RollaJase's Trip Off the Deep End - Custom Rimless 55G

[RollaJase]

glad you got power back! i would be freaking out...i really should install my battery backup...hahah

your sump looks so organized! and that red monti is bright as hell

Thanks mate, I'm glad its back also. After freaking out when it happened not 2 months ago I made sure I now have proper measures in place for this kind of thing. Buying the generator for worst case scenarios was the best thing I could have done and while it is perfect for the tank I can also use it to charge my phone and power other stuff if need be. We were running the TV off of the generator last night lol. I still use the 650VA UPS to filter all power going to the tank and to provide immediate battery backup for my pumps (return & circulation) as well as my dosing unit. The UPS gives me about 75-85mins of up time before the Coral Box battery backup takes over powering the two RW-4 pumps. I'm not sure how long this battery lasts, something I should really try.

 

I'm loving the monti, I think it is settling in well. Colour is still amazing and the edge where it was broken from the mother colony looks to be healing well. I hope it starts to encrust soon!

[Felicia]

Glad to hear your power is back and that the tank survived just fine. You're so well prepared with the battery backups and generator!

[Orangutran]

Wow just discovered this tank! Super clean and love the two distinct island of sps and softies! Btw, if you think your 1 quart of marine pure balls is overkill in a 55g, how about my 2/3 block (I chopped it) in a 29g? lol Anyway, hopefully the aluminum thing doesn't cause too much trouble.

[RollaJase]

Another update on the weather front. A second storm front hit yesterday afternoon, this was supposed to be the worst storm our state has ever seen. The state Police Commissioner actually put out a PSA urging people to leave work early (this was at around 4pm) so everyone could get home safely before the storm hit. And hit it did, the storm was pretty crazy with lots of flooding around where I live but luckily the power held up and we didn't really have any huge issues besides navigating all the crap blown over the road. Come mid day today the storm should have passed, they are forecasting sunny, warm weather for tomorrow lol.

 

 

Glad to hear your power is back and that the tank survived just fine. You're so well prepared with the battery backups and generator!

Thanks Felicia, I'm glad it is back and has stayed on also. Tank looks fine bit a couple of the new SPS pieces look a little off, mainly worried about the freebie milli. Still not getting great PE from it and there looks to be a patch of death that is spreading. From how it was placed in the tank at the LFS I'm not surprised that there may be some die off, the piece was rubbing against some egg crate and I'm pretty sure it was exactly where I am seeing this die off. After being burned last time the power went out badly I will always be prepared haha, better to be safe than sorry.

 

Wow just discovered this tank! Super clean and love the two distinct island of sps and softies! Btw, if you think your 1 quart of marine pure balls is overkill in a 55g, how about my 2/3 block (I chopped it) in a 29g? lol Anyway, hopefully the aluminum thing doesn't cause too much trouble.

Thanks for stopping by , I'm glad you like what you see. I thought 1 quart would be too much but in the space I have the marine pure balls I could probably fit another 1/2 to 1 whole quart extra, I may just do that haha. So far I haven't seen any negative effects to the marine pure balls, in fact, my leather coral is as happy and as healthy as ever. I did make sure to rinse the media balls thoroughly in water first to remove as much of the ceramic particles as I could.

[ninjamyst]

I got way too much marinepure spheres for my reefer. Hahah. I need to make a container for it.

[RollaJase]

I got way too much marinepure spheres for my reefer. Hahah. I need to make a container for it.

Acrylic is your best friend . Cheap, easy to cut and easy to bond together. Not to mention it is pretty inert, unlike a lot of cheap plastic containers etc. I think the full quart I am using is good for 100G, I estimate that I am probably at about 65G of actual system volume once you take into account sand, rock and sump equipment.

[RollaJase]

Did my first water tests since adding all those new pieces last weekend. Cal had dropped from 425ppm to 350ppm and Alk was a little lower than I would have liked. I adjusted my daily dosing by a few millilitres to curb the extra usage. Planned water change is tomorrow anyway which will help pull things back into alignment.

 

Still having issues with the dosing pump though, the cable connection between the controller and expansion keeps disconnecting. I'm pretty sure its just strain on the connector because the cable is really thick and not at all flexible. I've tried to find some shorter, thinner cables online but am having trouble finding anything under 2m in length. Cable looks to be a standard PS2 PC cable which is really ancient tech so I'm not surprised finding more cable options is difficult.

[teenyreef]

I just got caught up - I'm so glad you made it through the power outage ok!

