Bean's 300 Gallon AGE Build

[ycnibrc]

I use reborn media and I don't need to add mag chip to the reactor. It's always around 1500 ppm

[BeanMachine]

Originally Posted by ycnibrc

I use reborn media and I don't need to add mag chip to the reactor. It's always around 1500 ppm

I use the same, but also a layer of the Re Mag. I am just curious really. I haven't noticed much fluctuation in the mag but I will have time to do some tests this weekend.

[pga7602]

Originally Posted by ycnibrc

I use reborn media and I don't need to add mag chip to the reactor. It's always around 1500 ppm

How? Where's the mag coming from master?

[ycnibrc]

Originally Posted by pga7602

How? Where's the mag coming from master?

The reborn media contain everything alk,Cal, mag, trace element lol with water change and amino acid your sps will grow like gsp hahahaha

[vuqchu]

Originally Posted by BeanMachine

I use the same, but also a layer of the Re Mag. I am just curious really. I haven't noticed much fluctuation in the mag but I will have time to do some tests this weekend.

If you use the re mag then it's going to be melting much slower. You'd probably wouldn't need to refill that or just add a small amount next time and still achieve the same ratio

[ycnibrc]

see tri you wake up the real master I'm going to suggest Vu to speak at the scmas meeting regarding how not to kill sps

[pga7602]

Thanks DAI LO

[BeanMachine]

I closed the needle valve to slow the effluent line some. Ph in the cal reactor is 7.2. Tank Alk is 8.5 still and effluent Alk is 10. I’ll test all week and see what happens.


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[fixmgood]

Cody I am running my reactor at about 6.4 I use a Masterflex peristaltic pump and I just boosted my drip rate as the alk was getting used up faster than I could add it. For the past several weeks I was battling to keep it above 7.6dkh. It takes a while and constant testing to get it right. Look up a thread “the official masterflex thread” lots of really good info there.


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[SchnitzelReef]

Bummer you lost all your acros. I always think any large fluctuations will make acros mad. 3° temp bounce sounds like a lot to me. My tank stays between 77.8-78.9, and corals don’t seem to mind.
I would add a lot more fish and turn your skimmer back on. Always seems like my corals are happiest when my tank is full of fish and i feed heavy.

You said corals browned out, then died? How long were they alive for? What are you running for lights right now?
Whenever my tank ran really low on nutrients, my corals would get really pale, I never saw them brown out from low nutrients.

Also how long did it take for your alk to go from 7 to 8.5? Usually things happen much slower with a calcium reactor. I don’t think 7 to 8.5 would really hurt anything, Just as long as it happened over a week or so. If it was overnight, than that’s a diff story.

I always thought calcium reactor media didn’t start melting until 7. I run reborn media and remag, and I still have to dose magnesium. I didnt think reborn had any more magnesium in it than caribsea or other brands, that’s why they sell remag.

If you want some more tester frags, I can probably find you a few. Let me know. My corals are probably much healthier than Mikes. . LOL. JK

[BeanMachine]

Originally Posted by fixmgood

Cody I am running my reactor at about 6.4 I use a Masterflex peristaltic pump and I just boosted my drip rate as the alk was getting used up faster than I could add it. For the past several weeks I was battling to keep it above 7.6dkh. It takes a while and constant testing to get it right. Look up a thread “the official masterflex thread” lots of really good info there.


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What do you mean boosted your drip rate? Wouldn't opening the effluent reduce the amount of C02 inside the reactor, which would raise the ph and raise the alk of the effluent? Or did you make other adjustments as well? I don't think my issue is alk cal and mag. I'm starting to get the hang of the reactor.

Originally Posted by SchnitzelReef

Bummer you lost all your acros. I always think any large fluctuations will make acros mad. 3° temp bounce sounds like a lot to me. My tank stays between 77.8-78.9, and corals don’t seem to mind.
I would add a lot more fish and turn your skimmer back on. Always seems like my corals are happiest when my tank is full of fish and i feed heavy.

