Reefer 525 Build

[mot]

Thanks Xilez. Yea I started beginning of September so on week 3 or so. Just guesstimating on the Nitrite as when you get high on the scale it gets really iffy judging colors. I think Im ok as the Nitrite test color is a lighter purple this morning. Ill start measuring Nitrates as well as that should let me know if it is stalled out.

 

[Adam]

Adding some Bio Spira will help if the nitrites get to or above 5. Also getting some media or filter sock from someones stable system will help diversify the bacteria.

I don't know anything about the Aquaforest products but Prodibio Bio Digest seems to be working very good in my system. These products should be seen as a crutch though and not relied upon to replace water changes. After your nitrites hit zero it would be a good idea to do a big water change, like 40-50% before adding livestock. I would imagine the alk has dropped pretty low and the Ph as well.

 

[xilez]

Mot;1097939 wrote: Thanks Xilez. Yea I started beginning of September so on week 3 or so. Just guesstimating on the Nitrite as when you get high on the scale it gets really iffy judging colors. I think Im ok as the Nitrite test color is a lighter purple this morning. Ill start measuring Nitrates as well as that should let me know if it is stalled out.

Your Nitrates reading will be inaccurate if you are still registering nitrites.. Since you said you are a lighter purple, Id wait a couple of days until Nitrite is 0. No more dosing necessary

 

[mot]

anit77;1097942 wrote: Adding some Bio Spira will help if the nitrites get to or above 5. Also getting some media or filter sock from someones stable system will help diversify the bacteria.

I don't know anything about the Aquaforest products but Prodibio Bio Digest seems to be working very good in my system. These products should be seen as a crutch though and not relied upon to replace water changes. After your nitrites hit zero it would be a good idea to do a big water change, like 40-50% before adding livestock. I would imagine the alk has dropped pretty low and the Ph as well.

Thanks for the info. Yes you are right about the pH for sure. My controller is showing it at 7.62 right now. It has been steadily dropping which is normal during cycling? I just checked the Alkalinity and it is 6.0 so it is low as well.

Don't want to screw this up so Ill have to get some more salt and plan on doing the water change at the end of the cycle.

 

[Adam]

The bacteria use alk as part of their metabolism. During cycling there is a mass buildup of bacteria from essentially nothing. There is also no algae or any photosynthesis going on so the ph drops with the alk.

With all that's going on during cycling and all the spikes a lot of different elements get used up. Your left with a tank that's ready to go but is high in nitrates and depleted in other areas. A big water change of 50% will cut the nitrates in half and bring everything else closer to where it needs to be.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[reeferkeifer]

One word. Pimpin!

 

[bcavalli]

Beautiful setup.

 

[zachxlutz]

anit77;1097957 wrote: The bacteria use alk as part of their metabolism. During cycling there is a mass buildup of bacteria from essentially nothing. There is also no algae or any photosynthesis going on so the ph drops with the alk.

With all that's going on during cycling and all the spikes a lot of different elements get used up. Your left with a tank that's ready to go but is high in nitrates and depleted in other areas. A big water change of 50% will cut the nitrates in half and bring everything else closer to where it needs to be.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Interesting. Do the nitrates actually exist in the water column? I thought the nitrifying bacteria was largely isolated to substrate.

 

[Adam]

zachxlutz;1098014 wrote: Interesting. Do the nitrates actually exist in the water column? I thought the nitrifying bacteria was largely isolated to substrate.

Yes & Yes. We're testing the water column with all of the tests we do. The bacteria will form on most any surface in your entire system that is submerged.

Here is some reading for you.
http://www.reefedition.com/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium/">http://www.reefedition.com/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium/</a>

I also recommend reading some of the many articles the author, Randy Holmes-Farley, has written. If it has to do with water chemistry in the reef tank he has written about it.

 

[zachxlutz]

anit77;1098024 wrote: Yes & Yes. We're testing the water column with all of the tests we do. The bacteria will form on most any surface in your entire system that is submerged.



Here is some reading for you.

http://www.reefedition.com/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium/">http://www.reefedition.com/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium/</a>



I also recommend reading some of the many articles the author, Randy Holmes-Farley, has written. If it has to do with water chemistry in the reef tank he has written about it.[/QUOTE]



Great, thanks for the info. I'll read the article when I get in front of my computer.

