Bumblebee Reef - 75G/30G (36Lx20Wx24H)

[mylertitchell]

Let the journey begin...
So officially tidied everything away and have all systems on. Future Plans is turn this into proper reef station (bumblebee style) but for now all in order and fully functioning. Doser is fully primed and calibrated. FUN FACT my dosing lines hold 200ml lol. Actually Auto-Feeder not set up yet, but will do that this week...

So I decided to turn on my T5s only (1-6 purple and 1-8 blue), will turn the LEDS on during this 4 week cycle. Well with the lights on it only took all of ten mins for me to decide to throw a couple frags in. Yellow Paly and Flo Ric.

All going well now I will be adding some more pieces and finally my large 2 rocks ('waterfall') during this 4 week period. I will also be doing a CUC order too, this will consist of maybe dozen snails and pair of shrimp. I will be routinely testing all parameters during this early stage and finding my rhythm.

Nothing to be added to tank during the next four week cycle. During this I will be cleaning out the nano tank and setting up as QT. This will also clean up the reef station alot more would like to get back to doing a phyto culture again too when this tidy.

 

[mylertitchell]

Week 6
Issues
With the good weather, the sun has been beating in on my dwarf tree. Cyano City. My nano got cyano after tank crash and also GHA. Hopefully CUC and general husbandry will get this sorted.
Elements
Spent the week bringing up parameters, well tried I may of precipitated calcium ;Facepalm. Anyway live and learn will test today should be up. Used ATI2 so will test magnesium too, as I want to use a balance of kalk and ati1/2 to maintain the system. So mainly kalk and ati to maintain MG and TRACE (obviously this increases cal/alk and shud be deducted, not truly sure how it will pan out, but thats the fun).

Corals
Added more and more pieces to which I kinda thought these looking better in this system (obviously), so as week went on tank was merged officially last night. So all pieces just thrown in display inc. shroom rock which will be fragged.

Will need to test alk and start dosing kalk to maintain system now. I'm expecting max a litre a week day dot.
Quarantine / Frag System
So I can now clean this out and put light/wm into bumblebee reef. This will enable me to tidy up display and start fragging some pieces. Set this up for QT and tidy up this worktop.

 

[mylertitchell]

Quarantine
HOB Filter with 1kg sintered glass biomedia (shouldn’t absorb medicine). Coarse sponge within hob and pre filter. ATO, ammonia badge, airstone, heater, digital temp monitor, light, spongebob decor and a tub of sand when required.
Have a ball of chaeto too, quite interested to see how it holds up in there and if use medicine.
3 Mollys (Spongebob, Patrick and Squidward) will remain in tank to keep cycled and to act as canaries.
Do not plan to use copper whatsoever, CP, prazi and formalin if **** hits fan. Not 100% if gonna be using meds straight away. Might observe for longer. I will learn my happy path I’m sure. Just bit scared tbh, but CP, double dip and great feeding is my plan. Ideally I get to do test run with mollys and prophylactically treat.

 

[mylertitchell]

Week 7
Ugly Stage
Serious diatom bloom, cyano etc. Need CUC, but shrimp where OOS so held off as they said they'd be in next week. But then big bloom so messaged to see story as think I need CUC no matter what now, so might be snail only order. Trying to get that sorted for this week.

Well I do have one CUC lol, they do say mollies r class, but then u hear naw, ive had a good few and honestly it just takes the right fish, I have 2 in this system one has done nothing and the dalmation physically has not stopped. Its earned its place in this tank. The other will be removed before this one, this could be the new sumpy mcsumpface to keep frags clean long term.


Parameters
Not sure what going on with cal/alk consumption, I add dosed cal do bring up to round 450. So within one week my consumption was 30ppm and 2.3dkh. I wasn't expecting that day dot. Not sure tbh, but started dosing kalk last night and should be able to dial that in and know correct consumption rate of tank over the next few weeks. Hopefully see nutrients disappear by next week and could then start dosing those.

Frag Tank
Waiting on plug for wavemaker, so wm is not on yet, but fitted zetlights. Decided whilst i was down there may aswell start some of the process, so have couple xenia frags and GSP Frags (from breakdown of nano (on glass)) and took couple shrooms; blue shroom (dieing but just thought see what happens), ricordia, yuma and green disco (I have this in display and took some pups). Looking forward to seeing them grow out and hopefully make some sales. Have red shrooms still to frag, hopefully some papaya cloves and some zoas. Thats all I will be fragging until start making purchases as tank has long way to go.

