Griev's IM-200 Mangrove Lagoon

[Griev]

So my ALK kept creeping lower, even after I bumped up the dosing of All 4 Reef, so I decided to investigate.

When I hit the manual dosing button on the DoS, nothing was coming out. Turns out the lid on my dosing container was a little too snug! Had literally caused a vacuum preventing more liquid from being dispensed!

Luckily an easy fix;

We'll see if ALK starts to go back up!

 

[Griev]

So after a bit more fiddling I figured out that the DoS head was allowing the All 4 Reef to drain back out into the container.

I worked around it temporarily by measuring how many ml it took to prime the system, then setting it to dose twice a day with extra mls set to prime the line.

Longer term I decided to add a check valve right above the reservoir. I could have also swapped out the DoS head, but the check valve is cheaper. The trick was finding one that had an ultra low crack pressure, and I had to get a little... creative... but it works!

 

[TheWB]

So after a bit more fiddling I figured out that the DoS head was allowing the All 4 Reef to drain back out into the container.

I worked around it temporarily by measuring how many ml it took to prime the system, then setting it to dose twice a day with extra mls set to prime the line.

Longer term I decided to add a check valve right above the reservoir. I could have also swapped out the DoS head, but the check valve is cheaper. The trick was finding one that had an ultra low crack pressure, and I had to get a little... creative... but it works!

I like the ingenuity, well done.

 

[Griev]

Picked up a couple of corals from a local reef club member. Pink lemonade, Joe's Rainbow, and Starry Night.

 

[Griev]

It was time to make a better version of this old drawing.

Here's the plan for how I'll be adding frags. Red are SPS, yellow are LPS or maybe softies. Still deciding on what the other side will be.

I guess I should start keeping track of what I'm putting where.

A: Green Frogspawn
B: Indo Gold Torch
C: TBD SPS
D: TBD SPS
E: WWC Yellowtips
F: Joe's Rainbow
G: TBD SPS
H: Tyree Pink Lemonade
I: TBD SPS
J: SSC Starry Night
K: TBD LPS
L: TBD LPS
N: TBD SPS
O: TBD SPS

 

[Griev]

Getting some rows "planted"

Watching the ALK carefully since I added so much SPS at once, so far only had to bump up the dosing a little bit.

 

[Griev]

It'll be interesting to see how the colors differ within frags of the same type at the different PAR levels as they go up the rockwork.

 

[Griev]

New FTS;

First "harvest" of the clearwater scrubber today;

While I was messing with it, I had an idea for a "nozzle" of sorts to go around the assembly and better direct the water down the screen, hopefully more quietly! Spent a few minutes making a rough proof of concept;

It's printing now, so we'll see if it works in a few hours.

 

[Griev]

It works even better than I'd hoped!

Before video at about 40% flow;

After video at 80% flow;

It's hard to tell from my phone's microphone, but it's probably half as loud at double the flow. The stream down the mesh is now perfectly uniform as well!

 

[TheWB]

It works even better than I'd hoped!

Before video at about 40% flow;

After video at 80% flow;

It's hard to tell from my phone's microphone, but it's probably half as loud at double the flow. The stream down the mesh is now perfectly uniform as well!

Yet another very useful 3d printed accessory you’ve created. Not quite the Pinky trap but I like it

 

[Griev]

Yet another very useful 3d printed accessory you’ve created. Not quite the Pinky trap but I like it

RIP Pinky

 

[Griev]

Redecorated my equipment cabinet

 

[Griev]

Shop local! Picked up some beautiful ASD Rainbow and Cali Tort frags today from a local reefer.

Now where should they go...

 

[LuizW13]

This is a super sweet build- following along.

 

[Griev]

Maintenance Sunday, a perfect excuse to show off these little Hanna checker trays I printed.

Nutrients are getting low with no fish in the tank. I've been feeding the tank daily with some pellets for the shrimp and snails, but apparently not enough for nutrients to be measurable. Dropping in a cube of frozen food today to keep things from bottoming out.

I also "planted the Cali Tort and ASD Rainbow frags I picked up earlier in the week;

 

[TheWB]

Aww man, now I want a set of the Hanna Checker trays!!!

 

[Griev]

I've been having to toss in a frozen cube every 3 days to keep any detectable N/P in the tank for the corals. The SPS seem to be settling in well.

This weekend is officially more than 6 weeks of fallow, so I reintroduced the clownfish. Keeping my fingers crossed that the velvet is gone.

 

[Griev]

Second harvest from the algae scrubber was about 2x the first one. I think the nozzle helped!

I also finally swapped my trident over to the trident mini shell by @jjb. Amazing how much better it looks, and how much easier it is to swap the reagents.

 

[Griev]

New FTS!

So far so good on reintroducing the clownfish. No signs of the velvet returning, so far. I'll wait another week to be sure before adding anything else.

I also did a little project to attach a blinking LED to my Apex 24V connection that turns on alongside any email alerts. That way I can see that something's not right, even if I don't have my phone on me.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

Wow, great job on your build! So many questions... Great work with all the DIY prints. I ran a Santa Monica turf scrubber for awhile. If you're having nutrient issues, you could turn off the scrubber for awhile. It looks like you're burning the algae, anyways, since it's so white.

How do you like the 2 mp40s? Do you think you get adequate flow? Sources told me the tank might be too shallow and the wetside might pull a vortex from the surface.

Can you show us how you fit the mangrove in the overflow? That is such a great unique idea.

What is that flowing on the back wall? Hair algae? It looks pretty cool waving around in that gif!