jda's 240g Acropora Rebuild

[therman]

I've been meaning to ask you for a while if you thought bumblebee snails would do much for the dreaded vermetid snail? I seem to be getting a lot of vermetids recently?

I tried bumblebee snails and they dont seem to have made a substantial difference. Maybe with smaller ones, but still have a bunch of bigger ones in the tank after over a year.

 

[Williamson’s Reef]

Great stick choices for the rebuild. I also have a iPhone and the pics are horrendous. Just doesn’t do the corals or tank justice.

 

[jda]

For the third time in two years, I had a co2 bottle go empty and I was complete unaware. I look for bubbles every day, so I know that it was less than 24 hours, but that still gets my alk down to about 4.0 in that time. I got it all sorted back out with a trip the the welding shop and some baking soda, but I had to change up my routine. I got a spare 20lb bottle for $50 from a failed local beer brewer and now I am going to pick up the tanks every few days to see how much they weigh. I am going to start replacing them when there is some liquid in the bottom when I can feel them start to swirl. I also started to write the install date on the side with pencil.

This is beyond embarrassing...

 

[BigKid4788]

I think there is a piece of equipment that if a tank runs out it automatically switches to the other bottle.

 

[X-37B]

For the third time in two years, I had a co2 bottle go empty and I was complete unaware. I look for bubbles every day, so I know that it was less than 24 hours, but that still gets my alk down to about 4.0 in that time. I got it all sorted back out with a trip the the welding shop and some baking soda, but I had to change up my routine. I got a spare 20lb bottle for $50 from a failed local beer brewer and now I am going to pick up the tanks every few days to see how much they weigh. I am going to start replacing them when there is some liquid in the bottom when I can feel them start to swirl. I also started to write the install date on the side with pencil.

This is beyond embarrassing...

Thanks for the reminder.
I need to pick up another to keep on hand as mine is getting low.

 

[jda]

I just need to not be stupid. When I used to have a large team that worked for me, I used to tell them that even if they idiot-proofed everything, I could still yet find a bigger idiot. I just need to not be that idiot. I am hands-only daily with my tanks, so this should be easy. I did well for about 25 years with a CaRx - got my first one in the mid 1990s.

 

[Scdell]

I just need to not be stupid. When I used to have a large team that worked for me, I used to tell them that even if they idiot-proofed everything, I could still yet find a bigger idiot. I just need to not be that idiot. I am hands-only daily with my tanks, so this should be easy. I did well for about 25 years with a CaRx - got my first one in the mid 1990s.

Don't be so hard on yourself. I don't know how old you are, but if you've been dealing with a reef tank for twenty five years and you have the Beatles as your picture? I'll assume we're around the same age. And with age it gets harder to stay on top of things. Aggravates the heck out of me.

 

[jda]

I am not that old. 1975 model. However, I have been stupid for a long time. I stated reefing before I could drive and I tried being my first 29 gallon tank home on my bike before my Dad took me in the car. I did bring home a lot of fish in by backpack on my bike. I worked at a pet store in college and we had a nice marine section. Had to order a lot of stuff back then out of magazines, but we also got a lot of trade on when college students left town - got a Knopp reactor this way.

I have a first state if that Butcher album. I have a pretty big vinyl collection.

 

[Scdell]

I am not that old. 1975 model. However, I have been stupid for a long time. I stated reefing before I could drive and I tried being my first 29 gallon tank home on my bike before my Dad took me in the car. I did bring home a lot of fish in by backpack on my bike. I worked at a pet store in college and we had a nice marine section. Had to order a lot of stuff back then out of magazines, but we also got a lot of trade on when college students left town - got a Knopp reactor this way.

I have a first state if that Butcher album. I have a pretty big vinyl collection.

1956 model here. I grew up in the vinyl days. Pretty sure I have a big ole box of vinyl from those days tucked away somewhere. They have been played and played though.

 

[fuelman]

Don't be so hard on yourself. We all make mistakes we can't understand how we could have done that!!! I for one have put not one but both of the cartridges for my di unit in upside down after a resin change. I started getting TDS readings that increased after the unit, to make matters worse I couldn't figure out why lol. I look back & just SMH in disbelief, we have all been there.

 

[ScottB]

Bill Wann of Aquarium Engineering has designed an automatic bottle switch valve module. I have it but have yet to install it as my second bottle is empty. (Covid has made retail refills a PITA)

Just a thought. If it is of interest, you are welcome to PM for further context.

 

[JCOLE]

Sorry to hear that. Glad everything is ok!

