Mr. Microscope's Cube 2.1

[yman182]

What swap are you going to?? Are you no longer an Evanstonian?

[Giga]

that's a massive light fixture!

[Mr. Microscope]

What swap are you going to?? Are you no longer an Evanstonian?

No, I'm still in Evanston. As usual, they booked this event way out in the middle of nowhere rather than bringing it to the city. It's in St. Charles even though they call it a, "Chicago" event.

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/cmas-frag-swap-2014-registration-10882057527

June 7th.

that's a massive light fixture!

Admittedly, it is a bit on the obtuse side. I bought the heatsink really large anticipating an upgrade. Now that I think about it, I might like to rebuild it a bit smaller.

[yman182]

Ohh the CMAS swap. I will be there too. Never been to one before. Is there usually some cool stuff there?

[gena]

Thanks Gena! I'm really digging the brick as well. Congrats on your BTA's! I gotta warn you, they're addicting..

 

 

Yep...I'm quickly finding that out .

[TheKleinReef]

i should start going to frag swaps. i've had a tank for almost 4 years and have yet to attend one...

[Mr. Microscope]

Ohh the CMAS swap. I will be there too. Never been to one before. Is there usually some cool stuff there?

Cool. I went a couple years ago. It was okay, not the best swap I've been to, but the selection wasn't bad. Again, I just wish it wasn't so damn far away.

i should start going to frag swaps. i've had a tank for almost 4 years and have yet to attend one...

They're a lot of fun. The best prices and selection you'll find anywhere. I usually only make coral purchases at swaps. BTW, you can still get a ticket for $10. Otherwise, I think it's like 15 at the door.

[Arkayology]

The tank looks good agains the brick wall. I hope you don't lose anything else.

[Mr. Microscope]

The tank looks good agains the brick wall. I hope you don't lose anything else.

Thanks Ark! Me too. I'm a little worried when I transfer rock, but I believe the filtration should be adequate. I did a second muriatic acid wash with my Pukani yesterday. I swear this stuff is made out of sponges. The reaction was much weaker this time. So, I think I probably got most of the baddies out of there. I now have it sitting in a bucket with RODI and a powerhead. I'll test if for PO4 tonight and see where I stand. Once phos levels are nominal, I'll do the Dr. Tim's One and Only cycle on it and I should be ready to go. Hopefully, the RODI step doesn't take too long.

[Scorched]

Good job on the move! I am dreading a tank move in the coming month. I'm going to be hand moving everything down the sidewalk to a new office building kiddycorner from our current space.

[Mr. Microscope]

Good job on the move! I am dreading a tank move in the coming month. I'm going to be hand moving everything down the sidewalk to a new office building kiddycorner from our current space.

Thanks Scorched! Do yourself a favor and siphon out the sandbed now. It'll save you a lot of trouble come move time. It really made moving a breeze for me (well..as much of a breeze as moving a tank can be, lol).

[ALexpsycho]

Hi Adam!

Hows the B/P going?

[Mr. Microscope]

Hi Adam!

Hows the B/P going?

Hey Alex (my name is Eric BTW, lol),

So far so good, but I just started using them last week. I'll keep posting about them as I notice progress.

[ALexpsycho]

sorry Eric.

Keep us posted.Very nice movement btw!

[Nano sapiens]

Good to see this moved over okay (other than the Bangai...RIP).

[neuwave]

Glad the move went well minus the one loss. But it looks nice and healthy. I'm dreading my move at the end of the month.

[Mr. Microscope]

Good to see this moved over okay (other than the Bangai...RIP).

Thanks NS!

Glad the move went well minus the one loss. But it looks nice and healthy. I'm dreading my move at the end of the month.

Yes, things continue to be healthy. It's been a week and I did my first water change in the new place yesterday. My only issues at the moment are high temps (81ish).

 

 

 

UPDATE:

I decided to boost the biopellets up to about 25mL. With only 10mL, they were getting blasted so much that some were getting caught up in the mesh. Now, they're tumbling nicely and staying relatively at the bottom.

