50g Oceanic. Back at it after a 12 year break...

[Urtoo]

Long time no update. So here is one that I will add.
ICP1999.com
I have wanted to get the information of my current tanks water and learn how to modify my practice to get a better environment for my tank.
I saw the @Fauna Marin new deal for a $20 ICP test and pounced on it. This is so valuable to me, I hope the results will show me to a path of better husbandry.
So, I received my kit this afternoon in the mail, here is what I received:

IT is weird how a test will excite people into dropping other necissary things to do the new thing.
So, sliced the package sticker to allow me to access the contents, here it is:

What is in the kit is nice and simple.
2 vials for filling with 15ml of your tanks water, a envelope to send the vials back to Florida, and a simple sheet to submit with your test.
The only thing you really need to do if flush the vials with your tank water, fill em up to the top, fill out your letter with your information, and place a stamp on the package and mail it out.
I did this all in about 5 minutes from receiving it in the mail. I needed to head out and get some new plumbing lines for the kegerator, so while on that errand, I dropped this off at the post office.

Now the dreaded wait time.
Sooooo thankful that these are coming down in price. I am looking forward to see how in depth of a report we will receive with this test.

 

[Urtoo]

ReefPi update.
I failed with the PWM Lighting control with the SB ReefLight. I am looking at getting a new LED setup anyway, somethig new, and unused.
BUT:
I just added and configured my PH probe board to my ReefPI setup.
The install was straight forward, calibration was easy as well.
Here are some pictures, I will fire up the 3d printer later to make a proper PH holder for the sump, but it is in there and running successfully.

 

[Urtoo]

2 new adds to the tank:

 

[Urtoo]

Took some time for some sump lovin' today.
Vacuumed it out, and wiped it down with a paper towel to get it gud-n-clean
Changed 16g of water in the process.
FTS today:

 

[Urtoo]

Got some new corals today.
FTS:

New Warpaint Scoly

Unique Corals StarGazer goni, flame polyps, hades Goni and the brown stuff is WWC Speckled Leather

LPS and branching GSP. Duncan, Candy Cane, and a toad stool.

A new rock placed in this afternoon with Jedi Mindtrick and

Green Monti Cap

 

[Urtoo]

 

[Urtoo]

Added a new 3d print to hold my Hanna checkers:

 

[Urtoo]

Made some people mad in my environment. 18g water change. That equals about 25-27% water volume.

 

[Urtoo]

Made my first remix that I posted to Thingiverse.
Here is the photo of the holder hot off the printer. The vial area is a little more snug than I hoped. I wanted it tighter than the Alkalinity holder was, but this is a tiny bit too tight for this vial.

 

[Urtoo]

Got my result today:

 

[Urtoo]

I have not disappeared, I have only lurked mostly. About to do a thing...

 

[Urtoo]

Ok, so the current plan is to move my small under tank sump, and install a 40g breeder in the basement.
This will allow me to have perform easier water changes testing and skimmer cleaning. I have a issue with carrying water buckets up and down a few flights of steps, so this will eliminate a bulk of that issue.
I got a kit from JaxRax. @vinay
He sent me two photos a few minutes after contacting him for availability and sending payment of him cutting my order!

He cut the acrylic on Monday afternoon, and I had the acrylic in my hands on Thursday.
I had a couple of questions on the assembly and he contacted me via phone within minutes of me asking the question, very stand up businessman. Answered my questions, and offered to create other items as I request them.
Purchased a 40g Breeder from Petco for $45 after their %50 off sale on Wednesday.
Here is the sump after two days of silicone applications of the panels.
This was also my first time playing with Weld-On #4. I am hooked.

So, now I am at the painful part of patience to let the silicone cure.
I will install the sump into the system this coming Friday night.... having a reefer friend over for bourbon and plumbing.

 

[Ranjib]

Looking good

 

[Urtoo]

Had to create a new light source for my new ball of cheato in the basement sump.
Old server xeon fan and a full spectrum COB and a stainless steel salad bowl, now I have a pink basement.

 

[Urtoo]

My Reef pi is still in shambles, wiring wise since the move. Finally connected the jebao doser and am now successfully dosing full time with #reefpi

I will add more to my setup once I clean it up and make it more presentable. Currently tied up with work a bit more than usual.

Also, my Tigger pods are exploding in the gallon jar. Water change is required in the next day or 2...

The black part there is a Pod Lodge from my new Ender3.

 

[Urtoo]

Tank has been purring along relatively well.
Paramaters are all great, my excel sheet shows that everything is within parameters on my hobby Hanna kits.
ICP test came back today, high Aluminum again, but this time much lower.
It was 2223, now is 164.
Just performed a 20g water change.

Now the bad.
Either the toadstool is about to split, or something worse. It has a white patch on the top, and holes around the crown.
The Spotted Kole tang, has issues. It looks like he and the canary wrasse had a fight. The wrasse has a bulging left eye, like it was sucked on.
The kole has a open mouth, like it hurt itself in the fight. Causing stress to it, it looks like he has the finger spot, and velvet too.
After months of it being fat and gaining weight, it now has taken a poor turn. Hiding and pale. Tried for 20 minutes to capture it, and it remains super elusive.

I will try to get pictures later after work.... hoping for the best.

 

[Urtoo]

Kole didnt make it. Also, one of the two Clowns is dead too...
Checked all paramaters and were all spot on
Looked at the fin of the Kole under a microscope and no pests were seen... I guess, the stress of covid kids doing gym class next to the tank in the front room stressed em out?

 

[Urtoo]

 

[Urtoo]

Received the new Hanna Nitrate test, this thing is amazing.
Being someone who loves true raw numbers, and playing chemistry in my basement, this is amazing.
A hard number, not a shade of pink that varies under which light is on or if the sun is shining (hint, it never does around here)

The other issue is, I washed my filter socks in the washing machine, citric acid only, went back to wonder why the machine was taking so long...
Daughter added some stuff that she had an accident on, and she did the right thing and threw em in the laundry that was running, with a tide pod to boot
I dont blame her at all, its just, why did it have to happen the day I am washing my filter socks.
I have them bubbling away in 2 seperate gallon jugs with citric acid to remove the soap. May throw them out, but why not try this, its only costing the additional electricity for the air pump.

Received my secret santa gift too:

That Sea Turtle towel is going to be hung just behind the tank for art, and removable to take to the beach.

 

[Urtoo]

So, I had a little issue with ICH or Velvet. Hit quick and hard a few weeks ago, lost the kole tang, the jester goby and both clownfish. The only thing still going strong is the canary wrasse.
So, knowing that, I wanted to add a UV sterilizer.
Found a Pro-Max 55w and a Sicce Syncra 1.5 pump for Black Friday. So The pump runs it at the 180k rating for destroying any issues that are floating in the water, and a 4.5 tank turnover volume per hour to boot.
Will be watching the temperature now and waiting to add fishies for a few more weeks.but here it is in my basement next to the 40g breeder, this thing is huge.