200G IM EXT (First tank ever)

[vittpsu21]

Well we learned from the outage, many of my neighbors are still out and might be until tomorrow at 10pm. So we went ahead and ordered this guy for next time, much bigger, leaves room for the furnace once I he al electrician here as well as the lights and maybe my fridge.

It also runs off duel fuel which makes life easier and won’t require me to refill ever 4 hours will go much much longer lol.

 

[vittpsu21]

Well now that things have settled down, I picked up 6 lps prior to the outage when I drove to Tidal Gardens last week!

All of them look to be doing really well, the chalice is hard for me to see because I placed him on the backside of the tank to grow out but still looks good what I can see. Here are two pics from a few days after they were in, this is after a 24 hour power outage also!

Unrelated the new generator, bigger, dual fuel shows up tomorrow and the electrician to hook up the heat will be here next week then I can stop worrying I think lol. Even the bigger generator alone will go a long way I think!






Yes I know my rocks are still ugly, I added 12 trochus (I lost a lot over the last while) and an urchin so I’m hoping the will help! I also have trochus babies in my tank that have gotten kind of big at this point so that’s like a Christmas bonus lol

 

[vittpsu21]

Also this one they told me is called Oulophyllia, never heard of it before but I saw it and quite liked it!

I also added a very small amount of carbon, into a bag about 3/4 a cup. Unsure if I will run it long term but I heard there is some benefits as you add more coral.

 

[vittpsu21]

Alright for comparison sake..the new one is much larger and ready to go…lol and now my wen is a backup




The electrician comes next week for furnace hookup but I’m feeling way better all around.

We also officially setup our 2 part dosers about 3 days ago at 6ml per day split over 12 doses of 0.5 every 2 hours. After 2 days our number hasn’t moved on alk so I also feel pretty good about that!

I sadly overheated my saltwater tho so will likely have to push my water change to Monday or Tuesday! In the winter it took a heater and a pump running non stop to get the temp right but now with weather changing a pump alone is overheating the brute lol



Blastos been looking very happy from the new tidal gardens group so good to see! I imagine my consumption will go up ever so slightly over time

 

[UncommonSense]

I sadly overheated my saltwater tho

You can always toss in a gallon bag of ice cubes, or a few frozen water bottles to bring the temp down quick!

 

[vittpsu21]

You can always toss in a gallon bag of ice cubes, or a few frozen water bottles to bring the temp down quick!

yeah was debating then we got an alert for a severe thunderstorm for 4 hours, so figured I should not force it! Being mid water change and power going out actually sounds like a nightmare lol

unrelated, I am very ready for the brown to subside in tank, its been getting lighter and lighter and everything is doing well, but man do dry rock starts really take a while lol

 

[vittpsu21]

Haven’t updated in a while but everything is doing well, stabilized my dosers a few weeks back, and all the corals have seemed pretty happy.

Today we added 2 fighting conchs to help out the CUC and both were going to town pretty quick after being added. Some of the rocks are finally starting to not be as ugly brown and instead have smalls spots of coraline and green mixed together…seems like I’m slowly getting there!

 

[code4]

Also this one they told me is called Oulophyllia, never heard of it before but I saw it and quite liked it!

I also added a very small amount of carbon, into a bag about 3/4 a cup. Unsure if I will run it long term but I heard there is some benefits as you add more coral.

Love this one. Was it expensive? 6-10 inch sweepers, little to aggressive for my small tank. It looks great though.

 

[vittpsu21]

Love this one. Was it expensive? 6-10 inch sweepers, little to aggressive for my small tank. It looks great though.

Think the frag was around $100, I picked it up during the Tidal Gardens trip, think I spent about 600 for 6 frags when I drove out there

 

[code4]

Think the frag was around $100, I picked it up during the Tidal Gardens trip, think I spent about 600 for 6 frags when I drove out there

I started a fund for frag shows. I do maintenance on a vet clinics tank. All my earnings go into the fund. Some day I will have enough.

