JPK's 275 Gallon Garage SPS System

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Hi, for those interested, here are a few shots of the frags that are available to ship soon

IMG_2507.jpeg

IMG_2500.jpeg

BC Teenwolf

IMG_1832.jpeg
BC Teen Wolf Mother (very yellow in person)

IMG_2498.jpeg

Left WWC Wow / right BC Bubblebath unicorn

IMG_2021.jpeg

WWC Wow mother colony (nfs) on top

IMG_2496.jpeg

Left BC Cricket spine right (top 2) TCK Wildcard (bottom 2) Cherry bomb.

IMG_1501.jpeg

TCK Wildcard mother under whites

I’ll start a marketplace post mid December when I will have time to pack and ship, if you are interested let me know.
 

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Thanks Bali, I have been spending a lot of time in there lately, I think I finally have it dialed in. And yes there have been some laundry duties as well, but I go in to grab the laundry and don’t come out haha.
 
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Hi all, I meant to get this up sooner, but I was in Hawaii for a week, then paid the price when I returned to work since I had to make up for
not being at work for a week lol. Then it was my birthday followed by Christmas..

I finally put some frags up on the marketplace, I have several of each and they are fully encrusted.


As for updates, my sps QT tank is cycled and running well. I cut up a torch, a hammer and some acans with the bandsaw, which seem to have survived.

IMG_2817.jpeg
 
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A few more updates on the system, I switched over from Neptune sky’s (after one died) to four G6 Pros and two 5’ Helix Mesa Blue bars. I really like the combo. Luca over at Quanta lights and K Cleven who makes the mounts and and other 3D printed stuff are both great guys. I also picked up some new MP40 wet side covers from K Cleven.

I updated my frag racks from egg crate to Luna racks, which are so much better.
IMG_2733.jpeg

IMG_2866.jpeg

IMG_2865.jpeg

IMG_2862.jpeg


I had a few oversized frags that just graduated to 2” tiles

IMG_2869.jpeg

Confetti on the left, bubblebath unicorn top right, and grizzly Adams bottom right

IMG_2861.jpeg

Cool tenuis frag line up shot
 
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eggie

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Growth on corals looks amazing. Is there something you attribute it too.
 

Gumbies R Us

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A few more updates on the system, I switched over from Neptune sky’s (after one died) to four G6 Pros and two 5’ Helix Mesa Blue bars. I really like the combo. Luca over at Quanta lights and K Cleven who makes the mounts and and other 3D printed stuff are both great guys. I also picked up some new MP40 wet side covers from K Cleven.

I updated my frag racks from egg crate to Luna racks, which are so much better.
IMG_2733.jpeg

IMG_2866.jpeg

IMG_2865.jpeg

IMG_2862.jpeg


I had a few oversized frags that just graduated to 2” tiles

IMG_2869.jpeg

Confetti on the left, bubblebath unicorn top right, and grizzly Adams bottom right

IMG_2861.jpeg

Cool tenuis frag line up shot
Those frag racks look awesome!
 
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Those frag racks look awesome!
I never thought I would get excited about frag racks, and I have used egg crate for years. But ever since I termite tented last year, where I had to move every thing out for a few days, my egg crate racks are plagued with algae. I don’t have algae anywhere else, but I put egg crate in my tank and it just gets covered. I tried soaking it in citric acid for days and sticking it my sump for weeks, nothing seems to help. The acrylic frag racks don’t have that issue for me
 
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Growth on corals looks amazing. Is there something you attribute it too.
Hi, thanks. I follow the moonshiners method and try to keep my trace elements in check, which I have noticed helps a lot with coloration.

But for growth, the the thing that has helped my system is PH. I mix a 25 gallon brute with saturated Kalk. I have my apex set up to continuously dose Kalk when my PH drops below 8.25, then turn off once that value is met. I have my ATO turn on when my sump gets too low in case there is an issue, but otherwise my ATO doesn’t even turn on anymore. After doing this, which I copied from Chris Meckey at ACI aquaculture, I saw an explosion of growth.

Here is an example with my WWC Wow acro

IMG_9800.jpeg

04/04/23

IMG_0272.jpeg

07/14/23

IMG_0486.jpeg

09/18/23

IMG_0928.jpeg

01/29/24
 

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Hi, thanks. I follow the moonshiners method and try to keep my trace elements in check, which I have noticed helps a lot with coloration.

But for growth, the the thing that has helped my system is PH. I mix a 25 gallon brute with saturated Kalk. I have my apex set up to continuously dose Kalk when my PH drops below 8.25, then turn off once that value is met. I have my ATO turn on when my sump gets too low in case there is an issue, but otherwise my ATO doesn’t even turn on anymore. After doing this, which I copied from Chris Meckey at ACI aquaculture, I saw an explosion of growth.

