210 Gallon - "Texas" (First Build)

[Aaron-A2]

Personally I haven't had much of a desire to keep anthias.

My recommendation would be copper power + Metroplex for them. They are quite succeptable to Uronema so you need the Metroplex in with copper for 14 days. Multiple small feedings as you mentioned. Also feed Metroplex or GC soaked food as you did with your current batch to cover internally.

Good luck and keep me posted!

Your other batch doing well?

Thanks for the info! I have heard anthias are susceptible to uronema and bacterial infections, so good call. Would dosing GC in the water column for the first 14 days WHILE feeding focus+GC be a problem? Or would you recommend Metroplex for water column and GC soaked food instead? Seems like a lot lol..... Copper + Water Column Metro/GC + Medicated Food

Current batch doing great! They all eat enthusiastically and are no longer shy when I approach. So far, I have not noticed any visual issue with the fish during treatment. The second QT is up and running with a cycled sponge filter from my DT (Plus I dumped a bottle of BioSpira in just in case).

 

[HotRocks]

Thanks for the info! I have heard anthias are susceptible to uronema and bacterial infections, so good call. Would dosing GC in the water column for the first 14 days WHILE feeding focus+GC be a problem? Or would you recommend Metroplex for water column and GC soaked food instead? Seems like a lot lol..... Copper + Water Column Metro/GC + Medicated Food

Current batch doing great! They all eat enthusiastically and are no longer shy when I approach. So far, I have not noticed any visual issue with the fish during treatment. The second QT is up and running with a cycled sponge filter from my DT (Plus I dumped a bottle of BioSpira in just in case).

Glad to hear that!

I would not dose GC + Metroplex. Both meds contain metronidazole. So you'd likely end up with an overdose situation. If you want to deworm during copper (I do this when necessary, not prophylactically). You need tons of oxygenation.

So you can do something like this:
Days 1 & 7 GC
Days 3, 5, & 9 Metroplex.

Feeding them during the med soaked foods during the treatment in the water column is not an issue. I do it all of the time.

 

[Aaron-A2]

So if I'm understanding you correctly, the only real change here next to your method is dosing GC into the water column. I'll be still dosing copper and feeding GC soaked food per usual.

 

[HotRocks]

So if I'm understanding you correctly, the only real change here next to your method is dosing GC into the water column. I'll be still dosing copper and feeding GC soaked food per usual.

Correct. You can also use the same protocol as I usually do you could just dose metro every other day for the first 10 days + your normal copper process and feeding meds.

Then use GC in the water when moved to the second tank.

Either way works. Just want to make sure you have Uronema taken care of with anthias.

 

[Aaron-A2]

Correct. You can also use the same protocol as I usually do you could just dose metro every other day for the first 10 days + your normal copper process and feeding meds.

Then use GC in the water when moved to the second tank.

Either way works. Just want to make sure you have Uronema taken care of with anthias.

Great, thanks a lot for your help as always!

 

[Aaron-A2]

Quick update!

I'm currently working on the new light fixture for the tank and so far so good. Waiting on my ballasts to arrive, and in the mean time I should pick up some wire strippers...

I also picked up three frags from my LFS (back row) that have been healing for a week. From left to right (Strawberry Shortcake, OLA Burning Milli, Some bonsai). More pictures after they're in my tank...

 

[Aaron-A2]

They're acclimated, dipped, and ticked off but overall not bad :)

The milli is starting to come out pretty quickly after the dip.

Bonus bounce update

I'll get pics tomorrow after they settle in.

 

[Rakie]

Everything looks good! What made you want to go to MH?

 

[Aaron-A2]

Everything looks good! What made you want to go to MH?

Thanks bud! Part of it has more to do with LED's not giving the evenly distributed PAR I'm looking for. Another big part has to do with shadowing.

So what fixes both shadowing and provides the best PAR distribution? At the minimum either more LED's turned perpendicular with the tank, or better yet, T5's. I then started seeing some of my local (Houston) SPS tanks and one common theme in many of them was metal halide. At that point, I decided to just make the switch to MH/T5 hybrid.

I'm very new to MH's, so this is a huge learning experience for me. I've been very grateful to people like @jda and @Broadfield who have helped me along the way.

