Fyveonit's Red Sea Reefer 170 Build Log

Fyveonit · May 27, 2017

WITH GOOD NEWS COMES BAD

The algae battle is slowing! I messed up and altered my lighting a few weeks ago to a little more Cool White that I probably should. I think this helped feed things in hindsight.

I tried the large WC route along with some sand cleaning, and started feeding less as a just in case. NOTHING

So since it was bristly hair algae, but wasnt Bryopsis as it didn't have the "head"...I still tried the Flucozanole treatment as featured here...HOLY CRAP AWESOME

HOWEVER...I think combo of all that algae dying, and my previously mentioned 65% Cool White LED spectrum...AND A LITTLE BIT OF OLE DRAX THE DESTROYER (Pink Diamond Goby) PLAYING IN THE SAND....

Around Day 12 into my treatment random tufts of GHA and diatoms started to appear.

Tests show almost no Nitrates / Phosphates or Ammonia ( Actually so low that I tested nitrates twice...almost considered getting some Stump Remover)...Calcium is 450 Mag is 1300-1400 range which is lower than usual. I am considering switching to Fritz salt, and using my Apex DOS to do 1g WCs daily which might change that. Assuming the Macro and the bad stuff is eating it fast.

But two days ago after some reading, I bumped my Cool White / Red / Green LED spectrum down again...and the diatoms are almost gone! The GHA is still putting up a fight

I bought a toothbrush, and some new felt filter socks. Currently I am in Shock and Awe mode.

THE BAD NEWS!

Last night, I topped the tank off before bed but when I went to grab my bucket. I found that my Mandarin had jumped out. Looking into a lid that wont break the bank.....RIP Scooter....Pour one out today for my dude

Fyveonit · Jun 25, 2017

Fyveonit · Jun 30, 2017

Test Day! As always using Red Sea Pro kits mostly

Phosphates: .17 ish
Mag: 1400
PH: 8
dKH: 9 ish
Ca: 450

...editing as I finish the others

Fyveonit · Aug 20, 2017

Test Day Part 1:

Alk: 9.1
Calcium: 440
Potassium: 338
Iron: 0 - .05
Phosphates: .02-.04

Calcium was in the 420 range on the 16th I added 2g of the Red Sea Reef Foundation ABC+ on the 19th

Actions: Not gonna lie, the Red Sea coral colors kit suggested 30ish mL of Potassium supplement, and 20mL of Iron (PER 25 GALLONS) based off my results...I only added 10mL Potassium and 5mL Iron (Total) to not change anything too quickly

Personal goal would to have it up near 400 Potassium and a little under.15 Iron

Fyveonit · Aug 21, 2017

few pics / additions from July / Early Aug

MORTY PAIRED WITH RICK!

Ditched the WAVS got a Gyre...traded WAVS for a softball sized Meteor Shower colony, White / Pink Acro frag, Purple Gorgonian and a fingernail sized blue Monti chip with red polyps that looks like it encrusts and plates. Had to drive 2.5hrs to Hobbes, New Mexico...stopped by a real neat LFS there.

Ohhh and he threw in a Green Hydnophora Coral I have named Lord Voldemort I almost forgot it

Left with a TINY fighting conch to stir up my DSB, I named him Connor McGreggor.

I also got a small branch of what I think is Green Pocillopora, it's growing like crazy!

Traded an Acan frag or two that was almost a duplicate of others I had..decided if I was going to have an Acan garden I wanted DRASTICALLY Different Acans to contrast each other.

GOT SOME "German Blue" BRANCHING and (No Name) Plating MONTI that looks like Mint Ice Cream with blue polyps.

I traded some Rasta zoa cuttings I made to another local reefer last week. His tank is over 20 years old, and he gave me a very rare piece. It's called orange sea mat. It's shy still, and my gyre flow may have it upset currently.

Fyveonit · Aug 26, 2017

Test day was looking okay, I added 40g of Reef Foundation ABC+ to bring my calcium up. Re-tested a few hours later

Fyveonit · Oct 23, 2017

Getting really close to the 1 year mark!!!

Fyveonit · Nov 13, 2017

Daniel@R2R · Nov 29, 2017

Some great photos in here, man! Following!

tablesalt · Dec 22, 2017

Love the tank dude... keep the pictures coming!

Fyveonit · Feb 21, 2018

Fyveonit · Mar 9, 2018

I have been battling an Alk slide since late Jan. It has slowed down, but I am watching my calcium rise (435 on Monday 450ish yesterday) and alk sink. Some days it was around 1 Dkh / 24hrs, recently it's slowed to .3Dkh or so per day.

I have never had to dose prior really.

I picked up a @Hanna Instruments Dkh tester, and it's making the daily test soooo much easier. This is my first time to battle this issue, and it really affected me. Not much was a complete loss, but it has been a battle.

Sadly things had been sailing so smooth before, I didn't catch it as fast as I wish I did. Strangely my Acropora was much more resistant to the swing than my Montipora

Not every update can be "pretty" I suppose...but I hope these pics can maybe scare a few folks into testing this weekend.

Aaron Gustafson · Jun 29, 2018

Do you find that 2 WAVs are overpowering the tank? I know a few people have pulled them from smaller tanks like this.

Fyveonit · Jun 29, 2018

Yes I did, I switched to a Gyre 250 which I still run on pretty high settings. I only had the Wavs running for about 3 months before I traded them off.