jcolliii's IM25 Lagoon journey - MASTERTRONIC up and running!

[TheWB]

3/31/20 Update: IM Aqua Gadget Titanium ATO

Have been looking at alternatives to autotopoff.com devices as I recently got an ATO from them that worked for a total of 5 or 6 days before the relay went out. I was never satisfied with their response that was basically 'Yep, probably the relay - you send it back, we'll fix it and then ship it back to you.' Total crap of a response to a defective unit pretty much out of the box. So instead of sourcing the relay and fixing myself, I decided to give the new IM ATO device a try.

I ordered it from BRS, and their free shipping using Spee Dee usually gets to me the next day. It shipped yesterday from BRS and it was on my doorstep at noon today. Nice box, not the greatest internal packaging, but it arrived in good order and everything was intact.

The ATO comes with dual level detection devices that are actually conductivity probes. One lead of each probe sends out a small voltage (5v) and, if the probe is submerged, that will complete a circuit as it is picked up by the second lead (thanks to salt water being quite conductive) and the voltage is then detected by the controller box for the processor to interpret. Both probes are mounted on waterproof magnetic mounts. One thing I can say right away is that the magnets in these mounts should be *much* stronger. You could easily move one (or both) of these magnet mounts while doing work in or near the back chamber. Very strong magnets are pretty dirt cheap these days, and the sensor locators are not the place to skimp a buck or two on subpar magnets. They work, the sensors are certainly not going to fall off of the glass, but I want magnets that are strong enough that effort needs to go in to moving them.

And that's it really. The control box has four cables coming out - a power cord, the two sensor wires (with disconnects - that is nice), and a short beefy three prong wire to power your return pump of choice. Simply put the sensors where you want them, use the suction cups to help secure the wires, plug in your pump, and power on the device. You don't have to know which is the lower and which is the upper sensor - the board is smart enough to figure that out on its own.

You can see the lower sensor on the right in this image submerged and the water just barely touching the upper sensor at the left.

I'm using a maxijet 900 right now because these stupid pumps are loud - and I want the auditory reminder that the pump is going. I will also be using my smart power strip to power this device on just twice a day for 2 minutes at a time. I like redundancy. If my smart power strip fails, the sensors will still operate and vice versa.

Setup was super easy, and so far the only thing to note that is not the best are the magnets in the sensor holders. But - with the suction cup wire holders in place, there is probably less liklihood of the wires sensors being easily moved. Again, the magnets are not super weak - but they certainly could be stronger. Plugged it in and it worked exactly how it was supposed to. I like the sensors - conductivity sensors are rock solid and should last for a good, very long service life. And the price is right - it's currently $69.99 at BRS - although you do need to supply your own pump.

I've got high expectations for this device, but quality looks good, and setup was really simple.

Poor customer service from autotopoff. I’d heard good things about them but it seems like they could’ve done a better job and kept a customer in your case. Glad to hear you like this ato better. I use the Tunze 3155 and except for one little hiccup at the very beginning, most likely due to operator error, it’s been rock solid. ATO is one of those things you just want to set and forget.

 

[jcolliii]

Yep - I'd used autotopoff.com devices on two separate tanks, and had not ever had a problem with their devices - one was used for 3 years and the other for 4-5. But telling a customer to return a device for repair that had been used less than a week was just poor form.

The only thing I worry about a bit with the IM unit is that if the conductivity probes get coated with algae they may not work as well. I hear that some IM tank users have experienced issues with light spill allowing algae growth in the rear chambers.

 

[TheWB]

Yep - I'd used autotopoff.com devices on two separate tanks, and had not ever had a problem with their devices - one was used for 3 years and the other for 4-5. But telling a customer to return a device for repair that had been used less than a week was just poor form.

The only thing I worry about a bit with the IM unit is that if the conductivity probes get coated with algae they may not work as well. I hear that some IM tank users have experienced issues with light spill allowing algae growth in the rear chambers.

Algae growth in my back chambers is one thing I have not had to deal with and I don’t have the openings covered. Detritus and sponges back there, sure, but no algae thankfully. I‘ve seen some people make covers or just put a piece of black rigid foam padding over the center chamber to block out light. If you’re worried about light spill you could do something like that.

 

[jcolliii]

I *HATE* UPS.

Coral delivery delayed until tomorrow. All roads in the state are open. I suppose it's about what the airplanes are doing tho.

 

[jcolliii]

I know someone who works for UPS and this person just told me that the contractor who works for UPS on the Fargo to Minot leg uses the 'bad weather' tag for any delay problems whatsoever, and that the most common delay on that leg is due to a lack of staffing. There were no weather delays in either departures from Fargo today, or in arrivals at Minot.

I am angry. What the f*** ever happened to honesty, responsibility, and getting what you paid for?

 

[jcolliii]

Well the saga continues.

