REEFER 500 - STICKS & STICKS

[Saltees]

How's the CBB doing with the tangs? My CBB exceled in QT, then when introduced to the display which had tons of tangs, two full size angels and a pair of triggers... just wilted away and died :(

Sad to hear. My CBB is holding its position well amongst the tangs. Similarly after QT, it was introduced into the display behind a screen, but it slipped through and got beaten badly, that I had to “sump” it, where it got fatten on half clams (till date, it’s the only food it will eat). When it was reintroduced to the display the second round along with a golden puffer, it was able to defend itself. Also I believed the puffer was drawing the flak away from the CBB. Plus the tangs behaved way better amidst a bigger predatory fish. BTW CBB will be going in to the display next week with the Yellow Tang, Whitetail Bristle tooth Tang and couple of wrasses, then I’ll be shopping for SPS. To keep the nutrients in check, these will be the utility fishes for the display for now.

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Sad to hear. My CBB is holding its position well amongst the tangs. Similarly after QT, it was introduced into the display behind a screen, but it slipped through and got beaten badly, that I had to “sump” it, where it got fatten on half clams (till date, it’s the only food it will eat). When it was reintroduced to the display the second round along with a golden puffer, it was able to defend itself. Also I believed the puffer was drawing the flak away from the CBB. Plus the tangs behaved way better amidst a bigger predatory fish. BTW CBB will be going in to the display next week with the Yellow Tang, Whitetail Bristle tooth Tang and couple of wrasses, then I’ll be shopping for SPS. To keep the nutrients in check, these will be the utility fishes for the display for now.

Sounds like your luck is going better than mine...

 

[Saltees]

IMHO, CBB is more difficult than introducing Acanthurus Tang to another Acanthurus Tang. Just getting them to eat is a challenge. I read some where for every successful CBB that you kept alive, there’s 35 dead ones before (35:1). For me that ratio is 6:1. Well… keep trying.

 

[Saltees]

The numbers are looking good with the added utility fishes, 18 Trochus, 12 Nassarius and heavy feedings. The ATS and Chaeto are online with light dosing of TM Bacto Balance and Prodibio Biogest.

Lit up the tank…

And put in test SPS.

 

[Saltees]

Caught the SPS bug…

The nutrients are kept in check with ATS and Chaeto all these while…without mechanical removal like skimmer, REEFMAT, etc. Light dosing of NP Bactobalance, Chaetogro and AFR. Fishes are fed on the hour throughout the 12 hour photoperiod with TDO pellets. In addition, a mixture of 4cubes x HIKARI MYSIS, 50ml ACROPOWER, 1tsp of BRS REEF CHILLI and 1tsp of TM IMMUVIT are mixed and poured into the tank 9am daily.

 

[Saltees]

The pieces are coloring up nicely…

 

[Saltees]

Prepping tank for a S. Gigantea...

In confinement...

 

[Gumbies R Us]

The pieces are coloring up nicely…

Your acros are looking great!

 

[Saltees]

Your acros are looking great!

Thanks! Guess SPS thrives best in low nutrients!

 

[Saltees]

All’s swell. The SPS are encrusting and new growth are starting to touch… some burnt tips but some are ok.

Tried 2 gigantea carpets and failed, before settling on a red hadonni carpet. The MCC pair has taken immediately to carpets, and had since spawned every fortnightly, but I’m not able to salvage any of the frys. The carpet has the free roam of the sand and I have another rainbow haddoni coming in early next year.

 

[Saltees]

Pix from LFS…

 

[Saltees]

My carpet decided to take a Christmas walk to the other side of the tank…after months of staying put.

 

[Saltees]

Fresh clutch of eggs from the MCC.

 

[Saltees]

Got myself a blue gigantea carpet couple of weeks ago. It’s doing exceptionally well this time round!!!

 

[Saltees]

With Radion XR15PRO

With Radion XR15PRO + AI Blade GLOW

 

[Saltees]

Couldn’t resist, got myself another giant red/pink Haddoni…

 

[Saltees]

Into the display it goes…

 

[Saltees]

It's being just over 4 years since the tank first filled in Jan 2021... some updates on the original equipments used, those strike offs are due to equipment failure and/or no longer have use for it.

• ECOTECH MARINE RADION XR15 G5 PRO x 4
• AQUA ILLUMINATION BLADE GLOW 39" x 2
• NEPTUNE WAV x 2 AQUA ILLUMINATION NERO 7 x 2
• AQUA ILLUMINATION ORBIT 4
• NYOS QUANTUM 160 ROYAL EXCLUSIV MINI BUBBLE KING 200 VS13 with RD3
• NYOS TORQ 2L
• NEPTUNE SYSTEMS APEX w 2 x EB6
• NEPTUNE SYSTEMS ATK
• NEPTUNE SYSTEMS AFS
• NEPTUNE SYSTEMS FMK
• NEPTUNE SYSTEMS TRIDENT
• NEPTUNE SYSTEMS COR 20 x 2
• DELTEC UV 80W
• CLEARVIEW PISCES EXO LID
• BRS 5 STAGE RO/DI + 150GPH WATER SAVER KIT
• DIY ALGAE TURF SCRUBBER FROM STOCK ATO RESERVOIR
• AQUA ILLUMINATION PRIME FUGE HD16 AQUA ILLUMINATION BLADE FUGE
• REASEA REEFMAT 1200
• REASEA DOSE4 - (a) TM AFR, (b) BW CHAETOGRO, (c) DIY NOPOX & (d) BW-PHOSPHAT-E
• TECO 2000 CHILLER

All the bio medias in sump are removed and disposed, in favour of sand in display and periodical dosing BW MB7, MBClean and AF LifeSource.

 

[AmateurAlchemist]

Tank is looking awesome, that sure ramped up quickly!

Any reason you ditched the Reef Mat? I couldn't be without one. The laziness is real :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Saltees]

Tank is looking awesome, that sure ramped up quickly!

Any reason you ditched the Reef Mat? I couldn't be without one. The laziness is real :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Thanks! SPS sure took advantage of the low nutrients of third re-scape.

Reef Mat was not put online for this round/scape because it wasn't needed initially as for UV and Skimmer. The SPS flourished during this period with just old Bio Media and bacteria. From that point onwards, I ditched Reef Mat and the UV remained off.

I do feed heavy, for now my nutrient export is primary dry skimming and supercharging Chaetomorpha with BW ChaetoGRO.

Alternate dosing of heterotroph bacteria (MB7 and MBC) along with a consistent low dose of DIY NOPOX kept my water crystal clear and sand white. It would be counter productive to run Reefmat or sock for such bacteria implementation.

In fact, my Chaeto and ATS managed to retain a lot of the suspended particles.