My mixed 220

[GR808]

My display is an AGA 220g reef ready, I have a 75g sump/fuge , ASM G3 skimmer, BRS dual media reactor (gfo and carbon), 2 Vortec MP40's running on 100% reef crest mode and 2 Vortec MP10's running on 75% lagoon mode, 3x 250w MH (2 single ended 20k raduims and 1 DE 14k hamilton) and 4x54w T5 ati blue + . I dose 90 ml of BRS 2 part and 30 ml of Mg daily. My photo period is: the blues (T5) come on at noon and go off at 10pm the MH comes on at 2 and goes off at 8:30pm. I change ~25g of water every other week with a mixture of reefcrystals and corallife salts. I also run chaeto in my fuge on a reverse light cycle. I think thats it LOL.

sounds like a winning setup.. and by those pictures, it is..
thanks for the info...

[Dave3112]

sounds like a winning setup.. and by those pictures, it is..
thanks for the info...

Thanks again! I do still have some problems keeping zoas and I don't know why. I think it's probably because my water is "cleaner" than they like it. They grow nicely then melt away then grow back. I guess it is good in a way because they would over run the tank. LOL. And I had a problem a few months ago where my large SPS colonies started to STN from the base. It didn't affect my smaller frags/mini colonies. All my parameters were spot on where they always are. I let it work itself out and lost about 35 percent of those colonies but after about 2 months it just stopped and started to grow back. I didn't change a thing from my normal schedule and I still don't know what caused or even fixed it. I just hope it doesn't do it again. LOL

[Dave3112]

I have always tried to avoid feeding my corals anything other than fish poop and flake food. But now I am considering trying out either reef chili of brightwells reef snow. Do any of you use this? If so what are the pros and cons? TIA

Dave

[skinz78]

I don't feed my corals anything on purpose and they still grow like crazy. I just feed my tank my DIY fish food dayly and they do catch particles that are missed by the fish.

[Dave3112]

Thanks Chris! I have toyed with the idea of making my own food but have yet to do so. Can you PM me the recipe? I am happy with the health of my corals and the growth but I think the colors could be better is the only reason I was thinking of feeding the reef snow or chili.

[GR808]

I use Fauna marin on lps maybe once a week. Thats about it.. I hope with the leds I just installed my sps can show a considerable difference in growth. Or I just get some magic from you all.. Lol

[Dave3112]

I have neglected to update this thread as much as I do the one in my local forum but it is linked on the first page. Here are a few recent ones. Sorry for the crappy quality I just got a few real quick.


Getting a little crowded.






my new obsession......

[Dave3112]

Well I guess it's time to update...........

I finally made it home from Germany. I loved it over there, but 83 days away from my family (and my tank) is WAAAAYYY too long. That's the good news. The bad news is my tank looks like POOP! The Alk dropped to 7 (dosing pump quit working) while I was gone and my wife didn't notice it until it was too late and she has been trying to play catch up with it for the last 3 weeks or so. She does a really good job but she just hasn't been doing this as long as I have. Everything seems to be back in line now and steady for about 4 days now. I lost ALOT of my SPS to STN. Not whole colonies but a major portion of most of them. Also my LPS have lost a bunch of color. The bubble algae hasn't seemed to notice though. Anyone have any tips on getting it in check?

On another not I think I may have a good case to justify an Apex and a Bubble Magus dosing pump now..........LOL. I will get some pictures up soon. If I'm not too embarrassed to show them.

[Dave3112]

Here is a preview

[skinz78]

Welcome back Dave!

Sorry to hear about the troubles, I'm sure you'll have it back in shape in no time.

As for Bubble Algae, I have had Foxfaces in the past that gobbled it right up.

[Mike&Terry]

Very nice tank and great pics. Thanks for sharing!

[Dave3112]

Welcome back Dave!

Sorry to hear about the troubles, I'm sure you'll have it back in shape in no time.

As for Bubble Algae, I have had Foxfaces in the past that gobbled it right up.

Thanks Bro! I hope I get it back in line. It may take a while this time.

I got a rabbit fish hoping that it would eat the bubble algae but no luck. Maybe I will put him in the 125 and get a regular old foxface.

Very nice tank and great pics. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you!!

[Dave3112]

Ok here are some pictures as promised.

[Dave3112]

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that along with the low/fluctuating Alkalinity my PO4 was at .12 ppm!!! I have since changed out my GFO and is starting to slowly come down. I first tested the .12 ppm on Monday and today it is down to .07 ppm. I am going to keep the GFO changed out every week until I get it back to below .03 ppm. Now off to test my nitrates. I'm sure they are off since everything else is too.

On a good note my PE has improved dramatically since I got back and am getting things back in line.

[Mike&Terry]

Great pics! You have some beautiful corals... thanks for sharing!

[Dave3112]

Well just a quick update. All the parameters are falling back into place and holding steady. All the STN has stopped and the corals are starting to re-grow. Phosphate has tested 0 on the hanna meter for the last 4 days so I think I am going to leave the GFO that I have in the reactor until it starts to climb again. I started a 3 day blackout of the tank yesterday because I had some cyano starting to grow. I think I need to trade in my MP40's for an MP60 to get a little more flow through out the tank. I will post up some more pictures when the lights come back on in a couple of days.

[skinz78]

Good to hear it is back on track Dave!

[Dowtish]

Really glad everything is being dialed back in Dave. If you decide to sell the MP40's right around Christmas, hit me up!

[Dave3112]

Good to hear it is back on track Dave!

Thanks Man! It was really tough seeing my tank like that. I'm just really glad that I didn't lose more than I did.

Really glad everything is being dialed back in Dave. If you decide to sell the MP40's right around Christmas, hit me up!

Thanks Chris! I will let you know when I get ready to upgrade!

[Dave3112]

Well I ended up adding 2 sixline wrasses and had to pull one out and put it in my wifes tank because the stupid purple dottyback was killing it. Funny that it didn't bother the other one. I have been using a turkey baster and blowing the flat worms off of the corals and since adding the wrasse there have been less and less coming off. I still see some eggs on my acro nana but this is the second day that I haven't seen any flat worms blow off the corals. And I have one FAT sixline!!! I hope that I am getting these things under control. I have used the Bayer Advanced on my frag tank (plumbed into my display) and got quite a few flatworms off of those and they are getting more and more color back everyday. I have only dipped them once and will keep dipping them to make sure I don't have them in there anymore. That way if I need to break down the display I can have a place to put them that the water parameters will be the same and maybe a method that I feel comfortable with as well.

What do y'all think? Will the fish control them on their own? I can see that the Bayer Advance is working in the frag tank and the corals haven't suffered any ill effects but I have HUGE colonies in my display and ALOT of them as well. So I don't really want to tear it down......