[Felicia]

I'm impressed that you're so prepared for power outages. I'm sure you're really happy that you spent the money to be well prepared. I'm going to have issues if we have an extended power outage because I'm very not prepared. I just have 3 battery powered aerators on hand. Luckily we rarely have power outages where I live and the longest the power has ever been out has been for a couple hours. I think we've had a grand total of like 3 outages in the 6 years I've lived here. However, I grew up in Florida and I got so used to the crazy storms, hurricanes, and multi-day power outages. I would definitely have to be more prepared if I'd had a reef tank while I was in Florida.

[RollaJase]

I just got caught up - I'm so glad you made it through the power outage ok!

Thank you, so am I. Hopefully that was the last power scare for a while.

 

I'm impressed that you're so prepared for power outages. I'm sure you're really happy that you spent the money to be well prepared. I'm going to have issues if we have an extended power outage because I'm very not prepared. I just have 3 battery powered aerators on hand. Luckily we rarely have power outages where I live and the longest the power has ever been out has been for a couple hours. I think we've had a grand total of like 3 outages in the 6 years I've lived here. However, I grew up in Florida and I got so used to the crazy storms, hurricanes, and multi-day power outages. I would definitely have to be more prepared if I'd had a reef tank while I was in Florida.

Definitely happy that I bit the bullet and went ahead with sorting out my preparation. Unfortunately we have a large amount of outages at my parents place. They range from 5-10 mins to hours but most of them are straight off/on types of affairs. You are very lucky in that case .

 

 

Update on my bits and pieces coming in from Dave. Looks like they are in Australia already! This is super fast seeing as the order was only dispatched on the 29th September. My first order got stuck in customs for 10 days but this one got straight through! I should have the order delivered by the end of the week at this rate.

[RollaJase]

Still having issues with my dosing pump!

I've narrowed down the issue to the link connector on the main doser. Seems to only work correctly if it is in a very specific position. I think I may just open it up and replace the crappy 4-pin PS2 connection with a 4-pin Molex style connection. Not only will this be stronger than the PS2 connection, I will run it out the back of the doser on a short lead so I don't have to worry about a huge plug sticking out the back of it. The expansion dosing unit I may as well do the same thing with, replace the 4-pin PS2 with 4-pin molex. I've got these parts on hand as I used to make up lots of custom 4-pin extensions for internal computer applications. Making the custom lead is the easy part, soldering in a new connector may be tricky depending on how things look internally.

 

*EDIT*

Found a pinout diagram at the below link from a UK site.

https://reefbase.co.uk/specialist/cheap-mc-03-m-peristaltic-dosing-pump/30/

Looks like this may or may not be the same as mine but as long as I wire everything back up to the correct pin positioning then I should be fine. Not a whole lot to these slave units really lol.

[RollaJase]

Fixed the doser by gutting it and replacing the stock link cable and connectors with one that I made, works a charm now. Also, my LED's will be delivered today so with any luck I can have the light back up and running tonight! Got a few new pieces for the tank as well as fragging out my zoas, got 20 something frags now to help feed this addiction. Time for a well overdue update as well I think...

[dropped]

Haha feeding the addiction is a must!

[teenyreef]

Fixed the doser by gutting it and replacing the stock link cable and connectors with one that I made, works a charm now. Also, my LED's will be delivered today so with any luck I can have the light back up and running tonight! Got a few new pieces for the tank as well as fragging out my zoas, got 20 something frags now to help feed this addiction. Time for a well overdue update as well I think...

That's great news! It's really hard to keep a reef tank with an unreliable doser, it's worse than not even having a doser.

 

Looking forward to the pictures

[RollaJase]

Haha feeding the addiction is a must!

It so is!

 

That's great news! It's really hard to keep a reef tank with an unreliable doser, it's worse than not even having a doser.

 

Looking forward to the pictures

I'm lucky because it was only my vinegar dosing on the expansion pumps that weren't working correctly. But still, it made my cyano come back harder and some of the SPS lost colour due to the added nutrients, it was not a fun time haha. Pictures will happen I promise!

 

 

I replaced the faulty LED arrays last night and the light is now good to go for testing! The solder paste I got to fix the broken solder tab did nothing but I was able to get the wire to stick well by exposing some more of the copper contact, I hope this is enough for a long term join. I also fixed the one LED that I partially burnt the gel cap off with a bit of silicon. I didn't have time to test the light last night but plan on hopefully doing so tonight after work.

