Caleb's first reef tank

[Rocks reef]

@tbrown hey brother, I will go back and read the entire thread before I respond sir. I appreciate the tag! As you know euphyllia are my jam

 

[Rocks reef]

Have been watching this thing for a few weeks. Looks like some sort of anenome. Thoughts on if good or bad? And how to best remove it if it needs removing?

My wife is starting up a clown+macro+anenome tank. If this is worth keeping I'd like to put in her tank.

I am leaning towards majano as well

 

[Rocks reef]

Test results are in, minus calcium because the test pack I bought was shipped with an extra nitrate test instead of the calc one :) Not going to complain cause the Salifert tests are awesome and use them for more periodic checking of the wife's tank, as well as consensus testing with my Hanna on the bigger tank. Water change did help pull down nitrates a little, I'm assuming GFO + water change helped with the phosphates. They're still very high, but will continue to test and make sure its continuing to trend down

Nitrates: 12.4
Phosphate: 0.56
Alk: 8.9
Mag: 1330
Salinity: 1.026
PH: 7.8-8.1 daily swing

I should have been more on top of testing my parameters. Now to keep a hawk-eye on the tank as phosphates hopefully continue to trend downward.

Your phosphates are fine, I wouldn't lower them

 

[Rocks reef]

5 nitrates is borderline low in my opinion, but you're going to get differing opinions. I usually try to run around 0.15 to 0.2 phosphates also so...

Absolutely agree. Bump your nitrates up to 10-15 minimum.

 

[Rocks reef]

Moving it may be an ok idea. I'd say the lack of flesh band is a problem. Sometimes an iodine bath helps heal whatever is ailing it and starts that flesh band regrowth.

@Rocks reef had some success I believe. What'd you end up using Keith?

 

[Rocks reef]

@Impunitus

I think your flow is way to strong for the hammer and that is why it bailed a polyp. A MP-40 on a 60 gallon tank is quite a bit. I would turn it way down. My euphyllia move aggressively, but not like what I saw in the video.
Also, chasing your phosphates all over is stressing the corals. I'd shoot for near .10 and leave it there. I've gone as high as .6 and my euphyllia didnt skip a beat.
You should really look at a PAR meter. Whether borrowing one on Amazon has the Vabira that is inexpensive and works great. Thats what I use. I keep my euphyllia at 300-350 PAR. You will hear that is way too high, but I SLOWLY acclimated them to it and they thrive. However, I keep my tank "dirtier" than others meaning the only filtration I have is a Tunze comline in tank filter with filter floss. I currently have a 40g that is a "temporary" tank as I set up my new larger build. My temporary tank has been up for a year with only two MP-10s and the Tunze.
As far as dipping your euphyllia, I don't see any need to. I truly believe it is a flow, light and unstable parameters issue.

 

[Rocks reef]

Couple pics just to show my euphyllia and how I keep them.

 

[Impunitus]

Hammer did drop the other head yesterday, found it and removed it this morning.

Not doing anything different, just feeding and leaving what I have in the tank in terms of GFO/carbon alone at this point.

Phosphates did drop a little today. Tested before feeding and we're at 0.15 on the Hanna.

I did end up moving the hammer to the sand below the MP40 and turned it down a bit. It was at 35% max on the lagoon preset and brought it down to 25%. Will continue to monitor the hammer but it has a lot less flow (moving a lot less) than it was in the right hand corner or on the ramp rock.

I agree the MP40 is a bit much for this tank. Should have went smaller, but able to make it work turning it way down for the time being.

 

[Impunitus]

If there is any silver lining, my duncan is coming around. Even if it doesn't have full polpy extension like it has before, it's improving daily and all the heads respond to feeding so I'm happy about that.

Now to watch the F1 race :)

 

[Impunitus]

Happy Wednesday!

No real big updates, hammer isn't losing more heads so that is good. Green slimer is cooked, but it was on its last legs, then slamming my phosphate down was the final nail in the coffin.

Duncan is looking good, not full extension, but still happier than it has been.

Toadstool opened up a bit yesterday, and has been fully withdrawn today. This thing has been temperamental since I got it.

GSP seems to be growing, so another silver lining.

Phosphate tests over the past 3 days. Seems to be stabilizing.

12/1: 0.21
12/2: 0.22
12/3: 0.19

Assuming we stay around this point for the next few days I'm thinking about swapping out my GFO for 1 TBSP of new as well as pulling my carbon.

Have a skimmer arriving on Friday which I also intend to set up Friday/this weekend. Will keep a close eye on nutrients once I have that up to make sure we do not bottom out.

 

[Impunitus]

@tbrown Skimmer came a day early and got it dropped in. I think I may need to print a custom bracket for it since without its far too deep in the water. With the bracket it's an inch or so above the water line.

Making lots of bubbles in the sump, but directions say that is expected during break in. Thoughts on current level or do you think a custom bracket is in my future?

 

[tbrown]

Egg crate stands work as well.

If you have any extra egg crate lying around, look at printing some PVC leg adapters for it?

 

[tbrown]

You'll likely have lots of micro bubbles if you don't raise it up but once it breaks in, you also may not be able to turn it down much if it's too deep.

 

[Impunitus]

Egg crate stands work as well.

If you have any extra egg crate lying around, look at printing some PVC leg adapters for it?

No egg crate right now, but can look at that as an option as well.

Bad news to run it like this for a few days? Or would this be OK for the break in period? Does look like it's making skimmate already, but I am letting everything drain out right now.

So many micro bubbles getting blasted into the tank which makes viewing not great but understand that is part of the break in process too.

Really do appreciate the quick response! :)

 

[tbrown]

No egg crate right now, but can look at that as an option as well.

Bad news to run it like this for a few days? Or would this be OK for the break in period? Does look like it's making skimmate already, but I am letting everything drain out right now.

So many micro bubbles getting blasted into the tank which makes viewing not great but understand that is part of the break in process too.

Really do appreciate the quick response! :)

Usually people just remove the cup or open the drain for the few days it takes to break in. The extra bubbles in the tank aren't necessarily bad, just more of an eyesore.

 

[Impunitus]

FTS with night time blues. Corals from SWA and some cheap ones I snagged from a TCK auction got here today.

Have the M40 turned off for the time being and just using the Orbit 2. Torch and the hammers look happy. Got a zoa and and extra hammer as mystery pieces.

 

[tbrown]

I'm not going to lie... Your hammer troubles made me buy a hammer for my little tank. I haven't had any hammers or torches for probably 2-3 years at this point...

 

[tbrown]

Although I believe it's actually a Frammer rather than a Hammer.

 

[Impunitus]

I'm glad my plight could inspire you to get something! That looks awesome :)

Going to keep a close eye on these hammers and the torch to make sure they stay healthy. I dipped everything in a Polyp Lab one shot and everything has already opened up.

I also have fallen in love with mushrooms after all the tanks I've seen and shelled out for a jawbreaker as a Christmas present to myself. That thing is Itty bitty but going to work on finding a place in the tank that mushrooms are receptive to and make a garden. Between the Citrus I have, as well as the mushroom covered rock and another solo Yuma, the solo jawbreaker and small superman colony on a frag I have about all the mushrooms I need once they start growing. Finding a spot they are receptive to that matches what I want is the hard part

 

[Impunitus]

Crabs are plotting to take over the world!Good picture of 2 porcelains and one of my blue leg hermits. Also a picture of the snail my wife has named "barnacle Bob" because of his coraline hat on his shell.