Custom Look CadLights 50Long

[twan]

Do me a favor, take a look at my Carbon reactor install. Flow through the reactor as indicated by the output side stream.................good or no good?

 

http://youtu.be/eE1HJltCMX0

[nickjqz]

Hmm well it sounds like you are doing everything you can. I don't own a BRS Reactor so I can't say for sure.

[Quantum]

I'm sorry if I missed this, but what did happen to the Yasha Goby?

[twan]

Hmm well it sounds like you are doing everything you can. I don't own a BRS Reactor so I can't say for sure.

 

I think if I pack it tighter, more towards the top I will be able to run more flow through it.

This was my 1st time packing one of these canisters.

It was hard to judge how much room .4 cups of ROX takes up and when you get the bottom foam disc in there and pile the ROX on top it is hard to move that disc again without taking out all the ROX and starting over again.

 

In 2 weeks when I change the cartridge (I bought a 2nd for fast changes) I will pack it tighter and closer to the top. Wait a minute, I just thought about this as I am typing...........there is no reason for it to be at the top correct? If not then I can just adjust the top foam disc down to close up any space. Yes/No?

 

I'm sorry if I missed this, but what did happen to the Yasha Goby?

 

He is still in there and doing OK. I say just OK because for the first, 2-3 weeks I had to blast his burrow with mysis to get him to eat. He would not come out. Then he lost his pistol shrimp when the shrimp decided to jump into my overflow for 2 weeks. When the shrimp was added back the Yasha and him teamed back up........................to only 2 days later find the Yasha on the other side of the tank in a new burrow alone.

 

He does not require target feeding any longer but seems to be very timid still. Because of this I never see him with a full belly. That is why he is OK, not great.

[twan]

I read the last thing you want the carbon to do tumble. Tumble can cause pieces to grind against one another and dust. Do I have this wrong?

 

For now I am going to add a little more carbon to the canister and push the top sponge down to sandwich it.

I will then try to turn up the flow on the pump feeding it to get more water processed but not tumble the media.

[nickjqz]

I read the last thing you want the carbon to do tumble. Tumble can cause pieces to grind against one another and dust. Do I have this wrong?

Nope you are right!

[twan]

I moved my sponges to sandwich the carbon really tight.

I was then able to turn up the flow from the 20% it was before to approximatley 75%.

Mission accomplished.

 

For the little amount of media I run (.4cups), I wish I had seen this NextReef MR1 Shorty Media Reactor sooner:

http://www.saltysupply.com/NextReef-MR1-Sh...35.htm?CartID=1

 

[siwelk]

I might have to get that...

[twan]

I might have to get that...

 

It is 6" wide and 8.5" tall while my BRS Deluxe Single is the same wide but 13" high.

 

The height savings would have allowed me to use their hang bracket and latch them onto my sump, hovering over but not actually in the water. My BRS deluxe will not fit there so I had to mount it in another less desireable spot.

[siwelk]

Yeah, I have a regular BRS reactor.

I just don't need that much space.

 

Aquarium Specialty has them as well, with $7 cheaper Eheim Compact 600s.

[twan]

Cabinet Lights

http://www.elementalled.com/expandable-wat...ixture-kit.html

 

 

Kit came in today and installed in 5 minutes. Looks really good, lights well, very thin, expandable via daisy chain. High recommend it.

 

EB8

Installed my 2nd EB8 and moved some stuff around. Yes the MP10's and the battery backup are on the Apex when they necesarily do not have to be but I like everything to be on the apex. I have 3 open outlets at the moment. I could have up to 5 if I drop the MP10's off the Apex as I control them from the WMX as well. These are for future expandability of things I have not added yet. Those are dosing, GFO & fans.

 

[got2envy]

What a great detailed thread of your build twan! just read the whole thing

Tank is looking awesome!

[twan]

Thanks got2envy, I will have some new pics this weekend.

[siwelk]

You should get a few pics of your LED light strip installed.

 

I bounced over there and am now checking out these:

http://www.elementalled.com/under-cabinet-...kit-triple.html

 

Also, MD was taking too long to get my EB8 in stock so I got one from AS.

They're having an 11% off sale until 7/9 (link)...Guess what else I ordered?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twan]

Gratz on the Apex order, missed the sale on that.

Gratz on the MR1 shorty, I am really kicking myself I have this monster BRS reactor with .4 cups of media in it.

 

As for the Stand Lights, they are great, single strip, tons of light, tucks away cleanly.

 

 

[siwelk]

Thanks for the heads up on the reactor.

 

 

& those lights are sweeet.

 

Well played.

[twan]

My camera skills suck with all these options on the Sony NEX-5n.

