OP
OP
david p.
Well-Known Member
Though i would give an actual update on my build instead of just messing around with pictures, i will be hitting the 6months mark next week!!! 
Based on my initial planning that's when i was expecting to get my first SPS... i guess i failed on that target
My sump:
I'm realy happy with the overall performance of my 'filtration' system.
Initially i was not planning on using filter socks , but was open to the idea ( i have the holder and 3-4 socks that i never used), I still have that internal debate because i still have some particulate in the water. I might go with a roller mat eventually, the thing killing me with filter socks it the continous maintenance required, i'm too lazy for that On the other hand, i feel having some particulates in the water column is only bad to my eyes, i'm pretty sure coral benefits from these. Also, since my Nitrates and Phosphate are not an issue, i don't feel it's a need for now.
i wanted to optimized the Cheato section, that worked insanely well, with my LED lamp I remove 50% of the cheato each week, that represent little less than a 5 gal bucket per week. that section is about 50% of my 40breeder. i also use it as 'mecanical' filtration. I have a 'wall' of LR in the middle of it that create a depression (pressure drop) on the right section, that's where most of the sediment accumulate, i just have to vaccum about once a week. the sediments are full of pods, worms, it seems to be a good food source for the sump fauna. I feed once a week in the cheato for the pods populations, not sure if it's needed but since i have a scooter blenny and a mandarine, i want to be sure that my pod population is maxed!
Pretty happy with my skimmer. remove 1 full collection cup per week of dark smelly syrup. i tried to go with wetter skimate, but was not convinced my system benefited from it.
The thing that probably saved me is the dosing pump, i did not realized that when i started, but after talking to reefers in my region, not all of them of a dosing pump and they are the one that 'struggle' the most with SPS or stability of their system. I'm currently dosin Alk -Ca (Reef fusion) and Mg, i dose 32mL of Alk and Ca. I'm still tweeking my Mg but i'm currently at 3 mL per day to maintain around 1200, but it's not stable. I also started using the Fauna Marin Color element and Acropower. I tried the Redsea A-B-C-D but did not see any change.
My UV is running at night, since my system seems to work, i'll keep it running, but i would be curious to know how it impacts the system (or if it does)
I also run GAC and GFO. For GFO, i started to reduce the flow and qty of GFO in my reactor becasue i wanted to remove it eventually, 2-3weeks ago i stopped using it completely because i wanted some phosphate in my system. But last week i decided to re-start using it, i could see more brown algae and algae are an issue i don't want to deal with. And my system seemed ok with GFO on.
Fish stock:
Since the beggining, I lost one clown fish in the first month (a jumper), i changed the remaining one for my Midnight ocelaris couple. other than that everything seems to go fine. I almost sold my 2 Flameback angel fish becasue my bigger one start nipping my wellso and Acan, i did a little rescape and moved the coral in a corner where he nevers patrol, since then everything is fine. My bigger angel is also the bully in the tank, IT'S HIS REEF:mad::mad: My Wellso was showing signs of stress , i could see his skeleton (i had a post on that), it has recuperate since then, he does not look as good as before, but eventually it will go in my LPS tank (futur project!!).
- Couple of Midnight ocelaris
- Couple of Flameback angel fish
- Watchman goby with pistol shrimp
- Kole tang
- Scooter Blenny
- Red mandarin
- Firefish
- Cleaner shrimp
- 3x Emerald crab (no algea issue, just love them)
- CuC : 5-6 hermit crab. tons of Trochus snail... they make babies like sex addicts.
I'm waiting for a mated pair of chalk bass and a tail spot blenny and that will be it for the fish stock.
Coral:
I'm really really really happy with my tank so far. I did not respect any of my initial commitment to be patient, to go step by step, etc.... But I made calculated risk. Since SPS need stable parameters, that's what i focused on since the start. My testing regime during the first 3-4 months was intense just to make sure i was still ok. Never made big adjustment on my parameters, always went with small corrections. Since then i test weekly. i had one issue a while back with my dosing pump, but not imapct on the sytem and corals.
Again i was pretty lucky to get those live rock from a reef guru around here, LR that he had recently cured, cycled and everything for his SPS shallow reeef. I had the chance to get them when he decided he had too much!
I did not get any pest from them... lucky i was. I recently discovered a small crab hidden in the rock, could be from the rock or something else. For now i leave it there, i will try to determine what it is, then it might end up in my sump. Gorilla or something else.
Coral wise, i sold most of my 'early' random corals (lps ans some lower grade SPS).
3 weeks ago i changed my lense on my Radion G3Pro for the wide lense i get 300 PAR at coral level at top and 200 PAR for SPS mid tank. I increased the flow of my MP40 from peaks at 35-40% to 45-55% and start dosing the Fauna marine product, since then my SPS are booming... seriously all of my SPS went on rampage mode. It could also be that most of my SPS addition were made 1-2 months ago, end of acclimatation period ?
Some of the 'named' coral i have:
- Tierra del fuego
- Red Diablo
- 2x Apple jack
- Oregon blue torth
- Red planet
- Strawberry shortcake
- Sour twist (left)
- Northwood limeade (very very similar to the sour twist, i think they are the same, the sour twist seems to be more yellow or less green)
i was also able to grab some RR frags from group buys, but no names on them. this one is on fire, encrusting like crazy and branching. it was only 2 small branches with little encrusting 3 months ago
One surprise i have is that coral, when i purchased it, it was brown with little green on the base. and it's getting sexier as time pass!! after 3 months:
this video was made 3 days ago, it gives a good overview of my tank:
i'm trying to get before and after shot with some of my corals, i'm impressed of the growth after 6 months. on a day to day basis you don't see it.
some random coral pictures:
Based on my initial planning that's when i was expecting to get my first SPS... i guess i failed on that target
My sump:
I'm realy happy with the overall performance of my 'filtration' system.
