How not to start a reef tank, my first reef tank build

[living_tribunal]

Sooo I just flooded about 5ish gallons onto my townhome...

I was trying to get the display tank water level all the up to the drain so kept filling it up with water.

Learning point: I guess you have to sync the overflow drain gph to the return precisely.... any tips on how I can do that? I feel like it would involve me sitting by tank for days on end and checking the water levels of both.

 

[Why-Me]

I’m happy with how the rock structure came out.

The only thing is I feel like I left too much space between the structure and the back glass.

Debating whether I should dismantle the structure and move back about an inch.

So, I had that issue too, but kept them a bit away from the glass after a week or two of initial setup. Reason was detritus will build up and get stuck back there even with normal WCs. Now I have room to blow the powerhead back there before or during the WC to get as much crap and detritus out of the DT as possible.

 

[living_tribunal]

So, I had that issue too, but kept them a bit away from the glass after a week or two of initial setup. Reason was detritus will build up and get stuck back there even with normal WCs. Now I have room to blow the powerhead back there before or during the WC to get as much crap and detritus out of the DT as possible.

I think I'm actually going to keep it and allow monti caps to overgrow back there or add rock structures that are visible peering through the archways to add depth. I like the space and also how I will have effectively no detritus spots in my tank.

 

[Why-Me]

Sooo I just flooded about 5ish gallons onto my townhome...

I was trying to get the display tank water level all the up to the drain so kept filling it up with water.

Learning point: I guess you have to sync the overflow drain gph to the return precisely.... any tips on how I can do that? I feel like it would involve me sitting by tank for days on end and checking the water levels of both.

I have dc pump so it was just adjust the flow rate on the pump then fine tune with the gate valve.
You may have to run the gate valve wide open and then slowly close it by tiny increments during the course of a day or two to get it to the level you want it at.
Also it is possible to have too big return pump depending on how much the overflow box can handle.

 

[living_tribunal]

I have dc pump so it was just adjust the flow rate on the pump then fine tune with the gate valve.
You may have to run the gate valve wide open and then slowly close it by tiny increments during the course of a day or two to get it to the level you want it at.
Also it is possible to have too big return pump depending on how much the overflow box can handle.

Others are saying that matching things up is a recipe for disaster. I only have a strainer on the main drain, should I add a muffler?

 

[Why-Me]

Correct you shouldn't have to match flow rates, you have a valve to adjust for that.
I only have a strainer on my main drain too.
So if your overflow box flooded, the valve needs to open more, if it can't be opened more and still flooding then you need a smaller pump.

 

[living_tribunal]

Correct you shouldn't have to match flow rates, you have a valve to adjust for that.
I only have a strainer on my main drain too.
So if your overflow box flooded, the valve needs to open more, if it can't be opened more and still flooding then you need a smaller pump.

My sump flooded because I had the dumb idea that I needed the entire overflow box submerged to keep it silent.

So I kept dumping water on top thinking the overflow and return were perfectly matched.

I’m trying to get rid of the gurgling and sound of the water falling down into the bottom of the overflow box.

 

[Why-Me]

Oh ok. I had a slight gurgle as well, ended up cutting a little bit longer emergency standpipe thus raising the water level inside the overflow box and not having that suction from the top of the water to the strainer of the main drain.

 

[living_tribunal]

I need to squash this Dino outbreak ASAP. It’s really impacting several corals and I believe it’s in the bloom phase.

My Duncan hasn’t opened in a week.

It’s also growing on top of several corals.

I know the long term and more sustainable method is to raise phosphate and nitrate levels, of which my tank is reading 0 for both respectively.

I’ve been dropping in small amounts of mysis daily and am slightly confused by the readings.

I’m going to start dosing phosphate and nitrate as that should be more effective and not provide food for the Dino’s.

I’m also considering hydrogen peroxide and a 3 day blackout. I understand that results are mixed but I really need some way to eliminate these guys before I receive my first coral death.

Should I attempt hydrogen peroxide and blackout treatment first? That way if it does work I can finally put them in the display tank. Or go straight for dosing nitrate and phosphate to hope for the best?

After adding the uv sterilizer I did notice algae this morning in the tank. Unfortunately, the Dino’s overtook it as soon as the lights came on.
I don’t wish finos upon anyone.

 

[Why-Me]

Should I attempt hydrogen peroxide and blackout treatment first? That way if it does work I can finally put them in the display tank. Or go straight for dosing nitrate and phosphate to hope for the best?

I would try blackout/peroxide first

 

[living_tribunal]

I would try blackout/peroxide first

I agree. I am not an impatient person and I’ve learned how haste can negatively impact your tank.

I have to do something however or I face coral death.

I need to pick myself up a microscope as well.

Going to talk to my lfs now and also get some nitrate/phosphate.


I wonder how all of my nutrients bottomed out?

 

[Why-Me]

probably algae or coraline suckin g up nutrients, I read here quite often of parameters dropping from coraline and algae outbreaks.

 

[living_tribunal]

probably algae or coraline suckin g up nutrients, I read here quite often of parameters dropping from coraline and algae outbreaks.

I don’t have hardly any algae and certainly no coralline in the frag tank. If I do, it’s next to nothing and certainly not enough to clear my phosphates and nitrates. I haven’t done a water change in a week.

 

[Why-Me]

Then I'm not sure why they bottomed out.
WC interval shouldn't matter that much especially for phosphates and nitrates don't those build up slowly? Meaning they should get lower after a WC right?

 

[living_tribunal]

Then I'm not sure why they bottomed out.
WC interval shouldn't matter that much especially for phosphates and nitrates don't those build up slowly? Meaning they should get lower after a WC right?

I wouldn’t wish dinos on anyone.

 

[living_tribunal]

Alright, the game plan is to run hydrogen peroxide at 1ml per 10g to start to really cut down on the dinos.

Once I’m able to get the frags out of qt, I will start dosing nitrogen and phosphorous to keep levels elevated as a longer term approach.

Wish me luck.

 

[living_tribunal]

Woke up this morning and the corals were a little more open and happy following a 1ml dose of hydrogen peroxide last night.

I believe I’m going to do a morning dose of 1ml and an evening dose of 1ml.

Apparently hydrogen peroxide dissolves in 4 hours so performing twice a day should help.

Hopefully this will get things temporarily eliminated so I can move the frags over to the Alamo.

 

[living_tribunal]

Just performed my first dosing.

I added .25ml of nitrogen for a target nitrate increase of .5 and .4ml of phosphate for a target increase of .05.

Let’s pray that I didn’t royally screw things up lol!

The Dino’s are beginning to go haywire but the frags looked much better today. I think tomorrow we’ll know for sure how effective hydrogen peroxide is.

Regardless, the known cure for most all Dino species is raised nutrients. We’re fighting on all angles here when factoring in the uv filter.

 

[living_tribunal]

Thinking back on it, a .05 phosphate jump may have been a little large. Going to go in .025 increments next time.

 

[living_tribunal]

Something a little funky is going on.

I added in a whopping 8oz of fritz turbo start to my new dt and sump 2-3 days ago.

I did add with mysalinity super low, 30ppm.

After adding 1ppm of ammonium chloride two days ago, my ammonia levels have decreased to .35 but I haven’t had ANY nitrites yet.

The weird thing is my nitrates are about 3ppm.

Not sure how to evaluate this bizarre cycle. Maybe I had enough nitrifying bacteria lefton the rocks? So I need to grow my ammonia population?

I’m also wondering if the bacteria died from the low salinity?

Regardless, adding more turbo start so I can potentially add the fish in today.

I added a crab yesterday and he’s doing alright.