Here is an example with my WWC Wow acro

IMG_9800.jpeg

04/04/23

IMG_0272.jpeg

07/14/23

IMG_0486.jpeg

09/18/23

IMG_0928.jpeg

01/29/24
Are you dosing kalk via stirrer? Very impressive growth!
 

bcarl77

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How do you like the Skys compared to Radion?

Also why do you run a cholormine monster were you showing chlorine in the output water?
 
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Are you dosing kalk via stirrer? Very impressive growth!
Thanks, no I tried a stirrer but it could not keep up.

I have a 25 gallon brute, when it is empty I put 190 grams of dry Kalk in it, then fill it with RODI water. I stir it once like a witches cauldron with random piece of pvc pipe I have then put the lid on and don’t mix it again. I have it connected to one head on a dos and use the PH probe in my sump to control it, for example I dose about 7,000 to 9,000 ml on kalk per day depending on my PH.

If you look up Chris Meckely on YouTube there are a ton of videos where he describes how it works.

here are a couple of other growth comparisons

IMG_0449.jpeg

JF Solar flare 9/13/23

IMG_2475.jpeg

11/25/24

IMG_0268.jpeg

Wildcard 07/12/23

IMG_1501.jpeg

07/10/24

IMG_0930.jpeg

Grizzly Adams 01/29/24

IMG_2470.jpeg

11/25/24
 
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This is what my program looks like
IMG_2872.jpeg

IMG_2873.png


The H2OLvl is the amount of water in the return pump chamber in my sump. So if something happens and it starts dosing too much it will shut off at 8”

My PH probe always seems to be about .1 lower than what it really is, that is why I use 8.2. Chris recommends pinning the PH at 8.29. I recalibrate my PH probe about once per month, and use a Milwaukee MW 102 as a way to help validate the reading.

I replace my PH probes every 6 months or so, I buy a few when they are on sale.
 
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How do you like the Skys compared to Radion?

Also why do you run a cholormine monster were you showing chlorine in the output water?

I actually liked the skys, but one died and they no longer make them so they offered me 40% off a G6. I had 3 dead G4s and they gave me 40% off for each of those for 3 more G6s. I hear a lot of hate about ecotech but I have had nothing but good experiences with them.

My water is terrible here, lots of chloramines etc. I swap out all my 3 carbon blocks every other month and my 2 RO filters every 4 months.
 

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Was there something that you saw that you know something is coming through though?
 

eggie

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Hi, thanks. I follow the moonshiners method and try to keep my trace elements in check, which I have noticed helps a lot with coloration.

But for growth, the the thing that has helped my system is PH. I mix a 25 gallon brute with saturated Kalk. I have my apex set up to continuously dose Kalk when my PH drops below 8.25, then turn off once that value is met. I have my ATO turn on when my sump gets too low in case there is an issue, but otherwise my ATO doesn’t even turn on anymore. After doing this, which I copied from Chris Meckey at ACI aquaculture, I saw an explosion of growth.

Here is an example with my WWC Wow acro

IMG_9800.jpeg

04/04/23

IMG_0272.jpeg

07/14/23

IMG_0486.jpeg

09/18/23

IMG_0928.jpeg

01/29/24
Yeah I follow the Moonshine method as well, But the key should be the PH, my PH is low 7.8 with lights out and 8.1 when lights are on since its a close room with no ventilation only AC unit I cant et it to be higher
I dose Klak as well but not 24 hrs only 12.
How hi is your ALk ?
 
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Was there something that you saw that you know something is coming through though?

My tap TDS is the 600 range. Before I started going overboard with water filtration I was having nothing but troubles with SPS, nothing was growing, everything seemed stressed. I get a water report (well water) from my city that indicates they use chloramines etc. My house is old with old plumbing which may leach stuff.

Once I added the additional layers of filtration, there was an immediate change to the health of my system. I also notice things start to get stressed out, less polyp extension etc when I get lazy about changing my carbon blocks etc. The ICP I use tests RODI water and I have noticed that when I get lazy with changing media things start showing up in the RODI water like zinc, silicon, iron and manganese.

I may be going overboard, but I like the peace of mind. Here is an example when I waited a few months too long to change the RODI media. As for the chloramines monster, I change that like one a year.
water.jpg
 
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Yeah I follow the Moonshine method as well, But the key should be the PH, my PH is low 7.8 with lights out and 8.1 when lights are on since its a close room with no ventilation only AC unit I cant et it to be higher
I dose Klak as well but not 24 hrs only 12.
How hi is your ALk ?
With the way mine doses, it only really doses Kalk from like 2 am when the PH finally dips below 8.2 (lights turn off at 10 pm and my ph is in the 8.5 range at that time) and then doses Kalk until about 1030 am, since the lights turn on at 10 and photosynthesis brings the PH up above 8.2 at that time. My PH never goes below 8.2 when I am dosing the Kalk.

I have the PH in my Calcium reactor go from 6.65 in the day to 6.9 at night to adjust for the Kalk dosing. My Alk sits around 8 to 8.5
 

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