“Suzanne’s Reef” or the “Lagoon that almost wasn’t”

[cnicktudor]

Since I started reefing in 2011 this will make tank build number 5 for me. 1 through 4 were not success stories and looking back I was always trying to save a buck and try some new thing I read on a forum or just make up my own system. Some of that is good in any hobby but now I have decided to do things the right* way. My tank is 2-month-old now, so this thread is a little bit late but hey I just joined R2R.

How is my tank doing? So-far-so-good, who knew skimmers removed so much gunk and testing with good test kits produces more accurate results.

I am going to try and recap my experiences over the last two months in the following posts. Enjoy



*Everyone claims their way is the right way I am not claiming that at all. All I am saying is I am taking the tried and true methods that are known to work in the hobby and leaving the crazy “no skimmer” stuff to the experts.

 

[cnicktudor]

Equipment;

• Innovative Marine 25 Lagoon with APS stand
• 10 gallon Petco special sump I built with some plexi I had lying around the shop
• Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer
• Auto Aqua Auto Water Changer
• BRS Carbon Reactor
• Cheapo Three channel dosing pump
• Digital Aquatics controller (yep I’m the guy that bought it)
• Tunze Turbelle Nano Stream
• Assorted pumps
• Amazon fan
• Cheapo indestructible air pump
• Vertex LED’s that are old as can be but they grow hair algae
• 2 AI Prime HD’s
• Imagitarium 3.7 Gallon PRO Deluxe Freshwater Aquarium (refugium)
• H2Pro Reservoir

 

[UCF Alum]

Welcome to R2R!
Looks fantastic. There is no “one way to do it” in this hobby. As long as you get results, nothing else matters.

 

[cnicktudor]

Live stock so far;

• Live rock from my old tank in the fuge
• New purple reef builder rock for the display
• Live sand
• 2 clownfish
• Pistol shrimp
• Yasha Goby
• Tail spot blenny
• Royal Gramma
• Snails
• Hermits
• emeralds
• Pods
• Hair Algae
• Lots of brittle stars
• Many coral frags
• Feather dusters
• Sponges
• And a Maxima

Things I haven’t seen (YET) even though my live rock is about two years old

• Aptasia (I did scrub one off of the Maxima before I put him [or her] in the tank so it is just a matter of time)
• Bristle worms
• Bubble algae
• Them little white starfish
• Mango anemones

 

[Jon Fishman]

Welcome. whatever you’re doing this time, is working

 

[cnicktudor]

Welcome to R2R!
Looks fantastic. There is no “one way to do it” in this hobby. As long as you get results, nothing else matters.

Right, You can go to 3 different LFS's and get three different "this is the only way to have success" stories. I say all three are right and all three are wrong. I mostly learn from my own mistakes it seems.

 

[cnicktudor]

Welcome. whatever you’re doing this time, is working

Thanks. Right now i got a bit of an algea outbreak but nothing bad and only in the sand. Seems to coinside with my Phosphates going up to .08 and that seems to coincide with my overzealous coral feeding over the last week. But the Acans were begging for more!

 

[cnicktudor]

Water parameters and other nerd stuff:

35PPT, 9.8 – 10 DKH, Nitrate 0, Ammonia 0, Phos .01-.08 depending on the day (I am working on this), PH 7.9 – 8.2 (night to day swing), Cal. 450-480, Temp 78.2 day and swinging down to 77.6 at night (oh no!)

I am dosing 11ml Cal. 11ml ALK BRS two part daily.

I am also dosing 1ml of 1part vinegar 3 parts water daily.

And my AWC swaps out about a half-gallon a day.

The AWC is not exactly accurate and i wet skim so i end up putting a heaping spoonfull of salt in the sump about every three days, just when i notice it edge below the 35 line.

I check Salinity and Alkalinity every day while my coffee brews but not before i feed the cats, that would be trouble!

I check the rest of the stuff when i feel like it or roughly once a week.

 

[X-37B]

Water parameters and other nerd stuff:

35PPT, 9.8 – 10 DKH, Nitrate 0, Ammonia 0, Phos .01-.08 depending on the day (I am working on this), PH 7.9 – 8.2 (night to day swing), Cal. 450-480, Temp 78.2 day and swinging down to 77.6 at night (oh no!)

I am dosing 11ml Cal. 11ml ALK BRS two part daily.

I am also dosing 1ml of 1part vinegar 3 parts water daily.

And my AWC swaps out about a half-gallon a day.

The AWC is not exactly accurate and i wet skim so i end up putting a heaping spoonfull of salt in the sump about every three days, just when i notice it edge below the 35 line.

I check Salinity and Alkalinity every day while my coffee brews but not before i feed the cats, that would be trouble!

I check the rest of the stuff when i feel like it or roughly once a week.

Funny! I feed the cats brew then drink my coffee before testing. I only test alk.

 

[cnicktudor]

Funny! I feed the cats brew then drink my coffee before testing. I only test alk.

My cats have decided to allow me to start the coffee but nothing else before they are fed. And the wife says the tank is demanding.