A Calm Blue Ocean - IM Fusion Pro 50 Gallon AIO Lagoon

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Once I've had a chance to use my red sea reef doser I'll let you know how I like it.

Reviews are looking promising so far. I'll watch for your post!

 

[TheWB]

A few updates.

1) Got out the cc and ordered the PLS-50. No matter how much I let myself run in circles, this looks like the best skimmer sized for the accessory chamber of the tank.

2) So much for weaning my tank off the carbon dosing. Looks like it actually was working. This is what happens every time I slack on testing. I get a good kick in the butt and reminded why testing is important while your tank is still maturing. I missed testing last week because...probably lazy...and now find as I'm coming up on my last week of ramping down carbon dosing that nitrate and phosphate have taken off for the moon again. Given that nothing else in my care of the tank has changed, it looks like we'll be ramping up again. Darnit, I was looking forward to removing that step from my morning routine. I'm betting this is why one of my montis has decided it hates life.

3) Speaking of testing, my alk has started falling. Might be time to investigate kalk? Would help that pH problem as well.

4) And speaking of pH, I think I'm wearing out my bathroom exhaust fan in my quest to keep pH up. Love that contractor grade crap. I really should recalibrate the pH probe, too. I've been doing sanity checks with my Hanna and it might be drifting a bit. Sounds like a job for tomorrow.

I don’t think you’ll regret the skimmer purchase. Mine pulls out some truly nasty stuff which might actually say more about how much I’m feeding than anything else. The Tang also automatically makes my bioload too high. Start the skimmer on the lowest flow and gradually ramp up after it breaks in until you get the consistency you want.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I don’t think you’ll regret the skimmer purchase. Mine pulls out some truly nasty stuff which might actually say more about how much I’m feeding than anything else. The Tang also automatically makes my bioload too high. Start the skimmer on the lowest flow and gradually ramp up after it breaks in until you get the consistency you want.

Looking at my nitrate and phosphate numbers I think my tank could stand to have some truly nasty stuff pulled out lol. The order still shows "Processing". Hopefully it ships before too long!

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Finally moved this pocillopora back from the nano now that it's looking healthy again. I also put a test frag (ok, a branch I accidentally knocked off of my birdsnest) into the 50 to see if Big Mama (seen hiding behind the pocillopora) still has a taste for it. So far so good. Fingers crossed (because what else can you do?).

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

As of yesterday the skimmer is on it's way! Delivery estimate showing as Tuesday. Here's hoping everything arrives in good shape.

 

[TheWB]

As of yesterday the skimmer is on it's way! Delivery estimate showing as Tuesday. Here's hoping everything arrives in good shape.

My fingers are crossed lol

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Skimmer arrived this afternoon and everything seems in order. The build quality seems really solid (although the packing lacked something to be desired) and I can't wait to get it up and running. I just gave the pump a quick water test and I'll give everything a good rinse tomorrow. I need to clean all the sponges out of the skimmer chamber before I set it up, though. It just doesn't seem right to put a shiny new skimmer into that mess. I'm not due for a back chamber deep clean for another month but the sponge growth back there might force my hand. Not sure what it is but my tank can sure grow sponges!

 

[cwerner]

Have you done a icp test? I'm wondering if you have high silicates if you're growing sponges that well.

 

[TheWB]

Skimmer arrived this afternoon and everything seems in order. The build quality seems really solid (although the packing lacked something to be desired) and I can't wait to get it up and running. I just gave the pump a quick water test and I'll give everything a good rinse tomorrow. I need to clean all the sponges out of the skimmer chamber before I set it up, though. It just doesn't seem right to put a shiny new skimmer into that mess. I'm not due for a back chamber deep clean for another month but the sponge growth back there might force my hand. Not sure what it is but my tank can sure grow sponges!

Cool that you received it in one piece, you’re one up on me lol.
It is built very well and the packaging is terrible. I need to do a back chamber clean out as well, it’s been a long time. I used to have a lot of pineapple sponges but now, not so much.
Can’t wait to see that skimmer installed, I know you’ll be happy with the gunk it pulls out. Here’s mine right now. It’s possible that my skimmer cup may need to be cleaned, not sure.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Have you done a icp test? I'm wondering if you have high silicates if you're growing sponges that well.