I really need to sit down and learn it and adjust the white balance.

I also forgot to note what AI settings the lights were on % wise for W/B/rB during this shoot.

 

I seem to be winning the battle with the 1st diatom bloom in this tank.

Lets celebrate with pics!

 

FTS

 

Top Down

 

Side

[twan]

Safecracker Zoanthid Colony

 

Purple Torch

 

Purple Flower Pot

 

Adjusting Yellow Fiji Leather

 

ORA Red Planet Frag

 

Green Branching Acropora - Bali

 

Birds Nest

 

Orange Florida Ricordia 2 Polyps

 

Green Florida Ricordia Colony

 

ORA Gonipora

 

2 Monti Caps Wall mounted

 

Pink Pucker Zoanthid Colony

 

Purple Hammer / Green Torch

 

Still adjusting and browning Staghorn

 

Same Staghorn shot from top showing re-coloring starting

 

Still adjusting and browning Bushy Acropora

 

Same Busy Acropora shot from top showing re-coloring starting

[twan]

Ohhh yeah, you can see coraline finally coming in the last batch of pictures as well.

[Spirofucci]

Nice pics!!! Love those wall mounted monti's, they are going to look so cool!

[twan]

My 1st fish, the starry blenny, is always out and about, fat and healthy.

My 2nd fish, the yasha haze goby, is only out to eat, seems pretty pissy, has poor eating habits.

My 3rd fish, the kuerti wrasse, pulled a houdini on day 2 and was never seen again (no body anywhere).

 

 

I want to add a pair of naked or skunk clowns and a Flame angel as my last fish(s).

Before then I would need to add any more timid species.

 

I have a credit with Divers Den, so I am waiting for a Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse to be added or a trio of cardinal fish 1st before I seek the clowns/angel.

[twan]

TDS Question

 

My RODI Unit found here

started showing 2 TDS about 2 weeks ago so I changed the 3 filters and the DI resin. Back to zero TDS, good.

 

The RO membrane has not been replaced in the unit. In September this unit will be 4 years old. For its first 3 years of service this unit only made 4g per week for water changes in my Nanocube. It is now seeing a lot more action with the new tanks larger water volume.

 

Question is, how to gauge when the RO membrane needs replacing. I hear you will go through DI resin faster as the membrane gets towards the end of its life. I find it hard to judge lifespan on my DI resin.

 

I always just measure the TDS on the water that comes out of the unit, not the rejection water, not my tap water.

As long as I have zero out the last end, I use the water. Last night I decided to stick my TDS meter in all 3. The reults are below.

 

Tap - 124 TDS

Discharge Water - 170 TDS

Clean water - 0 TDS

 

SO my clean water to use is zero, but why is my disharge water higher then what is coming out of my tap?

Is this normal and I did not know because I never measure my discharge waters TDS?

Or is this indicative of a failing RO membrane?

The discharge water is water that has passed through the 3 filters and the RO membrane but not the DI resin, correct?

 

My tap water is at 124..............it runs through part of the system and gets dirtier up to 174, before hitting the DI resin to bring it to 0. Do I have this right? Does my RO membrane need replacing?

[twan]

Is it normal for discharge water to be higher TDS then my tap because it is essentially concentrated bad water?

 

Or is this logic flawed and there is no reason that the TDS from tap to discharge would actually go up unless I had a failing RO membrane.................that is then making my DI resin work over time to bring to zero?

[Spirofucci]

I would think that if your end result is 0 TDS, you're OK for now. Heck my TDS out of the tap is over 700!

 

I don't think there is any good reason to measure your waste water?

[Sahin]

Is it normal for discharge water to be higher TDS then my tap because it is essentially concentrated bad water?

 

Or is this logic flawed and there is no reason that the TDS from tap to discharge would actually go up unless I had a failing RO membrane.................that is then making my DI resin work over time to bring to zero?

 

Your logic is not flawed. You are correct.

 

Using a decent RO membrane and with sufficient water pressure (ie at least 45PSI), should remove 95-98% of the minerals and other bits that makeup your local water. You can easily test how well your RO membrane is working by testing the input tap water TDS, the TDS at the RO membrane output (before it goes into the DI POD). And then work out the % removal.

 

The higher the input water pressure, the higher the removal efficiency.

 

With the membrane being 4 years old, regardless of usage, I would think about replacing it now. I use an RO booster pump and so my RODI unit gets water input at 90PSI. The membrane has about 99% removal rate, with the TDS reading being about 7TDS out of the RO. Once it gets into the DI pod it comes out as 0DTS. I only need replacing my DI every 5-6 months.