TheClark
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Posts posted by TheClark
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Wow, time flies! Going on 5 months now apparently.
So the reefbot is still running like a champ. I get regular phosphate and nitrate tests, pretty much zero effort on my part. Kind of a dream come true coupled with a Trident for the busy reefer.
Test Kits In Use
- API Nitrate saltwater: Cheap, accurate for my needs. I have the Tropic Marin ready to go, just have not used up the API yet.
- Alkalinity: Red sea
- Iodine: Colombo saltwater (had to order overseas, PM if you need some I know the guy)
- Phosphate: Red sea low range.
Some Random Pros / Cons:
+ Phosphate, Nitrate running every 2 days, interleaved.
+ Iodine test once a week. I use the iodine test to make sure I am not overdosing reef plus
+ Alk on demand, when I want to double check the trident.
- Iodine tests had to be ordered from overseas, they are hard to get.
- Running tests 4 times a day would be expensive. It's possible though.
+ Incredibly flexible, you can test all kinds of things
+ Reliable. Only one time it has been down, due to losing my wifi connections
- Slow-ish to get help when you need it. It took a few days to clear up a simple error when the reefbot somehow forgot my wifi access info.
+ Locally amazon sourced syringes and pumps are available if you need them. Documented by people in groups on FB.
- This thing is loud. You were warned
Worst thing ever when it fires off during a work call.
Dashboard thoughts
So as far as the dashboard, I have to admit, I don't use it much. I am mostly just watching the results and seeing if I need to correct anything.
For example, I slowly worked my LaCL dosing down from 12 mls per day down to zero as phosphates levelled out. It was a very controlled reduction vs some previous rapid changes / crashes in the past.
Better than Trident?
Definitely not better, more flexible. They each have their strong points.
More Flexible, More Parameters? ReefBot.
Cost Effective Testing: Trident (it is inexpensive to test alk 4x per day!)
Sound levels: Trident, no comparison
Support: That's a toss up, varies by personal account
Reliability: Probably trident, flexibility comes at a cost. A locked in experience makes it easier to support, less variables. Note that both have been great for me though.
If APEX made a Trident 2 that tested Phophate and Nitrate, I wouldn't hesitate to add it to the arsenal...
If I could only buy 1, it would be the APEX because it tests the big 3, multiple times a day, for a reasonable cost.
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Just now, obrien.david.j said:
I've been watching your posts, every time you update. How about another thread on status? A reminder, which kits you've settled in on (which chemicals, which brands, is there a bkm for buying replacement chemicals) How often you're measuring. how easy is it to see the trended results, or do you have to manually create and overlay? etc.
Ya, good thought, I need to do an update.
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On 2/6/2021 at 12:29 AM, Higher Thinking said:
I use ARM. I've always used that. I'm honestly not super savvy on the different medias, but when I was actually looking at the parameters levels, it definitely seemed like this stuff carries a good level of magnesium and other trace elements.
I would say based on your clam growth, it's working! Thanks!
I am down to my last box of reborn, but I want to mix media on the change instead of a hard change. Kind of like changing a dog's diet 😉 Touchy coral!
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On 2/5/2021 at 11:32 AM, obrien.david.j said:
Game Changers for me! The Apex yes, but the Trident YES YES! I'm still wishing they'd have Trident Rev2 for PO4 and NO3. Then I'd be set.
Congrats. And nice clean work
The reefbot has been quite good! Its an option for sure!
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9 hours ago, obrien.david.j said:
2.5" on outside, 1.77" on inside.
THANK YOU!! I can get back to work now
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Seriously though, what media you got loaded up in that bad boy?
I am sweating running out of the reborn...
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Missed this one! Next time...
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5 hours ago, BeardUp said:
Do the colored filaments cause issues or is it that we don't really know what they used to dye the plastic? Should I remove the silver PLA rack I made last night?
The latter I think. From brand to brand, run to run, we cannot be sure what was used for colorant. For example, what if they used something metallic to make the silver color? Probably unlikely but it never hurts to be cautious over cool (because silver is plain cool!)
Disclaimer: I am not a material scientist, just a fellow reefer...
There is a great (old) article on R2R about this topic too.
Pics of the rack? Sounds nice!
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My uniseals are on the way, but I could sure use a measurement.
Looking for the widest part of a 1" uniseal (the wide lip part that goes on the outside of the tank).
If you have calipers, awesome! If not a close guess with a tape measure would still be great!
Got a link? I didn't see it in the Mcmaster Carr catalog, and did not find any step or stls googling.
Thanks!!
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Many years of PLA and PETG in my tanks. Skimmer parts, frag racks, overflows. Basically any part I need.
