acheived a long milestone, decided to celebrate with a doser for 2 part. I went with another dos because down the road i want to dose the main zeovit stuff, so with the .1ml accuracy and easy scheduling through apex i feel it will be worth it...mainly apex scheduing as i want to be able to leave for a week at a time in the future.

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pssqon4vhn.jpg

they stack nicely -

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psziarkszv.jpg

i still need to pick up a magnesium tester, but im not dosing right now so that can wait. My levels are:

Calcium 550
Alk 132 ppm - 7.39 dKH - 2.64 meq/l

My calcium is high, could be the tester (Hanna) so 500-600, still high. Tonight i will dose only alk when ph drops at about 10 or so to bring calcium down slightly, then i will be able to dose calc and alk and figure out what my tank is using on a daily bases. is this correct?

next task - build a maintenance cabinet over my sump to organize all of this..

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pshyohd7no.jpg

corals, a new sand anenome,

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psehe2fe0b.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psqptc1sbh.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psj78ghogv.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9jdxdzjp.jpg

Adding Alk won't bring your calcium down by anything noticeable , it will only raise Alk. if you want to bring your calcium down then just don't dose anything and let it fall , as consumption happens in line with alkalinity your calcium with be use up in Ratio.

Once your calcium is where you want it then start dosing it again , dont dose on calcium numbers dose on alkalinity numbers if dosing 2 part.

thanks denny, that makes sense.. when you say dose on alk numbers, do you mean keep alkalinity in check and correct calc as i need with the right alkalinity?

Hello

By no means am I an expert on doising as I am just about to start using ESV two part myself but check out this artical I found while reading up on how to use it. Maybe someone else has tried this aproch and can put their experience with it on the table.

https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/20...art-additives/

Regards

That's a great point about the new salt water mix levels, as to not have variations when changing water... Didn't think of that.

What I mean is when your calcium drops don't chase calcium numbers but allow calcium to be dosed fairly equally with Alk.

Most 2 part products have the dry weight of the products already measured out for you , for examplpe your part a and your part b both have the same amount of liquid and same size bottle, but the dry weights would have been different , the idea is to replace and dose both equal amounts at the same time.

Alk and calcium are used up in a fixed ratio meaning that if you were to use up 1 dkh of Alk it would be impossible from a consumption point of view to use 50ppm of calcium , the ratio for calcium consumption is about 10% of Alk or for every 1.4 dkh drop its 20ppm of calcium and about 1-2 ppm of mg.

Yes, you are correct. Calcium will not drop a lot, but it will a little. You should raise alkalinity to get closer to balanced calcium and alkalinity ratio. It should always be balanced, but calcium at 550 ppm is off the chart, and I wouldn't raise alkalinity more than about 10 or 11 dKH with that many SPS in the tank, and I wouldn't increase more than 1 dKH per 24 hours. Then dose neither until they fall together down to where you want them. You will need to make sure you magnesium is at least 1300-1400 ppm to have elevated calcium and alkalinity. If magnesium is low then you risk calcium carbonate precipitation (aka snow in your tank).

Although I agree with you that it could be the Hanna Calcium Checker. I find it very easy to get a false high reading on that device.

Here's a really good article by Randy Holmes-Farley on calcium and alkalinity. Scroll down about halfway and read Corrections for Zone 4. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

I also have issues with the Hanna calcium I find it not a good test at all compared to how well the others work:)

Wow, you have really moved pretty fast on this tank! It's looking good. I love my peninsula tank...couldn't imagine going back to one with less viewing sides.

update - hanna checker is a like an educated guess machine...

today:

calcium - 374
alk - 7.22


Alkalinity dropped slightly, seems legit. The calcium, If the Hanna is off by up to 150 ppm should be balanced and was before, 350-500 today and 550 - 400 yesterday. Im going to say im near the bottom of the suggested range for reefkeeping and pretty close to natural seawater as far as calc and alk are concerned.

Tonight i will dose 50ml of each, as per starting recommended dose for 200 gal, alk when ph begins to drop and calc before lights come on.

wild one changing colours..

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psi8wpvpo9.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psllxdsa0o.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pszoxedkak.jpg

other wild one doing great,

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psbwoj7tsw.jpg

girlfriends bday present to me,
http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3gsvhh0j.jpg

today- after dose of 50ml of each in the last 24h

calcium 570 -hanna, up from 374 , this is not accurate at all, i dont think i will test calcium regularly until i get a better tester, any suggestions??

