In-wall/Behind-wall, 180g peninsula, with a basement fish closet

[kuchiii]

I’ve had some issues with IO mixing dirty. However, I just came across a bunch of people that posted they only have that issue if they leave the heater on while mixing (which is what I do) instead of heating right before use. I’m gonna try that way and see if it helps.

If you have the opportunity, I would take salt from Aquaforest Reef Salt. I suspect it has similar parameters to Brightwell salt

 

[New&no clue]

@Beau_B & @rmorris_14

I have seen several videos about how to mix different salt correctly. There was one I tried to find again to post here that was good, but he said each salt mixed best in a certain way. It seems with IO, heat is not your friend as well as letting it sit stagnant. With the AWC, I don't heat my storage tank anymore because such a small amount is added each time that if it is at 68 instead of 78, it doesn't swing the temp like a regular 10% water change would. I typically don't run my pump after it has mixed for 24hours, but that is something I could do going forward.

 

[New&no clue]

If you have the opportunity, I would take salt from Aquaforest Reef Salt. I suspect it has similar parameters to Brightwell salt

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at them too, but I am hoping to find something I can buy locally. Which is pretty limited in Maine.

 

[rmorris_14]

@Beau_B & @rmorris_14

I have seen several videos about how to mix different salt correctly. There was one I tried to find again to post here that was good, but he said each salt mixed best in a certain way. It seems with IO, heat is not your friend as well as letting it sit stagnant. With the AWC, I don't heat my storage tank anymore because such a small amount is added each time that if it is at 68 instead of 78, it doesn't swing the temp like a regular 10% water change would. I typically don't run my pump after it has mixed for 24hours, but that is something I could do going forward.

Thanks! My last mix did go much better without the heat.

 

[Beau_B]

What was the salt that Rick suggested on FB awhile ago? Aquacraft? I never looked into it.

I did use Fritz for awhile, no complaints. I know Scott up at S&S uses IO/RC so that's always available. Vance is RC. I just order mine through Petco/Chewy/Amazon when the various promos happen.

 

[New&no clue]

What was the salt that Rick suggested on FB awhile ago? Aquacraft? I never looked into it.

I did use Fritz for awhile, no complaints. I know Scott up at S&S uses IO/RC so that's always available. Vance is RC. I just order mine through Petco/Chewy/Amazon when the various promos happen.

+1 I buy from several suppliers, typically buying 5-6 buckets when they have a sale. And if I change brands, I will still probably continue to do this. Even though I like to shop local, salt is expensive, and you can typically find better deals online, even though my UPS driver would probably prefer I stop getting six bucks of salt delivered at once. My thought on having it at least available local is if, for an emergency, I could grab some. I have had a few times in my reefing career where I needed to do an emergency water change, and lucky I have always had amply salt, but each time I think, "man, I am glad this happened when I have plenty of salt." The last thing I want is to have something arise where I need to do an emergency water change, so the tank is already stressed out, and I don't have enough salt and need to grab a different brand, and now on top of whatever is wrong, I also have to deal with adding in a new salt.

 

[LaloJ]

I've spent the weekend reading this thread, it's a great build, anyone who sees your tank would never imagine the amount of problems it's had to go through so I congratulate you for the perseverance and desire to make this tank work, I love your corals, I have only kept fish but I tried the Tropic Marin classic salt and it is wonderful, it's the best I have used and I can recommend it to you.

 

[New&no clue]

I've spent the weekend reading this thread, it's a great build, anyone who sees your tank would never imagine the amount of problems it's had to go through so I congratulate you for the perseverance and desire to make this tank work, I love your corals, I have only kept fish but I tried the Tropic Marin classic salt and it is wonderful, it's the best I have used and I can recommend it to you.

Wow, thanks. It's a lot of work and, honestly, too big to fail... I mean, I cut a hole in my dining room wall; it has to work out now.

I think the biggest issues have come from my own impatience. I moved my 75-gallon livestock to this tank and figured I could pick right back up where I was, but it's almost like starting over. I have seen a lot of improvements in the last couple of months, and I think it is honestly because the tank is hitting its 1-year mark and finally stabilizing.

 

[Goaway]

I have seen a lot of improvements in the last couple of months, and I think it is honestly because the tank is hitting its 1-year mark and finally stabilizing.

No... Can't say that without adding pics!

 

[MECOMI]

Oh yes, she’s been here a little over two months. Pictures of when we first got her and then a couple weeks ago.

Oh man they grow up so fast from adorable puppies to beautiful dogs! I think these posts have inspired me to share a little more of my other animals (feathers and fur) in my build thread as well!

