120DD Reef Tank

[keithdoc]

I purchased a 125 from fellow reefer, and ran it for 2.5 years. Had it fairly bulletproof with apex, but neglected some routine maintenance, quit testing, ignored full filter socks, let 2 part run out . . . you get the picture. Kids arrived, and I just got laZy. I've finally relocated the tank, and took the opportunity to complete an 80% water change, install a new sump, update pluming, silicone starboard to the bottom of the tank, and complete upgrades needed to start Triton Method.

Why Triton?
In my quest to equate success with lassitude . . . I neglected to appreciate that massive water changes and some carbon dosing don't offset the pain of weekly filter sock changes. I'm still wondering why filter socks don't disappear in the wash like regular socks. . . . but I digress.

I missed the balance that my DSB / refugium on reverse light cycle provided, and loved the idea of allowing macro to absorb/metabolize/breakdown all the things we think we need to add to our tank in the form of nutrients/additives/boosters. I like the idea of checking one parameter religiously (Alk is arguable the easiest to perform consistently with Hanna checker). I also feel bad for the UPS lady who has dropped off 60+lb boxes of salt every month . . so I'm looking for a change requiring less maintenance.

Also I hate maintenance - so anything that I can set and forget (but still easily check on) is gravy!

Plan is to continue bare bottom, minimal aquascape, high nutrient export, some more happy fish, lots of SPS, and hopefully ZERO water changes.

At any rate, this will be the build thread. I’ve left a few posts as place holders to, hopefully, keep it organized.

If you're interested, here is the Original Build Thread with my local Reef Club.

 

[keithdoc]

Equipment:
120g Reef 48x 24 x 24
Stand - custom built
Sump - Trigger Triton 44
Lighting - Kessil AP700 with 36" hybrid T5 HO
Fuge Lighting - Kessil H380
Circulation Pump - Maxspec Gyre 150 /250 on Advance Controller
Return Pump - Sicce 5.0
Heater - 500W Titanium, 300W Jager as backup
Skimmer - Super Reef Octopus SRO-2000-INT
ATO - Tunze osmolator and a 20G brute can
Apex Gold Controller with pro grade probes and 2 EB8s
BRS Dosing Pumps x3 for Triton Method
RO/DO - BRS 6 Stage
Reactor Media - Rox Carbon (as needed) / GFO (if needed)

 

[keithdoc]

FTS: Updated 13 Mar 2018

 

[keithdoc]

Livestock:
Black & White Clown (Amphiprion ocellaris var)- 10+ yrs old, from my original Aquapod 12
Purple Tang (Zebramosa Xanthrum)
Chevron Tang (Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis) Juvenile, still orange
Blue Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus cyaneus)
Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus flavianalis)

 

[keithdoc]

Corals:

Acropora:
ORA Purple plasma horrida
Oregon tort
Rainbow Mille
Blue tenuis - frag
Red planet
Pink pocillopora
Ora green
? Yellow Secale Acropora
? Teal Acropora
? Blue Acropora
JF Hotflash
JF Sour Twist
JF Daredevil
JF Robins Egg
JF Yellow Jacket
Tyree Tierra Del Fuego
UC Strawberry Shortcake

Montipora:
WWC Kung Pow
JF Crazy Clemintine
JF Speed Bomb

Stylophora:
Jose Casas (JF) Pink Polyp

Chalice:
JF Yellow Bandit

Favia:
JF Pumpkin Passion

 

[keithdoc]

Re-Starting:

Day 1 of Triton Method:

Skimmer is going nuts after a good cleaning and a few days of dry time
don't worry, LR is just sitting in sump until someone comes over to pickup)

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Are your drains 3/4 inch. What’s the benefit of using the bigger union on your drain then the smaller one like the one right anove your pump. Very clean sump btw I keep mine clean to

 

[keithdoc]

Update Week 1:

Parameters have been adjusted with 2 Part / Magnesium to Saltwater. Dosing 4.4ml/day and Alk holding 7.95.

Have added frags, and hope to leave them alone and watch them grow.

Skimmer still overflowing - 7 emails with Carlos at CoralView about possible issues - I hope I can solve by moving to 6" Depth (from minimum of 7 in my sump) with egg crate and PVC "feet".

