Turtle's Deep Blue Sea

[Scurvy]

Would that laser take out digitate hydroids you think?

Not really sure having never dealth with them. You may only make them worse if they're irritated. I'd go with the more proven approach sugested earlier before trying anything unproven. My experiments on the nuisance coral are promising but may yet be unsuccesful. I'll be really bummed out if the Xenia only grows more I tried it on the smallest little rogue patch. Like two tiny waving hands.

 

[Fudsey]

Hey Turtle, what happened to the other guy that used to post for you sometimes? Did he go out for beer and never return???

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Thats too bad, do you know what part of the tank causes it yet?

I don't want to say what I think it is... well, nobody cares about China's feelings... communists. Anyway, I have a feeling it's those cheap Jebao powerheads. I can't prove it, but for the last few days, this digi has had half butt(can't say the other word here) polyp extension. Yesterday I did a 5g water change and today, well it looks like this.

Its not the prettiest forest fire digi on this forum, far from it actually... but its worlds better than it has been for a week. Testable parameters aren't crazy bad to make a hardy SPS loose PE, they are actually pretty good right now. 400 Ca, 8.0 Alk, haven't tested Mg in a while... 10 NO3, 0.8 PO4. They've been pretty stable at those levels, with only a very slight decline in Ca and Alk and an increase from no nutrients over the past month. Everything should be doing great.

Something is leaching toxic chemicals(metal) into the tank. I've looked thru everything and I have two suspects. Bare metal on Kessil gooseneck(pictured below)... and Chinese equipment. There are no signs of corrosion, but that doesn't mean there isn't pitting on the microscopic level.

Things I've planned to do to correct the problem, should metal still show up on this ICP test(that's been mailed for 2 weeks now, its been two weeks, right? One week, idk i can't remember.)

One, Kessil A series mounting arms attached to the stand, or an Aquatic Life T5 hybrid fixture hung from the ceiling.

Two, replace Jebao powerheads. Probably with one Icecap 1K, or Maxspect equal(smaller ones are discontinued)

Three, replace Bubble Magus skimmer with smaller name brand model. Like that Skimz Monzter from @siggy *cough*

Return pump is a Sicce, so I trust it to be made with a QC department that isn't a potato. I've torn it apart and cleaned it and saw no pitting or corrosion. My ground probe is titanium(no Ti on last ICP) and my heater is a Cobalt Neotherm. That just about rules out all ways metal could get in the tank... except my ATO. I've got a year old Tunze osmolator. I need to figure out how to get that pump apart and inspect it, altho, I doubt it is the culprit.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Hey Turtle, what happened to the other guy that used to post for you sometimes? Did he go out for beer and never return???

You know I sent him to the liquor store earlier... he has been gone an awful long time.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Few LPS and zoa pics...

Duncans... look at that PE

Acans... yesterday there was skeleton showing between polyps. Not as full as I've had them before, but looking good.

Weird Fire and Ice morph, I call them Ice and Fire... survived the great hydrogen peroxide zoa meltdown.

Whammin Watermelons... also survived the great H2O2 disaster

Sympodium baby... was torn from mother frag when we changed rocks. Mother frag likes coming detached from rocks. It's face down in the sand and I just reglued it yesterday. This one sits still.

@Katrina71 the only spot of orange coralline left, under this duncan I glued yesterday. I think asterinas may be to blame here. I have very little algae to speak of, and by very little I mean you have to hunt it down. Asterina population has dwindled to where you have to hunt for them also. Either the few left may have found another food source... or, the cuprisorb, polyfilter and water changes may have gotten the toxic metals low enough for coralline to start to grow very slowly.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Have you ever seen an asterina so perfectly pentagonal? Or large? It can cover FDRs head easily. I'm sure its going to starve in here, so I moved it to the 10g with the chaeto and some LR.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

@Scurvy... I just remembered. When I grew this thing out. It was under 30% intensity with only one A160. Seneye meter was reporting 80 PAR where it was. I just moved the lights to 40% peak like you suggested. Tank looks kinda dark... lets see what this does.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

First step to fixing Deep Blue... we just ordered an Icecap 1K. ;Turtle

Got to thinking about it, and I've wanted one on the back wall for a while now. I just never pulled the trigger. Well, bang. Once it gets in, I'll remove the two Jebao pumps and run it probably at 100% pushing water from the back of the tank forward in the gyre flow. I've read and heard running reverse will cause premature bearing wear... and we don't really see a need for reverse flow. Just pulsing that gyre every couple seconds should be plenty of flow.

 

[Fudsey]

Check your Neotherm. @120reefkeeper just had one crack and short out causing a breaker to trip. I also had a plastic heater split before and not short out. I noticed it some time later and it was still working. No idea what it may have leached into my tank. Fortunately this was years ago and nothing happened but it was also on a FOWLR tank...

 

[siggy]

Not sure what happened to the other guy? I made it back, and just in time for the new goods... Icecap 1K ...nice I been wanting to try that. Hey I seen that Elos tread and that is some nice stuff! Bashsea did a great job on the sump. I give you credit for having them local and not splurging on one.....YET!

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Check your Neotherm. @FarmerTy just had one crack and short out causing a breaker to trip. I also had a plastic heater split before and not short out. I noticed it some time later and it was still working. No idea what it may have leached into my tank. Fortunately this was years ago and nothing happened but it was also on a FOWLR tank...

It's been checked, several times. But we can check again. I believe the older Neotherms had issues with the internal resin expanding when heated and cracking the housing. This one was purchased Feb '17, so its the newer model... I still keep an eye on it but I love it. The body never feels hot, like metal heaters, and my temp stays super stable. I don't have a controller or monitor hooked up, but others who do have at most 0.2°F fluctuation. If stability is king, Neotherm is the way.

 

[Fudsey]

OOPS sorry it was 120reefkeeper that had one go not FarmerTy

Post above fixed

 

[Fudsey]

His is 6 months old I think

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Not sure what happened to the other guy? I made it back, and just in time for the new goods... Icecap 1K ...nice I been wanting to try that. Hey I seen that Elos tread and that is some nice stuff! Bashsea did a great job on the sump. I give you credit for having them local and not splurging on one.....YET!

Yea, not sure what happened on the liquor run. Its after 7pm here so the liquor stores are closed... stupid bible belt. Anyway, I have a little Sailor Jerry left and beer and wine is sold 24/7. I need to run and get some Captain private stock and some canon blast.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Lol, forgot to attach pics to the heater post...

 

[Fudsey]

Nope wrong again 3 months old. I should just stop posting now....

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Nope wrong again 3 months old. I should just stop posting now....

What wattage...? or dare I ask you to give accurate information on the first attempt. Lol

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Whiskey in the jar-o... eel in the bucket-o

We're headed to pick up the snowflake. Only took 4 attempts to catch it. Figured out how to swim out of the first trap. Had to use PVC and block the ends off.

 

[Fudsey]

What wattage...? or dare I ask you to give accurate information on the first attempt. Lol

Had to go look to make sure...lol

150 watt

 

[Brew12]

Just to correct my memory, you use a GFCI with a ground probe, right? If so, you can rule out any failed electrical equipment. You would likely be looking for a magnet issue. Either a motor rotor or mounting magnets.