Have a good day!

B-Kind

 

[Beau_B]

I’ll just leave this here for the masochists in the room. If you know… you know.

 

[New&no clue]

The saga continues. I may break this into a few posts as a lot has happened since my last big update in May.

We will start with the bad news. I took a weekend trip, which I do regularly in the summer, and didn't have my tank sitter look after the tank as I was only going to be gone for two days. The tank decided at that point to try and murder itself and take my basement with it. Through a series of unfortunate events, the emergency line leaked again, which caused the ATO to make up the lost water with fresh and drop my salinity down to 1.021. The leaking water eventually tripped my GFCI plug in the basement, turning off the return pump. The return lines back siphoned, which they've never done before, and overflowed my sump, flooding the basement again! I am assuming it was the sudden drop in salinity inverts then started to die, which I am sure spiked ammonia. When I came home, the first thing I noticed when I walked in was the low water level in the tank. I immediately went down to check the basement to find the carpet and concrete floor wet and the lights not working. I got the floor cleaned up, the power back on, the tank refilled, and water cycling. Then I went up to assess the damage to the tank. My large toadstool that was one of the first corals purchased was not looking good, a couple of conches dead, a couple of emerald crabs dead, several of my larger snails, my green Gig dying, the green BTA dead and being eaten by peppermint shrimp, and one of my anthias dead. I pulled the dead out, did as big a water change as possible, changed my carbon, and crossed my fingers. I followed up the next few days with more water changes and slowly brought the salinity back to 1.025/1.026. The Green Gig did melt away over the next couple of days, and the toadstool had to be pulled out. The GHA, which seemed to be receding, came roaring back. The worst part was I was getting ready to go on a ten-day vacation in a couple of weeks and panicked about what would happen then. I did have my tank sitter coming each day while I was gone, so that did give me some comfort. Not to keep you in suspense, everything was fine when I came home, and there were no issues. This was all in June; in July is the comeback.

 

[Reefvision]

Yep. The UV could output into any where in the 2nd sump. The return pump wouldn’t know the difference as long as that pump is less gph than the system (don’t want it to run sump 1 dry).

I have mine that way. I’m running 800gph through the sump but have a 400gph pump in the skimmer chamber feeding my UV, it discharges into the return. Has no effect on the return pump, only the amount of water that goes through the last bubble trap.

Small tip, I have my UV and it’s pump share a power source (smart plug in my case) so if the pump shuts down the UV do as well. Protect the bulb from running dry.

Fwiw- I would not have UV drain from bottom- better from top as then it would probably never over heat bulbs ($$) but agree that pump off smart plug ect..is another good idea as redundant protection of $$ UV Equipment is smart planning-just saying.

 

[DeniseAndy]

So sorry for your issues. Just when you think you have issues covered, life throws more at you. Learning from them is the best way forward.

 

[New&no clue]

Part 2: Early July Saga

I returned from my second vacation at the end of June to a tank that seemed to be better. Although two very sad clown fish as they had really liked their Green Gig host. I thought they might move into the Mag, which was still doing okay, although much smaller than the Gig. After a couple of weeks, I decided I should try to get them another anemone as it seemed that a tank malfunction was why the anemone died and not anything wrong with lighting or tank chemistry. While looking around, it was tough to find another Gig, but one of my favorite coral vendors (AquaSD) had a couple of Haddonis. They had a sale on the 4th of July, and I purchased two. This is the first time I've ever seen a company underestimate the size of something. Both were supposed to be 5," and these are at least 10". I thought two haddonis would be fine in a 6ft tank, but now I am a little worried. I will let them settle; if it isn't working, I might give one away.

 

[MECOMI]

Also guess who ended up in the sump again…

both the Yellow Watchman goby, and the Green Clown goby. Seriously you two. I’m not even sure how to get them out this time as they are under the roller mat

Geez my Yellow watchman was also a jumper. First time found him in chamber 1 of the biocube a little embarrassed but doing well, the second time it ended up in chamber 2 somehow, i still rescued him alive but he broke something in his back squeezing between the lid and back wall and was gone not long after. Ups and downs continue.

The saga continues. I may break this into a few posts as a lot has happened since my last big update in May.