Sump is getting dirty. Cheato appears to be growing (doubled in size) and floating - no tumbling.
Display tank has particulates, but no visible algae on glass and very little detritus.
Will be upgrading flow to 2 Gyres (from 1 currently) in hopes of improving this.

 

[keithdoc]

Are your drains 3/4 inch. What’s the benefit of using the bigger union on your drain then the smaller one like the one right anove your pump. Very clean sump btw I keep mine clean to

Drains are 3/4". One larger gate valve was cheaper than 2 smaller ones (didn't want a ball valve like return pump, because I need finer control to tune the bean animal) and it's easier to tune ONE valve, instead of two

The emergency overflow is 1" - when it goes full suction, it completely drains tank to safe level, but doesn't over flow sump.

 

[keithdoc]

Update Month 1

Dosing was stable with Alk around 8.0 after about 2 weeks, ICP test sent at 3 weeks.
Skimmer never settled down (see below).
Mailed ICP off on Monday, arrived in Germany the following Monday, resulted Wednesday.

Algae:
I have scraped the DT one time in 4 weeks. I might scrape again for pictures, but you can barely see ANY algal film on DT (previously scraped every 2-3d)
Sump has good layer of detritus on bottom.
Some filamentous algae is growing on sump walls - ONE turbo snail added.
Macro is thick mat 1-3" thick on top with very little light passing below.

CUC:
Smaller Astrea snails are dying (not anything to eat in DT, other than occasional nori)
Margarita snail - down to 3 (one moved to sump)

Equipment:
Skimmer was giving me the devil - would NEVER settle down and overflowed for weeks.
I added carbon at the advice of coralview (and waited 3 weeks). Found water column past neck into cup - decided something wrong with Venturi or skimmer wheel. Found calcium deposit (from CO2 absorbent) blocking intake. Pulled hairs off impeller.
Now it's humming like it used to

I replaced my 2 WP40s, with a second Maxspect GYRE and new controller (150 and 250).
Currently in Ocean Gyre Current 50% - but wish they'd pulse longer than 10 s. LOTS of flow, livestock seems happy, but still adjusting (slightly reduced polyp extension, but it is a LOT of flow).

Triton Dosing:
I started low, and am currently around recommended starting point for light stocked reef of about 11ml/day.
Small amount of bleaching on one acro, but pretty good polys on the rest and good coloration. Frags are doing well - only lost one so far.

Overall:
With skimmer essentially not functioning for 4 weeks, and the macro in fuge going gangbusters, I can say that Triton WORKS well. The Kessil H380 is a BOSS.
There is essentially NO visible algae in DT - ICP test says "feed more" (have been dosing NLS Pellets daily and Reef Frenzy 3x weekly, in preparation for adding 2 more wrasses)

There is a good bit of detritus in refugium, and a LOT of particulates in the water column.
-expect a properly functioning skimmer will resolve shortly
-carbon isn't being run currently (no need to clog it up)

Uptake of Alk/Cal/Mg while stable for 3 weeks, took off while I was away (not testing daily). Will keep testing/logging and HOPE this is the key to success.

 

[keithdoc]

Update Month 2 - slightly better shot

 

[keithdoc]

Update Month 3
RESERVED - so I actually post pics!!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I was talking about this Union not the gate valve. Curious how they perform differently from the shorter ones.

 

[keithdoc]

[QUOTE="NowGlazeIT, post: 4457149, member: 89808"
I was talking about this Union not the gate valve. Curious how they perform differently from the shorter ones.[/QUOTE]

Sorry. ;Bucktooth It's actually a compression joiner. Can't see any issues with performance - no leaks.
It does provide a small amount of "give" to an otherwise unmovable joint (brute can did bump it slightly out of alignment)
In truth, I didn't want to cement a union, so I simply re-used this.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Ahh I see thank you

 

[keithdoc]

Update: 6 months

Tank has been "untouched" for 2 months.
Will post results of 2nd ICP

Algae:
I have scraped the DT maybe once a week.
There is a very small amount of algae growing on back wall where return shoots - it's also the place where the 2-3 remaining snails hang out. There is no hair algae. Sump is working.

