My NOT Observation 45g Tank

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Okay, another build thread. My 4th but only 2nd live tank! My main tank is a rs 3xl900 (240g system-220 or so total water volume). So why a separate build thread? Accountability lol's. It's a super neglected tank and I need to get it back to being a healthy tank.

Tank History: RS E-170 AIO. About 45 gal. Set up in 2015 at my daughter's. I was given the tank in 2018 or 2017. Had it set up for a while, then down. Then back up in 2020 I think.

As the title suggests, this was set up as an observation-style QT tank. It is home to 1 clown fish-the clown that got chased into the overflow in my old 125 where he sat for 6 months. 2 before I knew he was even in there! I thought the other pair of clowns killed it. Got him out by adding sand to the overflow and then using a shop vac to suck it all out after the fish was rescued. As an aside, this clown has gotten into the AIO overflow as well!

So I've done no testing, few water changes, no dosing. Just feed the fish. Now on to my future plans for this tank.

Because the parameters were so bad, I haven't used it for a QT tank. I had two damsels in with the clown and when I set up the new tank, I put them in there. I've not had good results with QT'ing fish, so I just put them in. Some don't make it, most do. Yeah I know. Not the best plan, and yes, I've had velvet in my first tank. But it is what it is.

I added some rock in the 45g and will add a bit more--do some landscaping. Might add some more sand as well. I have a bucket of sand in the garage.

So now I have a large rainbow bubble tip in an acclimation box in my big tank. Plan to add it for the clown, get another clown and maybe some small chromis or damsels, add some easy corals, even some of the "pestie" corals and have a "real" tank. In order to add the rbta I need to get no3 down and alk up. Everything else is good.

After work today I'll add pictures and numbers: alk, ca, mg and no3 and get this thread going.

I did one 20% water change. And I'm starting to do just a gal a day change. Take out a gal, add a gal to keep things a bit more stable.
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Maintenance done for today.
-10% water change (3 yesterday)
-glass cleaned of most of the algae
-removed one basket of chaeto. Will keep 1 in until more livestock goes in
-added some matrix to the back sump
-added another bag of carbon with some purigen. The boyds needs changing.
-Tested CA= 480ish, MG=1270, ALK=7.1 NO3 over 75. So need to raise alk and mg and do a gal or 2 everyday water change.
-moved the bit of gsp to another rock. I can move that rock to keep it from taking over. In fact will add another rock and shift it. Rock it is on is a foot for the arch. So before the anemone is in there, rocks should be how I want.

Need to replace a wavemaker. Back is showing rust. Hoping it can wait a week.

we are on the way to getting another tank under control (don't ask about the 40g freshwater)

BEFORE SHOTS

20220923_160242.jpg
20220923_160256.jpg

20220923_160256.jpg


AFTER-did use my diy snow after all my cleaning so tank is still cloudy

20220923_193110.jpg
20220923_193118.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20220923_160249.jpg
    20220923_160249.jpg
    77.9 KB · Views: 31
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It wasn't showing up in the reef aquarium discussion forum. When I update my other tank, it shows up there. This one didn't show up at all, and I don't see m y post still.
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Another 4 gal water changed over the last 2 days. Tank is looking so much nicer already. Eager to get my anemone in there and a few more fish.
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Day off today so can devote some tank time.

More water changes. 2 gal yesterday. 25% this week so far. I'll do another 4 gal today or more. Doing a gal at a time. 2 pitches of water out, a gal in. Thought for sure that the no3 had come down a bit as the api tube was much paler and not the deep red but hanna says it is still over 75.

Dosing 10ml nopox
1.5 ml zero and bio digest
20 ml mb 7 or clean daily without turning skimmer off

Did 45 ml clean with skimmer off 4 hours now.

Adding 10 ml alk and mg to tank as well

eager to get my anemone into the tank!

Today I'll look at the rock work and prob. add/change landscape some. Also should plan on adding more cuc.

Might remove the basket of chaeto as I think there is debris that collects there as the chaeto isn't "free" to roll around. I did rinse it once and it had a bunch of yuck at the bottom of the basket
 

saltnut

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 29, 2020
Messages
169
Reaction score
306
Location
Ocoee
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You are doing some serious work to get the tank back in shape. I am happy you are seeing some positive results for all your effort. Keep it up, you are inspiring many!
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Following along! Hoping it will inspire me to get back to work on my 50g cube tank!
Helps to have a reason/motivation. I have a beautiful rainbow bubble tip in an acclimation box in my big tank. Hubby asked when I was going to put it into the tank. I laughed, gave him a "are you kidding" look and said never! I love them but don't want them to destroy my other corals or have to worry about my gryres. Here's to you getting your tank the way you want!
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Another 4 gal done. Rearranged rocks and added a few more. Yes, it's a rock pile but offers lots of hiding places. GSP moved to its own rock. Also replaced one wavemaker--it was showing rust breaking thru the back of magnet. Got a bigger one. Need to replace the other as it doesn't offer much flow. Will get a second one of these -- jebao PP series.

Blasted sand, dumped in some diy snow. Will prob. turkey bast blast sand a bit every day. That's where all the no3 is I think.