Stick to clear, black or white as the safest colors. I usually use clear or black myself.
Lots of good threads on this including RHF himself weighed in a few years back.
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That's a great addition!
QuoteTo me, I can't imagine turning on a Maintenance output and then walking away without remembering to turn it back off as the final step.
Kids, businesses, responsibilities, places to go, life happens
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8 hours ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:
I have a 12" wide DIY model. I love mine. It pulls sooo much stuff out of the water. You do not want to be smelling the wet rolls. I need to tweak my design a bit, sometimes the paper gets bound up or the motor is strong enough when the roll gets to big. That is the price you pay with DIY. I spent $40 for a roller mat thay can handle 4,000 gph turn over.
Sounds like my kinda roller mat! Too many projects <SIGH>
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1 minute ago, SuncrestReef said:
It's pretty simple. Re-read my tutorial on Virtual Outputs:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptune-apex-programming-tutorials-part-5-virtual-outputs.703/
My first thought was "Virtual outlets, definitely not a new topic for me"
My second thought was... This is SuncrestReef I bet its a great article/post, I might pick up something new.
Let's see what you have there...
<Reading>
Looks good, as always so much good info in your posts.
FWIW - I use Feed C and D for similar effect. I like that it resets itself so I don't get distracted and forget to turn things back on.
No doubt the same could be done for a virtual outlet. That might make for a nice how-to post (How to get Feed-E, Feed-F, Feed-G with virtual outlets)
Ten bucks says you already wrote that somewhere 😉
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Why do our local PNWMAS people run them? For clear water, nutrient export? I find keeping the nutrients up without a sock difficult, so just curious.
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5 hours ago, SuncrestReef said:
That’s why I use a Maintenance virtual output to turn off multiple devices while I’m working on the sump.
That would require way too much forethought on my part! You retired people, sheesh! 😉
(PS: That's a cool way to do it)
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2 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:
one word of caution about just unplugging stuff from the apex, just have a mental checklist of things that are not supposed to run when you shut an item off via the apex. You could say... just unplug your main pump because you can't find your phone, then go to the bathroom and come back to find that you spooled through a whole roll of filter floss because the water level was so high due to no pump.
I mean.. that didn't happen to me, I would never do something like that. I heard about a guy...ummmm, on facebook. yeah it was this facebook guy.
Yeah, kinda like turning an outlet OFF or ON instead of auto. Great feature would be "On for 20 minutes" like the old bathroom fan timers. Or hey siri, turn on the ATO for 10 minutes.
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Tracking now, thanks!
I remember some guys were making custom Jebao apex pump controller wiring that involved some wire splicing and custom connectors. Charles @wanareef made me some many years ago, still in service today.
Might be possible with a harness that splits from the single wire connector back to multi wire.
I use these allot for ESP8266 and LEDs to take power off of an adaptor for example:
Good stuff!
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For power, something like this?
I have a GFCI per apex outlet, just hit the test button, similar concept, faster than scrolling through what feels like 10,000 apex outlets
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Yep, super good guy, corals, knowledge, variety and sale!
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On 1/30/2021 at 10:37 AM, cjmdh said:
Did you catch this post? I think that's a compatible driver zooming in on your other pics of drivers...
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Hydros is looking strong!
https://www.coralvuehydros.com/
Out of all the interesting information, a 4 outlet WiFi power strip for $40 is what really hit me. The APEX EBs are so dang expensive.
Will be interesting to see how it shapes up.
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If you are reading this, wondering if you should go. The answer is a DEFINITE YES! Jim's stuff is amazing, incredible variety and display and he is great to talk reef with. Go get it while you can!
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No issues here so far.
I did have a day of 'Test C Fail'. Turned out, when closing the drawer, the tubing was getting pinched. So that is one to watch out for as well.
For those not aware... The Trident troubleshooter is quite good at the bottom of this page.
https://www.neptunesystems.com/getstarted/trident/troubleshooting/
It had me run the tests with the drawer open, which fixed the problem and confirmed the cause.
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Ya, what part of your internet sucks? Certain spots in the house? Or does it suck when you are near the router as well?
Worst thing ever when it fires off during a work call.
This should be fun! ReefBot
in General Discussion
Posted
Hmmm, that is surprising! Hopefully they are thriving, not shrinking
I do know they are putting allot of focus on the Pro / Plus version that can test everything under the sun.
I did buy from the manufacturer. They are in Lebanon, it was a tricky experience to buy them. There is an FB group that is pretty responsive and good to read up at. Of course, people only post problems like all FB groups but it is good info!