Bpb

Mmmmm. Breakfast sandwiches and plumbing Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All this talk of sandwiches is making me hungry. 4 t5ho with two radions? Overkill. I think not. Some might say it's holy grail modern lighting Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The cleanliness of that plumbing is giving me feelings of inadequacy Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The cleanliness of that plumbing is giving me feelings of inadequacy Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lol. Good. I'll stop adjusting it every time I see it move Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know a stable reactor ph is ideal. My tanks ph fluctuates through the day. Always has. Drifts from 7.8 at peak dark period to 8.2-8.3 at peak light period. APEx graph is a perfectly smooth sine wave. My reactor ph has been floating similarly. How much of a reactor swing is too much. Is a 0.04-5 swing through the day normal or is that excessive and something going on. My bubble count and effluent are perfectly stable every time I check them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So my 20 ml/min jump was a touch too much. Ph jumped to 7.12 in the reactor and held there for 14 hours straight without budging. Tested alk when I got home from work and got 7.7 dKH. A negligible shift down from 7.8 this morning. I split the difference and set effluent to 80 ml/min. Will test again in the morning. If I'm bouncing between 7.7-7.8 I'll be perfectly happy. That's the specific zone I'm targeting. It's only been 24 hrs so I'm not getting ahead of myself but with such tiny changes in my tests, it's looking good. This was supposed to be way harder. I'm hoping to see the benefits quickly in PE, growth, and color. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can confirm it definitely melts at ph above 7.0. Woke up at 6 this morning and reactor ph was at 7.05, and alk tested at 7.8. Up 0.4 from 10 hours ago so there's some melting happening. I left the co2 as is but increased the effluent to 90 ml/min and I'll test again this evening after work and see what that did. I should be able to have it dialed within a day or two. I don't know what I was so afraid of before. Not nearly as tough as I expected Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gotcha, I'll leave it as is. Just didnt know that this media would actually dissolve at all at a PH this high.

And we've got gas! Was running smooth and clear so I decided to crack the seal on the co2 and see what this regulator is made of. What do you guys run your output pressure at? I'm at 10 right now and have to almost close my needle valve entirely to get to 30 bpm. I'm ok with that but will higher pressure give me more flexibility on the needle valve? It's a fabco so it's got very fine threads. Over 4 hours the reactor ph has dropped to 7.24 so far from 8.2. Does that sound about right or should I open the valve a little more. Did a full test as well 7.4 dKH 405 ppm ca 1360 ppm mg 0.05 ppm po4 0.5 ppm no3 I know no3 is on the low side but I'm feeding like mad and it's really causing the algae to come back full force. Fish are happy and acro colors and PE are spectacular though (by my standards anyway) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Random Unknown acro species I'm really starting to like. Started as a bit of an ugly duckling but is starting to pop. And end shot. Everyone's favorite Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactor is running! Good things: It's currently not leaking air or water from anywhere. From MOST spots in the house I cannot hear the master flex pump Gripes: Setup took a few hours Master flex pump hits that 60 hz resonant frequency hard, and the wood box I have it in seems to amplify it. Only solution would be to drill holes in the wall and run the water lines though and keep the pump in a nearby closet. It's only audible in about a 10 foot radius of the tank but if you're within that distance it is wicked loud. So far the co2 is NOT running because it is recommended to let it circulate for several hours before introducing co2. I'll turn on the co2 in a few hours at a low rate Teflon tape is your friend Don't forget your crush washer Regulator is a beast New tubing for the pump Leak test took the longest During this step, I forgot to loosen the ph probe port, and when I crammed the ph probe in, it pushed the seal down and crooked, I didn't notice and watched it suck huge bubbles from the ph probe port with much frustration Discovered it finally, put it back together and it works fine Then I noticed a small leak from the barb fitting threads on the pump output...so it did what you should never do. Tightened with a wrench in low light. Cracked the pump body. But...leak stops. I was prepared to slap myself, hop online, order another pump, and wait it out but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it out. Couple hours running now and no leak. I do foresee a new pump in my future though. Those were pretty much the only hiccups. Here it sits in the stand full of media and waiting to start melting Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

