29g Aqueon Stage II Mixed Reef w/Dual Sump

[NS Mike D]

I started this tank circa February 2015. My previous tank was a 100g cichlid. now space and budget was limited, but after being intrigued by a pet big box store "live rock natural filtration" tank and discovering salt water need not require a large tank, my researched affirmed that I could indeed have a salt water tank. I made a trip to my local PetCo and bought a 29 gallon basic Aqueon tank, cabinet stand, some live rock other stuff and my journey began.

I'll cover each section, list my equipment, live stock and post my experience with the equipment j more detail over the next few days/weeks.

As this is a work in progress, I welcome feedback and recommendations. I have success good success with leathers and lps. i can keep sps and they will grow, but I struggle with color. I also added a madarin dragonet. My latest addition of the second sump revolves around my goal of being able to coax color out of my sps while keeping the madarin fed.

So here goes and thanks for reading and help as I start 2018 seeking to take this tank to a new level.

 

[NS Mike D]

My 29 gallon Aqueon

Tank shot Dec 2017

• NS Mike D
• Dec 30, 2017

f

Large CPR HOB Sump (4.75 gal) with Hydor Nano Skimmer, so rubble rock and lots of cheato and grape caulerpa alage. decent pod population

CPR Dec 2017

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• Dec 30, 2017

10 gallon DIY sump: filter sock, Via Aqua nano reactor (carbon and gfo), DIY ATS, rubble rock in DIY basket, BRS DIY ATO, Sicce Syncra 1.5 return pump, sump float switch from home depot

Sump Dec 2017

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• Dec 30, 2017

Electric Panel

Electric Panel Dec 2017

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• Dec 30, 2017

Overflow, CPR weir and DIY overflow box

Overflow Dec 2017

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• Dec 30, 2017

DIY Return

Return Dec 2017

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• Dec 30, 2017

Sweet Baby Rays ATO reservoir with Aqualifter

ATO Dec 2017

• NS Mike D
• Dec 30, 2017

 

[NS Mike D]

Overdue macro pruning. A couple of things about better husbandry going into 2018. I had always attributed the cyano and algae to high nutrients but looking back at my numbers I don’t think that’s the case. I also can see I have not been good at keeping other numbers stable. I added a BRS DIY ATO last week and it’s been sucking up nearly 1/2 gal per day. I’ll let the tank settle a bit today to get a new reading but last week all was up to 11.2 from 7.0 at the beginning of December. Which is probably why my green slimmer has is losing color fast.
My NO3 was 0 and PO4 0.04. Looking back my N has been out of balance with P. I’ll change the GFO, and keep testing to and better manage P. I think the lack of NO3 and high alk isn’t good for my corals.

Here is the overgrown macro from the HOB fuge.

edit note, today:
alk = 3.4 /9.5 One tsp kalk for 1/2 gal of rodi seems to be working; target is 2.9/8.2
ph = 8.4 , my target is 8.2
PO4 = 0.08 This with the low NO3 is likely my cyano, algae issue - changing gfo to target 0.02
NO3 = <0.25 A hair below where I want them, color was between 0.0 and 0.25 on my red sea test kit.

I may pull the DIY ATS from the sump since my macro and rock appear to be handling the ammonia and nitrates well - a little to well. the ATS was a fun project, and the LEDs a cool, but if my test kit is correct, ATS will be over kill and to the detriment of the DT.

sometimes, less is more.

I will see if my LFS will test my water just to make sure my test kits are reasonably accurate.

 

[NS Mike D]

These shots are to mark my progress. These are the ugly pics we tend to delete.

First is the GHA that that has invaded my tank since I upped my broadcast feeding when I got my mandarin. I can live with this since it’s not noticeable when viewing from my couch.

I intend to rid this by lowering my PO4 with diligent GFO changes in my reactor. NO3 appears to be in acceptable if not low range.

Some turf algae as well mixed in

These two sps are bleaching. The first should be purple and the second is a green slimer. Hoping to save these

These sps are doing well expect for their browning. I hope to get more color. The one one the left broke off the front left one which was growing well. The one on the right I believe is also growing well.

My candy canes got a little annoyed with all the tinkering. They doubled in polyps earlier in the year. I expect these to continue to recover and return to full extension and dividing.

And a pic of my Duncan who appears to be loving all the disturbances. This was a single polyp last year at this time and what I thought was lost two years ago until I noticed a single tentacle protruding out of its shell. While I it’s growth has been ridiculous, it’s faded a bit - could be due to the stronger light in its current location.

Coral arriving next week from Cherry Corals. So here we go 2018 and my this new chapter in my reef tank!!!!

