My First Saltwater Adventure - 120 Gallon Peninsula

[dbl]

It looks great! I'm pretty sure that the fish and corals don't mind if the glass isn't clean so I think you're good if you choose to only clean it for company!

But the corals care when the additive reservoirs have been empty for who knows how long.

I'm honestly too afraid to even do a parameter testing. I'll let the dosers do their thing for a little bit and then check. But I'll have to order new test kits since I'm pretty sure mine have expired since last being used...lol.

 

[Fudsey]

Oops ..... ;Hilarious ;Hilarious

 

[NY_Caveman]

Cleaning the glass is overrated. Fish don’t care and the pods and starfish love it.

 

[dbl]

Cleaning the glass is overrated. Fish don’t care and the pods and starfish love it.

Very true...but my bride cares more than the pods and starfish.

 

[Flippers4pups]

But the corals care when the additive reservoirs have been empty for who knows how long.

I'm honestly too afraid to even do a parameter testing. I'll let the dosers do their thing for a little bit and then check. But I'll have to order new test kits since I'm pretty sure mine have expired since last being used...lol.

Keep up the good work! It feels good to get back on the horse!

 

[dbl]

Keep up the good work! It feels good to get back on the horse!

Thanks Don. Really am trying to get motivated again and bring it back up to speed. Ordered some new bulbs and hope to change those next weekend. Heck, I may even do a water change!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thanks Don. Really am trying to get motivated again and bring it back up to speed. Ordered some new bulbs and hope to change those next weekend. Heck, I may even do a water change!

That's the spirit, David! Bravo!

 

[Flippers4pups]

In all seriousness, life happens and we all get busy, distracted and down at times. Especially around the holidays. I'm not sure how we at the Flipper house get through things at times, but we do. Big man upstairs knows though.

 

[Retro Reefer]

But the corals care when the additive reservoirs have been empty for who knows how long.

I'm honestly too afraid to even do a parameter testing. I'll let the dosers do their thing for a little bit and then check. But I'll have to order new test kits since I'm pretty sure mine have expired since last being used...lol.

despite the neglect I think the tank looks fantastic! My doser has only been on line a couple months but because it’s kinda “set it and forget it“ the reservoirs running dry is my biggest fear.. my doser does have a warning indicator for low reservoirs but I have been to lazy to set it up ;Hilarious

 

[Billldg]

3 months of neglect, shoot, I wish my tank looked like that after 3 weeks of neglect, LOL!!!

 

[hdsoftail1065]

I think it looks great for 3 months of hands off! I have let mine go a tad as well. This might just be the motivation I have been looking for!

 

[dbl]

3 months of neglect, shoot, I wish my tank looked like that after 3 weeks of neglect, LOL!!!

I think it looks great for 3 months of hands off! I have let mine go a tad as well. This might just be the motivation I have been looking for!

Thanks guys. It's actually been close to a year with little to no attention but I was at least keeping additives filled and changing the socks. I won't share any close ups for obvious reasons...lol.

Bottom line...I've been very lucky this thing has done as well as it has. I've ordered a few new fish in an effort to spark my interest again so I'm trying to get things in order for my new friends' arrival.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hi david,

I know exactly where you are coming from. My lack of maintenance was due to health and then just a lack of interest. But as you have seen a sign of a healthy tank is that it can self sustain with minimum intervention. Your looks great, close up or not. If the tank wasn’t healthy it would have crashed long ago.

I guess what I am trying to say, but I am never good at saying it is..don’t be hard on yourself. The fact you didn’t just tear it down means a lot. The fact it didn’t crash means you are doing something right. The fact you are here sharing shows you are getting motivated again.

So pull out the calendar, get the equipment and supplies ready, and your back on track before you know it. You got new family on the way and they want a clean hotel room.

 

[dbl]

Just a fun little update. I had forgotten how cool the tank looks when you can actually see inside the glass...lol. Came home tonight and the house lights were still off. Opened the door and it reminded me why I did this in the first place.

Still a lot of work to do but at least it's a start.

And these were waiting for me as well...something to do this weekend!

 

[dbl]

Got the T-5 bulbs changed out. Another byproduct of my laziness and/or lack of interest considering the bulbs were over a year and a half old. I lent someone my Par Meter and can't remember who, but I didn't get it back...yet. I really wanted to do a before and after measurement but I guess it will wait until next time.

Anyway, it looks a little brighter/crisper which I realize means nothing...lol.

 

[dbl]

Wow...I can't believe it's been three months since I last looked at this thread. I also can't believe it's been three more months of neglect on the tank...lol. I was given two choices...either start taking care of it or get rid of it. I chose the former.

Spent yesterday and this morning scraping the glass...again. Razor blades and time and I can see in the tank again. Really am going to work on not letting it get that bad again.

Siphoned out the cyano off the sand bed and that is my next task - to get things back in order to make that disappear. This is really my first battle with it on this scale. Sure I've had a patch or two, but now that I can see inside again, it's a lot worse than I thought. I need to order some new test kits and reagents as it's been so long most have expired.

Over the last few months, I've started to lose some things and it's 100% my fault due to the neglect. The one that really irks me is I lost my clam. It was kind of the final straw that helped make the decision to get things turned around.

The Gyre's had become a headache to clean so they weren't. I decided a few weeks ago to swap them out for a couple of MP-40's and I finally got around to installing them today. One on both "short" ends of the tank. I also ordered the WXM module for the Apex but haven't bothered with that yet. So for now they are synched running in Reef Crest mode. Baby steps...lol.

I may end up with some extra time on my hands over the next few weeks so we'll see what that may bring. But at least for now, at least from a distance, it's starting to look somewhat decent again.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

It really doesnt look that bad. It won't take anytime to turn it around.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Wow...I can't believe it's been three months since I last looked at this thread. I also can't believe it's been three more months of neglect on the tank...lol. I was given two choices...either start taking care of it or get rid of it. I chose the former.

Spent yesterday and this morning scraping the glass...again. Razor blades and time and I can see in the tank again. Really am going to work on not letting it get that bad again.

Siphoned out the cyano off the sand bed and that is my next task - to get things back in order to make that disappear. This is really my first battle with it on this scale. Sure I've had a patch or two, but now that I can see inside again, it's a lot worse than I thought. I need to order some new test kits and reagents as it's been so long most have expired.

Over the last few months, I've started to lose some things and it's 100% my fault due to the neglect. The one that really irks me is I lost my clam. It was kind of the final straw that helped make the decision to get things turned around.

The Gyre's had become a headache to clean so they weren't. I decided a few weeks ago to swap them out for a couple of MP-40's and I finally got around to installing them today. One on both "short" ends of the tank. I also ordered the WXM module for the Apex but haven't bothered with that yet. So for now they are synched running in Reef Crest mode. Baby steps...lol.

I may end up with some extra time on my hands over the next few weeks so we'll see what that may bring. But at least for now, at least from a distance, it's starting to look somewhat decent again.

Looking good. Cant be any worse than mine
Still a beautiful system

 

[dbl]

It really doesnt look that bad. It won't take anytime to turn it around.

Thanks. The cyano is pretty bad and has certainly impacted the corals, hence no close ups.

But I agree it won't take much to turn it around, just my paying attention to it again. I'm not complaining at all here...I'm very lucky it's going as well as it is given the circumstances.

 

[dbl]

Looking good. Cant be any worse than mine
Still a beautiful system

Thanks Zach.