tibbsy07 Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Thanks. To be honest it's not the work on the tank or the fact that it's not doing that great - it's more the fact that I spend time to work on in and try and get it going, but I never get to enjoy it. I'm still plugging away, though. I am not using a silicate remover that I know of. Carbon and purigen are pretty much it. I may try an oxydator. They seem to be pretty decent, and for the price of 17 bucks, it can't really hurt. The hydrogen peroxide seems to be where I am most confused. I can get up to 35% hydrogen peroxide, but I'm not sure which dose to use? Some people say 6, others say 12, and the range is all over. I think 9% should be good. Oh, and the acan is probably toast Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'm kicking myself in the face for not trying an oxydator sooner. I've been using it for only a week and my sand bed looks like the day I bought it, my water is noticeably clearer (I thought my water looked extremely clear before). My skimmer is working better as well and my pH stays above 8.0 which I have never been able to accomplish. I'm using approximately 6-7% H2O2 and I'm sorry about your acan . Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'm kicking myself in the face for not trying an oxydator sooner. I've been using it for only a week and my sand bed looks like the day I bought it, my water is noticeably clearer (I thought my water looked extremely clear before). My skimmer is working better as well and my pH stays above 8.0 which I have never been able to accomplish. I'm using approximately 6-7% H2O2 and I'm sorry about your acan . I ordered one from saltwater conversion today. Now I have to figure out where to get the dang peroxide... I'll go with a 7% treatment I think in my tank. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I ordered one from saltwater conversion today. Now I have to figure out where to get the dang peroxide... I'll go with a 7% treatment I think in my tank. Some pharmacies sell 6%, I have heard you want to make sure it doesn't say stabilized. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Some pharmacies sell 6%, I have heard you want to make sure it doesn't say stabilized.Yeah, I'll probably try and get some higher percentage and dilute it. Link to comment
ml86743 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 What do you keep your LED intensity at with your tide? Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 What do you keep your LED intensity at with your tide? When I had my Tide up and running, I had it at 115 blue channel (channel 1) and 100 white channel (2) Currently I am using the older coral compulsion 14W 18K Par30 I used on my pico. The storm controller is fried from a tank overflow and I can't use the Tide until I replace the controller (I'm waiting on the Bluefish Mini) I'm itching to fix my tank up. My rockwork has come un-epoxied (JB Waterweld apparently needs a LOT of epoxy to really work) and I still just don't dig the scape. I think there may still be flow issues. I am going to try and move the acans and ricordea around a bit. I have to get the rockwork taken care of first, though. Link to comment
ml86743 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Finding the right scape is one of the hardest things ever...and thanks for the Tide info! Link to comment
teenyreef Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I've never been able to get rocks to stick together using epoxy, even using the superglue sandwich method, unless they are either dry, or at least sticking up out of the water when I glue them. The rocks in my little tank aren't glued at all. It's kind of nice because I can take them all out easily if I have to Looking forward to hearing how the oxydator works! Link to comment
kimberbee Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Any tricks on getting epoxy to hold rocks longer term? I'm gonna need my rocks glued or epoxy'd together. Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Any tricks on getting epoxy to hold rocks longer term? I'm gonna need my rocks glued or epoxy'd together. I find it best to keep it wet while mixing (I kept submerging it in a bowl of water as I was mixing it) and then use a LOT to attach two rocks. Be sure you get it in crevices, etc, otherwise it will not have much to grab a hold of. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 I've never been able to get rocks to stick together using epoxy, even using the superglue sandwich method, unless they are either dry, or at least sticking up out of the water when I glue them. The rocks in my little tank aren't glued at all. It's kind of nice because I can take them all out easily if I have to Looking forward to hearing how the oxydator works! I hope this oxydator works. For the epoxy, I only want them epoxied because they are oddly shaped and move around a bit. I'd prefer them fit together a bit more to allow me to place my corals without fear of rock collapse. Any tricks on getting epoxy to hold rocks longer term? I'm gonna need my rocks glued or epoxy'd together. What ben says. I haven't had good luck, so I'd trust him, not me. I find it best to keep it wet while mixing... Be sure you get it in crevices, etc, otherwise it will not have much to grab a hold of. That's what she said? Link to comment
jedimasterben Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 That's what she said? Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 I just went out on a limb. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 Tonight I fixed the small dam I made to increase the water level in chamber 2 to allows for the PicO Skim 2.0 to actually work. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually work. The dam prevents water from actually flowing over into the 3rd chamber, causing the ATO to try and fill the 3rd chamber too much which would absolutely result in flooding. Total bummer. It's literally a waste of space in this tank. I'm legitimately pissed off. It seems as though IM designed this tank to ONLY use ghost skimmers. F that noise. And then all hell has broken loose. I came back to the tank to TRY and figure out a way to make this skimmer work in the tank. Got into the room and guess what? The ATO had ALMOST overflowed the tank again. I double checked and this time there are no blockages. I unhooked the ATO system and am just letting it ride out. As it stands right now, the skimmer is working because the water line is so high, lol Fortunately the water is at a salinity of 1.0245-1.025ish. Also, my final nassarius snail decided to take a trip out of the tank and so it's dead. I'm feeling very over it right now. As it stands, I need to get a new ATO, I need to get a new controller to be able to run my nanobox tide, I need to figure out a skimmer (I have 2, neither work in this crappy tank), and I STILL have diatom issues. I should never have gone with an AIO. I should have waited until I had the room for the tank I really wanted. Ugh. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I was wrong - the PicO Skim 2.0 is not working in this tank at all... Even with the water level all the way up, I'm not getting any skimmate or anything. Bah. Here is my tank without the LEDs on. Just diatom central. Can't this hobby ever be easy? I mean, c'mon Universe. Give me a break. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 That's some bad luck dude. I promise you though once you get the oxydator you won't even be worried about having a skimmer. You should also try some ExtraxPhos for the diatom issue (I really believe it is the reason I never had diatoms), it is an excellent silicate/phosphate remover and a 600g bag should last you at least six months even if you replace it weekly (costs about $15 for a 600g bag). I was feeling like this a couple weeks ago when I couldn't get rid of cyano and it was starting to even take over my zoas but as soon as I got that oxydator everything looks so much healthier and cyano was gone in three days. Link to comment