[RollaJase]

I really think it's time I got a Phosphate test kit, It is the one test missing from my arsenal and with my Cyano issues I really think I should know what's going on seeing as I get Nitrite and Nitrate ratings of 0 or close to 0 (probably faulty test kits, my Red Sea Pro kit has proven to be pretty rubbish). Considering a Hanna but would love to hear experiences from others.

[m@tt]

I really think it's time I got a Phosphate test kit, It is the one test missing from my arsenal and with my Cyano issues I really think I should know what's going on seeing as I get Nitrite and Nitrate ratings of 0 or close to 0 (probably faulty test kits, my Red Sea Pro kit has proven to be pretty rubbish). Considering a Hanna but would love to hear experiences from others.

 

I really don't like the hanna phosphate checker, it's a pain to use and not very consistent.

 

The reagent sticks to the inside of the packet and you'll most likely spill or not get everything from the packet. Also, the directions say to pour the reagent in the vial and shake for 2 minutes but the checker turns off automatically after 3 minutes so you'll probably have to use two vials(hopefully the two samples are the same but you never know...).

 

The accuracy is questionable because you can retest(assuming you use two vials) and get a different value every time. It's nice to get a number rather than guessing colors but I don't really trust it.

[teenyreef]

I really think it's time I got a Phosphate test kit, It is the one test missing from my arsenal and with my Cyano issues I really think I should know what's going on seeing as I get Nitrite and Nitrate ratings of 0 or close to 0 (probably faulty test kits, my Red Sea Pro kit has proven to be pretty rubbish). Considering a Hanna but would love to hear experiences from others.

I've tried a bunch - Salifert, API, Hanna. And probably a few other that I can't remember.

 

I really like the Hanna, just don't get confused because they have high and low range checkers, and for both phosphorus and phosphate. The low range ones are good for saltwater.

 

I still use my Salifert kit but I honestly don't trust it. Or at least, I don't trust my ability to discern tiny differences in shades of blue when I read the results. But it does have the advantage of being super quick and easy to do.

 

The Nyos is another shades of blue one, so I never bothered to try it.

 

The Red Sea Reefer Pro looks pretty good but I had settled on Hanna before I ever tried it. It has a color wheel comparator, and it has more colors than just shades of blue. But there were some reports of inaccuracies a few years back.

 

I like the Hanna checker because it gives me a number and I don't have to guess at colors. But it's hard to use, although with practice I've gotten to where it doesn't bother me any more. The reagent powder is a pain to open and pour into the sample bottle, you have to shake it for two minutes, and if you take too long fumbling with the reagent, the automatic timer turns the thing off and you get to start all over again. Then, if you've made it that far, you have to remember to press AND HOLD the button to start the three minute timer. If you don't hold it, it measures the sample instantly, and you get start all over. Again.

 

So, the bottom line for me is - now that I've done it enough that I don't have to thing about it, the Hanna checker works great for me. And I have much more confidence in the results than with any other test kit. But I was ready to throw it away a couple times before I learned how to use it.

 

Sorry for the long reply - hope this helps!

 

I really don't like the hanna phosphate checker, it's a pain to use and not very consistent.

 

The reagent sticks to the inside of the packet and you'll most likely spill or not get everything from the packet. Also, the directions say to pour the reagent in the vial and shake for 2 minutes but the checker turns off automatically after 3 minutes so you'll probably have to use two vials(hopefully the two samples are the same but you never know...).

 

The accuracy is questionable because you can retest(assuming you use two vials) and get a different value every time. It's nice to get a number rather than guessing colors but I don't really trust it.

I agree with all you said, but for me, I've never seen inconsistent results. I get very close readings from one sample to the next, and from one day to the next. It's not always the exact same number, but it's pretty close.

 

It's weird how different results can be from one user to another. I had the same problem with inconsistent results with Hanna's calcium checker, and never could get it to work well enough to trust it. But some other people say it works great for them. Who knows...

[RollaJase]

 

I really don't like the hanna phosphate checker, it's a pain to use and not very consistent.

 

The reagent sticks to the inside of the packet and you'll most likely spill or not get everything from the packet. Also, the directions say to pour the reagent in the vial and shake for 2 minutes but the checker turns off automatically after 3 minutes so you'll probably have to use two vials(hopefully the two samples are the same but you never know...).

 

The accuracy is questionable because you can retest(assuming you use two vials) and get a different value every time. It's nice to get a number rather than guessing colors but I don't really trust it.

 

I've tried a bunch - Salifert, API, Hanna. And probably a few other that I can't remember.

 

I really like the Hanna, just don't get confused because they have high and low range checkers, and for both phosphorus and phosphate. The low range ones are good for saltwater.

