20 gallon K.I.S.S. tank slow build

[Donaldf973]

So nitrates still around 160ppm after realizing my top off water has 40ppm in it... I'm a **** for that lol. Time to switch back to distilled.

 

[Donaldf973]

So I'm playing with a 36w 120/140 degree optic led strip from 21ledusa and decided to mix it with 150w of t5 and I'm kind of impressed. It adds a slight icy pop which I like. I'm a Radium 20k/vho type of guy always hated the Phoenix bulb windex look (personal visual preference). All pics dang near exact to real life coloration thank you galaxy s7.

Anyway some pictures don't mind the diatoms:

 

[DeniseAndy]

Love the look on the t5 100% both. Nice crisp look.

 

[Donaldf973]

Since the tank's barren I figure experiment and induce an algae bloom to reduce nitrates and see how long it takes. Still 160ppm nitrate and induced the bloom overnight with 1 teaspoon sugar and 20ml MB7. Time to play the waiting game.

 

[Donaldf973]

So first corals are finally in.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Looking good! However, I'm not going to lie, When I clicked on this thread I was expecting to see this.

 

[Donaldf973]

Thanks and that would be funny if it was.

 

[Donaldf973]

So, 36 days into my tank still high nitrates, hammer coral nuked instantly, purple cap on its way out, one set of zoas iffy, the vampire set ok and trial sps starting to bounce back. It started showing good polyp extension from a bacterial bloom from carbon dosing and raising alk close to 10dkh. The blasto is looking good so far. Dosing 10ml vinegar/sugar every other day and my skimmers starting to get serious on the skimmate instead of lemonade color.

 

[Donaldf973]

So got a Finnex fuge/pump combo arriving later this week from Amazon and some mixed macro from a member( thanks livinLocal). Going to set this Finnex thing as a hob fuge to help with the nitrate issue and a place for Marinepure spheres I swear by this media. Stuff has worked amazingly as a denitrate media when the flow is low enough(40gph and under) which luckily the pumps about 40gph.

But, had to ad a drain line to a milk jug the collection cup fills every 6-8 hours with light yellow water now...idk why it started doing that after the carbon dosing caused nice dark cola colored skim.

 

[Donaldf973]

Carbon/vsv dosing kicked in after 3 weeks and dropped nitrate from iver 160ppm to about 5ppm overnight. I was dosing 1ml per 10 gallons so 2ml total for my 20 gallon. Did experience bac blooms 3 times but they stopped and skim became a light cola from a lemonade color the past 2 days. So far 3 coral deaths a purple cap, hammer and now a sps stick/pocillipora I think. But zoas slowly bouncing back and blasto still hanging in there.

I ran a modified superskimmer 65 and a psk100h on this tank for a total of around 20scfh total air into the skimmers if that counts for something

 

[Donaldf973]

New toy for a hob refugium.

 

[Donaldf973]

Got it set up and like it so far. Ha e some dragon tongue, chaeto and Marinpure spheres in it.

 

[Donaldf973]

So from November 29 to now January 17 the Wavepoint bulbs have dropped I feel a considerable amount of par almost 50% itensity. Originally they ran 275-300 par brand new 12" from lights and around 18" at 125-150 on sand bed. I could've lived with that as I only want a few softies and easy sps. Now they read 125-150 at rocks and 75-95 at sand. Those numbers are exactly the same as 2 year old ATI blue+. Moral of the story ATI bulbs all the way...back to the drawing board and ******** at Wavepoint tomorrow for ****** butt bulbs.

 

[Jeepguy242]

Thank you. My best tanks were t5 and halide tanks. I'm not doing great with led unless it's softies because I can't for the life of me dial them in. So, I figured go back to what worked for me with sps/lps.

im old school.... 3 250 watt radiums always gave me the best growth and color... my problem with corals is i always get lazy and let my tan go on auto pilot until it crashes.... and lack of water changes.. and equipment maintenance....

love the Scape!!!

 

[Donaldf973]

I LOVE radiums I ran a 150w on a hqi ballast and the colors I had on my inferno anemone frag tank. It was amazing until Sandy wiped all of my tanks and a brown out exploded the bulb into the frag tank killing everything.

I ever go big I'm setting up 250w radiums with actinic/uv combo led bars and 1 full spectrum bar for daylight and maintenance lighting.