Ken can you see the biopellets moving in the reactor? (is it setup where you can look at the biopellets carefully) Many people who used the TLF reactors found they quickly caked up with the mulm from the bacteria. This often causes the pellets to stop moving and the bacteria crashes and the reactor becomes void of oxygen. Just keep a close eye and make sure they keep moving.
Glad to hear the color is coming back and things are doing fine.
yeah, tumbling. im using a larger RIO pump. 350 gph? but i might have to clean the screens soon.
Update:
Still battling this algae. I think it is very slowly going away. It takes about 2 days to get stringy now. My skimmer has been working overtime it seems as it has been pulling out a lot more skimmate then it did before. My 20g tank is almost algae free now since I scrubbed the rocks and everything seems to be a lot happier in there also.
A slow road to recovery
Good to hear, Jeff. So, I’m guessing by hooking up the large amount of GFO and carbon on the BRS dual reactor is working?
Could not tell you since I have done so much LOL. But I think everything is doing its own little part. Another thing I recently just noticed was that my fuge does not have the life it used to have in it. So I am think that when I was gone and the temp got so hot it also killed off the life in their. Which in return could be partial to the problems I have been running across. I am planning on re stocking the fuge one of these days as I have put both mandarins in the same tank now and the wild caught green spotted mandarin has not even touched the ORA blue mandarin. The mower blenny and red lip blenny also seem to be doing well in the same tank.
[quote=“reefman66, post:64, topic:5771”]
Good to hear, Jeff. So, I’m guessing by hooking up the large amount of GFO and carbon on the BRS dual reactor is working?[/quote]
thats what i think is the main thing that works, at least in mine phosphate reduction was one of the “many” things i did like jeff… now after jeffs info, thats what i’m thinking, it sounds close to my experience
this was very noticeable with my system also…
[quote=“JustSumGuy, post:65, topic:5771”]
. Another thing I recently just noticed was that my fuge does not have the life it used to have in it.[/quote]
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glad to hear theres progress :
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Thanks, I am hoping to be rid of this stuff
Still battling this stuff. I have found some other reads about it that involve raising PH levels.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php
So if anyone has tips for running kalkwasser please clue me in 
What si the best way to use it without buying another reactor/strirrer.
1st off, a ph meter is a must if you’re going that route… kalk can get the ph off the charts quickly if you’re doing more then just a light dosing with top-off water… even then i would still use a meter :TWOCENTS
as far as info, thats a good read u linked… when i did it in my tank i also read this one on low ph causes and cures (very helpful in determining if you have a low ph inducing setup/ environment) http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php
and this one tells all about kalk… very easy, very cheap and widely used with great success maintaining a reef…not only for jacking ph
great read http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
when i used lime, i made it in a bucket, or gallon jug and left the crud on the bottom and dripped in the clear water…
one day a stirrer/ auto top-off would be my ideal though
Until I sell one of my cars I can not afford to dump anymore money into the tank. Car sales have been super slow for me even with the prices being lowered ridiculously. In the past 4 months I have added over $1200 in equipment alone including the lights which were only $600.
I know, more money…more money…
again its just my opinion, but raising and maintaining higher ph levels isn’t easy ( if you’re talking about the maintaining the 8.5 some articles mention to battle the algae) , at least i don’t think i could have done it safely without the accuracy of a meter. I just never had much luck with the test kits giving me a “solid” reading, not to mention how much you’d have to test while running and tuning in a drip :TWOCENTS
I’d say go for it without the meter to just do a kalk top off, you prob know your tank/ test kit enough for that, just take it slow on the addition… drip is best ( although the drip often cruds up with deposits and changes speed frequently for me), or top off with a weak solution several times throughout the day (who feels like doin that.)
the one thing i did from the ph article was the aeration test… that showed me that my living room air made 8.1 ph water and outside air was close to 8.4
i’d let u use my meter for awhile to figure things out, but i dont have a probe for it…
How much is a probe? And you would have to show me how to use it as I am clueless. Only ph I ever tested before was in FW tanks. Never tested in SW except DKH which is somehow related. I always came up with 6-7 on kh tests.
