Ale's tax return tank (Red Sea 250)

[Alenya]

Little update:

Yellow wrasse spent 24 hours in the sand and just came up. He hasn’t had a go at marine mix or pellets and has an empty tummy - hopefully he will grab something tonight.

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Well I don’t know

Anyhow, here’s a photo! Rock and sand are in

Wait.. wait.. so you started the cycle before the rocks and sand were in? ;Stop

 

[Alenya]

Wait.. wait.. so you started the cycle before the rocks and sand were in? ;Stop

Yep, left it to populate the surfaces. Scraped off the glass once the rock went in.

 

[Alenya]

Tank measurements:

Temp 25.5 C
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10ppm
pH 8.0

First water change happening today, 10%

 

[Alenya]

The flasher wrasse has been IDed as a yellowfin flasher wrasse. The yellow coris wrasse is being fed generously every time it comes out of the sand Everything being fed 3-4 times daily.

30% water change on the QT today as it’s overdue.

Also adjusted the return nozzles to fluff the water surface more to help circumvent lower pH. It’s winter so the doors and windows are closed a lot.

 

[Alenya]

First hints of mischief brewing in the DT, diatoms continue to increase and a few strands of long stringy brown appeared. No mats on the sand. Cleared the rocks off and watching intently today.

Yellow wrasse keeps going to sand in the QT, making it difficult to catch him in time to give him a feed. I would be happier if he ate some more, he is a skinny homeboy.

 

[Snoopdog]

First hints of mischief brewing in the DT, diatoms continue to increase and a few strands of long stringy brown appeared. No mats on the sand. Cleared the rocks off and watching intently today.

Yellow wrasse keeps going to sand in the QT, making it difficult to catch him in time to give him a feed. I would be happier if he ate some more, he is a skinny homeboy.

I purchased a Red Sea e-260 last week and it looks like we are about in the same place. This one was established but from moving it and adding a bit more live sand, I am getting long stringy diatoms.

 

[Alenya]

I purchased a Red Sea e-260 last week and it looks like we are about in the same place. This one was established but from moving it and adding a bit more live sand, I am getting long stringy diatoms.

I don’t know if diatoms are stringy, I am assuming this is dino as we don’t have established rock or algae - do you have pics of yours?

I have dialled my lights to 5 hours blues only 15% and am dosing 5ml of H2O2 in the evening.

 

[Snoopdog]

I don’t know if diatoms are stringy, I am assuming this is dino as we don’t have established rock or algae - do you have pics of yours?

I have dialled my lights to 5 hours blues only 15% and am dosing 5ml of H2O2 in the evening.

Not yet, the lights are currently off. No matter what it is, mine should go away, I hope.

 

[Alenya]

Not yet, the lights are currently off. No matter what it is, mine should go away, I hope.

I hope so too!

Do you have a build thread? Would be good to compare your setup and progress

 

[Snoopdog]

I hope so too!

Do you have a build thread? Would be good to compare your setup and progress

Not yet, there is not much to see. I will probably start one while putting the sump in.

 

[Alenya]

Little update:

Temp: 25 C
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20ppm
Phosphate 0

Lights still on 15% blue
Skimmer turned off yesterday
Dino/algae disappearing

Dosing four scoops of SPS coral food to try to get phosphate up, which is the recommended daily rate for a moderately stocked 250

 

[Snoopdog]

Did you get a microscope to see which type it is? Just wondering which species of dino you have.

 

[Alenya]

Did you get a microscope to see which type it is? Just wondering which species of dino you have.

I don't have a microscope, I did the H2O2 test and 'dino' is as close as I can get right now.

Speaking of which, I returned my lights to 50% of normal today, full photoperiod - no recurrence of dino today.
Unfortunately the tank is showing some cloudiness, most likely the heavy dosing of coral food...! I've turned on my skimmer as it helps aerate the tank, and the windows were open today as well.

Phosphates still show zero, will get some Flourish Phosphate tomorrow to dose. Lord knows what the nitrate is after triple dosing coral food the last few days... lol

Fish are doing ok!

 

[Alenya]

Time for a meatier update!

The tank is now 7 weeks old and it looks like Dino was nipped in the bud.

Everything is running in the tank again.

Temp 25.5 C
Ammonia 0.5 (just fed tank)
Nitrite 0
pH 8.0
Nitrate 30ppm
Phosphate 0

Skimmer collected a ton of fine waste overnight. We lost some sponges from the light restriction but otherwise all looks okay.

Clowns are happy and fat

In QT still trying to get the yellow wrasse’s weight up, made harder by him constantly going to sand. Also looks like he now has a wound on his side Not sure what happened?? Have not seen any ich appear.

In other news still trying to secure the rest of the first batch of fish to QT for the tank. Maybe this week. Waiting on another wrasse or two and the Valentini Puffer.

My LFS has put the request out to source a Marine Betta as well but not waiting for that one to arrive.

I will also add a couple of local sandsifting gobies, they tend to not ‘broadcast’ sand up high like some.

My LFS is also going to source me a golden Midas blenny in lieu of the starry blenny as it seems they just aren’t available.

Enjoying the tank

 

[Alenya]

Sad update: The yellow coris wrasse didn't make it. Found his body jammed under some rocks. Not sure what did him in, but I expect the root cause was not being in good shape in the first place. The other guy is 100% fine.

 

[Snoopdog]

Dino still in check?

 

[Alenya]

Dino still in check?

So far so good

 

[Alenya]

Update:

Picked up some Flourish Phosphate on the weekend. Dino was starting to recover! Phosphate test keeps showing 0 even after so many doses of coral food. I dosed enough for 0.2ppm of phosphate 4 times over the past 2 days - still 0!

BUT

the Dino is disappearing rapidly.

Regimen:

Feed marine mix 2-3 times daily
Dose Phytoplankton every 2 days
Dose coral food twice daily
Dose phosphate twice daily 0.2ppm each time
Dose 5mm H2O2 nightly
Skimmer and filter roll on
Handful of carbon in the sump
Lights on 50%

Will check water again in a couple days.

Also my fish are in at my LFS - my Valentini plus a couple wrasses Pickup Friday

 

[Alenya]

Little update:

Dino still at bay

I picked up my new fish today!
The Valentini puffer
Carpenter’s flasher wrasse (the LFS keeps saying these are eightline flashers but they’re not I am pretty sure)
Exquisite wrasse

I was hoping for a leopard wrasse but nobody has them at the moment.

They are all acclimating in the QT