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

revhtree · Jan 10, 2018

Terence said:
So this morning I went down to do my weekly check on the fish cave, drain the skimmer cup, refill my DDRs, and fix the crystalized CORE7 3b issue.

To fix the crystallized solution, I had to go get some hot tap water, pour it in, stir it up, and dump it out. Then, for 3b I decided to dilute it 1:1 with RODI and dose double. Not my ideal answer for this problem as I will have to refill twice as often, but at least I think this will fix it in the short term until things warm up in a couple of months. Next season I will have to have a better solution.

What about wrapping the container in a heating pad for the season?

Terence · Jan 11, 2018

revhtree said:
What about wrapping the container in a heating pad for the season?

great idea!

BigJohnny · Jan 15, 2018

@Terence

Two lennardi wrasse on divers den right now

markstubb · Jan 15, 2018

On a side note, it annoys the crap out of me that live aquaria blocks their site to everyone but the US. They’re a good resource for info, even if I don’t want to/can’t order from them.

Tristren · Jan 15, 2018

markstubb said:
On a side note, it annoys the crap out of me that live aquaria blocks their site to everyone but the US. They’re a good resource for info, even if I don’t want to/can’t order from them.

Works for me, from Canada. For viewing I mean. Agreed that it's a great source for info.

markstubb · Jan 16, 2018

this is what i get to see

Screen Shot 2018-01-16 at 8.16.42 PM.png

monkiboy · Jan 16, 2018

markstubb said:
this is what i get to see

you can login/use a free VPN to get around things like that to be able to view content not typically available based on your geo-location.

markstubb · Jan 16, 2018

Absolutely. I have an IPSec tunnel back to a gig connection in the states to watch Netflix and Hulu, but that wasn’t the point. Seems silly that they block it.

Developing news is I emailed them to ask why they have the block - their response was: “Thank you for your email. We sincerely apologize you are having issues with the online website. We do not have our website blocked from any area of the world.”

I beg to differ!

Anyway. Back to the thread. Sorry Terence!

Terence · Jan 16, 2018

BigJohnny said:
@Terence

Two lennardi wrasse on divers den right now

Thanks for the heads up. I went and looked. I just cannot bring myself to pay that kind of money for a 2" fish. If it was say 3-4" I might have been tempted to pull the trigger.

A femininus is on my future stocking list as well... we'll see.

I am down two wrasses right now - no surprise really. The female flame turned male about 9 months ago - was doing fine for quite some time but they started duking it out about 6 weeks ago. I noticed last week he was missing. Same thing happened to one of my male tonozukai wrasses - they got big and bold - now one is missing - haven't found any crispies yet - need to check the overflows and the sump.

tastyfish · Jan 16, 2018

Terence said:
So this morning I went down to do my weekly check on the fish cave, drain the skimmer cup, refill my DDRs, and fix the crystalized CORE7 3b issue.

To fix the crystallized solution, I had to go get some hot tap water, pour it in, stir it up, and dump it out. Then, for 3b I decided to dilute it 1:1 with RODI and dose double. Not my ideal answer for this problem as I will have to refill twice as often, but at least I think this will fix it in the short term until things warm up in a couple of months. Next season I will have to have a better solution.

Hi Terence,

Awesome tank! I'm a fellow wrasse fan, so looking forward to seeing what you're going to add next. There's a pair of 2" lennardi wrasse at a LFS, but they're about $1600 each... Ouch. It seems like the season for them as they are popping up at LFS all over the place in the UK.

The Core7 is super concentrated by using ultrasound IIRC to increase the amount of salts that can be held in solution. So as posted above, if it drops below 16C (61F ish?) then they start to drop out of solution and crystalise. It's kind of a chain reaction, once you get a small crystal, it will grow (basically, at lower temperature, there's less entropy to keep everything in solution).

It typically happens with the Alk solutions (3a and 3b) more than 1 and 2, but I usually microwave the bottles and shake for a while before adding. In your case, if it's in your basement, you're going to have problems going forward, so some cunning way to keep them warm may be required.

