Jedi's Science Reef

[jedimaster1138]

Hmm. Can this be used on mixed salt water? IE water in my tank? Or only RO/DI water? I mean either way it would be interesting to know. I wonder if the CO2 build up could be at the RO/DI level. Though my DI resin does not degrade rapidly at all. I change it something like once a year and barely any of it has changed color.

 

Hmm

[Griever]

If your CO2 levels in your home/apartment are really high, I'd take it up with the landlord because poor ventilation is actually a pretty serious issue. If CO2 levels are high, you can bet carbon monoxide and other bad stuff is also high. You can probably contact an agency to come test your apartment's air levels for free (usually for mold), and use that as leverage to make your landlord fix the air handling system.

[jedimaster1138]

OK so there's this fairly large and well known coral vendor - not fish, just coral - who I have ordered from a bunch in the past 2 years...probably half a dozen orders total all in excess of 200$. A few weeks ago I started getting emails - which went right into the SPAM folder and then phone calls from them, saying that an order that i placed in April 2013 didn't go through their system correctly and my credit card didn't get charged. I looked at my statements and i don't think i see a charge. They (the vendor) want me to call them back and give them my CC info so they can charge me for the stuff i received but was never charged for because their system screwed up.

 

1) Was i wrong to assume this is something nefarious? Probably not. My SPAM filter agreed.

 

2) Given that it is apparently a legitimate issue (the customer service rep said I can call the owner to verify this) should I even care? This is a slight issue of morals I guess...

 

I mean OK, i bought some stuff, entered my CC information and apparently their system didn't charge my card. They figure this out a year later and come to me and say "hey your card didn't get charged, cmmere, gives us the $". On one hand I feel bad that I got some stuff for nothing, on the other hand, it's their system that screwed up, why is it my problem? Especially that it's A YEAR LATER.

 

It's almost like walking out of a store having been charged 20$ for a 80$ piece of clothing and then the store clerk running out and saying "hey we undercharged you!" and wanting the difference. But worse. A year later? Why is it my problem?

 

I like the vendor, and would definitely order from them again so I feel kinda bad, but at the same time, why is it my problem your cc processing system screwed up?

 

Should I just call the owner and talk to him directly, not his underling, and come up with some deal?

 

Someone help me with my crisis of conscience

[jedimasterben]

I would pay the full amount owed IMHO, especially if you plan on future orders and want them to go smoothly.

[jedimaster1138]

I emailed the head honcho. I'm still not totally convinced this is legit...I guess we'll see. I'm not looking for something for nothing....but something about this is rankling my security nut alarm...

[jedimasterben]

Do your bank statements not go back that far?

[metrokat]

[Veng]

A week, a month, 3 months I'd pay. Over a year I'd say no, it's well outside of "reasonable and customary" for account reconciliation. They had your mailing address and your phone number, so I don't know why they couldn't contact you in a more traditional sense.

[jedimaster1138]

Statement shows no charge, I don't think. I was on my honeymoon at the time it rolled over, so you can imagine how much I wasn't paying attention.

 

I emailed the head honcho at his personal address. We'll talk and come up with something. Shrug.

 

The fact that it took a year is what annoys me. How could they not notice this sooner? And should I be concerned about my CC information?

[Cameron6796]

Maybe get new card... Explain to bank what happened and your worried

[IAShane]

If it were me, and it were legit, I'd pay it. Screwy situation yes, but the right thing to do, IMO.

 

A couple pages back, you were wondering about foxfaces and LPS. My tank is LPS dominated, with lots of meaty polyps like acans, lobos, euphyllia, favias, etc. It never touches them, but has in the past nibbled on my chalice. It didn't do permanent damage, but left bite marks on it. It doesn't do it anymore, in part I think because I feed a lot more now than I used to, and as a result he also has more algae to graze on. :/

 

Great fish, but took a while to really get settled in to the tank. Now it eats from my hand.

 

Oh, and I think the brace fix looks good. I had a bar clamp on my 55 gallon for over a year. Your's is better.

[jedimaster1138]

Thanks. Yeah I wound up not getting the FF. The bubble algae lost out to my tangs and cyano. Yay. It'll probably come back at some point, we'll see. It's oddly started coming back in my nano after not being in there for a year. And I've been changing water there often. I should probably consider cleaning out the HOB power filter...why do I get the feeling it's full of crud...

 

Fish are strange...my tangs were poking at my scolymia last night. I figured they were hungry. Seaweed FTW.

 

PS still waiting to hear back from the head honcho at that vendor.

[jedimaster1138]

Oh, and I think the brace fix looks good. I had a bar clamp on my 55 gallon for over a year. Your's is better.

 

Thanks! Well thanks to my super. Let's just hope it holds another 18 months - 2 years

 

Spoke to the head guy. It's all indeed on the up and up. They had a major CC processing malfunction and didn't get paid for a pile of orders. Oops! I'll give them their $. He totally understands my skepticism at the initial contact, especially the ONE YEAR LATER thing. He said the people who are helping them reconcile things - ie that are paying up now - won't be forgotten. I guess maybe we'll get a coupon or something.

 

Stuff happens. shrug

[jedimaster1138]

7.68 over night. A new record! Weeeeeeee.

 

PS that's with full strength kalkwasser going in the tank every hour. I added more calcium hydroxide powder last night too.

