ChukeeR's 266G Reef Savvy + Synergy Reef Build / Upgrade (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ChukeeR
- Start date
One month tank update!
Looking great!
I've been failing horribly at keep my build thread updated here. I've been keeping it fairly updated on R2R. Tank is pretty much as automated as I'm going to get it for now. Using Apex to control everything in the sump room and a ReefLink to control the pumps and lights.
The ReefLink was a huge PITA to get working and I even work in IT. I literally had to set it next to my router to get it to detect the wireless. Ended up hard wiring it to the range extender in my basement which is near my sump. Then I couldn't get it to detect one of my Vortechs. I power cycled all my EcoTech equipment and finally then it could see both Vortechs. The Reeflink programming for the VorTech pumps via EcoSmart Live is TERRBILE. Why do I have to click +/- to set duration versus typing in numbers???? I found it much simpler to do it via my phone. Probably because EcoTech develops their software to be mobile based as their main platform? I think I recall them mentioning that in a MACNA video from a few years ago.
I did upgrade my MP40s to MP60QDs. I love these pumps, very quiet, and tons of flow! Nice improvement over the old MP40's that I could hear whining from across the room at times. Coupled with the extra functionality that Reeflink provides (a WXM would do the same), I'm very happy with these pumps.
Was going to go with 3, but then decided to use 4 Radion G3 Pros so that I can get more even light coverage and take care of some of the shadowing. With my tank being 30" wide I was noticing that the PAR near the front and rear of the tank was pretty low and I was shooting to have a PAR of 2-300 for SPS. I've been trying out the AB+ schedule at 70% intensity from here - http://ecotechmarine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ecotech_CoralLab_WP1.pdf and so far it seems to be working out fairly well.
For nutrient export I've been dosing Red Sea's N0304-X and I've been able to keep the nitrates down between 2.5 - 5 (Salifert) and the Phosphates at .02 (Hanna Phosphorus ULR). I feed 4 cubes of PE Mysis and a half sheet of Nori per day, so I'm pretty happy that I'm able to keep things in check and only need to do a small water change every 2-3 weeks.
When I had my 90G display I was using Marinemix Reefer salt, but since my system is so much larger now I've gone the cheaper route and use regular IO, then I just dose calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. So far it seems to be working well and I'm not spending a small fortune on salt.
Current Livestock:
Pair of Snowflake Clowns
Banggai Cardinal
Blue / Green Chromis
Red Head Fairy Wrasse
Lubbocks Wrasse
Starry Blenny
3x Lyretail Anthias
African Flameback Angel
Hellfrichi Firefish
Magnificent Foxface
Gold Head Sleeper Goby
Bluethroat Trigger
Naso Tang
Yellow Tang
Right now it's moderately packed with a bunch of SPS from Battle Corals and LPS from Cherry Corals. Adam gave me some good package deals and Todd at Cherry Corals has always been great to work with. The frags have only been in my tank for about 2-3 weeks at this point, but I can see the growth as the plugs are starting to become encrusted.
Here is the most recent FTS and shot of my sump room...
I've been keeping it fairly updated on R2R. Tank is pretty much as automated as I'm going to get it for now. Using Apex to control everything in the sump room and a ReefLink to control the pumps and lights. The ReefLink was a huge PITA to get working and I even work in IT. I literally had to set it next to my router to get it to detect the wireless. Ended up hard wiring it to the range extender in my basement which is near my sump. Then I couldn't get it to detect one of my Vortechs. I power cycled all my EcoTech equipment and finally then it could see both Vortechs. The Reeflink programming for the VorTech pumps via EcoSmart Live is TERRBILE. Why do I have to click +/- to set duration versus typing in numbers???? I found it much simpler to do it via my phone. Probably because EcoTech develops their software to be mobile based as their main platform? I think I recall them mentioning that in a MACNA video from a few years ago.
I did upgrade my MP40s to MP60QDs. I love these pumps, very quiet, and tons of flow! Nice improvement over the old MP40's that I could hear whining from across the room at times. Coupled with the extra functionality that Reeflink provides (a WXM would do the same), I'm very happy with these pumps.
