135 Journal

wetcoast · #1 03-24-2008, 12:49 AM

While the tank was cycling I started doing alot of housekeeping, and tracking parameters via the Aquatronica computer I have. It allows me to track Water Level (Sump and Display) for adding Top off Water, Temperature in my Room and in the tank, pH for both display and effluent out of the calcium reactor, and ORP for the Ozone Generator. I met a nice fellow on ReefCentral who managed to reverse engineer the Aquatronica Ethernet component and built a monitoring application that blew the included controller software out of the water. I liked his development skills so much from where he was (South Africa) and convinced him that he should come with with me in Canada. He'll he here soon..

I noticed some alarming trends with my temperature, and built a fan array for the refugium and sump out of some variable speed 12v DC computer fans.

The fans turn on when the display tank gets above 79.3F at their most highest RPM, this so far has helped as the display one day made it to 86 degrees with the haldes on!

Once march came around I started stocking the tank with some snails, and other invertebrates to help control the algae outbreak that I was experiencing from new tank syndrome. I have a serious amount of Hair Algae growing in the tank that I attribute to the rocks I picked up containing large amounts of phosphate. I am running 8oz of GFO every 3 days to remove the source and constantly plucking it in hopes it will go away. I've since added some crabs, and some fish in an attempt to control it, waiting patiently for the day to be able to get my corals flown in from Winnipeg that a reefer has been holding for me for the past 2 years.

I also added a new refugium light from Litemor Industries (23watt 5000k Compact Flourescent PAR38 Flood) which is helping grow various types of macroalgae. In time I will stock the refugium with some sort of fish or inverts. On the fence on putting seahorses as originally planned simply due to the temperature that the system is running at, and what may come of it once summer arrives. Trying not to go down the path of a chiller, but will revisit that idea in June.

Feeling a bit sheepish about the tank right now with its overgrowth of Hair Algae and Bryopsis, so I have no pictures of the tank from when it started until now. Will fiddle with a camera tonite and post one shortly.

tang daddy · #2 03-24-2008, 01:22 AM

Hey Bud looks good so far, I envy all your top notch equiptment, looks like no cutting corners with this set up. Can't wait to see more as this will give me ideas for my next build.

robzilla · #3 03-24-2008, 02:56 AM

nice looking setup. great that you took pictures thru the process. keep them coming!!

Pan · #4 03-24-2008, 03:01 AM

Looks good....I lalways like to live vicariously through people who PLAN their systems. I wish I had planned a bit more.

Delphinus · #5 03-24-2008, 06:03 AM

Wow, that wood for the canopy and stand is "cherry"!!

Tom R · #6 03-24-2008, 09:02 PM

Wow your setup look top of the line.

You seem to show very good spirit for someone who had to go through the never never plan of supply. Good luck on the Hair Algae.

Tom R

wetcoast · #7 04-28-2008, 05:15 AM

Been a long time since I updated, have added a few new corals, and a sea hare to destroy this hair algae problem, elevating magnesium using mag chloride or tech-m as listed on some forums has not worked..

Sad news is, Looks like I have to move and tear down the tank. This breaks my heart. The place I'm living in just isn't close enough for my girlfriend to Skytrain and quite frankly I'm going a bit crazy here. Here's to hoping I can find a place a) thats not too expensive b) that will let me set it up in it's full glory again. c) i don't get freaked out on by my strata council for doing an unauthorized mod to the building.