 

[Rakie]

I think the core issues with LEDs that people don't realize are two simple things. They SHOULD be perpendicular, and you need about twice as many as suggested.

But no matter how much you like them nobody will argue one radion per foot is cost effective!

 

[count krunk]

Obviously too late now, but did you consider T5 and LED? T5's reduce that shadowing effect almost completely.

 

[Aaron-A2]

I think the core issues with LEDs that people don't realize are two simple things. They SHOULD be perpendicular, and you need about twice as many as suggested.

But no matter how much you like them nobody will argue one radion per foot is cost effective!

That's the truth!

Obviously too late now, but did you consider T5 and LED? T5's reduce that shadowing effect almost completely.

Haha yeah, just a bit late. I did actually -- I have the aquatic life t5/led hybrid over my 90g tank and love it. I was actually tossing the idea around about using (2) 36" fixtures since they don't make 72" fixtures, but ended up with the MH/T5 setup instead.

 

[Aaron-A2]

Update video on three new acro frags I picked up from my LFS. A strawberry shortcake, "burning" milli, and a bonsai. I'm really excited how these coral have taken to my system.

 

[Rakie]

After seeing your video this is what I would have suggested for your lighting.. Turn the one on the left, and right, perpendicular and see how that goes as a first step. But mostly likely you would have needed to add a 4th radion and turn that new one, plus the center one, perpendicular.

The Radion Diffuser also makes an astounding difference. Especially if you have a canopy.

 

[Aaron-A2]

After seeing your video this is what I would have suggested for your lighting.. Turn the one on the left, and right, perpendicular and see how that goes as a first step. But mostly likely you would have needed to add a 4th radion and turn that new one, plus the center one, perpendicular.

The Radion Diffuser also makes an astounding difference. Especially if you have a canopy.

I'm actually replacing the lights with MH+T5 per our conversation yesterday, so getting another radion at the moment is probably not the best bet lol. That would have been an alternative solution though.

 

[Rakie]

I'm actually replacing the lights with MH+T5 per our conversation yesterday, so getting another radion at the moment is probably not the best bet lol. That would have been an alternative solution though.

Oh now, I know. I meant if I had seen this thread before you bought the MH/T5 my first suggestion would have been to turn them perpendicular. But you probably would have needed a 4th anyways. Frankly, I need TWO on my 24" cube... So 3 is a little light for anything more than 48" :D

 

[Aaron-A2]

Oh now, I know. I meant if I had seen this thread before you bought the MH/T5 my first suggestion would have been to turn them perpendicular. But you probably would have needed a 4th anyways. Frankly, I need TWO on my 24" cube... So 3 is a little light for anything more than 48" :D

Yeah I've been wondering for awhile if I should have just got 4. Oh well! Thanks for the input though bud, I appreciate it.

 

[Rakie]

Yeah I've been wondering for awhile if I should have just got 4. Oh well! Thanks for the input though bud, I appreciate it.

No worries. Selling 3 Radions probably covers the cost of the Giesemann fixture (I hope!) A buddy of mine found a used 72" fixture like the one you bought for $400 or something crazy. Guy was out of the hobby and moving, and it got scratched and dinged during the move so he struck gold on that fixture.

 

[Aaron-A2]

No worries. Selling 3 Radions probably covers the cost of the Giesemann fixture (I hope!) A buddy of mine found a used 72" fixture like the one you bought for $400 or something crazy. Guy was out of the hobby and moving, and it got scratched and dinged during the move so he struck gold on that fixture.

Good find! Yep, it will cover the lights and some... Kind of crazy....

 

[Rakie]

Good find! Yep, it will cover the lights and some... Kind of crazy....

I'm not the biggest ecotech fan. Their MP10/40 seem to rust and crack (I've had 4/5 do this to me). Their Vectra pumps were catching on fire and melting when used out of water. Frankly, I think the only thing they make right is lighting.. And as far as lighting goes, It's probably my favorite light. But man... Unless you have them 2' above your waterline, you need SOO many of them. And at their price? Ouch.

It will never happen.. But I think the EcoTech should have at least 3-4 pucks, 2 lighting pucks is just a bit too few to me.