You said corals browned out, then died? How long were they alive for? What are you running for lights right now?
Whenever my tank ran really low on nutrients, my corals would get really pale, I never saw them brown out from low nutrients.

Also how long did it take for your alk to go from 7 to 8.5? Usually things happen much slower with a calcium reactor. I don’t think 7 to 8.5 would really hurt anything, Just as long as it happened over a week or so. If it was overnight, than that’s a diff story.

I always thought calcium reactor media didn’t start melting until 7. I run reborn media and remag, and I still have to dose magnesium. I didnt think reborn had any more magnesium in it than caribsea or other brands, that’s why they sell remag.

If you want some more tester frags, I can probably find you a few. Let me know. My corals are probably much healthier than Mikes. . LOL. JK

More like 2 degrees on a particular day. There was a week or so where it was really cold. I did add the heaters the other night so that is taken care of whether that was a problem or not.

The reactor is definitely melting media at 7.2ph inside the reactor, the alk of the effluent is 10dkh. When I had it at 7.5ph inside the reactor, I didn't check the effluent but my alk slowly crept up to 8.5 over a couple of weeks. 1dkh change... not overnight. The tank was running at 7.5 and was solid until I adjusted the reactor after the acros died.

They prob had color for 2 or 3 weeks, then browned, then bleached.

I'm running the 60" LED Powermodule. Leds ramp up to about 60%, and 4 T5s are on from 12 to 8, and 8 T5s are on from 4 to 7. The LEDS are on throughout the whole day.


Anthony is going to lend me his par meter this Friday. I'm not familiar with this fixture. I'm not sure if running the leds so long at 60% is giving me hot spots? I always thought browning is usually caused from not enough light.

LOL thanks.

[SchnitzelReef]

Originally Posted by BeanMachine

What do you mean boosted your drip rate? Wouldn't opening the effluent reduce the amount of C02 inside the reactor. Or did you make other adjustments as well? I don't think my issue is alk cal and mag. I'm starting to get the hang of the reactor.







More like 2 degrees on a particular day. There was a week or so where it was really cold. I did add the heaters the other night so that is taken care of whether that was a problem or not.



The reactor is definitely melting media at 7.2ph inside the reactor, the alk of the effluent is 10dkh. When I had it at 7.5ph inside the reactor, I didn't check the effluent but my alk slowly crept up to 8.5 over a couple of weeks. 1dkh change... not overnight. The tank was running at 7.5 and was solid until I adjusted the reactor after the acros died.



They prob had color for 2 or 3 weeks, then browned, then bleached.



I'm running the 60" LED Powermodule. Leds ramp up to about 60%, and 4 T5s are on from 12 to 8, and 8 T5s are on from 4 to 7. The LEDS are on throughout the whole day.





Anthony is going to lend me his par meter this Friday. I'm not familiar with this fixture. I'm not sure if running the leds so long at 60% is giving me hot spots? I always thought browning is usually caused from not enough light.

Yea My guess would be from not enough light. 60” fixture on a 72” tank right? I would run all 8 bulbs at least 5 or 6 hours. My SPS love it when they get blasted. I’ve never used the hybrid ati fixture, but I would treat it like a normal T5 fixture with the leds just as supplemental light. Use the leds for sunrise sunset, but still crank those T5 bulbs 8 hours....your sps will love you.

[ycnibrc]

Hey Cody
Your tank is new which mean u don't have any bacteria population established your tank yet. To keep Sps u need to wait a little longer for your tank to build up. Another way is u need to add bacteria to your tank. Normally after 6 months is a good time to add Sps slowly. If u are itching then add the Monti or Stylo in first not freaking purple monster lol.

[SchnitzelReef]

Originally Posted by ycnibrc

Hey Cody
Your tank is new which mean u don't have any bacteria population established your tank yet. To keep Sps u need to wait a little longer for your tank to build up. Another way is u need to add bacteria to your tank. Normally after 6 months is a good time to add Sps slowly. If u are itching then add the Monti or Stylo in first not freaking purple monster lol.