Bumblebee Reef
Im just delighted to have this back in my living room . QT is ready for fish, just need some cuc, stablise params/routine and then order some coral.

Acan was never this big in nano or coloured as well, have since removed frag plug and placed on a small island rock to grow out on.


Tank day after merge (pre diatom bloom)

 

[mylertitchell]

Clean Up Crew
Nice wee email just there now! Shrimp In! Reserved for this morning and can be shipped out today for tomorrow! ITS COMING UP MITCHELL!

 

[attiland]

Week 7
Ugly Stage
Serious diatom bloom, cyano etc. Need CUC, but shrimp where OOS so held off as they said they'd be in next week. But then big bloom so messaged to see story as think I need CUC no matter what now, so might be snail only order. Trying to get that sorted for this week.

Well I do have one CUC lol, they do say mollies r class, but then u hear naw, ive had a good few and honestly it just takes the right fish, I have 2 in this system one has done nothing and the dalmation physically has not stopped. Its earned its place in this tank. The other will be removed before this one, this could be the new sumpy mcsumpface to keep frags clean long term.


Parameters
Not sure what going on with cal/alk consumption, I add dosed cal do bring up to round 450. So within one week my consumption was 30ppm and 2.3dkh. I wasn't expecting that day dot. Not sure tbh, but started dosing kalk last night and should be able to dial that in and know correct consumption rate of tank over the next few weeks. Hopefully see nutrients disappear by next week and could then start dosing those.

Frag Tank
Waiting on plug for wavemaker, so wm is not on yet, but fitted zetlights. Decided whilst i was down there may aswell start some of the process, so have couple xenia frags and GSP Frags (from breakdown of nano (on glass)) and took couple shrooms; blue shroom (dieing but just thought see what happens), ricordia, yuma and green disco (I have this in display and took some pups). Looking forward to seeing them grow out and hopefully make some sales. Have red shrooms still to frag, hopefully some papaya cloves and some zoas. Thats all I will be fragging until start making purchases as tank has long way to go.

Bumblebee Reef
Im just delighted to have this back in my living room . QT is ready for fish, just need some cuc, stablise params/routine and then order some coral.

Acan was never this big in nano or coloured as well, have since removed frag plug and placed on a small island rock to grow out on.


Tank day after merge (pre diatom bloom)

You have set your videos private so we can’t watch them

 

[mylertitchell]

You have set your videos private so we can’t watch them

Thanks weird never did that by default before. Good spot. Appreciate it and enjoy lol

 

[mylertitchell]

CUC
Arrived really well, my previous blood shrimp was 4 inches so can’t believe this little guy.. all was good till I seen the blue crab eating the conch this morning. He is now in the sump. Will get another conch but will be a while now unfortunately.

 

[Murphs_reef]

I wish I got that skimmer. My bubble magus c3.5 won't fit in with the drain it's to wide. So it's in the middle compartment.
You done a great job with the stand mate looks great.

 

[mylertitchell]

Week 8
Decided to clear out the cyano with cyano rx, basically cleared it with one dose, now just dealing with the aftermath of skimmer just pishing out of it, so overflow open and hopefully that settles down soon.

Still dialing in kalk, confused as im dosing 100ml an hour (12 hours a day) and my params are maintaining. Shocked is because this is 0.4-0.5dkH per day which was what tank was with 8x less volume. Maybe adjusting, coraline coming in, Im not totally sure.

Really enjoying the AWC, was able to click button, clean skimmer and have a coffee while watching it do the work. ATO flick of switch once a week. Skimmer been off a good bit and I dosed 15ml of VITAMINOS just because well corals aint had any in long time and those bangaiis are so picky and only eating frozen mysis/copepods. So maybe that boosted the phosphate or its the ugly stage algae clearing.

I am having a micro bubble issue in display which I believe is coming from skimmer, also tank is running above 25, never expected that even with good weather, but ordered a 6 fan to put into controller (will schedule it at 25.1)

 

[Murphs_reef]

I'm on cyanobacteria watch myself at the minute mate. It's a pain in the butt...

