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melev

Day 34

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by
melev
, 12-15-2013 at 01:01 PM (3975 Views)
Don't worry, I won't be doing daily updates like this, I promise. (Frankly, I tend to worry if people will unsubscribe if they get too many notifications, so I try to keep my blogs interesting and share when I have something of value to discuss.)

As mentioned yesterday, the biopellet reactor's flow was minimal at best. Even after cleaning the top plate, the pellets weren't moving much at all. That meant that the jets at the base of the reactor were obstructed, so I took it completely apart and unscrewed the injector assembly from the riser pipe of the AquaMaxx reactor. Once cleaned out, I filled it up with both the new Vertex biopellets and the remainder prior to cleaning.

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The GAC-filled reactor isn't installed yet, since I don't want to absorb the medication that kills cyano.

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Regarding the four heaters in the sump, only three are working. One had to be bumped up slightly to make sure it kicked on with the other two when the Apex calls for heat, but the fourth heater doesn't come on at all and is now in the trash. I have another heater in my backup gear, so that will be added to the tank if it appears to need it. I didn't realize all this time only two were powering up instead of all of them, so I'm going to observe the graphs and see if another is necessary.

The protein skimmer was taken out of the sump and set up in a vat filled with water and white vinegar. Running it overnight in this solution helps loosen up the algae and tube worms that have grown all over the acrylic as well as the pumps. The skimmer zone of the sump needs to be completely scraped and siphoned clean, which I'll do as part of the routine water change dictated by running RedCyano Rx in my system. Sure is nice to have room in the fishroom for something like this again, now that it's cold out.

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I've been using a newer version of the electric wand for killing majanos and aiptasia. I got it at MACNA for a product review and have been using it to zap any majanos I see in my reef. Yesterday I zapped about a dozen that I spotted, and will endeavor to keep hitting them regularly until none remain.

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  1. jlemoine2's Avatar
    Nice update, Marc. How is the newer version of the electric wand different than the old one? If I recall, the old version was on a rigid pole and the new one appears flexible from your photo.

    Just for the record, I like the regular updates. Keep em up!
  2. gettareef's Avatar
    I also have been enjoying your daily updates! I've found that maintenance like this is key in keeping a healthy reef. So I went ahead and purchased the large version of the AquaMaxx biopeller reactor (same as yours) for my 75. I decided to go with a large model due to it currently being in stock and for when I upgrade in the future. I chose AquaMaxx in large part due to your great review of its performance. This will be my first time carbon dosing, and I will undoubtedly being seeking advise and asking questions along the way (I will probably start a new thread here about it on RA). Any advice or tips before I begin, using this model of biopellet reactor inparticular? I plan to follow your review on the reactor as an instruction guide. Thanks and keep the posts coming! I'm loving your beautiful new 400!
  3. melev's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by jlemoine2
    Nice update, Marc. How is the newer version of the electric wand different than the old one? If I recall, the old version was on a rigid pole and the new one appears flexible from your photo.

    Just for the record, I like the regular updates. Keep em up!
    I'll post up some pictures very soon. I've been using it every couple of days to stop these pesky anemones from increasing in number. They retract fast now, it's like they know what I'm doing.

    Quote Originally Posted by gettareef
    I also have been enjoying your daily updates! I've found that maintenance like this is key in keeping a healthy reef. So I went ahead and purchased the large version of the AquaMaxx biopeller reactor (same as yours) for my 75. I decided to go with a large model due to it currently being in stock and for when I upgrade in the future. I chose AquaMaxx in large part due to your great review of its performance. This will be my first time carbon dosing, and I will undoubtedly being seeking advise and asking questions along the way (I will probably start a new thread here about it on RA). Any advice or tips before I begin, using this model of biopellet reactor inparticular? I plan to follow your review on the reactor as an instruction guide. Thanks and keep the posts coming! I'm loving your beautiful new 400!
    Ecobak, Biospheres, Vertex are all good brands. I've used all three. Everyone continues to post that you need to only put 25-50% of the pellets in the reactor to get it going, but I've always just filled it up. The first time I used them, I put 2-liters on the 400g. Then when I ran out completely in 2012 (just had about a dozen bouncing around in an empty reactor), I filled it up completely again. And last week, I filled it up all the way when it was done to a few inches worth.

    Be sure to soak the pellets in tank water for 24 hours prior to use. This helps them not clump nor float. Every few hours, I stirred the pellets with a spoon. I had them in plain sight in front of the tank, so I just did it when I walked by, not like clockwork or anything.

    Be sure you are dosing bacteria regularly, be it Prodibio, Zeovit, or Microbacter 7.
  4. gettareef's Avatar
    Great, solid advice Marc. Thank you. I will start a new thread or write it on my tank thread when I start running the reactor in a few weeks.
  5. melev's Avatar
    Looking forward to it.