Sierra_Bravo's "What did I get myself into??" 120g in-wall build thread

[Sierra_Bravo]

Our Water Params are almost dead on expect for N&P.
That's a head scratcher for me. I had Nitrate around 5, and Phosphates around .05-.1 when I started tank.
Slowly they rose and won't come down. P was higher but I started using Phosguard (just recently)
I have an Algae Scrubber with Cheato (restarted recently)
MAYBE IF FEED MY FISH TOO MUCH, and 2 Times a Week I Feed Corals Reef Roids, and some Aminos.
I'm not complaining, since I rather feed fish then have to add stuff to bring up N&P.

I need to rewind and read about your Filtration. Especially how you bring down Nitrates.
Maybe the few months you are ahead of me, is predicting my future.

I have a bubble magus curve 7 for a skimmer and a large colony of chaeto in the sump. At the beginning I ran GFO but was able to shut down that reactor about three months ago and haven't used it since. My nitrates have never been over 10, but that was only one time. They used to stay steady at around 4 ppm but then disappeared completely and everything started looking dull. That's when I started dosing NO3 manually when it needed it.

As for feeding, I feed pretty heavy - four times a day. I give them a frozen food mix in the morning, then autofeed Marine S pellets three times throughout the remainder of the day. I put a sheet of nori per day for the tangs and angel. I feed Reef Roids and Reef Chili four nights a week. Other than that I dose acropower, about 2 ml every other day. I don't have a clue if the aminos do anything or not, to be honest. Despite all that food I still need to dose PO4 and NO3 on an irregular basis.

 

[WallyB]

I have a bubble magus curve 7 for a skimmer and a large colony of chaeto in the sump. At the beginning I ran GFO but was able to shut down that reactor about three months ago and haven't used it since. My nitrates have never been over 10, but that was only one time. They used to stay steady at around 4 ppm but then disappeared completely and everything started looking dull. That's when I started dosing NO3 manually when it needed it.

As for feeding, I feed pretty heavy - four times a day. I give them a frozen food mix in the morning, then autofeed Marine S pellets three times throughout the remainder of the day. I put a sheet of nori per day for the tangs and angel. I feed Reef Roids and Reef Chili four nights a week. Other than that I dose acropower, about 2 ml every other day. I don't have a clue if the aminos do anything or not, to be honest. Despite all that food I still need to dose PO4 and NO3 on an irregular basis.

Interesting.
Our tanks are twins. I feed everything you do (4x), similar Fish Foods (Frozen,Pellets,Flake & Nori). Same coral foods (RR+Coral Frenzy, AF Foods).
A bit of AcroPower, once a week. I also do AquaForest (A.B.E.V) but less than recommened.
Cheato Reactor too.
I have two Good skimmers (One is older spare) one runs Wet and one Dry. I don't run any socks or Carbon.
I did start adding bacteria AquaForest BioS, to help with Nitrate since Phosguard treats only Phosphates.

The only thing I have, that you may not have is I added about 3 Litres of Seachem Matrix Media, which will seed with De-nitrification Bacteria. That still has to mature.
You have more rock so basically same thing.

Like I said, I think your tank is just a little ahead of mine. (on maturity/stability).
Friend of mine has similar situation with his slightly older Tank. He has to add Phosphates.

All the best. I am rooting for your best success. I am watching your progress very closely, since it holds a glimpse into my Tanks Similar future.

And I do look forward to your continued, Frag Grow Photos. Things look great. Good Colors and PE.

 

[JBKReef]

Such an amazing build. Sorry to hear about your losses along the way.

Its amazing to see something go from planning, to execution, to existence with such precision. To be a woodworker, plumber, electrician would be so much help in this hobby.

I could not agree more with the frustrations around chromis. I lost 5 Caribbean blue reef chromis in QT, and then tried again with much cheaper blue green, started out with 6 and killed each other until only 1 remained. He's the only chromis in my tank and I will no longer try to QT them. Just a waste and pointless.

I hope things continue to recover well!

 

[WallyB]

I could not agree more with the frustrations around chromis. I lost 5 Caribbean blue reef chromis in QT, and then tried again with much cheaper blue green, started out with 6 and killed each other until only 1 remained. He's the only chromis in my tank and I will no longer try to QT them. Just a waste and pointless.

Same thing happened to me. Started with 7 Blue Green Chromis (Beautiful School) many months ago. NOW, as of last week....One left. (They one, by one, killed each other off, in DT). Mean fish (to each other)

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Ughh - my Ruby Red Dragonet booked a one way flight out of the tank and onto my fish room floor last night. To add insult to injury, I found him by stepping on him with my bare foot. When I looked down in my sleepy still-hadn't-had-coffeee state my very first thought was "Who the heck left a piece of Slim Jim on the floor of my fish room?" So I kicked it off the rubber mat out of the way. It was then I realized "Oh, no!" Darn fish - one of my favorites to watch. RIP lil' guy.

