Urgh seriously.

[dantimdad]

Hello,

Wow there is a a new store (what kind of store?) oh and where is the store or which state lol. Pretty sure I can rule out idaho but it definitely sounds amazing and would call for a celebration before and there is nothing like an after party (see iron man ).

My buddy and I are opening an LFS next year. It is going to be in Alabama in the Huntsville area.

We are seriously having a party for the @Katrina71 crew.

We are also starting a non-profit to donate aquariums and maintenance to Veterans with PTSD this will be run out of the store to simplify things.

You can check out the website @ www.aquariums-by-design.com

 

[Sarah24!]

My buddy and I are opening an LFS next year. It is going to be in Alabama in the Huntsville area.

We are seriously having a party for the @Katrina71 crew.

We are also starting a non-profit to donate aquariums and maintenance to Veterans with PTSD this will be run out of the store to simplify things.

You can check out the website @ www.aquariums-by-design.com

Hello,

Wow that is soooo amazing and lol @Katrina71 and crew does that mean 90% of R2R lol pretty sure almost everyone follows her thread. But that is very kind and neat for you guys to do.

In terms of the other, I had a conference with lots of people last week about this. That more and more hospitals and counseling places are doing this as well. It has shown that these tanks really do help those who are suffering from severe ptsd and severe depression. I know quite a few places looking to get aquariums set up. I know the counseling place for children who have been sadly abused (here it’s st Luke’s woman and children alliance, which they should include males that suffer from abuse as well). They have a fresh water tank and people love it. A cardiologist across from where I work has a 300 gallon reef tank in the main office as well. I have seen smaller tanks of fresh and salt going up in a lot of counseling places. It’s an amazing thing to watch someone literally stop whatever their feeling to watch the aquariums. It really does help and I have been trying to get more. They usually say they are too expensive, and hate it when I say yeah but we charge 5,500 a night and how many beds do we have? It usually doesn’t go well for me being too honest in those meetings but it has started them in a fwd motion.

 

[norfolkgarden]

I think maybe you misunderstood me. I use a refractometer like this one.

I was talking about the inexpensive plastic hydrometers with the swing arm. Is that what you were talking about?

This is what I want to get, a Milwaukee digital refractometer. I just haven't gotten one yet.

How do you clean the digital one?

 

[Sarah24!]

How do you clean the digital one?

Hello,

Err I have no idea other than maybe a dry cloth or q tip maybe I don’t own one just yet lol. But definitely going to be here soon


Forgot to add this my lfs suggested I use a co2 regulator I’m curious as to why? I don’t normally see those on sw tanks but maybe what I am seeing are those or getting mixed up with something else

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Err I have no idea other than maybe a dry cloth or q tip maybe I don’t own one just yet lol. But definitely going to be here soon


Forgot to add this my lfs suggested I use a co2 regulator I’m curious as to why? I don’t normally see those on sw tanks but maybe what I am seeing are those or getting mixed up with something else

For your calcium reactor.

 

[Sarah24!]

For your calcium reactor.

Hello,

Oh! I feel really dumb right now, or my brain is categorized wrong (probably that). I had no idea that I had to hook a co2 canister to a calcium reactor. I’m curious as to why or how I sorta missed the important huge detail. I blame lack of sleep lol.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Oh! I feel really dumb right now, or my brain is categorized wrong (probably that). I had no idea that I had to hook a co2 canister to a calcium reactor. I’m curious as to why or how I sorta missed the important huge detail. I blame lack of sleep lol.

Lolz yea. The crushed coral reacts with the co2 and that essentially melts the crushed coral. Then the crushed coral liquid drips into your tank. The solution it makes is like the ultimate 2 part that includes alk, cal, mag, trace elements. If I had room I’d get one for sure.

 

[rkpetersen]

I even rigged up a container so every other week I unplug one gyre pump, pull it from the tank, and soak it in vinegar. I don't even pull the cord out from how it is routed. An hour or two later the pump goes back in the tank and gets plugged in. Takes less than 10 minutes of my time and works great

I do this as well, it's very handy. Although I don't unplug the Gyre, I just let it keep doing it's alternating cycle while in the acid bath.
Cleans it out thoroughly. Rinse in RODI water and then back in the tank.
Also, I've stopped using vinegar and starting using a mix of citric acid and hydrochloric acid.
There's been some discussion about the acetate in vinegar penetrating plastics and possibly causing motor damage and magnet corrosion.
Whereas citrate and chloride ions do not.
Whether true or not, it's an easy enough change to make, and citric acid is cheap enough.

