Cali Kid Corals

bondolo's defunct tanks

I'm setting up a calcium reactor to reduce the maintenance demands of having to mix up two part batches every 21 days or so. The combined tanks consume about a half gallon each of BRS recipe 2-part a week. Seems really high to me but testing levels bears out that that's what it is consuming.
 
I'd love to see your tanks closer up. Any more photos? Congrats on accomplishing the upgrades! Although I guess you're getting into calcium reactor now...
 
bondolo said:
I'm setting up a calcium reactor to reduce the maintenance demands of having to mix up two part batches every 21 days or so. The combined tanks consume about a half gallon each of BRS recipe 2-part a week. Seems really high to me but testing levels bears out that that's what it is consuming.
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Seems a bit high, but I am only basing it on pictures from previous page in this thread.

Check you Mg. It might be precipitating out.
 
A week before leaving town for a month both of my seaswirls failed. Fixed one up from the combined parts and order replacement motor and movement arm. Original calcium reactor solenoid failed the day before I was to leave. I was glad to have left the dosers set up and filled. Milwaukee RMAed the solenoid when I returned.

Better flow from the now repaired sea swirls and improved pH from calcium reactor has been good for the tanks. Everything is really starting to take off, even before I did the first water change in about six weeks.
 
bondolo said:
A week before leaving town for a month both of my seaswirls failed. Fixed one up from the combined parts and order replacement motor and movement arm. Original calcium reactor solenoid failed the day before I was to leave. I was glad to have left the dosers set up and filled. Milwaukee RMAed the solenoid when I returned.

Better flow from the now repaired sea swirls and improved pH from calcium reactor has been good for the tanks. Everything is really starting to take off, even before I did the first water change in about six weeks.
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It’s always right before a trip that stuff fails. How does it know?
 
Considering doing a restart on the 92G corner tank. I have been fighting a losing battle for 2 years against red/blue clove polyps. I thought I had the upper hand for a while by doing aggressive toothbrushing. but the victory was only temporary and they have come back ever stronger. I've tried the suggested treatments; raising mag and reducing white light to no avail. I have not tried a long spine urchin which supposedly might work (I think finding the right species to the pest is too much of a crap-shoot).

I plan to move the fish and corals out to the frag tank incrementally and make sure that the clove polyps don't come along.

I haven't decided whether just go dark and wrap the tank in black plastic for a month or go dry for a couple weeks and then restart with a separate skimmer until water quality reaches acceptable levels before reconnecting the systems.
 
Want to try a purple urchin as seen in this old photo? Not foot-long spines, but still long and has a voracious appetite.

appetite.
urchins-jpg.4025
 
bondolo said:
Considering doing a restart on the 92G corner tank. I have been fighting a losing battle for 2 years against red/blue clove polyps. I thought I had the upper hand for a while by doing aggressive toothbrushing. but the victory was only temporary and they have come back ever stronger. I've tried the suggested treatments; raising mag and reducing white light to no avail. I have not tried a long spine urchin which supposedly might work (I think finding the right species to the pest is too much of a crap-shoot).

I plan to move the fish and corals out to the frag tank incrementally and make sure that the clove polyps don't come along.

I haven't decided whether just go dark and wrap the tank in black plastic for a month or go dry for a couple weeks and then restart with a separate skimmer until water quality reaches acceptable levels before reconnecting the systems.
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Sounds a lot like my Majano problem, except more colorful.
If you are spending all the effort, I would suggest a complete reboot. Dry, maybe even some bleach.
Once things are out, it is not so bad, and you are then SURE they are gone.
It allows you to make a few repairs/tweaks to the tank that might be pending.
And you can really scrub the old rocks/sand/tank. That means no giant nitrate explosion when you restart.
Although it does mean a full cycle and the long time that takes, so your "temporary" system needs to be done well.
 
I haven't done a restart because I am planning to move in about a year and will be taking down the tanks permanently when I move. I am very glad that I have been able to have 2+ years with my dream tanks so I am just enjoying them for the time I have left. The clavularia is annoying and has killed bunch of other corals but I am going to tolerate it. My move will be to Hawaii where I don't plan on keeping a tank–I would rather just go snorkelling or diving than spend time cleaning.
 
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