 

I still use my Salifert kit but I honestly don't trust it. Or at least, I don't trust my ability to discern tiny differences in shades of blue when I read the results. But it does have the advantage of being super quick and easy to do.

 

The Nyos is another shades of blue one, so I never bothered to try it.

 

The Red Sea Reefer Pro looks pretty good but I had settled on Hanna before I ever tried it. It has a color wheel comparator, and it has more colors than just shades of blue. But there were some reports of inaccuracies a few years back.

 

I like the Hanna checker because it gives me a number and I don't have to guess at colors. But it's hard to use, although with practice I've gotten to where it doesn't bother me any more. The reagent powder is a pain to open and pour into the sample bottle, you have to shake it for two minutes, and if you take too long fumbling with the reagent, the automatic timer turns the thing off and you get to start all over again. Then, if you've made it that far, you have to remember to press AND HOLD the button to start the three minute timer. If you don't hold it, it measures the sample instantly, and you get start all over. Again.

 

So, the bottom line for me is - now that I've done it enough that I don't have to thing about it, the Hanna checker works great for me. And I have much more confidence in the results than with any other test kit. But I was ready to throw it away a couple times before I learned how to use it.

 

Sorry for the long reply - hope this helps!

I agree with all you said, but for me, I've never seen inconsistent results. I get very close readings from one sample to the next, and from one day to the next. It's not always the exact same number, but it's pretty close.

 

It's weird how different results can be from one user to another. I had the same problem with inconsistent results with Hanna's calcium checker, and never could get it to work well enough to trust it. But some other people say it works great for them. Who knows...

 

Thank you both for your input and the detailed responses, I really appreciate it . I have heard mixed things about Hanna checkers in general. They can be a pain to use and that probably contributes towards the reports of inconsistent results. When looking at a Phosphate test though, the ULR Phosphorus appears to be the most accurate one on the market. I found a very good right up on different Phosphate test kits on the market on another reefing forum. The guy testing went through and used Hanna 713 & 736, Seachem, Salifert, Nyos and Elos kits ranking the Hanna 736 and Elos Pro 1st and 2nd with the Seachem kit being recommended as the cheap and quick test with reasonable accuracy. The testers biggest concerns with the other tests were mainly their difficulty in being read either above or below a certain range. Phosphate Test kits are definitely one of the more expensive kits to buy so if I'm going to be shelling out $40-$100 for a test (Comparing a Nyos to a Hanna 736 for example) I want to make sure I get something I find easy to use and consistent. For how often I'll test it, maybe once a week or fortnight I don't know if I can justify the Hanna seeing as the base checker only comes with 6 tests and it is about $20 for 20 tests over here. I may have a chat to my LFS's, one uses all Nyos and the other uses Hanna and other brands as backups. I may get a little more info and maybe see a few of them in action before I make up my mind. If I did get a Hanna 736 in my Christmas stocking I would be a happy reefer though lol.

 

 

Fired up the light tonight and every channel works besides the UV! GRRRRRR!!! I don't know what happened, I was able to individually test the UV on each array previously to determine if there were issues and it worked fine. I swapped out drivers tonight and tried to test each array individually and I got nothing. Either I somehow managed to miraculously fry all the UV or there is no power being pushed through that channel. Looks like I have another night of testing ahead sometime this week.

[ninjamyst]

I have the Hanna checker. Not sure if its the low range one. Used it about 3 times and threw it into the drawer. Maybe I should take it out again. I thought our marinepure spheres should help with both nitrate and phosphate?? Or is it nitrate only? I also have 0 nitrate and cyano. I have an old nyos phosphate kit and it is reading 0 but not sure if I trust it being 3 years old.

[markalot]

Just save money and buy a light.

 

The Hanna ULR checker is ok, just get some Q-Tips (cotton swabs) to regularly clean the test bottles. I only use mine once a month now and really it's not needed. Using drops of PhosphateRx if some of my more sensitive LPS start to suffer I reduce dosing and when I test a week later sure enough I'm at .03 or a little lower, meaning I dropped PO4 too low.

 

I was able to rid my 40 of most of the cyano but the resulting ULR test came back 0 and most of my colors were dull.

[RollaJase]

I have the Hanna checker. Not sure if its the low range one. Used it about 3 times and threw it into the drawer. Maybe I should take it out again. I thought our marinepure spheres should help with both nitrate and phosphate?? Or is it nitrate only? I also have 0 nitrate and cyano. I have an old nyos phosphate kit and it is reading 0 but not sure if I trust it being 3 years old.

