Tonya's 210 Gallon

[User1]

So far, the best investment I have made in this hobby was the Hanna checker (Alkalinity). API told me one thing and Salifert told me another. So today I ordered a Hannaa checker (same day delivery for free !!!!). I'm telling you...everything Hanna makes, I'm going to purchase. It was simple and so worth it. FYI my alk is 8.7. At least now I know where to go. API said I was low and Salifert said I was high. I didn't know what to do. I just feel more secure with this. I now have a path forward in the alk zone.

I find that the Hanna checker for Alk and Phosphate are reliable and consistent. I've not used them with regards to calibration fluid but I do make sure to take a reading before I send off my ICP tests to ATI. That way I can compare their results to mine and see how close my manual tests are. So far both Hanna tests I do (alk/phosphate) and Nyos Nitrate come back pretty much spot on. Sort of keeps me honest. Note - I send a ICP off about once every quarter. Not many and probably dropping that to every 6 months moving forward once I get a Trident set up.

 

[User1]

P.S. I came home from work today to find out that the hubby, scrubbed all the algae off the glass. Remind me that I need to keep him around.

We (husbands) should print these messages out to show you for when you (significant others) stomp your little size 6 foot because we caused angst

 

[Salty Lemon]

We (husbands) should print these messages out to show you for when you (significant others) stomp your little size 6 foot because we caused angst

1. If your wife has a size 6 foot I am jealous as heck because she can wear all the cute shoes. I'm a 9.5W. So I'll ask to see the shoe with the cute bow on it and they will bring out a bigger shoe with the cute bow, with five feet of leather in front of it and it looks ridiculous. Yes, this is a tangent, but I hate having big feet.
2. Yes, the husbands need to keep this stuff in storage and take it out when needed.

 

[User1]

1. If your wife has a size 6 foot I am jealous as heck because she can wear all the cute shoes. I'm a 9.5W. So I'll ask to see the shoe with the cute bow on in and they will bring out a bigger shoe with the cute bow, with five feet of leather in front of it and it looks ridiculous. Yes, this is a tangent, but I hate having big feet.
2. Yes, the husbands need to keep this stuff in storage and take it out when needed.

Lol - message received.

I'm sure I'm mixing my daughter up with my wife but in either case it was the delivery and motion of folded arms, tilted head with that look, while the stomp You know, that thing you lasses do!

 

[Salty Lemon]

I find that the Hanna checker for Alk and Phosphate are reliable and consistent. I've not used them with regards to calibration fluid but I do make sure to take a reading before I send off my ICP tests to ATI. That way I can compare their results to mine and see how close my manual tests are. So far both Hanna tests I do (alk/phosphate) and Nyos Nitrate come back pretty much spot on. Sort of keeps me honest. Note - I send a ICP off about once every quarter. Not many and probably dropping that to every 6 months moving forward once I get a Trident set up.

I seriously just ordered and ICP and have had it about a week. I haven't sent it out, but I want to do a check soon. Never done it before so I can add this to the "new" reefing stuff that has been added in the last fifteen years since my earlier days of reefing.

 

[User1]

I seriously just ordered and ICP and have had it about a week. I haven't sent it out, but I want to do a check soon. Never done it before so I can add this to the "new" reefing stuff that has been added in the last fifteen years since my earlier days of reefing.

Not sure who you used but I use ATI. They recommend rinsing the tubes in the tanks water before taking the sample. Same if you send in the RO/DI tube. Rinse it as well with the water being sampled. I say this because I would recommend doing it to make sure they are clear.

Before you do take the sample do your own tests to compare. Also include salinity check.

 

[Salty Lemon]

Lol - message received.

I'm sure I'm mixing my daughter up with my wife but in either case it was the delivery and motion of folded arms, tilted head with that look, while the stomp You know, that thing you lasses do!

I do pull out the head tilt...it is a necessity. I don't do the stomp, but I do say the "when you are ready to discuss this reasonably"(a.k.a. agreeing with me), "you know I'm around to talk." But hey...you guys have that charming smile that is tossed in with a funny joke that can reduce an angry woman to a pile of mush. You boys have your own tools.

 

[Salty Lemon]

Not sure who you used but I use ATI. They recommend rinsing the tubes in the tanks water before taking the sample. Same if you send in the RO/DI tube. Rinse it as well with the water being sampled. I say this because I would recommend doing it to make sure they are clear.

Before you do take the sample do your own tests to compare. Also include salinity check.

Mine is CoralVue -- I ordered off of Amazon. I have no idea about the quality. Thanks for the suggestions. I definitely appreciate it.

 

[Salty Lemon]

So my guy made this for me . It is my lawnmower blenny, named Dumbledore the second (Dumbledore the first had an anemone accident). I love it, but I need to figure out where to put it in my room. I don't call it a fish room because I have bookshelves and my guitar in there. But it is in my space. I might buy a special stand for it and stick it on top of one of the bookshelves.

 

[NY_Caveman]

That is awesome.

 

[Victoria M]

Very cool.

 

[Salty Lemon]

So if I go far back into the recesses of my brain, I'll retrieve information from a statistics class which may or may not be accurate based on the thousands of years it has been since college. So in stats, you learn that when it comes to people and testing, there is what is called a "standard deviation". So if the average IQ is 100, you have a standard deviation of about fifteen points each direction to fall within "average" range. If you have an IQ of let's stay, 119, that means you are one "standard" deviation above a normal IQ because "normal" ends at 115. So today I ordered a bunch of stuff from Liveaquaria -- all of fish/livestock. Quite a bit to punch up my cuc. It is being delivered on Tuesday. On Thursday, I leave for a library conference (yes we have those) in Washington, DC for about five days. So, I'm guessing my IQ has officially dropped a couple standard deviations just due to my decision to make these purchases today and not be here during initial quarantining.

 

[NY_Caveman]

LOL, I need to see the t-stat on that.

 

[Salty Lemon]

LOL, I need to see the t-stat on that.

I had to look up t-stat. I remember studying it at one time, but remember nothing about it. You made me a bit smarter today.

 

[Salty Lemon]

I come back from a five day conference in Washington, DC to find a green tank. I have work off today. It looks like I need to spend the day scrubbing.

 

[Victoria M]

I come back from a five day conference in Washington, DC to find a green tank. I have work off today. It looks like I need to spend the day scrubbing.

Lol! Sucks!

 

[Salty Lemon]

I've been trying to catch up on everyone's build threads today. I've been such a bad internet friend. I've been working extra hours because we are short staffed and I barely have time to welcome the new members. Then I've been in Washington, DC for the last week for work. I try to keep up. Believe me, all of you. I'll be caught up by Sunday.

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

So excited to get started!

Awesome congrats.

 

[Raege]

So how did tank cleaning day go?

 

[Salty Lemon]

So how did tank cleaning day go?

My rocks,etc. look just fine, but I think my tangs, blenny and cuc have something to do with that. They at least kept their chores up while I was gone. I actually got out a razor blade -- which I have never done. The flipper wouldn't get it all -- the algae seems to want to build a home on my glass. I couldn't reach the bottom with the razorblade and I couldn't hang onto it with my tongs. My husband said he would help me when he gets home from work today to get the bottom stuff. So I'm hoping it will be done tonight and I'll change the water, since Friday is water changing day. I changed my filter sock this morning because it was dark green from yesterday's scrapings and it looks like the protein skimmer is filled with green stuff too. I may have to change filter socks again tomorrow after we finish the bottom part tonight. Protein skimmer cleaning is part of of the Friday water changing routine, so that will done today.