Lost Creek 270

[CarlaW]

That don't look too bad Kevin.

 

[LostCreekReefer]

That don't look too bad Kevin.

I'm getting happier with those numbers!

 

[LostCreekReefer]

Tests for today @ 8:59PM as follows: Temp = 78.8 & pH = 8.11
SpGr = 1.027, Salinity = 38
Alk = 8.008 dkh
Ca = 460 ppm
Mg = 1440 ppm

 

[CarlaW]

A big thumbs up

 

[LostCreekReefer]

I have no idea what my parameters are. I'm in AZ cycling, poor Debbie has had to learn the protein skimmer - mesh wheel pump restart sequence...much to her dismay. When they get a notion to be a pain, they are a royal friggin' pain in the buttocks! I was telling her what to do over the phone the first night I was gone ( Hi hon, I love you, the $^%@^$@ pump stopped now what do I do? Are the fish going to die? You have too many hobbies. stuff like that) & I suspect she was hoping for something more definite than rotate & wiggle things until it starts. It has been going for 4 days now w/o stopping and another is on the way from Reef Geek. lotsa fun!

 

[DevonM]

I have no idea what my parameters are. I'm in AZ cycling, poor Debbie has had to learn the protein skimmer - mesh wheel pump restart sequence...much to her dismay. When they get a notion to be a pain, they are a royal friggin' pain in the buttocks! I was telling her what to do over the phone the first night I was gone ( Hi hon, I love you, the $^%@^$@ pump stopped now what do I do? Are the fish going to die? You have too many hobbies. stuff like that) & I suspect she was hoping for something more definite than rotate & wiggle things until it starts. It has been going for 4 days now w/o stopping and another is on the way from Reef Geek. lotsa fun!

Oh the joy! Things always seem to go wrong when you're not around. When I had a freshwater 170 gal. the power went out while I was gone and about drained itself (back flow valves didn't work). Poor Shelby was in a panic then! Glad it wasn't a saltwater tank!

 

[LostCreekReefer]

Debbie got it going & the new pump from ReefGeek came so things were fine. I just got back this morning late, so Debbie will be relieved (that I will take care of the tank now). Ha!

 

[DevonM]

Debbie got it going & the new pump from ReefGeek came so things were fine. I just got back this morning late, so Debbie will be relieved (that I will take care of the tank now). Ha!

That's great!

 

[LostCreekReefer]

Tests for today @ 2:30PM as follows:
Temp = 78.4 & pH = 7.89 (Actinics on for only 1 hour)
SpGr = 1.027, Salinity = 38
Alk = 8.456 dkh
Ca = 440 ppm
Mg = 1425 ppm
PO4 = 0.04 ppm
NO4 = 0.00 (never had a reading...new test kit needed?)
Fish happy, corals growing.

 

[CarlaW]

The only thing that looks a bit suspicious is the ph Kevin. What does it swing to during the day? Are you dripping Kalkwasser at night by any chance?

The salinity is up there too, but if your corals are happy, who am I to say .

PS.__ I don't have a nitrate test kit, I tossed mine last year .

 

[LostCreekReefer]

Yeah, the pH...It swings 0.25 - 0.3 during the day. I checked it at 8PM last night, it was right up there at 8.08. I did my tests just after the lights came on, so there you go. The Kalk drips 24/7. I am trying to lower the salinity a bit over time (months) we shall see how that works.

 

[CarlaW]

OK, if that Ph works for you there is not much I can say then, You can't change something that is working just fine can you?

 

[LostCreekReefer]

We are also at the end of 'wood burning' season...the pH may run 0.1 - 0.2 lower in the winter vs summer with the house opened up. 8.35 or 8.45 is about as high as it gets. I used to get freaked out by the lower number in the winter, but tied to a wood burning appliance 15 feet away & the house closed up with 5 people & 2 dogs overnight, this is where the reading usually is. The lower *reported* number was a function of when I read it in relation to the light cycle. It works & everything is growing well. An interesting aside is with the Mg up where it should be, there is virtually no build up of crust (Ca & Alk) on the pumps now. I cleaned all of the Tunze pumps after 3 *months* and found nothing but a bit of slime (new word for that is biofilm). Much easier than jammed pumps every 3 - 4 weeks; thanks Rob (I think you mentioned that some time ago)!

 

[CarlaW]

Good point about the lower Ph during the winter.

 

[LostCreekReefer]

Charlie has asked for pictures (I think Devon & Kim did too...) I have been cleaning away at the acrylic, so here are some pictures. Yes, there is algae....but the fish are happy! Obviously a work in progress.

 

[CarlaW]

Stuff looks good, I think we created a monster . Damn, you can grow that there sps stuff can't you.

 

[LostCreekReefer]

The size of the colonies is part of my cleaning problem...too close to the acrylic. I am predicting some massive fragging and clear-cutting happening in the not-to-distant future. Some of the coral on top of the rocks are 10" high and REALLY screw up the water flow.

 

[CarlaW]

They do that don't they, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the joys of growing SPS coral, ain't it fun.

 

[sarmo]

The size of the colonies is part of my cleaning problem...too close to the acrylic. I am predicting some massive fragging and clear-cutting happening in the not-to-distant future. Some of the coral on top of the rocks are 10" high and REALLY screw up the water flow.

i totally agree!!! seems like it would be cool to have a tank that you could add depth and width to as your corals grew. although you would still have the flow problem in the middle of the colonies.
your corals and fish look great Kevin.

 

[DevonM]

The tank looks great! Soon it will be tank season again and I will need to do some cutting also. Rob's hammer coral has really been growing in our tank. It seems to reach out a little bit further each day, not really sure what to do. Last time I tried to frag it all the heads just fell off. It's touching the blue ridge now and heading for the scroll...