Susan's RS Reefer 3xl 900 Fantasy-Dream Build

blaxsun

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Bet you have longer arms lol's. I'm going to try. I do have a razor scrapper and a couple other long handled tools including a mr clean handle and sponges. I should get 2 or 3 cleaning robots for aquariums but I bet they are costly!
Bet I suck as badly as you might imagine! I do have two Seachem scrapers (the long, curved white ones) which help. Oh, and "Beaker" the Quoy parrotfish is helping me stay on top of any buildup of coralline (although I'm not sure how I feel about him gnawing on the return outlets and comb filter on the overflow).

Did you know parrotfish like to dig burrows? I did not... (and here I thought it was the melanarus making the mess every night)
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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Bet I suck as badly as you might imagine! I do have two Seachem scrapers (the long, curved white ones) which help. Oh, and "Beaker" the Quoy parrotfish is helping me stay on top of any buildup of coralline (although I'm not sure how I feel about him gnawing on the return outlets and comb filter on the overflow).

Did you know parrotfish like to dig burrows? I did not... (and here I thought it was the melanarus making the mess every night)
what is the seachem scrapers? LInk?

This one seems useful. I use the rake to stir the sandbed, along with a long baster/coral feeder. The net will be useless lol's. My rocks are sort of fragile with the tips so that would be a disaster


I'm using this on the back wall. And a tunze long on the glass


will hve to look up parrot fish!
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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Bet I suck as badly as you might imagine! I do have two Seachem scrapers (the long, curved white ones) which help. Oh, and "Beaker" the Quoy parrotfish is helping me stay on top of any buildup of coralline (although I'm not sure how I feel about him gnawing on the return outlets and comb filter on the overflow).

Did you know parrotfish like to dig burrows? I did not... (and here I thought it was the melanarus making the mess every night)
Is your tank with the parrot fish a fish only?
 

blaxsun

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Is your tank with the parrot fish a fish only?
Haha, nope. I've got tons of corals. I managed to snag a reef and invert-safe model! I do keep him well-fed, though, ie: 4 auto-feedings per day, 1/2 a sheet of seaweed and 2 frozen feedings - plus all the coralline he can eat!
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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Haha, nope. I've got tons of corals. I managed to snag a reef and invert-safe model! I do keep him well-fed, though, ie: 4 auto-feedings per day, 1/2 a sheet of seaweed and 2 frozen feedings - plus all the coralline he can eat!
wow. I think I'd be too afraid to try that fish lol's
 

blaxsun

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wow. I think I'd be too afraid to try that fish lol's
He does a fly-by at the 5-second mark. If you're planning a lot of crunchy SPS that may not be the best setup, but mine is mostly soft and LPS.

 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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beau
He does a fly-by at the 5-second mark. If you're planning a lot of crunchy SPS that may not be the best setup, but mine is mostly soft and LPS.
beautiful fish!
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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Adding this here. I did a new thread on generators.

So tonight, power went out. For the first time, we hooked up our generator! So grateful we got this a year or so ago. Normally when power went out, I dug out all the air stones. Just had 2 40 gal tanks and a 125. But now I have a 240 system, brand new and all my corals are doing super so no flow or oxygen in that large of a system could have been fatal.

That generator probably kept my tank fairly stable. I was able to hook up everything, even heaters and lights. So forget the fridge, freezer or computers. That piece of equipment was dedicated to my tank lol's.

Some lessons learned though.
1) I don't have my apex equipment hooked up. So every time we had to shut things down, the 2 cor-20s started at full power and I had to quickly turn them down to 2! Then adjust dial for overflow etc.

2) I have 2 battery backups for the mp40's. Are they plugged in? No, waiting with the apex equipment. They are getting plugged in tonight (now that power is back on) so even if they are not hooked up, they will be charged!

We don't lose power very often but the expense of the generator was more than worth it. Took some stress away and of course, still added some, like when we had to power it down and restart. Got to get my apex up just for the cor-20's!

I would recommend anyone with a large system to invest in a generator and a gal of gas on hand (have to store them without the gas). In the rain I had to run out to the gas station so we could fill it all the way.

Did a cut and paste with images so not sure if they will show up

20211024_204825.jpg



dark house
20211024_204802.jpg


Gave hubby a light lols
20211024_204846.jpg
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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I cannot believe this but ano ther outage tonight. Was at work and hubby called in a panic! My phone vol was off or I'd have seen the alert of the power outage. He got the generator going but had no idea how to turn the cor 20's down. 2 at full power is way too much lol's. Talked him through it. Got home. almost no water in the return section. Needed to adjust the cors. I have to look at the manual as one click doesn't go down 1 light bar. It seems each light is 2 clicks or 3.

