120g mix tank - getting back in the hobby

[GuppyHJD]

Hoping to get some of Jay's Reef Bugs for the tank when he is shipping again in 2022

 

[GuppyHJD]

Never a dull moment.
The good news is the McCorsker's Wrasse has been released from the acclimation box and everybody is playing nice. I did move some rocks around to mess up any territories. He is being nice - he sleeps under a rock in the front of the tank where I can see him.
The bad news is that my Noopsyche k7 Pro II lights are running an hour ahead - they did not shift back on Day Light Saving Time. Gonna try to figure out the controller tomorrow.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Getting the tank ready for house guests...cleaning, securing some wiring and now working on changing the time on the Noopsyche lights. Back to the something wrong with the Noopsyche controller settings. The lights keep exiting the schedule at 1am and 1pm. Got some help from other Noopsyche users and after resetting some values, they are back working on schedule.

A friend lent me his Apogee PAR meter, so I was able to measure my lights today. Some surprises. With the lights at the highest settings, the top of my rockwork is seeing 300 PAR and the sand is seeing < 100. I will be posting PAR map when I get it created.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Been away from the tank for two weeks...will know in a day, how the tank did with the ATO and feeder running. All monitors and cameras look good.

 

[GuppyHJD]

My aquarium is more frustrating than my golf game....how can my phosphates (tested daily with a Hanna checker) test .07, .07, .01, .08, .00 and tonight .07?

 

[Jackal799]

My aquarium is more frustrating than my golf game....how can my phosphates (tested daily with a Hanna checker) test .07, .07, .01, .08, .00 and tonight .07?

I’d go with an average. Your tank may be ready for some nutrient export soon. You looked into an algae scrubber or chaeto reactor? Im biased towards algae scrubbers as they don’t really run the risk of crashing like chaeto (unless your feed pump turns off or your light breaks).Nice natural way to reduce phosphates but I wouldn’t be too concerned with yours as long as the corals seem happy. Also, unless you are concerned with nuisance algae I’d just leave the phosphates where they are at and cut back to once a week phosphate testing.

 

[GuppyHJD]

I’d go with an average. Your tank may be ready for some nutrient export soon. You looked into an algae scrubber or chaeto reactor? Im biased towards algae scrubbers as they don’t really run the risk of crashing like chaeto (unless your feed pump turns off or your light breaks).Nice natural way to reduce phosphates but I wouldn’t be too concerned with yours as long as the corals seem happy. Also, unless you are concerned with nuisance algae I’d just leave the phosphates where they are at and cut back to once a week phosphate testing.

Jackal,
Thank you.
I have macroalgae growing in my sump and have the grow light on 24/7. I am planning to push it back to 12hr soon.
The goal was to reduce nutrients to cause some of the GHA back. I was testing every 3 days but upped it to daily while I was using NOPOX to push both nitrates and phosphates down. Nitrates last night were 16.1 and phosphates tested 0.05. I did not dose NOPOX last night so we shall see if the numbers move tonight.
Oddly, my skimmer has been outputting a much wetter skimate, that I am assuming is because there is less algae in the water column. I am not going to mess with that until I am no longer using NOPOX.

 

[GuppyHJD]

The tank is showing growth of the new corals BUT I have anthelia growing too. I am trying to find a way to remove / kill it. I am waiting for some epoxy to arrive to try covering the anthelia. I may try kwalker paste too.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Away again from the tank...a few problems
The ATO valve stuck closed - return pump section of sump ran out of water - made lots of noise, tank level dropped an inch.
The doser lost power - no dosing so ALK is 6.9 from 9.6 when I left.
Tank bottom has green algae and dinos!!!
And to keep me smiling - found 6 aptasia, some bubble algae and what looks like 3-4 vermited snails!!!!!!

 

[GuppyHJD]

The Dinos battle continue. Dosing silicates daily. Also trying to get the phosphates off of ZERO. NeoPhos dosing and so far - still testing zero.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Hanna Marine Monitor post - ph is 7.9 (API test kit), temp 78.4 (hand thermometer and temp probe).

 

[Pseudoskill]

Hanna Marine Monitor post - ph is 7.9 (API test kit), temp 78.4 (hand thermometer and temp probe).

You're using the Hanna marine monitor? How do you like it?

 

[GuppyHJD]

You're using the Hanna marine monitor? How do you like it?

I am not using the Hanna Marine Monitor - this post is to enter into the Hanna Contest for a Marine Monitor.

 

[Pseudoskill]

I am not using the Hanna Marine Monitor - this post is to enter into the Hanna Contest for a Marine Monitor.

Oh lol, just searched for reviews and this post came up. Oops!

 

[GuppyHJD]

The tank is growing along. The acro (Purple Rain) I bought at Reefapalooza from Top Shelf Aquatics does not look alive. It didn't look good when I got home from the show and never improved. The Oregon Tort is having polyps extension so that one might make it.