Mike's Red Sea Reefer 525 XL build

[RichtheReefer21]

Nice going bud. How was the trip?

 

[mta_morrow]

Nice going bud. How was the trip?

It was great! I had so much fun with my granddaughter. So hard to believe she is 2 now.

Traffic both ways was great too. No major delays. I was able to drive straight thru both ways, no rush.

 

[mta_morrow]

A couple pics as the lights are going down

 

[RichtheReefer21]

A couple pics as the lights are going down

I want some rfa's bad mike. That nem is ;Drool

 

[najer]

Looking very nice.

 

[mta_morrow]

I want some rfa's bad mike. That nem is ;Drool

I love the BTA’s! And the crabs that live in them. Started as a gift of 1, about a quarter size. Now in 14 months I have 2 softball size and I think they are both gonna split soon. I will have to start giving them away when it happens!

Free of course as they were given to me.

 

[mta_morrow]

Looking very nice.

Thanks Simon!

 

[mta_morrow]

It is time!

 

[Fudsey]

I haven't done mine in 3 weeks

 

[mta_morrow]

I haven't done mine in 3 weeks

Today was 3 weeks for me!

 

[mta_morrow]

So my test results are a bit off. I think its due to a couple things.

PO4 .16. Had been .02 to .04
NO3 16. Had been 4

That was 3 weeks ago and had been running there for a while.

3 weeks ago I cut back on NoPox from 9 ml per day to 5 ml per day. I was hoping the 6 liters of matrix and 5 ml nopox could handle my bio load.

I also did a chemiclean treatment for cyano. So a lot of die off and no skimmer for 3 days.

I’m not so sure the PO4 test is accurate as the Hanna ULR have been off before.

I was gonna do a retest but I will just wait till next weekend.

I also fed 2 rounds of pellets per day via the auto feeder while I was on vacation.

So everything combined, well, I guess this is where it is.

For now, I’m back on the regular feeding schedule and NoPox is at 9 ml per day which should “hold” nitrates at 16.

I will say everything looks much happier with a bit more nutrients in the tank.

As long as PO4 is .1 or less when I test again next weekend, this looks like a happy spot.

Only when I tried going lower that this is when the Cyano showed up.

Maybe that’s it, maybe not.

 

[mta_morrow]

So I have all these beautiful anemones.

2 BTA’s, 1 LTA, and a Magnifica.

And I also have 2 “instinct challenged” ocellaris clown fish.

For the past 2 days I have had an iPad taped to the tank playing a video of 2 clowns in a Magnifica.

I know, perhaps I am the challenged one!

I’m gonna leave it there all week.

I’m considering getting 4 small black and white ocellaris clowns.

Eatbreakfast says it’s doable as long as they are ocs and a different pattern. No guarantees of course.

I’m thinking a week or so in an acclimation box then a tube slide into the nems.

Seriously, what do ya’ll think?

I love the symbiotic relationship and definitely have “nem real estate “

 

[Brew12]

And I also have 2 “instinct challenged” ocellaris clown fish.

I feel your pain. I've tried taping pictures of clowns in nems to my tank before with no luck. Mine prefer piping to the nems.

 

[Fudsey]

I have the same clown challenges.... ;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious

 

[najer]

I feel your pain. I've tried taping pictures of clowns in nems to my tank before with no luck. Mine prefer piping to the nems.

Mine have hosted a frag rack for years now!

 

[najer]

I will say everything looks much happier with a bit more nutrients in the tank.

They tend to if you give things time to breath, IME, hopefully ulns will be a thing of the past soon, "Strip it clean so you can worry and add more stuff!"

 

[dbl]

My daughters did the iPad thing and I said they were nuts. By the end of the weekend, the clowns wouldn't leave the nem. I still say it was lucky, they still say they made it happen.

 

[Fudsey]

I tried the picture thing, didn't work

 

[SkiCatTX]

I've heard of people taking their clowns out of the tank for a couple weeks (QT like setup), then introducing them again. The theory is to break their connection to their favorite spot. I suppose that mostly works when they just hang out next to a power head or something. If they swim the who tank, and just ignore the nem completely, I bet that doesn't help.

In my experience the key ultimately seems to be to get them to touch the tentacles a few times, however you do it. Once that happens they seem to have an aha moment, and will go back for more soon after. Perhaps it's kind of like a drug fix for them...but those couple initial stings seem to do the trick...have for me anyway.

 

[chefjpaul]

My daughters did the iPad thing and I said they were nuts. By the end of the weekend, the clowns wouldn't leave the nem. I still say it was lucky, they still say they made it happen.

Hahahaha....I'm trying this now!

Experiment commence!