190 Gal build

[EagleFF]

Just checked parameters:
Alk=7
Ca=450
Mg=1200,
Ph=8.19
I added some baking soda to help bring up the Alk., seeing as I dont have too high of a demand on tank, I dont think dosing is in the works for some months yet but is always on the list.
Trumpets are splitting, hairy mushroom has exploded, hammers I had a problem with the algea, the base of the skeleton was eaten away but they are doing better now, been moving them from time to time trying to find the best placement for my setup, I think I have them in it now

[EagleFF]

[IMG]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?
albumid=10928&pictureid=74964[/IMG]

sorry for the blue pics, never can remember to take pics during the day lights, checked the Ammonia=0 Nitrates= less than .02, cant wait to order some more corals, found a good place with lots of corals here in Texas to order from Austin Aqua Farms good selection.

[EagleFF]

Well.....I was fiddling with the tank, looking things over, and behold.....the first of what I am sure are many....I found a cracked bulkhead, I just placed an order for 5 sch 80 replacements, if 1 is going to crack, all of them are going to, so out they go, I am having them ship overnight, this is Sat night so I hope by Tuesday I will have them, Wed at latest, I tried some quick repair but to no avail, so I placed a strip line down to sump to keep the mess down to a minimum and not in stand or carpet, I will keep an eye on the problem and if need be, do a compleye removal and glue if it gets worse, note to DSA tank owners, buy sch 80 replacement bulkheads to begin with

[EagleFF]

Well, I ordered schedule 80 bulkheads, I thought I would be able to just slip them in the holes, what was the first 3 words I just said? "I wasent thinking"?, boy was I wrong, I had to cut the nut off the old bulkhead, so I had to install the new one, this all began at 5:30pm, busted out the drimel, sanding drums and went to work well at 3:45 in the am I finally got the bulkhead to fit, I got in a hurry close to the edge and it heated to the point of cracking, luckily it cracked with the hole and 3/16 from outside edge, about 3/8 long, so all good there, 5:30am I finally got the pumps put back on line, I have 4 more bulkheads to replace, I will do these but the sump will be removed for the next venture and I will have some diamond grinding drums, my back,neck, and shoulders are killing me, when it cracked I just knew I was going to wear 200 lbs sand, glass, live rock, and 175 gal of water, I like the sch 80 bulkheads, connections fit soo much better than in the original bulkheads, salt creep on them all the time because of poor fit.

[EagleFF]

2 new acro's from Battle corals, great customer service from Adam over there, he didnt want to ship just 1 coral so he gave me the one on the right.
I finally got me a Hanna checker for dKh came out to 6.5 dKh, I mixed up some soda ash and added 55 ml, to get it to 9 dKh it would take 330 ml, im going to dose slow.

[EagleFF]

well I lost the coral on the left, Battlecorals call it a pink bliss, it was my favorite to date, the rest of the acros are doing fine, I am slowly bring up the dKh im on my 3rd dose of Soda Ash. It was a 7.9 last night, I hadnt checked it today.
Adam is a great guy to buy from over at battle corals, he is going to cut me another frag from the same acro,I just have to buy another coral.
PS, the green one was free as I only ordered the pink one, he didnt want to ship just 1 small frag, the man has earned my business for sure.

[EagleFF]

the acan is doing wonderful, noticed 3 new eads today, getting my dKh up to 9 now, checked it when I got home tonight 8.4 added some more soda ash solution, next week I will be getting the complete BRS 2 part and begin to get on top of this tank like it needs to be, I will also get the Ca Hanna checker as well, I hadnt seen one for Mg yet so I'll use the red sea test kit for that, Mg and dKh is the only to that are low, my Yellow Tang still not touching the Nori, I hadnt seen him try the free floating pieces either, made a pouch out of the 1/4 clear mesh may have to try the attach to a rock trick, see if that will get him to eat, stopped feeding the shrimp and went straight to the veggie pellets, trying to get him to fatten up a bit.

[EagleFF]

3 new acroporas added to the tank, I also have the 2 part coming from BRS as well, if these look good by this weekend I will mount them to the rocks, finally coraline algea is growing good on my rocks, it should get better after dosing some 2 part, I also have some reef chilli coming as well along with Julians thing to spot feed the corals, acan is doing well , I'll get some brighter pics going soon.

[ADVRESOURCE]

Nice frags. from Battlecoral?