 

[FarmerTy]

Ughh - my Ruby Red Dragonet booked a one way flight out of the tank and onto my fish room floor last night. To add insult to injury, I found him by stepping on him with my bare foot. When I looked down in my sleepy still-hadn't-had-coffeee state my very first thought was "Who the heck left a piece of Slim Jim on the floor of my fish room?" So I kicked it off the rubber mat out of the way. It was then I realized "Oh, no!" Darn fish - one of my favorites to watch. RIP lil' guy.

Sorry Scott! They are jumpers for sure! Always found them in my overflows!

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Sorry Scott! They are jumpers for sure! Always found them in my overflows!

Funny how a fish you never see move more than 3" at a time can launch themselves out and over the rim.

 

[jolt]

Aw man

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Just a few progress pics of pieces I'm pleased with:

WWC Grafted Sunfire. This. Will. Be. Awesome.

My Foxflame finally has a little yellow:

FarmerTy Ectoplasm is taking off:

ORA Borealis grew at a snail's pace the first 8 mos. Now it is finally moving. Wish I could get a better pic of this; it's cream white with blue tips.

Red Dragon:

Dayglow favia - I thought I had killed it. Little tip - they don't like being scraped off a plug. . .

My newest addition RR Pink Cadillac starting to encrust:

 

[WallyB]

Ahh.....Beautiful EYE CANDY on all Specimens.

NICE Encrustment everywhere !!!

Yes, the Grafted Sunfire has amazing FUTURE Potential. Already it looks Spectacular.

Excellent progress on the Fox Flame. I have one and am patiently waiting for more Yellow Tips.

;Snaphappy Great Photo's ;Snaphappy ;Bucktooth ;Couchpotato Nothing better than good Old REEF P-O-R-N ;Couchpotato ;Bucktooth

 

[WallyB]

Ughh - my Ruby Red Dragonet booked a one way flight out of the tank and onto my fish room floor last night. To add insult to injury, I found him by stepping on him with my bare foot. When I looked down in my sleepy still-hadn't-had-coffeee state my very first thought was "Who the heck left a piece of Slim Jim on the floor of my fish room?" So I kicked it off the rubber mat out of the way. It was then I realized "Oh, no!" Darn fish - one of my favorites to watch. RIP lil' guy.

Sorry to hear. I know how you feel, since it's happened (fish jumping out), to me a few times. It's really upsetting.
Worse when it's a special fish.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

One of my porcelain crabs molted. . . at least I hope he did. I found parts of his shell floating around. Big guy - look at those claws. Note the spirorbid worms attached to them as well, kinda neat. I didn't realize they'd attach to something non-stationary.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Man, I love this one. Baby Blue Eyes.

WWC All-In monti

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

This is how I know I'm about to get a dip in my dKH readings. Whenever I see my allelopathy occurring around my Garf bansai I know there will be a temporary but measurable drop in dKH. I'll start seeing it around other corals also and then I'll have a little growth spurt.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

I have never really noticed this before, but I have some type of green coralline or other algae along with the purple. Hard to see it when my reef lights are on, but if they are off and all my living room lights are on you can see it clearly.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I have never really noticed this before, but I have some type of green coralline or other algae along with the purple. Hard to see it when my reef lights are on, but if they are off and all my living room lights are on you can see it clearly.

I have several spots where coralline comes in green then turns purple. Like this

See how the middle spot already turned? I have some spots half green / half purple. Of course there is coralline that also remains green.

 

[WallyB]

Mostly likely Green Coraline.
If you can get some pink and purple mixed it. The Rocks will loo

One of my porcelain crabs molted. . . at least I hope he did. I found parts of his shell floating around. Big guy - look at those claws. Note the spirorbid worms attached to them as well, kinda neat. I didn't realize they'd attach to something non-stationary.

Cool.....That photo look like from a Dinosaur dig. Piecing together fossils.

 

[WallyB]

I have never really noticed this before, but I have some type of green coralline or other algae along with the purple. Hard to see it when my reef lights are on, but if they are off and all my living room lights are on you can see it clearly.

Good Old GREEN Coralline if it's hard.
Coralline comes in Purple, Pink, Red, Yellow, White and GREEN.
If you get a mix of many colors, rocks look even better.

If it's fuzzy/soft it's either micro algae, or Green Cyano.

Lot of times, I think I have patches of RED CYANO starting up. I have a mini-panic, then a fine scrape proves it's just Coraline. Whew!!

My favorite look is Pink, purple and some red. Green isn't too common, at least for me.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Looky what I got headed my way:

 

[WallyB]

New Toy?

A QT?

New DT?

I decrypted the ORDER #.....and had it re-directed to my place. , so will find out soon