The last ICP test I had was in June and silicates came back normal. I have a Salifert Silicate test kit but it always comes back completely clear and I admit I question its accuracy. But I do grow plenty of sponges. All kinds. Yellow blobs, white blobs, thin translucent things, pineapples, purple, pink. My tank loves sponges. Right now the back chambers are definitely in a pineapple sponge phase. I had one that was growing on the tip of my salinity probe and apparently was helping with flow control or something. Removed it and now my salinity probe measurements wander all over the place lol.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

Cool that you received it in one piece, you’re one up on me lol.
It is built very well and the packaging is terrible. I need to do a back chamber clean out as well, it’s been a long time. I used to have a lot of pineapple sponges but now, not so much.
Can’t wait to see that skimmer installed, I know you’ll be happy with the gunk it pulls out. Here’s mine right now. It’s possible that my skimmer cup may need to be cleaned, not sure.

If I get results like that I'll be more than happy! That's some nasty looking stuff that anyone would be proud of! That's the way a skimmer should work. But I have to ask...what's with the rocks?

 

[TheWB]

If I get results like that I'll be more than happy! That's some nasty looking stuff that anyone would be proud of! That's the way a skimmer should work. But I have to ask...what's with the rocks?

On the top of the lid? Zoom in closer, thats overflow foamy gunk coming out of the vent holes. Think of it as a flashing red light on top of my skimmer indicating that I should possibly spend a minute cleaning it now, lol.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

On the top of the lid? Zoom in closer, thats overflow foamy gunk coming out of the vent holes. Think of it as a flashing red light on top of my skimmer indicating that I should possibly spend a minute cleaning it now, lol.

That's hilarious! Seriously looked like rocks when I was browsing on my phone. I was like, is he blocking the holes? Does it foam so hard that it lifts the lid? Well, not quite, it seems it foams so hard it comes out the lid! That's amazing. I've got some saltwater mixing so I can do a water change tomorrow and hopefully get the skimmer in the tank. Let's see if I can get it to produce some "rocks" too! lol

 

[TheWB]

That's hilarious! Seriously looked like rocks when I was browsing on my phone. I was like, is he blocking the holes? Does it foam so hard that it lifts the lid? Well, not quite, it seems it foams so hard it comes out the lid! That's amazing. I've got some saltwater mixing so I can do a water change tomorrow and hopefully get the skimmer in the tank. Let's see if I can get it to produce some "rocks" too! lol

They are the lightest, fluffiest rocks you’ll ever find.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

This makes me smile..... sticky, foaming, fish sh**, makes me smile... Kinda of like newborn poo.... Lord, help me! lol

 

[TheWB]

This makes me smile..... sticky, foaming, fish sh**, makes me smile... Kinda of like newborn poo.... Lord, help me! lol

Well this is a long term hobby so it’s good that you are down with the fish sh**. The newborn baby poo I predict you will not miss when it’s over and done with. You will in fact reach a point very soon where you are counting the days. Man I hated changing diapers. The potty training milestone was pretty big for me lol

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Well this is a long term hobby so it’s good that you are down with the fish sh**. The newborn baby poo I predict you will not miss when it’s over and done with. You will in fact reach a point very soon where you are counting the days. Man I hated changing diapers. The potty training milestone was pretty big for me lol

Our two year old just got potty trained, then came the second edition to the family--so yeah, i hear you! I will say the second time around is a lot easier, i can change a diaper just about one handed in less than a couple minutes, lol.

I think seeing the little one poo and knowing she's healthy (especially when my wife had complications) is why it makes me smile--kinda like, maybe, seeing the skimmer work and knowing the tank and fish are healthier because of it (especially if the tank has recently had issues)...

Admittedly, you have to be a little twisted to like seeing skimmate! lol

 

[TheWB]

Our two year old just got potty trained, then came the second edition to the family--so yeah, i hear you! I will say the second time around is a lot easier, i can change a diaper just about one handed in less than a couple minutes, lol.

I think seeing the little one poo and knowing she's healthy (especially when my wife had complications) is why it makes me smile--kinda like, maybe, seeing the skimmer work and knowing the tank and fish are healthier because of it (especially if the tank has recently had issues)...

Admittedly, you have to be a little twisted to like seeing skimmate! lol

From that point of view I get it, always a good sign to see that things are working as they should be and making things better.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

They came to see the tank but stayed for the fish poop? ;Hilarious

We have lift off my friends!

 

[TheWB]

They came to see the tank but stayed for the fish poop? ;Hilarious

We have lift off my friends!

Looking good. I forgot to mention that keeping the screws at the bottom loose makes it much easier to adjust the water height in the body. I wasn‘t. paying attention when I installed mine and had to pull it out later to loosen them up.