 

[NS Mike D]

picture heavy update.


FTS, it's time to stop tinkering. The past two months have been tough on the corals.

FTS 1 20 18

• NS Mike D
• Jan 20, 2018

The sump is settling in. the filter socks have removed gobs of junk. I may remove them only to put them back for when I weekly storm the rocks and sand beds, but for now I will leave them be, changing twice a week. The rubble rock is now in. The DIY ATS is working and the DIY BRS ATO is working. I mix a tsp of kalk in 1/2 gal rodi. The tank evaporates about a pint a day. I over dosed at first until getting the the siphons and pumps dialed in.

sump

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• Jan 20, 2018

ATS

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• Jan 20, 2018

the cpr hob was cleaned up removing a lot of H2S in the sand replacing it with rubble rock. lots of pods - need to remove the pod easting aptaisia.

CPR

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• Jan 20, 2018

hydor nano skimmer in the HOB CPR is pulling skimmate quickly

Skimmate

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• Jan 20, 2018

 

[NS Mike D]

I added these corals from the @CherryCorals year-end polypalooza . great sale and nice comp frags too!!!!!

CC Blasto

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• Jan 20, 2018

Cherry Coral Setosa Monti

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• Jan 20, 2018

Comp Frag Cherry Corals

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Comp Frag from CC

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anyone know that this is ? green is fading .

JF Burning Banana Stylo

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• Jan 20, 2018

ORA Pink and Green Damicornis

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from Cherry Corals polyppalooza dec 2017

CC Bumblebee

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• Jan 20, 2018

poor little fella got banged up a lot settling in, broke off the frag 2x and broke a branch.

 

[NS Mike D]

and updates on existing frags. i lost the green slimer, the purple porcilapora is hanging in there (moved to the sand bed to recover) candy canes took a beating but are rebounding. the mushrooms are getting their color back.

I've been scrubbing the rocks weekly with the water changes to remove the alga and that's slowly working.

intensive care

• NS Mike D
• Jan 20, 2018

acro died, purple polospora recovering

candy canes

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• Jan 20, 2018

from username invalid

orig frag

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break off frag

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UserNameInvalid frag

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duncan

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• Jan 20, 2018

GALLERY=media, 1987]recovering leather by NS Mike D posted Jan 20, 2018 at 12:33 PM[/GALLERY]

mushrooms are getting color back

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• Jan 20, 2018

leather is recovering

recovering leather

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• Jan 20, 2018

 

[NS Mike D]

5 gal water change today, scrubbed the rock of algae and moved the corals into place. keeping the mandarin and corals feed keeps the algae control difficult. but for now, it's just part of my weekly maintenance. moved the corals into place, they were starting to fade so decided to move them up to better lighting and flow, hopefully to their permanent area.

i ordered another fluval marine and reef 2.0 off ebay for $70. corals look so much better when i dial down the whites with the blues at full. my 1.0 blue switch is broken, so they only run daylight 6 hours a day. i am working with RapidLED to build an RGB unit based on member lasse's lights. I'm convinced that the fluvals are too white loaded for my needs. they are limited and won't deliver sufficient par without running daylights near 100%. i like how lasse creates his white viewing mode using RGBs.

monthly pods should ship this week and instead of re-seeding the tank, i will be setting up a pod tanks based on member 40b knasty thread.

while the pods get cultivated, i made a diy baby brine feeders, variation of paulb;s. i wasn't happy with the hatch rate this morning, so i will wait another day before addin g them to the feeder.


since my NO3 was so low, 0.25 with PO4 as 0.04-0,08 i decided to remove the filer socks during the week an just just them when i do tank maintenance. we'll see how that goes. there is some interesting information posted by farley-holmes in his forum detritus and sump rocks that mek sense.


i hit the aptaisia with lemon juice today, let's see if that is more effective that the aptaisiax



so for the rest of the week, it's leave the tank alone and hope the new corals acclimate.

 

[NS Mike D]

wow, so much to update - been doing so in other threads. So I had pump short out which killed an nem, which started a chain reaction crash. Lost all but one of the new frags from cheery corals, but was lucky in that the Jason Fox corals didn't arrive until after the crash.
Lost two big leathers. The kenya tree left an offspring with is doing well.

I upgraded the lights to the RapidLED coronas and loving it and it's app Corals are responding nicely and coloring up.


Here is post crash FTS with the tank recovering

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sorry about the crash and anemone. Still looking good though!

 

[NS Mike D]

Sorry about the crash and anemone. Still looking good though!

Thanks, it was the little twin so I still have the original - which took a beating, but is coming back strong and the clowns are back with it.