★ 110 Gallon (In-Wall Office Dream SPS Reef Tank) ★ PROJECT GENESIS [Total Automation, DIY & More ]★

[WallyB]

CORAL ESSENTIAL ( DAY 10 ) Update [ Growth Jump Example ]

My Pacman Frag caught my attention today.

This didn't happen overnight, but it also wasn't happening a couple of weeks ago.

SO IT MUST be Starting Coral Essential (Amino & Gro) .
........ALSO could be that I'm feeding Corals at night with "Very Lightly" with OsyterFeast/Reef Roids as well.

Or just plain old Frag Getting Bigger, so growth Speeding up.

Last/Current Photo was take with Flash so it doesn't show the Glow & Coloration properly.

BUT It's the Glow that first Caught my Attention.....Then I notice the Growth.

Now that I'm looking, I see other Frags showing various signs of improvement as well.

 

[WallyB]

LAST FTS-100G SPS Tank of 2018 (Prelude to an INCREDIBLE Tank Aventure Story.....Nightmare-to-FairyTail-Ending)

I'll post the Story of Lifetime on my next POST. Organizing photos of what happened last night.

But he is a FTS. The tank is starting to really look better.

I can tell Tanks is getting OLD/Aging. Tons of Sponges showing up. The Green Algae now looks natural, and Cyano barely any left.

 

[WallyB]

HERE IS THE MANDARIN STORY.......

Some slides help illustrate what happened....

I add some copepods and he goes NUTS eating!!!

Hope you get what happened.....I was quite upset last night, since that Mandarin I've had for a long time.
Even have a Separate Copepod Farm to keep him alive with Fresh Live Food....

Now I got a useful refuge that I can watch and be Entertained. Get some great photo's.

No need to feed him, that's where I add pods, and it's a really aged compartment with DUAL-Tickle flow from Tank-Return Compartment (drain into Tank Return) compartment.....Basically for a Mandarin, a Self Feeding Tank.

I may even find a 2nd Partner Mandarin to add to the new home Setup...
.

 

[WallyB]

MANDARIN GOBY (Doing Fine) HOME is perfect

First....Mandarin was in exact same spot as found yesterday. Sleeping peacefully (alive and healthy)

I may improve things. Remove the Skimmer stand, and create a cozy place for Mandarin and copepod live rock surfaces.

This is my Copepod farm loaded with Tiger Pods.

Just scooped out a bunch of copepods using a Sieve and dumped into Mandarin's NEW Home.



He will do well here!!

 

[Rakie]

Very glad you're seeing an improvement from CE Aminos and Gro. They're pretty solid, and as I've said a dozen times, I will absolutely force you to get their A, B, and C to mix into your 3-part !

 

[WallyB]

Very glad you're seeing an improvement from CE Aminos and Gro. They're pretty solid, and as I've said a dozen times, I will absolutely force you to get their A, B, and C to mix into your 3-part !

We will see about the ABC mix. Might be possible since I convinced the LFS Store owner to reach out to CE, and he is asking to be Canadian Distributer.

However, need to check out what CE ABC is...
I am using ESV Bionic TWO PART, that has MAG in the CALC part, and it does also have balanced Trace Elements.
Plus I am using Tropic Marin Pro Salt which is also Trace Element Balanced, and my regimen is weekly water changes, to offset any Trace Element reduction from my ATS.

So I was ok to add Aminos, since that isn't a trace element.

If ABC is just more trace elements, then I don't think I'll need it.

We'll see.

 

[Rakie]

We will see about the ABC mix. Might be possible since I convinced the LFS Store owner to reach out to CE, and he is asking to be Canadian Distributer.

However, need to check out what CE ABC is...
I am using ESV Bionic TWO PART, that has MAG in the CALC part, and it does also have balanced Trace Elements.
Plus I am using Tropic Marin Pro Salt which is also Trace Element Balanced, and my regimen is weekly water changes, to offset any Trace Element reduction from my ATS.

So I was ok to add Aminos, since that isn't a trace element.

If ABC is just more trace elements, then I don't think I'll need it.

We'll see.

It is trace elements. But given the results I'm seeing, I would trust CE more than ESV. ESV won't even say whats in their mix, let alone how much it is. It could, in theory, not have a single thing in it. no way to know...

I understand proprietary mixes, but I don't trust a company who won't disclose any information.

 

[WallyB]

THIS IS UNREAL ( The Mandarin is Gone. VANISHED!!!! )))

He was there a few hours ago. When I took the Video. at 1:30 PM.

I notice him missing. Looked everywhere.

