoped it would.
Dosing the 180ml makes the kalk stirrer drip kalk in for about 10 minutes a pop. I'm good with that.

I set up the new pH probe to monitor the reef pH and the old probe monitors the kalk stirrer.

pH is rising nicely over the past two days.
I will keep an eye on things and adjust 2 part dosing and/or kalk dose as needed to dial the system in.

 

[Dj City]

Oh...
Forgot to post that I also got the AutoAqua Smart Skimmer Security.
I'm glad I did because my Skimmer overflowed last night. Smart skimmer security saved me by shutting it down before the skimmate got to the top and into my sump and more importantly into my Co2 reactor!

My next project for the reef is to figure out a way to auto fill my ATO from my RO/DI unit.
My RO/DI is in my basement and the reef is on the main level of the house. I don't want to drill a hole in the floor.
I'm thinking about maybe using the air duct intake vent which is pretty close to the reef tank.

 

[Dj City]

I ordered an Apex solenoid and two optical sensors to add to my FMM (Fluid Monitoring Module)

This will allow me to draw water directly from the RO/DI unit to my ATO.
Essentially an auto top off for my auto top off.

I will have one sensor on the bottom of the ATO to trigger the solenoid to open and fill the ATO until the water hits the second sensor at the top of the ATO what will trigger the solenoid to close and stop water production.
Water will enter the ATO via a float valve which will act as a mechanical fail safe if the optical sensor fails for some reason.

I can't get through the air vent. Well, I "can" but it might be a bit messy. I'm probably just going to cut a hole in the wall and put a blank faceplate over it with a hole drilled into it. I may put a push connect into the faceplate instead of just a raw tube in a hole.

Wish me luck.

 

[Janci]

Not sure if you tested your pH with opening the windows first to let fresh air in, before installing the CO2 scrubber?
I hope all these upgrades are leading to the ultimate tank conditions.

 

[Dj City]

Not sure if you tested your pH with opening the windows first to let fresh air in, before installing the CO2 scrubber?
I hope all these upgrades are leading to the ultimate tank conditions.

I have tried opening the windows.
Ph rises when windows are open for an extended amount of time.

It's still early for all of this but so far, the changes have been worth it.

I am taking the exact same pic of 3 key corals to track progress.

Time will tell how it's all going and if it's worth it but I think it is (so far).

 

[Janci]

Good to hear. Once thigs are stable, the tank will take off for sure.

 

[Dj City]

Stuff never stops when you have a reef tank.

I added a bridge between rock structures so I have more places to mount coral.
My large, grumpy maroon clown does not like any changes or additions to the reef so... she promptly knocked the bridge over.
No problem. I used epoxy to reconnect the bridge but... it takes time to cure and she is not waiting for it to cure so...
I turned all the lights off and covered the reef.
I figured since the reef is blacked out, I might as well do the Dr. Tim's Dino treatment. I don't really have dinos but it's a good thing to do every so often. It keeps dinos away and really cleans up the sand and live rock.

Only problem is coral don't uptake alk and cal in a blackout.
Alk shot up to 9dkh!

I am done with the blackout and have 2 days left of dosing waste away. No skimmer while dosing.

Parameters are all over the place at the moment.
I've paused kalk dosing as well as paused dosing alk and cal. I also paused dosing H2O2.

I will resume regular dosing once I'm done with the Dr Tim's Dino treatment and my alk and cal come back to normal.

It's always something!

 

[Dj City]

Update...

I've got the optical sensors and solenoid installed and programmed.
It's a temp install. I set them up to test out the programming and functionality. So far they are doing what I want and expect them to do.
I will be drilling the hole for the tubing and fishing it through to the basement so I can have this all neatly and permanently installed.

I have it all set up to open the solenoid when the ATO is almost empty. The 1st optical sensor is at the bottom of the ATO.
The solenoid will close when the water reaches the 2nd optical sensor at the top of the ATO.
I timed out how long it takes to fill from sensor to sensor and programmed a "when" command that closes the solenoid in 76 minutes. It takes 74 minutes for the ATO for fill up so if the top sensor fails AND the float valve fails, the solenoid will still close before something really bad happens.

In other news...
My parameters are getting back in line. I have resumed normal dosing.
I lost 1 small acro (so far) to the alk spike I experienced during the lights out period.
I'm keeping an eye on about 3 more that were stressed.

So far...
I'm still happy with the reef.

 

[Dj City]

I just purchased 10 Berghia Nudibranch (medium size) from Reeftown
I'm expecting them to arrive on Thursday.

I'm very curious to see if they do anything besides get eaten.

I know it takes time for them to get through aptasia. I hope they arrive alive, big enough and healthy.

