Build thread - converting 75 gallons fresh to salty

[Idech]

I still don’t know what the tank consumes daily. I should know soon, I’ll be testing again.

I was hoping my corals would recover from my magnesium overdose but I made another mistake. I completely forgot that I shut off my ATO. I found out because my filter was making a lot of noise and bubbles. I looked at the water level and there was a good inch missing…

Yep, this first year is definitely not a walk in the park. At least I’m learning.

 

[Idech]

Most corals aren’t really happy and some are browning and losing polyps it seems.

I did a 5 gallons WC this morning, to lower magnesium. In fear of dinos reappearing, I dosed 2 ml silicate. I should have tested phosphates before, but forgot.

Nitrates were down from about 13 ppm to 8,5 ppm after WC. So I also dosed 20 ml Neonitro to add 2 ppm nitrates and 5 ml Neophos to add about 0,18 ppm phosphates. I took a guess as I have no way of knowing what my phosphates were. I will test them in a few days. I also dosed some phyto and Microbacter 7.

My torch was really unhappy after the WC. It shrunk and its polyps became flat, oddly.

I will do one 5 gallons WC per week until my magnesium reaches about 1350. This should take 5 weeks. Then I will have to find out what is consumed weekly and decide if I start using AFR again or EBV cal and EBV mag.

I’m still not buying new corals as long as the ones I have haven’t been happy for a few months. I’m far from reaching that goal at the moment.

 

[Idech]

The corals are looking worse and worse everyday. Someone suggested they might have infections and to treat with iodine.

I decided to give it a try as nothing has worked so far. I ordered Seachem Reef dip with Amazon Prime but it took 5 days to get here. I was getting desperate as with every passing day, the corals looked worse.

I dipped all the corals today except those that looked fined : Pulsing xenia, small GSP and mushrooms. All the other ones were dipped in 1 gallon of tank water with 15 ml (3 caps) of Seachem Reef dip, for 35 minutes.

I’m not very optimistic but we’ll see how they do. If they die, I don’t know if I’ll buy more. Probably not for a while.

I need to understand how those infections work. If it stays in the water, then are the corals at risk of another infection ?

 

[Idech]

Dinos again. I’ve dosed N and P, phyto, silicate and Microbacter7 and I’m waiting for my 3 bottles of pods, hopefully tomorrow.

When can one actually sit and relax and enjoy their tank I wonder?

I’m giving myself until january. If things are still as hard then I might revert back to freshwater. I will be sad because I really like this tank and all of my fish.

 

[Idech]

I’ve added 3 bottles of copepods that will supposedly reproduce in the aquarium. I’m hoping it will help increasing biodiversity and keep dinos at bay.

Corals aren’t looking much better 3-4 days after the dip. If I don’t see any improvement in 2-3 weeks I will consider doing an ICP test.

 

[Idech]

Corals still not doing better. It’s been 2 weeks since the dip so I suppose it wasn’t an infection, or maybe there is something else.

I tested alkalinity and it came out at 6,5 dkh. I used the wrong seringe from my Red Sea pro test kit so I might have ruined the reagent. I ordered new reagent and will test as soon as I get it.

Phosphate is testing 0,5 ppm with Hanna and close to or 0 with Salifert. I ordered a new batch of Hanna reagents to test again.

Magnesium is still high at 1560 ppm. I can’t do water changes becauses it brings back dinos everytime,

So that’s where I’m stuck for now. I’d like to add a bubble tip anemone but I won’t until I know my parameters are okay.

 

[Idech]

I got the new Red Sea alkalinity test. Alk is 6.2. Both old and new test are giving the same result. I dosed making soda; 14 g according to Randy’s formula. Half of it today and the rest tomorrow.

I also got the new phosphate reagents. I tested and got 0.8 ppm and 0.58 ppm with the old reagent. I don’t know what to do with that one since I can’t change water or I’ll get dinos. Salifert and Aquaforest both say close to 0ppm so I’m enclined to believe it‘s 0.

I’m hoping the low alk was the problem and corals perk up but at this point I’m not too optimistic.

Parameters from today :
PH : 7.9
Alk : 6.2
Mag : 1500
Cal : 420

A few days ago
Nitrates : 13,5
Phosphate : close to 0 or 0.58 or 0.8

 

[Idech]

I used baking soda to being up Alk to 8,7. I then started using All for Reef again to stabilize it. It’s now holding very steady at 8,4 dhh with 10 ml AFR per day.

My parameters :
PH : 8,0
Cal : 430
Mag : 1560 (still too afraid to do water changes)
Alk : 8,4
Salinity : 1,026

Nitrates and phosphates haven’t been tested the last few days but are usually steady around 11 ppm and close to 0 (impossible to test with Hanna because of past silicate dosing)

Corals are still looking pitiful (except the mushrooms). I was expecting them to get better after stabilizing the alkalinity but they even got worse.

