The LAST big upgrade

[Delphinus]

It looks great!

Did you intend for your photo captions to sound like a poem?

"April FTS, End shot
Billy Bob, King of All
Squamosa clam I got
It came with a bonus commensal shrimp inside!
Unfortunately I only had an iphone with me to snap a shot.
"

One of my old big squammies had a commensal shrimp. It is so cool to catch a glimpse of those! (Unfortunately that clam is no longer with us ).

[michika]

Thanks!

No, my poetry was unintentional.

Awe, poor squammie.

[JDigital]

TIBET looks sooo good. Nice to see it going!

[michika]

Originally Posted by JDigital

TIBET looks sooo good. Nice to see it going!

Thank you!

Yesterday the pump for the 4-way on the left side of the tank got swapped out from a Reeflo Hammerhead to a Waveline 2650 DC pump. The Ocean Motions is running the version of the drums where you have two outputs active at once, like 1,3, then 2, 4. The flow is not bad, good for this stage of the tank and the 2" inlet is now now longer sporting such a strong an undertow.

Also added on the moonlights last night, a combination of red and blue RKE LED moonlights. The balance is probably 75% blue and 25% red. I'd like to add more red I think.

Unfortunately it doesn't photograph well. You can somewhat make out the galaxy and the Pachyseris corals.

[FishyFishy!]

Originally Posted by michika

The flow is not bad, good for this stage of the tank and the 2" inlet is now now longer sporting such a strong an undertow.

With the DC pump, did you reduce the 2" intake at the pump, or closer to the inlet?

[mseepman]

Wow, a Hammerhead to a waveline? I assuming the Hammerhead was really throttled back because those two pumps don't really compare for flow.

[kien]

Tank is looking great!

Originally Posted by michika

I'm in the process of adjusting the rockwork and getting a better feel for dosing. I've always previously used reactors, and typically only ever hand dosed magnesium, and way back in the day, some powdered additives.

Although you probably don't have a lot of uptake at the moment, I would imagine this would be a ridiculously large volume to be dosing. Have you figured out feasibility of dosing vs a reactor for your volume?

[michika]

Originally Posted by FishyFishy!

With the DC pump, did you reduce the 2" intake at the pump, or closer to the inlet?

On the pump side actually. The inlet was left alone. It will be getting a screen as I've been looking at smaller and smaller fish.

Originally Posted by mseepman

Wow, a Hammerhead to a waveline? I assuming the Hammerhead was really throttled back because those two pumps don't really compare for flow.

Hahahah yes. The hammerhead was TOO powerfu. Even dialed way back the suction on the 2" inlet was deadly. The flow was ridiculous too. I do expect to go back to the hammerhead though in the future when things start to grow in and I need the extra flow to overcome the growth.

Originally Posted by kien

Tank is looking great!



Although you probably don't have a lot of uptake at the moment, I would imagine this would be a ridiculously large volume to be dosing. Have you figured out feasibility of dosing vs a reactor for your volume?

Thanks!

I did look at reactors, and I've always typically used CA reactors and then had a kalk reactor for dKH. This time I'm trying the BRS two-part dosing method. The only reason I didn't stay with reactors is finding media consistently.

I did some back of the envelope calculations on the big three and what it would cost me to do dosing vs reactors and it really comes down to the prices and accessibility of media. Reactor dosing has somewhat fallen out of favour and so I'm not seeing things like ARM media or its equivalent around regularly, stores aren't really carrying it (that I've seen). Equipment for dosing is cheaper, media is more expensive. Equipment for reactors are more expensive, and media is cheaper, but hard to find consistently.

I've just started (last week) automating my dosing using the BRS peristaltic pumps and their 2-part instructions. Using the assumption that the total current water volumne is 550gal I'm already dosing nearly 1g of CA, dKH, and MG respectfully over a 24 hour period. This leaves me with two possible solutions; a) bigger dosing containers (ugh) b) stronger more concentrated doses.

I get a feeling that I'm going to end up with a fraken-dosing solution; half reactors, half dosing. But I plan to disguise it well with Pheasent balls.

Right now I go through about 30-40ppm Ca/day, everything else, is pretty flat.

[kien]

Originally Posted by michika

I get a feeling that I'm going to end up with a fraken-dosing solution; half reactors, half dosing. But I plan to disguise it well with Pheasent balls.

Right now I go through about 30-40ppm Ca/day, everything else, is pretty flat.

Pheasant balls to the rescue!! 550g to dose seems mind boggling to me. I'm dosing on 150g and finding that just barely manageable. Good point about the lack of media though. I don't see it around as often. I don't know about reactors falling out of favour though. I still often read suggestions that on larger volumes reactors are more economical. I suppose it will be a bit of trial and error but you'll find your groove :-)

ps. Pics of pheasant balls once you bring them online.

[michika]

You almost have to change the way you think about dosing to wrap your head around it.

For example, to raise Ca by 1ppm I have to dose 56.2mL. Which means to catch up from a 30ppm drop I have to dose 1686mL, or 1.686L. And it takes a little over 4 cups of Calcium Chloride to make up that batch. Its a little bit of a mind-blowing moment actually.

I know myself and my sanity will not hold out for daily re-mixing of additives, so the 1g jugs for dosing aren't really sufficient, but like you said...the optimal solution and all...