My Slice of Nature (Part 3)

[redsuns]

On 1/5/2017 at 9:51 PM, SubzeroLT said:

Yes, no need for the needle/pinch valve. However, a good peristaltic pump is expensive & noisy. Hence the economical approach of using a feed pump method may just be more practical for many.

 

Personally, the 2 best flow control valves used are the (1) SMC needle valves, and (2) Flow-Rite Controls Pinch valve

 

Agreed.

Am using the SMC needle valve but it still clog after awhile if the rate is too slow.

Where did you get the flow-rite control pinch valve? Overseas?

[SubzeroLT]

6 minutes ago, redsuns said:

Agreed

Where did you get the flow-rite control pinch valve? Overseas?

Purchased from USPlastic.com. 

I'm using the flow-rite one for CR effluent.

[redsuns]

Purchased from USPlastic.com. 
I'm using the flow-rite one for CR effluent.

Ah, nice. Seen it on us plastic before but thought they don't send overseas so I didn't try. How is it performing?

[SubzeroLT]

The pinch valve works very well. Somewhat slightly less chance of clogging compared to the SMC needle valve at lower drip rates.

Having said that, the pinch valve won't eliminate the clogging issue entirely, but only minimize it as it has a 'smoother' surface inside the tube, less chance of calcium deposits being caught on sharp edges.

 

2 key issues with the calcium reactor are 

(1) Not aware that CO2 runs out. Tank kH continues to drop  until corals start to show signs of damage

(2) Effluent clogs & nothing comes out. PH remains very low in the CR & the media just melts like crazy to become mush. Disaster.

 

With the Apex Neptune, its possible to set up triggers to warn the above situations.

A typical Calcium reactor pH chart

 

Virtual outlet program to check if CO2 tank is empty
- Between 10am to 6pm, the CO2 should be running & pH levels should be quite low

- If it detects that pH still remains high >8, then it means that CO2 tank is empty.

 

Virtual outlet program to check if effluent is clogged

- CO2 stops around 11pm. By about 2am, the pH in the CR should have climbed up. But if pH remains low (<7.8), it means the effluent is clogged & little or no 'new' tank water is going into the CR

 

Alarm trigger -> The following outlets sends a message to my mobile, office email & yahoo email 

 

 

[SubzeroLT]

Current light setting

[Ashtrax]

Woah.. that good stuff. Bro.

[daveyy]

Hey man. Nice tank.

How is ur water change regime like?

[SubzeroLT]

On 1/15/2017 at 0:00 AM, daveyy said:

Hey man. Nice tank.

How is ur water change regime like?

Thanks.

I change ~ 100L once every 2 weeks.

Not too troublesome. Mix salt/RODI water in a blue drum in the toilet. Drain display tank with a long hose to a marked level, then pump in the fresh water with the same long hose. Then drop in one vial of Prodibio Biodigest for added bacteria.

[SubzeroLT]

Some green pics :

 

Chilli pepper monti. Some bits died when it was transferred to this tank. Seems be better now.

 

 

 

[daveyy]

Thanks.
I change ~ 100L once every 2 weeks.
Not too troublesome. Mix salt/RODI water in a blue drum in the toilet. Drain display tank with a long hose to a marked level, then pump in the fresh water with the same long hose. Then drop in one vial of Prodibio Biodigest for added bacteria.

Thanks for the info!

Do u drain the water directly into your toilet drain hole?

[daveyy]

Thanks.
I change ~ 100L once every 2 weeks.
Not too troublesome. Mix salt/RODI water in a blue drum in the toilet. Drain display tank with a long hose to a marked level, then pump in the fresh water with the same long hose. Then drop in one vial of Prodibio Biodigest for added bacteria.

Thanks for the info!

Do u drain the water directly into your toilet drain hole?

[SubzeroLT]

1 minute ago, daveyy said:

 

Thanks for the info!

Do u drain the water directly into your toilet drain hole?

 

Goes into a pail before allowing it to overflow to the drain hole  - in case livestock gets sucked in the hose

[daveyy]

Goes into a pail before allowing it to overflow to the drain hole  - in case livestock gets sucked in the hose

Ahhh. Great idea! Thanks bro!

[SubzeroLT]

Got a notification on my phone this morning that the calcium reactor PH level is still high (>8pH) when its supposed to be low enough to be melting the coral chip.

 

Went back during lunch time to take a look. Turned out that the CO2 tank was empty. With this notification, at least the reaction time to is quicker. I mixed about 0.5dKH worth of baking soda & let it drip during the day as I went back to work. Hooked up the new CO2 tank tonight.

 

Got a standby intense regulator washer just in case there are issues in future. I've heard stories of crushed washers leading to CO2 leaks. $4 from Aquatic Avenue.

 

Anyone knows why the media in the CR is covered with brown slime? Someone mentioned diatoms/algae. But the door is closed most of the day & I don't have a refugium light nearby.

Media level dropped about 2" in 2 months. Time to top up.

 

 

 

 

[SubzeroLT]

Baby clowns hosting the anemone. Adult clowns prefer the torches instead.

 

Finally fed the Super Sun. 3 weeks since the last feeding.

[oliolim]

Nice

[oliolim]

Great tank

[SubzeroLT]

Changed my Hydra light setting to run around the 18.5k color temperature setting. Seen some positive results. 

 

Colony from fellow reefer. 

 

Purple tips starting to show

 

Hopefully this Badabing continues to color up

 

This was originally deep green. Turning yellow. This piece from Reefing Reality Indo shipment

 

 

Some pieces from Reefing Reality. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kumar 1981]

Nice sps u have bro

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[teck4300]

Is that a spathulata?? 

[SubzeroLT]

On 1/27/2017 at 3:52 PM, Kumar 1981 said:

Nice sps u have bro

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app
 

Thanks.

Tank is still new.... hopefully they do well.

[SubzeroLT]

On 1/28/2017 at 2:28 PM, teck4300 said:

Is that a spathulata?? 

Yeah... should be a spathulata.

 

[teck4300]

Nice.. 

[fatphotoboy]

nice color up coral you got from Reefing Reality!

[SubzeroLT]

Someone whatsapp me asking what I feed my corals

Aside from the daily broadcast Mysis shrimp for fishes which will likely be taken by some LPS as well, I target feed Polyp Booster then Reef Roids separately, around 3-4 times a week. Either at night after lights off or early morning when the lights just turn on. 

 

The super suns & anemones get some bits of prawn meat every 2 weeks just before water change.