grassi

Yes I have another controller for top offs. But you can add more float switches to the ReefAngel too. I'm sure there are some free pins on the board. Or you can use an expansion shield

Sorry to hear that Kim. When the giga clam spawned I found 10 gallons of skimmate and clam's eggs on the floor! If you want we can setup the same thing I have for you. I think the cost of the parts is about $50 Next think I'm gonna add is an alarm when I'm low with ca, alk or Mg in the reservoirs

Sorry to hear that Kim. When the giga clam spawned I found 10 gallons of skimmate and clam's eggs on the floor! If you want we can setup the same thing I have for you. I think the cost of the parts is about $50 Next think I'm gonna add is an alarm when I'm low with ca, alk or Mg in the reservoirs

So skimmer overflowing has always been one of my fears. I've seen a few amazing tanks crash for a skimmer. I used to have some sort of control with the Apex, but I decided to go to the next level with some I/O programming on the Arduino board. I set up 2 float switches: one in the sump: if the level raise for whatever reason the skimmer power is cut off one on the bucket that collect the skimmer production: when it is empty the power is cut off as well. I also put a carbon filter for the smell on the lid. I know you can do the bucket thing mechanically, but programming I/O boards if somehow fun Here is the code for who is interested or has a ReefAngel running. Just use the 2 ato switches as single and add this code in the "loop": if ( ReefAngel.HighATO.IsActive() && ReefAngel.LowATO.IsActive() ) { ReefAngel.Relay.On(Port1); } else ReefAngel.Relay.Off(Port1);

I'm with you for the acid source. Not for the accuracy of a cheap full time immersion probe, even if recalibrated one minute before the test. I use this method as well sometimes since I posted it here a few months ago. But I believe more the La Motte

The test kits with 2 dyes can have a 10% error in titration. With the muriatic acid there are so many factors that you can introduce that you are probably gonna go over that 10%. This is what Randy was saying: "There is still the issue of how accurate the concentration on the bottle actually is. Is it just a target level that the company shoots for in manufacturing, or is it an actual measured result for that batch. The answer may actually be different for different companies. "The remaining concern is how accurately can you measure liquid volumes. Most people do not have a good way to do that with sufficient accuracy. If you do, this is an OK method, although you should be careful with the concentrated acid as it is nasty. If you are off by 5% in each step (initial dilution, second dilution, and then in the titration step), then the result might be off by 15%. The actual procedure involves many volume measurements, and typical DIYers will be off on all of these to some extent. So the quality of the result depends very strongly on the quality of your volume measurements." He might use this method, but I'm not a chemist, like many of us, so it is really possible that I will introduce a 15% (or more) error, which is higher that what I can get with no hassle from a La Motte or Hatch. This is why I think is for me and the average person, the best of the 2 worlds.

To reply to you question: if you calibrate (well) your probe you can be sure that the water in your tank is near to that ph value. But that does not mean that it is the real ph or that it will read so well to be used as a tritration test. Just think about how much time your probe takes to calibrate Give that much time to your probe to read when testing alk, and co2 will make it useless. Also, the accuracy of a ph meter depends on many other aspects. You have to rinse properly the probe. You have to stir the solution without adding to much co2 and so on. The pH electrodes change their response as a function of temperature, and so does the standard. I didn't suggest to buy a lab grade instant ph meter, but to test with standards instead of the probe. So if you want an approximative alk value, go with your probe. If you want an accurate value go with the standards or a good ph meter If you want the best of the 2 worlds, just use a good alk test kit: easy and enough accurate. This is not just my thinking, but from a guy who has a BA in chemistry and biology and a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University You can find some infos about the ph probe calibration and the related issues here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums//showthread.php?p=16422790 There is a thread somewhere on RC where Holmes-Farley is discussing the alk test with a ph probe, I can't find it right now...

It is better to use standards for this kind of test. If you want to use a ph probe (and accept the error they introduce) you should use an instant lab grade ph meter, not a probe made to be used in full time immersion, like the "lab grade" we use in the hobby. They cost around $500+ The ph probe is useful for quick readings. You can find a lot of info on some threads of Randy Holmes Farley on RC or some writings on reefmagazine.

Seems readings are going where they need to be! Let us know how it goes

So I did the conductivity test without the ghetto wire and it seems to be grounded. Not to the body itself, but to the screws (probably for the paint).

The Tunze Nano Skimmer is a valid option too.

