Stanleo's 120 gl mixed reef

[stanleo]

Temp 78F
Salinity 33 ppt
pH 8.1 API
Alkalinity 9.5 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 440 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1440 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .1 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

I was sick over the weekend but was still keeping up with topping off the tank. My husband saw that the water level was getting low cause the filter socks needed changed and decided to dump a gallon of fresh RO in the sump while I was sleeping. Also I calibrated my refractometer with Brightwell calibration liquid and those are the reasons my salinity dropped.

I am still doing 10mL a day each of the 2 part.

 

[stanleo]

Temp 78F
Salinity 34 ppt
pH 8.1 API
Alkalinity 10.1 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 450 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1440 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .1 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

 

[stanleo]

I was really busy with the fish room and other things last week and didn't do my regular tests. I did do my normal water change yesterday and did the tests today.

Temp 78F
Salinity 34 ppt
pH 8.1 API
Alkalinity 8.4 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 440 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1480 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .03 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

 

[stanleo]

Exciting news. The fishroom is done! Everything is plumbed to the basement and the heaters are in the sump so the only things in the DT are the powerheads, overflow box and the return. Everything is working the way I wanted it to. I am so happy with how it turned out! This system is now 150 gallons. I still have to drill the frag tank before that is done but the plumbing is all there.

I did water tests today to make sure everything is right and it is that time of the week. Everything looks good but the Alk is still bouncing. I will have to test that everyday now to monitor but testing was so much easier with everything right there.

Temp 78F
Salinity 35 ppt
pH 8.1 API
Alkalinity 9 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 440 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1440 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .03 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

 

[stanleo]

Temp 78F
Salinity 35 ppt
pH 8.1 API
Alkalinity 9 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 450 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1480 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .03 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

 

[stanleo]

It's been too long since I have updated this thread.

Things are stable. Except I have had some algae issues particularly on my birdsnest coral. I believe its because I waited way too long to change the filters on my RO unit. The TDS read crazy high so I changed those and hopefully that will solve it.

The sump is great in the basement and the fish room works out really well. I am still hoping to get some new fish but with the COVID still happening it's hard to find anything at a reasonable price. My chaeto grows really well and I have a thriving population of pods and mysis shrimp in there. I have found them in the return chamber so I am sure they are getting into the display.

The fish all seem happy and healthy. Haven't had any disease or death. I did recently about a month ago add a few new hermits because I was only finding 6 at a time. The Xenias and kenya trees are everywhere and I don't know how to frag right so I am hesitant to remove them. I like the way it looks though so I am not too concerned. The Monti is growing very well. As is the hammer and the mushrooms. I want to get a maxima clam but the only one I have seen at the stores is 7 inches long for 190$. Good price I think but it may be too big for the spot I want it.

I did about 20 pounds of rock to the display and some in the sump a couple months ago.

Here are some updated pics. I just changed out the carbon before taking the tank shot so the water looks a little cloudy.

 

[stanleo]

Got out the good camera today and took some pics after a water change.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Some ideas...I am looking to build a 120g setup. Unfortunately, two LFS near me say their distributors are out of the 120g size. I might have to just downsize to the 90g.

 

[stanleo]

Got some new friends this week. Three things I have always wanted. A large maxima clam, a flame angel and green mandarin. The mandarin after two days is finally feeling brave enough to come out of the rocks and say hi long enough to get this photo. I just added flame angel today. I hope they are all happy. I have seen the mandarin constantly hunting and pecking at the rocks but he hasn't eaten frozen food yet however I am sure there is plenty of pods in there for him.

 

[stanleo]

The clam didn't make it. I think I got a sick one. The flame angel died in a couple days but the mandarin is healthy and happy.

Last week I ran some tests and my alk was at 5.6. I posted and was advised to start dosing soda ash from BRS and over the course of 4 days I got it up to 9 and want to keep that way. After I got it to 9 I tested 24 hours later and figured out that my tank uses up 0.5 dkh in a day so I need to dose 50 ml of soda ash a day to keep it stable. I got a Hygger 4 pump dosing pump and have it set to go off 5 times a day for 10 ml each. So far so good.

I have started fragging the Xenia and Kenya trees and keeping a frag tank in the fish room with a six line wrasse and some astrea snails. I have a hard time getting rid of them but I did exchange a couple for a nice monti cap that seems to be doing well.

 

[stanleo]

The mandarin is doing great. My cleaner shrimp died today. Had him exactly one year. I looked it up and saw they live an average of 3 years so I am not sure if I should be concerned. Sad definitely cause I liked that shrimp. Also lost an emerald crab as well. I haven't missed any water changes and I did my weekly tests yesterday. The only thing off was the alk at 10.1 and it is supposed to be 9 with the dosing. I lowered the dosing to 8 ml every 5 hours instead of 10 ml to see if that keeps it stable.

I got a lawnmower blenny and a diamond goby. Blenny is a little work horse but the goby rarely comes out of is hole and has yet to find the pistol shrimp that is in there. That or they don't like each other. The sand is still getting what I think is cyano but its not a lot so I don't worry too much. My sand sifting star is still going strong. coming up on 18 months.

