d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by cjcoopertag

Hey Dennis can I assume that you are no longer going to use the Triton Method? I was just getting ready to start it myself but not sure that I want to now.

Correct, I'm currently dosing two-part and will eventually get a CaRx again.
Also switched back to a berlin style sump from LifeReef.

[drummerboyevil]

Originally Posted by d2mini

Correct, I'm currently dosing two-part and will eventually get a CaRx again.
Also switched back to a berlin style sump from LifeReef.

No reappearance of dinos?

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by drummerboyevil

No reappearance of dinos?

Sorry, I missed this! No dinos.

[d2mini]

Here's some FTS from today. Just over 4 months since the restart.
Color is ok for the most part. Growth could use a kick in the pants but technically the tank is only 4 months old, so....

[deaclauderdale]

Looking good Dennis! Where is that mangrove growing out of?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by deaclauderdale

Looking good Dennis! Where is that mangrove growing out of?


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It came out of my office nano recently.
Too short for the roots to reach ground and it had to be placed along the edge of the tank (rather than the middle where it could reach rock) because of the screen top, so I tied it to my corner overflow.
I'm hoping the move didn't stress it out. Seems ok so far. Been a couple weeks.

[deaclauderdale]

Originally Posted by d2mini

It came out of my office nano recently.

Too short for the roots to reach ground and it had to be placed along the edge of the tank (rather than the middle where it could reach rock) because of the screen top, so I tied it to my corner overflow.

I'm hoping the move didn't stress it out. Seems ok so far. Been a couple weeks.

It looks so natural.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wazzel]

Really nice Dennis.

[d2mini]

Thanks, guys.
One thing I've been fighting with, maybe ya'll can think of something...

I've used AquaVitro Salinity for years, and ever since I restarted the tank and made the switch to the ESV Bionic 2-Part, Mag was just a little high. Then I recently tried a couple boxes of Fritz RPM. On my second box is when I noticed the extremely high mag around 1650-1700 (confirmed with multiple test kits). I tested the fresh mix and it was over 1800. So now I’m using the Red Sea blue bucket (for a few weeks now) because everything is real close to NSW. Hoping it comes down over time but so far it seems to be staying up there. I do daily auto water changes spread out throughout the day. Total of about 4-5g per day.

Can mag come from any other source?
It's not being dosed. Only ESV Alk and Cal.

Some say high mag is fine, other say long term exposure can weaken skeletons.
It makes me nervous and I question it when I see something not well with the tank since everything else is spot on.
My Alk is around 8.0 and Cal around 450.

[CoralNerd]

I wouldn't worry about high mag personally.
Fritz is in the process of lowering a few things, magnesium, and boron are two that I know of.

[Chicagoreef2016]

Originally Posted by d2mini

Thanks, guys.
One thing I've been fighting with, maybe ya'll can think of something...

I've used AquaVitro Salinity for years, and ever since I restarted the tank and made the switch to the ESV Bionic 2-Part, Mag was just a little high. Then I recently tried a couple boxes of Fritz RPM. On my second box is when I noticed the extremely high mag around 1650-1700 (confirmed with multiple test kits). I tested the fresh mix and it was over 1800. So now I’m using the Red Sea blue bucket (for a few weeks now) because everything is real close to NSW. Hoping it comes down over time but so far it seems to be staying up there. I do daily auto water changes spread out throughout the day. Total of about 4-5g per day.

Can mag come from any other source?
It's not being dosed. Only ESV Alk and Cal.

Some say high mag is fine, other say long term exposure can weaken skeletons.
It makes me nervous and I question it when I see something not well with the tank since everything else is spot on.
My Alk is around 8.0 and Cal around 450.

Sorry if I missed this earlier, but why did you switch away from Salinity salt? I have used it for a year and like it fine, outside of if you let it mix for a few days it coats your container with condensate. Just found an old thread on clay-boa from the manufacturer saying only mix for up to 24 hours...

[choss]

Dennis,

Things are looking good! I have a similar mangrove growing out of the back of my AIO 40 gallon cube at the moment. Have been debating whether to add it to my new 96 gallon which I am setting up at the moment. Seeing this picture has me thinking it would go perfectly.

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by Chicagoreef2016

Sorry if I missed this earlier, but why did you switch away from Salinity salt? I have used it for a year and like it fine, outside of if you let it mix for a few days it coats your container with condensate. Just found an old thread on clay-boa from the manufacturer saying only mix for up to 24 hours...

Was just trying something new. Fritz is cheap. Get what ya pay for I guess.
My LFS ended up testing my salt and it tested high in Mag for him too.
Fritz didn't seem to give a carp.