If you are gonna part out, I'm interested on one pendant, without ballast. Thanks

Hey Kate, you have to be a paying member. Unless you are already and for some reason we forgot to activate your membership. Let me know

You are welcome. I was nice meeting you. So I pm'ed jackaninny. Meter is ready for pickup by friday 28th. I'm probably going to California for a few days and then to Italy for a few weeks. I'll ask another BOD member to take care of the PAR Meter until I return. I mean, the par meter will still be out, just need to be picked up and return from/to another location

I always test 0 and 0. So was a friend of mine with the same meter. He bought a better tds (not the inline ones) and he can see some ppm. I consider mine like a souvenir. I'm gonna get a flow meter, so I will know when is time to change the filters

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will just check the continuity from outside the case and then send it for repair. It is still under guarantee so I don't want to open it

I just put a ghetto wire from one ballast to another and now it is grounded, so I guess the house is grounded? It was working properly just a few days ago. There is a way to check if the ballast has no ground with a multimeter? For the cord, I think I can just check the conductivity on the round pole... Thanks

Amperes, Volts and Watts are a mystery for me, but I'm sure someone can help me. So I have this dual 250w Galaxy (which is probably possessed by some unknown entity) which is connected to my controller. The controller has a temp probe. A couple of days ago the temp probe started to go down 10 degrees when the ballast is on. I contacted Neptune and they suggested to ground the ballast. I did (a wire from one bolt of the ballast to... another bolt on another ballast!) and it is working well now. My question is: why before it was working? I didn't change anything why the ballast is not grounded? Could be that not being properly grounded can generate other problems? I mean, other than being electrocuted: could it be that randomly not firing one lamp or burning a bulb can be an effect of not being "grounded"? there is another ballast on that controller (250w bluewave). Why this one is not giving problems? Could it be because one is an e-ballast and the other isn't? I have no clue and probably what I wrote does not make sense at all Thanks

Out of topic: Mike, do you regenerate carbon too? I would like to have some advices on regenerating GFO. That thing is expensive

I agree that Frank should use GFO after knowing how high he is running his tank. I think that his issues with GFO, as also some of you pointed out, were due to a fast drop in Phosphates. It is not the GFO itself, or a specific brand, but it is just the difference between an high and a relatively low level of po4 in a short amount of time. This article from Randy Holmes Farley can be useful to understand the dynamics of the introduction of GFO in a system with high po4: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php This other article is interesting too. I support the theory of gfo leaching back po4 at some point (when the po4 in the tank are low). This is something that was empirically proved and that can be easily tested. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php "Phosphate bound to GFO surfaces is still available to the water column by exchange, so the sequestering is temporary rather than permanent. This fact is known in the literature, and can be shown experimentally. I will show the detail in upcoming articles, but it can easily be demonstrated by adsorbing phosphate onto GFO, and adding enough so that a detectable concentration of phosphate (say, 0.1 to 1 ppm) is in equilibrium with the solids. Then remove the solid GFO and add it to seawater with no detectable phosphate. The now-detectable phosphate in the new seawater shows that the phosphate can be released from the GFO media when the aquarium's phosphate concentration drops low enough." I'm not saying that GFO is bad. I use it myself. But it is not a magic powder that you throw in a reactor and it will do the job. You have to know what you are doing and monitor the results. Otherwise the side effects can be worst that the benefits. What I suggest to Frank at this point is to gradually get rid of the po4 with water changes. You don't need GFO for that. With water changes you can measure how much you are lowering it. Before to do that, you have to be sure that you are not introducing more po4 into your system. Fortunately, there are just a few ways to introduce po4 in a reef tank: water source and food being the greatest part of it and easily controllable. Once you are down to acceptable levels, start with some GFO. Start slow and go up. This is necessary because your live rock will take some time to leach back the po4 accumulated. When you are low, stop using it and control the phosphate added to the tank. Water changes and the filtration system will do the rest. Keep testing during this period of time and keep in mind that Po4 levels varies a lot during the day, being low in the morning and going up (also, but not only, for the feeding). BTW: we are all discussing and giving suggestions to how to run a tank which is looking GREAT as colors and growth. Keep the high po4 Frank! Who cares, it works for you I hope this helps

Frank, do this. Boil the cuvettes for about 10 minutes in RO/DI water (or distilled water). Put something inside so they don't shatter. Then let them soak in vinegar for a few hours. Rinse a few times (5-10) with RO/DI or Distilled water. Then put your gloves on and test. Clean the cuvettes before you put them in the checker with a glasses cloth (or similar microfiber cloth). Clean them both times (zeroing and test). Use one cuvette per test: fill with water, do the c1, fill with powder, put it back and do the c2. Cut the reagent in one corner, or all the way on the top so you can make a little funnel. Be sure you pour all the powder. Let me know how it goes. If you are around during the weekend you can swing by my place and we can test on my tank again.

I told you: leave it as it is But you keep saying that you want more growth...

Frank is running a probiotic method. Carbon and bacteria don't go well with GFO. First the two tend to compete. Then the GFO is gonna release the phosphates if the water column has a very low concentration of phosphates. The GFO subtract the phosphates from the water, but it is just temporary and they are still in the water column and they will be release back if the rest of the water has a very low concentration of it.

Be sure that the heater is not gonna melt the plastic bucket when on

Payment received and pm'ed for today. Here is the list for this coral: KMiller ClayTheSavageFraser coralreefer jgf86123