[ADVRESOURCE]

What is your water change cycle? I will be doing 20 mid month and 50g at end of the month. 1/2 natural Catalina water and 1/2 synthetic water.

[EagleFF]

Originally Posted by ADVRESOURCE

Nice frags. from Battlecoral?

Yes from battlecorals, Adam is top notch , adds a personal touch by texting me or me to him

[EagleFF]

Originally Posted by ADVRESOURCE

What is your water change cycle? I will be doing 20 mid month and 50g at end of the month. 1/2 natural Catalina water and 1/2 synthetic water.

Right now it's not as often as I'd like, 40 to 50 gal every other month, will begin 2 part next week

[EagleFF]

mounted the 3 new frags looking good, will look better when they grow, I'll begin the 2 part dosing next week when it arrives

[EagleFF]

I've been playing around with the water movement in the tank through my Mp60's, along with the returns, I am now running full return back into the tank along with in the evenings ramping up my MP's to move the heck out of the water at 75%, sure does stir up some stuff inside the tank. all corals doing well, the hammers and frogspawns are full extension since moving them to behind a rock to knock off some of the flow to them, but they still get plenty of light, Acros are doing good as well as with the acan, I may get a green acan, cut a rock to a round shape to have one on the right side of the tank as well.I also ordered a clam, ready to have him back in a tank and I think this tank is ready seeing as everything else is doing good. I may go ahead with a water change before beginning my 2 part dosing next week. Coraline is doing well, first time since I have had a reef tank that I am actually getting it to grow on my rocks, normally I only get it on plastics and the glass, I see a flipper in my future as the scrappers I have are all too short to reach parts of the tank, next month I will remove the sump/refugium for its cleaning and cleaning the stand area, I will also install the sc 80 bulkheads at that time, I have to get the bits to enlarge the holes before hand, 1 is already done when it cracked on me, poor ABS design, or casting, this way I can replumb the bottom of the tank more like I wanted to in the beginning with short pieces of hoe to connect to the sump per LifeReef instructions.

[EagleFF]

well I learned a thing or 2 today, I learned if you place a cartridge in the wrong place it doubles your TDS on an RO system, so I am thinking if I place a separate cartridge for my sediment filter and run 2 carbon blocks, I just might be able to knock out some more TDS coming into my DI resin and save some money there, I spent most of the day recharging around 7 lbs of DI resin.

[EagleFF]

did a 30 gal water change then waited a while and tested

Ca=420 Hanna Checker
dKh=8.8 Hanna Checker
Mg=1000 Red Sea
pH= 8.17 Apex

water temp 79.1F

dosed 400 ml Mg chloride/Sulfate solution will check again in an hr BRS calc says its 1550 ml off but not to bring it up more than 100 a day so I should be ok

[ADVRESOURCE]

How many ml per gallon? I use a MG supplement that's 5ml per 25 gal. Around 50 ml per 250 gallon water volume. I've been dosing only 104 ml each day. Some days there's change but, others NOT much. Finally got to 1380 after a number of days of dosing.


5/23/2016 8.0 76.6F 1.026 440 6.0 1200.0 0-0.25PPM 0PPM 0PPM LIGHTS 5/23/16: ADDED PHOSPHATE/CARBON REACTOR. CLEAN UP CREW DID A GREAT JOB. NO MORE BROWN DIATOMS AND HAIR ALGAE ALMOST COMPLETELY IRRADICATED. 5/23/16: ADDED PURPLE TANG, 3 YELLOW TANGS, 3 BLUE GREEN CHROMIS. NO CORALS YET. 5/24/16: ADDING BIOPTIM AND BIODIGEST

5/25/2016 8.1 77.4F 460 7.0 1200.0 LIGHTS 5/25/16: DRIP 52 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS 8AM

5/26/2016 8.1 76.8F 460 7.0 1200.0 LIGHTS 5/26/16: DRIP 52 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS

5/27/2016 8.1 77.0F 480 7.5 1230.0 LIGHTS 5/27/16: DRIP 52 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS 5/27/16: ADDED 52ML MG

5/28/2016 8.1 77.5F 480 7.5 1200.0 LIGHTS 5/28/16:9:35AM NO CHANGE TO MG OR ALK. ADDING 104 ML MG. SLOW DRIP. 5/28/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS

5/29/2016 8.2 77.1F 480 8.0 1290.0 LIGHTS 5/29/16:9:35AM NO CHANGE TO MG OR ALK. ADDING 104 ML MG. SLOW DRIP. 5/29/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS


5/30/2016 8.2 76.8F 480 8.5 1290.0 LIGHTS 5/30/16:9:35AM NO CHANGE TO MG OR ALK. ADDING 104 ML MG. SLOW DRIP. 5/30/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS


5/31/2016 8.1 77.4F 1.026 480 8.0 1380.0 0-0.25PPM 0PPM 0PPM LIGHTS 5/31/16: ADDED THE 78W SUPER BLUE ACTINIC AND 12K HO T5 LAMP 5/31/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS

[ADVRESOURCE]

OCEAN MAGNESIUM: 1200 reef tanks: 1300 - 1500

I added only 364 ml of MG to go from 1200 to 1380.

[EagleFF]

Originally Posted by ADVRESOURCE

How many ml per gallon? I use a MG supplement that's 5ml per 25 gal. Around 50 ml per 250 gallon water volume. I've been dosing only 104 ml each day. Some days there's change but, others NOT much. Finally got to 1380 after a number of days of dosing.


5/23/2016 8.0 76.6F 1.026 440 6.0 1200.0 0-0.25PPM 0PPM 0PPM LIGHTS 5/23/16: ADDED PHOSPHATE/CARBON REACTOR. CLEAN UP CREW DID A GREAT JOB. NO MORE BROWN DIATOMS AND HAIR ALGAE ALMOST COMPLETELY IRRADICATED. 5/23/16: ADDED PURPLE TANG, 3 YELLOW TANGS, 3 BLUE GREEN CHROMIS. NO CORALS YET. 5/24/16: ADDING BIOPTIM AND BIODIGEST

5/25/2016 8.1 77.4F 460 7.0 1200.0 LIGHTS 5/25/16: DRIP 52 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH
CHECKING A FEW PARMS 8AM



5/26/2016 8.1 76.8F 460 7.0 1200.0 LIGHTS 5/26/16: DRIP 52 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS

5/27/2016 8.1 77.0F 480 7.5 1230.0 LIGHTS 5/27/16: DRIP 52 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS 5/27/16: ADDED 52ML MG

5/28/2016 8.1 77.5F 480 7.5 1200.0 LIGHTS 5/28/16:9:35AM NO CHANGE TO MG OR ALK. ADDING 104 ML MG. SLOW DRIP. 5/28/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS

5/29/2016 8.2 77.1F 480 8.0 1290.0 LIGHTS 5/29/16:9:35AM NO CHANGE TO MG OR ALK. ADDING 104 ML MG. SLOW DRIP. 5/29/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS


5/30/2016 8.2 76.8F 480 8.5 1290.0 LIGHTS 5/30/16:9:35AM NO CHANGE TO MG OR ALK. ADDING 104 ML MG. SLOW DRIP. 5/30/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS


5/31/2016 8.1 77.4F 1.026 480 8.0 1380.0 0-0.25PPM 0PPM 0PPM LIGHTS 5/31/16: ADDED THE 78W SUPER BLUE ACTINIC AND 12K HO T5 LAMP 5/31/16: DRIP 104 ML OF ALK: SODIUM CARBONATE - SODA ASH CHECKING A FEW PARMS

it does not give ml per gal in the BRS calculator, I just checked my Mg again and came up with 1240 ppm, thats closer to what this system normally runs at around 1200, I am going to let it run some more and give it another check, either my test was off the first round or I missed something. calc says to mix 1641ml to bring it to 1350 so thats around 8.8 ml per gal

[ADVRESOURCE]

I'll read the brs product information tonight

[EagleFF]

a clam is finally back in my tank, this one is smaller than the first was I had, been in the tank for about 10 minutes now, seems happy to be out of the bags and into a system.I sure have missed having a clam

[EagleFF]

checked just 2 levels in tank today, calcium and alk, calcium shows 447 and alk is 8.8, I will retest in about an hr to update my levels, I finally found where to add them in fusion so now I dont have to write them down anymore lol

[EagleFF]

heres the tank as of today

[EagleFF]

Salinity 1.0255
Ca 449
Mg 1320 dosed 400 ml mg solution at lunch
dKh 8.4 dosed 80 ml of soda ash

[EagleFF]

I just ordered the Salifert Mg test kit, I want a second opinion