Mike's Red Sea Reefer 525 XL build

[mta_morrow]

Another pic cause I love my bonded pair of cleaner shrimp!

They always head over to see Obi Wan the Goby every evening.

 

[Geebs19]

Did you get them as a bonded pair? I was thinking of adding a second to my tank.

 

[mta_morrow]

Did you get them as a bonded pair? I was thinking of adding a second to my tank.

Well I’m not sure !

I bought 2 at PETCO that were in a tank together that were very small.

They hung out right away and have been spawning ever since.

 

[mta_morrow]

A few evening pics

 

[mta_morrow]

I love my rainbow bubble and porcelain crab!

Here is the mother colony my nem came from. Just had another split (small one on the left)

@DSC reef , at the rate mine is growing yours should be showing up soon!

 

[Muttley000]

Mike I hadn't caught up on your thread here, the system looks great. I really want to try anemone shrimp, I have a dozen nems now between the systems that I feel are big enough!

 

[mta_morrow]

Mike I hadn't caught up on your thread here, the system looks great. I really want to try anemone shrimp, I have a dozen nems now between the systems that I feel are big enough!

Hey! How’s it goin!?

When this one splits I will most likely go with a shrimp for it one it grows a bit.

The crab is really cool. Only leaves the nem to molt.

 

[DSC reef]

Sounds great, that nem is sweet! Glad the tank is doing well.

 

[mta_morrow]

Well, I believe I misdiagnosed my latest spike in nutrients. I thought my conch died.

I found him during my sand bed cleaning! So that’s good news.

However, when I went to do maintenance on my chaeto reactor I found it mostly melted and gone. Long story there, but I now have a new batch doing well.

I have also made the move from mesh socks to regular filter socks and eliminated a pellet feeding for a while.

I have also had a few small spots of hair algae pop back up so I’m doing 2 things for that

First, back to weekly Vibrant dosing. Maybe I switched to biweekly to soon

Second, cutting back on nori for my foxface. Let’s see if he will really graze on hair algae!

 

[mta_morrow]

Testing is done

Stabilizing pretty well I think

1.025, 80 deg

Alk 8.4 , 2-3ml per day dosing
Calc 470, not dosing
Mag 1500 not dosing
Nitrate 22-24, NoPox 10ml per day
Phosphate .012 small bag of rowaphos hanging in filter sock

Running socks now vs mesh

Chaeto in reactor has not died and appears to be growing. Up to 8 hrs lights on, off cycle.

Vibrant back to once per week temporarily.

I have not put seaweed in for my foxface in the last week. He is now grazing the rock work and has virtually eliminated any spots of gha I had left.

Also feeding once per day, homemade food. No pellets.

 

[mta_morrow]

Picked up a couple barnacle clusters at a beach shop yesterday for $8.

Spot likes his new digs!

 

[mta_morrow]

Tanks is looking happy tonight

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Looking good mike, love that shot of "spot" in the barnacle tube!

 

[mta_morrow]

Looking good mike, love that shot of "spot" in the barnacle tube!

Spot loves his new digs! It’s like a 4 bedroom condo on each side of the tank.

He just goes from one side to the other, and grabbing a nori snack in between.

I think he is starting to get a nori belly!

He is one of my favorites and is now front and center all the time with his head poked out watching what’s going on.

 

[Katrina71]

Don't you love watching him clean his barnacle?

 

[mta_morrow]

Don't you love watching him clean his barnacle?

Yes! He usually goes in head first, then his head pops out and he spits out whatever he found in there.

He’s a busy little guy for sure!

 

[mta_morrow]

Just sat down to start testing and got a rare shot of this duo.

Not the best pics but I’ll take it

 

[Katrina71]

It looks like the only think you are missing now is a Pike Blenny.

 

[mta_morrow]

It looks like the only think you are missing now is a Pike Blenny.

If we don’t move for my job again, and I hope to know soon, I will be trading in my solon fairy jerk, I mean wrasse.

I will add a flametail blenny for sure, and perhaps a trio of anthias or a couple flasher wrasse

Gotta look up pike blenny!

 

[Katrina71]

Allow me