300 gallon "Outside Corner" Reef

[Gregcoyote]

Interesting. So, would you say that salt mixes have more than one type of calcium in them?

My rough understanding is that calcium works on a ionic level. I need to research my chemistry before I sound like an idiot. But there are different forms of it in sea water I remember reading. My observation was the difference between calcium chloride or lime water supplementation. But different salts may have different concentrations of these elements. It takes calcium and carbonates to make coral, and carbonates are ionic, so maybe that's the difference in the Lime Water.

 

[Ingy]

Although the electronic balance in Calcium in both compounds (Ca(OH)2 and CaCl2 is the same (i.e. same ionic Calcium element), the compounds differ significantly. The first thing is the pH of lime water is very high while calcium chloride is much closer to what we want in out tanks. I wonder if you observed a drop in pH whan you stopped the limewater but increased CaCl2?
The thing I think may have been affecting your observations, is Limewater is not nearly as soluable in water. I wonder if that makes it easier for corals to extract it from the water for their own uses?
The other thing is lime water extracts CO2 from water and forms calcium carbonate. As corals do consume O2 and produce CO2, I wonder if this natural extraction of waste CO2 and conversion of it to useful calcium carbonate both helps the corals 'breath' and form their structures in 1 fell swoop?

Things that make you go "hmmmmm"!

 

[Gregcoyote]

2 hours to clean 4 magnum power heads. They were incrusted like they had been on a ship wreck for 20 years. Much vinegar and chiseling, mixed with occasional cursing, they work again, although one has a new annoying hum.

 

[mr_X]

Anything like this?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Yes. In spots it was 1/4" thick. Like purple concrete.

 

[Sniperhank]

Thankfully the brown coraline I picked up isn't that hard to get off. It's the red nuisance stuff I struggle with getting off. Hours of vinegar solution and toothbrushing.

 

[Robert_ellis]

Why do so many people wanna get rid of coraline? I love it in my tank.

 

[54seaweed]

Why do so many people wanna get rid of coraline? I love it in my tank.

There talking about removing it from the power heads
after a while it builds up and power heads stop working efficiently
we all love Coraline but not on power heads or the front glass
I just replaced 3 heads wasn't about to kill myself cleaning them
it seems to grow faster on the plastic power heads than the rock

Greg every time I see that tank I love it more and more
love that bubble
I want to get a fox coral but every one I seen at the reef store are insanely priced

 

[Gregcoyote]

Thanks. The magnum heads I use are $100, so cleaning them was my best option! It wasn't too bad, the vinegar softens the stuff a lot. The bubble coral took me a year to get to a spot where it finally took off. It had died back to just a few bubbles, then grew like crazy. Finicky little beast.

 

[Sniperhank]

Theyvaupposedly like little flow. I don't even know what hat looks like lol.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Anyone keep a Clown tang? I inherited one that has grown to just over 2" He's been in my 6' long frag tank for the last 6 months. I don't think I'm going to add him to the main reef, he's way too active and aggressive to a poor Foxface he shares the tank with. Just wondering if anyone has one in a reef with other tangs. He is gorgeous.

 

[Stlrockguy]

I'd love to see a pic Greg.

 

[Gregcoyote]

He's fast as heck. This is the only one I have right now and it was an accident.

 

[Stlrockguy]

That's nice. Tangs are hard to get pics of.

 

[Travis55]

40 pages of amazing tank-filled goodness. I envy your 22 year relationship with your tank!

 

[Gregcoyote]

40 pages of amazing tank-filled goodness. I envy your 22 year relationship with your tank!

Thanks!

 

[Travis55]

Thanks!

Do you have more pics of the tank from a distance? For size comparisons?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Do you have more pics of the tank from a distance? For size comparisons?

Yes. Floor to ceiling it's 7'

Wife shown is 5' 7" tall.

 

[Travis55]

Thats an awesome tank. Thanks for the pics. I told my wife about it. Shes like he set it up the year i was born. Lol i told her you had fish almost as old as her little sister. She was in awe.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Makes me feel old! Well, I guess longevity isn't a bad thing for my fish, or me. Reefs last thousands of years, mine is still a baby.