 

[TheWB]

I just purchased 10 Berghia Nudibranch (medium size) from Reeftown
I'm expecting them to arrive on Thursday.

I'm very curious to see if they do anything besides get eaten.

I know it takes time for them to get through aptasia. I hope they arrive alive, big enough and healthy.

You’re going to have to be careful because of your wrasses. You might be better off acclimating them in a small tank that contains a rock with aiptasia on it, see them eat it first, and then move that whole rock into your display at night after the wrasses have gone to sleep. My 2 cents after failing with them twice.

 

[Dj City]

You’re going to have to be careful because of your wrasses. You might be better off acclimating them in a small tank that contains a rock with aiptasia on it, see them eat it first, and then move that whole rock into your display at night after the wrasses have gone to sleep. My 2 cents after failing with them twice.

Thanks for the advice.
I'm going to try to do that provided I have something with aptasia on it that I can remove from the reef.

 

[wrassie86]

I know not for every one, but I added a emperor angel and all my small aptasia disappeared. for the few bigger ones i had, i covered them with kalk paste then covered that with reef putty job done. but my favorite is removing the rock if possible and hitting them with a cigar torch. my 6 line loves fried aptasia it cleans what ever is left.

 

[Dj City]

You’re going to have to be careful because of your wrasses. You might be better off acclimating them in a small tank that contains a rock with aiptasia on it, see them eat it first, and then move that whole rock into your display at night after the wrasses have gone to sleep. My 2 cents after failing with them twice.

It looks like this method worked!

I set up a 5gal tank, filled it with about 3 gallons of water from the display and added a small stick on waterfall filter and a heater.

I took a zoa colony rock that was infested with aptasia and put it in the 5gal tank.

I opened the nudibranch container, acclimated them and then put the opening of the container right next to but not on the aptasia. I let it sit for two days until I no longer saw and nudibranchs.

On the 3rd day, I put the rock back into the display.
I have not seen any aptasia in the zoas and I see a noticeable difference in existing aptasia. Large aptasia are not popping out as they used to. It's like they retract into the rock like they are injured.

So far I am impressed.

 

[TheWB]

It looks like this method worked!

I set up a 5gal tank, filled it with about 3 gallons of water from the display and added a small stick on waterfall filter and a heater.

I took a zoa colony rock that was infested with aptasia and put it in the 5gal tank.

I opened the nudibranch container, acclimated them and then put the opening of the container right next to but not on the aptasia. I let it sit for two days until I no longer saw and nudibranchs.

On the 3rd day, I put the rock back into the display.
I have not seen any aptasia in the zoas and I see a noticeable difference in existing aptasia. Large aptasia are not popping out as they used to. It's like they retract into the rock like they are injured.

So far I am impressed.

I’m glad to hear that it worked. Now if I had only taken my own advice lol. Actually the Filefish I got has done a great job. Took it a while to get started but now there are no visible aiptasia in the sand bed at all and the bigger ones on the rockwork are definitely less noticeable. Only took me $40 worth of Peppermint Shrimp and $110 worth of Berghia Nudibranchs to finally get to what worked.

 

[TheWB]

I’m glad to hear that it worked. Now if I had only taken my own advice lol. Actually the Filefish I got has done a great job. Took it a while to get started but now there are no visible aiptasia in the sand bed at all and the bigger ones on the rockwork are definitely less noticeable. Only took me $40 worth of Peppermint Shrimp and $110 worth of Berghia Nudibranchs to finally get to what worked.

Update time? What’s going on?

 

[Dj City]

Uggggh...
It's been a rough year!

Despite the difficulties of 2021, the reef is still going and still advancing.

I have had some loses due to coral warfare and me accidentally killing a coral or two trying to get rid of pest coral but overall, i'm relatively happy with the reef.

I need to have my Trident serviced because my numbers have been all over the place and I do NOT believe what the Trident is telling me.
I will make this happen after I get my bank account back together. I had Covid and it really did a number on me and my finances.

Pics will be coming soon.
I just wanted to stop in and say hello and give an update on the reef.

Happy New Year!!!

 

[Dj City]

 

[DrJoos]

Looking really good, keep up the solid work!

 

[Dj City]

Today is a sad day for me.
I lost my bi-colored foxface.

I noticed him sitting on the sand yesterday not swimming or eating. I was hopeful that he just wasn't feeling well and would come around but...

He passed overnight.

I'm gonna miss that fish. He is the 1st loss in over 2 years and I see no reason for him to have died. Everyone else seems good. I have not added anything to the reef or changed anything.
I guess it was just his time.

 

[Janci]

Sad to hear about the fox.
Many times we hardly know when a fish gets sick untill it is too late.

Love the fts.