Latest 180 build

cracker · Jan 12, 2017

Hello Everybody it's been a while. So this rock that's been cooking for "over 6 months" . It's finally getting close. No3 at 3, Po4 at 0.1. 6 months ! When I started this experiment I had no idea it would take so long !This has been the most time consuming, labor intensive' patience trying pain in my booty I have been thru in the 30 years I have kept saltwater aquariums ! I'm determined to see this thru to the end. I did another swish & water change just now. I will test again in 2 weeks and see if I can get zero's. Interesting fact, the sponges I had Are still alive & doing well .
Anybody who wants to try this must be ready for the long haul.

cracker · Apr 30, 2017

OK Allow me to get to speed here. So about a month ago I added the old live rock. I didn't put it all in yet . I like the open look. So anyway I started feeding more & tested never a ny AM or N02 just a little No3. I was confident I could add a fish. Got a pair of mated clowns from a friend . It was an impulse buy& a big mistake. Here is why, A couple days later I had a tiny bit of AM! 0.1 . Did a couple big water changes & took care of that . I saw some some patches very pale HA on the top pieces. Scrubbed that off and lights out for the time being. So now I have 2 fish no way to get them out ( total teardown ). & a tank that's not fully cycled. I really screwed this one ! LOL So I intend to just keep on feeding the 2 fish and wait for nitrates to rise and keep any algae from taking over .Any opinions on how I should do this? Also Have a good week !

tested about an hour ago.
am Zero
No2 zero
No3 between 3 and 4.(been slowly rising)
I have a pic for You

cracker · May 19, 2017

Ok So last night I had some Am in the tank. Like 2 or 3. I waited 24 hours & just tested again .Now it's back to O . That's a good sign I think. What do You think?

cracker · Jun 10, 2017

S

So this tank is coming along. I have a bunch of pineapple sponges & something I suspect is a type of aiptasia. Not going to worry about that now. I do have some HA growing on the rock in small patches & on the sand bed. Now this" is" something I'm worrying about. I have like No3 4, Po4 zero. I fired up the skimmer & getting a little light color stuff. I run the lights about 2/3 hours a day. I could go back to no lighting & see what happens. I think I could add another fish.Thinking about a Blue hippo tang. They seem to be pretty mellow.

cracker · Jun 14, 2017

No changes really, There isn't any more HA ,which I think is good. No3 might be a tad higher. still zero po4. I,m using the regular Red Sea test2 for both No3 & no4. so not as accurate as the pro tests. The wheel is to much for my eyes to differentiate between the shades . Ya think I should add a snail or 2? it's surely ready for a fish . Been looking around for a fish that catches my eye & fits the criteria. Any OP's on the cycle/Ha process would be appreciated .
Also I have another 20/30 lbs of rock of rock I could add. that would put me at between 180 &190 lbs.

cracker · Jun 23, 2017

No changes at this point. Just tested for N03 5 & Po4 0. The clowns seem fine the male is a little shy however the larger female . Have some HA going but not very much. Still running the light only a couple of hours a day. I will clean some (what I can get to) off soon & see how it comes back. The skimmer is kicking in a little. I'm also running a sock. Any OP's on a water change etc? Thanks.

cracker · Jul 22, 2017

Looks like in in for my monthly check in Last time a had to check in once a month was to see my probation officer ! LOL. So anyway I'm about to buy a Puntata Butterfly. along with the Copper Band I will have 2 Butterfly's in this tank. This alone will pretty much change my plans for a rowdy fish tank. That's OK not the 1st time I have changed my mind . At least the mellow fish will be 1st fish in this tank. I also ran into an interesting test result. I was testing only for No3 & Po4's. I hadn't changed water for a month so the other night I tested the big 3 and got high & low numbers. Mg was at 1400 that was surprising after so long. The alk was 6.00 which I expected but Ca was 475, high I should think. I filled and mixed a 35+ water barrel & tested the new water . I use Coral life salt for this Fo tank Salinity is 1.025 . So new levels were Mg 1560 ! Pretty high I would think Alk was 9.1 & Ca was over 500 at I guess 520! I use Reg Sea pro kit that I' have used for years with tests done twice carefully. regents are up to date and all. So no biggy I think but that's about the most interesting thing happened in this fairly new tank. Any Op's?Thanks & have a good night !

cracker · Jul 23, 2017

well this beats all the earlier excitement ! Check out my new Puntata Butter Fly ! After an acclimation & addition ,the fish was eating within a couple of minutes ! No running to the rock to hide or anything. The fish is swimming back & forth which is making me uneasy but light will be out soon . We shall see if it finds a place to crash for the night. Sorry for no close up, the fish wasn't too happy with the flash . The 3rd fish in a 180. Other 2 fish are a mated pair of clowns that came out for a moment and went back to their usual business .

