★ 110 Gallon (In-Wall Office Dream SPS Reef Tank) ★ PROJECT GENESIS [Total Automation, DIY & More ]★

WallyB · May 7, 2019

ScottR said:
Looks nice. How’s the heath on all the SPS frags? They’re not easy in a young tank.

SPS Frags have varied in Health. I've had a good streak (strangely when the Tank Was Young). Those Early Frags seems to have acclimated to the tank and doing the best.
My biggest challenge has been adding new Frags, and I think that's all due to improper acclimation (I think Lighting), since my Tank Lighting is now Hybird (T5/LED).
T5 ONLY was very forgiving, while after adding LED a bit less.
I may go back to T5only, but giving the LEDS a chance since the Older Frags colored up more intensely with LED (when I did the Slow Lighting Ramp up to acclimate the tank).
So from now on New Frags will go lower in the Tank for at least 6 weeks. Then bring them up slowly.
All before I place on rocks in permanent locations. (It was always so tempting to me to just Mount them up since Tank looked better right away....but didn't look better for the Long Run and they faded out over time).

WallyB · May 8, 2019

TANK Water PARAMERTERS (Reference) Before TMM Water Changer Activated.

I'll worry about the Other two Tanks Later but for Now THIS is the 110 Gallon SPS TANK
(Which will be in STAGE 1, and getting best New Water)

I don't measure Potassium that often, however it's a good Indicator of Water Change Impact (of Salt Component Elements)
The reason I mention this, is I use Topic Marin PRO Salt, and it has a Ideal K=500.

So if K is on the Low Side, and I DO NOT Dose Potassium, and there is none in (ESV Two Part which is all I DOSE).
My Current Water Changes could be not enough.

Either the (Daily AUTO) Water Changes will improve K, or I'll consider dosing KCL which I have sitting on shelf.

I WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERING (Removing or SLOWING DOWN my Algae Scrubber) if N&P Improves to my Targets. (Big Maybe)
It's actually slowed down by itself anyway, as I've been Targeting Lowering P with PhosGuard Reactor (Which I plan to remove 100%)

INTERESTING OBSERVATION (Tank Temp) 24 HOURS (with Lights ON and OFF)
I've never seen my Tank Temperature so Stable. Never Paid attention, but this must be related to SPRING Weather.
(Outdoor Temp Matches House Temp, so Furnace isn't heating, and AC isn't cooling, which mean no house Temp Swings Either).

WallyB · May 8, 2019

KITCHEN (LPS/Mixed TANK) Water Parameters ** MOST IMPORTANT **

I had to do the Kitchen Tank.....(SINCE THIS IS WHERE THE WATER CHANGER will have GREATEST IMPACT)

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Back in March I had the APEX Dosing Overdose ( 3/4 Gallon of ALK went into TANK)

ALK SPIKE to Off Charts...[I SHUT DOWN 2 Part DOSING] then I got a Reading 16 ppm, then 15, 10,
and now 2 months later Finally DOWN to TARGET=8

** Corals got Damaged, but finally I see some Recovery ** and time to start Taking Photo's of the Comeback.
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Interesting to see how ALK/CALC is Perfectly BALANCED. MAG is on Target TOO!!

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Back in April my PHOSPHATE was 1.34ppm !!! (Corals Fine),
HERE IS Proof.

my Phosphorous PPB Hanna went off Charts. WAS BLINKING 200, which meant OverRange.
So I had to get Regent for my Phosphate Hanna PPM, to get the 1.34 Reading.

I started GFO a few weeks ago and Now P is nicely at 0.35
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Now My Nitrates used to Hover around just over 50ppm (..again...Corals didn't Care and Quite Healthy) , so things got worse N=100
Here is Proof from Tonight's test.

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This will be very interesting when the Water Changer gets Running.

-> Since the Parameter Perfect NEW WATER will Help the SPS TANK
-> The SPS Tank will Help the LPS Tank, after Passing Thru the FRAG TANK.
-> I will be tuning up the Water in the Frag Tank with Dosing of some kind. (Trace Elements Replenish, at least KCL).

