IM EXT 50

[TheWB]

FTS 09/13/25

PC Superman is encrusting nicely and PE is getting better. The green is starting to turn blueish - very slowly

Tyree Pink Lemonade is also encrusting and coloring up to a yellowish green.

This sponge has noticeably grown since I got it a week ago. So far, all sponges from TBS rock are growing and looking good.

Pearlberry is encrusting up the rockwork and is showing better PE too. I hope I can more more of the purple-blue colors out of it with continued stability.

This POTO Sidechick frag was hard hit with all of the nutrient imbalances in this tank.. It was very brown for awhile, but the green is starting to come back. PE has been better too. Last week the polyps were white. Now they are turning greenish.

PC Rainbow is encrusting and showing some better color. The red was almost gone a month ago, but it is starting to come back. PE is better as well.

This tort is continuing to do it's thing and is noticeably encrusting. I look forward to some vertical growth out of it. I did more it lower but more central in the tank for more light.

Thank is looking great. I’m hoping to be ready for some sticks like you have soon.

 

[Arkayology]

I spoke too soon! I checked the brown stuff on my sand, which I assumed was a diatom bloom. Nope! It is a TON of P. parvum.... Sigh....

 

[Arkayology]

One observation I've made is that the P. parvum does not appear to be nearly as abundant on the TBS sand as it is on the freshly added dry Tropic Marin sand. Maybe it has something to do with established bacterial film/biome vs not?

Also, I have found some literature that indicates aquaculture facilities dose ammonium sulfate to deal with P. parvum in enclosed systems. Maybe I can try dosing ammonium chloride? I'm also going to continue to dose DIY coral snow as a flocculant, which is also used in aquaculture to bind the P. parvum cells.

 

[Arkayology]

So, I think I am going to restart this tank. I am trying to decide how to best move livestock without transferring the P. parvum with it. The fish and cleaner shrimp are easy, but the corals, snails, hermits are more difficult. Ideas?

 

[TheWB]

So, I think I am going to restart this tank. I am trying to decide how to best move livestock without transferring the P. parvum with it. The fish and cleaner shrimp are easy, but the corals, snails, hermits are more difficult. Ideas?

I wish I had some good advice for you but I've never tried to do what you are about to do for the specific reason of the Dinos. If your corals have encrusted the rocks you might just need to frag them and put them in quarantine until the reboot is ready. I hope someone else can chime in with something more useful. Good luck.

 

[Arkayology]

I wish I had some good advice for you but I've never tried to do what you are about to do for the specific reason of the Dinos. If your corals have encrusted the rocks you might just need to frag them and put them in quarantine until the reboot is ready. I hope someone else can chime in with something more useful. Good luck.

Thanks. It has been made clear to me that these Prymnesium parvum are not like dinos - there is no fully removing them it seems. It's a year of progress lost, but I've been battling these things since November and they are not going away.

I really don't want to euthanize all of the hermits and snails, but I am very worried that even if I clean their shells with hydrogen peroxide I will miss a few of the Prymnesium parvum and it will make its way to the frag tank I will set up. All rock and sand are being tossed (even the stuff from TBS that I just got )

I'm thinking I can frag the SPS and they should be Ok. Dipping the zoas in hydrogen peroxide will likely get rid of the Prymnesium parvum as well.

 

[Arkayology]

I ordered a frag tank from Advanced Acrylics. 20x20x8 with corner overflow. I will set this up in my basement and move all corals and fish to it while I figure out the rest. I will likely order from TBS in October to get some fresh rock for the frag tank, which can eventually go into the 50g once it has been cleaned. I have read that Prymnesium parvum go into a cyst state where it can survive outside of water and are resistant to chemicals for awhile. I will likely use citric acid to ensure that all of the Prymnesium parvum are gone before I set up this tank again. That means all rock and sand are going in the trash (even the stuff I just received). I will also have to remember to clean out all of the plumbing too.

 

[Arkayology]

New frag tank will be here Friday

I bought some metal table legs and a 24x24x1'' butcher block section for the tank. I will use a 10g tank for the sump.