Was going to go with 3, but then decided to use 4 Radion G3 Pros so that I can get more even light coverage and take care of some of the shadowing. With my tank being 30" wide I was noticing that the PAR near the front and rear of the tank was pretty low and I was shooting to have a PAR of 2-300 for SPS. I've been trying out the AB+ schedule at 70% intensity from here - http://ecotechmarine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ecotech_CoralLab_WP1.pdf and so far it seems to be working out fairly well.
For nutrient export I've been dosing Red Sea's N03
04-X and I've been able to keep the nitrates down between 2.5 - 5 (Salifert) and the Phosphates at .02 (Hanna Phosphorus ULR). I feed 4 cubes of PE Mysis and a half sheet of Nori per day, so I'm pretty happy that I'm able to keep things in check and only need to do a small water change every 2-3 weeks.When I had my 90G display I was using Marinemix Reefer salt, but since my system is so much larger now I've gone the cheaper route and use regular IO, then I just dose calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. So far it seems to be working well and I'm not spending a small fortune on salt.
Current Livestock:
Pair of Snowflake Clowns
Banggai Cardinal
Blue / Green Chromis
Red Head Fairy Wrasse
Lubbocks Wrasse
Starry Blenny
3x Lyretail Anthias
African Flameback Angel
Hellfrichi Firefish
Magnificent Foxface
Gold Head Sleeper Goby
Bluethroat Trigger
Naso Tang
Yellow Tang
Right now it's moderately packed with a bunch of SPS from Battle Corals and LPS from Cherry Corals. Adam gave me some good package deals and Todd at Cherry Corals has always been great to work with. The frags have only been in my tank for about 2-3 weeks at this point, but I can see the growth as the plugs are starting to become encrusted.
Here is the most recent FTS and shot of my sump room...
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Some pics of my newer frags (from about 3 weeks ago) on the racks while they acclimate to my system...At this point the frags have nearly all covered most of the glue and some are already encrusting the plugs.
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It's been 5 months, guess I'll post a new picture!
November 2015 versus November 2016...
Comparison of a Battle Corals Red Robin, May 2016 - November 2016...
An updated fish room picture, not to much difference here...
Not to much else has changed since my last post...Trying to get my tank back under stable water parameters...being gone almost every weekend in the summer forced some of the maintenance to be neglected. Lost a couple SPS frags, but otherwise everything seems to be doing well. A lot of the SPS I got back in May has encrusted and appears to be growing nicely.
I've stopped using N03 P04-X and I'm now using bio pellets. When I used N03 P04-X I could never find the happy medium between good water parameters and no nuisance bacterial slime. Since switching to bio pellets, no more nasty snot looking stuff clogging up my pumps / reactors.
November 2015 versus November 2016...
Comparison of a Battle Corals Red Robin, May 2016 - November 2016...
An updated fish room picture, not to much difference here...
Not to much else has changed since my last post...Trying to get my tank back under stable water parameters...being gone almost every weekend in the summer forced some of the maintenance to be neglected. Lost a couple SPS frags, but otherwise everything seems to be doing well. A lot of the SPS I got back in May has encrusted and appears to be growing nicely.
I've stopped using N03 P04-X and I'm now using bio pellets. When I used N03 P04-X I could never find the happy medium between good water parameters and no nuisance bacterial slime. Since switching to bio pellets, no more nasty snot looking stuff clogging up my pumps / reactors.
I do not have any pictures...The majority of the slime was in my return pump chamber / return lines. Literally looked like someone just blew their nose into my sump. I would turn off the return about once a week, then put a filter sock over the inlet for the return and catch all the crap in my return lines. I also noticed that my mesh filter socks were clogging up daily...
I had a doser setup to dose it automatically. I calibrated the doser since the BRS dosers don't always do the advertised 1.1ml/minute.
I dosed into the sump, same chamber as the skimmer.
The stuff worked really well in terms of keeping my water params in check, and I know it's worked for other people. The slime is typically from over dosing, but as mentioned I just could never find that happy medium.
Another thing I noticed, I ran about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dosage that they recommend in their instructions...Just something to keep in mind if you're going to try it out.