A Slacker's Journey

[slacker036]

So I never started a build thread and figured I might as well get to it.

Tank move/upgraded 9/11/21

Goal mixed reef with Softies, LPS, and SPS

Move went well from 75g to the 109g with no lost livestock, I added some sea lettuce to the refugium after a couple weeks since I was disappointed in the thick mat the chaeto had formed in the old tank. I had a minimal ugly stage in new tank during the first month or so after the move and all livestock has been doing well. I have since decided to attempt cheato in the new tank and have purchased a Sicce Voyager Nano to try and get it to tumble properly in the refugium chamber. Over the last few weeks (prior to the additional livestock) I have been watching some algae/dinos slowly take over which could be another “new tank syndrome” since I don’t feel the tank has made it to any kind of “maturity” yet, so I have been adding some phyto each evening along with just starting a small dose of Microbacter7 for the last few days to see if I notice any improvement in the algae/bacteria problem.


Equipment List

3 - AI Hydra 32
OR3 120 - 48" Reef Day Plus
OR3 90 - 35" Reef Day Plus
Sicce SDC 9.0
2 - Icecap 2k Gyre (not ment for 5/8" glass but seems ok)
2 - Hydor Koralia Nano
Reef Octo 110INT skimmer (needs upgrade)
Hydros Control 2
Hydros Control X3
Hydros ATO
Hydros wireless feeder
Hydros Simple Doser (currently still in its box)
2 - Tunze Eco Chicc Refugeium 8831 Lights
Sicce Voyager Nano (refugium flow)

Current Livestock list

Fish

2 - Wyoming White Clowns - 2/20/20
6 - Blue/Green Chromis - 7/13/20
Orchid Dottyback - 8/10/20
Blue Hippo Tang - 12/16/20
Sailfin Tang - 4/14/21
Copperbanded Butterfly - 11/6/21
Leopord Wrasse - 1/13/22
Pink Watchman Goby – 2/1/22
Diamond Goby – 2/1/22

Coral

Lots of Green Star Polyps
a mountain of Violet Cespitularia
Green Toadstool
CR Mandarin Clove plolyp

Inverts

Tiger Pistol Shrimp
2 - Rose Bubble Tip Anemone (started with 1 on 9/22/21 split 24 hours after adding my third Hydra 32)
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Red Linkia? it has 7 arms not really sure if it is what I was told it was
Pincusion Urchin (not looking so healthy lately)
Pencil Urchin
Fighting Conche
few hermits
nassarius snails
assortment of snails


Livestock lost

1 Blue/Green Chromis
1 Green Mandarin
1 Firefish
1 Diamond Goby (looked very rough from day 1)

Lost a dozen or so LPS and SPS due to various mistakes made as a newb

 

[slacker036]

A few pictures taken a few weeks ago. Currently the stock ATO is just a place holder to hang my C02 scrubber.

 

[slacker036]

Finally got around to adding my Hydros Simple doser to my Hydros collective. it's not mounted yet but it's a start.

 

[slacker036]

Lost the Copperbanded Butterfly March 8th was still eating but a dark red patch showed up on his side so I started adding selcon to his food but didn't want to try too many things all at once but only lasted a few days after the spot showed, was in the tank for 4 months, will probably not replace him

 

[slacker036]

So after several months of not feeling up to the task and not doing a great job with the 525xl I have decided to downsize and now have a 170 G2 on order. the 525 is going to someone else local. only keeping the two clowns and the orchid dottyback. hopefully the smaller tank with smaller water change requirements will help keep me going.