What I have learned is that in addition to *four* flights leaving Fargo and arriving Minot yesterday with absolutely no delay around the same time that the UPS contractor in Fargo was supposed to leave, that there was no flight plan filed at all for that flight for yesterday morning. Yesterday morning there was scattered light snow over Fargo, and a few flights incoming from areas with harder snow (Minneapolis) were delayed - but no outgoing ones were. To me that indicates that they had no pilot for that flight, or that they didn't want to make that flight becasue they might have been missing packages from Minn. Today, the flight from Fargo did not fly to Minot, but ended up in Devil's Lake (about half way between Far and MOT). I don't know what UPS sub is doing, but now these corals have been sitting in a presumably underheated warehouse for more than 24 hours.

AquaSD has been helpful, but because UPS is citing weather (and apparently that is all they have to do), they are off the hook for responsibility. AquaSD say that they'll help me out, but UPS clearly lying about the weather and not admitting their fault means that there is no responsible party here even though UPS is clearly at fault. So I will probably get a box of dead coral on Monday.

DON'T SHIP UPS.

 

[jcolliii]

I even asked UPS to tell me where the box was so I could go drive 4 hours to go pick it up. Nope. Wouldn't tell me.

 

[TheWB]

I even asked UPS to tell me where the box was so I could go drive 4 hours to go pick it up. Nope. Wouldn't tell me.

I’m sorry to hear about this. I’m in the transportation industry and most of the time we won‘t even go to your area anymore, there’s no support for our drivers in either of the Dakota’s. It sounds like ups can’t even get a reliable contractor to fulfill their needs. It’s really a shame and you shouldn’t have to go through it. At the very least ups should be up front about areas where there is unreliable delivery service like we do. I tell people who want to go there that there’s no support for our drivers and their shipment could be delayed if we sold them a move to that area. At least that way people know what they are getting into. You just expected the offered service and now they are blowing it.

 

[jcolliii]

UPS is still refusing to live in the confines of reality. Still insisting there is a weather problem preventing delivery. Hasn't been a single flight delayed from Far to MOT since I've been tracking flights on Wed.

UPS sucks...

I told them I would drive out to pick it up - they couldn't tell me where it was. Yep, weather. Sunny all day kinda weather.

 

[TheWB]

UPS is still refusing to live in the confines of reality. Still insisting there is a weather problem preventing delivery. Hasn't been a single flight delayed from Far to MOT since I've been tracking flights on Wed.

UPS sucks...

I told them I would drive out to pick it up - they couldn't tell me where it was. Yep, weather. Sunny all day kinda weather.

That’s just totally unacceptable customer service but they don’t care. They don’t need you as an individual customer and people aren’t going to stop using them. Was your shipment insured at all? I’ve never ordered fish or coral online so I’m not familiar with how this situation would be handled. I also live in a major metropolitan area where ups would deliver directly without the contractor in the middle. Seems like there’s a lot of obstacles in the way of getting deliveries in your area. I feel really bad for you, wish there was a way to help.

 

[jcolliii]

Never had a single problem with Fedex. They deliver on time, every time - the drivers are great. UPS has always been spotty. In ND, we're set up with streets running N-S and avenues running E-W; more times than you can shake a stick at, UPS has delivered our packages to the AVENUE version, not the STREET version of our address. *IF* it's something the people occupying the avenue version of our address don't want or need, we'll get it, eventually. Even in southern CA when we lived there UPS was crap.

The UPS sub from Fargo into Minot landed nearly 3 hours ago. No update on Tracking, so UPS either 1) didn't feel that this package should be upgraded to Saturday delivery; or 2) the package is lost. Sat delivery was the last (slim) chance that these corals had to make it alive.

Spoke with the guys from AquaSD again on the phone yesterday. They've called every day that the corals have been late, and I've been letting them know about the nonsensical nature of the 'weather' delays. They were going to take this to UPS on their end yesterday as well. They've been very supportive, and I am sure they'll do what they can to make this right. Great guys

 

[jcolliii]

Argh... a bit of tissue recession at the bases of my bubblegum digitata and (at bit more) my anacropora. I think the anacropora was a bit shaded on that one side. Not sure what the problem with the monti is. It has great color and polyp entension. It's only a few mm of loss, but it bothers me. I moved it a bit higher up and put in in a place with better, more indirect and turbulent flow. Hopefully that will do it.

 

[jcolliii]

Hhhhmmmm.... anyone ever have their IM freebie pack of carbon develop rust spots? This is definitely rust... and no, I did not use the GFO that was included - it's still in its original baggie. I've used BRS ROX carbon before and never had anything like this develop. This calls for some dissection.

 

[jcolliii]

Definitely rust in there. I do not have an iron test kit, but now I am curious if this could be related to my tissue recession issue. I replaced the IM/ROX carbon with a bag of fresh non-IM carbon. It looks like about 1 in every hundred or so carbon grains has some (or a *LOT*) rust on it...