Initially i was not planning on using filter socks , but was open to the idea ( i have the holder and 3-4 socks that i never used), I still have that internal debate because i still have some particulate in the water. I might go with a roller mat eventually, the thing killing me with filter socks it the continous maintenance required, i'm too lazy for that
On the other hand, i feel having some particulates in the water column is only bad to my eyes, i'm pretty sure coral benefits from these. Also, since my Nitrates and Phosphate are not an issue, i don't feel it's a need for now.i wanted to optimized the Cheato section, that worked insanely well, with my LED lamp I remove 50% of the cheato each week, that represent little less than a 5 gal bucket per week. that section is about 50% of my 40breeder. i also use it as 'mecanical' filtration. I have a 'wall' of LR in the middle of it that create a depression (pressure drop) on the right section, that's where most of the sediment accumulate, i just have to vaccum about once a week. the sediments are full of pods, worms, it seems to be a good food source for the sump fauna. I feed once a week in the cheato for the pods populations, not sure if it's needed but since i have a scooter blenny and a mandarine, i want to be sure that my pod population is maxed!
Pretty happy with my skimmer. remove 1 full collection cup per week of dark smelly syrup. i tried to go with wetter skimate, but was not convinced my system benefited from it.
The thing that probably saved me is the dosing pump, i did not realized that when i started, but after talking to reefers in my region, not all of them of a dosing pump and they are the one that 'struggle' the most with SPS or stability of their system. I'm currently dosin Alk -Ca (Reef fusion) and Mg, i dose 32mL of Alk and Ca. I'm still tweeking my Mg but i'm currently at 3 mL per day to maintain around 1200, but it's not stable. I also started using the Fauna Marin Color element and Acropower. I tried the Redsea A-B-C-D but did not see any change.
My UV is running at night, since my system seems to work, i'll keep it running, but i would be curious to know how it impacts the system (or if it does)
I also run GAC and GFO. For GFO, i started to reduce the flow and qty of GFO in my reactor becasue i wanted to remove it eventually, 2-3weeks ago i stopped using it completely because i wanted some phosphate in my system. But last week i decided to re-start using it, i could see more brown algae and algae are an issue i don't want to deal with. And my system seemed ok with GFO on.
Fish stock:
Since the beggining, I lost one clown fish in the first month (a jumper), i changed the remaining one for my Midnight ocelaris couple. other than that everything seems to go fine. I almost sold my 2 Flameback angel fish becasue my bigger one start nipping my wellso and Acan, i did a little rescape and moved the coral in a corner where he nevers patrol, since then everything is fine. My bigger angel is also the bully in the tank, IT'S HIS REEF:mad::mad: My Wellso was showing signs of stress , i could see his skeleton (i had a post on that), it has recuperate since then, he does not look as good as before, but eventually it will go in my LPS tank (futur project!!).
- Couple of Midnight ocelaris
- Couple of Flameback angel fish
- Watchman goby with pistol shrimp
- Kole tang
- Scooter Blenny
- Red mandarin
- Firefish
- Cleaner shrimp
- 3x Emerald crab (no algea issue, just love them)
- CuC : 5-6 hermit crab. tons of Trochus snail... they make babies like sex addicts.
I'm waiting for a mated pair of chalk bass and a tail spot blenny and that will be it for the fish stock.
Coral:
I'm really really really happy with my tank so far. I did not respect any of my initial commitment to be patient, to go step by step, etc.... But I made calculated risk. Since SPS need stable parameters, that's what i focused on since the start. My testing regime during the first 3-4 months was intense just to make sure i was still ok. Never made big adjustment on my parameters, always went with small corrections. Since then i test weekly. i had one issue a while back with my dosing pump, but not imapct on the sytem and corals.
Again i was pretty lucky to get those live rock from a reef guru around here, LR that he had recently cured, cycled and everything for his SPS shallow reeef. I had the chance to get them when he decided he had too much!
I did not get any pest from them... lucky i was. I recently discovered a small crab hidden in the rock, could be from the rock or something else. For now i leave it there, i will try to determine what it is, then it might end up in my sump. Gorilla or something else.
Coral wise, i sold most of my 'early' random corals (lps ans some lower grade SPS).
3 weeks ago i changed my lense on my Radion G3Pro for the wide lense i get 300 PAR at coral level at top and 200 PAR for SPS mid tank. I increased the flow of my MP40 from peaks at 35-40% to 45-55% and start dosing the Fauna marine product, since then my SPS are booming... seriously all of my SPS went on rampage mode. It could also be that most of my SPS addition were made 1-2 months ago, end of acclimatation period ?
Some of the 'named' coral i have:
- Tierra del fuego
- Red Diablo
- 2x Apple jack
- Oregon blue torth
- Red planet
- Strawberry shortcake
- Sour twist (left)
- Northwood limeade (very very similar to the sour twist, i think they are the same, the sour twist seems to be more yellow or less green)
i was also able to grab some RR frags from group buys, but no names on them. this one is on fire, encrusting like crazy and branching. it was only 2 small branches with little encrusting 3 months ago
One surprise i have is that coral, when i purchased it, it was brown with little green on the base. and it's getting sexier as time pass!! after 3 months:
this video was made 3 days ago, it gives a good overview of my tank:
i'm trying to get before and after shot with some of my corals, i'm impressed of the growth after 6 months. on a day to day basis you don't see it.
some random coral pictures:
