Pyronus' SPS 20H

[divecj5]

Excited to see/hear how you like the Atomic Reef reactors if you go that route. They look really well made and pretty innovative.

 

Sounds like you have your dosing pretty well down as well.

[pyronus]

Excited to see/hear how you like the Atomic Reef reactors if you go that route. They look really well made and pretty innovative.

 

Sounds like you have your dosing pretty well down as well.

 

I'm actually under dosing because I'm skurd to push things like crazy. I'm using reef crystals and that tests out at like 460ppm and 10dKH @1.025, so I feel like I need to do some math to figure out exactly how much that pushes up my numbers and adjust my dosing according to that for water change days. I'm changing 3 gallons weekly (30gal total system volume).

 

Should I change dosing to accommodate the replenishment from water changes? How does everyone else do this?

[pyronus]

I guess really I should be trying to keep the tank at the levels that the salt mixes at so that there is no shock to the system, and that a water change doesn't actually change the params. Is this right?

[divecj5]

I'm actually under dosing because I'm skurd to push things like crazy. I'm using reef crystals and that tests out at like 460ppm and 10dKH @1.025, so I feel like I need to do some math to figure out exactly how much that pushes up my numbers and adjust my dosing according to that for water change days. I'm changing 3 gallons weekly (30gal total system volume).

 

Should I change dosing to accommodate the replenishment from water changes? How does everyone else do this?

 

It sounds like we change pretty much the same water volume per week and I'm using Reef Crystals as well. It's been a while since I kept an SPS dominant tank but when I did, I didn't consider the water change into how much I dosed. Yes it adds/helps to replenish some of the Alk/Ca lost by consumption but what I would do in the past is not dose that day, do the water change like normal, and then give the params a test the next morning/evening to see where things were after the change. I like to try and test at the same time each day in case there's any natural process that may sway the numbers.

[pyronus]

I just got home and noticed that my stag and echinata are starting to put a base down over the superglue.

 

Im a proud papa.

[Spirofucci]

I just got home and noticed that my stag and echinata are starting to put a base down over the superglue.

 

Im a proud papa.

 

It truly amazes me on how excited we get over the little things. I almost got a woody when I saw my first 1mm patch of coraline algae. It took six months for that to happen.

[pyronus]

It truly amazes me on how excited we get over the little things. I almost got a woody when I saw my first 1mm patch of coraline algae. It took six months for that to happen.

 

 

It is pretty amazing, I have this little patch of coraline on my overflow and it is slowly growing onto the back glass. Its like this precious little spot of awesome that I refuse to try to clean.

[pyronus]

Couldn't keep my hands out, moved a rock and fragged the blue tip acro accidentally, only a small piece about an inch. Its hardly noticeable actually.

 

I think this coral which is currently brownish with blue tips has some more color potential in it. One of the frags is that is starting to base out is showing a little bit of greenish hue on branches below the tips.

 

If I can sell a few more things I'm going to buy this reactor and get some GFO/GAC going. Gotta try and keep that phosphate down to bring out the best colors in these SPS.

[pyronus]

Going away for the weekend for my birthday

[Spirofucci]

Couldn't keep my hands out, moved a rock and fragged the blue tip acro accidentally, only a small piece about an inch. Its hardly noticeable actually.

 

I think this coral which is currently brownish with blue tips has some more color potential in it. One of the frags is that is starting to base out is showing a little bit of greenish hue on branches below the tips.

 

If I can sell a few more things I'm going to buy this reactor and get some GFO/GAC going. Gotta try and keep that phosphate down to bring out the best colors in these SPS.

 

Ha, that's how all my frags get made!

 

That is a nice looking reactor.

 

mmmm.......better hire a tank sitter. HBD!

[pyronus]

Ha, that's how all my frags get made!

 

That is a nice looking reactor.

 

mmmm.......better hire a tank sitter. HBD!

 

Thanks, at least this year will be fun, last years B-day sucked.

 

I'll only be gone until Sunday night, I think 3 big meals today and I'll just hope the tank makes it with the ATO. I don't trust my neighbors to not dump a whole container of pellets in the tank or screw it up somehow and everyone else that I trust lives 30+ minutes away.

[gena]

Enjoy your birthday weekend and try not to think about the tank

[pyronus]

Quick fts before the weekend for the fun of it.

 

 

Enjoy your birthday weekend and try not to think about the tank

 

Thanks Gena I will enjoy myself, but I will think about the tank, if only a little. I finally got a hold of someone I trust to take care of it for a few days, at least make sure the fish are fed and the ATO is full.