PH is a hard one to try to do without a monitor, just look at anyone with an APEX PH graph, I know mine goes from 8.0 to 8.4 throughout the day/night, so unless you know your high point and your low point and when they hit them you could really go over your target easily.
[quote=“JustSumGuy, post:72, topic:5771”]
How much is a probe? And you would have to show me how to use it as I am clueless. Only ph I ever tested before was in FW tanks. Never tested in SW except DKH which is somehow related. I always came up with 6-7 on kh tests.[/quote]
looking online, they’re anywhere from $20 to $50… the pinpoint name brand is the most. i’m not sure if the less expensive ones are ok… i never got around to asking anyone. its easy to calibrate and use, i have the calibrating fluid on hand… and if you want to get a probe, your def welcome to borrow my meter…
[quote=“Hudzon, post:73, topic:5771”]
PH is a hard one to try to do without a monitor, just look at anyone with an APEX PH graph, I know mine goes from 8.0 to 8.4 throughout the day/night, so unless you know your high point and your low point and when they hit them you could really go over your target easily.[/quote]
good chart frank ::
is that .2 flux that critical? It is typically lower at night time or was that in the day time? I eventually want to get a APEX but its just to much at the moment with business as slow as it is. Is there any other way to test ph without electronics in SW tanks?
Do you think going with the fusion 2 part might be the safest bet for now? I tried that before with no problems. I dosed my last dose of it tonight.
sure thats safe for the 2 part
i always used baking soda and reafchem powdered calcium ( a $10 container would last me bout 2 months when everything was growing good in the big tank…
the Ca part stayed consistent for the amount consumed, but the DKH would need more babysitting, that amount could change by a tsp or two per week…
Ca i got to te point that a bi-monthly testing would be fine, but the dkh i always tested bi-weekly ( again…when the tank was banging, and i had acros growing)
“is the ph diff that much?” thats a big debate, but if you were considering the “maintaining a high level for the algae”… the dif between 8.5 and 9.1 could be huge…
honestly i don’t think the prolonged elevated ph approach did much for me…
i really think i kicked mine by starving it, and manually removing it aggressively… siphoning it often, before it could bubble up and get back into the water column; just to break down itself, and repeat the cycle…
if you suck that crap out, you can guarantee that your removing it, and whatever elements it used as “building blocks” to grow… thus, weakening the chain slowly.
I would get the best manual removal by shutting down the pumps for a couple hours before its strongest point of the day (algae) when it was “melting upwards” the most and just siphon it out along with a gallon or two of water.
i think the gfo will help a whole lot also, but it takes awhile … :TWOCENTS
its some ruthless, nasty crap, with serious staying power #@$^… i remember it had me considering torching the whole house and calling Nationwide :-)###
hang in there man, just keep clean and you’ll kick the habit
:-)lol
I have liquid IO calcium booster and a Kent DKH pro buffer. I forgot I had these still. But is there another test besides electronic to test PH?
I know the PH thing is not a guaranteed method. It works on some types of dino’s and not all types. It is something I am lacking I believe.
can dkh and ph affect coral colors in anyway?
[quote=“JustSumGuy, post:77, topic:5771”]
But is there another test besides electronic to test PH?[/quote]
as far as i know its either a meter, or regular drip drop test kit…
[quote=“JustSumGuy, post:77, topic:5771”]
can dkh and ph affect coral colors in anyway? [/quote]
I guess it depends how far away from “ideal” and for how long… i know some people could care less about ph ( that used to be me, but i think its a big piece of the puzzle now.
and dkh? thats seems like people have 7 up to 11 with good results…
basically i dunno
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Well I did a lights out for 2.5 days and I see nomore of the dino’s so I will see in the next day if its gone or not.
I am thinking maybe with the lights out it gets no photosynthetic light so that dampens the growth which makes it easier for the gfo and rowaphos to pull out the phosphates .?.
Good luck, Jeff. Hope it’ll stay away for ever.