Alkalinity - 134 ppm - 2.68 meq/l - 7.5 dkh, up from 7.22 dkh

I like where these are now, i will change the dose to 21.8 ml based on Alkalinity consumption of 3.5 ppm without dose, then a 8ppm total rise including daily usage with 50ml dose, thus 21.8 to cover the 3.5ppm use daily. I think this should be a good first adjustment.

finally got a good picture of this bi colour blenny

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3kzdtynv.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psmqb1druh.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pssnvebtiq.jpg

Great job on the rock-scape! I love the dimensions on this tank.

Yeah like those dimensions too, maybe even 96x24x24:biggrin:

That was the hope, but i decided to use the bar as a tank stand... the bar top came in at 21.5 wide and 92 long. So close...

We are thinking of another tank upstairs in the dining room at 73"x24"x30", build thread to come soonish as this one will probably take a year or so just to set up as i havent even finished this one...

Thanks! Im seriously considering re-scaping it all to slant from one end to the other with a crevice down the center but I dont know how i shouold go about curing more dry rock and being sure i dont have another cycle happen.

We are thinking of another tank upstairs in the dining room at 73"x24"x30", build thread to come soonish as this one will probably take a year or so just to set up as i havent even finished this one...[/quote]


Sweet...:mrgreen:

dosing under control, alk and calc hovering around 7.75 and 500, corals seem happy, im happy... is this going too well?? i think the daily 1% water change is really helping the amount im dosing and the stability of the tank. Its a little too quiet....

heres some new corals,

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3ygablzq.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psv0l05cgs.jpg

new mandarin

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psdjib5shx.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psnnyejtfg.jpg

cleaning station

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pslij1brrd.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pszo8izu5m.jpg

back is staritng to come along

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psxart3z1y.jpg

my hammer seems to be sick, this is the second head to go in 2 weeks, parameters are good, everyone else is happy.. anybody know what could be killing it?

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pserr3pbd3.jpg

If you are looking for another test kit on Calcium...the Red sea kit is really nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT9tEHp828w

New plans to automate new saltwater top off:

have a float switch at top and bottom of NSW container hooked up to apex breakout box, also a solenoid plugged into apex to turn on and off depending on water level. so bottom float switches off, solenoid opens and fills up until top float switch closes, also mechanical float switch on top just in case. All i have to do is add salt once a week. I just have figure out how to attach the float switches to the container of NSW (currently 25g garbage can) without spending money on magnectic probe holders or something. I might just wait and get a 50gal cube with spots built in for floats.... any ideas?

also adding a few easy on/off switches for skimmer, pumps etc.

electrical for solenoid
http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...ps07luluqk.jpg

new corals..

strawberry

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psxb4iu7r5.jpg

sombrero chalice(what i call it)

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pst8k9hcwx.jpg

coco worm duster

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pswpp8s5jt.jpg

huge awesome lime green carpet anenome and some new clownfish.. they all had a party in the anenome for about 10mins followed by a group battle, they figured out whos who, we'll see if they pair up evenly... had 1 added 5.

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psrkjdzucr.jpg

new end shot

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psk95abxnw.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psvcbaltay.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psfftsquty.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pscjdgrojp.jpg

Hey, just a thought, you should get a solenoid that doesn't contain brass.

Thanks! =====right over my head on that one, could have been horrible. Will definetly find stainless or something else, know of any sources for a di safe solenoid?

update, ick and some dead fish...... all from the same store..im sure of it... actually now that i think of it every coral i got from this shop also died within a month. I wont say which one, but i will give credit to the shops which i have bought the rest of the tanks inhabitants and corals from (which are all alive and well, even with some ich in the tank now and i suspect possibly flatworm).The fish i got from concept is strong, healthy and eating well, as well as everything from wai's ive had no trouble, all healthy and happy fish and corals.

Now what to do about the situation, obviusly wont be buying anything from that shop, i have ich....maybe flatworm....*&^$. I have been using polyplabs medic for 3 days now, another 7 to go. Its a water conditioner as well as a reef safe ich medicine. You cannot run UV or carbon when medicating so i suspect any of the sick fish perished when i dropped the uv. All others have recovered now but i want to do the 10 days to rid it of ich. has anyone tried this before?

you added all this within 1 month of starting up a new tank. with a tank that large its extremely hard to get your parameters to balance out. Even if you did get this sorted out it takes a long time for this body of water to level its self out. Having said that once you started adding all the fish the bio in the tnak is climbing and climbing the ammonia , nitrites and then to nitrates would build fast unless you are changing the water super fast. What about the sand bed new sand I don't see it taking 1 month to completely alive and working taking away the NO3. But with a tank are you not running a QT tank. you have a lot of nice stuff on there. but however have a UV light. its great and all but you need to source the ick from the start with a QT tank and then run UV light. nice tank BTW. but have the ick and the flat worms its a lot to deal with.
If you can get some flatworm EXIT I would use that.
as for the ick well lots of garlic if you cant take the fish that are infected out. if not I know a few people of tried draining the tank down to nothing hardly and taking the fish out that way Aquattro has done this and it worked .

that is a really nice tank and good luck my friend. I know what its like having a huge tank I myself had a240 gal 8 footer.