I'm still deciding on lighting for the frag tank. I would like to go with Kessil, but I really don't want to buy new because they are $$.

Flow will likely be taken care of using the Hydros controller with either the gyre 4k or 2k that are currently on the display tank. I think that I want to move to either an MP40 or another MP10 on the IM50 - the gyres have been a bit disappointing for this tank TBH. They put out a lot of flow, but I really want to get more spread compared to the sheet of water that they move. We will see.

I have decided that I am going to only move the fish, BTAs, cleaner shrimp, and fragged corals to the frag tank. I will be running UV in the frag tank 24x7 to make sure no P.p. are transferred over.

I will get another TBS sand and rox box to seed the frag tank. The sand and rocks will then be moved to the IM50 once it has been cleaned and sanitized to begin the process of establishing the tank all over.

 

[TheWB]

New frag tank will be here Friday

I bought some metal table legs and a 24x24x1'' butcher block section for the tank. I will use a 10g tank for the sump.

I'm still deciding on lighting for the frag tank. I would like to go with Kessil, but I really don't want to buy new because they are $$.

Flow will likely be taken care of using the Hydros controller with either the gyre 4k or 2k that are currently on the display tank. I think that I want to move to either an MP40 or another MP10 on the IM50 - the gyres have been a bit disappointing for this tank TBH. They put out a lot of flow, but I really want to get more spread compared to the sheet of water that they move. We will see.

I have decided that I am going to only move the fish, BTAs, cleaner shrimp, and fragged corals to the frag tank. I will be running UV in the frag tank 24x7 to make sure no P.p. are transferred over.

I will get another TBS sand and rox box to seed the frag tank. The sand and rocks will then be moved to the IM50 once it has been cleaned and sanitized to begin the process of establishing the tank all over.

Sounds like you have a good plan. I hate to even ask this but what's the ETA on the frag tank?

 

[Arkayology]

Sounds like you have a good plan. I hate to even ask this but what's the ETA on the frag tank?

The to-do list is:
-I need to add a couple coats of poly to the butcher block countertop section.
-I also need some plumbing parts that will take some time to be delivered.
-Once the plumbing parts arrive, I can add the sump.

I will not move any corals or fish over until the TBs rock/sand are delivered on the 22nd of October. So, it seems like late October is when the move will happen if everything seems OK. The good thing is that I have time to figure out lighting, ATO, and other equipment.

 

[Fishphi784]

See you are expecting rock and sand on the 22nd, but any other updates? Been following you build, same tank and suspect same problem. Additionally, how did you get you skimmer section water so low? Mine appears to be fixed about 3-4" higher based on the rear-center fixed baffle.

 

[Arkayology]

See you are expecting rock and sand on the 22nd, but any other updates? Been following you build, same tank and suspect same problem. Additionally, how did you get you skimmer section water so low? Mine appears to be fixed about 3-4" higher based on the rear-center fixed baffle.

I am not sure about the sump water level. I just used the moveable baffle and put it all the way down so get the ~7 inches of water height for my skimmer. How interesting that you are having the same issue potentially. Do you have any pics from under the microscope to confirm ID? What are the symptoms of the tank?

I actually am going to wait a little longer on the TBS rock/sand. I have been dragging my feet on doing the tank transfer. The return pump should be delivered tomorrow (Jecod 3500). I hope to get the time on Sunday to plumb everything in and fill it up. I have had a few rocks cooking in a bucket that I added pellet food and a shot of Prodibio to three weeks ago that I can add to the frag tank to get it started. Part of the reason this is taking so long is I am doing some research on how to properly clean the tank/equipment and move the SPS and fish over to the frag tank without the P. parvum. I REALLY REALLY do not want to restart the IM50ext and have the same problem again. There is literature that this stuff can go into a cyst stage and survive outside of water in dry conditions for months! I have read that 0 ppm salinity water will kill the P. parvum and the cysts that they create in less-than-desirable conditions, so between fresh water, citric acid, and scrubbing, I hope that I will be in the clear.

