Scott’s 255g CTC build

[Swoody]

That is a beautiful setup.

Thank you so much 1WildBill! I appreciate the kind words, it has been a ton of work over the past month and a half or so and I’m a little bit torn ( ok... a lot!) about leaving it, but I have no choice I must go to work LOL. On the other hand it will be nice to not have my arms up to the armpits in that salt water seven times a day for the next couple of months . Although it’s a trade off now I will have my arms in the Bering Sea salt water for the next 2 1/2 months, and it’s a lot colder!!!

 

[Swoody]

Unfortunately I have no real updates, since I am still floating around the Bering Sea (paying for this little hobby!). I have reports from home that everything is doing well and corals are growing very nicely, with zero losses thus far, which I am very happy about! I installed an Amcrest security camera before I left so I can periodically look in on the tank (can't remember the model but their best one...about $90 or so) and I must say, I am very pleased with the quality of the this camera. Of course being on a satellite out here with limited bandwidth, the reception is not the best... the playback is not fluid but the picture quality is great. Highly recommended!
I have about 40ish days left out here before heading home and I cannot wait to see the results. ATI Essentials seems to be doing a great job with the coral nutrients/water parameters and I can really notice growth on some of the easier to see corals. My wife is taking very good care of things in my absence, however she is more than ready to pass the baton back to me!! At any rate...just touching base and look forward to posting a nice pictorial progress report once I get home. Thanks for your time!

 

[HolisticBear]

Unfortunately I have no real updates, since I am still floating around the Bering Sea (paying for this little hobby!). I have reports from home that everything is doing well and corals are growing very nicely, with zero losses thus far, which I am very happy about! I installed an Amcrest security camera before I left so I can periodically look in on the tank (can't remember the model but their best one...about $90 or so) and I must say, I am very pleased with the quality of the this camera. Of course being on a satellite out here with limited bandwidth, the reception is not the best... the playback is not fluid but the picture quality is great. Highly recommended!
I have about 40ish days left out here before heading home and I cannot wait to see the results. ATI Essentials seems to be doing a great job with the coral nutrients/water parameters and I can really notice growth on some of the easier to see corals. My wife is taking very good care of things in my absence, however she is more than ready to pass the baton back to me!! At any rate...just touching base and look forward to posting a nice pictorial progress report once I get home. Thanks for your time!

Thanks for the update!. I'm sure that camera provides some piece of mind. Good luck and may the sea be calm (which may just be bad joke w/regard to the Bearing Sea).

 

[Carl C]

Scott ! this is great ! thanks for posting !!

 

[count krunk]

If you don't mind me asking, what is it you do? 90 day stints, perhaps oil industry?

in the nature of take one leave one, I am an IT project manager.

Tank also looks amazing!

 

[Swoody]

If you don't mind me asking, what is it you do? 90 day stints, perhaps oil industry?

in the nature of take one leave one, I am an IT project manager.

Tank also looks amazing!

Thank you!! I have been out for over 100 days now but the end is near!! Usually 60-70 is the norm with same time off...Commercial Fishing. I am a USCG licensed Chief Engineer and have been in the fishing industry for almost 30 years now.

 

[1WildBill]

Fish fry at your house when you return!!! Lol

 

[Swoody]

Ok... I guess I have been home long enough to put an update together. It was a long time at sea and am very happy to be home. Much work to do on the tank and new stuff to talk about as well... first off a FTS from a few days ago.

I have to say right off that my wife, as much as she dislikes any part of this other than enjoying looking at it, did a great job with things while I was away... I know she learned quite a bit in 117 days of “forced” reefing .
A few of our SPS frags did not make it (to be expected) which was no big deal as we are still in the buying beginner corals phase for the most part. Obviously it is not cool but at least they were not high end pieces.
All fish continue to thrive and although our Bengaii Cardinal has developed some form of lympho, it remains very active and always hungry.

 

[Swoody]

I left for sea well before things were finished and have quite a wiring mess to take care of.

And this is just one end of the tank. I am tackling this first as well as “properly” routing and securing my dosing tubing and anything else left ajar! Also I bought another Mitras 7206 light so I will be modifying the mounting so it comes from the back instead of the sides to free up the end views.
We also have 5 fish in qt and 1 that someone else is qt’ng for us. On hand there are a M&F pair of Bluejaw Triggerfish, a Midas Blenny, Royal Gramma and a Purple Queen Anthias all doing very well in qt.... also waiting on a juvie Blonde Naso Tang.

 

[Swoody]

Can’t wait to get these guys & gals into the DT! Also picked up a few new corals as well.

I will have to put up some better pics soon as there are some really nice ones there. Also had to buy a bunch of Bergia Nudi’s since we also took up Aiptasia farming while I was away.... (ughh bummer). All in all things are going very well, getting the water params back in order since testing really ain’t the wife’s thing either! lol, but like I said, almost everything still alive!!! Thanks for looking in... more to come in a few days.

 

[HolisticBear]

Props to your wife for tank maintenance, well done, tank looks good.

Looking forward to more updates. The R2R fish experts will have ideas on the cardinal if you want to post over there.

 

[Swoody]

Just throwing an update in as I wait my fight back up to Dutch Harbor. Leaving a bit earlier than expected but got a lot done and will only be gone about a month....
Re-did my lighting setup and now can add one more GHL 7206 when I get home without any mods...wife was a great help!

Also added fish which are pictured in above posts.... everyone doing great but unfortunately we did lose the Queen Anthias... he made it a month and I thought all was well but just really never got to eating like he should and didn’t make it.... beautiful fish, but I’m not sure if I’ll try another one....
Also added some corals and they seem to be doing great thus far...

And here are a couple random shots of how things are looking this week.... looking forward to seeing the growth after a month or so away....

 

[Swoody]

Just throwing an update in as I wait my fight back up to Dutch Harbor. Leaving a bit earlier than expected but got a lot done and will only be gone about a month....
Re-did my lighting setup and now can add one more GHL 7206 when I get home without any mods...wife was a great help!

Also added fish which are pictured in above posts.... everyone doing great but unfortunately we did lose the Queen Anthias... he made it a month and I thought all was well but just really never got to eating like he should and didn’t make it.... beautiful fish, but I’m not sure if I’ll try another one....
Also added some corals and they seem to be doing great thus far...

And here are a couple random shots of how things are looking this week.... looking forward to seeing the growth after a month or so away....

 

[Swoody]

Few more pics

 

[Swoody]

Just hoping the things go well over the next month or so and everyone thrives and grows!! I think there will be a bit of a wait and see period for awhile and probably just rearrange the bottom corals to “ make more sense “..... so fingers crossed.... thanks for looking in.

 

[1WildBill]

I love your tank. Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

[hubcap]

<--------------------that dude over there is jealous.

thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to take us along for your ride. That tank is a piece of artwork.

keep us posted!

-cap

 

[Salty Lemon]

Beautiful photos. I'm following.