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Cultivated Reef

Slims 20 long


Slim64684

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10 minutes ago, Slim64684 said:

Still don't see a drop in nitrite but nitrate is up to 20ppm so I know my cycle is still progressing. Also with all the extra surface agitation caused by the powerhead and the slight bump in temp (seeing a solid 76.8-77°F now) I'm losing close to a gallon of water every 3 days. Might be time to invest in an ato.  If I do it will more than likely be a diy project as i enjoy those kinds of things. 

 

I can't wait to get my ATO on my tank going to install it on the display for now until I get my sump up and running.

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This is my design for an ato/ water change level set.20181207_182524.thumb.jpg.9ff837cb8aebec223e483832d81b6b92.jpgUsing 2 relays and 2 float switches i can keep my top off pump from running dry as both floats are connected in series so both have to be closed to run the top off but i can also plug my water change pump into the second relay and use only the display float to set my level. With the parts i have laying around and about $40 in new parts (minus an ato resivour) i can get this done.

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I think this thread could use some life so here we go.....20181209_143015.thumb.jpg.d7e2cfadd25b27c6e4aeea176c83aeb1.jpgIm currently battling a some hair algae but its getting better.

 

 

And just because I'm always intrigued by "in stand" pics I'll throw this in too.20181209_143139.thumb.jpg.8b85422d86f7b9427279833e6d56439a.jpgSorry about the glare on the right side, but we can't always control the sun.

 

 

 

And to get back on topic i turned the light on on the 20 just to check timers. I'll turn it back off tomorrow, I really don't like to battle algae.

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Pretty sure it was excess light. There was a 18 foot covered deck out the doors right by the tank and i enlarged the deck and removed the roof allowing more light in. Boom algae explosion, the side of the tank is now black to block the light and im slowly winning the battle. Adding extra plants didn't hurt either.

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Got all the electrical components in for the ato/tank refill. Changed relay for the ato pump out for an adjustable timer relay. I can set it to only turn the ato pump on for as long as it takes to top the tank off and not risk pumping 3+ gallons of water into the tank. Also thinking of using two top off floats in parallel to minimize the risk of a float failing. Thoughts?

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Good and bad news to report tonight. First the bad. I threw the parts all together for my ato/refill shut off together tonight only to find the refill pump relay is bad so ill have to get another one. The ato timed relay works just fine I just need to dial it in once I get it hooked up on the tank. 

 

The good news is I have completed my cycle. 2ppm nh3 converted to 10-20 ppm no3. I redosed 2ppm nh3 tonight and ill recheck tomorrow to see if it all was converted to no3. Then a big water change and its on to stocking. 

 

Yeah I'm starting to get a little excited.

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My cycle hasnt progressed to the point where I can process 2ppm ammonia in 24 hours so I'm on hold on corals. 

 

I did however get a replacement relay and got everything wired for "proof of concept".20181212_172254.thumb.jpg.92a2ae0e850b73ccd203f0246e3145a4.jpgI know it's a rat nest but it didn't need to be pretty just to test. 

 

I also go my top off float ready to go in the tank.20181212_172453.thumb.jpg.608173afbf9a62258063345267d3b74a.jpgStill need to adjust to get the water level where I want it and I need to get an ato container and some tubing along with some other misc. Plumbing parts. 

 

And just to be ready for a big water change if my cycle gets to where I want it by this weekend i picked up the last 10 gallons of water i needed today.

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Finally second dose of 2ppm ammonia fully processed. 

0 ammonia 

0 nitrite

20ppm nitrate 

 

Getting 9 gallons for water ready for a 47% water change tomorrow, then ill prep another 9 gallons for a second big water change before hopefully adding life this weekend.

 

Also going tomorrow to check out a promising new lfs to see how it looks.

 

Still working on the ato/refill system.