However, dare I say this is where a controller would be of good use? I used to have my CaRx controlled by my Apex before switching back to 2-part. I would get an alert if the pH started to climb out of range letting me know to change bottles.

 

[jda]

I found it almost instantly (or very close). The error is not swapping before it is empty and/or not having another bottle ready and waiting and waiting for the welding shop to open - Apex cannot help with either of those.

 

[2Sunny]

Great thread. Thanks for sharing!

Had the same problem back when I was using a calc reactor, and I even had 2 extra bottles of CO2, but in the end I went back to dosing B-Ionic when I read a thread about a guy whose CO2 regulator let go in dramatic fashion. Thankfully no one got hurt. Mine was starting to show corrosion which is what made me nervous.

Anyways, love the pics. Keep 'em comin'

 

[Foothill Corals]

I used to run calcium reactors back in the day and always had a least two reefs at any time. Seemed like I would always mis one one the bottles running out. That or the Kalk resivor running out since I would have to also run kalk to keep the Ph up. Been running two part for the last decade now and rarely see the Alk fluctuations I would end up with using a CR.

Your corals are looking great! I’m sure they wont bat an eye at a little alk hickup.

 

[JCOLE]

I found it almost instantly (or very close). The error is not swapping before it is empty and/or not having another bottle ready and waiting and waiting for the welding shop to open - Apex cannot help with either of those.

That is true. One of these days you will be coverted though.

 

[jda]

Had to go on a Z&P and aiptasia killing binge. These things were secluded under the stuff before it took most if it out. They can grow like crazy now. Always remember that if you ever had any aiptasia or other pests, they will never really be gone... just contained. Pics are before, after kalk and then a few days later. I will need to treat some of these again and maybe even a third time. Mostly had to kill a lot of trash palys, Utter Chaos and some Scrambled Eggs.

Wavebox and Tunzes shut off. Kalk applied with just the return pump running. Wavebox back on after 2 hours. About 6 hours later, Tunze pumps back on on the lowest settings (low and off). All pumps back to normal the next day. I did run a reactor full of GAC in case there was some excessive organics with the die off. No issues.

 

[Scdell]

Always remember that if you ever had any aiptasia or other pests, they will never really be gone

This is as true as it gets. It's the same with any type of algae or any other unwanted thing in ones reef. Just give it the proper nutrients it likes and..... Bam there it is. Even though you've thought you eradicated it.
You can "scrub" your tank, but you'll never get to everything.
Like cockroaches, these things have learned how to survive.
I have a few aptasia in my sump that I've been too lazy to kill. I will get to it now.

 

[jda]

Like I promised early on, I am a horrible updater. Not much has happened. I did use a few jugs of Reef Roids that I won at an auction - other than raise the P level a bit, they did nothing, so I am still convinced that feeding corals is worthless. I did have to add a tiny bit of LC to the tank to help out the chaeto since it could not keep up with the phosphate when trying to feed the coral. All is back to normal.

Took a few photos from the top. I am overdue to get back into the water and take some more photos.

Some of the tiny stuff has started to move a bit. Some of the medium stuff has grown quite a bit. Tyree Superman might be one of my favorite corals of all time... what a beauty and I can see why it is still highly priced after all these years. Homewrecker is getting the pink just under my halides - people think that when I say that some Tenuis need trick lighting that I mean all of them, but that has never been true and I never said that about Homewrecker... Homewrecker is a nice coral in any lighting, like some others.

Hooked up perhaps the best light on the planet over my 40b frag tank that is attached to this system. Giesemann Spectra with the 2x 250w MH and 4x T5s. Came with 4x B+ and some 20k Hamiltons... will run these for another year. Looks nice. I am only using one of the MH since I only really have high light corals on half of that 40b. Mostly run the T5s, but run the Halides for 5-6 hours a day.

BC Honeycomb


RMF Red Gecko - redder and whiter in person. This one is a beauty


Tyree Superman Tenuis


Homewrecker


Vivid Rainbow Delight is start to color - this is nice since it has vexed me, and others, a lot of times. JKR Rainbow looks good too. These are hard to photograph, but I will try for next time.

 

[jda]

The light that I replaced on the frag tank was a AquaMedic 2x T5 and single 250w Halide. It is/was a bad butt, but I wanted 4x T5s (2 on each side) since I keep Colorado Sunbursts in Baskets in the corners and while a single T5s is fine for them, two is better. The single Halide is enough, but the CSBs are like gold around here, so I have to keep them happy - actually, they might be worth more than gold if you go by weight.