Yes i moved fast. like really fast....guilty, The cycle took about 12 days, as I cured dry rock in DT, then 100% Water change, added all live sand, live rock and a ton of cured pukani, plus Start Up and zeovit system. I know a few others who have setup tanks this way in this short amount of time. I beleive adding fish earlier on, with a bio digest/bioptim regiment has helped. My parameters have never been bad exept for during the initial cycle when i added live sand, rock and dry rock. Im pretty sure the ich came from the PB Tang, now long gone his legacy remains...

update - upon further reading on polyp labs medic, it seems in most cases the fish will either perish during treatment and succomb to ich or they will be ich free long term. I beleive this is what has happened so far, the weak immune system fish have died, all others seem to be ich free. Im going to be using medic for at least 10 days to be sure. As for flatworm i only suspect because my Clown Tang has had increasing black spots since i turned off the UV for medic treatment and 2 of my smaller acros have perished. I used the UV for a few hours yesterday and will for a few this week till done the treatment, the clown already seems happier..

i found what i think is a baby snail? it kinda looks like a nudibranch, either a hitch hiker or offspring anyone know what this is??

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pseoccgttp.jpg


another wild one changing to reddish maybe, different time of day but the colour is getting more vivid and brighter... i need to get a real camera soon, this cell phone is driving me crazy.

before:
http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psbwoj7tsw.jpg

now:
http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psbq1c8rbo.jpg

i dont know what exactly this one is, a euphyllia of some sort.

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pstmsxnfom.jpg

The LPS and Softie side is doing really well:

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pscijj6ipa.jpg

end

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pslw8yttuw.jpg

feeling frustrated....set up a permanent quarantine.

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pspiktjibt.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8rjct74m.jpg

also.. thank you sand bed for being dirty and disgusting=====you will not be missed, going to bare bottom/rubble slowly during manual water changes.

Sorry for the loss. Learning from experience is valuable.

What will you put in the QT?

it sure is.. depends if i see any more ich on any fish, all that remain have no ich at all. If any get it again, straight to the QT. Im going to continue this medic treatment of my DT for 20 days total to be sure. All new fish and corals will live in there for a while too , prob 6 weeks... getting rid of the sand, too much challenge for its value.

Hope it all works out for you and the livestock will be happier in the long run.

all i can say is, never buy sand with small shells in it.... takes forever to syphon out witout using a 1" hose and sucking up everything.

some of the hard lessons learned so far:

-Quarantine
-Sand makes me crazy
-ich is no joke

here is a leaf wrasse,

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psewprzq1s.jpg

he will live in QT until DT goes through 12 week fish free soon here....i hope my red coris wrasse and him will get along in here once i can catch him going under the sand... i may have to setup another QT...palm to forehead

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pscntdnsfs.jpg

Looks like we are fated to go through the same things. I'm setting it up to be fallow for the 72 days. Saddest thing ever, getting a new 8 footer then seeing no fish for 2+ months. :lol:

Well, do it once, do it right. I want my fish, current and future, to be all healthy and happy. No point tossing them in now and seeing them succumb to sickness.

My corals and inverts will get a LOT of attention. :wink:

Don't forget to account for the rock in the QT absorbing some of the medication when dosing, so if you are using Cupramine for instance to combat ick, you should test the copper level to make sure you have the right dose in there.
Sorry to hear about the fish perishing.

well i couldnt find one coral beauty im sure died, i searched everywhere, then i saw this skeleton coming out of this monster green carpet anenome...

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pslpfufvco.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pszonijzum.jpg

cant get the wrasse out, nor the rabbit.. corals look great and water is super clear.. the sand is slowly coming out..

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pscedva4hp.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psf5bytlv1.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pswqrstvyp.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...psb7y8edio.jpg

http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/...pshceqqipj.jpg

Beautiful tank to say the least, love the 8ft peninsula style:)

I have to add that with Zeovit its not recomended to use live sand and also my understanding is that UV will counter and kill the Zeovit bacteria...

I need to get myself a QT tank, I'm thinking to put it at the office, however I'm there only a few times a week so it makes it difficult to monitor...