Reefer 200XL No More: Maddie's Lagoon Transformation

[tundra420619]

Go with simplicity. Does a better job and more cost effective for a skimmer. I have the 240 on the my 300xl with a heavy bio load and it puts in work.

I get it, I thought I was going simple. I figured its from the manufacturer of my tank. Seemed like a solid idea. Thats what makes me question am doing it wrong?

 

[design.maddie]

I get it, I thought I was going simple. I figured its from the manufacturer of my tank. Seemed like a solid idea. Thats what makes me question am doing it wrong?

You did nothing wrong, I contact Red Sea and they of course recommended their own skimmer. I am running a bit of a test for the next couple days. I disgust DIY stuff. I don't spend THOUSSANDS of dollars for me to have to slightly alter stuff.




I am wondering if the Air/Water mixture is not right. If this seems to help, I will purchase actual hoses and valves.

 

[tundra420619]

You did nothing wrong, I contact Red Sea and they of course recommended their own skimmer. I am running a bit of a test for the next couple days. I disgust DIY stuff. I don't spend THOUSSANDS of dollars for me to have to slightly alter stuff.




I am wondering if the Air/Water mixture is not right. If this seems to help, I will purchase actual hoses and valves.

Exactly, I'm interested to see how that goes.

 

[design.maddie]

@tundra420619 I'll let you know after 72 hours.

I want to post a video of the day I swap from SelCon to AcroPower. This is the first day to dose AcroPower.

 

[design.maddie]

I had a bit of a rock slide, and wanted to document the coral placement. I also want a new fish and can't make up my mind on what to get.

 

[design.maddie]

So, this month I will be tackling flow. My flow has never really been calibrated since everything was up and running. My Powerheads are just set at some random power % and alternating, My return pump is as low as it can go and still to much turnover. Let's get to work.

My TUNZE are on apposing corners and set to master/slave. I have never actually calculated the turnover rate I am at with these pumps at 100%. my eyes/gut feeling wasn't right, I will tell you that. My plans are for a mixed reef, Montipora the only true SPS I want in the tank. LPS being the bulk with no plans for softies(never say never). With this knowledge I will be shooting for 30x turnover with pumps all pointing at the Montipora. I would also want the sump turnover to be around 5x. Let's play with some math.


Total volume = 53 gallons * 5 = 265 = 265 GPH through sump. WAAYY lower than my current VARIOS-4 can handle.

Total Display Volume = 43 gallons * 30 = 1290 = 1290 GPH from all pumps

1290 - (return) 275-300 = 1015 - 990 GPH needed from powerheads

1015-990 / 2 = 508 - 495 GPH

TUNZE flow rate 53 - 1190 GPH per pump

508 / 1190 = 43%

495 / 1190 = 42%

The power percentage I should be aiming for is around 42% on each pump.

SO! now that I ramble and type a bunch of numbers I look back and seem confused do this check out like it should?

 

[design.maddie]

 

[design.maddie]

Picked up these as my first ever Zoas, no clue what they are, I recall the term Radio Active yadda yadda. The wife liked them so they were an instant buy.

 

[design.maddie]

I noticed a day ago that my Mystic Sunset started a new type of growth. It has always been kinda blobby in its growth swelling here and there. Now, near the bottom 2 inches of the colony you can see it get bright pink tone with a white rim around it. This is what I am talking about. Never seen this colony grow this way. This is a good thing right?

side note, this shot is super hard to get. That colony is larger than my hand laid flat directly center of the cube.

 

[design.maddie]

 

[design.maddie]

This is a post I don't want to make. No one ever wants to post a bad news post. found a nasty pest in my tank. it is removed by I know the likelihood of it being the sole one is unlikely.

Meet a Zoa eating Nudibranch.

I had been keeping an eye on the Zoa colony because I thought my Emerald crabs were munching on them even without ever seeing them near the colony. Was walking by and slammed the brakes on grabbed that magnify glass magnet thing and slid it into place like a hot wheels car. what the heck I grab one of those 30" pipette and sucked it off. I know someone is going to really break the bad news to me about these things and how bad they are going to be to deal with now. I don't know anything about these guys. Only suggestion is a 6sline wrasse, which if I have room I would TOTALLY be down to grab because they are my favorite fish. I have room for one more fish and I was leaning towards a clown. HELP?

 

[design.maddie]

My secret view of my tank most don't know about.

 

[design.maddie]

Quick and dirty catalog of sizes. Not everything included here but enough.

 

[design.maddie]

 

[design.maddie]

I started trying out GFO again. Now that I am more informed about what it is doing to the water chemistry I am enjoying what it helps with. I have never been one to use Chemical Filtration. Mechanical and Biological has always done me good. I believe the constraints of the AIO design/mentality has limited some of my sump/equipment choices which leads me to lean on chemical filtration. I don't think it is a bad thing in general but it does feel like a crutch.

 

[design.maddie]

Even with GFO I started to get massive algae blooms. Nothing changed. I then was watching something on BRStv and it clicked. I have color changing resin and the last two hurricanes made the local water unpotable. Tank still needed RO/DI so I just pushed through. Took a look and completely burnt. Had some trouble ordering new filters through BRS site but their tech/sales guy helped me out and they should be here in 3 days.

 

[design.maddie]

Did a water change took this at the lowest point.

 

[design.maddie]

 

[design.maddie]

 

[design.maddie]