My 70g Cadlights Artisan, Radion Powered SPS Reef!

[jedimasterben]

What do you have now?

[Alex B]

 

What do you have now?

I still have the pls100 that came with the tank. I never even planned to use it, but somehow it ended up on the tank for 6 months.

 

The tank was fallow for a good while. I wasnt too worried about skimming then, but now I have a decent bioload. I plan for 3-4 more fish and I have been feeding on the heavy side. Just want something that can keep up. The pls100 is also a pain to tune. I find myself fiddling with it constantly, and when you do a water change or anything like that, it seems to go through a small break in period again.

[jedimasterben]

If it's anywhere near as 'toy'ish as the PLS-50 elite is, then I would have scrapped it a long time ago.

 

What footprint do you need a skimmer to be, maximum?

[Alex B]

If it's anywhere near as 'toy'ish as the PLS-50 elite is, then I would have scrapped it a long time ago.

 

What footprint do you need a skimmer to be, maximum?

It's def not a "quality" skimmer by any means. Not the worst I have seen, but def not rated for 120 gallons like they advertise...lol..I'm going to keep it for my nanobox tank that's getting sumped this week. Set it to skim dry and just let it be. The tank doesn't really even need a skimmer, but I got it so might as well use it.

 

My skimmer chamber in this suml is 9 1/4x14 1/2 so I got some decent room. Been looking at the vertex150 or skimz monzter161 and the skimz Kone181

[Alex B]

Hmmm...just found someone selling a reef octo prime 150int. It's brand new in the box for 200.00

This is the vertex copy they came out with recently and usually goes for 349.99

 

[TheKleinReef]

but. but. the vertex is so sexy.

[jedimasterben]

Hmmm...just found someone selling a reef octo prime 150int. It's brand new in the box for 200.00 This is the vertex copy they came out with recently and usually goes for 349.99

do it.

 

[Alex B]

but. but. the vertex is so sexy.

Yes it is lol...

 

do it.

 

Damn...just looked at the specs on it. It's 9 3/4 x 12

I have almost 9 1/2 in the sump. Running to get my tape measure to make sure. Maybe I can remove the first baffle. Still has like 7 more through out the sump. Why Cadlights put so many baffles in this sump is beyond me. Ain't no bubbles making it to my display!!

[metrokat]

Alex, I like the black background a lot. Now you notice your tank, not the center overflow. Good call.

Blow pops

[Alex B]

Alex, I like the black background a lot. Now you notice your tank, not the center overflow. Good call.Blow pops

Thanks. I Like it too. Next tank will have a corner overflow! Thanks for the id on the zoa's. I figured they were something common, but I suck at zoa's. I just pick what I like. They are growing really fast though!

 

Ohhhh btw ....looks like the prime 150int won't fit in my sump...kinda bummed... Pulled the trigger on a skimz monzter161. Hear great things about them, and I have some wiggle room should I choose to upgrade. Also need a new return pump to run the manifold. Thinking about the jebao dc12000

[jedimasterben]

Also need a new return pump to run the manifold. Thinking about the jebao dc12000

There is no way you'd need that much flow, even with a manifold feeding half a dozen devices. I use the DC-6000 and just running to my display I have it at 33% speed and it gives right at 5x turnover through the sump.

[Alex B]

There is no way you'd need that much flow, even with a manifold feeding half a dozen devices. I use the DC-6000 and just running to my display I have it at 33% speed and it gives right at 5x turnover through the sump.

 

My fault!! I meant to dc6000. I had flow rates on my mind. There is no way I could use a dc12000...lol...shoot I bet even the 3000 would be ok, but I figured I would grab a 6000 and dial it down. That way I can use it when I upgrade!

[jedimasterben]

My fault!! I meant to dc6000. I had flow rates on my mind. There is no way I could use a dc12000...lol...shoot I bet even the 3000 would be ok, but I figured I would grab a 6000 and dial it down. That way I can use it when I upgrade!

You'd be able to blast water out of your tank with the 12000 lol. the 6000 will be mroe than enough considering that reactors and such don't need crazy amounts of flow. I'm actually planning on making a deNitrate reactor out of my Phosban 550 I have laying around. Only needs about 30GPH going through it for it to be most effective.

[Alex B]

You'd be able to blast water out of your tank with the 12000 lol. the 6000 will be mroe than enough considering that reactors and such don't need crazy amounts of flow. I'm actually planning on making a deNitrate reactor out of my Phosban 550 I have laying around. Only needs about 30GPH going through it for it to be most effective.

 

Cool. Let me know how it works when you set it up. I was thinking of going with bio pellets, but I'm officially scared of carbon dosing....lol...Im going to set up a good fuge and plumb in 2 reactors. One for carbon, and one for good old gfo if I need it. I'm going back to my KISS method of reefing!

[jedimasterben]

Cool. Let me know how it works when you set it up. I was thinking of going with bio pellets, but I'm officially scared of carbon dosing....lol...Im going to set up a good fuge and plumb in 2 reactors. One for carbon, and one for good old gfo if I need it. I'm going back to my KISS method of reefing!

