Sascha D. Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 Okay, you guys talked me into it! I came home and tested Alk at 152 ppm. That's down from 163 the day before. I'm using Reborn right now and it sounds like that melts at a lower pH than ARM. I'll adjust my reactor to 7.2 - 7.3 and adjust the effluent to a broken stream. A good friend got me a beaker a few months ago and I'll see if I can nail down ml/min. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 I run 50ml min and 7.10 ph using reborn/neomag. Frag tank burns 2dkh a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 6, 2018 Author Share Posted March 6, 2018 I run 50ml min and 7.10 ph using reborn/neomag. Frag tank burns 2dkh a day.Good call! I'm using about 1/4 cup of Neomag with the Reborn media. The directions said 9:1 but I wasn't really sure how much to add. I changed the pH and effluent about an hour ago. It's currently at approximately 55 ml/min. That beaker really came in handy! Since I've started the CaRx the algae on the sand has been disappearing. I'm interested in what the mg looks like right now. The Alk spike from the other day has manifested in pocillopora. It's a little mad but it'll be okay! Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I run about 25-50% more neomag then I should intentionally. I've found when playing on the higher ph ranges it dissolves slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Reburn said: I run about 25-50% more neomag then I should intentionally. I've found when playing on the higher ph ranges it dissolves slower. That's because it's dolomite and dolomite is less soluble in acid than calcite From Brightwell: High-purity, magnesium-rich mineral that may be employed in traditional calcium reactors, or even blended in to pre-existing aquarium substratum, to gradually increase and maintain the magnesium concentration in the system. Lol. magnesium rich mineral. they're afraid that that people will go out and source their own dolomite? /geologist 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 9 minutes ago, victoly said: That's because it's dolomite and dolomite is less soluble in acid than calcite From Brightwell: High-purity, magnesium-rich mineral that may be employed in traditional calcium reactors, or even blended in to pre-existing aquarium substratum, to gradually increase and maintain the magnesium concentration in the system. Lol. magnesium rich mineral. they're afraid that that people will go out and source their own dolomite? /geologist No sir, it's a proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals. And it has electrolytes, it's what corals crave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I've got a hell of a source of "victolymag" spanning most of texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Bro......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merman Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I follow a similar strategy. I've tried the slow drip with varied success in the past, but recently has bit me in the buns. The flow went from a steady drip to a very slow drip, alk dropped to 89. Then I increased it back to the broken flow, more of a rapid drip so it wouldn't slow down on me when I'm out of town and alk went to 164 in two days. I haven't even checked it since Friday, but everything looks ok I also don't rely on the pH. I use it more of a monitoring tool to gauge if the flow has stopped from a clog or if the flow is too high. I use a timer for my CO2 dosing (on every half hour for ~20 minutes) and adjust the bubble rate and the effluent flow rate to control alk. This way I'm not relying on a pH probe that can go bad or get a bubble on it and send everything down in a death spiral. There's all kinds of ways to control alk, I've just found this strategy more successful than ones I've used in the past. It's not without it's problems, but it's better than some alternatives IMO.I don’t blame you for not trusting the pH probe. It is absolutely a weak point. I calibrate every time I change media and switch them out every year. Your solution sounds much more cost effective Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I don’t blame you for not trusting the pH probe. It is absolutely a weak point. I calibrate every time I change media and switch them out every year. Your solution sounds much more cost effective [emoji4]Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkYeah I was burning through pH probes and calibration solution. I bought back up probes and cal solution, but now they're just collecting dust since I only use pH as a reference and I don't really care what it is anymore. I control my reactor based on coral consumption and Alk level in the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 My method:1) Leave solenoid on2) Adjust effluent to first full stream possible after drops3) Then adjust pH and let it match your tank uptake (only adjust pH via bubbles, I never touch effluent rate again, this limits you to only one variable)4) Set rules for solenoid to turn off if >/5) Goal is pH is constant and never waivers without any interaction from the solenoid6) Solenoid is just there for insurance and should never trigger unless emergencyBeen working well for me for 7 years now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 @FarmerTy So you adjust the bubble count until the reactor output matches the tank uptake, mark the pH, and then adjust the solenoid to turn off if the pH goes below the normal operating range? What increments do you use for adjustment? I have a feeling the controller still isn't reading the correct pH even with the new probe and this could be a good way to control the reactor. I don't think I'm smart enough to use John's method Alk test for today is 146 ppm, down from 152 ppm yesterday. I've adjusted the range down 0.10 to 7.10 - 7.20. It looks like my usage is about 6 ppm or about 0.336 dKH per day. I haven't had a daily usage this low since I was running PC lights! