90g Peninsula

[kevgib67]

Another big day.

One Spot Foxface and 12x Green Chromis arrived (4x DoA), everyone is in QT :loudly-crying-face::loudly-crying-face:
Lights are out so will have to get pictures tomorrow, but the foxface and chromis that survived are already out, active and actually ate a little.

Sorry about the four, I hope they replace them.

 

[Linlox]

Made a repair to the A419 last week that is holding up so far that I will share. The original shrink tube over the temp sensor circa 2011ish had cracked and the metal was rusting. This is used for temp control on the QT tanks.

Heated and crimped the very end of the tubing.

Then I applied hot glue to the wire and probe up to were the heat shrink would go, slid the heat shrink over it all and used the heat gun to shrink it all together. Used hot glue over silicon as it doesnt outgass and ruin electical.

Now its back in action.

 

[Linlox]

Sorry about the four, I hope they replace them.

They offered to replace or refund without problems. Opted for the refund.

 

[vcnt]

It is amazing what salt does after a few years to our terrestial building materials!!!!

Wife wanted to do the negative space thing but convinced her against busting up live rock from who knows where, that has had who knows what growing in it, on it and through it. Have no problem smashing dry rock and scaping it, like the QT observation tank. Plus the pile-o-rocks always changes the first fish you have to chase so it makes it interesting.

I have used this waterweld in the past to much success, although it has been many years so hopefully nothing has changed. It is NSF, works well underwater to hold rocks together or mount frags after cutting off the base.

I used this for mounting my first frags after they fell, i agree it works great

 

[Linlox]

Well 2 more of the green chromis were dead this morning (6 of 12). They all had the red band down their side and mouths wide open exactly like the Uronema photo in this article: Uronema / Red Band Disease - Hemdal

Another one that is still alive certainly has the red band, and possibly starting on another. Tried to get a picture but keeping the lights pretty dim.

Immediately treated the tank with rally pro this morning because its the only formalin product on hand (believe its only a small amount). This afternoon I performed a 50% water change with rally pro in the make up water. Did this in an attempt to raise the salinity as the fish arrived in 1.019 sg water (which is what I mixed the QT water at for them) and the article linked above has a section about hypersalinty, so trying to at least raise salinity up 1.026 over the next couple days if they survive.

Cleaned everything in that area, any tools, buckets, etc, in a bleach solution, rinsed and dried.
Will not be attempting to replace the green chromis if the supply chain/species is prone to this disease, which I don't remember years ago with these.

On a good note, the Foxface is eating well and appears very healthy in the other QT. Ignore the reflection of a dog watching me from the basement QT area observation couch.....

 

[Linlox]

2/12 green chromis now alive. IF they survive QT would you really want to put them into your display? Looking through my old spreadsheets I lost more fish this week then 2009-2016.

Foxface went into the 20L cause I didnt want him next door to the chromis, he seems to be doing really well and sleeps on the rock I rubberband nori to all night with all his spikes up. Coloring is crazy when sleeping, goes right back to normal when awake.

Test kits and reagents arrived, baseline tests. Will start raising salinity and see where things fall.

Probably done with fish for a while and will start trying to acquire some coral. Just some zoas and shrooms to start (famous last words). The 3 hitchhiker shrooms from the rock are doing well.

Looks like the closest place with coral is about 2hrs 45mins away...... Hrm, shipping will be cheaper then gas I think. Don't see anyone listing stuff within 90 miles. Online ordering it is then. Wish liveaquaria still allowed pickup as I am only 2 hours from Rhinelander, have not ordered from them since pre-petco days of foster and smith.

 

[Linlox]

Stand work today.
Before:

After:

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Stand work today.
Before:

After:

Looks very clean now. Nice job!

 

[Linlox]

Tank updates!

ATO is installed and has not flooded anything yet! Using a fancy old salt bucket for a reservoir. 5 gallons should last a while since the tank is covered and we dont run AC in the house, windows are always open. Will see signifigant evap in the winter though.

Anenome has stayed in the first place I put it a couple days ago, will see when it goes on a walk about.

 

[Linlox]

Foxface, gramma, and the wrasse graduated to the display tank last night, everyone seems happy. The tang and foxface are swimming around together like buddies. Blenny is super fat and clowns are still lovers. We are starting to put together a plan for coral and where to get it.

