Soulpatch's 150 SC build

[LQT]

How close is the Pinpoint reading when you compare it to your refractometer? I ask because the Apex PM2 and conductivity probe is notorious for being off when cross referenced with a properly calibrated refractometer.

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by LQT

How close is the Pinpoint reading when you compare it to your refractometer? I ask because the Apex PM2 and conductivity probe is notorious for being off when cross referenced with a properly calibrated refractometer.

Have not had it super long myself BUT the reason I got one is that my friend up the street has one for over a year. In that year his drifted .3 which on the pinpoint is going from reading 1.026 to 1.0257 when you convert.

He has both refractometers and lab quality hydrometer that we use to calibrate with.

Similar to the milwaulkie in that the pinpoint needs checked every once in a while but for the most part is highly reliable.

I still dont know why the APEX probe is so unstable and its one of the reasons I wouldnt get one. Plus for me I dont need to monitor the tank too much as that stays on point for the most part. I need to check mixes in my barrels.

[LQT]

Good to know that it looks to be very stable. Because of the Apex reputation with the PM2 and conductivity probe issues, I assumed that the instability was the case with ALL conductivity probes. I personally use use a Milwaukee digital cuz I'm blind as a bat and hated looking through the prism as well as the constant recalibration (RedSea).

[soulpatch]

It also helps I got a used Pin Point for $50 which is not much more then a refractometer.

If you search the pinpoint on here you get a bunch of good reviews on it. I too was looking for a digital one to aid my eyes. I find after messing with the tank I have issues reading the blue line. I have prgressed to needing a flashlight above the prism to see it a bit better but even then it is not as precise as I would want.

[homer1475]

If it's an ATC refractometer, you just have to wait for 30 seconds or so for the test water to be at the same temp as the unit? Or so I thought?

I've never noticed a difference in salinity with temps between my mixing station(I dont heat), my tank, or the calibration fluid that just sits in a cupboard.

Although with all that said, I cold see how just dropping in a probe would be easier then messing with a refractometer. Been thinking of ordering a glass hydrometer for that "drop in" measurement with out the added cost of a pinpoint monitor.

[soulpatch]

my refractometer would drift over time. So if I looked at it after 30 seconds I would have a different reading then say after 2 minutes.

[homer1475]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

my refractometer would drift over time. So if I looked at it after 30 seconds I would have a different reading then say after 2 minutes.

I've certainly noticed that as well. I had always attributed that drifting to evaporation?

Like if I got busy doing something else while measuring my mixing station, and the refrac sat for a couple minutes, it would be way off. Only waiting 30 seconds with ATC, and the same lighting every time is the key to a accurate reading IMHO.

[LQT]

Unless you owned the never hold it's calibration Red Sea refractometer. That thing would lose it's calibration if you looked at it funny. Worst refractometer ever.

[ReefWreak]

I have never really thought much about the temperature adjustment. I figured in the time it takes for me to put the drop on, get the plastic swing down on the plate evenly with no bubbles, that it was temperature adjusted already.

I've also never really had any calibration issue until this morning, when I thought for the heck of it I'd check my salinity (which always creeps up), so I rinsed it with some tap water and tested that, and it was quite a bit below 0, so now I'll have to use calibration solution and adjust it. I think I've only had to make an adjustment after calibration once in the 3 years that I've had it.

Dang, I thought refractometers were pretty consistent... Now you guys have me worried...

[soulpatch]

You would like to think that reef but look at the reading with your refractometer right away, 30 seconds later, 1 minute later, and 2 minutes. It will swing a bit. I calibrate my 2 refractometers and they would still read slightly off from one another in the same setting.

Typically the error range is minimal so not a huge deal but I have a bit more faith in the machine which I have calibrated to hold it a bit longer and be a bit more consistant. Plus I dont have to hold a flashlight to get the perfect lighting for me to read where the blue line is.

[Blink2824]

FYI- I dropped in a Copperband butterfly and my PBT went nuts on it. The CB was begging me to take him back out so I did and returned him to the LFS. Good luck


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[soulpatch]

My PBT is not the master of my tank. My trigger and bristletooth tang are. He is a juvi so I am not too worried about the CB in there. And I need some Aiptasia help for the buggers I cant get to.

[cincyjim]

Hey Soulpatch, how's the Calcium Reactor coming along? I've been giving some thought into getting one. Thanks!

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by cincyjim

Hey Soulpatch, how's the Calcium Reactor coming along? I've been giving some thought into getting one. Thanks!

dude it is awesome. I honestly dont get why I did not do this sooner. Though in full transparency I sold my doser to Homer before I ever used it so I am comparing this to manual dosing LOL

Seriously though I test alk perhaps once a week and calc once a month (need to test it tonight actually). My tank stays at a steady alk rate once I make any edits and the tanka t the moment is running at 8.3 which is about where I want it (prefer 8 but I can deal with .3 difference that will be 8 or less soon as I continue to get growth)

Growth was almost immediate. I had some growth before but NOTHING like I have now. I attribute this to the stability and likely would have gotten similar with a doser as my manual dosing was once a day but regardless of how it happened I like it.

I now need to take some time since I have calc and alk dialed in to start paying more attention to my nitrates and phosphates. I am getting the intense growth I was looking for but I still lack some of the color I want out of my SPS. I am far from a ULN tank so I have to balance that all out and get after some numbers. I have been thinking of booting up a denitrator if my numbers come back too high to aid with this. I also have another reactor I can boot back up to run phosphate remover (though perhaps not GFO as it exhausts too fast)

At the moment though I am more or less in stable alk/calc/mag mode and chasing my bubble algae. I know my phos and nitrates is aiding the bubble but I am more interested in spending my time at the moment pulling out what I can so the tank looks better. We are coming out of the summer months and once fall/winter hits my tank time goes up by a vast margin so I will have more time to chase numbers then.

