Bean's 300 Gallon AGE Build

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Thanks guys. It's all good, I'll figure it out. Its just a little frustrating for sure. The fish are all doing fine despite some ich on the tangs. I added the second round of Prazi into the display yesterday. The black ich has cleared up so that is a start. Now to remove the bimac once I get the trap to restore peace on the reef.

I've got my QT tanks cleaned and ready to stock back up.
 

five.five-six

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Why is it that when I think back about past reefing, all I remember is success but presently it seems like a never ending litany of challenges?
 
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I closed the needle valve to slow the effluent line some. Ph in the cal reactor is 7.2. Tank Alk is 8.5 still and effluent Alk is 10. I’ll test all week and see what happens.


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Why is it that when I think back about past reefing, all I remember is success but presently it seems like a never ending litany of challenges?
I’ll figure it out. Alk cal and mag are stable for the most part besides the couple of small adjustments I’ve made to the cal reactor. No algae at all besides a little dusting on the glass. Nitrates and phosphates are 0. Coralline is slowly growing but it’s taking time. Dry rock just needs more time I guess? I’ve been feeding more the last few weeks. I have also been feeding Benepets a couple times a week.

Once I get my heaters tomorrow and borrow the PAR meter, I should be able to eliminate a few things from the equation.

I also have a ICP test coming in that I’ll send out.
 

EyeReef

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My Tank Build
New tank syndrome. ESP on a large reef. I end through the same trouble and took over a year for my 300 to stabilize. Enjoy the ride! should only get better


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five.five-six

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I’ll figure it out. Alk cal and mag are stable for the most part besides the couple of small adjustments I’ve made to the cal reactor. No algae at all besides a little dusting on the glass. Nitrates and phosphates are 0. Coralline is slowly growing but it’s taking time. Dry rock just needs more time I guess? I’ve been feeding more the last few weeks. I have also been feeding Benepets a couple times a week.

Once I get my heaters tomorrow and borrow the PAR meter, I should be able to eliminate a few things from the equation.

I also have a ICP test coming in that I’ll send out.
Scott says like 2 years for a dry rock system. At least that’s what I remember him saying it took him to settle down.
 
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feed some live foods like blackworms (or bloodworms or whatever your LFS calls them, seem to alternate up here), I found that live foods boosted my fishes immune response a lot and that, along with some busy cleaner wrasses, wiped out my ich issues.

I think the first year of a dry rock reef is always a challenge, but you have all the pieces, it will fall into place.
 

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What has your experience been on it maintenance wise?
So far I’ve just had to clean out my feed line into the reactor due to it getting clogged recently. Other than that this thing has been beast! I will say it’s a bit louder than I would have liked, but I don’t mind it that much.


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So far I’ve just had to clean out my feed line into the reactor due to it getting clogged recently. Other than that this thing has been beast! I will say it’s a bit louder than I would have liked, but I don’t mind it that much.


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Are you not pulling through the Cal Rx? I am wondering how loud this will be. Should have the parts I need by the end of the week.


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Titanwerx

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Are you not pulling through the Cal Rx? I am wondering how loud this will be. Should have the parts I need by the end of the week.


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I have the pump placed after the Cal Rx, so it’s pulling out. The feed line was tapped into my return line, but I’m also using kalkwasser to keep my PH up and I’m thinking that’s what clogged it. Mine is kinda loud but I’m thinking if I tinker with it, might be able to quiet it down a bit. Plus mine is outside not in cabinet, if your skinning your stand I’m sure it will not be noticeable


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I have the pump placed after the Cal Rx, so it’s pulling out. The feed line was tapped into my return line, but I’m also using kalkwasser to keep my PH up and I’m thinking that’s what clogged it. Mine is kinda loud but I’m thinking if I tinker with it, might be able to quiet it down a bit. Plus mine is outside not in cabinet, if your skinning your stand I’m sure it will not be noticeable


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I had planned to remove the feed line off my manifold, and drop a line into my sump. Wouldn't the pump pull enough water through the reactor?
 
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Id do that anyway (just drop feed line into sump and have pump suck water through). If you have your feed line off of a manifold, you will introduce significant pressure into the reactor (from your return pump pushing against the slow rate of the peristaltic pump) and you will have to use higher pressure CO2 to get stable bubble rate in the reactor.

Also, look into this filter. I am using one on my calcium reactor intake now and it works great to keep crap out of the reactor from your sump. All plastic and cheap, 2.99
 
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Id do that anyway (just drop feed line into sump and have pump suck water through). If you have your feed line off of a manifold, you will introduce significant pressure into the reactor (from your return pump pushing against the slow rate of the peristaltic pump) and you will have to use higher pressure CO2 to get stable bubble rate in the reactor.

Also, look into this filter. I am using one on my calcium reactor intake now and it works great to keep crap out of the reactor from your sump. All plastic and cheap, 2.99
Thanks. The AquaMaxx reactor I have does have a filter. But after installing the peristaltic pump I am no longer running it off my manifold.
 
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I installed a Kamoer peristaltic pump and removed the needle valve from my calcium reactor. After a sump cleaning above ^^^, being off my manifold, the effluent clogged and I didn't notice for a few days at least. Alk jumped to 11.5. The sticks didn't like that and I lost all but one green Aussie piece. I've just been running the Kamoer pump and the reactor has been circulating, but the gas is off. I was waiting for my tank to drop below 9. Its been a few weeks and the alk has been slowly dropping on its own with what little coral I have. Some Coraline but the growth is still slow.


My Alk test kit shows that I am at around 9.3. I also had Steve Garrett test my water last Friday and he also got 9.3.

I sent a ATI Labs test in and got back the following-


Alk- 11.3
Cal- 454.1
Mag- 1490

Which is interesting because I have two alk test kits, both Salifert, giving me 9.3. I have read they can read a little low, but two points low? Could the lab test be off?


Everything else seems OK, Iodine and Bromine are low and I have high Selenium. First I've heard of high Selenium, it says to check for corroding magnets on the test, but I've read a few people claiming its from the salt mix. Very little info if it even is a problem in our tanks, similar to high Lithium which a lot of people seem to have.

Nitrates- 1.1
Phosphates- .04

I've been feeding the crap out of the tank, and have added a few fish over the last month or two.


I've got male Bimac that is thinning the anthias heard. Down to my last female Bimac which sucks. I have a trap in the tank but they aren't going near it at the moment.
 

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