barbianj's stuff Time for a new reef tank

Wow Jerry the tank looks incredible.Love the Granite.Let me know how the RA works for you as I am looking to do a controller soon.8)8)
I think PH swings are more important then the actual number within reason of course.

 

Those end pieces look fantastic Jerry.

 

So far so good, Vinny. I have the newer version with a little more memory.

I agree with you about the pH. The problem that I have always had with test kits, is that they just represent one tiny point in time. Like, when someone is having a problem with their tank, and they say Alk is this, or pH is that. The trend and the swings are missing from the equation.

This is my Ph so far. On 8-26, it dipped down. I don't know why, but I will figure out what affects it as time goes on. Other than that, it looks pretty good. I randomly set alerts if the pH goes over 8.2. When it did, I received an email, and a text message from my controller. ;D

Reef Angel Controller Web Chart

I really like not having the mechanical timers. When it's 10:00, the lights go off. Not 10:00 and 1 second.

I really, really like the ability to turn anything on or off with my phone. From anywhere.

Temperature is super accurate, and I don't have to worry about the heaters thermostat going bad. Also, I can view the temperatures trend, and set upper and lower limits for alerts.

A couple of days ago, I set the powerheads on wavemaker mode. I can see a slight positive impact from the random currents already.

A controller is one of those things that, once you have one, you wonder why you didn't get one in the first place.

 

This is a good read but caution it may give you a headache.LOL
Low pH: Causes and Cures by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Thought this part was very interesting.

Some of the possibilities listed above require some effort to diagnose. Problems 3 and 4 are quite common, and here is a way to distinguish them. Remove a cup of tank water and measure the pH. Then aerate it for an hour with an airstone using outside air. The pH should rise if the pH is unusually low for the measured alkalinity, as in Figure 3 (if it does not rise, most likely one of the measurements (pH or alkalinity) is in error). Then repeat the same experiment on a new cup of water using inside air. If the pH rises there too, then the aquarium pH will rise with more aeration because it is only the aquarium that contains excess carbon dioxide. If the pH does not rise inside (or rises very little), then the inside air contains excess CO[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE], and more aeration with that same air will not solve the low pH problem (although aeration with fresher air should).

 

Haha, funny you should post that article, Vinny. I had that page open on my laptop for the first week that I had the pH probe running. That's a lot to digest.

Honestly, I never tested pH in the past. It's a result of many factors, and taking one sample from one point in time doesn't mean much. Let alone the inaccuracy of test kits. Now, I'm checking it on my phone throughout the day. Is that bad??:-/

One thing that I did notice, is that adding the recipe 2 alk has no noticeable change on pH.

 

Congrats on the controller, Jerry! Oh and the dissipating bubble algae too.

You really have nice setup, all the tanks and a gorgeous house... I remember seeing all tanks in one picture in the beginning of this thread.

 

Beautiful stonework! The 300 looks gorgeous!

And yes, once you go with a controller, you never go back!

 

Had a great time at our swap yesterday. Everything went as well as we had hoped, first year event or not. Next year will be even better!

Here is a link to the website photos:

2012-Photo-Gallery

This is what I picked up, even though I didn't really need anything. Well, except the Bowerbanki.

 

Wow Jerry, nice pickups!! #4 is Tricolor Valida? So cool.. of course other coral are awesome too!

 

You are correct, sir! The first three SPS were all from a hobbyist vendor who grew all of his corals under LED's. The camera didn't pick-up the true colors of the first SPS. It doesn't have a "name", but the tips glow blue under the actinics.