Acer's build thread ( 3RMAS area)

acer · Sep 20, 2016

Since we have our own website that links to this area - I figured a link to my build thread was appropriate.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acer-new-150-build.260497/

acer · Jan 1, 2017

New updates in built thread. See above for link.

acer · Sep 4, 2017

Many updates on my thread over in the member tanks area.

acer · Jan 25, 2018

lot of updates in the main thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acer-new-150-build.260497/

acer · Feb 25, 2018

Updates: Lear fragswap goodies...

https://imgbox.com/5EMDMY4T

Testing results- Alk = 8.9, ca+= 515. Ph= 8.4 daytime and 8.2 at night. No idea why my Alk went up. Beginning to think that I am incompetent at testing.

acer · Mar 16, 2018

Ok- the wonders of reefing!? Have not added a single supplement in 6 weeks as my Alk was higher than I wanted. Just doing water changes. So, for all u chemists out there - figure this out. My Alk has gone up again- now it is 9.24 DKH. I rechecked twice and had purchased the solutions to insure the Hanna checker is working. Calcium is 450. Ultra low Hanna phosphate checker tested my water at .04, mg is 1350. So, why are my Acros dying and how is my ALK going up without any supplementing, and doing water changes using fresh blue bucket Red Sea water that tests at under than 8.2 ALK??

acer · Jul 26, 2018

Updates on the build thread.

acer · Sep 3, 2018

Suggestions for small leak developed in center bulkhead. Details on build thread.

acer · Oct 25, 2018

Updates on build thread located here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acer-new-150-build.260497/

acer · Dec 30, 2018

New addition

KyleC. · Jan 1, 2019

acer said:
New addition

What is that Acer? Some type of dwarf Angel?

acer · Jan 1, 2019

Regal.. bad pic... Lol new phone and I am not used to it yet.

kevinl · Jan 1, 2019

Is he leaving your corals alone?

acer · Jan 2, 2019

What corals ..LOL - yes - He is leaving all my Zoa's and LPS alone, but as we discussed the only SPS I have healthy is sunset monti, and a red monti-cap. He came from a tank that had corals and the previous owner stated he did not pick at coral - we shall see. I figured since I cant figure out why I cant get my favorite corals to thrive -I might as well have some fish that I have always wanted.

acer · Jan 10, 2019

Ok so the Regal Angel has been a great addition. Beautiful fish and no fighting. I actually got remotivated and testing again, had gotten so irritated months ago due to loosing good corals yet had great parameters. Today went to test and Alk solution had all leaked out ... Rrrrr.. so no Alk test. Sure wish a local store carried Hanna reagents. My nitrates = <1, but my phosphate was 60 ppb= .182 ppm. So ya, need to start up the reactor again. Apparently , doubling my feedings due to the Regal Angel certainly increased the po4.

acer · Jan 20, 2019

Ok after 2 water changes and running Gfo reactor my po4 tested .095. Mg+ = 1200, Ca+= 464. That's the good news , bad news is I finally got my Alk Hanna reagent and results are pretty ugly = 6.44 DLK. Yikes!! Added 200 ml BRS soda ash liquid (raise tank to 8.0) to my 5 gallon ATO which will slowly add the supplement over the next 2 days.

kevinl · Jan 20, 2019

tested my alk this morn, 6.4
no biggie, stability is key.
ur chasing numbers again (not good)
you are set up with auto dosing alk & Ca right?
I was always told to keep 8, 8.5 for alk, but that was hard for my tank for some reason.
7 to 7.3 was where it wanted to run on auto, so I let it be.
u also need the stability with the nutrients, up and down with Po4 is harmful as well.
So set up your GFO and keep it running, only adjust the amount you run if you need to.
feed same amount of food daily, dont increase or skip days.
get a good WC schedule going and stick to it.
Then you'll find out where your tank likes to run for you (it comes from your daily, weekly, monthly husbandry)
Oh, and bring your Mg up. I dont dose Mg with a doser, I check each WC mix and adjust it there. Shoot for 1380 to 1450.

acer · Jan 21, 2019

Yep - I did add the Mg+ supplement to bring it up to 1350. I have always had best luck at having Alk at 8.0-8.5 with my setups over the years - never had to use dosers as water changes did the job. But I did purchase 2 BRS doser's to use with this setup - along with my classic Apex which I have never really used. My Alk was always high (10- 11) with the water changes I did using Reef Crystals on this new setup. Then I switched salt almost 8-10 months ago to try and lower my Alk - regular instant ocean - then to Red Sea Blue- and then Fritz for the past 2-3 months. My Alk never stopped being high- so I thought - I cant dose when Alk is high?? Ca+ was running 460-515- also a bit high - but reasonable. Then I started loosing corals in late summer/fall, then got into a funk in the fall ( health issues) and for what ever reason failed to do proper testing, etc. - Probably because the only corals I was losing was SPS/Acros - the Zoa's are beautiful, fish are healthy, etc. I took down my GFO reactor because I was thinking/wondering if I did not have enough nutrients as my Phosphates/nutriates were very low - so that what was causing the Acro's to slowly die. I am wondering now if my old Alk testing Hanna reagent was bad so my tests were inaccurate causing me to think I had high Alk when I actually didn't. Plus, I did not test regularly enough- my bad. So hopefully - I will stay on the stick- and test enough to figure out whats really going on and get my system stable again. I miss my sticks. This thread is mostly about helping others to not make my mistakes- lol- well good reading on that account.