SkiCat's Dream Build: [Saving The] Planet 180 - The Making Of An Epic Aquacultured Mixed Reef

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SkiCatTX

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On that note, what a difference a media makes...

Things are looking up with the Two Little Fishies CDX media. We have hit 8.2 for two days in a row, and the nightly lows have been higher every morning. Let's hope this keeps up for a while!

Screen Shot 2020-09-26 at 5.45.39 PM.jpeg
 

GlassMunky

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On that note, what a difference a media makes...

Things are looking up with the Two Little Fishies CDX media. We have hit 8.2 for two days in a row, and the nightly lows have been higher every morning. Let's hope this keeps up for a while!

Screen Shot 2020-09-26 at 5.45.39 PM.jpeg
I’ve always assumed that the media just didn’t work well cause I and everyone I had talked to had all used the BRS stuff with little result. Good to see that there is a working option out there for if/when I end up needing the CaRx again.

on the topic of PH, I’ve been having the opposite “issue” as you where almost daily for the past couple weeks I’ll get an Apex Alarm that the PH is too high... above 8.4, highest so far is 8.45 with lows of around 8.2
 
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I’ve always assumed that the media just didn’t work well cause I and everyone I had talked to had all used the BRS stuff with little result. Good to see that there is a working option out there for if/when I end up needing the CaRx again.

on the topic of PH, I’ve been having the opposite “issue” as you where almost daily for the past couple weeks I’ll get an Apex Alarm that the PH is too high... above 8.4, highest so far is 8.45 with lows of around 8.2
Wow, interesting "problem". What are you doing to keep it that high?

Also, obvious, but I assume you've calibrated recently? I had that problem a few years ago when my pH was reading high, but then I calibrated and realized that the Apex probe was reading .2 high, so it was actually normal.

Actually, it occurs to me that I haven't calibrated mine since when I first installed it a couple of months ago, so it might be worth checking just in case.
 

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Wow, interesting "problem". What are you doing to keep it that high?

Also, obvious, but I assume you've calibrated recently? I had that problem a few years ago when my pH was reading high, but then I calibrated and realized that the Apex probe was reading .2 high, so it was actually normal.

Actually, it occurs to me that I haven't calibrated mine since when I first installed it a couple of months ago, so it might be worth checking just in case.
I’m not doing anything. Almost all corals have been removed from the tank (cause they die) so there’s only about 4 left so no dosing of any kind, and no additives of any kind either. Just feed the tank. I haven’t calibrated them recently but I have 2 probes in the system and both are reading within 0.1 of each other at all times so I assume they are correct.
It is interesting because the QT tank 1 split-level lower in the den stays between 7.7-8.0 at all times. Only difference Other than 30 lateral feet and 6 vertical feet of space between them is that tank doesn’t have a fuge like the 200 so maybe the added respiration of the macro is contributing to it?

I’m just happy I’ve finally managed tore-stabilize the QT tanks ALK after a dosing mishap where I didn’t realize it was out of liquid for a week..... whoops lol
 

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Nooo, found this in the invert QT tank this morning. Terrible phone pics:

IMG_2893.jpeg
IMG_2895.jpeg


I haven't had Aptasia in my tanks in years. I'm so glad I decided to QT all the snails, or this would be in the display right now...

Going to try injecting with Kalk first.
Can you just scoop it out?
 
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Can you just scoop it out?
Always the best option if possible
Hehe, yeah, I thought it was attached to the back of the tank but it was actually just on sand. I was able to grab the sand with giant tweezers and just threw it away. Now on the lookout for any more...
 
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I updated the PAR numbers after adding the 3rd light. It's not a whole lot higher in many cases, mainly because the two existing lights were moved farther apart while adding the one in the center. I suspect that it's just a bit more even instead since there isn't a lot of overlap at the current spacing.

IMG_2879.jpeg
 
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Also, after the discussion of pH and calibration I decided to check my probe...and wouldn't you know it, it appears it was reading about .25 low...that would explain a lot.

Screen Shot 2020-09-30 at 9.03.33 AM.png


I first just put the probe into the 7.0 fluid and it read way off, so I went ahead and did the calibration. This is strange since I just did this a couple of months ago. I will order some more calibration packets and test again in a week or so, just to be sure this wasn't just a bad calibration. After the calibration, I tested the solutions again and it read right on 7.0 and 10.0.

This implies that the "bad" CO2 media wasn't as bad as it appeared. However, the performance was still different between them, and so far the CDX media far outperforms the others that I have tested. It also turns color, there is definitely visible purple in the canister this time, unlike all the others. I went ahead and ordered another 3 liters of it.
 

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Fish have arrived!