Diluting with RO will help with crystalisation and also reduce any precipitation in the tank (I moved the dosing tubes from my DOS from the return section to the refugium on Trtiton's recommendation, which didn't go well... I have 4" carbonate stalagtites, so back to the return they went).

Hope this helps

Devan Petersen · Jan 16, 2018

....i just scrolled through 86 pages on this thread.... it was worth the time beautiful build. I almost shed a tear when i got to the April Fools page.....

Terence · Jan 16, 2018

Devan Petersen said:
....i just scrolled through 86 pages on this thread.... it was worth the time beautiful build. I almost shed a tear when i got to the April Fools page.....

Glad that page is the gift that keeps on giving! Thanks for following along.

Terence · Jan 16, 2018

tastyfish said:
Hi Terence,

Awesome tank! I'm a fellow wrasse fan, so looking forward to seeing what you're going to add next. There's a pair of 2" lennardi wrasse at a LFS, but they're about $1600 each... Ouch. It seems like the season for them as they are popping up at LFS all over the place in the UK.

The Core7 is super concentrated by using ultrasound IIRC to increase the amount of salts that can be held in solution. So as posted above, if it drops below 16C (61F ish?) then they start to drop out of solution and crystalise. It's kind of a chain reaction, once you get a small crystal, it will grow (basically, at lower temperature, there's less entropy to keep everything in solution).

It typically happens with the Alk solutions (3a and 3b) more than 1 and 2, but I usually microwave the bottles and shake for a while before adding. In your case, if it's in your basement, you're going to have problems going forward, so some cunning way to keep them warm may be required.

Diluting with RO will help with crystalisation and also reduce any precipitation in the tank (I moved the dosing tubes from my DOS from the return section to the refugium on Trtiton's recommendation, which didn't go well... I have 4" carbonate stalagtites, so back to the return they went).

Hope this helps

I think I will be going with the heating pad solution. I will see how it goes for the next month with the diluted approach and where our temps are. For next year for sure - the heating pad.

I do have to wonder how many people are putting tubes in their bottles and not knowing about this.

revhtree · Jan 16, 2018

Terence said:
great idea!

I mean I do have a great mind......

TreyC2010 · Jan 16, 2018

revhtree said:
I mean I do have a great mind......

I think you and Terrence should post some FTS, in your respective threads, to show what your great minds can do!

Tristren · Jan 16, 2018

markstubb said:
Absolutely. I have an IPSec tunnel back to a gig connection in the states to watch Netflix and Hulu, but that wasn’t the point. Seems silly that they block it.

Developing news is I emailed them to ask why they have the block - their response was: “Thank you for your email. We sincerely apologize you are having issues with the online website. We do not have our website blocked from any area of the world.”

I beg to differ!

Anyway. Back to the thread. Sorry Terence!

Sounds like a bug, not a feature.

markstubb · Jan 16, 2018

I honestly think it's neither - think they just told me that as lip service as they won't reply to any more of my emails.

tastyfish · Jan 17, 2018

Terence said:
I think I will be going with the heating pad solution. I will see how it goes for the next month with the diluted approach and where our temps are. For next year for sure - the heating pad.

I do have to wonder how many people are putting tubes in their bottles and not knowing about this.

How about magnetic stirrers? The stirring action might not stop precipitation, however would the stirrers give off a little warmth? Seems like a waste of electricity to use a heating pad for it?

Alternatively, put the dosing containers against the sump so they get some warmth from there? I think someone suggested IN the sump, but I can see all sorts of issues doing that (not least if you stop the return and the containers float/fill up/tip... I can tell you from experience that a couple of litres of core7 going in the tank will wipe out SPS rapidly

markstubb · Jan 17, 2018

Honestly I'd just get one of those cheap styrofoam coolers, an inexpensive and low wattage pump, and find inexpensive titanium (or similar salt water safe) coiled up tubing (like for drop in chillers) off ebay somewhere and throw it in the cooler with the containers. I imagine it'd radiate enough heat in a sealed cooler

Like this thing - http://www.rk2.com/titanium-heat-exchanger-titanium-direct-immersion.php