Vancop

I have been running carbon 24/7 for the first few months ...until recently...I guessed if there was any copper ( rocks etc ) it would have purged and the carbon would have stripped it...Shy of taking water to an actual LAB I'm stumped ...its the Anenome and FEather Duster that baffles me ....supposed to be the most sensitive and they are doing great ...low salinity will cause snails to die....but thats not an issue

I did the fight with he refractometer calibration a few weeks ago ...I calibrated it to Sea Horses water ...and it seems to be holding...I also tested my Hydrometer to sea horses water and it reads accurate ..I use both instruments when checking I haven't tested for copper in a few months ...I could check it again, but last tests I did for copper came out clean few months agao

The tank had copper in it when I bought it ....but I ran heavy carbon for the first few weeks ...and tested it with no copper

Where would I test for those ??

My tank is almost 4 months old and I just can't figure out why it won't suppport corals ?? or some corals...it defies all logic to me....the Fish I have seem fine but the corals are doing miserable. I have checked all parameters numerous times ...on a daily basis even at night....currently I seem to have brown diatoms on the walls every 2-3 days needing cleaning ....the snails seem lethargic but the crabs seem ok. I have had 2 different Frog spawns in the tank...neither have ever opened .....a Xenia that closed from day one and has never opened back up but appears alive ....green star polyps that look bleached but are spreading ? I recently added a Coco Worm that died within 5 days and never opened ....I have a small amount of red slime alage on the rocks only that is slowly growing. I have dosed only a small amount of iodine in the last week to get the iodine levels up to .006. Parameters: I use Insant Ocean Powder test kit and some API / Sechams test kits Ammonia 0 Nitrate 0 Nitrate 10- Calcium 520 just went up in last few days no reason why Mag 1300 PH 8.4 Temp 77 night 78.5 day Alk 11-12 Salinity 1.024 tested with hydro and refractometers Phospates .002 or less Feeding 1/2 cube daily brine mixed with myosis small piece seaweed for Foxface / angel Fish Foxface Coral Angel Bi-Color Blenny 3 Chromis Damsels 1 Clown Diamond Goby Small red Star Fish Green BTA 5" LARGE Feather Duster Inverts approx 15 hermits red/blue leg 10 snails most turbos only last a week then die System 90 gallon DT / 20 gallon wet /dry sump 100 lbs LR 2" LS no bioballs Nova Extreme 6x54 T-5 10 on 10 off Coralife 125 skimmer set at dry skim approx 2 cups weekly produced GFO reactor media replaced last week media barely "dancing" on top Mag 350 canister polishing filter / carbon reactor Electrical probe in DT Koralina 3 and Max Jet 1200 for motion (Mag350 also provides motion w/ return ) History: Started in Jan 09 used Tap water....not city tap, from a well 750' deep...tested no phosphates/ nitrates...but have installed an ATO from DI only water for last 2 months.....I do water changes once a month 20%. I rarely dose with anything as parameters have shown no need to ....recently learned running 24/7 carbon will strip some elements I checked and started dosing iodine as needed to obtain .006..( 4 drops lugols ) I have a Media sock on the return and skimmer ...changes weekly I have spent 100's of hrs researching and have tried and tried .....I did my homework on several different sites....with negative results....so here I am ...on bended knee...(scratch) I am afraid to add anything else to the tank...fish or coral. I can't figure out why these HARDY corals...Xenia / FS will not thrive/ open....the turbos snails don't live more then a week ....yet the Anenomme and Feather Duster and fish look great ?? I have iodine dipped the Xenia...moved them all around to different areas and heights and motions...???? Any / All advise is welcome !!!

Goes to show you...this is not an exact science !! +1 for giving it a try!! hope they remain happy and healthy !

I so need a new GF !! Will remember that on singles adds....Must have Laser Cutter ...oh and like fish! Great job on the reactor !! looks PRO! Watch out TLF'S and new kid on the bLock!

These still for sale ? I have a 125 gallon that finished Cycle about 1 week ago ....been up and running about 4 weeks now, looked at some baby clowns...but they would be lost in the tank!

It was a refractometer that got me into same problem originally. But it was the calibration fluid that was bad, not the meter. I have since recalibrated ( with Issiac ) and have not had a problem, but I will admit that I went to the DEEP SIX Hydrometer float style and now use the Refractometer as a back up. Even after I claibrated it ...it will still fluctuate +/- 3 degrees....depends on the moon phase i think....It will test at 1.026....then a few minutes later 1.025.....a few minutes later 1.024 and hold there. I have left it out of the box to maintain room Temp and it seems to work a little better, but the DEEP SIX reads constant ...and I know its -1 below what Issacs same meter reads. Good luck

My salinity also dropped a month ago 1.019 frog spawn went to skeleton ...snails all died.....i used the salt in the sump filter sock method ....took 3 days to get it back up...frog spawn still has not opened ....not skeleton anymore....just a little green bubbles ontop.....so been over 4 weeks....it has 2 new growths ....so i asume its still trying. I would check the alk and PO4 for a few days.

that makes more sense ... thanks Jason + Rep !!!

Jason ...What determines the day and night times ?? am and pm ?? ...I try to set it so blue on at 11 am white on at 12 pm then white off at 9 pm and blue off a 11pm and led on at 12am .... it will never work because I can seem to figure out the set times for am / pm in regards to the yellow or blue switches. or which of the 7 different setting control which plug ?? I know only one set can run at one time ..but the directions don't tell you tell you which set will raun at what times ? For now it's a standard surge protector!!