 

[jcolliii]

Well, thanks UPS for getting this overnight package to me three entire working days late.

Lovely (dead) 3 color hammer, highlighter torch, and looks like some kind of freebie favia. All dead. Water temp in the box was 51 degrees.

Dead hammer.

Dead Favia and dead torch.

We'll see where this goes next.

 

[jcolliii]

IM returned my email and said the rusty carbon was the result of cross contamination with GFO. Dunno if I buy that or not. Oxidized elements have already oxidized, you're not going to get more oxidation occurring unless the iron is in a partially native (un-oxidized) state.

Anyhow... in other news AquaSD stepped up and gave me credit for the coral order that UPS killed and then lied about weather being the cause. So, i took that credit and applied it to a slightly more expensive single coral. Probably the most I've ever spent on one single coral, but it is in the process of growing a second head already, so I suppose my money is essentially already doubled, or halved - however you want to look at it. I think the second place coral was an awesome 4 color trachy I had a long time ago that I paid around 200 bucks for I think. Anyhow - pretty excited about FEDEX delivering this coral next week (yes, ASD is shipping this via Fedex for me - those guys rock), and I got the 15% off that they were doing today as well. Doesn't ship until Tuesday next week either, so may find something else to add as well.

The Titanium ATO from IM has been working flawlessly so far - no problems whatsoever. The two times per day I have it set to go on from my smart outlet is plenty of time to refill the tank from the 5 gallon square bucket I have under the tank in probably less than a minute. I need to pick up a piece of clear plastic tubing so I can make a u-bend for the ATO topoff water from clear plastic material. Right now I have a jerry-rigged double 90 connection that is an eyesore. It works, but it's not the finished solution. I need to work on cable control at some point as well. Will probably pick up a second Jebao SLW-10 this week too. It's been a super quiet absolute workhorse this far. Have to keep it fairly throttled down because even this lowest power one produces astounding flow. Anyhow - that's it for now. Might try doing some slightly more artsy photography later this evening.

 

[jcolliii]

Some other new pickups on AquaSD's easter sale (so far)... dang, I'm getting nothing done today...

Beautiful 4 color lobo.

Neat tenuis mini colony.

A piece of slimer...

And a piece of orange cap.

 

[jcolliii]

Ugh... another. Wicked aqua color on this one.

 

[jcolliii]

Last pickup from ASD earlier today. Happy with this haul. I think the coral buying is done - now I gotta grow them.

 

[jcolliii]

4-13-20 Update.

Having a little bit of an issue with diatoms and cyano right now. A little bit of a light coating on the rocks that is easily blown off, and a bit more of a persistent coating and some light strings on the sandbed. I siphon and stir every other day or so, but it just keeps coming back. I'm starting to think the problem might be low nutrients - NO3 and PO4 are both undetectable (API for the NO3 and Elos for the PO4). I have been trying to increase feedings for both the fish and corals over the past week or so, and my PO4 still hovers around zero and NO3 is right around 1-2.

To try and combat this a bit more effectively, I've ordered a second PO4 test kit - a Salifert - to confirm the Elos reading. I am also going to try and reduce the dissolved organics - just broke down this past weekend and ordered the new version of the IM DC Nuvoskimmer. Saw a couple reviews that said how quiet it was and that it works pretty well. I figure with the low nutrients right now the diatoms and cyano are outcompeting the corals for nutrients because they have plenty of organic carbon and the CO2 is still elevated because it's still pretty cool here - was snowing a little while ago.

So, the plan is:

1. Reduce dissolved organics with skimming to help reduce the available raw material for cyano; and

2. Increase nitrates to more detectable levels (I suppose 5ppm would be good to try and maintain);

3. Confirm that phosphates are, indeed, zero. Salifert kit should be here tomorrow. If the test solution is completely clear like it is with the Elos kit, then I suppose I will feed more frozen food. I have one fish that is so fat right now it can barely swim though!

I previously owned a PO4 checker, and it was awful, so will not be going that route again. Anyhow, corals generally look good and have good color - they all have a strong feeding response, but growth has maybe seemed to slow a little bit in some of them and I am seeing some tissue recession on the anacro - which until recently was my fastest growing coral. I'm not sure if the tissue loss is related to this or not - it's losing tissue in the highly shaded areas and still has tissue on the areas in bright light. And it's coloration is still pretty fantastic vibrant green.

Dunno if I ever did a fish list or not, but I've got 2 cardinals, a purple firefish, a orchid dottyback (the porker of the bunch), and a striped blenny. Love that blenny - he's so inquisitive and is always checking out the nooks and crannies. He sleeps partially wrapped around my little magnet glass cleaner. Have to be super careful when I'm feeding at turn off the Jebao pump - he swims in there and hangs out with just his head poking out. I am trying to figure out some sort of cover for the front so he won't accidentally become sushi.

The final occupant will be a McCorkers or Carpenter's flasher if I can ever find one locally.