Wisco Tank/Build Updates

[adittam]

So I guess I shouldn't say no pests.. not sure if those came from my original tank with liverock either. But nothing horrible yet, fingers crossed.

Edit- I have seen pods, baby bristles and I think that's it while dipping. Nothing too crazy yet

All that means is the bobbit worm didn’t come off in the dip…

 

[Zach B]

Lol, I hope not!!!

 

[littlebeard]

Decided to give an update even if it is a bit sad. Dino's decimated my tank. It started in august, within 3 days they covered every square inch of surface of tank that had even a remote amount of light. Tried some solutions but none worked before I ran out of resources(time/money). Sadly I lost about 95% of my corals.

Anyway, having hit that point, I turned off my refugium, stopped water changes and let my nutrients climb. Few months later, while not out of the woods, the tank is much less filled with dinos.

My current microscope picture shows that those nighmarish fiends still exist so I am not out of the woods. (the little dots you see below)

Still debating on a UV light. Maybe it could have slowed the march of dinos, maybe not. Unfortunately there is not a lot of room left under my tank for that piece of equipment.


Lesson learned, NEVER EVER let your nutrients reach zero(or near enough to zero). It's flirting with death.

 

[Zach B]

Decided to give an update even if it is a bit sad. Dino's decimated my tank. It started in august, within 3 days they covered every square inch of surface of tank that had even a remote amount of light. Tried some solutions but none worked before I ran out of resources(time/money). Sadly I lost about 95% of my corals.

Anyway, having hit that point, I turned off my refugium, stopped water changes and let my nutrients climb. Few months later, while not out of the woods, the tank is much less filled with dinos.

My current microscope picture shows that those nighmarish fiends still exist so I am not out of the woods. (the little dots you see below)

Still debating on a UV light. Maybe it could have slowed the march of dinos, maybe not. Unfortunately there is not a lot of room left under my tank for that piece of equipment.


Lesson learned, NEVER EVER let your nutrients reach zero(or near enough to zero). It's flirting with death.

Sorry to hear about the corals. Dinos really stink. I battled them for a while until getting nutrients up. Now I'm trying to get my phosphate down still

 

[adittam]

OMG. What a nightmare. It's for exactly this reason that I'm thinking of going with only a refugium and filter socks, no skimmer on my first sump build that I'm working on now...

 

[cwerner]

Does anyone somewhat local sell copepods? I feel like the stuff that got shipped from AlgaeBarn didn't live very long.

 

[JayRozzer]

OMG. What a nightmare. It's for exactly this reason that I'm thinking of going with only a refugium and filter socks, no skimmer on my first sump build that I'm working on now...

I’d probably do the opposite. Skimmer no fuge. Skimmer removes other negative and provides a significant amount of oxygen to the water.

 

[Zach B]

Does anyone somewhat local sell copepods? I feel like the stuff that got shipped from AlgaeBarn didn't live very long.

I hear ya there.. I really like pods by Reef Nutrition, I was ordering them until I found out Best Fish sells them. No shipping costs

 

[Zach B]

Does anyone somewhat local sell copepods? I feel like the stuff that got shipped from AlgaeBarn didn't live very long.

They're actually cheaper than the company's website which is kinda messed up lol

 

[cwerner]

I will have to check them out again then. I think the shipping process must kill quite a few of the pods. At least in these temps.

 

[Zach B]

I ordered about a week or so ago and the Tigger pods did great. The other blend did not but Reef Nutrition was quick to send replacements that did make it. Once again though now that I know Best Fish has them, I will go through them. My wife goes downtown Mil twice a week for work so it's fairly convenient so far.

 

[littlebeard]

Dino's are storming back in my tank, what sort of dark magic is that? Anyone ever get rid of them and what worked for you? or do I need this.

 

[cwerner]

I won't lie to you, Dino's almost made me quit the hobby in my first tank. I have heard either Dr. Tim's Waste Away or Dino-X works on lowering the amount present. I also suggest a UV sterilizer if your Dino's are going into the water column at night.

You have to keep on manually removing, dosing, and UV from my experience and even then there is no overnight fix.

I'm so scared of getting Dino's again in my current tank that I'm testing religiously and ensuring that my phosphates are high-ish.

 

[Zach B]

I do have an unopened bottle of Dino x that I never had to use. I have heard mixed reviews just like any other product out there but it’s yours if you want it. I hope everything works out, I hate dinos.

 

[JayRozzer]

I think the second you try to fix Dino’s with chemicals you’re screwed. My $.02. I know they’ve worked for people but I think you open yourself up to more problems.

Why are you getting Dino’s ? That’s the first thing to figure out. What are your nitrate/phosphate levels?

 

[littlebeard]

I think the second you try to fix Dino’s with chemicals you’re screwed. My $.02. I know they’ve worked for people but I think you open yourself up to more problems.

Why are you getting Dino’s ? That’s the first thing to figure out. What are your nitrate/phosphate levels?

I bottomed them out. I'm having a difficult time keeping them up, specifically phosphates. I am dosing, i think I just need to test it like 2-3 times a week just to keep an eye so it doesn't bottom out again. I am open to suggestions though

 

[JayRozzer]

What’s removing the phosphates ?

 

[littlebeard]

What’s removing the phosphates ?

I had a refugium that I believe was taking out a significant amount. I have taken that off line and let the decaying macro algae boost it back up. After seeing it shoot up and watch it fall again, my only assumption is that my rocks/sand are phosphate sponges.

Again these are my assumptions, and I could be very wrong. Feeling a little lost.

 

[JayRozzer]

The single best thing I did to get rid of dinos was siphon out 95% of my sand. I’d start back at the basics and figure out what’s going on. Remove the fuge for now, weekly water changes, don’t dose any chemicals, feed 2x day, scrub rocks/keep sand clean, and keep your skimmer going. What’s your bio load ? Did you start this tank with dry rock?

 

[littlebeard]

My tank is a 125 gallon tank. Live stock is 2 occi clowns, 1 bristletooth tang, 1 algae blenny, 1 midas blenny, 1 Red-Lined wrasse.

Skimmer is probably oversized, SRO 2000INT 6”. One of the few things I kept from my 150. Rated for a heavily stocked 150.

I did start with dry rock 15 months ago.

You think I should do weekly water changes? I was doing every other week, siphon sand at that time. Rocks have been pretty clean. Had a little coraline, and did fight with cyno when nutrients got too low. ... that is until the dino issue then I stopped as I was worried this would cause my nitrates and phosphates to fall even faster.

I generally feed a cube of mysis and either a cube of cyclops or a cube of marine cuisine daily. I also do a sea weed sheet every other day. Would do 15ml phyto about once every 3 days.

Before the dino issue I was also dosing about 5 ml of neo-nitro and neo-phosphate daily. (never really found a sweet spot where my nitrates/phosphates would even out)


Feeling kind of lost, when I had my 150 with a dsb, ocean rock using nsw I rarely changed the water and never had these issues.