 

[mylertitchell]

 

[mylertitchell]

Mid-week Installs
6 fan added to sump and added to controller for 25.3 degrees. Wave maker added to sump. Speed slow and 500lph. Utility plug added for ease. No reason for it yet but will be doing nwc vacuuming.

 

[mylertitchell]

Cultures
Changed from 2x3l copes to a 10l tank I had, added extra rock I had. Just simple aquarium light and air sponge. No heater. Changed a 3l phyto to 5l container. 7m of led from 3l containers and airstone on full whack. Will take this up to around the 4+ Litre mark over the next few weeks. Will use phyto and spirulina for copes, use for dosing tank and hopefully be able to always have a litre bottle as back up. Other containers where a lot better presented but I believe this will be more functional.

Other news skimmer was going nuts for long time after cyano rx with no view of stoping. Regen my purigen and put it in sump. Skimmer fully operational in morning. Couldn’t believe it. Gave me great confidence in it. My plan for it was qt media after medicine.

 

[mylertitchell]

Full Overview

 

[mylertitchell]

Week 9

Gonna try and raise params to targets this week and keep those stable for rest of cycle.

This is the plan for bumblebee reef for now. Still few things to add and do so will prob change over time.
Current concern on tank is the abundance of GHA. But will stick with husbandry this cycle. Plan to get fish next week, think gonna go straight to tang gang to help with algae.

 

[mylertitchell]

Pre Game
Beyond excited for Monday. 4 LFS. Just me and my reef buddy!!

 

[mylertitchell]

Week 10 - LFS Tour
Tank known issues is still the ugly stage, i believe diatom and GHA. GHA came from nano and diatom i believe is to zero nitrates and an imbalance of nutrients. PH going from 8.2 - 8.3 - 8.2 during day and night cycle.

This was pump week, so that meant wavemakers and fuge pump cleaned. Still dialling in dosing with nitrates also now being dosed but at 1ppm per day, no phosphates or ati1/2 being dosed yet. Started autofeeder to feed a small portion of 50/50 Ocean Nutrition Formula One/Two at 1.30 and i feed frozen at 6.30-7.30. Also starting the nori during week, but did today with not even a second look at.
LFS
My tank purchases where as planned royal gramma for QT and 2 tangs (kole/mimic) but unfortunately the kole tang didnt make it home, seems during all the purchases the bag for kole tang was small enough, fish died in bag after 5 hours. Very annoyed and still abit salty tbh, plan was to add them together to display for best chance and also as not risking tank. I did ring LFS and have the £60 in store credit (just need to bring water sample even though it didnt make tank just what he has to do) so will ring next week to see if new delivery is in and hopefully get it all sorted but its hanging over me and LFS is 1hr 45mins drive for me. Corals where as follows, red monti digi, stylophora, cactus pavona, red goni, blue/green/yellow glitter goni, blasto and hammer (3/4 heads £35 great great job)

 

[mylertitchell]

Week 11
Tank is looking a lot cleaner, tang def doing a good job. GHA a lot clearer. Really really happy with tank, feel like we’re going to other side (famous last words). Which is what I need after another fish loss. I did a fresh water dip (no longer than 5mins) fish was spot on I had no concerns. But soon put back into qt he calved and just lay heavy breathing. He was dead somewhere between 10 and 12 hours after dip but just didn’t no what to do. . Not sure how or what this means for my qt process but onwards and upwards. Dosing phytoplankton and vitaminos now too.

 

[mylertitchell]

Week 12
Really happy with tank. Dosing on all channels. Micro dosing with them all minus kalk (12-12 100ml). Don’t think I’ll raise to ideal params just yet as dont wana risk my sps. So tank will be riding as is, just deal with dinos now. But with nutrient dosing and livestock hopefully be dealt with. I can have tank pristine it’s just back next day. But I’m calling it merge/ugly stage complete and I’m on the next step of journey. Following my set routine now so stability is rock solid.

Tang is officially eating nori, I am delighted. Not off clip but elastic band and rock. Seeing corals a lot more in feeding response since phyto dosing. got a coral voucher too, so bought some lol good week.
Next?
Tang, gramma, firefish, clowns, Torch, conch and sandbed coral/ rock flower nem and nem is what’s on my horizon for tank.