We will start with the bad news. I took a weekend trip, which I do regularly in the summer, and didn't have my tank sitter look after the tank as I was only going to be gone for two days. The tank decided at that point to try and murder itself and take my basement with it. Through a series of unfortunate events, the emergency line leaked again, which caused the ATO to make up the lost water with fresh and drop my salinity down to 1.021. The leaking water eventually tripped my GFCI plug in the basement, turning off the return pump. The return lines back siphoned, which they've never done before, and overflowed my sump, flooding the basement again! I am assuming it was the sudden drop in salinity inverts then started to die, which I am sure spiked ammonia. When I came home, the first thing I noticed when I walked in was the low water level in the tank. I immediately went down to check the basement to find the carpet and concrete floor wet and the lights not working. I got the floor cleaned up, the power back on, the tank refilled, and water cycling. Then I went up to assess the damage to the tank. My large toadstool that was one of the first corals purchased was not looking good, a couple of conches dead, a couple of emerald crabs dead, several of my larger snails, my green Gig dying, the green BTA dead and being eaten by peppermint shrimp, and one of my anthias dead. I pulled the dead out, did as big a water change as possible, changed my carbon, and crossed my fingers. I followed up the next few days with more water changes and slowly brought the salinity back to 1.025/1.026. The Green Gig did melt away over the next couple of days, and the toadstool had to be pulled out. The GHA, which seemed to be receding, came roaring back. The worst part was I was getting ready to go on a ten-day vacation in a couple of weeks and panicked about what would happen then. I did have my tank sitter coming each day while I was gone, so that did give me some comfort. Not to keep you in suspense, everything was fine when I came home, and there were no issues. This was all in June; in July is the comeback.

I was also bummed to read about your recent trouble with the loss and flooding. Never easy to come home too, especially after a trip. Keep up the good reef fight because your tank still looks awesome after the fixes were in place. The July comeback looks like it is coming along nicely but you are right, those haddonis are huge . I could be wrong, or it could have sold but i did see a smallish haddoni at Easy Aquariums not long ago. Cheers from a fellow Mainer,

B-Kind

 

[New&no clue]

Let's finish strong

One of the carpets buried his foot under an overhang, which has me fighting every instinct I have to move it into the light. I have posted on countless BTA threads about them going into the tank and hiding, and my advice is always to give them time; if you have good water quality, flow, and lighting, they will come out. Moving them with cause more issues. So I am trying very hard to heed my own advice.

The second one refuses to bury its foot, and I have been patient. Finally, I post on here asking if I should do something, and it is suggested that I dig a hole, stick it inside, and then pile the sand around the foot. I try this... but my female clown fish, who has always been very skittish around me and typically hides, has turned into a lean, mean killing machine. That is her Anemone, and she will protect it, so as soon as I go to dig a hole, she is biting me. I'm freaking out; she's freaking out, and my kids are rolling on the floor laughing.

I finally decided to stick my hand in there and leave it there until she gets used to it and sees I MEAN YOU NO HARM! Eventually, she gives in, and I dig a hole, bury the foot, put my tools away, turn around, and it's lying on its side, foot out.

I go back to being patient and just leaving it alone, and it has seemed to be okay, although I still don't think its foot is buried.

The first one has now decided to move... where you ask? Just into my powerhead. Thank goodness for Nem Guards. I turned the power head off, and it settled in the corner and seemed fine.

 

[New&no clue]

I was also bummed to read about your recent trouble with the loss and flooding. Never easy to come home too, especially after a trip. Keep up the good reef fight because your tank still looks awesome after the fixes were in place.

We took our boys fishing for the first time, and they each caught one, so my husband said it was the fish karma. We caught fish, and then my tank flooded.

 

[LaloJ]

I hope that your beautiful anemones finally find a suitable place for them and for you, according to what I read you have experience with anemones, do you have any recommendations to keep sebae anemone?

 

[Wasabiroot]

Part 2: Early July Saga

I returned from my second vacation at the end of June to a tank that seemed to be better. Although two very sad clown fish as they had really liked their Green Gig host. I thought they might move into the Mag, which was still doing okay, although much smaller than the Gig. After a couple of weeks, I decided I should try to get them another anemone as it seemed that a tank malfunction was why the anemone died and not anything wrong with lighting or tank chemistry. While looking around, it was tough to find another Gig, but one of my favorite coral vendors (AquaSD) had a couple of Haddonis. They had a sale on the 4th of July, and I purchased two. This is the first time I've ever seen a company underestimate the size of something. Both were supposed to be 5," and these are at least 10". I thought two haddonis would be fine in a 6ft tank, but now I am a little worried. I will let them settle; if it isn't working, I might give one away.

I saw those during that sale! They were priced to fly! Glad you're getting on track; that is truly a series of unfortunate events