SnookNRedZ's Dual 75 Gallon System(1Year Today!)

[SnookNRedZ]

FTS just a day shy of a month. Snapped some other pics of the new frags, my fish, and some zoas.

Last two pictures are showing the coralline growth on the rocks and bottom glass already. The green slimmer frag is showing polyp receding, hope it’s not stressed, but rather growing... there doesn’t seem to be any tissue loss yet. But will keep my eye on it.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

New year, new reefer. So to speak. I went ahead and implemented a little quarantine system on this shelving. I have my 2 old sumps and my old 17 gallon tank under the 2- 20 gallon long aquariums I scooped up at Petco’a sale.

I added a Paracheilinus mccoskeri into the tank, and like a freaking moron, forgot to dip fish after acclimation. I had recieved a work call pertaining to the Pro Bowl job my company is doing and, well, yeah. Distracted me thought I dipped, but my fresh water was on the dresser and I know I didn’t go over there after I drip acclimated. This morning I noticed my tang has a slight white spot that I fear to be flukes from the introduction of the wrasse. So I’m not messin around anymore. The wrasse seems fine, so does the tang. My clown has what appears so be a laceration on him, so I’ll keep an eye on things and now I have means to treat if need be though. Got some PraziPro on way and will add to my “medicine” selection need be.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Decided to throw together an equipment list. Just in case anyone reading is wondering. And so I don’t forget myself, it’s almost too much to remember off the top of my head.

—Equipment List—

-Gen. 2 Radion xr30
-Gen. 4 Pro Radion xr15
-(2)MP10QD
-Gyre XF-230
-Hydor Smart wave w/
-(2) Hydor Koralia G3 2450
-Tunze Osmolator 5017 ATO
-Bubble Magus Curve 5
-Apex Classic w/ (2) Eb8’s
-Kessil Tuna Flora H80 fuge LED
-Eheim Compacton 3000 return pump
-Reeflink
-Eheim Jager 250W heater
-BRS Deluxe Media Reactor fed by
-(2) Maxi 1200 pump. (1) in fuge section

—Stocking List—

Fish & Inverts
-Pair of snow onyx clownfish
-Khole yellow eye tang
-McCosker wrasse
-Couple of peppermint shrimp
-few turbo snails
-few Ceriths
-few trocus
-few blue leg hermits

Corals:
-Around 15 or so kinds of zoas&palys
-Mystic Sunset Montipora
-Strawberry Montipora
-Green slimmer Acropora

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Also I’ve been keeping a sharp eye on the fish. All seems normal, the spots have dissipated on the tang, and my clowns laceration isn’t raised and looks to be getting smaller. The wrasse is out and about eating well. Still watching them for any signs of stress or scratching and I haven’t seen anything close to this behavior. Or “yaywning” more so then my fish usually do. I still feel like a knuckle head for what I did, but lesson has been learned.

I’ve printed out a little QT packet I made from various threads on this amazing site. I’ve become quite familiar with appropriate methods of QT. Also am breaking the 10 ft away rule, but I simply have no other spot in the home. So it’s gonna have to be a crap shot on that one. I have Prazipro on hand now, and when I get paid Friday, I will have some more meds in the arsenal for future use. My wrasse is fairly small, so I feel now is a great opportunity (now in a month or so) so perhaps add either a flame hawk or some other fish I haven’t kept before. We shall see tho.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Pardon the algae, just going thru thru a small new tank phase, but my Montipora has already grown off the plug onto the rock. Im pretty happy with that growth thus far.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Today’s FTS

Got a decent photo of the wrasse and the monti.

Few night time shots from last night after feeding.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

View of the whole set up. My ugly algae seems to be dissipating slowly. Almost a week away from it being 2 months into life, so it’s expected. Montiora seems to be doing better than the acros. No loss, just no real growth yet. All my zoas are happy, even some that have been closed for months from the move. My fish seem nice and happy. The skimmer is working great as well. I’m having to clean it weekly now as it’s just bubbling out of the holes on top with all sorts of yumminess.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

I found this strainer on Amazon and will use it along with 2 cut Red Sea buckets as a coral dipping station. One being medicated and one being fresh salt water. Cut them 3” from the bottom and seems like it’ll work well.

The assortment of meds and what have you for the tank. Will use as needed, I also have a few more things coming in this week to finish off the equipment necessary to begin qt’ing. The red folder is my packet I put together from the various threads here on R2R. Which will definitely aid in this new venture into the hobby. I’ve never had the funds or space for a qt system, but luckily I could budget this in.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

I have this mesh material from work we use to mesh our bleachers and such for the PGA just sitting around the shop, so I cut me a 8’ by 58” piece of it. I folded it in half to make it about 4’ and it’s doubled up and zip tied at the edges. the light will be very diffused from the fuge now. Looks pretty good too.

It’s held on by some Velcro adhesive strips I cut. It looks like it will be perfect, because I can roll it away in a sense to access the sump from the fuge side or return and skimmer side.

Also took the unfortunate advantage of Drs. F&S closing and finished off my quarantine set up. Heaters, filters, meds, test kits, the whole sha-bang.

