135.4 Waterbox build chronicle and trials

[crazysun]

I don't trust heaters at all.

https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Tempe...pID=41SxzZIkcYL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Nice, I like that it has an audible alarm. Not a bad price for peace of mind.

 

[Fudsey]

Nice, I like that it has an audible alarm. Not a bad price for peace of mind.

Exactly. I will at some point get a titanium heater to double as a ground but haven't yet.

 

[crazysun]

Pics with the Canon SLR, still trying this picture taking out. These are the corals to date.

 

[crazysun]

Now a few fish...

 

[NY_Caveman]

During feeding time I notice the tank was colder. I checked the temperature and it was hanging around 74.4. It was a little old to see that the coral frags I have were not as colorful and recessed. The Toadstool and GSP, that have great polyp extension, where retracted in their body. I had my two month old heater stop working. I took a gamble on only running one heater at the start of the tank. I was planning to add another heater sometime in the future. Those sometime in the future plans can bite you in the *** or never materialize. I threw in my heater from my water mixing station and went to Pet Co. I bought two 200 watt heaters and placed them in the sump. The tank got down to 74.2 on one thermometer and 73.8 on another. After about an hour the tank was climbing back up to 75.4.

I think that they should make a better heater that we can rely on with todays technology. I see and hear too many stories of heater failures. This is a good lesson for me on redundant life support. Someday a controller will be in works.

Tank at 74 degrees pic...

I am using the Ink Bird ITC-308 Temperature Controller with two Cobalt 150 Watt heaters on a JBJ 45 Gallon. I have the controller at 79*F and the heaters at 82*F similar to @Fudsey. Usually on heaters the thermostats fail in my experience. In my setup, the heaters should never even use their thermostats.

Funny, a few reefers scoffed at this setup and your story is a great example of why I use it.

 

[crazysun]

I am using the Ink Bird ITC-308 Temperature Controller with two Cobalt 150 Watt heaters on a JBJ 45 Gallon. I have the controller at 79*F and the heaters at 82*F similar to @Fudsey. Usually on heaters the thermostats fail in my experience. In my setup, the heaters should never even use their thermostats.

Funny, a few reefers scoffed at this setup and your story is a great example of why I use it.

Sounds good... I'll check that out too. Good advice, thanks.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sounds good... I'll check that out too. Good advice, thanks.

I do not know the Finnex well, but the Ink Bird has three outlets. Two for heaters and one for a chiller (or fan). That all takes up only one outlet on my power station. I have a separate Vertex grounding pole that was $20-30 plugged outside of that system directly to the GFCI outlet.

 

[crazysun]

Thanks for the lead on the Vertex grounding pole. Now have it on my list for inprovements. I like and see the benefit for the controllor set lower than the heaters. Once I get new and back up equipment that's how I am going to model it. Thanks again @Fudsey and @NY_Caveman.

 

[Fudsey]

The Finnex has just 1 outlet...

 

[crazysun]

So the tank is on very limited heating source. It is hanging on at 77.4 F. I have an order in for new heaters. I just know the corals and fish are ticked at me.

 

[Fudsey]

But 77 isn't all that bad. Any lower and I'd be concerned but I usually keep mine at 78-79

 

[crazysun]

But 77 isn't all that bad. Any lower and I'd be concerned but I usually keep mine at 78-79

Yes true, I would just like to get back to 79*F +/- 1*F again. The Aqueon 200w preset heater to 78*F are just temporary and are just hanging on. They will be replaced and moved to salt mixing and QT tasks. My Daughter also wants to upgrade her freshwater tank, so one will be tasked for that.

 

[crazysun]

Sponge that is attach to the rock on the bottom with the Chalice. Nice little bonus, but will need to keep an eye on him.

 

[crazysun]

So the heater monitor and controller I going with is the Ink Bird ITC-308. I like the look of the Finnex monitor/controller and they are basically have the same functionality. The Ink Bird was 10 dollars cheaper and it has a 5 foot cord for the temp sensor than compared to the 3 foot one Finnex is sporting. Having longer cords help. The last item is the cooling outlet for expansion if needed.

Now, just waiting for two heaters.

 

[crazysun]

Another annoying thing is now I have three temperature sensors and a thermometer that all read differently. Really don't know which one to trust.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Another annoying thing is now I have three temperature sensors and a thermometer that all read differently. Really don't know which one to trust.

My Ink Bird probe is in the back of the tank with the heaters. I kept a glass thermometer in the display for the beginning of the setup and found the front of the display ran about 1-1.5*F lower than the back of the tank. I should note we have central air in the house.

 

[crazysun]

Replaced the one broken 250 watt Finnex heater with a 200 watt and 150 watt Eheim Jager heaters. They came in the mail today from BRS.

 

[crazysun]

Notice this guy the other day. A Vermetid snail. I will have to remove it and watch for others.

From the internet...

 

[crazysun]

Latest water test.
Temp: 78 - 78.8
Salinity: 35 1.026
PH: 8.2 red sea test
Alk: 9 red sea test
CA: 440 red sea test
MG: 1540 red sea test
Nitrates: 0 red sea test
Phosphates: 0.00 hanna checker UL

Skipping the water change because my levels are good, but nitrates and phosphates are very low.

Tank has been up and running from May about 3 months. Still pretty young.

 

[crazysun]

So I decided to do my water change. Even with very clean water I thought it would be best to keep my schedule. Another reason is the Rhodactis mushrooms and my red Zoanthus are shrinking. I am thinking that either something is in or not in the water making them mad or the water is too clean for them. I only know what I test for in the tank. Everything else is doing well.