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Stopped by the new lfs today, and I have to say I was impressed. It's not the biggest store, but the tanks were all clean and had a great selection of corals. Anything from Duncan's and regular mushrooms to bounce shrooms and acropora also. Both bubble tips and rock flowers. They also quarantine all fish for a month or more. Will definitely be stopping back this weekend to pick up some goodies. 

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In preparation for new life this weekend, I removed 7.5 gallons of water and added 9 gallons back in to reduce nitrates. I also raised the water level in the tank which is why more went in than came out. Also started to prep another 9 gallons of new water for another water change thursday.

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20181221_172400.thumb.jpg.60c40b6e18f15384001411cfa93d8e28.jpgManaged to swing by the store today to get the rest of the parts for my ato/fill pump finally. 

 

Started to make sure everything fit 20181221_172823.thumb.jpg.35b5ca3539e9a783dcdf1dbff088dccf.jpg

 

The cover will also have some outlets.20181221_172815.thumb.jpg.102600600b50d89b702d524d443a84b8.jpg

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Took my 12 volt power supply apart both so the brick fit better and I only had one cord entering the box.20181221_235113.thumb.jpg.e7340db7c1a105e4c35fc64597fd6ea7.jpg20181221_235129.thumb.jpg.ca368ee520dd91b1363ccac688df6dc9.jpg20181221_235138.thumb.jpg.6b72ad798cb0d1b6afd1885204818cac.jpgremoved the old wires but i can't find my solder so ill have to pick some up tomorrow to keep going. 

 

 

Going to the lfs to get some corals and clean up crew tomorrow also.

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Stopped by the lfs to find out about a couple of sales going on. Buy one get one half off zoas and 20% off green corals (except acros).

 

Picked up a nice big hammer a candy cane and a couple zoas frags. 

20181222_151105.thumb.jpg.1b5fd71392277d20604403be8a35086c.jpg20181222_153218.thumb.jpg.21e26c0bf29f3e782def0f22d39c8b19.jpgfts literally right after placing in tank.

20181222_153227_001.thumb.jpg.158ec04d97f685ffbe6267330a684b9d.jpgshriveled up hammer

20181222_153238.thumb.jpg.2928219bb1ccfe47f50e036ae7df58d0.jpgcandy cane

20181222_153249.thumb.jpg.d2d5f8389a3682a33ff77f7a5989bc61.jpgwild yellow/green zoa 

20181222_153259.thumb.jpg.8f7f1783b1512decd8851dc904c8d763.jpgbig kedds red zoa

 

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DSFIRSTSLTWATER
1 hour ago, Slim64684 said:

Stopped by the lfs to find out about a couple of sales going on. Buy one get one half off zoas and 20% off green corals (except acros).

 

Picked up a nice big hammer a candy cane and a couple zoas frags. 

20181222_151105.thumb.jpg.1b5fd71392277d20604403be8a35086c.jpg20181222_153218.thumb.jpg.21e26c0bf29f3e782def0f22d39c8b19.jpgfts literally right after placing in tank.

20181222_153227_001.thumb.jpg.158ec04d97f685ffbe6267330a684b9d.jpgshriveled up hammer

20181222_153238.thumb.jpg.2928219bb1ccfe47f50e036ae7df58d0.jpgcandy cane

20181222_153249.thumb.jpg.d2d5f8389a3682a33ff77f7a5989bc61.jpgwild yellow/green zoa 

20181222_153259.thumb.jpg.8f7f1783b1512decd8851dc904c8d763.jpgbig kedds red zoa

 

Hey good start🙂. Can't wait to see the corals open up.

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Left for dinner and a movie about an hour after putting the frags in the tank and come home to find the wild zoa and candy cane on the sand. I went ahead and put them back on the rocks. Hopefully no more rearranging goes on.

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Everyone is starting to open up. Hammer is still a little sucked in i feel but its getting there.20181225_173653.thumb.jpg.df51f169eb0ce7ed7492c3bc5e1b729d.jpgredds red zoa and wild green20181225_173641.thumb.jpg.92b3d2aa7a108241990ed294ff27f177.jpgcandy cane with one head in the process of splitting20181225_173627.thumb.jpg.068c4fd80308ff8fa0ff8d2ec6e40d31.jpghammer with all kinds of new heads forming. 