Got everything stable again. Lights back on. Off tomorrow (I hope) and will try to get the apex set up and the energy bar for the cors at least. Need that control panel now lol's.
 
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Susan Edwards

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Update. Just over 3 weeks since water went in. 3 weeks pretty much since fish and corals went in. My goni and alveo are amazing. My sand bed has cleared. Still getting some reddish/brown dusting on glass and back wall. All fish doing well. All corals absolutely thriving.

Numbers are stabilizing. Opened a new CA test kit and my cal is over 500!!! Water is too clean so will just wait it out. Might do some small pitcher sized water changes as my salt is lower than that! But the alk is stable around 8.6. I'm adding 180 ml today and will see in the am what it is. Close to what I'm needing I think. Mg is around 1440. Nitrates are 5 and po4 0-1 I have to dose still.

Took reactor off but haven't taken it out. Will do that to see if that helps keep some po4 in the tank. Dosing 15 ml of neophos. When it hits 2 I stop. Testing each day or every other day. Alk twice a day.

Stirring the sand with a rake every couple days. Sandbed looking nice. Need to take the mr. clean cleaning pad to the back wall.

Still trying to get time to organize controllers and cords. Can't hook up dosing until I do a temp organization. Using command tape on my walls.

Have to try the apex energy bar again. I had volt errors on it and it wouldn't run the cor 20's. I'll plug it in tomorrow and see if there are still those errors. If so, I'll plug the other one in and see. I can always reformat that one.

So all in all, things going good. Very pleased.

Need to figure out what this is. Sold as a frogspawn but don't think so. A cristata?
20211027_202508.jpg
20211027_202517.jpg
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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Update. Hubby has some of the software written for the adurino box for the water station. Video below of his "test"

I have 2 days off so am going to tackle the apex again. The power boxes aren't showing a volt error but I didn't try plugging in the pumps yet. Want to have a day to do this, although getting the 3rd booster tomorrow, so hope I feel good! Last 2 shots I've been sick...

tank doing very well. Some of the dusting on the rocks show some tiny bubbles but nothing obviously dino's or cyano. Some dusting of reddish brown on powerheads. Time to clean off back wall and powerheads. Sand bed clear. Raking sand every 3 days or so. No water changes yet as tank is almost too clean.

Ca 520 High. I started using a new test kit so I think my other one was not giving me the right numbers.
Mg 1420
Alk 8.6 Dosing 150 today. Will test before bed and dose final 50 ml then see what it is in AM. Did 60/60/50 yesterday and had 8.6 this morning. So that might be close to what my tank needs to maintain 8.5-8.8
NO3 5
Po 4 .09 Took out the reactor. Can't remember if I dosed neophos this morning. Don't think so. Will ck it tomorrow evening.

Need to get my ato hooked up (need to clear my rats nest of cords/cables first) and hook up dosing. Then will come the awc but no rush there.

All in all, super happy with this tank and feel like it really is my dream tank. Need to do an updated video and full tank shot.


Things on my list to upgrade to:
Instead of the trident. I just don't see the need to test 4 times a day
And a clearview lid. The diy is fine for now but is a bit of a pain.
 
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Susan Edwards

Susan Edwards

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Did my glass cleaning today even with a fever! Vaccines suck but am grateful to have it, even if I feel yuck with a fever.

I see some tiny bubbles on a couple rocks but over all, all is good. Alk stabilizing, have some po4. Everything looks happy. Need to move the orange pavona down. It's the least happy, and my mohawks are too close to the giant cinnamon palys.

20211102_183834.jpg
 

fishguy242

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50 grand and still hanging towels and cups on doors...:oops: :D true reefer...;)
hope you feel better soon...:)
 
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Susan Edwards

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Susan Edwards

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Oh, forgot to add that I've seen the first signs of coraline algae. Not thrilled lol's. It's on the return nozzles which will be impossible to keep off and on my gyres. Those get back I can soak in vinegar. Not looking forward to cleaning it off glass or back wall...
 

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Oh, forgot to add that I've seen the first signs of coraline algae. Not thrilled lol's. It's on the return nozzles which will be impossible to keep off and on my gyres. Those get back I can soak in vinegar. Not looking forward to cleaning it off glass or back wall...
So pretty and such a pain at the same time. :)
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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