[pyronus]

Another. I think I actually like the long view better.

 

[Spirofucci]

Nice view!

 

and......paint that mag black!

[pyronus]

So everything survived, we had a little over top off issue and the SG was like 1.023 when I got home, but nothing seemed super pissed off about it. I'm letting evap take the level back down to normal.

 

I did find a brand new shop that is ordering from ORA. I took a look at their August wholesale list, and ORA;'s currently availability is really disappointing. I almost bought a nice sized piece of Palmer's Blue Mille but it has alk burn and I want to see if it recovers so I had them hold it for me.

 

Nice view!

 

and......paint that mag black!

 

Ha, I generally take it out when I'm done cleaning the glass, plus what would I do for a week while the paint cured?

[Spirofucci]

So everything survived, we had a little over top off issue and the SG was like 1.023 when I got home, but nothing seemed super pissed off about it. I'm letting evap take the level back down to normal.

 

I did find a brand new shop that is ordering from ORA. I took a look at their August wholesale list, and ORA;'s currently availability is really disappointing. I almost bought a nice sized piece of Palmer's Blue Mille but it has alk burn and I want to see if it recovers so I had them hold it for me.

 

 

 

Ha, I generally take it out when I'm done cleaning the glass, plus what would I do for a week while the paint cured?

 

Just let it grow on the glass, it will eat all yer nitrates!

[divecj5]

Glad to hear everything went well with the tank while you were gone over the weekend. Looks really great in the pictures on the last page.

[pyronus]

Glad to hear everything went well with the tank while you were gone over the weekend. Looks really great in the pictures on the last page.

 

Ha, thanks. Those iPhone pics are actually better than the ones that I took with the SLR, although the front FTS is balanced weird, too much contrast or something.

 

I guess it looks okay, I think my coral placement makes it look really unbalanced somehow. The FTS never looks as good as the whole system looks from across the room. Maybe its just the one huge SPS colony and a bunch of smaller ones making it look that way.

 

The left side of the tank needs something to make up for all the sticks on the right. I'm not much for symmetry but I feel like its really lacking.

[gena]

Welcome back!!!!!

 

I actually think the balance of the tank is perfect as it is. As that right side really starts to fill in, the left side may look dwarfed though. If you do add something for height on the left, I wouldn't go taller than the top of the orange clownfish in the FTS. That's my non-professional opinion

[pyronus]

So here's a real question. If you run media reactors, do you run carbon and GFO in two separate reactors or do you run the media stacked in one?

[steely185]

You can run both stacked in one reactor assuming you have enough flow penetrating the media. It's easier to change out a specific media though when you have separate reactors. Right now I'm running both in one reactor with no problems.

[pyronus]

You can run both stacked in one reactor assuming you have enough flow penetrating the media. It's easier to change out a specific media though when you have separate reactors. Right now I'm running both in one reactor with no problems.

 

Thanks steely. Atomic reactors are on sale, just trying to decide whether I want to buy 2 and run one for bio-pellets later on.

[steely185]

I would run a different style reactor for biopellets. I use the JNS alpha reactor for my biopellets and prefer it over a reactor designed for other media. The reactor I use has a pump built in to the base that has an adjustable flow. It takes up very little room and keeps the pellets moving. Most standard reactors will lead to clumping of the pellets near the bottom or top of the reactor so just make sure you pick up one designed for biopellets. Also make sure you have a skimmer (not sure if you had one or not) to run with it.

[pyronus]

I would run a different style reactor for biopellets. I use the JNS alpha reactor for my biopellets and prefer it over a reactor designed for other media. The reactor I use has a pump built in to the base that has an adjustable flow. It takes up very little room and keeps the pellets moving. Most standard reactors will lead to clumping of the pellets near the bottom or top so just make sure you pick up one designed for biopellets. Also make sure you have a skimmer (not sure if you had one or not) to run with it.

 

Thanks for the advice. I run an SWC120cone skimmer. I suppose ill just wait for atomic to come out with their pellet reactor before I start running them. TBH I probably don't need pellets at all right now or at all. My fuge and and skimmer pull enough nitrates out of the water. I do want to dose aminos and I am planning on adding another fish or 2 somewhere along the line.

 

Pellets and the fuge would probably work against each other with pellets pulling so much nitrate out of the water that the fuge would starve. I should stop being an equipment hound and just leave my system alone and let it grow.