Bpb Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I'm sorry guys. For some reason I thought we were discussing the DC return pumps. As far as the powwrheads go I'm with you fellas. Cheaper to replace a jaebo than repair a vortech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 I haven't seen a hand held pH meter under $75. Which one is the one you got? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Can't post the link for some reason but go to amazon and it's the Dr.Meter ph handheld $20 then just pick up a 7.01 and 10.01 ph calibration one time use packets from your LFS to double check it or test it on someone's tank that already has a calibrated meter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 pH Meters can be had cheap. A pH controller is the more expensive item. Just mentioning in case you guys are talking about two different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Can't post the link for some reason but go to amazon and it's the Dr.Meter ph handheld $20 then just pick up a 7.01 and 10.01 ph calibration one time use packets from your LFS to double check it or test it on someone's tank that already has a calibrated meter. Brian do you use this in a continuous application? Do you have it running at all times on your reactor? It has good reviews, but I haven't seen anything about what we're going to use it for. It would help test the effluent to make sure the pH is in the right range of 6.5 - 6.7 and it's cheaper than Pinpoint. I wouldn't set and forget your calcium reactor for 6 months. It's true that once it's set then you shouldn't have many problems with it. However, you will want to check it periodically to make sure the pH is still in an acceptable range and that the effluent is running smoothly. I have had my effluent stop several times causing alk swings in the tank. Personally, I check my water level and effluent every night before bed to make sure they are okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 +1. Apex worth every penny. And I don't even use but maybe 10% of it's capabilities. All this talk abou failing jaebo return pumps makes me really feel good about replacing mine soon The WP40 is a circulation pump so it's not as hard of a hit as the return pump going out. I bought it for $50 a little over a year ago. They have mixed reviews on reliability, but a lot of people say they have had them multiple years without problems. Mine doesn't appear to have anything wrong with it except that it doesn't work. Like Ty said, any resistance will cause the blades to stop but I got it into a bucket of water and it stayed on. What has me thinking that it's the controller is that the pump stops when I change the mode. For example, if I start it on H1 then it will keep running, but if I change to H2 then it shuts down and won't start again until I turn the blades. After running it bleach water for a few hours and then soaking it overnight, I ran it in fresh water for a while and then installed it back into the tank. I found that the pump will run on H1 (Full Speed) after I manually spun the blades with a thin piece of metal. I completed the housing, mounted the pump, spun the blades until it started and then put it into the water slowly. After two days the pump is still going strong. Right now I contacted the support at Fish Street and Jebao, but haven't heard back yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 No it's not continuous. I was just mentioning the handheld ph for the CaRx since that's how mine is set up and it's not too much trouble to put it into a cup and test. I'm also checking Alk/Cal at least every other day. Its just much cheaper to do it this way and get the basic reef angel then upgrade later as opposed to an Apex which is double the price and you'll still need it anyway. Automation is Automation and both products do it so the only downside is not automating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Big downside you may not be thinking about is in case something happens and your pH increases or decreases very quickly. Even checking every day, by the time you catch it, it could cause some serious complications. If my Apex didn't tell me that my pH is rising because my CO2 gas cylinder is empty, in a day my alk would have dropped from 8.0 dKh to 6.9 dKh. Give it two days and it'll probably be in the 5.8 dKh range. That'll easily cause an STN event in my tank kill off some SPS. Say the regulator fails and it starts letting tons of CO2 into the system. That would probably easily kill off most inhabitants of your tank by spiking the alk to a ridiculous level and your fish will probably get CO2 poisoning and die. Both scenarios could be caught in time if you check every day but of all the things to not monitor continously, my pH level for my reactor would not be one of them. The four parameters that swing easily and can cause disaster in my tank are temp, pH, pH of my calcium reactor effluent, and my alkalinity. 3 of the 4 are monitored continously on my system... and if they ever come up with a way to monitor alk continously, I'd be 4 for 4. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 That is good sound advice Ty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 I had thought of similar circumstances and agree that part of the draw of a controller is to notify you of these things. Having it turn off the solenoid would be beneficial. The Reef Angel is cheaper and has better support than the Reef Keeper and I appreciate you bringing it up Brian. Unfortunately, its not really available on Amazon and my gift cards can't help there. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 The reef angel is available on amazon. As for my tank's ph I have alerts sent on my phone app to let me know the following: Temp 1 > 82 Temp 1 < 76 PH > 8.2 PH <7.7 Haven't figured out how to set ATO Low on yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Wouldn't ATO low be set off by a float switch in the ato reservoir? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Yes the float switch in the reservoir but I want to set up a notification for it but it wants a value. I just need to google it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 I saw it on the forum for reef angel. If I remember right you enter <30. The RA comes with float switches, but you should get the sensors. They're more reliable and you set it to turn of the pump when the reservoir gets low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Full Tank Shot 1/12/14 Green Starburst Rock - I decided to remove all of the macro from the display. When I cut everything off of this rock it was enough to completely fill a 10" dinner plate Eagle Eyes - These were completely brown when my phosphates elevated Tricolor Undata aka True Undata Rainbow Montipora - Until I got the 3rd fixture, this coral was mostly in the shadows. In the last week or two it has really gotten some good color. Rainbow Stylophora? - I bought this stylo from RCA because the guy told me it was a Pink Cat's Paw. After about a week all of the polyps turned purple. I wonder what it will turn into. Joe Coral and Out of This World Palythoa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 A few months ago I spent a week on Padre Island, while my tank was at home simmering in DOC's. Needless to say that cyano appeared before I found the problem. I used some chemicals to remove the cyano and dinos took over. Now I'm fighting ugly gunk. From my research I have found three ways that other aquarists say they battle dinos. The first is to raise the pH to 8.7 and keep it there. I'm not really excited about trying to raise the pH every night for the next month. The next is to turn the lights out for 4 days and scrub or suck out as much as you can while it is weakened. Rinse and repeat for ...ever! The last option is to user peroxide. I looked around the internet and found some people that say they had success doing peroxide dosing. Our very own Tycredible attested to the success in his own experience. I like the path of least resistance so I will try the dosing first. I will use this particular rock to document the experiment. The first dose of 18ml in the 180g water volume was incorporated tonight. 1/12/15. I used a baby syringe to squirt the rock directly with the peroxide. If this doesn't work then I have the option of removing the rock and soaking it. Not all rocks can be removed easily so I'm hoping this is successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I like this picture despite the dinos. I'll have to ID the unknowns someday. Solid Red Acan Lords in the front center To the right of those are some Fire and Ice Zoas Center and top right are some sort of favias. I think the center one is a Merry Christmas Back left is some sort of chalice To the right of that were some Lemon Head Zoas. I've had them about a year but they haven't taken off. To the left of the top right favia is some mystery chalice. It was completely white when I got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Just a couple of quick tips I found helpful since dinos were one of the toughest fights I had: 1) I usually split up the dose (1ml for every 10 gallons) in half and dosed half in the morning and half at night. In Sascha's case, 9 ml in the morning, 9 ml in the evening for a total of 18 ml/day. 2) The information I read said to just directly dose to tank. I found it much more effective to squirt directly on the problem areas as Sascha has done. 3) Be careful how you squirt it as SPS generally don't like it and if accidentally squeezed directly on a colony/frag, it could possible kill parts of the coral. I turned off the flow and sprayed directly at the dinos, then returned the flow back to normal... being careful not to squirt too close to SPS colonies. 4) Zoas will generally close up upon introduction of the peroxide but will generally open back up after a few minutes. 