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

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mylertitchell

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Week 18
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Keeping hands out of tank for 4 weeks except Monday night for maintenance. Do seem to need to clean glass a lot more now. Seeing that green glass algae near daily. Frag Tank seems cleaner algae wise with mollys down there. Really want to buy coral, but I’m gonna hold it together.



what light are you using in the fuge on your frag tank?
It’s just a grow light led roll from eBay/Amazon. All I can say so far is chaeto is still in abundance. Haven’t harvested as of yet.
 
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Plan for next 4 months
Ongoing media purchases etc and copperband care.
  1. Gramma added to display
  2. CUC (conch, snails maybe pincushion urchin depending on algae)
  3. Torch (dwarf tree)
  4. Clowns / Nem (designer)
  5. Sandbed Coral (flower nem maybe instead)
  6. Sump Brick (more biomedia i think is required)
  7. Water Vacuum (want to get sump cleaned)
    Dial these well in over the course. Stability is KEY!
  8. Schedule
  9. Stability
  10. Husbandry
This was my 4 month plan set in july, I am one month into the POA.
Just bought 10 pack blisters, salt and carbon so have enough tank supplies now to see me through.
  1. Gramma added successfully, he is a delight.
  2. Conch and other snails were added as well as mollys to sump to maintain frag tank (it does look cleaner)
  3. Torch maybe if see one or will treat self at end of this POA in Nov to a real pretty one
  4. Black Ice Clowns growing out in QT i would say easy for next 3 months, friends nem split so awaiting it to heal
  5. Could easily get another fungi, would love a scoly, so really I want my tank to be stable for next 2 four week cycles and then treat self if all good to some coral.
  6. Sump Brick added
  7. NWC vacuum is WIP, as DIY and still deciding what i want. (getting by so no real urgency)
8-10. So next 2 months is just tank day only, daily feeding and glass cleaning, hopefully tank is looking good and stable.
Reward self with coral order that month, clowns in following and then new goals and fish will need bought (thinking wrasses for tank activity)

 
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Week 20
Another week, no filters on photos. Just trying to keep consistency and hope tank stabilises and blossoms. Really not sure how it’s going but I know the CBB has really put this tank through it’s paces. Worth it no question beautiful fish.
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Week 21
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Happy with tank, if stay the course will def treat self to wee order. Running filter roller without bypass for experiment to see how long it lasts this cycle.
I have concern with CBB. He dinged my lobo and I’m quite cautious now. Scared that the ‘with caution’ is now in play. But will keep an eye and keep up heavy feeding. But yeah not treating self to scoly anyway.
 
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Week 22
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Nothing to be said this week, just keeping trucking. Slight dishearten but I think I’m just so early and nature will find away. Tanks bit ugly with algae but nothing concerning. Have literally more kilos of Biomedia than fish.
Things I want to do with tank while trying to keep away from tank lol: check par (adjust lights), icp test and maybe mess with flow. Feel like tank just doesn’t seem crystal clear (floating stuff and or bubbles). Clowns are still wee farts and are definitely gonna stop me from adding fish anytime soon which is prob the best.
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Week 23
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Not sure why my alk is plummeting, especially when corals have not been increased and have lost a good few over this period. I do know there was an issue during my ALK dosing that got disconnected so there would be an air bubble in tubing that maybe could explain it that would be dosing 0.7 per week so could be explained. The issue with underground lines that hold 200ml of fluid. I manually ran her through for bit so hopefully that is her resolved and slowly bring up. I seem to be always dosing LaCl3 so im gonna drain the Phosphate container (who did i think i was) and replace this with diluted LaCl3. Micro dose daily be the plan. Tank is just okay, im just riding it out, think maybe an urchin and some snails and a cheeky coral is on horizon. (But not the big macca coral order, im not there yet).
Too end with a high? I dont watch the CBB eat anymore! I feed 1/2 cube in morn, 1 cube lunch and dinner and hes eating 40+ a sitting.
 
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Cheeky Order
Ordered some bumblebee snails and ceriths (i swear those cerith shells are empty). A fuzzy green shroom which seems okay by luck as the way it was packed it was out of water, that bag had smell. The giant feather duster i really enjoy. The impulse on the fromia monillis, i think i instantly regret, did a slow drip acclimation, but did notice his mouth was open in bag. I added to tank and there was life, noticed one his legs was injured at top and mouth further open today almost like hes ripping him self apart. No idea if he dying, dead, or im getting BOGOF. I think its the prior. Quite disheartened with self.
 

