Gilroy 425g Build Thread (All Apex, all the time)
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High Plains Reefer
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Have you given any thought on what method you are planning to run on this bad boy?
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I want to try and not make this thread entirely about Neptune products if I can. To relate your question back to this build, the COR is not powerful enough for this set up. That said, not too far down the road you might see a pre-release one driving a manifold on this aquarium.
Method? If I understand this right, I will likely do what I did on my previous 210 gallon. That is, filter socks, biopellets (trying a new one I will tell you about soon), and then we will see if I need anything like GFO, or some other phosphate reduction method. I may also put Ozone and run it from time to time. Same goes for carbon. Oh, and I will be running RDP in the sump with chaeto and some other macro algae for nutrient export.
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High Plains Reefer
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sorry, I was refering to dosing are you planning on 3 part, balling or triton?
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I will be running a Deltec fluidized calcium reactor. I posted pics earlier in the thread. I will likely use our DŌS for some other purposes - maybe even run one in a fridge to dispense some liquid foods from time to time.
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OK, so I have to eat a little crow. For years lets just say I thought that Sea Swirls were overrated. My reef friends like Dave and Cliff swore by them and they had insane SPS aquariums. Other well known reefkeepers like Tony Vargas and Joe Yaiullo also say that they are key to a great reef tank. Their results speak for themselves. These guys all walk the walk. So, it is with much fanfare that I eat crow and announce that I have decided to put two 1" Sea Swirls on this build! I just put them on tonight. I want to thank Eddie for hooking me up and I want to let you all know that he might have something interesting in the near future that is related to our Neptune Systems WAV - you will just have to wait and see because that's all I am saying!
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IronVulture
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I have to say I am very intrigued
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After recently enjoying a Tony Vargas presentation, I began considering the Sea Swirls for my new build. I have been talking to Eddie also and as soon as I can get some measurements from ReefSavvy on the Euro-Bracing, I will be ordering a couple of these too. Glad to see pictures of your tank with the Sea Swirls on a Euro-braced tank. Any problems getting them mounted?
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Easy Peasy. Do it. And be sure to tell Eddie you saw it on my tank on R2R 
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My Tank Thread
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Looking good!
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OK, today was salt day. I know many reefkeepers out there are not fans of the Tanked show (lets not have that discussion here), but ATM has a line of products that is getting some positive attention, especially outside the USA. So, when a few months back I saw on ReefBuilders that they had a salt mix, I thought I would try and give it a try. So I rang up Wayde and asked him to send some over. I told him I would give it an honest review.
Today four large buckets of "Hot Salt" by ATM arrived at my office. I brought them home and with the help of my son lugged them down to the fish-cave. The aquarium was filled two days ago with RODI and so the plan was to put a big powerhead in the 280 gallon sump and just mix the salt in-situ. The first impression I had with the Hot Salt was that these were the nicest salt buckets I have used for some time. The lids had a locking latch, were extremely heavy duty, and had sturdy handles. These buckets will be in the fish-cave for a long time.
The label instructs you not to touch the salt with wet hands. That is because this salt is anhydrous and when it gets wet it has an exothermic reaction and gets extremely hot. I can attest that this is good advice. Just because it is the way I am, I took my wet fingertip and touched the top of the salt. Within a few seconds I had to dip it in the water as it was on the verge of burning. Be careful. Now there are many claims they make for why this form of salt (anhydrous) is better. Chemistry is not my strong suit, so I am not the one to make any judgement on those claims. Here is a link to the web page and a pic of the label is below. http://acrylictankmanufacturing.com/products/salt-mixes/hot-salt-reef/
I added the salt slowly to the sump - about 10 minutes per bucket. On the first bucket I was amazed at how little salt was left on the bottom of the sump after I got it all in there. The little bit that was there I could feel with my hand and a little swish and it dissolved right away. This stuff dissolves fast and clean.
I have put two buckets in and I will slowly add about half of one more bucket and then slowly add more and test on hour intervals until I get up to my 35ppt.
I will report back later on when things settle out to tell you where the numbers landed.
Today four large buckets of "Hot Salt" by ATM arrived at my office. I brought them home and with the help of my son lugged them down to the fish-cave. The aquarium was filled two days ago with RODI and so the plan was to put a big powerhead in the 280 gallon sump and just mix the salt in-situ. The first impression I had with the Hot Salt was that these were the nicest salt buckets I have used for some time. The lids had a locking latch, were extremely heavy duty, and had sturdy handles. These buckets will be in the fish-cave for a long time.
The label instructs you not to touch the salt with wet hands. That is because this salt is anhydrous and when it gets wet it has an exothermic reaction and gets extremely hot. I can attest that this is good advice. Just because it is the way I am, I took my wet fingertip and touched the top of the salt. Within a few seconds I had to dip it in the water as it was on the verge of burning. Be careful. Now there are many claims they make for why this form of salt (anhydrous) is better. Chemistry is not my strong suit, so I am not the one to make any judgement on those claims. Here is a link to the web page and a pic of the label is below. http://acrylictankmanufacturing.com/products/salt-mixes/hot-salt-reef/
I added the salt slowly to the sump - about 10 minutes per bucket. On the first bucket I was amazed at how little salt was left on the bottom of the sump after I got it all in there. The little bit that was there I could feel with my hand and a little swish and it dissolved right away. This stuff dissolves fast and clean.