Sump:
It's kinda nasty in there. The Kessil H380 has gunk growing in my return, skimmer, skimmer cup, filter housing, etc.
Film Algae is growing everywhere in the sump (return chamber, skimmer, skimmer cup, skimmer cleaner, filter canister).
The macro is whitish, much thinner (though still obstructs light) with a thin mat of greenish about 1" below the surface.
It has achieved it's "balance" without me removing any.

CUC:
Smaller Astrea snails are holding strong - maybe 3-4 left in DT
Margarita snail - sometimes there's just NOT enough nori
Added amphipods and copepods from AlgaeBarn to Fuge, and am dosing phyto once a week until the bottle's gone.

Equipment:
Skimmer still bubbled over a few times (unrelated to additions above), but mostly wasn't pulling anything out
I attributed it to reduced bioload (feedings were mostly auto-fed) since I essentially stopped feeding frozen.
I have switched to the Neptune Crossover for pellets, restarted frozen LFS 1-2x daily, and some small eggs.
After 24 hour bath in vinegar solution, and special attention to the hairs/algal film on the needle wheel impeller, the skimmer is now ROCKING the foam.

Pumps are currently in Ocean Gyre Current 50% - but wish they'd pulse longer than 10 s. LOTS of flow, livestock seems happy, but still adjusting (slightly reduced polyp extension, but it is a LOT of flow).

Lighting Upgrade: Aquatic Life Hybrid 4 x T5HO.
Wow - what a difference those bulbs do to eliminate shadows, and create the kind of lighting I need to actually take a FTS.
If only the fixture kept working - only the front lamps are working (have a bad ballast, will be returning)

Triton Dosing:
I started low, and am currently around a light stocked reef of about 15ml/day.
I forgot to refill, and ran the tank for at least 3w without proper dosing.
That's bad . . . mmmmKay

Livestock:
Most of the SPS are dead. There are 3 yellows acros left. Montis might be salvageable.
About the time I forgot to refill triton dosers, was about this time that my acros got super ticked.
I wonder if there is too much flow, or too little light.
I also lost the 2 wrasses so expect without that addition, I've been running ULNS with nitrate / phosphate too close to zero.

Overall:
With skimmer not functioning consistently, and the macro in fuge going gangbusters, I can say that Triton WORKS well.
The Kessil H380 is a BOSS. It is too much. I need to increase the bioload and decrease the reverse -lighting period.
Don't need much CUC in this bare bottom tank. A few hermits, a couple snails.
Still have some particulate stuff that won't clear with skimmer alone - how about one of those automated roller mats

Triton method works great in my tank for managing algae in DT.
I'm not convinced yet on the corals.

I didn't check any parameters for >3 months - it was summer.

What's next:
I'm adding more livestock to the tank and have increased feedings to include a bunch of junk.
New lighting with T5 supplementation.
Let's see if I can revive any of the SPS.

 

[keithdoc]

FTS - 6 Months

 

[keithdoc]

Sump 6 Months

 

[keithdoc]

ICP Results are in for 6 months.
https://www.triton-lab.de/en/showroom/aquarium/auswertung-b/icp-oes/54171/

Triton works, coupled with that Kessil Fuge light - the ULNS tank I always wanted, finally achieved with NO intervention for 2+ months.
Not ideal situation, but it was the summer.

Unfortunately, not testing for 2 months, let the Ca run up to 650. Explains why coralline has really purpled up, and why the SPS all died (except for the base of a few of the yellower varieties).
Curiously, have seen some super bright pink coralline popping up.

What's next:
Turn off the Calcium dosing (that's Triton Reagent 2), and start testing alk / calcium again.
Continue increased feeding schedule, and hope the cheato keeps up with phosphate.
Get some fish through quarantine.

 

[keithdoc]

After a few months of having not dosing Ca, and not seeing ANYTHING growing (last few SPS finally gave up the ghost), Ca is at a reasonable level (less than 400). Tank is pretty purple right now. I'm not having to scrape coralline off the glass.

I'm starting to see some large white plaques approx 5mm and some bright light pink coralline spots approx 3-4mm across on high spots on only 1 live rock in tank. Just noticed the other shades of coralline (red, dark red, red-orange, darker pink) haven't been visible for months.