Not sure if lighting or flow issue as to why it hasn't opened up more.

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Finally got some time to work on the ato. finished taking the laptop power brick apart and removed the exiting line, neutral, 12v+ and 12v- leads from the board and soldered new leads on to help keep everything clean. also removed the plug from the power brick and reattached it to the box. got everything wired and leads for both float switches and 12v ato pump through the box. still need to silicon everything but i can now move on to getting it under the tank and everything hooked up. 1775368734_20181228_0415021.thumb.jpg.8961e2e0e8d77a761ac3a53d2d6d41d8.jpg1227062890_20181228_0415081.thumb.jpg.4803dc112a630f05a0750dc676068664.jpg1009809891_20181228_0415151.thumb.jpg.efd84dbd615fcbe4f6b9b912a2506040.jpg1633417088_20181228_0415211.thumb.jpg.2c409a9cc8f54a4f107fcfccee707ee7.jpg621847599_20181228_0441271.thumb.jpg.69bb9f46b069debdb9c133b347c149e3.jpg30457199_20181228_0505471.thumb.jpg.a5f30bb6e44ec562f8a124e30e4f6966.jpg

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one relay controls the outlet for my mixing/refill pump. this will allow me to set the water level the same after every water change. the other relay is a timer relay that will control the 12v pump in the ato. i can set it to only run a max amount of time to keep from overfilling the dt and flooding the floor. i also have a float in the ato container to keep the ato pump from running dry. 1841322973_20181228_0505541.thumb.jpg.05ca97ef83a3d6267c8dbf67a1f380a2.jpg1273174311_20181228_0555521.thumb.jpg.c0a147acecf2fe3348c23292aa1eda22.jpg

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Got some time today to work on the tank and got the ato installed. The box is still open for now because I want to make sure I have the timer set correctly on the relay and I need to be able to see the leds on the relay for that.20181231_144355.thumb.jpg.8708e437a77f5e9c9d46b6bd8f0b9a30.jpgmade a new holder out of some abs I had laying for my float switch and a 90° hose barb for the water to enter from. The hose barb was cut shorter to make sure it was above the water line to prevent siphoning out tank water.20181231_144404.thumb.jpg.1e9bdc959ac81204ed6a8b9973ac2f00.jpgthe rats nest of wires, and my "control" box mounted in the stand.20181231_144411.thumb.jpg.579139c119b75aa3c6aa08318202b6f2.jpgato container. Notice the float switch at the bottom to make sure the pump doesn't run dry. This will only turn the ato pump off, it won't affect the refill pump once I get it set up. 

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So i may be weird but i really enjoy watching my corals eat so I thought I'd share.20190103_203744_001.thumb.jpg.6d59823cfadc7bf66c4499f03d036f6b.jpgthat mouth.20190103_203755.thumb.jpg.663174efa41486a9ad6418500b016f0e.jpgplump polyps 20190103_203804.thumb.jpg.059c27aacf4d4d2743dcb68008e0e07f.jpgsome zoa love.

 

 

 

On a side note ago has been running for a few days now with no issues. I just need to fine tune the time and ill be all good to close it up. 

 

Also got the rest of my parts installed on my refill pump so I can use the float during a water change. If anyone really want pics of pvc curing i can post more pics. Otherwise stay tuned to see if it works.

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Got a couple things in the past 24 hours.20190104_163539.thumb.jpg.ffb132a7e331c137f2c649b739edc27e.jpgadded a second power head.20190105_142711.thumb.jpg.cb359ed974cd1b14785e56816f807359.jpgnew a can frag right after i put it in the tank.20190104_174246.thumb.jpg.eed94e6a2ea50b9a4179442ac5ecf656.jpgfts after adding the second power head but before the acan.

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