Gilroy 425g Build Thread (All Apex, all the time)

ithk21620 · Mar 9, 2016

cypherljk said:
What are you using for your cameras?

Look at page 19

psirex · Mar 9, 2016

Turbonut said:
Lol

Glad you thought it was funny.....

Fishpalace · Mar 10, 2016

psirex said:
Glad you thought it was funny.....

It also brought a smile to my face too. Lol

JBNY · Mar 10, 2016

Terence said:
To get the thread back on track, here is a snapshot of my Calcium Reactor pH and dosing schedule and how it is going. Measured kH and Ca this morning and they were low so I need to lower the pH a tiny bit on the reactor and up the flow.

I wouldn't lower the pH in the reactor anymore, it is pretty low to begin with. I have found that if you are using a controller, for almost every kind of media I have used (except dastaco that needs to be at 6.0) just set the internal pH on the first chamber of the reactor to 6.5 or 6.6 and leave it always at that level, then just adjust the effluent flow as needed.

Terence · Mar 10, 2016

Yes, by tiny bit I meant about .05. This media has a recommended middle range of about 6.25 - and I think that is very conservative. I say that because unlike other media I have used, it does not seem to have a nice linear curve on the pH to dissolve ratio. It is either dissolving, or it is not.

At this point it is all about flow.

Terence · Mar 10, 2016

On another note, over the last couple of years I really have come to like the Red Sea test kits with the titrator. Not anymore.

I have two different, not expired, foundation kits that contain kH, Ca, and Mg tests. The kH tests in both do not turn to red, they to yellow and then gradually to orangish. You really do not see any fast change so you cannot tell when to stop dripping. I went and searched forums and it seems I am not alone. Some say that Red Sea blames it on them being old. Others say it is a batch of bad kits. Either way I have no time for this.

Back to the Hanna Checker I go for Alk. Salifert for Ca and Mg.

What a shame - I really liked those kits.

Zack33 · Mar 10, 2016

This is a great build!!

Zack33 · Mar 10, 2016

Terence said:
On another note, over the last couple of years I really have come to like the Red Sea test kits with the titrator. Not anymore.

I have two different, not expired, foundation kits that contain kH, Ca, and Mg tests. The kH tests in both do not turn to red, they to yellow and then gradually to orangish. You really do not see any fast change so you cannot tell when to stop dripping. I went and searched forums and it seems I am not alone. Some say that Red Sea blames it on them being old. Others say it is a batch of bad kits. Either way I have no time for this.

Back to the Hanna Checker I go for Alk. Salifert for Ca and Mg.

What a shame - I really liked those kits.

Have you considered other kits to try? Salifert perhaps? I've always heard good things regarding them. Although I guess if you own the Hanna already might as well use them, they are pretty awesome.

JBNY · Mar 10, 2016

Sounds like a plan!

If you are going to use the hanna alk checker don't forget to check your reagents against their database. They had a large group of reagents that were bad. I had bad ones from summer 2015 up to ones I bought three weeks ago. They give increasing low alk readings as the reagent gets used up and there is less in the bottle.

https://hannainst.wufoo.com/forms/w1hzjs2j1b4ejyu/

Lowell Lemon · Mar 10, 2016

Terence said:
The day has finally come. We have glass! Go www.ReefSavvy.com! Thanks Jimmy and Steve from www.neptuneaquatics.com, we couldn't have done it without you.

Now I know which crew to call when I have to move in the next full granite slab into a customers house. Where were you when I had to move a 1300lb slab into a full kitchen remodel. It took 5 of us and a special dolly to transport the slab through the snow and ice to the customer's deck and then kitchen island. I am getting to old for that stuff!

Many hands make light work.

Terence · Mar 10, 2016

I have used Salifert for years. Love it for everything but kH where my partial colorblindness cannot see the color change fast enough. That is why I got the Hanna for kH. The color change on the Red Sea used to be good, but now it is not, so there is no reason to continue with it for the other tests.