So I ordered the Fauna Marin total ICP test for aquarium and ro water. I am very impatient to find out what it shows.

 

[Idech]

I have quite a few digitate hydroids in the tank.

What is this ?

I noticed this a few days ago at night in my tank. They are transparent filaments, looking like thin weed. They are not worms. There is more on this side of the tank, but they seem to be everywhere. What is it ? How do I get rid of it ? It might be easier to see around the 1:00 mark. Thanks !

www.reef2reef.com

I’ve ordered 15 dwarf blue legged hermit crabs and 2 halloween hermit crabs to help with that. They are supposed to get here in a few days.

 

[Idech]

I have received my Fauna Marin ICP test back. Some elements are too high and some are depleted. Nickel is too elevated, that’s what was worrying me the most.

Help with ICP test results

My 75 gallons tank is 1 year old and corals aren’t happy despite seemingly correct parameters so I did an ICP test. Lots of things are wrong, some because of mistakes (high magnesium) or because I was trying to get rid of dinos (high silicate) or others. I haven’t done regulars water changes...

www.reef2reef.com

I’ve done a 60% WC which brought most of the elevated elements to or close to ideal values. I’ve also ordered and received enough of the 8 missing elements to be dosed according to ideal values. I did day 1 today. Some need a second day and 1 element needs to be dosed 3 days.

I’ve also started dosing All for Reef again, at 15 ml per day (the recommended start dose). For now it’s giving me 8,4 alk so it looks okay but I’ll have to test frequently in the beginning.

So to me this is a new beginning. I’ve made lots of mistakes and they should be pretty much fixed now. I’m stuck with hydroids but hoping it won’t be a problem down the line.

I’m giving this new start 3-4 weeks to mature then I plan on starting to add new corals. And hopefully see some of the ones I have now recuperate.

It’s taking me 13 months to get here. I honestly don’t know how beginners manage to have a tank full of thriving corals after 6 months. Luck ? Having a mentor ? I know it’s not doing research because I’ve done so much reading and research my brain is hurting…

 

[ilikefish69]

I got some Gorilla super glue gel (green cap) and wow, what a difference it made ! For the first time, not one drop of glue got on the coral, barely any on my fingers and I really felt the strong bond on the rock, after wiggling it a bit. The trick is to wait a little bit until it gets stronger and then hold it in place.

This will help me not hate glueing corals as much. Maybe even like it…

Now I only have to find a smart and easy way to cut the frag plugs…

Bone cutters

 

[Idech]

I still haven’t seen the YWG I bought a month ago and put in the DT two weeks ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s dead even though I put him in a hospital tank for 2 weeks after my Allen’s damsel bullied him and damaged his fins.

I took the Allen’s damsel back to the store after sound advice on R2R. I decided to get a Firefish while I was there (90 minute drive back and forth) since I only buy fish from this store.

The yellow eye kole is a bit territorial but the Firefish is starting to get more comfortable. It started eating 2 days after I put it in the tank (it’s been 5 days now). It goes in its cave then comes out for a while on and off all day.

Since correcting my parameters after my ICP test, and most corals doing a little better, I decided to get some new corals. I got a gold hammer (2 heads) since I had one that was doing okay and 2 cristata torch corals as they are easy. I’m happy with how they are doing today.

I’m still adjusting my AFR dose to get my alkalinity around 8.4. I went from 20 ml to 18 ml to now 16 ml. This morning alk was 8.7. I hope this doesn’t bother the corals too much.

I need to buy a lense to get better pictures.

On another subject, aiptasias are getting out of hand so I am trying to get some peppermint shrimps. I read you need about 1 per 20 gallons so I’ll get 5 of them for my 75 gallons. Hopefully I can get some this week.

 

[Idech]

I have been having a mini aiptasia crisis. I used to pour boiling water with a seringe on them (had read it worked) but I realize after having done that for months that they only disappear for a while to come back even bigger.

So I bought 6 peppermint shrimps to help with that. I messed up trying to put them in the tank so hopefully they are all alive (I’ve seen 3). I also used F-Aiptasia on every aiptasia I could find. This is my first time using it and I hope it works.

I found the YWG when I did my skimmer and filter maintenance. It was behind it, obviously not eating. I tried to rehome it and it didn’t work so I decided to keep it in the breeding box so he would at least eat. I’ve never had a depressed fish before and it sure is sad.

I decided to get a pistol shrimp for it and found one this morning. After acclimation, I put the shrimp in the breeding box with the YWG and they seem to like each other. Tomorrow I will release them both near the rocks and hope they live happily ever after.

 

[Idech]

I released them both in the same spot between the rocks this morning. The shrimp immediately started digging and rearranging and the goby stayed by her side.