I still need an ATO (Tunze Osmolator 3 nano) and a light (maybe a kessil or a Nicrew?). I'm trying to find a used light for the 20x20x8 frag tank. I also am on the hunt for an MP40qd for this tank. The gyres are nice (I will use the gyre 2k for the frag tank) but they are not quite getting the job done on the IM50. I like the MP10 I have, so I will get an MP40 to bump up the flow.

 

[Arkayology]

Frag tank is almost done. You can see the rock cooking in the bucket. I dropped some Fritzyme and Prodibio with ammonia in it 2-3 weeks ago. I am hoping to get water in this on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Tank: 20x20x8 advanced acrylics frag tank
Sump: Used Eschopps Nano R (got from a local - not sure if I like it or not, but it was cheap)
Light: A7 III wifi (from AliExpress - currently en route)
Return: Jebao DEP-1000
Heater: Eheim Jager 100w
Flow: Currently a Jebao something - will change to Icecap Gyre 2k w/ Hydros controller once I get an MP40 for the DT
ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3 Nano (need to get this still)

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Frag tank is almost done. You can see the rock cooking in the bucket. I dropped some Fritzyme and Prodibio with ammonia in it 2-3 weeks ago. I am hoping to get water in this on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Tank: 20x20x8 advanced acrylics frag tank
Sump: Used Eschopps Nano R (got from a local - not sure if I like it or not, but it was cheap)
Light: A7 III wifi (from AliExpress - currently en route)
Return: Jebao DEP-1000
Heater: Eheim Jager 100w
Flow: Currently a Jebao something - will change to Icecap Gyre 2k w/ Hydros controller once I get an MP40 for the DT
ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3 Nano (need to get this still)

Nice setup.

 

[Arkayology]

Nice setup.

Thanks! I really wish that I didn't have to restart, but it has to happen if I want healthy coral.

 

[Arkayology]

@LiverockRocks TBS rock and sand ordered for Nov. 13th delivery. I will add this to the frag tank sump and eventually move it to the DT after it has been cleaned. I hope this second order will be my last for awhile. I am a little concerned that the P. parvum will find a way to the frag tank.

 

[LiverockRocks Verified Sponsor]

Hiya, if you want to chat further about ratios related to parvum/new set up/tbs order shoot me an email.
Rock on.

 

[Arkayology]

The frag tank has been set up for a couple of weeks. I have my two clowns in it along with the rock that I cooked with prodibio and fritzyme. I also received the A7 III light (Kessil knockoff) today and set it up. Overall, it seems plenty bright and well-enough made for the price. I don't have a PAR meter to check the numbers, but I think it will grow SPS in the center 12'' or so, which is plenty for me. The app sucks and is not translated well, but that is to be expected. Once I get my new bottle of Lugol's in the mail, I can snip all of my SPS of their plugs, dip them to kill off any P. parvum, and then move them to the frag tank.

TBS rock and sand will arrive on the 12th.

Updated pics - please ignore the UV pump and frag tiles. This will be cleaned up soon.

 

[Arkayology]

I'm returning the A7 light to AliExpress. I cannot get this light to connect to my wifi. The app is horrible and I can't figure it out. I did get a used Kessil 360x that should be here next week sometime.

 

[Arkayology]

The sand and rox box from @LiverockRocks arrived Thursday without a problem. I have it all sitting in a large plastic tote with dry rock, powerhead, and heater to seed the dry rock. I clipped all of the coral off their plugs, did a 5min Lugol's dip, and then moved them to the frag tank. I will hopefully get the rest of the fish from the 50ext in the frag tank this week/weekend.

I ordered a booster pump for my RO/DI. I always needed one of these, but never had the money for it in the past. I now have 70psi instead of 30psi. I decided to change out the filters while I was installing the booster pump. Everything went well except I couldn't get less then 5tds (checked with both in-line and hand-held). After scratching my head for a day I realized that I had installed the DI resin canisters upside down!