Just another shot of the whole shelving system. I’m super satisfied with it. I might have to get me a piece of thicker ply if the weight from the tanks is too much for the wood supplied with this kit from lowes. But well see here soon. I’ll fill one of the 20’s with water next waterchange I do and just run it fallow and see what happens.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

12 days worth of skimmate.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

FTS: day 57 under two different apature settings.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Shots of the fish from this morning. Almost got the wrasse flashing a couple times, but with this iPhone it’s kind of difficult.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Stopped by WWC and got me a new toy.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Works been hectic and it lead me to not change out my filter sock, which in turn probably drove up nitrates in the tank. My monti started losing color and I seen a hazy film on it with a flashlight at night. Changed the sock and did a 20 gallon wc and it looks to be rebounding. Fish seem healthy. And will be when my auto feeder comes in. So they’ll be fed twice a day now, some crossover in the afternoons, and I’ll feed frozen mysis/wwc frozen mix at night. Right now I only feed at night about an hour before “night”

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Tank just reached 3 months into its life last week (24th). The fish are all doing very well, as are my zoanthids. all 15 or so varieties are doing great, however my sps aren't. Ive had some swings obviously that have caused my tri color to completely lose all tissue. its completely gone, and my montis are just not happy, huge chunk of it has died off, looked like it was coming back, and is slowing going again. I'm suspecting it just being a super new system, all my coralline is sucking up the ca and mg before the corals are. because Ive had an explosion of coralline recently. my entire bottom glass is just about covered already, aside from the shadowed portions.

I'm slacking on my 2 week water change schedule because of work, it gets pushed back a couple days past each time. I know this has an affect on what I'm seeing in the tank and with the corals. I'm also running into some bubble algae issues now. I had it from the last tank i had, and it obviously spread back into this one on a snail or something. I scrubbed each rock i re-used maliciously. I have some vibrant that I'm almost sold on trying out at this stage.

I have yet to officially turn the fuge "on" per say. I have a mangrove and some chaeto in a bucket stored outside for now, perks of living in FL, that are just waiting to be added. so doing an algae treatment now would be the best time for it. Or just ignore it and have my fuge take care of it... not sure yet.

Ive left the tank to do its thing, with no new gear or anything since the AFS, which has been great! my wrasse has really packed on some size, and will literally hang out in the feeding ring waiting for food. Its comical.

Any-who, I'm just counting the days till RAP here in 'lando, and perhaps then ill get some new coral/fish/gear.

Ive been contemplating on how I can re budget my way through life to where I can pull the trigger on a full Ca reactor set up for this tank (~$700...). Its about the only thing left i can foresee that i want/need. never had one, and i like tinkering and learning. Hopefully RAP will have a good one in their raffle selection for this year

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Got some shots today of the tank. Added the mangrove and chaeto yesterday and did a little cleaning as well earlier.

Daytime shot

Evening shot

The fuge with just the stand light on. I have the Kessil coming on at 7:00.

Moved this rock during the WC and noticed my sponge population is strong! I can visibly see like 3 different kinds. Lol

Also see how much coralline i have on the glass already. It’s crazy.

Some shots of my zoa rock I’ve had since the 17 gallon. Each colony is 30+

The equipment rack and tank in the background

The sps are just about gone. The chalice I had had perished as well. It’s discouraging, but giving the age and no dosing I do, I can’t blame anyone but myself. The growth, albeit little, that I did have was a minuscule moment of success. But like I mentioned before. I’m sure the swings the tanks going through with it being young, and me being busy has everything to do with it. It’s going to get there. Someday!

 

[SnookNRedZ]

ish just got real ‘round heaah.

Still need a regulator, but payday is mañana, sooo. Lol but I may not buy it just yet. I’m just joking this kinda broke me for a month. But sooner than later I’ll have it running, and can receive my CaRx scout badge of reefing. I should have the gyre up and mounted Sunday when I have a day off.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Stopped by WWC on my way home and scooped up some Funny D’s and Goobstopper zoas. Here’s post dip pictures of the yummy stuff that Coral Rx agitated.

Here’s what I did:

Used the water the frags came with, plus a pre determined amount of water I let drip from my DT during acclimation. I have two of these cut salt buckets. One I premeasured 4 cups of water as a guide to fill the bucket the frags are in. I took 1/4 the recommended amount the bottle said, but just kept the ratio of water to meds the same.(5ml to 4 cups) I had a pipette to blow the plugs and tweezers and bone crushers to scrape them. I cut off the stem of the base on the plug, then used coraffix to glue them on the rock. I did use another bucket to rinse the meds off the plug before this. It was with some fresh salt water I had left from a water change.

This critter was still moving and trying to survive well after the 10 min that I left them in the solution.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Bought my RAP tickets today! I’m pretty excited to see the new venue location this year. I’ve been to 2 previous ones, the first one I won the Hydor Smart wave I have on this tank now in the raffle! Last year I got skunked, so I’m bringing my mom this year who’s my good luck charm. Lol

Shot of the zoa garden.

I’m hoping to have a co2 regulator for the calcium reactor before RAP, so that it’ll be tuned and running. I’d like to give JF a visit again and even my boy PorkSandwich to add to my growing garden. I got the bam bams 2 yrs ago from him, and my JF busted nuggets fell under the rock and died...

I’ve got the controller for the Gyre mounted on my control panel, and am in the process of getting it in the tank, and wires all buttoned up! Excited to tinker with it tomorrow, and see how it improves my flow. Currently I have 2 MP10’s on the back glass, and 2 hydor koralia 2450’s on the sides. I plan on moving both Hydors to the left and have the Gyre on the right side. That should cover me for flow for just about whatever I end up stocking up in here.

 

[SnookNRedZ]

Got the XF-230 in the tank. And I’m quite pleased with it. I scrubbed the Koralia’s too and moved the one over to the left. I have the gyre ramping up to 90% down to -10% every 6 seconds which is awesome. It will reverse the flow briefly, making more random flow that is already in here. I have the 2 Koralias both coming on at the same time every minute now. The MP10s are the same. I did turn the left one up a few percent.