Carbon dosing really couldn't get any more KISS. Just a bit of vinegar daily (can be done with a dosing pump) and that's it. Just gotta go slowly and follow the literature available (from RHF) to the T and you'll do just fine, except for having much nastier skimmate

 

I'm not a fan of biopellets, though - they make it very easy to mess up and there isn't much 'standard' dose that can be applied, along with differences in reactors, flow rates, anything getting clogged, etc. Vinegar is idiotproof lol

 

I actually used to use deNitrate, I had some in my sump a while back, I don't know for certain if it worked as I had too much flow going through it, but I will tell you that I've never had nitrate issues that weren't chalked up to a bad test kit. deNitrate is basically a live rock replacement. It's incredibly porous on the micro level, and with low flow rates should be extremely efficient at processing nitrogen

[Alex B]

Carbon dosing really couldn't get any more KISS. Just a bit of vinegar daily (can be done with a dosing pump) and that's it. Just gotta go slowly and follow the literature available (from RHF) to the T and you'll do just fine, except for having much nastier skimmate

 

I'm not a fan of biopellets, though - they make it very easy to mess up and there isn't much 'standard' dose that can be applied, along with differences in reactors, flow rates, anything getting clogged, etc. Vinegar is idiotproof lol

 

I actually used to use deNitrate, I had some in my sump a while back, I don't know for certain if it worked as I had too much flow going through it, but I will tell you that I've never had nitrate issues that weren't chalked up to a bad test kit. deNitrate is basically a live rock replacement. It's incredibly porous on the micro level, and with low flow rates should be extremely efficient at processing nitrogen

 

Let me rephrase that...lol...I'm scared of carbon dosing with stuff like bio pellets or zeovit. They both require very precise adjustments and have little wiggle room. It doesn't take much to upset the system. In other words it's super delicate and requires finesse that maybe I dont have lol.

 

Carbon dosing with vinegar is a lot more forgiving. It's not nearly as strong and you have a lot more wiggle room with your paramters. From what I have seen with bio pellets, you have to hot that perfect spot. Just like zeovit. There is a lot more room for error when it comes to vinegar. It's much more forgiving.

[Alex B]

Damnit!

 

Went to petland and they didn't have blackworms. I love these things. They don't add bioload to the tank, and my fish are so healthy. My wrasses are mad at me! They love their blackworms!

[Reefkid88]

Loving the zoa collection man,looking good. You going to CoralCon in a few weeks ?!

[Alex B]

Loving the zoa collection man,looking good. You going to CoralCon in a few weeks ?!

 

Thanks bro! Yea I'll be there. Helping a buddy with his booth. Also going to pick up some stuff. I've been scared to buy any corals with all the problems. Tank has done a 360 for the better so I'm ready to start stocking again. Let me know if you still want some corals. Things are doing really good and have a couple frags on the rack.

[Reefkid88]

Hahaha I give credit where credit is due man. Oh sweet,sounds good. I'll see you there then !! I hear you,I've been having some issues as well,between my temp probe rusting out and causing some issues and I over did some Zeo stuff and stuff paled out lol which was bound to happen.

 

Hell yeah man,I've been waiting. I'll PM you my number if you want and shoot me some pics of what you've got.

[Alex B]

Hahaha I give credit where credit is due man. Oh sweet,sounds good. I'll see you there then !! I hear you,I've been having some issues as well,between my temp probe rusting out and causing some issues and I over did some Zeo stuff and stuff paled out lol which was bound to happen.

Hell yeah man,I've been waiting. I'll PM you my number if you want and shoot me some pics of what you've got.

Sorry to hear that man. I would never run zeo on such s small tank. I remember reading that u were going to start using it in your thread. What exactly have you been dosing?

[Reefkid88]

Hahaha what wasn't I dosing is the question lmao. I knew it wasn't to be done,and was honestly a "experiment" which I knew would either fail horribly or be some what successful,but instead it semi failed,it wasn't too bad. I just lost a lot of color. And I blame my rusting coralux probe for my loss in coral,which is still 50/50.

[Alex B]

Honestly, blame the zeo more then the rust. Zeovit is not a bad system, it's just bad in the wrong hands...lol...7 gallons is way small in water volume to run that type of system. We're you dosing zeostart?? You don't run a skimmer in that tank right?

[Reefkid88]

I wouldn't say it was in the wrong hands,just my experiment conditions were,on the more impossible side. Just wanted to push the envelope on it to see if anything was achievable lol. I definitely won't try it again. Everything has gotten a clean slate,huge water change,new carbon and after a week of no use,things are beginning to color back up and look good again.

 

I'm pleased lol. I will say,my Zoa's were pissed the whole time I was dosing anything Zeo besides Phols Xtra lol I may just get a big bottle of that. Growth and color were phenomenal.

[Alex B]

Well glad things look better.

 

Didn't mean it was bad in your hands. Just saying it's really technical, and in a 7 gallon tank, there is no wiggle room. Any good amino acid should get you results like pohls extra. It is one of the only additives I might continue to buy. Pohls extra, coral snow, and coral vitalizer are great. I'm going to hook up my 3rd doser with Acro power and run dose it at night. I had good success with it on my previous tank. Good luck man!