Marty's 450g (1 Viewer)

[marty9876]

Marty needs to go sit in a corner for 6 weeks (2 more weeks from today) until the bio pellets kick in.... No complaining about them until 6 weeks has passed.

The chaff is due to the nature of the AIO pellets product. The confusing part is I get contradictory recommendations on how to run them- Jonty's mission is to tumble the living snot out of them (aggressive tumbling rate) based on the pellet manufacturer's recommendation and the reactor's manufacturer, who also runs AIO pellets, says a real low tumble 1-2" above resting state is the target.

All in all I doubt the tumble rate is a make or break setting for these or any other bio pellet product. I get confused on the tumble rate vs. the effluent rate. As the recirc input plugs this is obviously starts changing on it's own to some degree.

I've basically just ran the thing wide open in most all regards. Perceived problem is that intake plugging.

 

[Jonty]

Marty needs to go sit in a corner for 6 weeks (2 more weeks from today) until the bio pellets kick in.... No complaining about them until 6 weeks has passed.

Try 8-12 weeks sometimes

 

[marty9876]

Try 8-12 weeks sometimes

party pooper

 

[ChristopherKriens]

party pooper

Mom always said a watched biopellet reactor never denitrifies.

 

[acharpenter]

Mom always said a watched biopellet reactor never denitrifies.

:doh::doh::doh::doh:

 

[jlanger]

Mom always said a watched biopellet reactor never denitrifies.

:doh::doh::doh::doh:

Yep... I'm ready for Thursday. All 24 hours!

 

[mflander]

Yep... I'm ready for Thursday. All 24 hours!

Oh man I can't wait!!! Family tradition around here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Adam G]

Fish washing machine keeps plugging up. I'm going to buy a different one, I've convinced myself Samsung washers just can't handle sediment. LG, Whirlpoop (LOL on typo) and Elextrolux seem to be winners in this regards. I'd have already bought a new (used) one if things were nto so busy. Plus, I'd like to drive it around but driving on the yard right about now seems like a bad idea. If only I knew someone who lived in the Elko/New Market area to help me lug a washer down the stairs so I don't have to drive on the yard...

Fish washing machine keeps plugging up. I'm going to buy a different one, I've convinced myself Samsung washers just can't handle sediment. LG, Whirlpoop (LOL on typo) and Elextrolux seem to be winners in this regards. I'd have already bought a new (used) one if things were nto so busy. Plus, I'd like to drive it around but driving on the yard right about now seems like a bad idea. If only I knew someone who lived in the Elko/New Market area to help me lug a washer down the stairs so I don't have to drive on the yard... [/QUOTE/]

Just let me know. I will help you get the old one out and new one in. I just bought new washer and dryer combo not long ago. I went with the best old school top load I could find and they were still way cheaper than the fancy front load. Those super efficient new ones just don't wash that great. Kinda hard getting clothes clean using almost no water, go figure. Even the "new" old school one with load balancing and auto detect this and electronic sensing that is a PIA. You may want to consider finding a 10 year old one with little use that just shoots in water to the level you choose, agitates, and rinses. I am all for conserving water but I also think all these federal guidelines complicate simple things!

 

[Adam G]

Its the nature of the pellet once the bio pellets kick of it reduces drastically, Marty's #'s are so high he needs to dose vinegar and LaCl until PO4 and Ntrates are reduced and biopellets are fully cycled IMHO

I keep telling him just feed less. I think that is less fun than feeding 2lbs of frozen a day and then trying to figure out how to reduce his levels with clean up crews, coral algae scrubber tanks, skimmers, reactors, chemicals, socks (see plugged washing machine must buy new one post), additives, bio pellets, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

 

[marty9876]

Victory is mine!!!!!!! Two weeks, two different fish traps, too many swear words and the little prick of a Semilarvartus Butterfly is out of the tank. I've trapped that fish a half dozen times before, guess this time he smarted up until the call of the mysis was just too much. I added some Sps to the tank and well this guy basically eats coral, constantly. Does wonders on aptashia but hammers everything else. Odds are I'll need to get some file fish down the road when the aptashia comes roaring back. That's Martys problem of a few months from now.

Knocked down the frag tank, or more precisely scraped all the algea out and moved any half alive corals to the display tank. Cut way back on lighting, threw some fish in there and called it good. Was nothing but a sludge pond of nasty algea.

Biopellets might be kicking in, I'm hopeful. Phosphate control is dialed in, .03 last test with running on cruise control for a few weeks.

Upgraded my skimate retention system (SRS), yup I put the bucket in a bucket. Genius huh? It's got to be one of my proudest moments. I'm so sick of wet feet from overflows. For some reason I hate the idea of a float switch based shut off system for the skimmer, I just really don't want to disconnect a wire every time I dump the pail. Yea, I don't get it either. First world problems.

I'm toying with the idea of getting the apex leak detection system. Little spend at $100 for the first one kinda hurts.

 

[jlanger]

I just really don't want to disconnect a wire every time I dump the pail. Yea, I don't get it either. First world problems.

Based on your recent findings, maybe if you constantly watch the SRS it won't overflow.
But seeing how things have been progressing, make sure you have another bigger bucket to put the bucket in a bucket into when that one begins to overflow.

