Custom 230 Peninsula Build

[TimSc2013]

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[prsnlty]

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Looking just beautiful Tim!

 

[TimSc2013]

Who says SPS and anemones can't coexist?

 

[prsnlty]

Looks great Tim! In the last pic above your handsome ff, what coral is that that is shaped like a soap dish? And how do you get your caps to spiral? This is mine...

 

[prsnlty]

My cap

 

[TimSc2013]

Looks great Tim! In the last pic above your handsome ff, what coral is that that is shaped like a soap dish? And how do you get your caps to spiral? This is mine...

The soap dish shaped coral was listed as a misc. green monti and I purchased it in November of 2012 along with the orange monti cap, that spirals upon command! Here is a pic of the frags in early 2013.

 

[prsnlty]

Wow! They've come a long way love the green one, pretty unique

 

[TimSc2013]

Well it has been awhile since I have even been on Reef2Reef, let alone providing an update on my tank. Since the 2-year $40 membership automatically renewed without my knowledge, I figured I better start using the site again so the unexpected fee will be for not. Mental note made to disconnect my credit card from Reef2Reef to aviod this from happening again in 2017...

Anyway, things with the tank have been going well at this 1 1/2 year mark with the tank running on autopilot since first set-up. Coral are growing well with minimal losses due to user error and unexplained events such as fish suddenly disappearing.

Major issues, depending on how you look at it, are that the tank is overwhelmed with aptasia, periodic battles with Bryopsis algea, bubble-tip anemone take-over, inefficient closed loop set-up and general cost of setting up and running a large tank.

I will try to go over my experiences with the tank in general to hopefully spark questions and advice from other members to help me stay engaged as I am still a little perturbed about that whole automatic renewal charge...

The first thing I will update you on is the ineffective closed loop. I disliked it from the day it was installed from the tank builders but at that point it was built and changes would have only costed more money. Hopefully they learned and will not build one for another client similar to mine!

 

[TimSc2013]

 

[revhtree]

Well it has been awhile since I have even been on Reef2Reef, let alone providing an update on my tank. Since the 2-year $40 membership automatically renewed without my knowledge, I figured I better start using the site again so the unexpected fee will be for not. Mental note made to disconnect my credit card from Reef2Reef to aviod this from happening again in 2017...

Anyway, things with the tank have been going well at this 1 1/2 year mark with the tank running on autopilot since first set-up. Coral are growing well with minimal losses due to user error and unexplained events such as fish suddenly disappearing.

Major issues, depending on how you look at it, are that the tank is overwhelmed with aptasia, periodic battles with Bryopsis algea, bubble-tip anemone take-over, inefficient closed loop set-up and general cost of setting up and running a large tank.

I will try to go over my experiences with the tank in general to hopefully spark questions and advice from other members to help me stay engaged as I am still a little perturbed about that whole automatic renewal charge...

The first thing I will update you on is the ineffective closed loop. I disliked it from the day it was installed from the tank builders but at that point it was built and changes would have only costed more money. Hopefully they learned and will not build one for another client similar to mine!

Glad to see you updating your thread! I also refunded you your supporting membership. When you signed up you signed up for a reoccurring subscription. I refunded and cancelled the subscription.

Thanks.

 

[revhtree]

Beautiful reef BTW.

 

[prsnlty]

Hi Tim! My 180g came drilled for closed loop. We drilled the far end of the tank for overflows and put bulkheads on the the cl holes with pvc pipe and caps. This way if I ever needed one I could just remove and replace the bulkhead. I didn't think as a peninsula I would like the CL setup plus they seemed too small for the tank size. Since your tank is already running and maturing it would most likely be a bit ofa chore to convert. It really isa beautiful tank though as it is

 

[soggytees]

Who says SPS and anemones can't coexist?

Love this pics!

 

[prsnlty]

Hi Tim How's the tank doing these days?

 

[TimSc2013]

Hi Jackie. Tank is doing great! Just finished a huge battle with aptasia using Berghia Nudibranch and Copperban butterfly fish. The aptasia took over evervinchbof tank and now 3 months later they are completely gone. Also battled bryopsis algea and have raised Mg up to about 1700 using Kent Tech-M. Still have some spots but overall seems to be working.

 

[SlowMN]

Wow. That is awesome! Glad to hear the aptasia are gone..they can be a huge pain. Took me a long time to get rid of mine.

 

[prsnlty]

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Glad to hear they're gone! They can be such a nightmare... I have that issue in my 45g softy tank. I never had any luck with the copperband butterfly. They always die In a couple of weeks I will be having war with them myself. Since I plan to drill this tank and build a sump for it I will break it down and rock by rock scold them to death with boiling lemon juice and kalk then suck them off the rock while they have a weak foot.... one rock at a time. Then I thought I might get a pyramid butterfly to take care of any I may have missed.

 

[TimSc2013]

Good thing for winter as I really became uninterested in my tanks and the hobby in general since my last post. It may also have had something to do with the attention i was giving my new golden retriever.

Through lack of interest, I still fed the fish, did minimal maintenance and occasional testing. The tank went through some wild alk and calcium swings but have finally got those under control.

One thing I neglected to do was to test salinity as typically it remained fairly consistent in the past but what I forgot was that the salinity increases while dosing two-part. When I did finally test the tank last week it was at 1.032! Over the last week have slowly lowered it to 1.026.

I also did three 5 gallon water changes to help with trace elements which are likely low with the maintenance neglect.

Amazingly the fish and coral have rode it out without much noticeable impact and the algea issue I was fighting have all but disappeared!

 

[prsnlty]

Nice to have you back Tim!

 

[revhtree]

Yes glad to see you back!