My Reefing Room Begins...

[PerplexyHexy]

Does it give off a lot of heat? I tried one a few years back and had to stop it was giving off so much heat that it was increasing the evap. RH stays around 50 to 55 so I'd like it a little lower if I could but it's not causing issues.

Havent had it long enough to know about the heat yet... im sure I womt have to use it year round, but its been gnarly humid in that room the past few weeks with it raining and everything.

 

[milonedp]

Havent had it long enough to know about the heat yet... im sure I womt have to use it year round, but its been gnarly humid in that room the past few weeks with it raining and everything.

Yeah the challenge for me was spring and fall when the AC isn't on every day as that was helping to dry it the house. Got so damp one year that condensation built up in the lights and the GFCI popped. Thankfully it's never been like that again but I'd like to have something better for those few weeks each year

Hopefully that will work really well for you

 

[milonedp]

Just wanted to check in, how are you doing?

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Made the decision to take out the corals and put them in my reefer. I just got a really well paying job and cannot keep up on that room. So Im setting the room up to just run and mature... Turning off all lighting today, cleaning tanks, setting up apex and setting up ro/di to make it easier for now. I was going to shut it down completely, but everyone has talked me into this scenario. Atleast I can monitor water quality and just let the tanks mature for the future... I have a seriously gnarly green hair algae and diatom outbreak... so im hoping shutting the lights off cleara that all up... Sucks, but this is the best option in my situation

 

[milonedp]

Congratulations on the new job! The hobby has all sorts of ups and downs when you have time and when you don't. You'll come back when the time is right.

That said I was asking about YOU, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Congratulations on the new job! The hobby has all sorts of ups and downs when you have time and when you don't. You'll come back when the time is right.

That said I was asking about YOU, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.

Im alright... I officially get signed on to new job tomorrow... Called in sick yesterday and today... So ive been spending quality time with the Wife and Kids... Got to watch my Sons first soccer game yesterday and sleep with the kids lastnight... My mind is still running 100 mph... thinking if Im doing the right thing or not... My mind is always on the run, a flaw I possess. Thank you for asking bud... No thoughts of using or anything.. Just really bummed I have to put a pause on my little project. Still have the reefer up and running... did a water change lastnight on it and gonna start here in a few transferring things back and setting room up to just mature tank water and system. Been watching videos on how to calibrate apex probes and stuff like that. Might have to hit some a.a. meetings to keep my mind in check... I was using the reef room as therapy... This new job is very demanding, currently working 7-10hr days and it goes to 7-12hr days as well plus traveling... Its in the steam turbine business so there are peak times within the year... winter and spring is peak seasons. Powerplants shutdown certain turbines for maintenance and send them to us for repair. I am officially a turbine machinist. Summers are the slow times because the steam turbines run at 100% efficiency because of electricity demand. So we go to 8hr days then. So Im hoping to see what thats gonna be like, but I appreciate the check up... Very nice of you bud

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Apex is all hooked up... I know its a cluster, but it will do for now... got the new 800w and the 500w heaters dialed in... waiting for temp to stabalize to calibrate ph and salinity probes... reading up on orp probes now... atleast I can monitor everything from my phone and see how things are going... getting ready to transfer corals back to reefer. Shut the lights off too... Dont know why I bought the display... lol... gonna see if I can return that to marinedepot

 

[PerplexyHexy]

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Had an issue with calibrating ph probe... calibrated fine with 7 fluid but couldnt get it to pass 10 fluid... I even got the display unit from my apex lite to manually do it... samething... 7 was fine, but 10 came to 9.95... closest I could get it... went through 4 pouches... 3 i already had and 1 that came with the unit...

 

[PerplexyHexy]

So, im going back to day shift on Monday... excited for that... Im hoping to get the tank nice and stable for the summer when we get slow at my new job and start putting livestock in again... In the meantime, Its got several months to mature and break in which is a plus...

 

[Muttley000]

So, im going back to day shift on Monday... excited for that... Im hoping to get the tank nice and stable for the summer when we get slow at my new job and start putting livestock in again... In the meantime, Its got several months to mature and break in which is a plus...

That time will pay you huge dividends in the long run!

 

[mch1984]

Man i missed a lot, I wasn't getting notifications. Looks like you powered through some troubles, glad to see that.

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Just hooked up refugium light and threw in some chaeto and dragons breath

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Also hooked up a kessil ocean blue A150 to the trough holding liverock... hoping it promotes corraline growth... its nice to see in it now too

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Ordered a few 1/4” ro/di bulkheads for reservoir and a float valve so tank fills up on its own... also set refugium and kessil light on timer to run 12 hrs... Im pretty much in let it run mode now... just need to make a waste container for my skimmer and Im as ULM as I can get... very happy right now!!!

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Not sure how well the refugium is gonna do... Im running 0 nitrates and .12 phosphates... been putting small ammounts of reefroids into tank 1-2 times a week

 

[milonedp]

Avast Marine makes a cover for a 5 g bucket (not include) that includes a pressure sensor for (automatic shutoff with the skimmer) and carbon (to reduce smells) over been using one for 6 plus years it's great. Might be something to consider. You'll need an Apex door the pressure sensor.

 

[lbacha]

Not sure how well the refugium is gonna do... Im running 0 nitrates and .12 phosphates... been putting small ammounts of reefroids into tank 1-2 times a week

I would make sure you feed the tank if you are just going to let it go and cycle for a few months. Add ammonia or just some shrimp every so often to help build up a nice bacteria culture so that you don’t recycle the tank when you end up adding stuff to it in a few months. This will also feed your fuge and help build up coralline (it wont grow with 0 nitrates)

 

[Everett625]

Im alright... I officially get signed on to new job tomorrow... Called in sick yesterday and today... So ive been spending quality time with the Wife and Kids... Got to watch my Sons first soccer game yesterday and sleep with the kids lastnight... My mind is still running 100 mph... thinking if Im doing the right thing or not... My mind is always on the run, a flaw I possess. Thank you for asking bud... No thoughts of using or anything.. Just really bummed I have to put a pause on my little project. Still have the reefer up and running... did a water change lastnight on it and gonna start here in a few transferring things back and setting room up to just mature tank water and system. Been watching videos on how to calibrate apex probes and stuff like that. Might have to hit some a.a. meetings to keep my mind in check... I was using the reef room as therapy... This new job is very demanding, currently working 7-10hr days and it goes to 7-12hr days as well plus traveling... Its in the steam turbine business so there are peak times within the year... winter and spring is peak seasons. Powerplants shutdown certain turbines for maintenance and send them to us for repair. I am officially a turbine machinist. Summers are the slow times because the steam turbines run at 100% efficiency because of electricity demand. So we go to 8hr days then. So Im hoping to see what thats gonna be like, but I appreciate the check up... Very nice of you bud

I totally understand your career man I work on power plants doing calibrations for the transmitters and transducers and swithces. I travel spring and fall as we are a contracted company so I know your schedule and how demanding that’s really cool to see another turbine power pla t guy in this hobby. I travel about 8-9 months out of the year so had to get the wife to learn some stuff trying to make it more and more automated for her purposes. This new endeavor you have this room is awesome really cool stuff you have. Take it one day at a time don’t fret you will get it man been following this page since you posted.

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Hooked up float valve and ro/di system today... tank is as automated as I can get it right now... Also recalibrated all apex probes and they all passed calibration this time... Totally stoked... just gonna let this badboy run until Im ready... when should I do a water change on the system? Or should I just let it run until a good source of bacteria grows and my po4 no3 levels get to where I want?