 

Since doing a second treatment with muriatic acid on my new rock (Pukani), I've had it in a bucket with RODI. I've been replacing the water nearly every day and PO4 read about 0.25ppm every time I check after 24 hours. Hopefully, that drops down soon. It's driving me nuts waiting to do the rescape.

[jedimasterben]

What are you checking phosphate with? Are you testing saltwater or RO/DI? The test work all that well with straight RO/DI.

[Mr. Microscope]

What are you checking phosphate with? Are you testing saltwater or RO/DI? The test work all that well with straight RO/DI.

I'm using Red Sea. You think it's off? I checked before and after adding the rock. There is a change. So, I think something is going on, but I was wondering if salt vs. RODI made a difference. Hmm..maybe Red Sea has some info on that.

[jedimasterben]

Yes, it takes special equipment to be able to properly read RO/DI water (at least that's what I understand from AZdesertrat's posts about it).

 

Any more acid baths on that rock and you'll probably only be left with some sand lol.

[Mr. Microscope]

Yes, it takes special equipment to be able to properly read RO/DI water (at least that's what I understand from AZdesertrat's posts about it).

Hmm..

Any more acid baths on that rock and you'll probably only be left with some sand lol.

Totally! I'm a little upset that it doesn't look as good as it did when it came.

 

BTW, I started a thread:

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/347048-another-pukani-threadplease-help/?p=4748553

[jedimasterben]

I really wouldn't worry about it IMHO. I probably wouldn't have acid washed the rock in the first place, but that's just me

[Felicia]

I'm sure by now that the rock is as clean as its going to get. I've never bothered with doing more than rinsing off dry rock before using it and I never really had any issues from that. Granted, since you're going to put it straight in a mature tank instead of a new tank that you can give time to cycle and such, its better to be safe than sorry! So what are you thinking for the new scape? I still love your bonsai pillar. It definitely inspired the island on the right side of my tank

[yman182]

Eric,

 

I would double check your results. I just had a red sea kit go bad on me (lot 103). It kept saying i had po4, but my other kits did not. I emailed them and they sent out a new kit. Just some food for though.

[Mr. Microscope]

I'm sure by now that the rock is as clean as its going to get. I've never bothered with doing more than rinsing off dry rock before using it and I never really had any issues from that. Granted, since you're going to put it straight in a mature tank instead of a new tank that you can give time to cycle and such, its better to be safe than sorry! So what are you thinking for the new scape? I still love your bonsai pillar. It definitely inspired the island on the right side of my tank

That's usually what I do too, but from everything I've read, Pukani has a lot more issues than standard dried rock. This stuff is not mined, but rather was in the ocean at a recent point. I checked the water I had it in yesterday and it went from 0.25ppm to 0.36ppm after another 24 hours. It's continuing to leach. I also tested for Ammonia just to see and got zero. That's a plus.

 

As soon as the PO4 levels go down, I'm going to cycle it in the bucket. I got my order from Dr. Tim in the mail yesterday. Gonna go that rout so I don't have any algae contamination from seeding with stuff in my tank now. I think I might pull all the livestock out of my tank again before I put the new rock in and H2O2 the hell out of the tank so that there's no chance of any more algae in there.

 

The new scape will still have some height to it, but I don't think there's going to be any dramatic overhangs like in my current scape. I've done some playing around with the rock and I think I've come up with something I really like. There'll be a lot more room for corals. The tank will have a less stuffed, more open bonsai look to it. This rock has tons of holes and large cavities. So, I don't need to worry about creating caves or tunnels for fish. Any fish like a blenny that likes to swim in and out of rock scape will be very happy in this stuff. Coral placement plans are the same. Acans at the bottom, torches near the middle, a tabling acro or two near the top-middle, and E. Quads at the peak.

Eric,

 

I would double check your results. I just had a red sea kit go bad on me (lot 103). It kept saying i had po4, but my other kits did not. I emailed them and they sent out a new kit. Just some food for though.

Thanks Yury! I checked my box last night and there's no lot number on it! Just and expiration date. I am continuing to see a change in results as time passes. So, I think there's something happening, but you're right. I'll have to find a Hanna checker somewhere.