Side by SIDE, it's clear.

NEW-WATER->

- FRAG TANK ->

-> DRAIN

WallyB · May 9, 2019

Tank Mate Mega (WaterChanger) TEST LAB Setup

Nothing goes on a Live Tank, till full tested (Even though my Tinkering Hands are probably more Dangerous to my Corals)

Will be Testing All Possible Failure Scenarios, Pump Calibration, Accuracy, Feedback and Lastly Apex Integration.

Most of the Code (Other than LED Pyrotechnics) was written when I made the DIY Doser (IT has a Water Change Function).

This is just more Stages, and some extra Stuff.

WallyB · May 10, 2019

CYPHASTREA (Collection) Update

Found 4 more *NEW* Cyphastreas to add to the Collection (Placed in Each Corner of Frag Tray, and Labeled Yellow)

Two GREEN LABELS are my Final Wish List. Found them, but not yet for Sale till they are large enough to Frag.

LEARNED SOMETHING today. When I saw multiple Colonies of the Cyphastrea.
All The Cyphastreas Can handle Low/Medium-High Light, EXCEPT for the JF Party Crasher (Which needs Extra-LOW LIGHT)

WallyB · May 13, 2019

Cyphastrea ( Quick Plug Upgrade) Before Encrustment on Frag Tray

I noticed a couple of the Cyphastrea Plugs were reaching to encrust on the Frag Tray, and I didn't want that for the Long Run.

So I Cut the Existing Plugs, and Mounted them on New Two Layered Plugs.

IF THINGS GO WELL this will allow for Future Fragging.

Was a lot of work since 17 Plugs to do, but I'm set for a while with the Extra Surface Area for Growth.

ALL BACK IN TANK (After 1 Day for everything to CURE in the Holding Hank)...

NOW....... Better VIEWING in DT with the Extra Height OVER THE FRONT ESHOPPS Acrylic Plate)

Now I can get back to Water Changer Programming (which is proving to be a bit more than I thought to get 100% Accuracy and Failsafe)

WallyB · May 16, 2019

FRAG TANK ( LIGHTING Trial ) OLD MH Fixture / LED Hybrid (CRAZY or NOT?)

Maybe a crazy Idea. or Maybe Not (except for Electricity Cost)/
Worth A try. Free for Parts.
That MH Fixture has my LPS Growing like Crazy (years ago), but it was too HOT for the Kitchen Tank.

I tried to sell the Fixture with 2 Switchable Ballasts (150W-250/HQI).
NOBODY wanted to buy it.

So I have it and all kinds of OLD different bulbs 150 or 250W.

This idea was Inspired by @Rakie, who is fooling around with MH too. So I guess it is Crazy after all

LOL

Jokes aside, I have two TEST SPS Frags (Miyagi's) In there (LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE)

Only Running 1 MH (on Left Side of Ballast). Right side is the XR30 G1.

Tomorrow I'll borrow a PAR Meter to make sure things are set right.

Rakie · May 16, 2019

There's some things even MH can't keep alive. Spathulata and Humilis were never kept well under MH, or T5. But with LED's which pierce much deeper they actually can now be sustained!

So while MH is great for some things, it's not great for others. The specific MH's I really want to use are no longer made.

WallyB · May 16, 2019

Rakie said:
There's some things even MH can't keep alive. Spathulata and Humilis were never kept well under MH, or T5. But with LED's which pierce much deeper they actually can now be sustained!

So while MH is great for some things, it's not great for others. The specific MH's I really want to use are no longer made.

Well in the Case of this Frag Tank. I only have 6" of Water Above the Frag Tray. The 250W Bulb should have no problem Piercing the water to reach corals.

Will at least be an interesting Experiment (Distraction) to see how the SPS respond. Keep my Hands out of my SPS tank.

I can also lower or raise the Fixture, Flip the Ballast to 150W-250W/HQI (That's why I better check the PARs before running this setup).

I do expect a Algae Bloom, but it's just a Frag Tank that I can tear apart to clean.

Rakie · May 16, 2019

Oh yeah... You know I like my nutrients. When I get my frag system going I'm expecting one heck of a bloom myself.