Here is the link that I got interested in...Very good read...almost makes you want to try it just because !! http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=5371

Thanks for the info....I was reading about the scrubber last night and found it intresting to say the least....I have little knowledge in SW and after reading the few articles I found myself wondering if this is such a superior system...meaning it only removes the " bad" organincs....and the actual cost of the system....then why do more people not use it ?? I can see the yellowish water forming ....that makes since....maybe in the day it was popular there was not sufficient information or products available for dosing the tanks with supplemental elements? Was a interesting read .....but I'm not convinced enough yet to " scrap the skimmer " or the water changes...but I see some people actually do this and they report good results.

Anyone have one, or any experience with one ?? I found a great webiste that has a DIY one that has a great explanation and instructions on how to...with pictures even!! Was curious about this as I am at that point in my 125 gallon setup.....to skim or scrub ??

NICE !! THank You !!

It came with the used setup I bought...and I can't figure it out ?? I have looked all over the internet for a manual and am coming up blank. Anyone know where I can get one...or a web link ?? I have tried the main coralife site ...and many others with no luck. This day and night seperate timer thing has me confused as to how to program it. If I understand it right, the yellow outlets are for daytime...and the blue is for night time.....but what if you want the lights to come on at 10am and go off at 8pm ?? only have 1 plug from lights ?? Pulling my hair out !!!

It acts like a feather duster .....touch it and it disapears ...but it has no tube ?? it looks like a small kenya tree...but it totally retracts into the sand ?? I found in in the Refugium ??

is that a bubble tip or long teniticle?? she looks happy!!

Very Nice !! Thanks Gradth .....and even has photos for the reading impaired !!! Only difference is that I won't have a fuge in my sump .....thats why i was thinking of the empty space in the middle and inlet and outlet on either end ??

Thanks wobble ....I have his site and really like his designs ....was just wondering if anyone has any additional experiences ....or input

I'm ready to start on the sump ( 55 gallon ) for my 125 gal DT ......It will be seperate from the DT and in another room ( garage ) I also have a different 55 gal for the fuge which will be elevated slightly higher then the sump. Both are acrylic tanks ...The 125 DT is Glass. My question is .....When designing and installing the bubble traps is there a set height or distance that works the best ?? closer to the inlet side ...or outlet side ? I understand the 3 walls and there 1 inch apart placement .....and I can adjust the water depth slightly in the sump.....and that I need room for the DT and Fuge to drain back into when a power outage occurs.....I am going to install the skimmer and water inlet on one end and the outlet pump on the opposite end....and want the space in the middle for either an extra frag tank / QT tank ( seperate 10 gallon inside ) or additional LR area...who knows .... Should I set it all up w/o bubble traps .....see how it flows...then come back and install them at the determined water levels ?? I want to utilize the maximum amount of volume I can ...allowing only 3-4 inches room at top...after an outage occurs. Anyone have something similar? or have a good estimate of how much room I would need for power outage back flow ?? My 90 flows back about 4 inches in my sump which is about 12x20x16 Any advise is greatly appreciated !

Impur...Thats the fluid I bought and it was testing 30 ppm not 35ppm as i was informed. When i bought it I tested it at 77 degrees and I had to call Marine Depot for the conversion from 53mS. They said I should calibrate the meter to 35 pm with the fluid. I did...ran a few weeks and added my first coral, Frog spawn ....it never opened and I went to Sea Horse and Issiac tested the salinity and it was at 1.016 !! I returned home and tested the water again with the meter...1.024. I recalibrated the meter with the same fluid again at .35 @ 77 degrees.....tested the water and again 1.024....took the calibration fluid to Sea Horse and tested the actual fluid.....30 ppm. I called Marine Depot and was told that the fluid I purchased is for the " Pin Point Salinity MONITER and not the meter....but thats what they sell to everyone ....and I must have gotten a bad batch! ! I guess %&@* happens. I would recomend everyone to test their meters monthly....and test it against a known....and set it to a salinity level close to what our purposes are 1.023 - 1.026 if setting it to zero RO water ......it very well could be off +/- 5 at the higher scales .....but hey...if your fish / corals are happy.... why change. They all adjust a certain amount. IMO

I bought and tested the solution for my Marine depot meter...Andy I think you were there at Sea Horse that day shooting coral center folds! I didn't even know I was having a salinity problem until my new purchased Frog Spawn wouldn't open....water tested at 1.016 and meter read 1.024....We tested the purchased solution and it tested 5 points low ...needless to say I dumped the water out and recalibrated to Sea Horse's water ...and its now working perfect. I still check it once a week to ensure its holding it calibration. Andy brought up a good point regarding what levels to test at....some say RO water to 0 is good .....some say you should have salt content in your water to properly test it ....but Andy mentioned that its accuracy could be restriced to a certain parameter within the scale.....1.020 -1.030 for example...and if you test to 0..then it would be off at the higher levels!! Me personally.....I felt it was better to calibrate it at the level I wanted it to test at....so I used the water from tank that I knew was good.....and set it to that. Thats what I get for not paying attention in biology!!!

I have a Corallife Super Skimmer 125 on the tank ( 90 gallon Glass ) ...its working 1/2 way between wet and dry skim mode .....and I directed more flow to the affected area....it is yellow at night then when the lights come on it will turn the red color...then back to yellow as lights go out. I have a few small patches of red on a few rock points and a rock in the fuge has a little red....Sand is all clean.. ( thanks to the diamond gobie ) hopefully its a passing trend..... On a good note.....I think my frog spawn is pulling thru...its had a hard 2 weeks ..and I caught my Bicolor Pysecudochromis tonight...only took and hour !! Used a glass mason jar, rubber band and a small stick with a string...was better then fishing !! even the dog gets a bone once in awhile !! Thanks all for the advise and support !