Reefer 525 XL SPS Dom w/ SOME LPS/Zoas

[Joedubyk]

I just got back into the hobby roughly a year ago after a hiatus. I started w/ a nano and then a member here was doing a tank break down as he moved to Arizona. It was too good of a deal to pass up and he just might have the nicest most well done tank I've ever seen. Had to have it!

Equipment

- Deltec Skimmer
- Apex Controller
- Trident (I added that)
- 2 DOS pumps
- Fuge with sea lettuce
- Red Dragon Pump
- ATO
2 Neptune Wav pumps (I don't use)
2 MP 40s (I currently use)

Lights
4 Kessil 360s + 2 Reef Brites. I run the Reef brites 100% with a ramp up and ramp down the first two and last two hours
Kessils I do a ram first 2 and last two hours with from 20 to 50% color and from 20 to 75% max intensity

 

[Joedubyk]

Coral

Colony of homewrecker
Colony of Pink Panther
Colony of WWC Culture Shock
Colony of Orange Passion
Colony of Walt Disney

Some of the LPS - WWC Magic Carpet
UC Amze balls goni

Some teasers more pics to come

 

[Joedubyk]

Challenges

Right now I am skimming too clean. I feed heavy 3x a day and still undetectable nitrate. I threw up some sea lettuce, I threw some reef roids in, and I even through some amino acid from brightwell in. I am also dosing sponge power. I am starting to get SOME gha. I have 8 turbos. They are managing it quite well. I likely should add a fish that would graze on it.

So far I had to deal with trying to get the tank dosed right (2 part BRS). It hasn't been too much of a challenge with the Trident and DOS pumps. The worst it did was go from 8 DKH to 6.9 over a few days. I slowly brought it up to 7.8 over 5 days. I am dosing 40 mls ALK and 40 MLs calcium.

 

[Peach02]

Looking great!!

 

[SneakyTortuga]

You aren’t kidding when you say it is a “well done tank”! Just the equipment list is quite impressive not even to mention those colonies are spot on! Did you buy the colonies or you had them?

 

[Joedubyk]

You aren’t kidding when you say it is a “well done tank”! Just the equipment list is quite impressive not even to mention those colonies are spot on! Did you buy the colonies or you had them?

He had them. My friend owns a lfs so I said help me break it down and I'll give you a lot of the corals . They were filled to the brim. Amazingly we.only lost 1 goni. Easily 50 pieces, mostly really expensive stuff and no losses. Took a lot of diligence. Still have some of the more expensive lps at the shop. Was afraid of a mini cycle but that's not happening. Just trying to maintain stability.

 

[Joedubyk]

Pink panther. Really starting to color up . As the tank settles I think it will only get sweeter. I started dosing sponge power today and finally got detectable no3. I cut back the sea lettuce and I did a heavy pour of reef roids yesterday.

 

[Joedubyk]

Fish -

1 - Powder Brown Tang (added today)
2 Blotchy Anthias - they are FAT
2 Bonded Cardinal fish (they spawn)
1 blenny that I forget the name. it's pretty large and all black
1 Rainfordi Goby
2 barlet anthias (1 died, had 3)
2 Mocha Storm Clowns (juvies)

I have 8 Mexican Turbos and 5 Astrea snails. So the conundrum is my nitrates are near undetectable, and I heavy feed 3x a day. The corals love it, but I do have some gha. It is controllable for now, but it is starting to ramp up a bit. I can try exporting even more nutrients, but at risk of starving my corals.

I planned to throw in reef roids just to dirty my water a tad more twice a week, but I may hold off. Instead I just may continue to dose sponge powder+ amino acids + heavy fish feed. That should keep the corals well fed and colorful and hopefully stymie GHA

I'm also hoping the powder brown ***FINGERS CROSSED*** loves him some gha.




This is a super rare WWC Budgie Smuggler. My other challenge is to figure out where he likes to be in the tank so he can color up PERFECTLY. WWC said about 300 par and med/hi variable flow. He's in about 275 -ish right now. Will leave him there for a month and if it doesn't color up to get the super red tips and white polyps I'll up the par for him.

 

[Peach02]

Sounds good, can I see some photos of the pbt

 

[Joedubyk]

Starting to eat more and looks like he's starting to graze. I really hope he likes gha

 

[Joedubyk]

The amazeballs goni is doing pretty good after we cut it. The pbt is starting to graze! Nitrates were 2ish. I'm fine with 2 to 5as long as the corals are happy and colored up

 

[Joedubyk]

Put the HW and OP back in today

 

[Joedubyk]

With the blues

 

[jose hernandez]

Which deltec skimmer are using thinking about getting one for my new build

 

[Joedubyk]

Which deltec skimmer are using thinking about getting one for my new build

1000i. Totally recommend it.

 

[Joedubyk]

Slowly getting the par to about 330-350 for the top of my colonies. I have been feeding very heavy as well as exporting nutrients quickly as well. Ive been dosing sponge power which i KNOW has been making my sponges go nuts. This morning the HW just looked the best it has looked.

Challenges - Aiptasia -- unfortunately, it also really enjoys sponge power

I also am just waiting for that next growth spurt to hit. Looks like it's trying to. a liiiiitle more alk and a liiiiitle more calcium getting sucked up now.

 

[Rickyrooz]

Slowly getting the par to about 330-350 for the top of my colonies. I have been feeding very heavy as well as exporting nutrients quickly as well. Ive been dosing sponge power which i KNOW has been making my sponges go nuts. This morning the HW just looked the best it has looked.

Challenges - Aiptasia -- unfortunately, it also really enjoys sponge power

I also am just waiting for that next growth spurt to hit. Looks like it's trying to. a liiiiitle more alk and a liiiiitle more calcium getting sucked up now.

I would made a Kalk paste solution for your aiptasia issue, I mix a little R/O water with Kalkwasser. I microwave it until it begins to bubble, suck up the solution into a syringe and then I cover the aiptasia with the paste.

 

[Joedubyk]

I would made a Kalk paste solution for your aiptasia issue, I mix a little R/O water with Kalkwasser. I microwave it until it begins to bubble, suck up the solution into a syringe and then I cover the aiptasia with the paste.

That's a solid idea. I have a copper band in there now who is not getting along with the pbt. May have to get him out.

 

[Rickyrooz]

Nice

 

[Joedubyk]

Nice

Luckily the cbb and the pbt are getting along now. I really like the idea of having fish that clean up pests and nussiances. Probably getting some wrasses next