125 Gal

Ca reactor set up

Also need to get your Mag up to at least 1400

 

The Ca reactor setup link is just what I needed. Thanks. I have placed an order for Mg and Carbonate from BRS to continue working on the Ca/Mg/pH/Alk ratios....

 

I'm checking the alk and pH nightly and continuing to add buffer...I'm a bit amazed at the amount of buffer I have run through...So far, I'm using up the last of the Seachem buffers I have on hand from the operation of the 75g...

Looks like the most affordable way to continue adding buffer is with BRS Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Bicarbonate... my order shipped yesterday and will arrive on Tuesday... then I can start working on the Mg levels as well...

The pH probe is now running in the sump. By liquid test I've been calling 8.0 to 8.2 and more like 8.2 since the alk has been coming up...now I can see that it is 8.21 before the lights come on....

Now it's time to update the sig file...

 

Since adding these guys a week ago:

• As expected, the Lawn Mower has been living up to his name...
• The Pin Cushion Urchin keeps picking up hermits and the small cerith snails... I'm not sure if I should interfere, but have been taking a wooden skewer and carefully freeing them from the urchin...they seem to move happily away...
• However, the Court Jester had been MIA since being released from acclimation...until late last night, just ahead of the blues going off, this "new" fish appeared in the tank for just a couple of minutes and then zipped back under the rock work. Well, at least we now know he did not jump out and become cat food...

Still dosing for alk, for the last 3 days of dosing, the alk has been holding at 2.8 - 3.0 meq/l.

I have been dosing the Seachem Buffer (1 t/20 gal)....so I'm mixing 3 Tbs in a quart of DI and trickle feeding it into the mixing area of the sump.

The initial response has been a 0.5 meq/l increase 30 minutes after dosing and a 0.2 meq/l increase the same time the next day.

With warnings not to change greater than 1 meq/l per day, I suspect that I will be ok to add a 1/3 more (increase to 4 Tbs/qt) to continue to increase the alk towards a target of 4.5 - 5 meq/l.

 

Chemistry...

Well...

As with all good things....they will come to an end...

PO4 ~ 0.03-0.05...

 

pics of sump? i just like to see the cool stuff under the hood sometimes... cool tank/great build.

 

Pics of the latest additions...

LawnMower Blenny


Scissortail Dartfish


Sleeper Gold Head Goby


The court jester and pin cushion urchin seem to be camera shy.

Updates on the equipment are here: http://www.3reef.com/forums/filters-pumps-etc/equipment-room-not-48562-4.html

 

Up-Dated Pics

Most of the GHA is now gone...between the urchin and lawnmower they made short work of it....now to make sure that they stay fed...





As thick as the mushrooms are on this rock...I need to find a way to move a few off and over to some place else...







The sponge was exposed to air during the transfer process while acclimating...some of it is clearly dieing and yet the base looks strong...



The court jester is hard to catch on film...


All chem parms are looking reasonably good...NH3, NO3, NO2, PO4 are still holding at 0.00... Did have to change the GFO in the reactor as PO4 became measurable for a moment...

Alk is 12.8 dKH, Ca & Mg are on the way up...Ca Reactor is now being dialed in....

 

lookin good grubbs. nice additions , and glad the gha is clearing up for you. thnx for sharing...........again.

 

I'm a bit worried about the court jester, from these pics to today, we can see that the abdomen is a bit sunken.

I see him out picking on the rock work....and on rare occasion the brine shrimp...he passes on the flakes, pellets, and nori...

Our mushroom rock, about 2.5 to 3 inches in "diameter"...not that it is round, but it is roundish... I believe that we received an oyster as a bonus with our mushroom rock...or more correctly the oyster is the rock...but, the wife thinks it is a clam...



One thing for sure, when I take a stick and touch near the mouth of it, the majority of the top moves downward as it snaps shut!

New coral frags this week:

GSP:



And White palm-palm zenia (it is a small frag and hard to see in this pic,sorry):