Begining of my 125

[Screwgunner]

My 125 with over flows and 30 gallon sump was running with 25 african chiclids all of them umbuna and two clown loaches. Well I got the itch again to start saltwater back up again . I could not keep up with the freshwater fish I had . At the end of the umbuna tank I had 45 fish yes babys . They are dirty fish and I was changing filter twice a week .I needed to change them 3 times . So, I put my 110 pounds of dead rock in the garbage can filled it with tap water and a gallon of bleach. And through in a power head. Let it set for 3 weeks. Pulled it out and back in to a tote to dry. Then put 20 gallons of rodi in trash can and put rock in it for a week with power head . Took rock out put saltwater in put rock in heater powerhead and a half piece of shrimp. 3 months later ammonia started to drop . 4 months 0 ammonia 0 nitrites ammonia was off the chart. Changed water twice to nock it down . Took my freshwater fish to the fish store. And started cleaning,two days later I was happy with it . Went to menards to get the light diffuser with the holes though it for the bottom of my tank . Put some of the bigger rocks on top and started filling it with saltwater 5 gallons at a time rodi water mixed with IO one week of making water and placing rock. 24 five gallon buckets later i got to turn on my heater and pumps proclear skimmer and algea turff scrubber . Marine pure and a spunge. A large bottle of Dr. Tims and biospera. Thuogh in 8 chromis a nasso ,neon goby,hovens wrasse. One chromis got caught on my wave maker and 10 days later my nasso died . Replaced him with a one spot fox face. Right now I replace one gallon of water per day evaporation and clean algea turf scrubber every three days. Last week my nitrates 3 phosphates .74 today nitrates 5 phosphates .54 ph 8.3 . So 5 weeks in and I have a small amount of dark green algea on my scrubber screen and the fish are all very healthy. Diatom stage is now over . I did put 3 bottles of copapods in . So far thats it going to wait for my water to stabilize where I like it and load it with some coral!!! So what do ya think?

 

[dank reefer]

Welcome back to the SW side of things.

Cycling your rocks was a good start for sure. Great start to hopefully a great tank!

 

[Screwgunner]

Today is my 10 month anniversary for my tank . I battled hair algea and one aptasia who has been crazy glued in his hole . With the help of vibrant it looks nice again . After the vibrant my phosphates went up to .12 I have never had phosphates before . My algea turff scubber has kept them undetectable. But vibrant did a number on the algea on my scubber. So I have a little red algea in my display. So here it is.

 

[Screwgunner]

After my nasso died I got a one spot foxface . Then to my surprise my local fish store got a yellow back from a customer who had to move 300 dollars latter he is in my tank now. My Hovens wrasse died about aweek ago . Bare bottom was no good for her anyway. I have 7 green chromis 2 clarkii clowns 1 yellow 1 one spot foxface 1 neon goby. I would like one or two more fish . But I can not find any thing that won't eat snails or shrimp. I wanted a flamehawk but not good for inverts. Any suggestions?

 

[Screwgunner]

Well, Today after 20% water change algea scrubber kicked back in phosphates and nitrates back to 0 over night just like that. Birds nest starting to comeback. I have one zoa that did not like the vibrant at all hope it makes it . I thought my birds nest was a goner too but it is starting to come around . So in my experience 6 weeks of dosing vibrant for gha once a week one mil per 10 gallons in my opinion should be good to eradicate gha. At 7 weeks gha melted to nothing . Yes vibrant works just do not over dose.

 

[Screwgunner]

After the vibrant I got cyano got rid of that and got Dynos. I have it under control but I did lose my birdsnest. Everything else looks good. Pulled my skimmer out . So just algea scubber. And activated carbon. Corals are looking better every day.

 

[Screwgunner]

Well I got my other fish.

 

[Screwgunner]

My glass needs cleaned . But he is so small . I got him week and ahalf ago. He comes out and messes with the other fish now.

 

[Screwgunner]

Well, I started microbacrer 7 dosing for a dirty tank. Today is day 6 and my cyano is about half gone. Rocks look cleaner. I have done 75 gallons of water changes in the last 3 weeks. Switched to reef crystals. Set up now for 15 gallon water changes per week end.

 

[Screwgunner]

So, I started a biopellet reactor and my phosphates have been .1 nitrates 10 like what. So everything go use to it . For at least 6months then I took the biopellet reactor off and my phosphates and nitrates bottomed out 0. 0. My corals are not happy at all but uln system is what I set out to do so here we go. Put a 1/4 inch tube on my skimmer and ran it outside ph has gone from 7.8 to 8.4 over night. 25 months up and running . I am at 14 fish . 2 clarkii clowns 8 green chromis one spot fox face yellow tang neon goby flame angel . So, my neon goby is over25 months old. And still going strong.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Do you have any photo updates of your tank!! Sounds like it is doing great!

 

[Screwgunner]

Well, ever since Feb. 2022 I have been battling dinos. I bought a soft bristle bottle brush and got a air stone . Hooked the air stone to my air pump and put the stone under my wavemaker. Turn the pump on and now I have a bubble scrubber for my tank. Bubble scubber on. Took brush and hit all the dinos with it. Most float to the top and hit the filter some get stuck in the rocks. Did that for 3 days. Cleaning my filter everyday. Then I turned out all lights for 3 days. On my 3rd dose of algeafix. After the 3 days rocks look nice again. Still have green hair algea. But dinos are not present at the time . That was my main goal . I did use vibrant for green hair algea and it worked in 7 weeks but I had cyano right after then dinos. So, no more vibrant for me.