Head-High IM 100 EXT

[RocketCityReefer]

Still nothing in the tank yet, but did unfortunately have something get out, and we were briefly able to enjoy empty water both in the tank and on the floor. Not too bad though. Was able to, at least temporarily, fix the leak pretty quickly, although not before certain hurtful words were willy-nilly being tossed around like "warped" and "corroded."

Turns out the blue circled part (is that a bulkhead or something?) was leaking and the water, instead of just spilling back into the sump, which seems logical, was doing a conga line across the top of the sump and escaping over the front and onto the floor.

Ordered some live rock from TBS which should be here in a week or so. Hopefully limited excitement until then.

OK, so I don’t mean to laugh, but this exact thing happened to me last year. I sat there and stared at the water and thought, you seriously couldn’t just trickle back in the sump? Only difference is I had carpet and it leaked behind the sump and I didn’t catch it until the carpet in front of the sump was damp.

 

[Head-High and Glassy]

Keeping watch.

 

[Head-High and Glassy]

A few updates.

I've added a Versa X1 dosing pump for All For Reef. I have it set to 27 ml per day and alkalinity is now rock solid. It's been so reliable that I bought another one for dosing phosphate, which i haven't been able to keep above 0. Haven't added this one yet but should be bringing it online soon.

In the hopes of bringing down nitrate, which are about 25-50 on the profi test, bought a couple of the chaetomax 9w lights for use with the IM sump's refugium. Figured this was cheaper than going right to the turf scrubber to lower nitrates. But Algae barn was out of chaeto, so enter the sea lettuce at $49 a pop... which upon reflection seems to be available for free at the jersey shore after a storm. Anyway, turns out that using a powerhead in the sump sends the lettuce flying all over the place, including in the skimmer and return pump. But when I don't use the powerhead, it collects on the surface and looks kind of disgusting. So upon AI's suggestion, I got a media bag to contain the stuff while using the powerhead. In any event, haven't noticed much lowering of nitrates, so this might be a short experiment.

Since stabilizing alkalinity though, this solar flare seems to be adding color from green to orange...or it could totally be wishful thinking.

But check out this acan!

Cyphastrea seems to be cruising.

FTS

Have $1100 in the cart at Dr. Reefs. Should I do it?? Leaning no... but...

 

[Head-High and Glassy]

Bought this anemone listed as a "Green Long Tentacle Anemone" on a website as something of an impulse buy (in the sense that I had been looking at nems for a while but in this instance had a nice meal with a couple frosty beverages to work with), but also thinking that I have a deeper substrate and plenty of real estate available low in the tank. They also had a mag available but I read that those are tough to ship, get infections easily, often require treatment, and like climbing to the top of the rockwork where the last thing i need is an anemone bulldozing the remaining acro frags struggling to hold the Alamo.

So I read that I should dig a little hole in the sand next to a rock and sorta plant it there. And I had my hole all excavated in the perfect spot near an overhang.

Recieved a gorgeous nem only 24 hours after the shipping label was created. Plopped it down in my little love nest below.

Super excited that it showed no deflation and seemed to be attaching its base immediately. Giving myself handshakes and high fives.

When... lights out and it's noticably making a move toward climbing the rocks. Kids are screaming that's on top of our common orange zoas and smothering them to death. Quickly trying to clear the path it seems to be heading like the giant pink blob in the GI Joe episode "the Germ" from 1985, but we don't have good ole Airtight here to suggest using the cyanide in apple seeds to stop it, nor do we have the appropriate delivery device equivalent to the vehicle-mounted rocket launchers and RPGs for firing apples available to the Special Mission Force in that classic episode.

Meanwhile there's a gorilla crab picking at the nem's base that I'm fending off with wooden chopsticks so as not to cause any damage with my normal weapon of choice the metal grilling tongs. After staying up way past my bedtime watching this thing climb until finally it seems to be veering away from my torch and frogspawn and acro Alamo, I finally decide to get some rest.

And wake up with it at the highest point of the rockwork and closest to the Orbit 4... and long story short...is this thing an LTA or a Mag????

 

[Head-High and Glassy]

Seems the concensus is we've got a magnifica. Moved again overnight. Clownfish found it!

 

[Head-High and Glassy]

Mag has moved to the highest rock in the tank, after trying a few lower spots for a day each. Been here for about three days under radion xr15 g6 at 92% AB+ for 9 hrs (1-7-1). Saw one of the clowns grab some fish frenzy too big for himself and drop it off in the mag tentacles.

Having some cyano or something on the substrate again. Doesn't appear to be on the rocks yet. Monitoring.

Nitrates are down around 25 ppm on the profi test with the little scoop. I think since I raised the water level in the sump and skimmer might be a little wetter, cause the algea in the fuge is definitely not growing in this media bag that AI recommended. Might try some other stuff there.

 

[Head-High and Glassy]

On second thought, nitrates have continued dropping and think it might be causing the uglies. Lowered the water level in sump to skim dry and started adding a little neonitro to the ATO.

The mag started moving around the top rock. Wasn't sure why, but then while adding some of the WWC frags from the last live sale, realized that the anemone guards on the pumps were essentially clogged with whatever plague it is I've got going on. Think it might be d**** but afraid to say it. Notice they are gathering thickest around the corals that got bowled over by the mag, e.g. the steamrolled polyps, toadstool and some blastos.

Anyway, took the guards off and now the mag is getting blasted. Hope it moves back up on the rock.

The 3 acros from wwc looked pretty good, but my prime real estate is in mag territory. The chalice did not look good. Favia looked okay, but then I failed in opening a new tube of reef glue. Tried to use it without the nozzle. Do not recommend that. Glue everywhere. Had to throw out a couple towels. Favia practically glued upside down. Bit of a mess.

 

[Head-High and Glassy]