Alex’s IM 150 EXT

[Alexander1312]

Still many mysteries in this hobby for me, one of it some of you call sump kung fu.

I have seen the water level continously rise in my sump, above the desired level for the skimmer (7.9 to 8.7 inch). I only realised today that this was due to a blockage caused by the growing cheato. I have removed some of the cheato now and cleaned the drain, and the water level in the other section of the sump controlled by the ATO rose by approx 3/4 inch or so instantly.

This seems to be only a temporary fix though as I would expect the cheato to continue to grow and block the drain again. Now I am probably not able in the next 10 or 20 years to achieve a spinning cheato but I was wondering how this problem could be addressed otherwise?

 

[Kensington Reefer]

I do enjoy staring at the rotating chaetomorpha ball!

Increase the surface area of the drain
That way you have more “time” before it’s clogs again
Unless you can increase the drain size

 

[Alexander1312]

Missed the CFM today which bugged me, wanted some NPS, but I had to get some tank maintenance done. Biggest achievement for me was to deep clean the skimmer for the first time since I bought it about five months or so ago. I procrastinated this as I was concerned I would not be able to put it together anymore (dismantled it completely), but despite some emotional outbreaks, it was done and has been working better than ever now.

 

[Alexander1312]

So after several months on and off this topic, I feel have everything I need to purchase an ozone setup.

However, at the 11th hour, I came across a comment from someeone who advised to not put biomedia after the skimmer with the ozone, as it will destroy beneficial bacteria.

Now I do not have biomedia in my sump, but the chamber after the skimmer is the refugium, and I wonder if ozone would have a detrimental impact on it? Any thoughts?

 

[Alexander1312]

I installed the ‚long‘ planned ozone setup on Saturday. It is pretty much outlined here by Ozotech (picture), without the flow meter (mainly because there seem to be many customization options with the flow meter; I am not sure which one to pick; in progress).

ORP was at around 130 mv when I started (using activated carbon) and is now between 310 and 325 (endpoint, Poseidon 200 setting at level 2). Water clarity has significantly (!) improved. The recirculating CO2 scrubber setup with the skimmer top cup fully enclosed does not release any ozone smell without using carbon.

The setup was super easy in connection with the Octopus skimmer. The only minor issue was that it was unclear which tubing I needed since the airline tubing I thought needed to be used was too small. I contacted Ozotech, who was super responsive and advised that the correct tubing is a 3/16 inch PVC.

 

[Alexander1312]

On the light front, I also made a couple of changes:

- Added the v2 reflectors for the Reefi Uno Pros (@Darkxerox - sorry, I did not have time for the comparisons).
- Changed the light settings to Andrew Bouwma's/lexinverts default light settings but adjusted them to 50% of his current values. These look now much (!) better than the ones I have been using previously, specifically in connection with the clarity I am getting from the ozone use.

 

[Darkxerox]

Run the fan on cooler, keeps overall temps lower on the board.

 

[Alexander1312]

Run the fan on cooler, keeps overall temps lower on the board.

Done. Thanks for the tip. I had this on cooler when I got them but switched to normal when I read in Daniel’s instructions somewhere to run them at normal. I wondered if this was really the preferred choice for the settings.

 

[Alexander1312]

Added a bunch of inverts recently, and this super pretty pin cushion urchin, almost entirely white. It is rather large, slightly too large, but just love the looks.

The other interesting critter I added was a Hawkwing Conch (hiding in the sand), and a Red Tree Sponge (also rather large). For the sponge, I would curious how this is meant to ultimately attach to the rock, or sand? And specific technique for that?

 

[Darkxerox]

Any updated full tank shots?

 

[Alexander1312]

Any updated full tank shots?

Only if you are in for the horror of a massive cyano imfestation (which I am working on). So I did not feel taking a shot, but had to take one a couple of days ago, so here you go. This was taken in the early morning, cyano gets pretty massive towards the end of the day.

 

[Alexander1312]

Added 15 lbs of live rock from KP Aquatics a week ago for two reasons: a) adding more diversity to fight my still visible LCAs, and b) to create additional hiding spaces.

 

[derek_SR]

Added 15 lbs of live rock from KP Aquatics a week ago for two reasons: a) adding more diversity to fight my still visible LCAs, and b) to create additional hiding spaces.

I thought the LCAs were defeated with silicate dosing?

What are you planning to do about the cyano? I have more than usual in my tank the last couple of weeks too.

 

[Alexander1312]

I thought the LCAs were defeated with silicate dosing?

What are you planning to do about the cyano? I have more than usual in my tank the last couple of weeks too.