Lowell Lemon · Mar 10, 2016

mstgkillr said:
Do you remember what brand/model suction cups? Did you buy or rent them? Did you have any issue with the suction cups on the back of the tank where the black vinyl is?

Woods power grips are the best. Made in Montana and sold through the various glass wholesaler around the nation. You can web search them and get a local supplier.

Lowell Lemon · Mar 11, 2016

SPotter said:
First....im really sorry for the losses! It sucks when fish die! I'm sure I'll get flamed by someone for what I'm about to write but I'm going to share my experience with ich. It's just my experience and I don't claim it to be the absolute answer to the problem. It's worked for me so far so here it goes....

My tank has been running for 18 months now and while I do get an ich outbreak from time to time, I have not lost a fish to ich yet. I run an 80w UV and have a cleaner wrasse in the tank. I isolate all new fish in a separate tank to make sure they're eating before they're put into the display. I don't use any medication since the isolation tank is plumbed into my main system. Once they're eating and don't go into hiding as soon as they see me they get put into the display. Every so often I'll see a couple of spots on my hippo tang and they usually disappear in a couple of days. Now I know many people feel UV's are useless and the same for cleaner wrasses but it's worked for me and thought I'd share my experience with you.

I have had the same experiances with the many dealer systems I designed and installed over the years. Their loss rates ran 30% plus until a properly installed U.V. system was installed then in many cases the loss rates droped to the 1%-3% levels. You will get flamed on this issue if to many people see your comment. I paid a Vet at WSU to do some decropsies for me as to cause of death with two large systems and the results have created a heated exchange on this forum. It would seem that to ignore science and discovery is more important to those who consider themselves experts. I am not an expert but do have over 20 plus years of design and installation experiance. I also paid an expert for their study and solution to the affected systems (two 1500 gallon plus displays). Addition of a chiller and U.V. System completely solved the problem in the affected displays. It took the recommendations by the Dr. to convince the tank owners of the necessary cure. There are other organisims that display like ich that are present in every fish and in every tank but it is not ich. I will start another controversy if I say more. These organisms are widley known in aquaculture and respond very well to U.V. at the 45,000 and above kill range.

Terence · Mar 14, 2016

I had UV on my prior 210g system. Never knew if it did any good but I never had any major disease outbreak. I did not quarantine fish (I know, I know) and at most a sick fish entering the system might not make it. I had ich in the tank, but my tangs would only get it mildly from time to time and would fight it off. I have never seen an outbreak this severe like this until now. I know UV cannot eradicate ich. But I do know it kills a lot of bad stuff in the water column and it was part of my last successful system.

So, with that, I think I will add in an Emperor Aquatics 80W HO onto this system for good measure.

I am thinking about forking off the drain line to feed it, with a ball valve to adjust flow. Also, I will add an emergency bypass tee and drain above it so that if for any reason there is a blockage, it will back up to the bypass and come back to the sump. These are the benefits of a lot of room and a big sump!

Terence · Mar 19, 2016

Still waiting to get the UV.

Back to back weekly tests show the kH in the 9.2-9.4 range but the calcium is 350-360. Need to supplement on the calcium side. No surprise as the volume of new sand introduced undoubtedly boosted the buffering but without the calcium to balance. I need to raise it to 425 and with about 630 gallons of water that will be just over a gallon of BRS calcium solution.

Terence · Mar 20, 2016

Almost out of salt so I called in an order and 12, 200-gallon, boxes of Hot Salt will be delivered this week. The stuff worked so well (fast dissolve, no residue) kicking off the tank, I just figured I would stock up for then next year or so!

I will be getting my mixing vat running here pretty soon so the timing is perfect.

jl283467 · Mar 20, 2016

If you don't mind what is the cost per case on it?

Terence · Mar 20, 2016

jl283467 said:
If you don't mind what is the cost per case on it?

Retail is $85 per 200-gallon box. You may find it somewhere a bit cheaper - maybe $75. It is Anhydrous so it mixes differently than most all of the other salts.