How's the White-tailed Bristletooth settling in?

 

[marty9876]

Based on your recent findings, maybe if you constantly watch the SRS it won't overflow.
But seeing how things have been progressing, make sure you have another bigger bucket to put the bucket in a bucket into when that one begins to overflow.

How's the White-tailed Bristletooth settling in?

Ohh no, I've thought this through. There's this new stuff called Fluid Routing System (FRS) which I'd use to connect the SRS to the floor drain via FRS. I think the layman call FRS a 'hose'. Stick a bulkhead in it, cram a hose on and call it good. Violates the unlimited skimmer drain potential rule which ain't good and my primary concern with any manual based SRS.

It's hard keeping all this made up acronym stuff straight.

White tail tang is doing great. It's amazing how some fish are way skittish in QT but in non-QT enviroment they do great. Only problem is now that I don't have a frag tank dunno what I'm going to do with him. Odds are I'll try and sneak him into the DT sometime, worried the tangs in there would be pissy.

Queued up move upstairs:
Aussie Scott's wrasse
Flame wrasse
Pair platinum clowns
Whitetail bristle tooth tang

I need to figure out what else I want and get them through qt and then pile in them all at once.

 

[LowersMyBP]

Put the bulkhead in the bucket with a hose and add a valve. Keep it closed. Put the float in the bucket to shut off the skimmer. Since you have the hose and valve, open the valve to drain it. Now, you don't have to fuss with the wire on the lid?
Get really creative and pump clean water in through a bulkhead in the top to rinse it...

 

[Riley]

I'd go with what James suggested. I was going to recommend the same thing until I saw his post as I scrolled down.

What is going to become of the semilarvatus now that it has been removed?

 

[marty9876]

Yea, that James is a pretty smart cookie!

If I run this goop down the floor drain I'm worried about things stinking. Guess I could 1. install the skimmer bucket drain line into the floor drain a ways into the floor drain. 2. Work up a flush mechanism of both the bucket and floor drain. I'm worried about #2 ending up with a bucket with hoses and valves all over the place. Additionally, technically my Apex breakout box is full so I'd need another pH/ORP or Salinity module to connect a second break out box.

Or just feed less/differnet foods so the skimmer stops overflowing. Na... to easy.

 

[marty9876]

What is going to become of the semilarvatus now that it has been removed?

Dunno yet. Worried the aptashia will come roaring back in the DT. Plan A, try file fish. Plan C, if the corals die give up on corals and throw him back in. Plan B, butterfly dominated tank.

 

[Adam G]

Victory is mine!!!!!!! Two weeks, two different fish traps, too many swear words and the little prick of a Semilarvartus Butterfly is out of the tank. I've trapped that fish a half dozen times before, guess this time he smarted up until the call of the mysis was just too much. I added some Sps to the tank and well this guy basically eats coral, constantly. Does wonders on aptashia but hammers everything else. Odds are I'll need to get some file fish down the road when the aptashia comes roaring back. That's Martys problem of a few months from now.

Knocked down the frag tank, or more precisely scraped all the algea out and moved any half alive corals to the display tank. Cut way back on lighting, threw some fish in there and called it good. Was nothing but a sludge pond of nasty algea.

Biopellets might be kicking in, I'm hopeful. Phosphate control is dialed in, .03 last test with running on cruise control for a few weeks.

Upgraded my skimate retention system (SRS), yup I put the bucket in a bucket. Genius huh? It's got to be one of my proudest moments. I'm so sick of wet feet from overflows. For some reason I hate the idea of a float switch based shut off system for the skimmer, I just really don't want to disconnect a wire every time I dump the pail. Yea, I don't get it either. First world problems.

I'm toying with the idea of getting the apex leak detection system. Little spend at $100 for the first one kinda hurts.

Genius!

 

[marty9876]

4 hours, $100 bucks, more f bombs than I can count and a new spears gate valve installed which makes basically no difference.

I don't get it. Guess maybe with the 20' plus of nearly horizontal run between the sump and the herbie gate value it's just never going to be perfect.

Issue is extreme touchiness, 1/64th of a turn and it's basically not a siphon and as little as can be moved the other way its a fair amount down the emergency drains.

 

[Kepler]

Can you lower the main standpipe to give you some more leeway?

Have you thought about adding a ball valve to the return in order to cut back on the flow rate? (Less going up, less coming down.)

 

[marty9876]

Can you lower the main standpipe to give you some more leeway?

Have you thought about adding a ball valve to the return in order to cut back on the flow rate? (Less going up, less coming down.)

I raised the emergency pipes up 1" with no change. I've thought about reducing the main standpipe, or actually eliminating it (no screen then either). Challenge is I need it talk enough to be able to remove for maintenance. I think I could pull and 1" or 2 out of it but that's about all.

Near as I can understand the distance between the stand pipes technically only needs to be enough to allow the main to some up to full siphon. More seems like it would make life easier but I dunno. More tinkering I guess. Downside is .5" of water difference in a 8'x3' foot print is a lot of water difference in the sump. Messes up the skimmer and level floats etc.