Starting back into corals, need some advise!

[Kooma]

I started my salty journey back in 2012, and have moved up from a 16 gal, to 32 gal biocube, then went to a 36x24x16 rimless miracles tank. When I moved in 2016, I had to shut down the tank and it ended up getting sold around 2018 after not setting it back up. I kept two clowns in a 10 gal with a HOB and a heater, and they have survived some pretty serious neglect as we renovated two houses and moved twice. I was able to find a 32 biocube, cheap but in rough shape around 2018 and moved the fish into here with a bit of my old live rock.

I haven't done much with the tank since I set it up, other than moving houses and keeping them topped off and fed. My son is now old enough to show interest, and its sparking my interest in the hobby. I started running before I checked if I could walk (bought new coral and a nem.. i know, bad Kooma!), but so far my old habits are coming back and things are going well.


Heres my setup. Ill grab some picture when the light are on tomorrow.
32 Gal Biocube and stand, rimless mod in 2018.
Kessil A80 tuna blue
Tunze 9001 skimmer
100 Watt heater
Tunze Ozmolator ATO
Maxi1200 Return pump
2nd chamber light mounted to the back glass. Used to grow cheato but it died off, I think i bottomed my phos at some point
500VA UPS

Not sure the exact for live rock, probably 20lbs.
2 ocelaris clowns that I have had for 12 years
1 RBTA
1 hammer frag
2x emeralds
1x scarlet hermit

Water:
78.7F
Nitrate: about 40ppm
Alk: 9.1
Mag: 1020
Phos: 0.51
Cal: 520
Salinity 1.023

I use a SpectraPure 90 RODI system and house about 40 Gal of RODI at all times. I mix and WC about every two weeks, 5 gal. I mix with IO Reef Crystals, last WC was Sunday.

Looking for some help, where to start on phosphate and nitrate, and dosing. I have never dosed, but had good success through water changes running a LPS and SPS tank in the past. Maybe I was just lucky. I have lots of seachem reef advantage calc, mag and reef builder that are older but new. A bit of the phos media too.

Here is where I started:

I was going to move to the 32 Biocube, but tried to drill it and broke the back glass.. I ordered one from Miracles.

I have always been a big tech nerd, so I kept getting the fancy gear. Plus I was living at home!

Unfortunately when I moved to our first house, i took it down, sold most everything, and mothballed the tank. two years later I figured i wouldnt have time or $$$ to start again, so I sold the tank and stand. Regretting that now...

Here is the most over equipped 10 gallon ever seen with a gyre, radion XR30, and far too big of a heater. Out of this, my clowns were all i didn't sell. they lived here for two years until i found a used biocube.

Day 1 of the used cube.

Happy Reefing!
KOOMA

 

[Tahoe61]

Welcome to R2R. :)

As you already know Biocubes are nice little tanks, easy to work with it.
You still have the clowns?
You sold the Radion as well?

 

[Kooma]

Welcome to R2R. :)

As you already know Biocubes are nice little tanks, easy to work with it.
You still have the clowns?
You sold the Radion as well?

Thanks!

Yep, still have both clowns. The Radion died after about 4 years. I wish I still had it, they are $1,500 now... I suspect the A80 is barely enough light for the Biocube.

 

[Tahoe61]

Thanks!

Yep, still have both clowns. The Radion died after about 4 years. I wish I still had it, they are $1,500 now... I suspect the A80 is barely enough light for the Biocube.

Yeah I don't think the Kessil A80 is going to cover it. I was thinking the same about my 14 gallon.
I have seen a lot of modifications for the hoods in the Biocubes, like 12 inch AI blades if I remember correctly.
Are you going to keep the hood?

 

[Kooma]

Yeah I don't think the Kessil A80 is going to cover it. I was thinking the same about my 14 gallon.
I have seen a lot of modifications for the hoods in the Biocubes, like 12 inch AI blades if I remember correctly.
Are you going to keep the hood?

I bought the biocube with dead lights, and had my radion in the hood for a while with a hole cut for the fan. That's probably what killed it, too much salt spray.

The cube is rimless now.

 

[bradreef]

I bought the biocube with dead lights, and had my radion in the hood for a while with a hole cut for the fan. That's probably what killed it, too much salt spray.

The cube is rimless now.

Lots of good lights for a biocube. Depends on what you want to keep. As far as nutrients, it's simply and input vs output balance to maintain. The issue with new systems is the rock and sand isn't biologically established. I find you might need to dose initially, but, once established, food and fish waste should provide nutrients.

 

[Kooma]

Lots of good lights for a biocube. Depends on what you want to keep. As far as nutrients, it's simply and input vs output balance to maintain. The issue with new systems is the rock and sand isn't biologically established. I find you might need to dose initially, but, once established, food and fish waste should provide nutrients.

This tank has been up for about 6 years, the rock is fiji live rock I have had running since 2010 in various tanks. I have always had high nitrates and phosphates, even with decent sized weekly water changes.

Is cheato/macro still popular for reduction without burning through salt?

 

[bradreef]

This tank has been up for about 6 years, the rock if fiji live rock I have had running since 2010 in various tanks. I have always had high nitrates and phosphates, even with decent sized weekly water changes.

Is cheato/macro still popular for reduction without burning through salt?

Yes, skimming, refugium, chemical reduction. But, end of the day, feeding less is the ultimate answer.

 

[Kooma]

Yes, skimming, refugium, chemical reduction. But, end of the day, feeding less is the ultimate answer.

I cleaned and dropped the tunze 9001 back into the second chamber, and ran tests today. Other than fish food, nothing has changed since the last test.

Today:
Temp: 77.8 (I lowered this slightly)
Salinity: 1.023
Alk: 8.9
Mag:1080 (I am surprised to see this come up...)
Phos: 0.54
Calc: 431 (odd drop, might be the hanna)
Nitrate: .30 to .40 (Salifert test kit, tough to read).

Jan 7th:
78.7F
Nitrate: about 40ppm
Alk: 9.1
Mag: 1020
Phos: 0.51
Cal: 520
Salinity 1.023


Going to do a 5 gal water change this weekend and test shortly after to see what a WC exports. It looks like I creep up 0.01 Phos per day. Depending on WC results I may order some GFO, my rock is likely saturated with phosphate from a decade of high levels.

I also finally took a quick photo.

 

[Kooma]

Ran a 5 gal water change. Phos came down to .38, nitrates were still at least 30-40ppm.

Skimmer is running but still dialling it in, I have never had much luck with this tunze 9001. It either does nothing at all, or the cup is full of water in an hour.

Going to retest phos next weekend and see how much it’s climbing, then figure out a plan for reduction.

Anyone aware of I can run GFO in a Phosban 150?