Took out everything.

Looked in other Sump Compartments.

Nowhere on Floor.

???????????????????????????????????????????? Impossible to JUMP OUT, since Glass LID.

Removed everything in Return Pump Compartment. Return pump baffle in front.

This is really weird.

 

[WallyB]

Never mind.....

I shut off the return pump, and he came out. DEAD.

Chances ONE in a thousand........ He jump out of the Compartment, Over the a trickle flow edge.....

Then, he had to go over and under a Double Egg Crate baffle, and into Return Pump.

That is CRAZY!!!

 

[WallyB]

Insane!!!! Absolutely Insane.

I can't get over this!!!

I save him, and then I lose him, in 48 hours.

 

[WallyB]

OH WELL. Such is this Hobby. You always learn something NEW. Lessons are ENDLESS IN SUPPLY.

I've kept fish in that Compartment before, but it had a guard for the Overflow Baffle. Which was removed to put in the Skimmer due to tight space.

Never would have thought A MANDARIN is a jumping kind of fish. Perhaps I spooked him walking by a few times today. Or he was chasing a copepod going over the edge.

I still will setup a Double Mandarin Tank, but will properly set it up (FROM THIS BIG LESSON)

Darn!!

 

[Rakie]

That sucks wally

 

[WallyB]

That sucks wally

Thanks Rakie.

It does indeed.

I've always wanted to make a proper guard for the return pump.

Return input used to be totally open, and I actually made a hacked together egg crate guard since once some fresh MATRIX stones got sucked in, and the pump stopped since it does have a safety sense shut off.

Even the pump itself has a guard but I guess the Mandarin had no room or strength to pull away in that very tight corner spot.

A proper guard is first thing on my to do list now.

 

[WallyB]

I haven't had luck with Fish lately, so I'm going to Park the Mandarin Refuge thing before I wipe out all my prized fish.

Maybe a Frag Tank (part of the system) would be better?

I got room, Depth, just need to improve Flow and Add some simple lighting.

Thinking I should remove the Sandbed, but maybe leave alone, since beneficial to the Sump Filtration.

 

[Rakie]

Honestly being in such a micro tank might have freaked him out. Fish don't like being cramped, they get aggressive and try to escape

 

[WallyB]

Honestly being in such a micro tank might have freaked him out. Fish don't like being cramped, they get aggressive and try to escape

I agree, he was spooked by me each time I passed by.
But who would have thought he would jump over a waterfall wall.

And even then.

Look how I had the Return Pump TUCKED INTO THE CORNER.

The egg Crate was on top, but he MUST HAVE GONE UNDER and somehow slipped into the NARROW CRACK.

I guess he was meant to die. In my thoughts, he died two night ago. Today he finished dying.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sorry about your Mandarin, Wally.

 

[WallyB]

I solved WHY MANDARIN GOT KILLED.

I was looking at ABOVE PHOTO when it hit me.

It all happened during maintenance. I turned off my AUTO TOP UP, and removed the SKIMMER TO DO 6 Month Cleaning.

He must have been spooked (and jumped) while I was clunking around the Skimmer to get it out.

The water level was low in Return Pump section. Must have been really low, lower than in Photo above since I removed skimmer and water with it.

Just now I turn on ATO, at water rose like in photo below.

He had no chance, depending where he fell.

What a Dufus I am!!

 

[WallyB]

Sorry about your Mandarin, Wally.

Thanks @NY_Caveman

Losing a fish is tough. Losing a beautiful fish you raised a couple of years, is tougher.
At least these Mandarins are relatively cheap and easy to replace. Not prone to Disease like a replacement Clown, or Tang.

You don't get attached to Mandarins like other fish. They don't respond to feeding time, or your presence, since they eat on their own agenda.

I'll get another Mandarin for DT.

For the Copepod Farm. So it has a purpose.

 

[WallyB]

Back to Business ( Algae Scrubber UPDATE ) Turning down Photo Period....Growing too fast (trace element consumption?)

That LED Plant Grow Panel I put on my Sump/Upflow Alage Scubber is doing a great job. I think too good. (since this harvest is less than two weeks. 10 days)

That's a lot of Macro Growth for just 10 days.

Stuff comes out easy with Thongs....but is ATS growth consuming more than Nutrients....N&P, K ?

Probably good for N & P control, but I get a feeling it could also be consuming Good Elements too.

Going to Reduce Photo Period down to 10 hours from current 13 to slow Algae scrubber down a bit.


Wonder if @Floyd R Turbo is Still Stalking this thread, and has an opinion about Trace Element Consumption and ATS?