 

[Brew12]

I do this as well, it's very handy. Although I don't unplug the Gyre, I just let it keep doing it's alternating cycle while in the acid bath.
Cleans it out thoroughly. Rinse in RODI water and then back in the tank.
Also, I've stopped using vinegar and starting using a mix of citric acid and hydrochloric acid.
There's been some discussion about the acetate in vinegar penetrating plastics and possibly causing motor damage and magnet corrosion.
Whereas citrate and chloride ions do not.
Whether true or not, it's an easy enough change to make, and citric acid is cheap enough.

Thanks for the tip on that. I hadn't heard that before. Citric acid is very cheap and easy.

 

[rkpetersen]

oes any of this sound familiar, lol I can’t even figure out why my clam literally disappeared in a day and that has made me (mad aka insane).

Don't beat yourself up over this, it's ridiculously common, even in tanks that are otherwise doing well.
And the smaller the clam, the less likely it is to survive and grow long term.
I am sure that the tiny 2" clams that are currently being sold have a dismal survival record once they get into peoples' tanks.
I would like to not ever buy a small clam again, but ones that are sizable, attractive and healthy seem to be becoming hard to find.

 

[Sarah24!]

Don't beat yourself up over this, it's ridiculously common, even in tanks that are otherwise doing well.
And the smaller the clam, the less likely it is to survive and grow long term.
I am sure that the tiny 2" clams that are currently being sold have a dismal survival record once they get into peoples' tanks.
I would like to not ever buy a small clam again, but ones that are sizable, attractive and healthy seem to be becoming hard to find.

Hello,

Wow thanks for the great info on the citric acid and vinegar info. I have always worried about how well our devices actually hold up over time in salt water.

What’s odd on my Maximus clam was it was over three inches and never attached it’s self ever. It even had its own rock and never attached to it. But for a good 15 months, had no issues ever. Then I moved the large leather next to it (I didn’t cut it just moved the whole leather and the rock attached to it. But sure enough the next day he was an empty shell.

@Hemmdog what’s strange is even looking at new ones lol I don’t see anywhere to hook the co2 up to. Curious as to how well they work to keep things balanced and curious if one still had to dose.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Wow thanks for the great info on the citric acid and vinegar info. I have always worried about how well our devices actually hold up over time in salt water.

What’s odd on my Maximus clam was it was over three inches and never attached it’s self ever. It even had its own rock and never attached to it. But for a good 15 months, had no issues ever. Then I moved the large leather next to it (I didn’t cut it just moved the whole leather and the rock attached to it. But sure enough the next day he was an empty shell.

@Hemmdog what’s strange is even looking at new ones lol I don’t see anywhere to hook the co2 up to. Curious as to how well they work to keep things balanced and curious if one still had to dose.

This is the most basic rookie set up. You can expand upon it. Yea they make your levels rock solid stable. They are amazing. To up your dose you just tweak the co2 input & water output giving it more or less dwell time.

 

[Sarah24!]

This is the most basic rookie set up. You can expand upon it. Yea they make your levels rock solid stable. They are amazing. To up your dose you just tweak the co2 input & water output giving it more or less dwell time.

Hello,

So the one you have the diagram of is a basic one lol wow what does a hard one look like. I’m definitely learning more about these. Wonder how much the co2 canister is and how much to fill last etc? I don’t know anyone that has one or uses one.

 

[Hemmdog]

@jda is a master at CalRx. I’m still learning about them to. Just figured I’d share what I knew, lolz.

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

So the one you have the diagram of is a basic one lol wow what does a hard one look like. I’m definitely learning more about these. Wonder how much the co2 canister is and how much to fill last etc? I don’t know anyone that has one or uses one.

This one looks more tricky, more stages and more hoses. You can keep certain stages higher pH to melt the crushed coral faster and fine tune the system better.

It doesn't seem to hard to figure out. Your a doctor, I’m sure you will pick it up quick lol.

FWIW I think you should still get a 2 part doser and start with that if you don’t want to dive into CalRx’s just yet.