I was a bit worried when the box arrived 4 hours late and completely soaked on the outside.
IMG_2862.jpeg


And even more so when I opened the box and both fish were lying motionless on their sides in the bottom of the bags.
IMG_2864.jpeg
IMG_2868.jpeg
IMG_2869.jpeg


However, they both have since perked up and are swimming. The purple tang appears to now be just fine. He hasn't eaten yet, but is swimming normally even when I'm around the tank.
IMG_2871.jpeg


The rabbitfish is more skittish. He will get up and swim when noone's around. In fact, as I'm sitting here writing this he is swimming. But if I even motion toward picking up my phone to take a picture he plops back down on the bottom of the tank, dead and discolored, playing opossum. It would be quite comical if it weren't so stressful...
IMG_2872.jpeg


I might try setting up my tripod and waiting to get a candid shot of him later.
Thank you for the order Ski! I'm glad to see they're doing well. I know the rabbitfish will come around, we have them in all of our coral grow-out tanks and for the first few weeks they do the same thing. We've got one in our Green Star polyp tank that likes to lay in the "grass" whenever we're grabbing frags.
 
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Thank you for the order Ski! I'm glad to see they're doing well. I know the rabbitfish will come around, we have them in all of our coral grow-out tanks and for the first few weeks they do the same thing. We've got one in our Green Star polyp tank that likes to lay in the "grass" whenever we're grabbing frags.
Hey! Always happy to support captive-bred and aquaculture efforts whenever possible!

They are both doing well so far and eating a lot. The tang isn't interested in nori at all, but the rabbitfish eats it. They will both take mysis and TDO pellets. I have been dropping in small amounts throughout the day, as they are sitting right next to my desk.

The tang seems to have mellowed and swims around constantly, methodically covering the whole volume. The rabbitfish swims when he thinks no one is around, mostly just pacing back and forth in the small tank, but a sudden movement in the room and he'll flop over on the bottom. If he gets startled, he'll swim and hide so fast he'll throw water out of the tank! Definitely need the top before he can go into the display.
 
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I haven't mentioned it here yet, but a while back I ordered a lid for the display from Top Lids. I was initially concerned with some reviews of them, however, nearly all complained about how long it took to get the lid, and responsiveness to questions, rather than the quality. Every review of an actual unit online or on YouTube was just amazing, so I have high hopes.

It's clear in two sections with two feed doors in the front. The two parts should make it easier to take off and to clean.

image003.png


This week marks the 9-week point, which is about what I figured. They claimed it could be done by 6 weeks, but based on other orders I didn't really expect that. They just sent me an update that it should ship next week, so if that holds I'll post a review shortly.
 

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I haven't mentioned it here yet, but a while back I ordered a lid for the display from Top Lids. I was initially concerned with some reviews of them, however, nearly all complained about how long it took to get the lid, and responsiveness to questions, rather than the quality. Every review of an actual unit online or on YouTube was just amazing, so I have high hopes.

It's clear in two sections with two feed doors in the front. The two parts should make it easier to take off and to clean.

image003.png


This week marks the 9-week point, which is about what I figured. They claimed it could be done by 6 weeks, but based on other orders I didn't really expect that. They just sent me an update that it should ship next week, so if that holds I'll post a review shortly.
Love mine regardless of their communication issues
 

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I was really debating between safetop and the clearview Pisces EXO. I would have preferred the safetop lid but the reviews really turned me off. I didn’t want to go through that torture of potentially waiting many many months and having to harass the company.

so I went with the other company. And if it is shipped next week, it looks like it’s about as fast or faster than lead time for AA. I think it helps that you entered into this with very low expectations...
 
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I was really debating between safetop and the clearview Pisces EXO. I would have preferred the safetop lid but the reviews really turned me off. I didn’t want to go through that torture of potentially waiting many many months and having to harass the company.

so I went with the other company. And if it is shipped next week, it looks like it’s about as fast or faster than lead time for AA. I think it helps that you entered into this with very low expectations...
Yes, same here normally. I'm always willing to pay more if necessary , or even wait longer, if it means higher quality, better service, better support, or whatever. But in this case, I couldn't deny the quality of the lids that I saw reviews for, so I went for it. We'll see if that was the right decision...
 
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I did a deep clean of the display this week. I sucked out a bit of sand covered in algae, scrubbed the rocks with my super-duper pipe scrubber, and turned all the wavemakers on high.

Seen here with a standard turkey baster for comparison. Works great when there isn't much on the rocks to worry about damaging.
8BBCB6BB-0CB8-4FC0-A947-F11C37FA173D_1_105_c.jpeg


Problem was that it took several hours to clean all the floating algae out of the water, and it ran out the rest of the Klir roller...I had to change it already after only a week and a half...lame. BTW, it sucks that they switched to a smaller roll, you now get two smaller rolls in the package instead of a single larger one. I'm not sure if it's the same length or not, but it means you have to change it twice as often.

When I put the new roll in, I also added a standard 200u 7" sock to the front slot...which was completely blocked up the next morning, though the water had cleared up by then. Hopefully, that saved me another roll.
 

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