I started my tank with all dry rock and dry sand. I moved all my SPS over after 3 weeks. Never lost 1 piece. Everyone told me the same thing, but I didn’t have the room to keep 2 tanks running for 6 months.

[BeanMachine]

Originally Posted by ycnibrc

Hey Cody
Your tank is new which mean u don't have any bacteria population established your tank yet. To keep Sps u need to wait a little longer for your tank to build up. Another way is u need to add bacteria to your tank. Normally after 6 months is a good time to add Sps slowly. If u are itching then add the Monti or Stylo in first not freaking purple monster lol.

The tank has been running since February.

LOL I didn't ask for particular corals, its just what Santa dropped off.

[BeanMachine]

I do like Purple Stylo if anyone has a frag?

[ycnibrc]

Originally Posted by SchnitzelReef

I started my tank with all dry rock and dry sand. I moved all my SPS over after 3 weeks. Never lost 1 piece. Everyone told me the same thing, but I didn’t have the room to keep 2 tanks running for 6 months.

Lol Nick only a few can be successful adding Sps fast. It can be done

[ycnibrc]

Originally Posted by BeanMachine

The tank has been running since February.

LOL I didn't ask for particular corals, its just what Santa dropped off.

Lol I lost track of your tank progress since the dry build is like 2 years

[BeanMachine]

Originally Posted by ycnibrc

Lol I lost track of your tank progress since the dry build is like 2 years

LOL I didn't have fish for like 6 months so its more like 6 months old really.

[fixmgood]

Originally Posted by BeanMachine

I do like Purple Stylo if anyone has a frag?

I will bring you a piece I have 3 large colonies,growing like a weed.

I increased the drip rate and increased the CO2 as well. From what I understand the media melts at about 6.5, I am open to correction of course.

[ycnibrc]

So your tank only have water and rock for 6 months? And u using Dr Tim bacteria to cycle. So how long now with fish?

[BeanMachine]

Originally Posted by fixmgood

I will bring you a piece I have 3 large colonies,growing like a weed.

I increased the drip rate and increased the CO2 as well. From what I understand the media melts at about 6.5, I am open to correction of course.

Thanks Ivan. I've read online it melts at about 7.7. I can confirm it melts at 7.2 for sure as the alk of the effluent would be the same as my display if it wasn't dissolving the media.

Originally Posted by ycnibrc

So your tank only have water and rock for 6 months? And u using Dr Tim bacteria to cycle. So how long now with fish?

Yeah, and MB7. I added quite a bit of bacteria in the beginning. I dosed the ammonia to 2ppm then watched it fall. I did it three times if I remember right.

[BeanMachine]

Thanks for the PAR meter Tony. And the tour of your system. Awesome stuff.

So my tank with all 8 T5 and the leds mostly blue at 60 percent had my tank at 500 to 550 PAR at the top of my rock in the center and 300 in the sand bed. Leds added about 100 par up top and 75 down on the sand. I made some adjustments to the light schedule. No leds while T5s are on now. Just before and after. I’m going to stagger the T5 channels as well. I’m going to order two actinic lamps and ditch the Gieseman Lagoon Blue.

Thanks Ivan Mark and Chuck for the new tester pieces.


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[ycnibrc]

Originally Posted by BeanMachine

Thanks for the PAR meter Tony. And the tour of your system. Awesome stuff.

So my tank with all 8 T5 and the leds mostly blue at 60 percent had my tank at 500 to 550 PAR at the top of my rock in the center and 300 in the sand bed. Leds added about 100 par up top and 75 down on the sand. I made some adjustments to the light schedule. No leds while T5s are on now. Just before and after. I’m going to stagger the T5 channels as well. I’m going to order two actinic lamps and ditch the Gieseman Lagoon Blue.

Thanks Ivan Mark and Chuck for the new tester pieces.


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Hey Cody your welcome try the 444 light schedule for 3 months and see if your corals like it.

[BeanMachine]

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