Daplatapus's upgrade - Page 22

daplatapus · #**211** 05-10-2015, 04:57 PM

So right now that puts my lights around 12" off the water. I do have some short pieces of ready rod and couplers to drop the lights if I need/want to.

3 fixtures up:

daplatapus · #**212** 05-10-2015, 05:00 PM

And drum roll please:

(I know that's not a drum roll, but it was the closest I could find,lol)

daplatapus · #**213** 05-10-2015, 05:04 PM

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!!!!!

End view:

And with the doors open:

Pretty happy with the results thus far

Aquattro · #**214** 05-10-2015, 05:12 PM

Nice!

WarDog · #**215** 05-10-2015, 05:58 PM

Stunning!

daplatapus · #**216** 05-12-2015, 01:49 PM

Thanks guys! I'm pretty stoked with how it's come out.

Cycle seems to be slow, lol. 3 full size frozen prawns were put in there on April 29th. They are all but gone. I've ghost fed the tank a couple times as well with Mysis. Here's the parameters so far:
NH3 - is down to zero - API test - it has been up to .6
NO2 - is zero - API test - has never read anything
NO3 - is zero - API test - has never read anything

PO4 - continues to be present - Hanna checker - I've had it down to as little as .06ppm but typically sits around .1 - .12 ppm despite dosing roughly 30-40 drops of Fozdown per day. 100% dry rock so I pretty much expected this. I may increase fozdown dosing to 30 drops 2X a day. I've also kept my lights off to help prevent anything from taking hold in the first place.

I had also noted when filling my tank that one of my pumps isn't working correctly. I am using 2 Wavelike DC1200 pumps. Many moons ago, I bought these pumps for this build. It was soon discovered by others that the controller would burn out so RLSS sent me and FragitDan new controllers. I've not had a chance to test any of them out till now. Well I stuck one of the old controllers on one pump (seeing how it was brand new) and a new controller on the other. Well, the older controller out performed the new by at least 2-3X the volume. I was barely getting anything out of the new controller controlled pump. I switch through all the new controllers and they were all the same. I'm pushing almost 14' of head so a weak pump for me might as well be a dead pump.
I contacted RLSS and they got back to me within a few days and said to send them the serial numbers of the controllers and my shipping address.
They contacted me again and said new controllers were on their way. So I'm pretty happy about that.

I've read of guys using Microbacter7 and similar products. Does that work effectively? If I dumped a bottle in there, would that speed up the cycling process? Any other recommendations?

daplatapus · #**217** 05-16-2015, 02:14 PM

Small cycle update.
PO4 has started to really drop. The last week it's been declining steadily with a .04 ppm reading this morning. I'll continue dosing Fozdown at 30 drops every 12 hours for now.

NH3 continues to be at undetectable levels. I added another couple frozen silversides 3 days ago and it has remained unchanged - that's a good sign I'd say

NO3 and NO2 levels have also remained at zero - so Hmmmmm - not sure what's going on there...

I'm not running a skimmer on the new tank yet, no lights, no filter socks, no water changes.

daplatapus · #**218** 05-21-2015, 02:12 PM

Well I either have a dud test kit or API sucks, lol. I have a Salifert NO3 test kit but had lost the colour reference chart so I hadn't tried it. API has always said 0.
So a question for you other API testers: Do you look through the vial top down or through the side????

I also found a ELOS NO3 kit tucked in behind a bunch of other stuff as I was setting up my QT for my wrasses coming in tonight. And it turned out I was using the back of the Salifert colour chart for my Hanna phosphate reagent funnel

Both the Elos and Salifert tested around 100ppm NO3 in my cycling 210 gal tank. API (looking through the side of the vial) still says 0

So, water change is going to happen today or tomorrow and we'll see where we stand...

daplatapus · #**219** 05-22-2015, 04:21 AM

1 male and 2 female Carpenters Wrasses officially in QT and doing good so far...
I didn't realize though how dog gone small the females would be.

gregzz4 · #**220** 05-22-2015, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daplatapus

1 male and 2 female Carpenters Wrasses officially in QT and doing good so far...
I didn't realize though how dog gone small the females would be.

I had the exact same problem with our Carpenter's Flasher's
I bought a Male full size and the female is only about 1.5 inches. Next day she was dead.

Good luck with your critters.