 

[rkpetersen]

Hello,

So the one you have the diagram of is a basic one lol wow what does a hard one look like. I’m definitely learning more about these. Wonder how much the co2 canister is and how much to fill last etc? I don’t know anyone that has one or uses one.

You get a CO2 cylinder typically from some place local like a welding supply company. Sorry don't know the cost.
Paintball supply stores also have CO2 cylinders but I've read that the ones they carry may be more likely to have contaminants.

If I had the room I'd be all over a calcium reactor. My SPS corals have been going crazy and I'm just barely keeping up with their needs via kalkwasser and expensive two part dosing.
They are complex, no doubt, but you can achieve alk levels with them that are very hard to get with 2-part.
Biggest drawbacks are initial cost, difficulty of setup, and a tendency to lower the pH of the tank.
If pH drop is a problem, one of those add-on cylinders as pictured above can be used to degas the effluent water before it goes back to the tank.

 

[Sarah24!]

You get a CO2 cylinder typically from some place local like a welding supply company. Sorry don't know the cost.
Paintball supply stores also have CO2 cylinders but I've read that the ones they carry may be more likely to have contaminants.

If I had the room I'd be all over a calcium reactor. My SPS corals have been going crazy and I'm just barely keeping up with their needs via kalkwasser and expensive two part dosing.
They are complex, no doubt, but you can achieve alk levels with them that are very hard to get with 2-part.
Biggest drawbacks are initial cost, difficulty of setup, and a tendency to lower the pH of the tank.
If pH drop is a problem, one of those add-on cylinders as pictured above can be used to degas the effluent water before it goes back to the tank.

Hello,

Well I was just curious if I could find the canisters like at the medical supply shop where they sell oxygen canisters and I’m sure they do c02 as well. I get the basic idea it’s the fine tuning and being able to recognize if some thing is wrong. Those things are definitely not light or cheap either but they are more stable. I’m the same as you My sps are demanding more and more of each substance. Even though my sps colors look really good I’m curious if the no prox hinders colors. There are so many debates about it that it makes it hard to figure out. But I haven’t found a better solution to keep nitrates down. Specially now with as many corals that I have and fish which is under what I could have.

But I still think having a very simple tank is much easier to maintain and less to worry about lol. Though considering I lug huge heavy bottled water why not lug exploding canisters that are heavier lol

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Well I was just curious if I could find the canisters like at the medical supply shop where they sell oxygen canisters and I’m sure they do c02 as well. I get the basic idea it’s the fine tuning and being able to recognize if some thing is wrong. Those things are definitely not light or cheap either but they are more stable. I’m the same as you My sps are demanding more and more of each substance. Even though my sps colors look really good I’m curious if the no prox hinders colors. There are so many debates about it that it makes it hard to figure out. But I haven’t found a better solution to keep nitrates down. Specially now with as many corals that I have and fish which is under what I could have.

But I still think having a very simple tank is much easier to maintain and less to worry about lol. Though considering I lug huge heavy bottled water why not lug exploding canisters that are heavier lol

Lol I have been wondering.. where are you getting the R from in Nopox! Haha your so funny.

 

[Sarah24!]

Lol I have been wondering.. where are you getting the R from in Nopox! Haha your so funny.

Hello,

Lol it’s me being lazy and not proof reading and editing my posts so I don’t sound silly. Clearly I errr missed that one and not to mention this whole time I bought a calcium reactor. So curious struck me and when I went to look I don’t even own one I bought a phosphate reactor lol.

So who on here is excellent at dialing these calcium reactors in and I definitely don’t have room. But it seems to be cheaper than buying calcium and alk at 30 each plus noprox at 30 and magnesium at 30 and trace elements at 20 every 90 days. Most of the ones I have looked at range from 550-700 minus media and co2 and regularator. But I have read they are super stable and pretty much regulate on their own. The setup doesn’t confuse me, what does is converting what I do now to that does however. I love math and I’m brain dead today it’s been that way all day lol.

 

[rkpetersen]

Hello,

Well I was just curious if I could find the canisters like at the medical supply shop where they sell oxygen canisters and I’m sure they do c02 as well.

Yes they might; it's used in arthroscopic and endoscopic surgery, for example, to inflate body cavities.
Would probably the most expensive source though.