I'm starting to think me purchasing a Hanna Checker will have the same sort of outcome. The Marine Pure products essentially just add more nitrifying bacteria to the tank so I'm not too sure if it is actually marketed as a phosphate remover. I'm running GFO and dosing vinegar also with GFO obviously being geared towards phosphate and the vinegar towards bacterial growth.. I have switched to weekly water changes to assist with the cyano and it does help to a degree. All my dosing solutions as well as my top off water is RODI now so I'm fairly sure I'm just still burning through the phosphates that are in the rock/water as well as what is added with feeding.

 

Just save money and buy a light.

 

The Hanna ULR checker is ok, just get some Q-Tips (cotton swabs) to regularly clean the test bottles. I only use mine once a month now and really it's not needed. Using drops of PhosphateRx if some of my more sensitive LPS start to suffer I reduce dosing and when I test a week later sure enough I'm at .03 or a little lower, meaning I dropped PO4 too low.

 

I was able to rid my 40 of most of the cyano but the resulting ULR test came back 0 and most of my colors were dull.

You have no idea how close I am to throwing in the towel and buying two Hydra 26 HD's haha. If Dave had the NB Wide Quad out 12 months ago I would probably have gone down that route. I'm sure the issue with the light is something simple that I overlooked, I'll be taking another look at it tonight to see if I can narrow down what's going on. Dave hooked me up with some extra LDD drivers so I have some spares to do testing with.

 

I think I will probably end up getting a more traditional Phosphate test. I don't think I'll be using it all too often either and as you said, you can see in the corals when things are too high or too low. I'm not going to start chasing another number, too much stress in it. The only number I'm really particular about is Alk, need to keep that stable. Excuse my ignorance but Phosphate RX works differently to vodka/vinegar/carbon dosing doesn't it? It is still a liquid additive but targets different nutrients? Have you tried the Salifert Phosphate Eliminator before? It appears to do the same thing but is half the cost for almost 17 times more liquid.

 

I'm just sick of seeing Cyano on the sand, it is the only place I get it. I have increased water flow in those areas with no luck at all and after siphoning what I can it is back a few hours after the water change.

[teenyreef]

PhosphateRx works by precipitating out the phosphate, and the precipitate is then removed by the skimmer, or by a very fine filter. Pretty much all the liquid phosphate removers are lanthanum based and work the same way.

[Mikeymikemike]

One thing to note is that an increase in nitrates can trigger a slight reduction in phosphates. I noticed this when i started to dose nitrates into my tank. Just don't let it get too far. Bacteria works wonders in our systems but if you must use anything to reduce inorganic phosphate, use GFO (silphos or rowaphos). I am currently running rowaphos but may switch to silphos for a better price advantage.

 

Another option is to dose a bit of iron citrate into your sump before you do a water change and that will bind any phosphate in the water and settle on the bottom of the sump. Suck it out or let the skimmer remove it.

[RollaJase]

PhosphateRx works by precipitating out the phosphate, and the precipitate is then removed by the skimmer, or by a very fine filter. Pretty much all the liquid phosphate removers are lanthanum based and work the same way.

Thanks for the run down teeny. I'll do some more research into Lanthanum and see what I can dig up. Salifert make a similar product to Phosphate rx, I wonder if it is Lanthanum based as well. It is definitely cheaper and you get a whole lot more for your money.

 

One thing to note is that an increase in nitrates can trigger a slight reduction in phosphates. I noticed this when i started to dose nitrates into my tank. Just don't let it get too far. Bacteria works wonders in our systems but if you must use anything to reduce inorganic phosphate, use GFO (silphos or rowaphos). I am currently running rowaphos but may switch to silphos for a better price advantage.

 

Another option is to dose a bit of iron citrate into your sump before you do a water change and that will bind any phosphate in the water and settle on the bottom of the sump. Suck it out or let the skimmer remove it.

I will keep that in mind, thanks for the tip. I've been slowly increasing my feeding schedule so I may continue this pursuit in an attempt to get some more nutrients in the water. I've been a GFO user for about 3 years now and have tried many brands. Rowa, ChemiPure, Phosban, Seachem Phosguard, Aquamaxx and a weird bio pellet hybrid from a brand I can't remember. I liked Rowa but I didn't like the price, I'm currently using AquaMaxx Phosphate Out Pro which is the high capacity version of Phosphate Out. I've had no issues with it thus far and find it lasts longer which means less maintenance.

 

Thanks for the tip on iron citrate also, I haven't come across that before but I will take a look.