Stopped too quickly the silicate and the remaining two or so per slide grew back to more, a typical mistake. Not a ton but had to restart the silicate dosing which is annoying. Fortunately, nothing in the tank suffers from it, only my eyes.

On the cyano front, which has mostly taken over the dinos now, which is actually good news, I will lower the nitrates, which were close to 30 while phosphates stayed around 0.1, and this out-of-balance seems to cause it, i.e., significantly higher nitrates than phosphates (coming from the 100:1 balance assumption, which I know you feel is myth). So the idea is to either raise phosphates or lower nitrates to get it into the 100:1 range.

I noticed it is not easy to find a product which just lowers nitrates without lowering phosphates, but Chris Woods from Captive8 recommended this one to me, which will only arrive today. In the meantime I have been using Inocul8 and NP Bacto Balance while watching phosphates to lower nitrates, which had good effect.

Oh, and I also added 50 cerith and 25 astreas. And increased flow.

Elimin8 DIN 500 mL | Captiv8Aquaculture

Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate Control for Recirculating Seawater Systems; Improves Water Clarity and Light Transmission. Homogenous liquid suspension of heterotrophic microorganisms, particularly effective at reducing dissolved inorganic nitrogen compounds. Reduces ammonia by up to 50% within 24...

www.captiv8aquaculture.com

 

[Darkxerox]

Stopped too quickly the silicate and the remaining two or so per slide grew back to more, a typical mistake. Not a ton but had to restart the silicate dosing which is annoying. Fortunately, nothing in the tank suffers from it, only my eyes.

On the cyano front, which has mostly taken over the dinos now, which is actually good news, I will lower the nitrates, which were close to 30 while phosphates stayed around 0.1, and this out-of-balance seems to cause it, i.e., significantly higher nitrates than phosphates (coming from the 100:1 balance assumption, which I know you feel is myth). So the idea is to either raise phosphates or lower nitrates to get it into the 100:1 range.

I noticed it is not easy to find a product which just lowers nitrates without lowering phosphates, but Chris Woods from Captive8 recommended this one to me, which will only arrive today. In the meantime I have been using Inocul8 and NP Bacto Balance while watching phosphates to lower nitrates, which had good effect.

Oh, and I also added 50 cerith and 25 astreas. And increased flow.

Elimin8 DIN 500 mL | Captiv8Aquaculture

Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate Control for Recirculating Seawater Systems; Improves Water Clarity and Light Transmission. Homogenous liquid suspension of heterotrophic microorganisms, particularly effective at reducing dissolved inorganic nitrogen compounds. Reduces ammonia by up to 50% within 24...

www.captiv8aquaculture.com

I use Tropic Marin bio-actif salt and it definitely drops my nitrates far more than my phosphates in conjunction with my fuge. Pretty sure it's the same carbon source as their NP Bacto Balance. In general though most carbon dosing tends to drop N faster than P from what I've seen.

 

[Alexander1312]

I use Tropic Marin bio-actif salt and it definitely drops my nitrates far more than my phosphates in conjunction with my fuge. Pretty sure it's the same carbon source as their NP Bacto Balance. In general though most carbon dosing tends to drop N faster than P from what I've seen.

Yes, this was the reason I stopped it previously when my phosphates were comparatively higher.

 

[BAYMAC]

Now I do not have biomedia in my sump, but the chamber after the skimmer is the refugium, and I wonder if ozone would have a detrimental impact on it? Any thoughts?

Ozone is used in large scale aquaponic setups where the main purpose is to grow plants.

 

[Alexander1312]

Peak lighting, showing all the issues in full color…at least no animals seem to suffer from this mess (hopefully).

 

[derek_SR]

Does your cyano exist on rocks too, or just sand?

I used to get cyano in low-flow spots on the rocks - seemed almost entirely related to flow in fact. Recently my rocks are totally clear, but it's showing up in patches on the sand kind of patterned around the base of rocks - very weird. It's ugly but I'll take it over dinos any day.

 

[Alexander1312]

Does your cyano exist on rocks too, or just sand?

I used to get cyano in low-flow spots on the rocks - seemed almost entirely related to flow in fact. Recently my rocks are totally clear, but it's showing up in patches on the sand kind of patterned around the base of rocks - very weird. It's ugly but I'll take it over dinos any day.

It started on the sand and has been creeping up onto the rocks now until the top area. Interesting though, I have moved all the pumps to the backwall, so there is a ton of cyano in the front now, but also in the back. Could be really mainly flow related since most of the frozen food will fall down on the front. I might need to reverse my gyre placement decisions, even though it looks much nicer this way now.