Veni Vidi Vici Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Your reef looks fricken awesome Sascha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 I forget if I ever gave an update on the mixing station. All I need now is a pump and all will be well in the world. I plumbed a spot for it in between the tanks, just haven't finished it out yet. Both tanks have been filled and the stand held nicely. All the joints are leak free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 Well I got it in me to finally check the water chemistry. It wasn't good but everything seems happy. Alk came in at 105 ppm and salinity is still 1.030. I'm going to start dosing 1 tsp of kalk in my top off water once I get an ATO. I think I'm decided on www.autotopoff.com. The price isn't bad and they have good reviews. Add one $10 pump and I should be in business. I was contemplating a controller, but I just don't see a point in spending $400 for what I would be using it for. The only draw that I have to them is that I can use it with a CaRx someday. Your reef looks fricken awesome Sascha! Thank you man! Did you know that you and I have the same dimension tanks? I love the 24" width. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veni Vidi Vici Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 You wouldnt think the difference between 18" and 24" wouldnt be a big deal.... Its a HUGE difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I forget if I ever gave an update on the mixing station. All I need now is a pump and all will be well in the world. I plumbed a spot for it in between the tanks, just haven't finished it out yet. Both tanks have been filled and the stand held nicely. All the joints are leak free! DSC02312.JPG DSC02318.JPG DSC02328.JPG DSC03412.JPG I love how organized all this is. Very clean. This is how I want mine to look when I finally build a mixing station. I guess the question is, will it stay this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Lol Manny! So far it has. I added that shelf above the mixing station for extra equipment. I also added that section under the stand for buckets, salt and the like. Off to the right side of my garage I have a steel shelving unit. I would like to buy a mess of Rubbermaid totes to line the shelves and dedicate one to the aquarium. All of the little stuff that goes into having an aquarium starts to add up; toothbruth, glue, frag plugs, fragging tools, etc. It's funny, I thought that I would need a mixing station this big but I don't think I do. I only do a water change every 2-3 months so I really don't need this much SW sitting around. The RO/DI water does help with the top off, but I could probably downsize and be fine. Right now I go through 5g a week in top off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 7, 2014 Author Share Posted May 7, 2014 Week 43 Update: This week has been crazy! We've been landscaping every day and trying to clear out some of our recently replaced furniture. All that remains are two bookshelves and a DVD shelving unit. I'm excited to have part of my garage back! As it turns out, I think I'm going to do some "Spring Cleaninging" on the tank as well. I have 54 different corals now and they are starting to take over my sand bed! I think it's time to figure out which corals I really want and sell the rest. Not always an easy task because my wife falls in love with each and every one of them! Haha. I've decided to part ways with the anemone as well. I think they do more harm that good. Good news though! The acan my BTA destroyed is almost fully recovered. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Week 44 Update: I've been testing my aquarium usage every other day this week and determined I'm going through approximately 0.5ppm of alk/ca per day. I plan to start dosing 3 tsp of kalk per week, hopefully starting today. With a small amount of luck and a large amount of charity, I may be able to get an aquarium controller soon to administer the topoff. If my offer is declined then I'm going to make a kalk dripper to hold me over until I can get a controller. I'm also going to keep my ear to the ground for a calcium reactor. I've about blown my budget, but who knows maybe I'll get lucky! In other news, I sold five frags this week and five more are pending. After that I'll have to clean up the sandbed and fill the frag racks with the rest of the corals. I may end up selling the Oregon Tort or moving him to a new location in the tank. The Bubble Coral doesn't like the super flow in the tank so I may have to rehome him as well. All of the proceeds go into the cookie jar for equipment upgrades! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 How come you're getting rid of the Oregon Tort? It's literally the deepest blue acro you'll ever get your hands on! Super slow grower though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 It is a nice color blue/green and I get a decent extension at all times of the day, but I can't tell how it's doing in my tank. I'll try and get a picture of it tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 It'll start off blue/green and once settled, will start transitioning into the bluest colored acro you'll ever own. It is literally stunning to look at. For being around for years, it still commands top dollar in most coral markets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Here is a picture of the Oregon Tort. It's about the size of a quarter and 1/2" tall. I've had it about two months and it hasn't changed since I got it. There is a small white patch that I tried to take a picture of. My glass right there was dirty, but you can see it. I haven't worried about it yet because all of the polyps have been extended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Keep an eye on that white patch and if it continues to spread, I would either cut it off or super glue a line in front of it (kind of like a DMZ) so that it can't continue. BTW, I want my war coral patch back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenver Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I want that war coral also Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Keep an eye on that white patch and if it continues to spread, I would either cut it off or super glue a line in front of it (kind of like a DMZ) so that it can't continue. BTW, I want my war coral patch back! Um I bought that from Niko's and you no longer have a claim to it. That thing wasn't even there when I bought the coral. I had to caress and nurse it back to health. You abandoned it! So cut off the white part. That means you are thinking STN? Like take a pair of bone cutters and vertically slice that whole section of coral away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 I'd just keep an eye on it for now since I can still see polyps in that white area. Looks like something may have rubbed up against it and burned it. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 It's possible. I may have to move it to another location anyway. That war coral is going to start growing over that whole area. I could just as easily move the lovelli, but deciding where is quite another story. I need an interior tank designer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 It looks like Reefs2Go is having a 50% off coral sale. I have $85 in gift cards there. I may just sell them at a discount. I don't think I want to add anything to my tank until after the CaRx goes in. I'd hate to crash the tank after I just bought a bunch of cool stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 If you decide to get rid of that oregon tort, I'd love it in my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 18, 2014 Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 As most of you know I have been steadily moving towards an SPS dominant tank. I decided to keep some of the Zoas and the rest will be sold off, along with the anemone, to pave the way for more hard corals. So what do hard corals need? Calcium! Oh man, things are about to get real up in here! Knop C Calcium Reactor courtesy of Niko's Reef. I could see that Travis didn't want to sell it, but good people always help their friends when they are in need. Just be glad I didn't ask you to hold my hair back while I puked my guts out. LOL! I set the reactor to the manufacturer's starting recommendations 20 bubbles per minute of CO2 60 drops per minute of effluent Starting dkh is 103 ppm Starting pH is 8.0. I plan to test again tomorrow and regularly as the levels start to rise. My target goal is a range of natural seawater over the next few weeks. A special thanks to Ty is in order, for answering all of my questions without making me feel like an idiot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I know the SPS fever has hit an all-time high when you come home with a CaRX. I tend to take it easier on folks who play with the same toys I play with. Wait until you get an Apex... you'll feel like an idiot all by yourself like I did when I first got my mine. Special shout out to Wizard (Tim) who I bugged relentlessly when I first got my CaRX. I'll pour some CaRX effluent on the ground in his memory. Good guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 18, 2014 Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 Haha so it turned out that the tank ran about half the day and stopped. I'll have to fill it today and then retest my base. I guess we'll have to postpone by one day. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted May 18, 2014 Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 Ughh nothing is open on Sundays! From my web searches people are saying Round Rock Welding Supply and Alamo Welding are the best places to go up here. Almost everyone says to avoid Austin Home Brew. I heard good things about Air Gas as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenver Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Rr welding supply is the best Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Been going to air gas for awhile since its right down the street. Lately, their service has been pretty awful the last year. I'd almost consider driving to RR welding from now on even though Air gas is right down the street. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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