 

[mot]

So adding the Dr Tim's bacteria on Saturday appears to have made all the difference.

DT Nitrite dropped to zero this morning. Ill make sure Im good by adding ammonia today and measuring again tomorrow.
Fish QT Nitrite spiked up this morning to around 1 to 2 ppm.
Coral QT Nitrite is now rising and somewhere around 0.5ppm.

 

[mot]

Built an arm for my Seneye Reef to be used as a PAR meter. Here it is in the tank.

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Ive been trying it out during the cycle as well just to see how useful the other functions would be to have. It seems like the ammonia readings are way off as im adding 2ppm ammonia and it registers like 0.04 after adding and works its way down to 0.0001 in about 36 hours. While it detects the presence and seems to reduce down in the same timeframe my Redsea test kits show 0 it is way off on the value. The pH is way off as well. It is showing 8.11 when my calibrated pH probes are showing between 7.6 and 7.7. Maybe something while cycling the tank screws it up. I certainly wont be buying replacement slides.

The other thing driving me crazy is the flashing red replace slide led. Ive tried everything on their website. Maybe this is why the readings are so far off? Bad slide? Bad Unit?

Maybe Ill contact them and let them know how poor this thing is out of the box and see what they do.

 

[xilez]

Well to be fair... Just because you are dosing 2ppm (im assuming 1 drop per gallon right?) that doesn't mean you are actually going to get to 2ppm on your test kit. Especially with one and only.... If you are dosing 2ppm ammonia (getting a reading) and in 24 hours it reads zero.... you are probably cycled.

Its possible you have a defective unit, happens, i have heard great things about the seneye.

Heres what i would do: dose 2ppm (1 drop per gallon), wait 1 hour...test ammonia with both seneye and red sea. test again in 24 hours.

How are your nitrites and nitrates looking?

edit: also, what are you using for your photos? looks good

 

[mot]

I just expected if I add ammonia to bring the concentration up to 2 ppm then the Seneye should read somewhere in this range after dosing. Its not even close with a reading of 0.04ppm. That is 3 orders of magnitude off I think?

Anyway so yea the Nitrates were around 4 ppm and nitrites were barely detectable this morning. So the DT looks good to go.

The fish QT looks good with 0 ammonia this morning and 2 to 3 ppm Nitrites. Will redose ammonia to make sure the cycle is done before picking up the first fish.
The coral QT is not ready and still showing 1ppm ammonia and 1 ppm Nitrites. So probably another week.

Playing with the Seneye I was surprised at the low PAR numbers my light was putting out so started playing with it. Had to lower the light so it is only 6" above the water to get PAR values up. I have the following values:

Top of water: 300 to 350 par
middle of water: 250 par
At the sand: 200 par

The readings were quite even across the tank and from front to back so that looks good. Very even PAR distribution from this light. I guess it makes sense being a LED/T5 combo. Need to make lowering and raising the light a bit easier as it is heavy and to clean the tank Ill need it out of the way.

 

[reeferkeifer]

Totally random to what others are talking about. How do you like those powerheads? You like them better then the EcoTech MPs? What's your take on em?

 

[mot]

Getting close to finishing my rock work. Quarantine tanks are still cycling so patiently waiting to get my first batch of fish and coral.

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[mot]

ReeferKeifer;1098294 wrote: Totally random to what others are talking about. How do you like those powerheads? You like them better then the EcoTech MPs? What's your take on em?

Ive never had any other powerheads to compare them to...well at least no powerheads purchased in the last 20 years. The Gyres seem amazing. The amount of water flow is ridiculous in a good way. It really is hard to tell as I have nothing live in the tank yet. Im sure Ill be dialing them in for awhile.

They are currently running between 30% and 55%. I have a feeling I may be dialing them down even more.

 

[reeferkeifer]

That's gorgeous. How did you get the back wall looking like that?

 

[xilez]

Looks like photoshop blur tool?

 

[mot]

xilez;1098756 wrote: Looks like photoshop blur tool?

Yes actually it is lightroom and just spot removed the gyres to get a good look at the aquascape without the equipment.