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Chris' Elos 160 (1 Viewer)

ChristopherKriens said:
I just picked up a bucket from Bulk Reef, but it was about $65. That sounds like a better deal from PetSolutions, and you don't have to cart a heavy bucket around. The levels seem much more appropriate for my system.

Their advertised levels are:
  • Salinity: 1.026 sg
  • Calcium: 420-440 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 7.8-8.2 dKh
  • Magnesium: 1250-1310 ppm

My measured levels after mixing 5 gallons for 24 hours are:
  • Salinity: 1.026 sg
  • Calcium: 380 ppm
  • Alkalinity: 7.8 dKh
  • Magnesium: 1280 ppm
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Got the same on the way from BRS. Like the numbers you tested.
Did you test also for Potassium?
 
MAXreefer said:
Got the same on the way from BRS. Like the numbers you tested.
Did you test also for Potassium?
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I don't have a way to measure potassium just yet; have you found this an important parameter to track? I'm not even sure what the unit of measurement is, but if I had to guess I would say it's about 2 bananas
:banana::banana:
 
Hopefully you're not sick of me photo spamming yet :biglaugh2: A couple weeks ago the people who work on the Ecosmart Live App requested a custom photo for the login screen. The interface layout was set in stone, so I had to compose an interesting photo that would showcase both the lights and the pump in the small open area of the interface. It took quite a few tries and lots of mysis, but I finally got a keeper. I'm pretty excited-

Mocked up:
iphone5-mockup.jpg


Here is the actual image
 
Congrats!
Soon I'll be looking at your tank when I'm working on mine; just need to get myself a ReefLink now.

Switching topics...
I have the Red Sea Colors Test kit for potassium which I test infrequently (very intensive testing method).
But the Red Sea Program advertises that the potassium helps boost the red colors in corals.
Not sure how this interacts with your low nutrient method of reefkeeping, but something to possibly look into.
I have not been very aggressive with the Red Sea Colors program as my corals' colors are fine. I seem to find that the Iron and Iodine levels fluctuate the most. But I have thought about what it would do if I dosed regularly.
And I'm still using IO Reef Crystals.
 
Your fish are celebrities LOL.

I'm interested to hear how you are running your Radions. I'm liking the full spectrum look.
 
jlanger said:
...But the Red Sea Program advertises that the potassium helps boost the red colors in corals.
Not sure how this interacts with your low nutrient method of reefkeeping, but something to possibly look into.
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That's interesting. Red is probably the toughest color for me, I will have to read up on this.

Kepler said:
I'm interested to hear how you are running your Radions. I'm liking the full spectrum look.
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I'm using all of the colors, but green is pretty minimal; I don't like the look and from what I've read, it isn't necessary to peak in that area of the spectrum. I wish that Ecotech would replace the greens with a cyan or something in the 475nm range. I don't know how it would look, but there's a pretty large area of missing chlorophyll absorption there (according to the graphs I've seen)

Some of the schedule timing is admittedly influenced by when I'm home to see the tank, but I've adjusted intensities appropriately.

Here is my graph:
graph_2.22.14.png



This is the calculated spectrum at peak:

spectrum_2.22.14.png
 
ChristopherKriens said:
I'm afraid I don't have a way to measure potassium just yet; have you found this an important parameter to track? I'm not even sure what the unit of measurement is, but if I had to guess I would say it's about 2 bananas
:banana::banana:
Click to expand...


:)
Well for the Zeovit system and other low level setups I shows good Potassium levels are important especially for SPS.
I tried both test kits. Salifert and Korallenzucht.
 
For the next few weeks I'll be working on getting some Purple Queens acclimated. This species is often listed as expert-only, and after this past week I might have to agree. They don't seem to recognize as food what I normally feed my other anthias. The brine shrimp hatchery has been cooking non-stop and luckily they all took to it after a day or two, which will buy me some time. I think the trick will be to get them eating a food that will sustain them long term.

I received a trio about a month ago that succumbed to uronema marinum almost immediately, which seems to be a common fate for planktivores. This batch was given a freshwater dip and is being treated with formalin- adding to an already challenging situation.

Strangely, the largest of the group is giving me the most trouble accepting new foods. I'd love to hear from anybody that has experience getting this species onto normal foods. So far, a few have started eating cyclop-eeze. They show intent to feed and get excited when I add food to the water, but spit it back out 50-60% of the time. Picky buggers.

This is my progression plan:
Live baby brine shrimp → Cyclop-Eeze/Ova → Ground up pellets → 0.5mm SA pellets

 
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I have a pair of purple queens (Male and female) in my tank for two months now, good eaters no problems, progression was Ova, mysis and blackworms. never started with live food. Ova was key for me. They need shelter/cave even in QT to feel comfortable, they are a somewhat shy fish.
 
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Jonty said:
I have a pair of purple queens (Male and female) in my tank for two months now, good eaters no problems, progression was Ova, mysis and blackworms. never started with live food. Ova was key for me. They need shelter/cave even in QT to feel comfortable, they are a somewhat shy fish.
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Thanks, good to hear a success story. Ova is working great and they do have some places to hide in quarantine; although on their own, they are pretty confident and out most of the day. Hopefully, the abundance of anthias in the display will encourage them. They are eating relatively well after the first week; I've never been so happy to see a bowel movement. For now they are passive feeders and will wait until food comes to them in the flow, only deviating slightly from their course. This may be a side effect of the food being so small, but in any event this feeding behavior won't be sufficient once they have competition as the other anthias are now even biting my fingers before I release their food.
 
After having some time to work with them this weekend, all four purple queens have taken to selcon-enriched Hikari mysis, so I think I'm in the clear. :icon_rock: I will fatten them up and treat with prazi for at least another week.

I dusted off the camera this evening for some more coral pics.















 
So you are bringing your camera to my house meeting; correct?

Great picks as always!
When are you publishing your very own calendar?
 
Chris the tank looked fantastic in person!! I bet it will look even better when you get those Queens in too!
 
Bodegus said:
Could you share a diagram of your sump? I am having trouble picture all amazing-ness.
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I don't blame you, there's a lot of stuff crammed in there. My description will hopefully make more sense with a visual of the layout:
sump_layout.jpg

ChristopherKriens said:
The overflow water comes down on the right where it's heated and pulled into the skimmer. Skimmer output runs through a single filter sock and then rises through two chambers that contain some ceramic balls, chaeto, and media bags with carbon or GFO as needed. Water then flows back into the main compartment, most of which gets returned. A small fraction of it goes through the biopellet reactor which ends up getting skimmed again.
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i believe it is the standard ELOS setup you get when you by the package.
 
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