Added another 75gpd RO membrane to the water station to reduce waste, doubled production and cut the waste in half. Increased the RO output tds from 0-1 to 2, so also doubled that. However, the CO2 in the well water eats the DI resin far faster then that 1ppm will.

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

Foxface, gramma, and the wrasse graduated to the display tank last night, everyone seems happy. The tang and foxface are swimming around together like buddies. Blenny is super fat and clowns are still lovers. We are starting to put together a plan for coral and where to get it.

Added another 75gpd RO membrane to the water station to reduce waste, doubled production and cut the waste in half. Increased the RO output tds from 0-1 to 2, so also doubled that. However, the CO2 in the well water eats the DI resin far faster then that 1ppm will.

except in unusual circumstances, it is not a good idea to plumb a second membrane in series - unless you have soft water.

 

[Linlox]

except in unusual circumstances, it is not a good idea to plumb a second membrane in series - unless you have soft water.

2 gpg from the well, no softener. Just replaced my water heater from 1992 because the exterior was rusting through, coffee pot is 12 years old, and my boiler was installed in 1972 and still works fine. TBH I probably do not need the RO/DI at all but its just one less thing to troubleshoot in a tank when there is a problem.
BTW, was a field service manager for a industrial/commercial ultra pure water (UPW) corporation, just like playing with the system lol. Those systems produced 18.2 Mohm water, so not even electricity would conduct through it. Could mix our saltwater with that stuff buts it probably cheaper to fly saltwater in from the ocean every week.

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

Yep - at 2 gpg you have options others don't re membrane configuration. The more direct option of course, if your goal is just to reduce the concentrate flow, is to use a tighter flow restrictor rather than adding a second membrane.

Is the parent geology where you are granite?

 

[Linlox]

Yep - at 2 gpg you have options others don't re membrane configuration. The more direct option of course, if your goal is just to reduce the concentrate flow, is to use a tighter flow restrictor rather than adding a second membrane.

Is the parent geology where you are granite?

red quartzite, fairly unique part of the state. Was super surprised when I bought this place and ran a couple water tests as I know most of the states water qualities which consists of limestone and 22+ gpg, 700+ppm TDS, some arsenic at levels of concern (wouldnt want that going into a reef). My tds are usually <60pppm and I believe that is mostly magnesium or well casing iron but have not tested. Very rural and lucky to have a good well, my neighbor a half mile away had to drill 1200ft and his well only produces 0.5 gpm, so he has large holding tanks in the basement. The water exiting the single RO before DI usually reads 0 tds.

 

[Linlox]

Some of the quartzite from the property used for landscaping a retaining wall I built, beautiful stuff. Out croppings of it through out the hills here.

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

Gorgeous!

 

[Linlox]

 

[Linlox]

Saw this grow light at Menards and decided to replace my little refugium light with it. Wow, lot of red LEDs, the old one only had a single red. Figured it was worth a shot for $15.

 

[Linlox]

Last fishes for the 90g arrived and put into observation qt's this morning. They look the best out of everything that has arrived, out swimming and eating pods immediately.

This completes the fish stocking list at:

• Black Ocellaris Clownfish x2
• Blue Eyed Tang (Ctenochaetus Binotatus)
• Lawnmower Blenny ((Salarias Fasciatus)
• Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus Carpenteri)
• Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
• One Spot Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus)
• Lubbock Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus Lubbocki) in 10g QT
• African Exquisite Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus Exquisitus) in 10g QT
• Flame Angel (Centropyge Loricula) in 20L QT

 

[Linlox]

Placed an order with @SBB Corals (https://sbbcorals.com/) this weekend during their sale (SBB Live Sale Link) and spent an inordinate amount of time clicking refresh and being glued to the screen watching the beautiful coral get posted and the games be played. Attended their webinar last Thursday and found it very interesting, would recommend it to anyone who might be slightly interested in seeing how they are set up.
Pretty stoked to get this stuff:

While starting to clean the exquisite wrasse qt it freaked out and ping ponged around the tank suffering a head injury. Left the tank alone after that but it didn't survive the injury. This was an absolutely amazing fish with a TON of personality and feel horrible this happened. Knew wrasses can be twitchy and was going slow, had just put the hose in the tank. Will not be replacing or amending the fish stocking list.