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Week 25
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Tank is maintaining, just want to be lower nutrients and no turf algae in tank. Have some other improvements todo too. Clowns are doing good, larger clown is almost sized for tank. Wee one I think is where larger was. Cannot wait to get them in Bumblebee Reef.
 
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Time to Make Adjustments
So ICP revealed issues...
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Elements
My concern is Strontium, Iodine, Silicon and Trace. So im using AF Sea Salt, so have purchased AF Reef Salt and will use 50/50 and move to 100% Reef Salt unless this is good enough and i can save a tenner. I have halved my kalk dose and have increased my ATI 1/2 (trace inc) to cover. Also changed kalk to dose 24hrs instead of nightly.
Nutrients
I had a bag of rowaphos so throw it in sump, I have replaced the no3/po4 additives with removers. Vinegar and LaCl3, I have cleared the tubing and will be auto dosing these daily, hopefully have these dialed in over october.
General
I have put the sponge in the last baffle back in, with the frag system i have algae and i want to prevent my 4 pumps in last chamber from getting clogged (added a small 300lph pump under dosing lines).
New Additions
Friend gave me a nem, so hopefully works well and i get the clowns in next month! One still small but ate mysis today. So confident we can increase size quickly now!

Things thats in my head obviously livestock, but want to check par and readjust lights, increase turnover if it can improve water column, nwc vacuum and ozone.


 
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Week 27
Fish thriving, corals surviving…
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Nuisance Algae everywhere, but nutrients seem to be lowering. Alk seems to of maintained which is great after such a change. Shows my calculations and water volume is bang on. will start increasing alk to target over next week or so.
Need to clean pumps and uv bulb. Next tank project I think is gonna be nwc vacuum.

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Gut Loaded Brine
I keep a 3gal copepod culture, just want to be so prepared when get dragonets and its very simple. Been doing phyto with it for copes, but have recently been doing a brine hatchery also to help with my baby clowns. It turned out that hatchery in QT is just so simple of plug and play (500ml rodi, 2tsp salt, 1/8tsp brine, put into qt and attach airline, qt keeps temp and light) perfect hatch everytime. But also means i can add them on fri night/ sat morn and there is an abundance for the entire weekend for clowns (or any fish in qt) so i dont need to keep feeding over weekend.

I have recently started dosing phyto into the brine and letting them digest this (gut loading) and then i can use this to also dose phyto at same time. 2 birds 1 stone. eg. 25ml phyto dosed tank, now is brine shrimp in tank water with 25ml phyto, left for few hours prior.

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Week 28
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Nitrates are sub 20 IMO. Definitely more a lighter pink. Tried to mess with turnover but need gatevalve for that dialing in. Hopefully numbers zero out and I get another cuc order to clear nuisance algae. Then maintain them in my range.
 
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Week 29
Finally numbers getting close to where they need to be. Tank is looking okay, bubble algae and turf algae present in tank. Turf algae I think is getting wispy.
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One of my favourite pictures to take.
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Have got some fragging here and there, nothing special but happy with shroom grow out.
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Impulsive CUC Order
Not a bad impulse order in fairness, thought this was a nice order and would help with the variety of nuisance algae.
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Actually bought some uv glow 3d printed novelty hats for this guy too.LOL
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Emerald Crab was took for a punt on bubble algae, well he is the size of my thumbnail and i have bubble algae bigger than him lol.

So my clowns I have had for 3 months (6/8months old now) Female is ready for tank, but male is just still tiny, like could go into weir and wavemaker.

 

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Week 30
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Aww we are finally getting some where redsea nitrate was max 20 and now is max 10.
Really happy with cuc, all working away. Turbans really are my favourite snail. Nerites seem to be trucking, urchin is absolutely plowing through.
NWC Vacuum
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Always wanted to buy this as punt but was concerned with max height as I have 60cm tall tank. Well I struck it was sent out next day del for £38.99. Put a bit of floss in one side and this thing was able to suck sand right into filter, so height is No bother at all, just need to not let that happen again. I am delighted can now do nwc vacs until hearts content. My sump was terrible, sand got good going too. I think this will really be game changer!
I would like to change my sump layout slightly and buy new frag racks. I want to minimise the detritus catchment areas. Think this will also improve my biomedia as won’t be clogged silly.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 69 37.5%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 62 33.7%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.6%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.2%
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