I’m glad I put them in a spot where there won’t be corals. I’m hoping they stay put but if they don’t, I’ll manage.

I’m so happy this morning. This fish was so depressed it was breaking my heart.

 

[Idech]

Sigh. It won’t be easy for a while. I hope the next year is better than this one for this hobby.

I was finally at a point where I had a fish group that I liked, a pistol shrimp and YawG pair like I wanted and some peppermint shrimp for the Aiptaisia. Corals are starting to perk up a bit.

But…. I made auge mistake and accidentally dropped a cup or two of disgusting water from the LFS that sold me the peppermint shrimp. It was full of white gunk and dirt. As soon as it happened I knew I would be in trouble.

My tang started getting sick and it died today. I can’t find my tail spot blenny, one of my first fish; he must have died. My new firefish seems affected but I can’t catch him. The YMG and the cardinal look fine.

The clowns are sick. I put them in a hospital tank, did a freshwater dip and a first dose of General Cure. I ordered copper in case it’s velvet. I don’t know what I’ll do with them if they survive. As long as there are fish in my display, whatever disease is in it will remain so I can’t put them back in there. I don’t want to maintain a second tank.

I was so careful with my fish and everything was going so well. :-(

 

[Idech]

We lost power for 10 hours 2 nights ago. I covered the tank to keep the heat but did not use a bubbler as it was the middle lf the night and I was half asleep. We never lost power for so long and I thought it would come back within 2–3 hours.

Now I can’t find the 6 peppermint shrimps I added a month ago. They’re only available once a year and it was a hassle finding and getting them.

The mystery disease keeps making victims and all my fish will probably be dead in a few days.

I feel so defeated.

 

[taulgrl]

We lost power for 10 hours 2 nights ago. I covered the tank to keep the heat but did not use a bubbler as it was the middle lf the night and I was half asleep. We never lost power for so long and I thought it would come back within 2–3 hours.

Now I can’t find the 6 peppermint shrimps I added a month ago. They’re only available once a year and it was a hassle finding and getting them.

The mystery disease keeps making victims and all my fish will probably be dead in a few days.

I feel so defeated.

Oh no! How is your tank doing since this update?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

We lost power for 10 hours 2 nights ago. I covered the tank to keep the heat but did not use a bubbler as it was the middle lf the night and I was half asleep. We never lost power for so long and I thought it would come back within 2–3 hours.

Now I can’t find the 6 peppermint shrimps I added a month ago. They’re only available once a year and it was a hassle finding and getting them.

The mystery disease keeps making victims and all my fish will probably be dead in a few days.

I feel so defeated.

Hope your tank is doing ok now!!!

 

[Idech]

Oh no! How is your tank doing since this update?

Hope your tank is doing ok now!!!

Thanks for asking. Fortunately I didn’t lose much due to the power outage. I found at least 3 shrimps and I’m hoping all 6 are there. They all look the same so hard to know which one is which…

I have lost 5 fish due to disease, probably velvet. My two clowns, my new YWG, my tail spot blenny (one of my first fish) and my kole tang (or rather square tail). It has been very hard on me. So much that I was considering (still am) shutting down the tank.

I managed to save the banggai cardinal and the firefish while in the display (could not catch the firefish) with Polyp Lab Medic (reef safe). I have treated almost triple dose dose for 8 days and double dose for 3 days (instructions say you can). Maximum is 20 days of treatment but I will give one last dose tonight and stop because some corals are not happy.

I posted about having lots of digitate hydroids in the tank a while back. I got blue legged hermit crabs to take care of it and they did. I only see rare ones now. But they are a pest and I bought too many of them. They are killing my snails (there are tons of empty shells lying around) and attacking each other. Very aggressive little buggers.

I was also having aiptasia. For many months I used boiling water to kill them but after realizing they only came back with a vengeance months later, I had to find another way. So I treated what I saw with Franks F-Aiptasia and it worked very well. I also added some peppermint shrimps to take care of the smaller ones I couldn’t see. They seem to have done a good job because I haven’t seen any since getting them.

Now I have some thinking to do as to the future of the tank. Either I take down everything or I get some new fish, because the ecosystem needs it. 2 small fish in a 75 gallons tank isn’t enough to keep corals happy.

More to come.

eta : I forgot to mention that dinos came back when I lost the 5 fish. I fed less, nitrates fell down to 10 ppm (from 14 ppm) and a patch of dinos appeared.

I dosed nitrates, silicate, phyto and MB7. Hopefully they go away. That’s my third time with dinos in 15 months.

 

[Miami Reef]

Following!

I’m here for this journey; please try not to give up with saltwater. I know, easier said than done, but I just want you to know I’m here with you.

Curious, what dinos are you dealing with? Just curious. I won’t give any unsolicited advice.