The odds of you getting one of those extreme light corals are very low though, those aren't popular in the hobby 'cuz for the last 20 years they were just that thing that always died. They're rarely collected, and most of them don't make it. You'd have to go out of your way to find one

WallyB · May 16, 2019

Rakie said:
Oh yeah... You know I like my nutrients. When I get my frag system going I'm expecting one heck of a bloom myself.

The odds of you getting one of those extreme light corals are very low though, those aren't popular in the hobby 'cuz for the last 20 years they were just that thing that always died. They're rarely collected, and most of them don't make it. You'd have to go out of your way to find one

And I bet you found one.
Super rare is your specialty.

WallyB · May 16, 2019

Rakie said:
Oh yeah... You know I like my nutrients. When I get my frag system going I'm expecting one heck of a bloom myself.

But you know.....The Algae Bloom won't necessarily be a bad thing.

I added this Urchin to Keep it Clean.

I also have a Trochus snail. Few blue Legged Hermits.
AND one Blue Green Chromis (Donated by @tenurepro )

I was starting to feed nori to the Urchin, since not enough Algae.

Come to think of it, this not a be a Bad INitial setup.
You never know, SPS might do better than in my SPS DT.

Rakie · May 16, 2019

WallyB said:
And I bet you found one.
Super rare is your specialty.

More than a couple. I like the challenge!

All lighting sources have pro's and cons. There's one particular lighting source that grows things like wild.. But truth be told, with the right T5 bulbs or custom LED setups they can be just as effective. It's the magical 6500k spectrum nobody uses. It's like crack for corals. In MH form it's unbeatable. But it's so ugly... Corals look brown/green, extreme heat, etc etc. Corals will pop under blues still but there will be no enjoyment from a growth only tank.

WallyB · May 21, 2019

NEW "FISH PAIR" in QT (Trying to break the "Widow" Curse)

I do love my "Helfrishi FireFish". Proabably my MOST FAV Fish of All.

These PURPLE Firefish aren't as nice, but also not as expensive.

I know (TWO) is risky but they were in LFS for over a month (together).
They are always together.

Let's see what happens in an Extended QT before they both go into DT.

WallyB · May 22, 2019

TEST of TANK Mate MEGA (Water Changer) Pump CALIBRATION Code

Nothing exciting here, but I was curious to test the pumps on their Accuracy, and how my Code (re-used from DIY Doser) will work.

All GOOD. (Pumps run really SOFT [Sound] in the Foam Case/Enclosure)

Next (very soon) is the most exciting and fun part. THE CODE for 3 Tank Transfers. (Which is actually quite simple with accurate pumps)

Rakie · May 22, 2019

Firefish in general are one if my favorite fish. Even the basic ones are awesome.

When I finally get a bigger tank I'm getting a harem of 12-15 to see what happens. I have a theory it can work

WallyB · May 22, 2019

Rakie said:
Firefish in general are one if my favorite fish. Even the basic ones are awesome.

When I finally get a bigger tank I'm getting a harem of 12-15 to see what happens. I have a theory it can work

Well we finally Agree on SOMETHING!! LOL

Yes, they are awesome fish. So gentle, and faces kind of human like ROUND, unlike other pointy faced fish.
Not to mention beautiful color mix. With white Pastel background color (which is similar to a favorite SPS coral, the Ice Fire Enchinata)

Anyway, hoping these TWO work out. Photo doesn't show it, but one is 25% bigger then the other, so maybe that helps.
No way of knowing if it's a FEMALE/MALE pair, but all I want is them to not kill each other.
They haven't fought or nipped one bit. Always together, and sleeping in the Sponge Bob house peacefully.

No rush. Really enjoying them in QT to watch so closely. Maybe they will even go into Frag Tank with my SUPER DUPER (No jump LID)
ONE concern I have about putting them into SPS tank is the Aggressive flow. These fish swim so nicely in Lagoon Type flow.