 

It's almost comical at this point.

[metrokat]

Jedibear, are you sure your probe is correct? I drip ONE drop and my pH monitor registers a jump.

[jedimaster1138]

Yeah. 2 different Apex probes plus a handheld Hanna. They all agree.

 

Windows have been closed all week. It's 100% due to excessive - probably to the point of being unhealthy for humans and dogs too - CO2 levels in the apartment.

 

The Apex shows every kalkwasser dose on the pH graph in the form of a small spike up...but the spike is then immediately followed by a drop back down 10 minutes later. It's lovely. Today's HIGH was 7.92.

 

My 2 year old open brain, neon green and red, melted in the past couple days. Want a skeleton the size of my hand?

 

Pardon me while I barf.

[metrokat]

Call the health department?

[ZephNYC]

I am extremely skeptical about this being an atmospheric problem. My front room sub- basement reef is 20 feet below street level, and doesn't own a single window, and I don't have any ph problems in there and im not even dosing kalk on that reef.

 

I have 2 guesses....

 

Most likely your ionic balance is off. Either from dosing too much chlorides, or from a lack of water changes. Your recent coral losses are indicative of this. Secondly, if you run reactors and don't tumble, and feed coral/clam food daily, 90% of that food is stuck in your reactors and rotting away and lowering your Ph. I have my carbon reactors on timers so they only run at night when my water column is clear.

[ZephNYC]

Well yesterday I visited this tank and was BLOWN AWAY!!!!! The master has been holding out on us BIG TIME!!!! I saw 6, yes SIX Tridacnids, and Acropora colors that knocked my socks off. His colony of Rasta's was about the size of my HEAD!!

 

Awesome tank, seriously....and Penny was one of the most playful puppies I ever saw. THanks for everything Joe !!!!!

[jedimaster1138]

Well yesterday I visited this tank and was BLOWN AWAY!!!!! The master has been holding out on us BIG TIME!!!! I saw 6, yes SIX Tridacnids, and Acropora colors that knocked my socks off. His colony of Rasta's was about the size of my HEAD!!

 

Awesome tank, seriously....and Penny was one of the most playful puppies I ever saw. THanks for everything Joe !!!!!

 

You're too kind. I probably stare at the tank so much I see the deficiencies more than the goodness. When/if I beat back the cyano and things look acceptable to my OCD, I'll take some pictures and video for you all to see.

 

I haven't updated this for a while but I think the pH issue might be solved. I think in the winter, when the apartment was sealed up tight the pH was indeed insanely low - BUT - in the past 2 weeks or so with the windows open, it's gone up back to normalcy. However, I haven't seen that normalcy via the existing probe. Something didn't seem right with that so I pulled out the probe I have in my Avast Kalkwasser stirrer and tossed it in the sump next to the existing probe. It's registering drastically higher numbers, but moving in lock step (more or less) as the low reading probe. So either one, or both, is out of calibration. API liquid color test says it's around 8.20 now. In winter it was indeed saying 7.90 at best. My handheld probe is apparently mental, that one read 8.60 the other day. Anyway yeah I need some calibration fluid packets and to see what's what. Might be time for a new probe too. The newer one is a BRS brand probe, the older is a Neptune. It's the Neptune one that's cuckoo. Seriously the windows have been opened non stop for 2 weeks...there's no way my overnight low is 7.66.

 

Most of the clams are still where you saw em Zeph. The new big clam is latched onto that rock, but turned sideways to the tank. I'm not going to argue with it. Looks good even if I can't look down his throat I'm going to plant some zoas on the rock around it to contrast the color. The one up high on the right under the stylo is VERY attached, and opens well. I trimmed back some stylo branches to give it some more light (anyone want a frag?) The littlest clam got tossed by a burp from the big derasa, so I moved him a bit and put him back on the disk. Still not sure about his long term spot... That's a work in progress. I have no high spots for him. I might move him back next to the other maxima....there's less current there which is probably conducive to him not getting tossed while he decides to attach.

 

I'm trying to stay out of the tank though. The wrasse family was out when I got up this morning and they were all hunting aggresively for the entire day. I fed the tank 3 times and they seemed to notice the food, but not go bonkers for it. They are probably filling up on pods. I hope. Anyway I don't want to spook them so I'm staying out of the tank and walking gingerly past it during the day. Those fish are freaking gorgeous though.

 

Rasta frag soon buddy!

 

Speaking of Penny she went for a shot today (lyme disease, good to get for those of you who take your dogs to the country) and on the way home we ran into a 6 month old German Shepherd female named Noel with the biggest ears ever. They played for a while. It's cute. Bow, swat, bow, tackle, repeat. Ah puppies.

 

Tomorrow, 2 more bulbs being changed. That'll make 4 out of the 8 are new. Maybe that's part of the cyano issue too...

 

PS thanks for the RP big man.

 

PPS - re-watched The Wolverine tonight. I love that movie. Samurai + Wolverine = complete and utter victory. Counting the hours till Days of Future Past.

[metrokat]

[jedimaster1138]

Kat demanded a picture.

 

[Cameron6796]

I love goldens i just got a puppy

[jedimaster1138]

Why are you looking at those fish and not me? It's my birthday daddy, I'm 9 months old today.

 

[Cameron6796]

Adorable, my goldens 4 months