cracker · Jul 27, 2017

Ok, the Prez sez I gotta update this thread . Tuesday eve I freaked out when I saw some white spots on this new fish. Only on the clear fins tail& pects. It was very difficult to see any on the sides of this light colored fish
This isn't good ! I was totally unprepared with a qt tank and right away started cleaning up the 20gl I have on the back porch. I pretty much have all I need for one. Then the next day the spots were gone ! I don't trust this at all anyway. The qt will go up soon. Also I can tell You from hands on personal experience that 9 months of cooking rock in a darkened out can will not kill Bubble algae ! Talk about ticked ! This stuff must go into hibernation or such. I wouldn't be surprised if they found some in Pharaoh's tomb ! Anyway the new Butterfly is swimming around just fine,picking at the rocks here & there and eating like a pig. So I think this fish will be OK.
Let's see, Oh ya ,I got the Ever grow nova ref light. I really like this light and get real good coverage & par. The light is 90 watt with red& blue mostly & a few whites Par is average 160 in the front & back corners 180 right in the middle. Hopefully this light will be enough to compete with the display lighting for the algae's attention. next fish/fishes will be a cool wrasse maybe a hawkfish or a handful of anthais . This is not going to be anytime soon.
That's about it Rev. Do I get my shinny badge now?

cracker · Jul 31, 2017

Waaaa! The new Butterfly has broken out with white spots "again." Saw this last week . the next day they were gone. Ok I think maybe it was some sand as I could only see it of the clear fins. I don't know what it is. Could be ich could be velvet. Looks kinda small to me. No way I'm getting a closeuppic of this fish. I can't even hold up a camera with out a dash into the rock work.
So out comes a qt. I think I have everything I need except an am badge maybe.I started cleaning out a 20 gallon . Problem is I really don't have a stand. I do have a PVC table .I weigh about 236 lbs & can sit on it & even wiggle around . I still don't like it. I realize that time here is important so finding a stand or building one will take too much time. I could set it up on the floor but that seems impracticable . So tomorrow I will post a thread & show what I have on hand for a proper qt. Only good thing is I only have 3 fish in this 180 full of rock & hiding places WAAAA! Hey Rev, I want a " learned the hard way" banner !

cracker · Aug 12, 2017

Ok Folks I have everything for a QT & TTM. Only thing missing is the fish in hand ! Still gotta catch it,trap it or something. Man this build is going real Slooww ! The refugium is sprouting HA but none in the tank! Maybe just maybe it's out competing the display tank light. That's about it . Thanks for following.

cracker · Sep 25, 2017

Welcome back to the longest and most boring tank build thread in R2R history ! After 13 months I finally have a 3rd fish ! WOOWOO LOL.

I cleaned out the refugium It was growing a "lot" of HA The sad little hand full of Chaeto I have in there didn't stand a chance. At least something was growing in there to export nutrients. also that the Nove evergrow light I'm using has managed to out compete the tank for algae attention. See YA in another 4 months at this rate !

spiraling · Sep 25, 2017

cracker said:
Welcome back to the longest and most boring tank build thread in R2R history ! After 13 months I finally have a 3rd fish ! WOOWOO LOL.

hahaha at least you are going slow! Probaly time for a full tank shot?

john.m.cole3 · Sep 26, 2017

Hoo Ya!!! glad things are going the right direction. any corals in there?

cracker · Sep 26, 2017

Hey John, how are Ya? No corals, this will be a fish only for the time being. I want some not so reef safe fish !

john.m.cole3 · Sep 27, 2017

That will be cool to see. I'm great, thanks for asking. I went slower than before with my recent build and went 4 months with 1 fish. You sir, are the master of slow it appears, lol. Have a good one!

jsker · Oct 3, 2017

First time I have been here

cracker · Oct 15, 2017

Welcome Jsker ! You haven't missed much that's for sure . So today I turned on all my lights ! Also checked out the par. These lights are turned all the way down . I have 6, 165 black boxes hanging above.I was running just 3 since the beginning . So at the bottom left I got a reading of around 50 -60 , center was brighter at 70 right same as left at 50 -60. Mid way up on left 70 80 middle was higher again at 100 right same as left 70-80. I'm doing this to see if the Refugio light can compete with this extra light. (Refugio You ask ?) See what spell check says. We all know they are always right .

I digress from the subject at hand. So I was saying before I have a lot of HA growing in the refugio. But hardly to non in the display. Of course this was before the additional lighting so we shall see . I have a couple of Pics for Your viewing pleasure !

Ps I kinda like the term "Refugio" Sounds like something Bugs Bunny would say. LOL

john.m.cole3 · Oct 16, 2017

Where did you get your rocks from?

cracker · Oct 16, 2017

The darker rock is Haitian I have had for a long time. This is the stuff I cooked for months. The dry base I can't tell Ya the brand name. It came form My LFS. The pvc came for home depot ! LOL. I'm really hoping something will finally grow on it.