Saltgator's 240 Build

Saltgator · May 7, 2014

schooleyosis said:
I got a notification.

Tapatalk gives me error messages. Went on the website and it worked to start a new topicd. Thanks bud.

schooleyosis · May 7, 2014

Ah. That stinks

Saltgator · May 13, 2014

Went on a mini vacation this weekend riding 4 wheelers. Came home to my frag tank cloudy and my 240 green. Not sure on either. Frag tank is separate and has 2 rics and a yuma as far as corals, 1 snail and about a pound of cheato that's just there for whatever I need it for. The 240, I have the slightest idea. The uas is growing, 1 cup of gfo in the filter sock and the skimmer is skimming. No die offs while I was gone (livestock). Guess I'm gonna have to hold my breath and use 2 cups gfo. Last time I tried 2 cups, I smoked every sps bringing the po4 down too fast. Speaking of po4, it's still not reading high on the hanna, 0.05.
The fish even weren't fed the 2 days so not sure where I'm going wrong yet. Oh the joys!!!

revhtree · May 13, 2014

Sorry to hear! Keep us updated.

schooleyosis · May 13, 2014

Strange...

Saltgator · May 13, 2014

Thanks Rev and Ryan. Just one of those things.

schooleyosis · May 13, 2014

0.05 is a good level. I'd just continue with the 1 cup of GFO. Test weekly and when it starts to rise change the GFO out. 0-0.06 is acceptable in my eyes.

Saltgator · May 13, 2014

Problem is I think that's a false reading. My po4 has been 0.02-0.05 since I originally started dosing lanthanum Chloride and still had green walls and rocks (now I've switched back to gfo to see if it assist better). I think I'm gonna step it up to 2 cups and hope for the best. I ain't keeping a fw pond anymore, lol.

schooleyosis · May 13, 2014

Lol. Good plan

Saltgator · May 14, 2014

Added another cup of gfo last night. Now 2 bags of gfo in a sock. Can't wrap my head on a solution. Rodi water is fine (zero tds and resin was just changed), washing the 1 frozen Mysis cube I feed (which is every other day, nori on non Mysis day), 30 gallon water changes each week, reduced my bio load (sold the emperor and the trigger), checked the skimmer for blockages or buildup, using filter socks which I clean and reuse, plenty of flow, lights are LEDs so no shift in spectrum, no one touches the tanks besides me.

So..... here's my process to decide from. Obviously with a working/family man's budget, only one or a couple can happen atm.

-New skimmer (more $ but bigger)
-Algae scrubber (probably would require 2 of the surf 4)
-Break down and start over
-New rock
-Buying sand and install
-Bio pellets with reactor
-Adding a huge (like 75g+ fuge)

Open for ideas guys so bring them on, don't just read the thread and no comment, lol.

schooleyosis · May 14, 2014

What type of rocks are you using? Wonder if they are leaching the P04??? I'd run bio-pellets but you need the skimmer to handle them. So IMO for your budget I'd install and ATS. Thought you already had one though??? Starting over is not an option. You've fought this battle too long to give up

Saltgator · May 14, 2014

Thanks Ryan. I have a scrubber, but reading tons of info today and everything pretty much was if I wanted to get a grasp on it, it needs to be bigger. Mine is already 12x12. It grows but would take 10+ months to wipe out the issue at hand and that's hoping no other junk gets added between now and then. Plus the possible coral loss over that period. My rocks are marco with a couple random live rocks. The rocks are around 3+ years old. I was also told that using the lanthanum Chloride caused the rocks to start expelling the po4 instead of just leaching it. My skimmer should tackle the issue with pellets, it's a swc 230 Cone. I use to run pellets (brs style) and just wasn't seeing results after 6+ months so I sold it last August.