 

[vittpsu21]

For the first time in forever, I looked at my tank and thought it looked noticeably less ugly and brown. Still some spots left and algae as I continue to add in my remaining fish but overall it looks better to me at least.

 

[code4]

@vittpsu21 my tank is at the same stage. Soon our tanks will be so clean. Congratulations, such a PITA

 

[UncommonSense]

Yes, you’re very close! I reached the end of the ugly phase around month 8, you’re not far off!

 

[vittpsu21]

Yes, you’re very close! I reached the end of the ugly phase around month 8, you’re not far off!

Yeah there is a show in Pittsburgh this weekend, debating on trying to pick up my first Torch there this weekend! I will certainly pick up something I'm sure, but I am feeling slightly more comfortable with a torch if I wanted at this point. I had found another coral I wasn't aware of that I really liked also, but I have heard it is very aggressive, Galaxea, they look so pretty

I might be making a trip to Coral Gardens at some point and they seem to have them there!

 

[UncommonSense]

Yeah there is a show in Pittsburgh this weekend, debating on trying to pick up my first Torch there this weekend! I will certainly pick up something I'm sure, but I am feeling slightly more comfortable with a torch if I wanted at this point. I had found another coral I wasn't aware of that I really liked also, but I have heard it is very aggressive, Galaxea, they look so pretty

I might be making a trip to Coral Gardens at some point and they seem to have them there!

I think you’re more than ready for a torch!

I had a torch and a frogspawn in rough health fall into my lap from a tank breakdown around 4-5months in… I nursed them back to health in my QT, then put them in the display once they were looking significantly healthier, around month 5-6…

They’ve each since grow 2-3 heads, and have seemed almost easier than some of the temperamental softies!

(A local reefer then gave me a few montipora frags around month 6, both are still going strong, despite all too frequent neglect of parameters on my part!)

 

[vittpsu21]

Yeah there is a show in Pittsburgh this weekend, debating on trying to pick up my first Torch there this weekend! I will certainly pick up something I'm sure, but I am feeling slightly more comfortable with a torch if I wanted at this point. I had found another coral I wasn't aware of that I really liked also, but I have heard it is very aggressive, Galaxea, they look so pretty

I might be making a trip to Coral Gardens at some point and they seem to have them there!

I think you’re more than ready for a torch!

I had a torch and a frogspawn in rough health fall into my lap from a tank breakdown around 4-5months in… I nursed them back to health in my QT, then put them in the display once they were looking significantly healthier, around month 5-6…

They’ve each since grow 2-3 heads, and have seemed almost easier than some of the temperamental softies!

(A local reefer then gave me a few montipora frags around month 6, both are still going strong, despite all too frequent neglect of parameters on my part!)

Yeah I am very interested in at least a torch and a goni(I think gonis are prettier) though everyone seems to have a torch itch. I think there’s a lot of pretty corals to choose from all over honestly. I was waiting for the brown to fade before I added the torch, though my dosers have been hooked up for a month and my Alk hasn’t left the 8.1-8.6 range since and stays pretty stable.

 

[UncommonSense]

Yeah I am very interested in at least a torch

Just remember that they aren’t just called a torch for their appearance; they pack one heck of a sting, like a torch! (Mine has around a 4” radius of nothing around it to ensure its evening sweeper tentacles don’t nuke a neighbor!)

 

[vittpsu21]

Yeah I am very interested in at least a torch

Just remember that they aren’t just called a torch for their appearance; they pack one heck of a sting, like a torch! (Mine has around a 4” radius of nothing around it to ensure its evening sweeper tentacles don’t nuke a neighbor!)

Yeah saw that one too! The galaxia one is apparently even double that too lol

 

[vittpsu21]

Small little update from the coral show this past weekend…whoops

 

[vittpsu21]

Well, haven't been home yet to check, but the battle with the last bit of the ugly stages and the algae has been fading. I went ahead and picked up a sea hare about a week ago, and hes slowly been doing work while I do some manual clean out! I probably will need to rehome him soon, +- 2 weeks before he starves but I have a friend who is already going to use him after me. What a weird creature, it ***** non stop little pellets and looks like a slug lol