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 [mention=463]FarmerTy[/mention] So you adjust the bubble count until the reactor output matches the tank uptake, mark the pH, and then adjust the solenoid to turn off if the pH goes below the normal operating range? What increments do you use for adjustment? I have a feeling the controller still isn't reading the correct pH even with the new probe and this could be a good way to control the reactor. I don't think I'm smart enough to use John's method Alk test for today is 146 ppm, down from 152 ppm yesterday. I've adjusted the range down 0.10 to 7.10 - 7.20. It looks like my usage is about 6 ppm or about 0.336 dKH per day. I haven't had a daily usage this low since I was running PC lights! Yes sir. Its like the pH probe doesn't even exist to me. I adjust everything via bubble count and then match to tank consumption. Adjustment increments as minute as you can make, which is basically the smallest turn you can make with the needle valve. A lot of times it doesn't even feel like you have turned it.pH probe is only used to verify that I've actually made an adjustment and used to set my limits for emergency control. That's it. I don't think my solenoid has even engaged in the last couple of years besides me turning it off to do maintenance. Its a mechanical switch, they all fail eventually. That's why I aim to use it for emergency control only versus daily cycling on/off to control pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merman Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 If you have too much money laying around you could always get one of these: http://www.aquariumplants.com/CarbonDoser-Electronic-Co2-Regulator-p/co2-11.htm?_vsrefdom=adwords&gclid=CjwKCAiAlfnUBRBQEiwAWpPA6dLWvYcee7_r9CHY2xyKkxRoYeyvry4lozFRSy8jZTjMnk3xfNnSDxoCrKkQAvD_BwEThat’s what I use and it works great.I think you’re getting some really good advice by relying on the regulator rather than the ph probe. If you happen to accidentally set the controller to always on vs auto it should still function normally. I may or may not have made that mistake in the past and melted my reactor.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 If you have too much money laying around you could always get one of these: http://www.aquariumplants.com/CarbonDoser-Electronic-Co2-Regulator-p/co2-11.htm?_vsrefdom=adwords&gclid=CjwKCAiAlfnUBRBQEiwAWpPA6dLWvYcee7_r9CHY2xyKkxRoYeyvry4lozFRSy8jZTjMnk3xfNnSDxoCrKkQAvD_BwEThat’s what I use and it works great.I think you’re getting some really good advice by relying on the regulator rather than the ph probe. If you happen to accidentally set the controller to always on vs auto it should still function normally. I may or may not have made that mistake in the past and melted my reactor.Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkHad one of those Carbon doser regulators on my last tank, they work great and BRS carries them now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 10 hours ago, Merman said: If you have too much money laying around you could always get one of these: http://www.aquariumplants.com/CarbonDoser-Electronic-Co2-Regulator-p/co2-11.htm?_vsrefdom=adwords&gclid=CjwKCAiAlfnUBRBQEiwAWpPA6dLWvYcee7_r9CHY2xyKkxRoYeyvry4lozFRSy8jZTjMnk3xfNnSDxoCrKkQAvD_BwE That’s what I use and it works great. I think you’re getting some really good advice by relying on the regulator rather than the ph probe. If you happen to accidentally set the controller to always on vs auto it should still function normally. I may or may not have made that mistake in the past and melted my reactor. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk That's one high tech piece of equipment! You can really tell that people in the hobby have built it. Right now my controller is little more than a light timer so it's definitely on my list of things to look into for the future. My first goal is to try to restore functionality and then I can look into upgrades. Reefkeeping is definitely a rich man's hobby. I got into it when I was very young, long before I got my first job. Since then I've often wondered if it's the right hobby for me. My friends that share the hobby might be the only thing that's kept me going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Birdwatching man. I'll trade you a pair of binoculars and a field guide for your tank setup sir. Go see the world! [emoji14] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 I hear puzzles and knitting are also nice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 10 hours ago, FarmerTy said: Birdwatching man. I'll trade you a pair of binoculars and a field guide for your tank setup sir. Go see the world! 10 hours ago, Gig 'em @ NDstructible said: I hear puzzles and knitting are also nice! This all really puts it into perspective! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share Posted March 9, 2018 The controller is definitely not reading the pH correctly. It's a new probe so it's either the controller or the calibration. I have some calibration liquid and we'll see how it goes. Good news though, the Alk looks stable! I set the needle to the lowest possible bubble rate allowed by my solenoid and kept the effluent 55ml per minute.3-6-18: 1463-7-18: 1463-8-18: 148Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 I've been doing one 50g water change every months since December 2017. I normally only do 1-2 water changes a year, but everything has been improving so nicely that I think I'll keep up the practice. Here's what my reef looked like as of 3/10/18. You can see two makeshift frag racks where I'm putting corals that I'm going to sell and also shaping existing colonies. I really miss the dedicated frag tank that I sold a few months back! Full Tank Left Side Right Side 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Glad to see everything continues to improve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 6 hours ago, Jimbo662 said: Glad to see everything continues to improve! Corals are kind of funny animals. The SPS and LPS continue to improve, but the soft corals that were doing good before are starting to fade in color. I'll have to wait until they recover before letting them go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 I didn't get much done on the tank lately. We took our family to Ruidosa New Mexico and rented a cabin for the week. It was a trying 9 hour drive punctuated by a whole lot of desert. Once we got there it was beautiful country. After a five days of fishing, hiking, and horseback riding we were missing home though. I appreciate my friend for keeping an eye on things while I was gone, even if he feeds to much! The Alk has remained stable and the corals continue to improve in color. I haven't gotten around to selling the corals yet. I should probably get to that soon, but I'll probably get stuck doing yard work. 3/08 - 1483/09 - 1513/13 - 1573/15 - 1513/19 - 149 The refugium hasn't had as great of an impact as I thought and I've decided to abandon the idea. All of the LR has been moved to the first chamber, the skimmer has been moved to the second and the third contains the reactors. In place of the refugium I've added a Reef Dynamics recirculating biopellet reactor using 1/4 cup of media. Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I used to go skiing at Ruidosa every year. Love that place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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