90 Gallon Reef Build

[PghReef]

With all the corals I figured alk and ca consumption will start to increase. I set up my BRS dosers with ca and soda ash for 5min/daily. Will test to dial in as needed.

Probably going to sit tight for awhile and tinker with little details. Wait until March to make sure no ich or velvet came in on the corals or snails before adding fish.

 

[PghReef]

Not much to update. I added an mp10 I had laying around to try and balance more flow. Having a hard time getting the flow how I like it without blowing sand from front center.

Finally finished the doors for the upper cabinets as well so all is hidden away. Need to build doors for the rest of the cabs but the tank is all concealed.

Ordered a battery backup for the reefwave. With all the corals I felt like I needed something. After fish are transferred I will transfer the battery backup for the vortech as well.

Still waiting on my ATO resovoir from melevsreef, hopefuly should be here soon. That's the last big piece to add to the setup. Getting tired of topping off every day, losing about a gallon/day.

Testing showing everything holding steady. Phosphates down to 14ppb, think I'll try and just maintain this level and not drop any further. Nitrates did spike up though, somewhere closer to 20 it looks. Maybe too much ghost feeding to quick so I'll hold off until they drop.

 

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7

 

[PghReef]

Calculated out the fallow period to make sure no ich came in on the corals or snails. Have until March 1st to let the corals grow and encrust before adding fish. Then I'll probably do 2 at a time until the 6 are transferred and wait before buying new.
Regal and tomini tang, pair of clowns, and a lemonpeel angel and melanarus wrasse all need transferred over.

 

[PghReef]

Finally almost complete. My ATO reservoir from Melevsreef finally arrived. Took longer then expected but looks great and should last many years. I got that setup with the Tunze osmolator so no more manual topping off every morning and night!

Also added in an MP10 to help with flow. Having a hard time getting it exactly how I like it without moving sand around. I'm sure as corals grow into colonies and block flow from areas it'll get easier. Added the battery backup for the gyre.

Slowly increasing lighting as well with a goal of 8 hours peak light and 2 hours on each end of ramp up/down. Currently at 7 hours peak.

Testing remains stable. Alk at 7.5-8, CA 440-460. Phosphates 33 ppb and nitrate around 10-15. Would like to drop them closer to 5.

I lost the 2 frogapawn pieces I had for some reason. The 1 looked like something damaged it, I did see a crab near the rock so maybe it was the culprit. When I went to remove it from the rock to place it in lower flow I accidently crushed part of the skeleton. It then just melted away over a week. The other I ordered online and it looked pretty bleached but seemed to be doing OK. Only odd thing was itd retract its polyps every afternoon and look terrible for an hour or 2. It opened nice every morning,would go through its ugly stage for that small time frame, then extend again and look normal.. Then the mouths started gaping and tissue started coming off. No signs of brown jelly and it was right next to a 3 headed hammer which looks great still. Other corals look great and I see new growth and encrusting on both montis. The PE on the green slimer and all sps is amazing. The hammers, candycanes, and elegance all get super puffy and see happy. I'm going to just say the frogs were not healthy and I didn't take the appropriate steps to nurse them back to health.

I waited about 10 days after the issue with the frogs and then purchased another batch of coral from a local reefer. Seem to have better look with overall health getting aquacultured pieces that have been in their systems for many years and grown well. I purchased a large branching green frogspawn, a branching frammer, a jack-o-lantern lepto, a miyagi tort, a yellow tipped acro, and an unnamed green coral I need to ID. They're all dipped and just placed in random spots for now. Will let them settle for a week or so before I try to place them in spots on the rockwork.

I'm going to place an order from boom corals for some more sps shortly. After that just the waiting game to transfer fish over. Once they're in the system I'll have to QT corals in a separate holding tank. I'll have enough pieces to not risk bring in coral pest as well as fish disease.

 

[PghReef]

A FTS from last week before the new additions. Coralline spots popping up all over the dry rock and overflow.

 

[PghReef]

Quick pictures of the frog and frammer.

 

[PghReef]

Not much as changed. Numbers all testing stable and having an ATO is so much better than manually topping off every day. Continued coralline growth everywhere. I see definite growth on the Monti and stylo. Awaiting my order from boomcorals this week.

 

[PghReef]

My boomcorals order came in and was wonderful. Very happy with the progress from my tank. Lost the Frammer, think it had too flow. I seem to struggle with euphyllia more than anything else for some reason. Sps all growing and encrusting great though.
Few photos of the new corals.

 

[PghReef]

Bought a potters and a Bluejaw trigger, they're currently in QT.
Already eyeing another order of sticks. Very addictive and expensive, wife says I might have a problem

 

[southerntnreefer]

Bought a potters and a Bluejaw trigger, they're currently in QT.
Already eyeing another order of sticks. Very addictive and expensive, wife says I might have a problem

Just wait until she starts shopping! Mine spends more than i do!

 

[PghReef]

Just wait until she starts shopping! Mine spends more than i do!

Haha I'm lucky shew not a huge shopper. Does seem to like the expensive fish the most though.

 

[southerntnreefer]

Haha I'm lucky shew not a huge shopper. Does seem to like the expensive fish the most though.

MIne prefers the more expensive ( prettier in her eyes) coral... its a good problem to have. Im just about done with fish stocking in this tank. Last order arriving Thursday.

 

[PghReef]

Well unfortunately the potters didn't make it. Not sure what happened as it started eating and looked good, then declined and died in 24 hours. Other fish are still fine days after the fact.

On a positive note corals are looking good added a WD frag, orange setosa, and some watermelon zoas.

Few progress shots of some of the faster growers.

 

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[PghReef]

Always interesting to see monthly shots next to each other to see progress. I added a large order from battlecorals this past week. I also had to up my dosers timers, alk and CA were both drifting down. Not sure if it's from coralline growth or coral growth but everything seems to be growing well. Bought a filter lens kit as well so now I can take better photos that aren't so blue finally.

1 MONTH

2 MONTHS

3 MONTHS

4 MONTHS

 

[PghReef]

Been a little while since I've updated. I recieved a large battle box a few weeks ago and love the pieces. Seeing a lot of encrusting and growth on my older pieces, and even some on the new BC pieces. Coralline has taken off and alk consumption as gone up. I also havnt found a crab in over a month.

On a less positive note I definitely have some red planera flatworms and am seeing more little tufts of algae popping up. Cant wait to get fish in next month to help with these minor issues in a more natural method. I have a Melanarus wrasse for pest control and a tomini tang for algae already qtd and ready to go in. Have a Springer Damsel that needs to go through qt and want to get a foxface as well.

 

[PghReef]

Just some quick shots. Can really see the encrusting on a lot of the bases and look at that PE!