My corals seem to be doing great. The montis are fully attached to the rock and the new red cap has nearly doubled in two months. The hammer has two new heads, and I am going to have to thin out all the softies again. The birdsnest is growing but it does have algae on part of it. The only coral that isn't so hot is the yellow finger. It is almost gone. I just can't keep up with target feeding it. I will definitely steer clear of non photosynthetic corals.

Aiptasia is the bane of my existence. I have tried zapping them with Aiptasia X, 6 peppermint shrimp and berghia nudis and nothing has worked. I think I am just going to keep zapping them around the corals and admit defeat.

Temp 78F
Salinity 35 ppt
pH 8.1 API
Alkalinity 10.1 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 440 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1480 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .03 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

Pic was taken today.

 

[stanleo]

On Saturday I went with some internet friends on a tour of five LFS's around Charlotte and had a blast. I picked up some goodies. I nice lobo and an acro with a clam attached to the disk it was on. They gave me a two for one kind of deal so I couldn't pass that up. I also found a nice specimen of a powder brown tang for 50 bucks so I got it. He was gone the next morning. Not sure if the 1.5 hours of acclimation was not enough or the yellow tang just beat him to death. It was still a great experience and I can't wait to do it again.

 

[stanleo]

I fragged the new acro and glue high in the tank and it is bleaching bad. I lowered my lights to 80% in the hopes that it would help.

Since I have kept my Alk stable at 9dkh my calcium has been steadily dropping so got BRS Calcium Chloride and dosed it back up to 450 ppm yesterday. On Wednesday when I do my usual tests I will see how much calcium the tank uses and start auto dosing that as well. Really excited that my tank is getting this stable.

I still haven't gotten the lobo to eat anything. It looks fine. Maybe it just needs more time.

I got a nice pic of the clam in all white light.

 

[stanleo]

So after 5 days I figured out that the tank uses 10 ppm of calcium so I figgured out my dosing and it seems to have works. My calcium was stable this week at 450 ppm.

I did my water change today and didn't have to touch the sand bed because it was pristine white. First time that has happened. I don't know if its the watchmen goby or the Caribbean velvet shrimp or the stable alk or what but I like it.

Took some pics from above with all the pumps off and I like it.

 

[stanleo]

Been a while since I have updated this. So here goes.

Tank is still doing well. Although the clam and the acro didn't survive. I think I give up on clams but I might try the acro again. New additions this week was a duncan coral with several heads and a powder brown tang that is just beautiful. I have been wanting one for a while and I got an acclimation box this time to get the yellow used to him. First day he went after the new guy but on day 2 and 3 didn't even acknowledge its presence so I thought we were in the clear. I released him during feeding and after the food was gone the yellow went on the war path. I put a mirror up and that stopped the aggression toward the new tang but both fish are attacking their reflections. They still ate well today so I

don't think it is an issue. They actually seem to be bonding over their shared hatred for the other fish in the mirror.

My light for the fuge was going bad so I replaced it with a grow light from Lowe's for 100 bucks. It has exceeded expectations and the chaeto grows like crazy again. I won't ever spend the hundreds on fuge lights when this seems to work so well.

I am now dosing soda ash 60 ml daily, calcium carbonate 72 ml daily and magnesium 10 ml daily. Last tests were this past Wednesday

Temp 78F
Salinity 35 ppt
pH 8.2 API
Alkalinity 9.6 dKH Red Sea
Calcium 410 ppm Red Sea
Magnesium 1280 ppm Red Sea
Phosphate .03 ppm Salifert
Nitrate 2 ppm Salifert

 

[Ippyroy]

Looking good. Gorgeous fish. I love the "shared hatred of fish in mirror." That cracked me up.

 

[stanleo]

Looking good. Gorgeous fish. I love the "shared hatred of fish in mirror." That cracked me up.

Thank you. It's really funny to watch them. They act like gang members going after a rival gang.

 

[stanleo]

I did a Triton ICP test and these are the results.

Triton Applied Reef Bioscience are the world leaders in professional sea water analysis.

Empowering aquarists around the world since 2008. Click to view shared sea water analysis.

www.triton-lab.de

Everything is in the green except Lithium is high and potassium and iodine is low. Overall I am really happy with results and the numbers that I test for at home, Magnesium, calcium and phosphate that are on the test are not far off the results I got the day I took the sample. So I am pleased with my home testing as well.

I am not going to do anything about the Lithium for the time being. But I ordered Triton reagent iodine and Triton reagent potassium and dose those for a couple weeks while still doing everything the same and then do another Triton test to see where things are then.

 

[stanleo]

 

[stanleo]

Ok now we are way out of control!! I bought an Apex! I set it up and so far I love it. I had an old iPad laying around and I am using that for a headsup display on the hood of my DT. And I bought an inexpensive tablet for a headsup display in the fish room next to the Apex.

I have everything for the tang on it except the powerheads in the DT and the lights for the DT. The lights work on their own program that I can access on my phone or tablet. In fact I put that app on the iPad that is on the hood so I can control everything from there. I love that.

I have the ATO and skimmer set up so when I turn the return pump off for water changes they turn off at the same time. When the return pump turns back on, the skimmer turns back on 5 minutes later and the ATO back on in 30 minutes.