Latest updates

Some of these calls may have been posted already, but after the reset things are definitely moved around and relocated and reattached!

This is the latest reset after my tank collapse catastrophe. It never looks the same, no matter how hard you try after a few days of feeling got shot. I’m finally content with the way it looks and moving forward.

Automation Overhaul – Hydros Integration Complete

I’ve officially moved everything on this tank over to Hydros, and it’s been a game-changer—especially since I travel frequently for work. Automation was the only realistic way to keep this system stable and stress-free while I’m away.

I ended up finding a small stand that fit everything I needed, including enough space to mount a controller board (yes, I turned the stand into a Hydros command center ).

Here’s what the system is handling now:

• Auto Top-Off (ATO) via Hydros
• Daily 2% Water Changes – that’s just 575ml each morning, perfect for a tank this size
• Dosing:
  • All-For-Reef
  • Plus-NP

Dosing Extras:

I’m using a Minnow pump to dose 5ml of live Phyto twice a day (morning & evening), and Phos-Feed right after lights out. One of the features I love most about the Minnows is that they can run in reverse—this lets me flush the lines after each dose to avoid clogs and buildup. Live Phyto is stored in a mini fridge with a magnetic stirrer running all day. Phos-Feed also has a magnetic stirrer, but it only kicks on around dosing time.

The Hydros app has been rock-solid so far, and I’ve got alerts set up just in case something goes sideways while I’m out of town.

Just a quick update.. I e replaced the tunzee skimmer for a bubble Magi’s QQ3 (fyi! the lids on these are garbage and let bubbles out) and the blenny is a jumper! (So next update there will be a lid!!)

Well, I’ve just been letting this tank stew while I was away on vacation, then back to work… I couldn’t really figure out what I was going to do for an aquascape until some of you kind folks chimed in on the subject in many regards!

The goal was going vertical due to the lack of square footage… But, that doesn't give me much flat rock to grow out coral on! So… why not have the vertical pillars spiral?

I landed on a triple helix shape; using heat bent acrylic rods and the fiberglass/CA glue method… foundation rocks were cut flat using my wet cut tile saw, holes drilled in rock with a combo of rotor hammer and conventional drill… it took the better part of 6.5 hours straight!

So, after much finessing; I got all three in… only one needed a little acrylic rod prop to effectively hold itself up and stable…

Here’s the end result of all that farting around! (Viewed rotating counter-clockwise, I have asked R2R about a 360 degree tank view option…)

Finally, I’m starting to feel satisfied with how my systems are coming together…

Also, the new additions are in; a lawnmower blenny, and diamond watchman goby! — my LFS ordered them in for me right around two months ago, and has been holding them in QT since!

The clowns definitely made me a bit nervous looking at the goby like this, but it ended up being mere curiosity!

I’ve also got a handful of lame beginner soft corals in there, just to make sure I still know what the heck I’m doing after all these years away… though, all are doing quite well so far! the more invasive ones have been isolated to free floating rocks, or the center tube to encrust (GSP)! — I’ll get more photos once they acclimate to new placement; stay tuned for that!

Started the tank this weekend and my first time with a sump based system is going well. One tiny leak fixed. Basement sump is humming along. Lifereef Sump and skimmer is fantastic. Custom Aquarium Tank looks fantastic. Can’t wait to add fish and coral.

I've been a bit of a lazy reefer lately and I have the Aiptasia to show for it. I was using F Aiptasia everytime some popped up. It just got a little overwhelming. Looking to get some Berghia Nudis ask asap.

Part 2

Few more pics taken last night with orange filter Part 1/2

**13 July Update**

Have added some additional inhabitants! Got a skunk cleaner shrimp, two nassarius snails (one unfortunately was DOA), and a neon blue cleaner goby. Super happy with the tank as it's starting to come together. I've been dealing with elevated phosphates from the die off on the live rock but it seems to be slowing down and the chaeto I put in as a fuge seems to be working in concert.

Also pics of the fuge light going on in the back. Didn't realize the Red Sea Max Nano back wall between the sump and DT was only partially opaque, but it worked out well when I got the tunze fuge light at the bottom pointed up and away. There isn't a whole lot of light spillage into the DT and there are no signs (thus far fingers crossed) of algae in the DT growing. The chaeto appears to already be growing around the back which is awesome to see. Admittedly I am just constantly geeking out about seeing the whole environment in my tanks grow and expand.

Been doing 5 gallon w/c every 3 days trying to get the phosphates down but the nitrates are sitting at 3ppm. Hope you enjoy the night time pics as much as my wife and I!

Few top down shots from tonight while the pumps were off...although its a challenge as my Vlamingi tang seems to get the zoomies when the water is calm!

Pics of new frags

Golden Rod...is not a frag :-) (although i fragged it a tonne glueing it in place!)

20+ new Acro frags added.
Walt Disney
PC Rainbow
Petrol Slick
Tropicana
Golden Rod
Rainbow Loom
Maleficent
Electric Lime
Pink Digi
Green Monti
Orange Psammacora
Orange Lepto
Jack O Lantern Lepto
Chilli Pepper Monti
Superman Monti
Rainbow Monti
Meteor Shower Cyphastrea
Pink Cyphastrea
Tequila Sunrise Monti
Gold Table
Purple Encrusting Monti
Red Fire Cyphastrea
Vivid Confetti

I now have 4 hermit crabs, multiple frags of Zoas, a sea urchin, more macroalgae, and of course I already have Frogfish and damsel and chromis

We brought in the Custom Aquariums 170 and placed it on the new bookcase stand tonight. Next step is plumbing and aquascaping with the Marco Rock we purchased. Getting close now.

Lots of hard work and loads of enjoyment. Amazing how much different reefing is 20 years later.

After a trip to our LFS with 10 water jugs (1+hr round trip), realized how unsustainable it would be to have this as my water source.

Got the BRS 4 stage plus 75 gpd RODI and set it up downstream of our whole home water softener. The incoming TDS is 2 and output 0, which makes me wonder if I even needed this thing anyway? Regardless, it’s all set up! The RODI water is plumbed into a 10 gallon bin with a float switch and the waste line is directly plumbed into our sewer system via an air gap fitting. The air gap is a physical disconnect between the water filters and any sewage preventing any damage to the softener / RODI. Took 3 hours to fill the bucket, so not bad!

And of course, I fell victim to having the darn flush valve the wrong way . At least I finally figured it out after an hour.

Cycle coming along nicely. Using Dr Tim’s ammonium chloride as fuel. Initially used Brightwater Starter XLM for nitrifying bacteria, but I became concerned when realizing the bottle was leaking that the bacteria might be shot. Returned to Amazon and replaced with Dr Tim’s one and only reef and the nitrites took off the next day. Two days of strong nitrates and just today started to see a big drop in ammonia. Getting there!

I added a turbo snail in the hopes that my problems were all related to the water change, but the turbo snail died after a week. It took a few bites of food off the glass right after going in the tank, then stopped eating and after that seemed to be trying to avoid climbing on the rocks.

I finally got a microscope from fb and was able to confirm dinos. Visually they appear to be small cell amphidinium, but that doesn’t correlate with their toxicity. I also note they’ve been on a gradual decline since I added UV to the tank, although SCA isn’t supposed to respond to it. Other change has been decreasing the light schedule. I don’t really know what it seems to be improving but I’m glad it is.