08trdoffroad's Rimless 60 gal Mixed Reef Build

[dangles]

9.74 dKH

I have never kept conchs before, but I am impressed!

They’re my excuse to not vac my sandbed. I started out doing it but it proved to be too much work for my lifestyle lol

I’ve heard of enough successful reefers NOT doing it that I’m thinking I’ll be ok

I do need to refresh my CUC though. My nassarius population is not great right now.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Operation GSP covered back wall is commencing!

 

[mch1984]

Operation GSP covered back wall is commencing!

Always a good look.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

GSP is less angry tonight!

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Emeralds have gone to work on my magician paly frag. They have it about 3/4 cleared off....enough I can see it has grown a new head that was buried in bubble algae!

What do you guys feed your emeralds when they run out of bubble algae to eat?

 

[JoJosReef]

Emeralds have gone to work on my magician paly frag. They have it about 3/4 cleared off....enough I can see it has grown a new head that was buried in bubble algae!

What do you guys feed your emeralds when they run out of bubble algae to eat?

They eat anything that falls in front of them. Pellets or algae tabs work well. Only problem is that once they start on tank food they usually stop eating bubble algae :-(

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

If nothing else it is at least some consistency!

I think a lot of my issues previously was having the tube pop off the doser and dose behind the tank for 3 or 4 days before I would find it. Alk has held steady at 9.7 for almost a week with 10 ml dose of AFR. Backed it off to 8 ml and will retest this weekend and bump it back to 10 ml once it drops to mid 8's.

Emeralds have cleaned up 75 percent of my bubble algae and the 3 conchs are keeping the sand spotless!

Do any of your conchs climb the bottom 3rd of the glass too? Makes me worried they are not getting enough to eat.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Whatever was consuming alk in my tank has stopped, even though I have been consistently backing off the doser, my alk continues to climb...

Tonight's test results

Almost up to 10.4...

I unplugged my doser and will test every 3-4 days to determine consumption...at its peak the tank was using .25 dKH per day. It definitely isn't now. I have only been dosing 6 ml of AFR. Even at that it caused my alk to increase .5 since my last test about a week ago.

I guess I may not even need to dose daily right now. Idk..

I am also losing an emerald crab about every week. Luckily they seemed to have dealt with the bulk of my bubble algae and I still have two alive and eating still. Also think my halloween hermit is dead. He hasn't moved in about a week.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Update time! The tank has been doing really well! Things seems to be surviving at least. I have double the number of heads on my magician paly! Started with 2, now have 4! (once the emeralds cleaned all the bubble algae off the frag)

The hammer has completed a split to 2 heads!

The green mushroom is getting HUGE (at least by my standards...lol)

And the thing I am most excited about...

My blue tip frogspawn appears to be trying to bounce back! I posted a Pic of it a while ago and it was just barely showing flesh about the skeleton. Now, I can see definite tentacles reemergimg! I am so stoked!

Today

Vs
Sept 28th

And I am starting to see signs of coralline growth! ( I know this is a blessing and a curse, but I do love me some coraline!!!)

Things have been going so well. I have been hesitant to touch anything....but I did do a 5 gal WC today to do a quick vac of the sand bed. The emeralds have pulled quite a bit of Bubble algae lose and not consumed it, and it was starting to collect and possibly replicate on the sand bed so I cleaned it up.

Tested alk right after the WC and it is right where I want it now!!! Have my doser putting in 3 ml of AFR a day right now. Will continue weekly tests and adjust accordingly as consumption will likely increase with the coralline growth!

 

[mch1984]

Looking good, and it's silly how excited we get when we see out first little purple spec in the tank.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Did a thing this morning!

Will pick them up Saturday morning!

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Last night's test results.

 

[Mas0n]

Awe yeah! Rastas!

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Picked up my new purchases from my LFS yesterday. Let them have the evening to settle in. They are all open and looking awesome today!

 

[Mas0n]

That's awesome! How do you mount your plugs to the rock?

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

That's awesome! How do you mount your plugs to the rock?

I use these. So they have pre-made holes that accept the frag plugs.

10 hole frag rock sandbed display

Magnetic 5″x4″x3″

aquarocksdesigns.com

I need to figure out my lighting so I can start mounting frags in permanent locations based on par of whatever lighting I go with.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Based on my current dosing (4ml per day), this should last me a while....lol

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Freshly mixed AFR...this should last about 175 days...lol!

 

[ralquist]

Hey sir, just reading through your last few pages! Sorry to hear about your fish loss, that's devastating. Looks like your getting things turned back around and corals are looking great!
-Bit late but saw you mentioned your Halloween Herm not moving in a week, mine do the same up to 2 weeks but sheading was all they were doing!
-Did you solve your light situation or made a choice? I do have my old Hydra 32 used with new lenses and XHO reef brites. I have no idea what I would sell them for or what it would be worth. Ran about 1 year before upgrading, if interested let me know.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Hey sir, just reading through your last few pages! Sorry to hear about your fish loss, that's devastating. Looks like your getting things turned back around and corals are looking great!
-Bit late but saw you mentioned your Halloween Herm not moving in a week, mine do the same up to 2 weeks but sheading was all they were doing!
-Did you solve your light situation or made a choice? I do have my old Hydra 32 used with new lenses and XHO reef brites. I have no idea what I would sell them for or what it would be worth. Ran about 1 year before upgrading, if interested let me know.

My 10 yr old son and I were actually talking about the Halloween hermit this morning. He said he noticed the shell is in a different spot everyday, so he thinks it is still alive.

I haven't solved my lighting situation, just using my Ai prime for now. I really want a Reefi Uno 2.1, but my wife didn't like the 600 price tag.

I have considered a Hydra 32, because things are going so well with the Prime...would help me boost my par. Depending on the price, I'd be interested!