obrien.david.j

Holy smokes, you weren't kidding. It took me three tries to make sure I followed this flow. Ya, no one said Apex programming was straight forward. Such lack of basics. Thanks for the help. Punch Line - I'm going to try it!

This sounds like awesome automation for Apex to help with. I'll press a button, all pumps off. Slurry Feed every head as you describe. Then walk away. automation will handle the re-mixing, and then going back to normal. @SuncrestReef, can you turn this into a program, that I can trigger with one of my external push buttons? Input push button is Swx11_2 Pump outlet is PUMP_FRAG Fallback ON Set ON If Swx11_2 CLOSED Then OFF <<-- turn this into Off for 60 minutes please Powerheads (MP40s) are MP40_FRAGE_L and MP40_FRAGE_R After Swx11_2 CLOSED, needs off for 30 minutes. Then ON 5 minutes, OFF 10 minutes, ON 5 minutes, OFF 5 minutes. Then back to normal programming. (which would be some kind of ON)

Perfect.

It's been approximately 6 months since my last purposeful Diversity Addition. I decided yesterday it was time to pull the trigger on re-testing. Heads Up @EMeyer, Samples are In the Mail to you. Since this started, somethings have changed in my setup, some things have not. Main display tank is unchanged Equipment room remodeled (see separate thread) Bigger sump, and two new ~50 gallon frag tanks added into system Mixing station completed, and AutoWater changes of 2.4 gallons running daily (9000ml) New Frags added, but no bigger bio additions. No Rocks, no more "used water" additions. No Bio-Additives No Medications Increase Additions: Daily 3ml of Amino acid. Weekly additions of Brightwell Restor. Manual increases of NO3 and PO4 Generally a heavy feeder. 6-8 cubes of food (or equiv) per day, plus Reef Roids (or equiv) every other day Time to find out if my Bio Diversity has changed.

Thanks for sharing. This was valuable. Glad you had a good experience.

OBrien Acan-A, Check-in: July 28: Well, I've got the algae uglies going. You'll never guess what started them... (The last paragraph of my June update: At the same time, I've determined my system is low on NO3. So starting yesterday I'm on a an campaign to increase it. Maybe next month my acan frag will show some grown... ) --> I've been slightly raising NO3 and PO4. I thought I was going slow enough...

I clean my skimmer neck every time I dump the skimmer. Which means ~once a week.

Congrats! And that external overflow looks really nice. Tell me what you did for Delivery Inspection. I've read many posts saying effectively, "Inspect your tank before you let the shipper leave." I see a new tank being delivered somewhere in my future (not ordered yet), your picture made me realize - How Would I inspect it? Did you take the box off it, to inspect whole way down? Did you take all the internal wrapping/styrofoam out and use a flashlight? ??

How dire is your need? I may be able to find 3-5 Asterina tonight with a flash light.

That looks awesome! I'm a huge grill fan, but prefer / am a sucker for the ease of gas. Plumbed right into the house natural gas line. I never run out.

I'll start a The-Plank thread with my impressions, after it arrives. Something like 1-2 months out.

If @Blue Z Reef falls through, I'll take the Tang and Foxface. I've got a tank that needs them right now. Can't help on the jawfish, I'm not Jump-Safe. And clowns would complete with existing ones.

Congratulations! I'm a big fan of external overflow boxes as well. Keeps the inside of the tank as clean as possible.

Interesting, but capacity is too low for me. "7 full cubes" on standard, "14 full cubes" on the XL. I currently feed my tank 4-6 cubes per day. Stretching it, each XL unit could feed my tank for 4 days (at less than 4 cubes/day). I'd love to see one in action, and hear from someone who has used it for a while. You can feed up to 7 full cubes, 12 half cubes or 20 quarter cubes with a single aF4 using our interchangeable carousels. ***NEW***The aF4 XL allows users to feed double the capacity with a single controller! Thats 14 full cubes, 24 half cubes or 40 quarter cubes! The XL also allows users to mount an aF4 Freezer unit on each end of the tank and feed simultaneously to prevent more aggressive or larger fish from hogging all the food! At the opposite end of the spectrum, I pre-ordered "The Plank" from Avast Marine. It's more focused on micro feeding, not frozen food size chunks. https://reefbuilders.com/2020/07/15/avast-marine-introduces-the-plank-automatic-feeder/

I've fought Aptasia multiple times. Don't buy Aptasia-X, use Frank's F-Aptasia instead. I've had much more success with this product. https://saltwateraquariumstore.franks-tanks.com/F-Aiptasia-Killer-Patented-Formula-p158766197

I love the shoaling look in reef tanks. I don't see it often enough. I used to keep a school of green chromis. They don't last forever, but they were cheap. Bought a dozen, let get down to 5-6, replenish up to 12, let get down to 5-6, replenish... Did this for couple of years when I had two huge heads to SPS. Chromis would sleep in the branches. But what I really wanted was a shoal of your long spine cardinalfish. Found a picture, when in 5-6 mode.

Thanks Jim, great to see your setup last night. Very inspiring. Especially helpful for my wife to see how nice a Bigger Tank really can be. We went home and she commented how small (my ~100-120 gallon) looked. YES!

Tank looks awesome. Going to look great!

We know you were planning a tank upgrade. What did you finally get? Details, photos! L x W x D, glass thickness, etc.

Thank you, and I noticed. I went to see about cleaning them... And they were spotless. @SuncrestReef get's my seal-of-approval!

Lights for the last frag tank are finally back. (had loaned them out) Cleaned and mounted yesterday.

Anyone done deeper cleaning of your Radions? Spent time deeper cleaning Radions yesterday. I found some dead mosquitos in my garage frag tank light. This wasn't very hard, but did take the right screw drivers to get the case apart on both sides. Also build new cable mounts for putting two up on my last frag tank. Found these cool tiny stainless carabiners to allow easier removal.

Did you Only add up BRS orders? Didn't add in plexiglass costs, plumbing fittings, etc... In prep for remodeling the fish room (and then a future tank size expansion), I seem to have gone on a used equipment buying spree. Starting in Sept (while still at MACNA), and through February. Bought a Bunch of equipment - and it's come in handy! And for the record, No - I'm not adding it up.

@Toadpapa, WELCOME! Yes, I'm one of those people who just completed a crazy fish room remodel. But don't get overwhelmed. I ran my system for >30 years on Heavy-Manual mode. Mixed water by hand., hauled buckets by hand, Was supposed to test chemistry by hand (which means most often I didn't), ... When I first started, it was All About The Cheap - no matter how much energy I had to put in. These days I'm moving into Its-All-About-Automated. My words of wisdom - Don't be afraid to Just Try It. Don't spend $$$ on your first coral, but don't be afraid to try one whenever you want. Same on fish, same on equipment, same on cuttlefish. I do a lot of research and reading, but to really have the learning sink in, I've had to try it. Enjoy!

Bumper Sticker? Do you prefer Acropora, Accans or Aiptasia? Stop my car and let me know