Removed the basket of chaeto--it too was harboring debris and can't stay in there anyway. Took off the led light and now tank is too blue. Can't get my AI app to let me get in and change. Hate that app.

still cloudy from "snow". Will post another pic tomorrow when clear
20220927_194822.jpg

gsp on rock island on right side. Might put cloves on the left.
20220927_194841.jpg
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
whoo hoo! No3 down to 66! Now hanna isn't flashing me with 75+!! So more water change, more blast sand bed and more dosing. Progress!

Now if I could only get the AI app to allow me to get in and tweak my lighting... Hate that app! Might see if I can use the mobius app to control the ai hydra 26 light.

had a NEAT door for the diy mesh lid. Installed that. No more feeding thru the net

3 gal changed. Will do 3-4 more by evening and then test alk which has been low. Only gsp in there but would like it closer to 8

such dirty glass, shame on me.
20220929_100735.jpg
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
got a solution to my lights. Reset and not connect to my wireless. Means I have to change to the Red Sea wireless and be right next to the tank to get in and adjust lighting. Guess I need to get something to make my 2.4 network stronger, whatever its called.
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
NO3 now down to 60. Heading in right direction. Just made more salt. Will try to do another 4-7 gal later. And another sand bed blast.

Anyone know what no3 a nem can handle?
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Trip to a LFS in Stockton, mainly to look at snails, esp bumblebees. Didn't like the snails. Most seemed dead. Hard to tell with the bumbles. They might have been mostly okay. They had the cutest bumblebee shrimps. I want some of those next time!

The store is mostly fresh water but they had a bunch of small and cheaper fish. Got some for each tank.

The tinniest Yellow Watchman goby. Smaller around than a pencil! Had a Pistol shrimp too. Got both. Prob. won't see them much! And another clown which was also on my buy list.

Remembered frozen foods too. There went 300 bucks lol's as I also picked up a few fish for the big tank.

I was impressed by the gal's care in netting the fish. Store was clean. The tiny tanks for the tiny fish, snails and shrimps could be much cleaner. I went there 6 years ago and didn't get anything due to the dirty tanks. But the bigger tanks looked god and the fish all looked good. We shall see.

I put the shrimp and goby in together and they both went into the rockwork. I've seen the watchman peeking out, and the shrimp, is out at the front of the glass scooting sand around! And moving shells. That is surprising!

Now on to testing and tank business. First, the tank looks good. Did a scrape of the back wall and the sides. Going to order another wave maker as the plain powerhead is pretty weak. I will have a better one I can use after I put the nem in but I think I want another jebao wavemaker. I learned my lesson in going cheap.

So Drum Roll..............................
No3 is 22/23! I was shocked at the 1st test at 23 so redid. Came back at 22! Will test again Sun after work, and on Mon. If it is no higher, I think I can move the nem into the tank

alk now at 8.7
mg a bit low at 1260
ca okay at 380

So it is looking pretty stable. Will test po4 tomorrow as well.

Next is to set up a water change schedule and
Hook up my doser. Wish I could justify another red sea wifi one. I think the one I have, which is new, has wifi and an app. I'm spoiled with the red sea's.

Will continue to dose
10ml nopox
1.5 zero and bio
20-40 mb7 and mbclean

Feeling very good about this tank now! Next trip to the lfs is to get maybe a few small damsels like yellow tails, or fire fish or royal gramma. Not too much but some fish movement. And maybe some corals. I do have 1 leather that can go in there. The FS had some nice zoas but I didn't want to deal with dipping plus I want the anemone in there first.

Oh, I need to do something to cover the powerheads! That I hate. I have some mesh sleeves for sewing thread. Got to find...
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
bummed today! Was hoping I could move that nem in but no3 went up to 40. mind you, it is down from 60 lol's but after hitting 22 I was planning to move the nem today if it was still around 20. Causes most likely some over feeding as I added a small clown, an even tinier watchman goby and pistol.

Changed 4.5 gal, so another 10%
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Saw the Yellow watchman Goby and shrimp. They found each other and have paired up! Did not see the goby eat and I fed a bit extra to try to get some down to him. Don't want to over feed the tank lol's as I'm trying to get no3 down!

Down loaded the David Saxby light program so am trying that out. All these years with this tank and I never knew about downloadable presets.

Goal this week is to hook up doser on Wed. and hopefully move Nem in. Also start some brine shrimp for both tanks

no3: 32.8 Need it to be 20 by tomorrow lol's. Day off. Want to get that nem in there! More water change this morning

Tank looking nice. Will take some pics this week
 
OP
OP
Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
5,462
Reaction score
7,003
Location
Tracy, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Mission successful! Moved the rainbow bta into the tank. No3 26 and the big tank 20. Did a 6 gal water change first. Be a bit of a challenge to keep it low or get it lower as I'm feeding a bit more for the new fish.

Already moved. Was at top and it just slid down. It took a bit of food today. Hoping the clowns will find it

Tank is looking really nice. PO4 bottomed out. Glass algae is white so dosing some neophose. Will add a squirt of coral food. Not much though as I want no3 down

Just a short view of it

20221005_200459.jpg
 
Back
Top