5) Personally, I feel that the bacterial population of the tank will take a hit with the peroxide so I dosed Smart Start/Dr Tim's or some other type of bacterial additive after the dinos have been eliminated to re-establish bacterial populations. This however, is anecdotal as I have no direct data on this. 6) DO NOT... I REPEAT... DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF CYANO REMOVAL CHEMICAL IN THE TANK WHEN YOU HAVE DINOS. I found this out the hard way as it basically eliminates cyano in the tank and kills the one form of competition you have in the tank against dinos. Once you've eliminated the competition, dinos take over! 7) Again, anecdotal, but I've heard of a success story with Tim (Timfish), where he added tank water from another tank that didn't have a dino issue to the problem tank and it took care of the dinos. The idea is that perhaps some beneficial bacteria was introduced that eliminated the dinos whether by outcompeting it for nutrients or attacking the dinos themselves. 8) Keep an eye out for your snails. They usually take a hard hit when dinos are in the tank because of the toxins they release. 9) I would combine the hydrogen peroxide treatment with 3 days of darkness to kick it off and then a lowered light schedule (I ran at half my normal light schedule) until I got rid of the dinos. 10) Continue the treatment for 2 weeks after you don't see any visual signs of the dinos left to ensure eradication. Hope that helps! And good luck with the battle. They were one of my toughest battles in the reefing world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I had systemic Dino's that took over after a black out period for cyano removal. I will also echo the peroxide works if done correctly. One thing people may not mention is peroxide is most effective dosed at night. In my case, the Dino's would thicken and collect through the day. First thing when the lights come on...not much. Research also suggested that in dark periods they will release and swim free in the water column and during the day, colonize on surfaces. So peroxide dosing the water at night helped tremendously to eradicate them. I can only assume more of them were killed due to night dosing. I also ceased water changes, as it was suggested they like trace elements and flourish in lower nitrate levels. If I had them now, honestly I would just dose nitrates. I also ran filter sponges in the baffles and overflow and cleaned them daily. This multi pronged effect worked for me and several others I know. Took about 2-3 weeks of this treatment and once they were gone they didn't come back for me. I tend to feel like they flourish when they are at the top of the food chain. If I have some other form of algae present, it seems like they can't survive. Only after the lights out and the tank was barren of algae did they take over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks Ty. I appreciate your valuable experience. In 15 years of salt experience I've never had dinos. I don't have any snails, so we're good there. I think I will start darkness tonight. I've also heard to reduce the light period to 4 hours is a good alternative. Not many of the sps frags are covered, but one is close so I'll have to be careful. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks Bpb. I noticed the Weir and the pump covers have been getting covered and that might support your hypothesis of it detaching at night. A filter sock may help. Any tips on peroxide dosing? I did the full dose tonight. Ty dosed his in increments. I may pull out the worst rocks and bathe them. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I wouldn't bother pulling the rocks. As Bpb as indicated, they are suspected to be free-swimming during dark periods. Attacking it at any particular location wouldn't matter as much as they will recolonize somewhere else. I think it just as effective to just spray as you have done in those areas. When I dosed, my morning was complete darkness for the tank and my 2nd dose at night was before the lights went out. I felt it useful to blast what I could of my night dose directly at the dinos and then once my full amount was dispensed, to use the sea squirt to blast them off all the rocks and sand to distribute them into the water column. I felt it would be more effective for the hydrogen peroxide to attack the dinos when they aren't in a colonial mass but free floating in the water column. Bpb did bring up another good point about filter socks. Most used them during this time to remove as much dinos as possible during treatment. I didn't use any filter socks but I could imagine it would be more beneficial to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I did think about busting out the tooth brush on them, but didn't know how effective it would be. I noticed there aren't any signs of infection in the sump so a sock may not do much. Anything would help. I did a 15g water change Sunday and that seemed to help. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Rather than scrubbing with a toothbrush I would suggest grabbing a pump and throwing on a hose with a needle valve and basically power washing the rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I didn't use socks, because at the time I was using a hob overflow. I had a sponge over the drain pipe and every day it would get covered with Dino mass to the point you couldn't see the sponge. I had 4 that I rotated. Bucket of water, pull on, toss it in the bucket, replace with a dry one. Every 4 days I wash all 4. And the smell was putrid. Pest Dino's have a smell I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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