Sorry for long winded response. For those with ADD like me - Calrx awesome...corals growing...bubble algae bad...need more time

[cincyjim]

That's awesome to hear!!! It does seem that those that use Calcium Reactors seem to get much better growth and color than those of us that don't even though we dose to get the desired levels of mag, calc, alk, etc. It must have something to do with whatever else (element wise) is contained in the coral remains that is being consumed by the corals. Thanks for the feedback!!!

[soulpatch]

I think it is 2 things:

1 - Trace elements in the corals we are breaking down in the reactor to feed our tank. These corals used it in nature to grow and develop so we feed a similar amount to our tanks

2 - Constant drip. I think this is more important. I have a steady stream of water from my reactor hitting the tank. With a doser you hit the tank every so often throughout the day. I think the reactor just goes above and beyond to provide the max stability you can have in the tank.



I also think the calcium reactor is less risk. Even if my solenoid failed and melted my media I would only be going say 30 ml a minute whereas a doser could dump a few gallons into the tank of a mix. So one is instant disaster and the other takes time to develop giving me time to catch it and control it. IE My PH probe in my sump would start to climb if my calrx melted down and would then kill the feed pump to the calrx thus ending a disaster before it started. Just more lines of defense with a calrx then with a doser.

[cincyjim]

Very true. What pump did you go with to drip into your sump?

[soulpatch]

I am using the spectrapure ultra precise ATO. It is a peristalic pump and can be run continously. I do expect to need to replace the rollers every 12-18 months on it as they are plastic but it cost me 260 with a 5 year warranty vs the 500+ for masterflex pump others use.

[cincyjim]

Thanks for all the feedback. I do believe this is the route to go if you are going to stay in this hobby with a reef.

[ReefWreak]

Great writeup Soulpatch. I entirely agree with you about the consistency of the dosing being the reason that growth seems much quicker, and I do think there is some untested/unverifyable value to the dissolution of coral absorbed elements besides calcium/alkalinity though its hard to say the impact it has.

Can't go wrong with spectrapure. There's a reason they're still sold, and still sold used in the hobby after being around for ~20 years.

On your coral colors, are you registering any nitrates and phosphates? I have to say, with my tank, being as crazy as I was about keeping nitrates and phosphates to 0, I was pretty disappointed with the coloration. As soon as I stopped dosing vodka and started feeding more (same food, PE Mysis, just feeding it more frequently), my coral color perked up within a week.

I couldn't starve out the bubble algae, so it keeps going again, and I have to manually remove it again, but it's actually growing no faster than it did with 0 nitrates or phosphates. Fortunately I'm not getting any other algae growth either.

Curious about your nutrient levels, and whether more food rather than less might help?

[soulpatch]

I feed a lot so I am going to assume my levels are too high. I do not want them to be zero but would like they a bit lower.

I'd love to tell you what they are but it is a secret. HA HA. Na I just have never actually used my test kits to test it. LOL

[soulpatch]

Finally had to frag my pink milli the other day and give out some frags to friends. It was growing way faster then the sunset milli I have next to it and starting to shadow it. I like the sunset WAY more so I will need to keep the pink trimmed back. Might need to start listing it for sale once I have other items grow out enough to sell OR include it as a free frag with anything I sell eventually. I figure by end of this year I should have enough to do a few small sales. I just need more growth so I dont knock myself back too far as well as time for frags to heal and encrust.

I am starting to slowly see progress against the bubble algae as I went at it again on Friday when I was off. I still have plenty of it in the tank but seeing rock for first time in a long time. The drawback is that in some areas where I have cleaned the bubble algae I now see aiptasia. They were likely there before but I see them more now and it bothers me. My copperband should arrive at my guy this week and then go through QT and get to me end of August or beginning of sSeptember.

Right now though I hit the easy to get ones with a kalk paste to kill them but I can not get to all the ones in the rocks and on the back sides. Cant wait for the copperband to get in there and do work. If issues arise there then I will swap to a aiptasia eating file fish.

Otherwise the tank is doing great. I am getting plenty of growth and fish are all getting along. Tank has pretty much been on autopilot since the start of the summer.

My only concern at the moment is that I am going to try the Kent salt. I have read it is high in calcium and such so I will have to monitor levels. It was likely a one time buy and I will go back to IO after this box but I couldnt pass the deal...

[soulpatch]

So about 2 months ago I had a frag of pink panther knocked off my rock and lost to the nether regions or so I thought. It reappeared under a rock this morning and it is still alive. I have it on my sand bed for now to slowly bring it up into the light as it has been in dark for a while.

Amazed it is still alive and glad I saved some money

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[soulpatch]

Well I have decided to cut back my WWC yellow tip acro I got from Jason Fox and sell a few pieces. I figured I would make 3 frags (still want large piece in my tank so only cutting smaller frags from the ends so I can continue to have decent growth)

All 3 were snatched up in a matter of minutes from me posting to local FB group. I am trading one for my copperband and selling the other 2 for only $40. Just getting my feet wet into this whole thing but the frags of this were going for around 60-80 online so decent savings with mine and starts me out with some rep on the boards.

I have a pink mille, Reef's garf bonsai, tri color vivaldi, and a couple other more basic items I need to cut and put up for sale as well. Will be interesting for the tank to start making me money...well more like offsetting my monthly running costs.

I need my big name guys to grow out as they will actually turn me some profits and I need to start testing more so that I can dial things in for more color but still have fast growth.

[soulpatch]

Some pics from this weekend including a fts. Also one of the rack of frags making me a little bit of coin this week once healed.

My colonies will need asr least a month to heal and regrow before I cut again. I have a few others coming up to be cut though like my ssc and some others...

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