MY PLAN (B/C) is I may just keep them in the 10 Gallon, for a nice decorated Tank somewhere. Just running on the Water Changer DUMP water and a simple Hang on filter (like QT)

One nice thing about these fish (unlike the ones I have), is they eat from Water Column, AND ALSO PICKUP FOOD off bottom (any food that settles, including PELLETS)

WallyB · May 24, 2019

TANK MATE (Mega) Water Changer (FIRST TEST RUN)

Almost ready to install on Live Tanks. LOOK's LIKE IT WILL WORK!!

Test run shows a complete 4 stage Cycle. From RESEVOIR to TANK 3. (Learned that thing happened backwards, DRAIN FIRST...FILL NEXT)

ALL RUNNING on JUST Pump Calibration for WC Accuracy. (Dead on accurate, but things could drift over time. Maybe?)
I haven't written code to make use of the Float Sensors to Catch (Overfills, Underfills, Possibly Self PUMP Auto-Calibration, and Throttle the Fills near the end of the Fill up for any Surface water turbulence)

Demo shows how the ACRYLIC (Tri Color LED) Plates will run. They will be installed on each Tank to Show Running Status, Errors, etc.
The DRAIN/FILL code was a breeze, but Mapping out the COLORS took a mini spreadsheet.

Getting worried. If I finish this project, I may start noticing I have Tanks and Corals (and Mess things up again) LOL

WallyB · May 25, 2019

2nd Last Piece of Tank Mate (WC) LOGIC

No way I could explain this in words, so hoping this diagram is better.

The DIY Water-Change-Controller will be Integrated with the Apex......
Where Basically the Apex is the (MASTER) and the Water-Changer is the (SLAVE)....and the Water Changer tells the Apex if things are going well (Or something is WRONG!)

Auto Top ups must be turned off during the Water Change Cycle.....So the Apex will be in charge of Triggering the Schedule Daily Water change.
and this (below) is the TWO WAY logic to run things smoothly.

The Last Piece of Logic after this, will be the IN-SUMP FLOAT SENSORS....
..... that will sense if a Water Change is 100% perfect (Before Starting, During Run, and After Completion), or Else a FAILURE and things STOP, and I get a Email to check on things.

-> ONE EXAMPLE of a FAILURE (is if Return Pump is off/stuck, and Sump is Flooded due to Overflow Drain).....FLOAT-Sensor will pick that up.
-> THIS will be done, by placing the FLOAT SWITCH (which has an ON/OFF range of a few millimeters) right in the Middle of the ATO-Optical-Sensor Fill Level Point (To sense OVER AND UNDER water Levels in SUMP)

Now that Sensor FAILURE/CHECK logic is still something I'm working on (Theory/Design). Kind of Complicated, and I'm 90% it will work (just needs to be tested)
More on this later.....

Janci · May 25, 2019

WallyB said:
2nd Last Piece of Tank Mate (WC) LOGIC

No way I could explain this in words, so hoping this diagram is better.

The DIY Water-Change-Controller will be Integrated with the Apex......
Where Basically the Apex is the (MASTER) and the Water-Changer is the (SLAVE)....and the Water Changer tells the Apex if things are going well (Or something is WRONG!)

Auto Top ups must be turned off during the Water Change Cycle.....So the Apex will be in charge of Triggering the Schedule Daily Water change.
and this (below) is the TWO WAY logic to run things smoothly.

The Last Piece of Logic after this, will be the IN-SUMP FLOAT SENSORS....
..... that will sense if a Water Change is 100% perfect (Before Starting, During Run, and After Completion), or Else a FAILURE and things STOP, and I get a Email to check on things.

-> ONE EXAMPLE of a FAILURE (is if Return Pump is off/stuck, and Sump is Flooded due to Overflow Drain).....FLOAT-Sensor will pick that up.
-> THIS will be done, by placing the FLOAT SWITCH (which has an ON/OFF range of a few millimeters) right in the Middle of the ATO-Optical-Sensor Fill Level Point (To sense OVER AND UNDER water Levels in SUMP)

Now that Sensor FAILURE/CHECK logic is still something I'm working on (Theory/Design). Kind of Complicated, and I'm 90% it will work (just needs to be tested)
More on this later.....