Lagoon Reef Build

David Caplan

David Caplan

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Joined
Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
My algae reactor has been incredible. Despite my increased lighting and feeding, my Nitrates are 0 and Phosphate at 0.05. I think I will stop running GFO and keep running cheato.

Moved the XR15 to the frag tank so I could keep the two on the same light schedule. I have the kessil along with the 2 XR30s running on the display.

I want the colours of the corals I am growing the match the colour they have in my display. I noticed this:
Ultimate Bonzai (same colony): Kessil grown vs Radion Grown
Kessil:

Radion:


Some cool stuff I snapped shots of:
Ultimate Bonzai Colony

Acid Flashback Ultra Acan


Jason Fox Apple Berry Montipora

Fire/Ice Zoas

Growth on my Orange Passion (started as a 1/4 inch single nub)

Let's see what this ends up looking like, think its yellow base with purple polyps

Snapped off from March's display tank :)

Reef Raft Cannabis (thanks Scooter000!)


Green Frogskin Acro

Pink Matrix (changed colours a lot)

Reef Raft Kendari
 
Last edited:
Kevin Tran

Kevin Tran

Super Active Member
Joined
May 22, 2014
Location
Breslau, Ontario
gosh I'm embarrassed just seeing that white spot on the wolverine:oops:, your pic show it off well because I can't see it that white with the nake eyes. I have to turn my light intensity from 100% down to 50% and also reduce light period. You might have just save my whole colony lol, thank
 
David Caplan

David Caplan

Member
Website Affiliate
Joined
Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Cameras are kinda like computers. If you have enough experience you can achieve the same result no matter the camera (given a decent lens), but the worse the camera the longer it takes and the more workarounds you need to know :p.
 
David Caplan

David Caplan

Member
Website Affiliate
Joined
Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Ordered a new frag tank from JT, going a little bit bigger! Couple pictures, because the rest of this post will be boring for those not using an Apex.




I did a lot of programming this week on my Apex and installed an AFS. It took a lot of coding and creating virtual ports, it's also given me a lot of ideas on how to work within their coding environment.

I have an Apex with PH probe, temp probe, eb4 and an AFS


I wanted to use the AFS to auto feed, but mostly coral food rather than pellets/flakes. In order to this I had to setup my own program to ensure the tank worked the way I wanted during feeding. I filled the AFS with a mix of Apex Crossover Diet, other pellets, reef roids, reef chili, reef pearls, zooplan and coral frenzy.

Twice a day (12:00 and 5:00) or when I switch the virtual outlet v-feed1 to ON, the feed will start.
0 minutes: Return pump off
5 seconds: AFS Turns on
30 seconds: AFS Rotation
1 30 seconds: 2nd AFS Rotation
2 minutes: AFS turns off
(food is then mixed in high flow for 4 minutes)
6 minutes: MP40 turns off allowing corals to feed on particulate food
8 minutes: MP40 turns on to ensure no food is left at the bottom
9 minutes: return turns on
15 minutes: reactors turn on
30 minutes: skimmer turns on, auto top off turn on

Technical details:
1 feeder outlet (v-feed)
5 virtual outlets (v-feed1, v-feed2, v-feed3, v-feed4, v-feed5)

v-feed1 (the switch, also turns off return pump)
Set OFF
Fallback OFF
If Time 12:00 to 12:09 Then ON
If Time 17:00 to 17:09 Then ON
If Outlet v-feed6 = ON Then OFF
If pH > 8.40 Then OFF

v-feed2 (the 5 second defer to start the AFS after the return is cut)
Set OFF
If Outlet v-feed1 = ON Then ON
Defer 000:05 Then ON

v-feed3 (trigger to turn off the AFS to ensure it doesn't spin more than twice)
Set OFF
If Outlet v-feed1 = ON Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

v-feed4 (trigger to turn off the MP40)
Set OFF
If Outlet v-feed1 = ON Then ON
Defer 006:00 Then ON

v-feed5 (trigger to turn back on the MP40)
Set OFF
If Outlet v-feed1 = ON Then ON
Defer 008:00 Then ON

v-feed6 (trigger to turn the return on)
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Outlet v-feed1 = ON Then ON
Defer 009:00 Then ON

v-feed (the AFS outlet)
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
OSC 000:00/000:30/000:30 Then ON
If Outlet v-feed2 = OFF Then OFF
If Outlet v-feed3 = ON Then OFF

Return_Pump
Fallback ON
Set ON
If Outlet v-feed1 = ON Then OFF
If Outlet v-feed6 = ON Then ON

Vortech
Fallback ON
Set ON
If Outlet v-feed4 = ON Then OFF
If Outlet v-feed5 = ON Then ON

Skimmer
Fallback ON
Set ON
If Power Apex Off 000 Then OFF
If Outlet Return_Pump = OFF Then OFF
Defer 015:00 Then ON

ATO
Fallback ON
Set ON
If Power Apex Off 000 Then OFF
If Outlet Return_Pump = OFF Then OFF
If Outlet Frag_Return = OFF Then OFF
Defer 015:00 Then ON

Reactors
Fallback ON
Set ON
If Outlet Return_Pump = OFF Then OFF
Defer 005:00 Then ON

Auto Doser
Fallback ON
Set ON
If pH > 8.40 Then OFF
 
David Caplan

David Caplan

Member
Website Affiliate
Joined
Jan 30, 2015
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Thanks!

Been a busy week. I helped Ryan @ R20 unbox his big shipment and take some pictures. Was a blast, really cool to see such well packed livestock. For my birthday I visited March @ FragBox to pick up some sticks. Also went to Colin @ Reef Boutique to pick up a few things, and he let me take home a gorgeous piece of chalice I had been admiring in his display tank since I first went there. Also got a colony of sun coral, which I glued to the underside of my bridge.

Also JT @ JT Acrylics is working on my new frag tank, and i'm getting started with the plumbing, which is quite an adventure. Not sure where to use flexible PVC or rigid, and will have to figure out where to put all these unions!

Thanks to saltmeup for the plumbing tips.

Huge thanks to all you guys, amazingly helpful and just great people.

From FragBox:
Pikachu

Scorpion

From R20
Neon Carpet Anemone + 2 Skunk Clowns


Feather Starfish


From Reef Boutique
Chalice

Bella Blues


Plumbing parts:
 
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