I have put two buckets in and I will slowly add about half of one more bucket and then slowly add more and test on hour intervals until I get up to my 35ppt.
I will report back later on when things settle out to tell you where the numbers landed.
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So here's another update. This is the first large tank I have started completely from scratch. Even my other small tanks, I always had water and rock from my big one to get them started.
For this tank I knew I wanted to try out one of the bacterial starter cultures that are out there these days.
By happenstance I ran into Izzy in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. Izzy is a fish friend (and also a graduate of CSUN where I got my CS degree) whose business manages hundreds of aquariums in that area. Izzy told me about a supplements business he has started that sells products for marine as well as freshwater aquariums, called Matrix Aquatics (https://matrixaquatics.com/).
I told Izzy about my tank and he offered to give me a gallon of their Marine Culture Plus+ product to try out along with their biopellets. According to Izzy this culture will help get the tank through a cycle in a much faster manner.
So, after I got the tank to 33.5ppt yesterday, I added in the whole bottle, as instructed by Izzy.
What is amazing, and possibly not just the result of adding this culture (although it could have helped act as some sort of biological flocculant, the filter sock I had on the tank that was barely light caramel in color was nearly black and spilling over water this evening, 24 hours later. The water in the aquarium is super clear now as opposed to how it was (for two days) before salt and this culture in it. I uploaded a pic below of a brand new sock next to the one I pulled off. Wow!
Finally, tonight I added about 8-10 pounds more of salt and it is sitting right at 35ppt now.
For this tank I knew I wanted to try out one of the bacterial starter cultures that are out there these days.
By happenstance I ran into Izzy in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. Izzy is a fish friend (and also a graduate of CSUN where I got my CS degree) whose business manages hundreds of aquariums in that area. Izzy told me about a supplements business he has started that sells products for marine as well as freshwater aquariums, called Matrix Aquatics (https://matrixaquatics.com/).
I told Izzy about my tank and he offered to give me a gallon of their Marine Culture Plus+ product to try out along with their biopellets. According to Izzy this culture will help get the tank through a cycle in a much faster manner.
So, after I got the tank to 33.5ppt yesterday, I added in the whole bottle, as instructed by Izzy.
What is amazing, and possibly not just the result of adding this culture (although it could have helped act as some sort of biological flocculant, the filter sock I had on the tank that was barely light caramel in color was nearly black and spilling over water this evening, 24 hours later. The water in the aquarium is super clear now as opposed to how it was (for two days) before salt and this culture in it. I uploaded a pic below of a brand new sock next to the one I pulled off. Wow!
Finally, tonight I added about 8-10 pounds more of salt and it is sitting right at 35ppt now.
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Oh, I forgot. Here's what's up next...
This week I will be getting the "Apex Board" together. I don't know if it will be the ultimate version of the board, but I need to get the Apex stuff going on this now. So stay tuned - Apex is up next!
This week I will be getting the "Apex Board" together. I don't know if it will be the ultimate version of the board, but I need to get the Apex stuff going on this now. So stay tuned - Apex is up next!
IronVulture
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That's what I have been waiting for need lots of details
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Today it happened! Zero day. The day the Apex was first fired up on this aquarium - it only took 12 pages and 8 months!
I spent much of the day at a BAR meeting (Bay Area Reefers) to see Rich Ross give a talk and start to get back in the swing of talking saltwater with some great people at a club meeting. Before we left I was able to make my mounting board and get it painted so it was ready to mount everything up when I got back home.
Still tons to do, but at least I now can monitor temperature. And immediately I found out that the cheesy little dials on my two 300w Azoo heaters aren't worth squat! I had them both set to 80 and the tank was at 67 and they were both off. So, I cranked them up to 90 and plugged them into the Apex and programmed them for 77-78 degrees.
I have the tank connected to my Apex Fusion account so I have it everywhere I go. No port forwarding, no painful network issues (I hardwired, of course).
Stay tuned. It gets better and better every couple of days.
I spent much of the day at a BAR meeting (Bay Area Reefers) to see Rich Ross give a talk and start to get back in the swing of talking saltwater with some great people at a club meeting. Before we left I was able to make my mounting board and get it painted so it was ready to mount everything up when I got back home.
Still tons to do, but at least I now can monitor temperature. And immediately I found out that the cheesy little dials on my two 300w Azoo heaters aren't worth squat! I had them both set to 80 and the tank was at 67 and they were both off. So, I cranked them up to 90 and plugged them into the Apex and programmed them for 77-78 degrees.
I have the tank connected to my Apex Fusion account so I have it everywhere I go. No port forwarding, no painful network issues (I hardwired, of course).
Stay tuned. It gets better and better every couple of days.