[d2mini]

How about some new coral photos? :-)
Some old stuff, some new stuff.

[mikeatjac]

Originally Posted by d2mini

Thanks, guys.
One thing I've been fighting with, maybe ya'll can think of something...

I've used AquaVitro Salinity for years, and ever since I restarted the tank and made the switch to the ESV Bionic 2-Part, Mag was just a little high. Then I recently tried a couple boxes of Fritz RPM. On my second box is when I noticed the extremely high mag around 1650-1700 (confirmed with multiple test kits). I tested the fresh mix and it was over 1800. So now I’m using the Red Sea blue bucket (for a few weeks now) because everything is real close to NSW. Hoping it comes down over time but so far it seems to be staying up there. I do daily auto water changes spread out throughout the day. Total of about 4-5g per day.

Can mag come from any other source?
It's not being dosed. Only ESV Alk and Cal.



Some say high mag is fine, other say long term exposure can weaken skeletons.
It makes me nervous and I question it when I see something not well with the tank since everything else is spot on.
My Alk is around 8.0 and Cal around 450.

I have been using Red Sea blue bucket for since January and it mixes where I want all my peramiters to be. Tank is looking special!

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by mikeatjac

I have been using Red Sea blue bucket for since January and it mixes where I want all my peramiters to be. Tank is looking special!

Thanks!
Still can't get my Mag down. It's staying rock solid at 1650.

[d2mini]

Here's some more coral...

[reefwars]

Dennis tank looks great , for the mag how about just doing a larger water change with a batch of salt that has a very low mag maybe your lfs can score you a couple scoops of something cheap then take up smaller water changes after that with your new salt from there?

[rtparty]

Really surprised to hear about Fritz. My bucket has been spot on for me. It is probably my second favorite salt so far. I really enjoyed, and may go back to, ESV's multi part system. Once you know the measurements to use it is amazing stuff. Super clean and you basically control the parameters to a small degree.

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by reefwars

Dennis tank looks great , for the mag how about just doing a larger water change with a batch of salt that has a very low mag maybe your lfs can score you a couple scoops of something cheap then take up smaller water changes after that with your new salt from there?

I'm trying to keep things as stable as possible and not sure there is anything else that is real low in mag and has lower alk/calc too.
A 100% water change with my current salt would probably work best but don't think I really want to do that either.

Originally Posted by rtparty

Really surprised to hear about Fritz. My bucket has been spot on for me. It is probably my second favorite salt so far. I really enjoyed, and may go back to, ESV's multi part system. Once you know the measurements to use it is amazing stuff. Super clean and you basically control the parameters to a small degree.

Yeah, i'm not the only one who had this problem. Lots of reports of inconsistencies came out on my local FB group when discussing it.
When this happened to me with Tropic Marin, they jumped on it and took care of me hooking me up with a free bucket of salt and recommending i use the standard version which is lower in Mag. Good customer service.

The ESV I tried once before but its not for me. Too much work.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by d2mini

I'm trying to keep things as stable as possible and not sure there is anything else that is real low in mag and has lower alk/calc too.
A 100% water change with my current salt would probably work best but don't think I really want to do that either.


Yeah, i'm not the only one who had this problem. Lots of reports of inconsistencies came out on my local FB group when discussing it.
When this happened to me with Tropic Marin, they jumped on it and took care of me hooking me up with a free bucket of salt and recommending i use the standard version which is lower in Mag. Good customer service.

The ESV I tried once before but its not for me. Too much work.

Yeah I read about the inconsistency after I saw your post. Luckily, my current bucket will last me a while. Hopefully, Fritz figures it out because it's a major black eye when you tout how great your product is because you only make one. Then your one salt product has issues.

This is for another topic but why is making a good, consistent salt so tough for all of them? Every salt company seems to mess with something and run into issues IME. Maybe there is something to just sticking with regular old, cheap IO salt. If they are all going to have issues that we, the end user, have to fix then the cheapest makes sense...

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by rtparty

This is for another topic but why is making a good, consistent salt so tough for all of them? Every salt company seems to mess with something and run into issues IME. Maybe there is something to just sticking with regular old, cheap IO salt. If they are all going to have issues that we, the end user, have to fix then the cheapest makes sense...

Yup, good question.
FWIW, my most consistent and trouble free salt has always been Salinity. Pricey, but I always seem to end up going back to it. Have used it for about 95% of my last 5 years of reefing.

[choss]

Been using Tropic Marin Pro and always happy with it. Dennis great coral shots! Things are looking up!

[HidingReefer]

Wow....those SPS are popping!

[SPotter]

wow dennis everything looks amazing. I tried finding what light program you are running with the radions but couldnt find it so, what program are you using?