Steensj2004 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 RowaPhos, that shiz can't be beat IMHO. I always run some at least passively in a bag if not in a reactor. Hope things start getting better for yah man. Link to comment
da1001 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Diatom central? I cant take a pic of my tank too if you want and we can compare. Seriously though, good catch on the ATO unit, I don't know why yours is acting funky. If I remember right you said yours was a Tunze? I've got the same one if so and it has been nothing but great for me. I hope you have luck getting everything to work again, if not I hope you win $500 on a scratcher or something to replace all the PITA parts that have gone tits up on you lately. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 That's some bad luck dude. I promise you though once you get the oxydator you won't even be worried about having a skimmer. You should also try some ExtraxPhos for the diatom issue (I really believe it is the reason I never had diatoms), it is an excellent silicate/phosphate remover and a 600g bag should last you at least six months even if you replace it weekly (costs about $15 for a 600g bag). I was feeling like this a couple weeks ago when I couldn't get rid of cyano and it was starting to even take over my zoas but as soon as I got that oxydator everything looks so much healthier and cyano was gone in three days. Thanks - it's been an unlucky couple of weeks. RowaPhos, that shiz can't be beat IMHO. I always run some at least passively in a bag if not in a reactor. Hope things start getting better for yah man. Thanks, me too. Diatom central? I cant take a pic of my tank too if you want and we can compare. Seriously though, good catch on the ATO unit, I don't know why yours is acting funky. If I remember right you said yours was a Tunze? I've got the same one if so and it has been nothing but great for me. I hope you have luck getting everything to work again, if not I hope you win $500 on a scratcher or something to replace all the PITA parts that have gone tits up on you lately. lol, it's diatom central to me anyways As for the ATO, I was using a JBJ ATO. I think it's just old and salt does a number on all kinds of stuff, especially on electronics. I have been very fortunate that I have been gifted a number of things for my tank from very generous and kind members, and I have been able to purchase other things at great discount. Just a few unlucky events recently. Just gotta keep on keeping on, I guess, right? Link to comment
evanski Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Ugh, rough day. I am still barely able to enjoy my tank. It really, REALLY sucks. We're going out of town AGAIN this weekend too, heading to see our new nephew in Atlanta. Great and all, but between work and everything else, I literally spend about 2 hours a week with my tank and that's primarily for water changes, cleaning the glass. I feed every other day and that's about all the "fun time" I get with it. Maybe I'm better off selling this thing and taking a break until I have time? I don't know. I'm always unhappy with my rockscape (I despise it, actually), I still have diatoms galore, my zoas are forever unhappy, the ricordea are scrunched because the flow is too high but I can't find a good spot for them, the acans are pissed, my skimmer doesn't work... Ugh, what a crap tank day. This is me... Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 This is me... I feel you man. It just keeps getting "better" and "better"... Link to comment
teenyreef Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Keep your head up Tibbsy, things have got to start getting better soon! Hopefully when you get your Nanobox going you can improve the lighting balance, your rocks might stop leaching phosphates in time, and maybe the oxydator will work. Then all you have to do is get a reliable ATO On the skimmer, did you try just hanging it on the divider between chamber 2 and 3? Seems like that wall would be about the right height. Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 Keep your head up Tibbsy, things have got to start getting better soon! Hopefully when you get your Nanobox going you can improve the lighting balance, your rocks might stop leaching phosphates in time, and maybe the oxydator will work. Then all you have to do is get a reliable ATO On the skimmer, did you try just hanging it on the divider between chamber 2 and 3? Seems like that wall would be about the right height. The baffle is the right height but it's hard to set up that way. I'm concerned about blocked water flow and the sheer amount of stuff IN the 3rd chamber makes it hard. I could try and put the heater in teh 2nd chamber and shift the ATO switch over (technically the ATO switch isn't even on the tank right now anyways). I'll give it a try today, though. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Doc, step back from the tank, focus on a few things that make it worth having. If you can't find even a few then it isn't worth the frustration. And you know me, I would never say that if I didn't truly care that it's affecting your enjoyment of it. The diatoms are a new tank problem and/or a source water problem. What has kept your tank new was the early on 100% water change plus the constant sand vacuuming and the deep cleaning you were doing on a little tank, and that was the pico, not this nano that you upgraded to. Diatoms can be removed with source water correction or adding something to help such as the xtraphos product. To my knowledge rowaphos is just a phosphate remover, not silica. Hope the oxydator helps, give it some time. The ATO malfunction is probably the float switch gone bad - switch to the other float switch in the package or get a new float switch. I would trouble shoot with JBJ to find out if it could be the controller or the float switch in their opinion. The rockwork is never correct. Ever. But you are seeing it all the time which explains your focus. If it was covered with corals you won't see it. That's the truth. Nanobox: maybe there is a connector pin plug that is available to connect the light to the power, bypassing the controller. You'll have to do manual on/off and there won't be ramp on/dimming etc but hey you'll have the light back. HTH Edit: Benny says without some active PWM output it won't work. I'm not sure what that means in english but I guess it means you can't connect directly to the power on the NB. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.