But aren't you removing a portion of the water you just added? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Newcomers recently. This one is without a doubt my favorite. It's a no namer. Don't care. The colors and PE are spectacular. The mother colony it came from grows lightening fast too which is good. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I did see those but they're fairly vague. But it is pretty self explanatoey Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok assembly done. I need to get more media in and fill my co2 tank and order my ph probe and calibration solution before i actually start running it. Here's my process. Very well packaged. No instructions included. And everything separated out. Nothing missing or damaged First step was to give everything a good rinse and dry. Next was to install the pump to the baseplate Oops...couple of cuss words and fixed. Pump and plated installed backwards. No big deal. I wasn't even looking at a picture just building the puzzle, as it were. Plenty of Teflon tape. Well not too much. Just the right amount. Everything tightened snug and the thumb clamps tightened down. One gripe...eheim pump won't slide onto its base of the gray cage is on. No big deal it's being run external so I don't need it. Just think it looks better with it on. Oh well. Output tube attached to base of reactor, and manifold attatched to lid and pump input via supplied tubing. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160616/be30daa90773d3abc30670afb100dffe.jpg Feed and effluent lines attatched and bundled up. Done. Easy as that. I love how simple and robust everything feels. No tiny odd delicate or specialized parts. Here it is next to a 5 gal bucket and then crammed under the stand. The co2 tank and reactor JUST fit. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160616/ea20a10fab0f2748b590a028ed9673c0.jpg http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160616/fa42a37672877453823f0333a0260ab6.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So it is written. So it shall be done Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can dig it. And yes I agree Ty. Even though my solenoid would last years and years with cycling on and off several times a day, it's not stable. I don't want a constantly rising and falling Ph. I agree on that video. I have seen it several times in research, but looking past his awkward delivery the method seems good. In not manipulating effluent and only changing co2 injection until that just won't keep up. I'll probably run a fast drip effluent as to get longer life out of the masterflex tubing and just increase the flow rate once co2 isn't enough, though with a reactor this size, I doubt I'll ever reach that point on my tank Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I still need to get another PH probe and more media as well I just want my ducks in a row. I have just gotten so much different advice. Anywhere from 1 bubble per 10 seconds to start and a steady stream, and reduce the effluent as needed to cause more dwell time and more concentrated effluent as demand increases. To keeping effluent stable and only changing co2/ph to increase with demand. To adjusting both co2 AND effluent a little as demand increases Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think he did. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lol. Reborn Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The post man cometh. Ty! Or anyone really. Help me tune this thing. I am getting such conflicting information from all around. Be it hobbyists or the Geo Instructions. What bubble count and effluent rates should I be starting at? I'm at about 7 teaspoons of kalk per 5 gallons of topoff water, adding about 0.75 gallon per day. And it's holding steady. What bubble count and effluent rate should I start with to stay on the super low side? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Islay single malts are the peaty ones. Peat refers to the sphagnum peat bogs they dig from on the island of Islay off the southwest coast of Scotland. They dry and burn the peat bricks and the smoke infuses into/dries out the malted barley they ferment and distill. That smokey ash flavor will convey all the way to the finished product. I hesitate to even call it an acquired taste. You either love it or hate it. And if you hate it, you CAN develop a taste for it over time but generally it has to be forced. For me it's a fantastic flavor and aroma. To each their own. My favorites. However. Naturally, not all single malt scotch is Peated. If you're wanting to get your hands on something more entry level in price and flavor, look into The Balvenie distillery. I've never had a single bad Balvenie scotch. They're all fantastic even the base level 12 year Balvenie Doublewood. It's fairly light bodied with a touch of citrus and dried fruit flavor from the short finish in sherry barrels. When I crave something on the lighter or sweeter side, that's the one I go for. Yes...there's some chill-filtration and artificial color going on, but the quality of the spirit and cask management at Balvenie is spectacular. And they have the longest running/oldest master distiller/taster in the industry as well. One of my absolute favorite glasses of scotch I've ever had period was The Balvenie 17 year old Doublewood. Not cheap but spectacularly well balanced and amazing flavor. I actually like it a lot more than their 21 year Port wood finish which costs almost twice as much. Older is not always better Another good single malt to look into is Aberlour. Very similar ideals with that distillery as well, though they tend to go a little heavier on sherry cask maturation (whereas Balvenie is all over the map, but primarily use ex-bourbon casks). Aberlour will also be super easy on the palate and be slightly sweet and have some fruit flavours. The entry (age stated of course usually 12 year) offerings from the mega giant distilleries like Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, macallan, ect are drinkable, but honestly, their operations are just too huge and they lack subtlety in the final product. Kind of like comparing a nice top shelf bourbon like a single barrel 4 roses, to say your standard white label Jim beam. Kind of the same process to make the juice, but the attention to detail vs mass quantity difference is apparent. Hope that helps. I can talk scotch all day to the same degree I can talk reefs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Done and done. Can't take it back now. Payment sent. Geo 618 with eheim pump and 8.8# of reborn media shipping out Monday morning first thing. I don't have an extra ph probe but I'll just use my one I have now and order another in a couple weeks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also. Just heard back from PA again. The Geo 618 it is. Offered me a discount I can't refuse and being that it's one with an eheim pump and those are an endangered species I'm going to strike while the iron is hot. The MTC Pro Cal won't fit under my stand or even anywhere near the stand in or out of sight so that is out, and the minical would be nice but the Geo 618 is going to run me about the same price, and has a much larger capacity. I don't REALLY feel like I'm settling knowing it's a good reactoe Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk