The Journey - Reboot of the 120

[pdiehm]

This this is close. Ammonia is falling from 2ppm to 0.5 in 48 hours. Nitrites are in the 0.5 range. Dosed 2ppm ammonia tonight. Figure another couple days or so and we'll do a massive water change and get the clowns back into the tank.

And guess what!?!?!!? My anemone still hasn't moved.

 

[pdiehm]

We are close to being cycled. 4 weeks today I started. 48 hours after dosing 2ppm ammonia, both ammonia and nitrites are 0.

Dosed 2ppm again tonight and god willing, be at 0ppm tomorrow and I make new saltwater Sunday and add my clowns back in Monday when the temps get to 78-79

 

[rck329]

Following along.

I'm doing a similar thing but haven't started yet. Definitely going bare bottom and starting with dry rock (bleach and acid approach). Curious to see how your's works out.

Where did you get your rock from?

Nice avatar btw!

 

[pdiehm]

Following along.

I'm doing a similar thing but haven't started yet. Definitely going bare bottom and starting with dry rock (bleach and acid approach). Curious to see how your's works out.

Where did you get your rock from?

Nice avatar btw!

Got my Pukani from BRS a few years ago. I did not acid bath it then. Just let it sit in water for 8 weeks.

If I had to do over again, would use a different rock. I find it very difficult to aquascape with. It looks awesome but for me, it's hard to blend and lock together.

 

[pdiehm]

And 24 hours after adding 2ppm ammonium chloride, I have no ammonia or nitrites.

Can you say "cycled"? A huge 120 gallon change tomorrow and once up to temp, the clowns will be back in their home!

 

[pdiehm]

The blenny is eating! Brine shrimp was the trick. He has colored up to a golden color. Still skittish but eating.

 

[pdiehm]

77 degrees. Bout to take some par readings and move the clowns over. Also will test ammonia and nitrite to make sure along with salinity, alk, calcium and magnesium as the baseline.

 

[pdiehm]

The rocks on the left kinda fell, but I like it. Big caves, and my dead spot is easily siphoned out.

 

[pdiehm]

First tests:

Salinity: 1.026
Alk: 8.3
Nitrate: 8 (estimated, was a deep pink for Red Sea Pro test)
pH: Unavailable
Calcium: 475
Magnesium: 1500

 

[pdiehm]

Toyed with the light last night, as I didn't like the look of it at 100% blues and 50% whites. Trying to get an 18k to 20K look, but the settings only got me about 180 on the rocks using my seneye. Ultimately got the light at 100% blues, 35% whites and reds. got me 270-330 across the rockwork.

Testing was done without the gyre pumps on. Not a big fan of the tank look, but it's better than the 50% white. It doesn't look bad. I have 2 dead zones (one on each side of the tank) where detritus and rock crumbs are gathering, but looks like it'll be easily accessible with my siphon hose.

the clowns are adjusting really well back in their home. The Midas Blenny is a really pretty fish. Deep Dark gold, with bright blue eyes, and a bright gold area around the head/neck gill area. Shy fish at the moment still, but is eating dried Brine shrimp, and frozen brine shrimp. Goal is now to get him to take some of my LRS Reef Frenzy food. I see no signs of illness, so I think I will not add Cupramine to his tank, and just observe. If I see some symptoms, will act accordingly, but he really looks good. Gotta get some weight on him. Feeding him when I get home from work (4PM) and before bed (10:30 PM) or so.

 

[pdiehm]

Wish list: Maxspect advanced controller. Waiting on word for my apex replacement, which I'm sure will either be $185 to fix or $220 for a new.

 

[pdiehm]

While I should be working, I was just browsing various sites. In addition to the 2 clowns (in the tank), and Midas Blenny (QT)

Fish to be added: Small school of Threadfin Cardinals (5), a pair of flasher wrasse (McCoskers, and Yellow Fin or Filamented), Yellow Tang, Tomini Tang and a Hippo Tang. Would love a Coral Beauty angel, but I know my luck, and after talking to about 6 shop owners locally, and all saying it'll be fine, my luck is that I'd get the one that nips and eats corals. That's just how I roll.

Then I started looking at corals. To start will be 2 or 3 stylophoras (purple definitely), 1 or 2 birdsnests, Bali-Green Slimer, and something else. That would give me 7-8 corals to place and hopefully grow! My plan is to have my tank fully stocked with fish, let that aspect stabilize, then bring in the corals.

 

[pdiehm]

Tests today! Test Day Saturday!

Disclaimer: I misread the test for Nitrate last week. Definitely not 8, but will explain that in a second.

Salinity: 1.026
Alkalinity: 8.0
Calcium: 475
Nitrate: 2-4
Temp: 78-ish

Ok, I wish someone would make a digital nitrate test, because I utterly hate color tests. How often does a test actually match the colors on the card? In my case, next to zero, unless the test reads zero. Using my Nitrate Pro Test from Red Sea, I tested and figured, oh it's over 4. Not an overly big deal given that there'll be fish only for a few times while the tank finds itself. For grins and chuckles, I did the high range test (1ml tank water, 15ml RODI). Test was 0ppm. So that leads me to believe I'm at max 4ppm. But the color wasn't quite red, but a darker pink color. So I am going with 2-4ppm since the high range was clear like my comparison sample.

A few thoughts. Last week the Alk was 8.3 & Calcium was 475. This week the Alk dropped 0.3 (very much within the user error/test error range) and the Calcium did not change. I do not think I'll do a water change this week, but do 20 gallon next week. With my system volume at roughly 117 gallons, a 10 gallon change is roughly 8.5%...so the option is either do 10g or 15g changes weekly. 15g is 12.9%...But right now, I don't expect much change in the water parameters from week to week. Once I start getting algae, I'll toss in my 5 Trochus snails, which are also covered in Coraline algae, and hopefully get some coraline growing, which will be indicator one that my tank will be close to ready for corals.

So quick little poll: 10 gallon or 15g changes each week?

 

[Scurvy]

In the early going i think youll be ok with 10gallons bi - weekly unless you see nitrates climbing. Not being stocked yet means not much being used so why change more.

Longer term if it were my tank and nutrients stayed similar to where you have em now id prolly do 15 every other week or 20 even monthly. Again thats if it were me. I currently do 10g monthly in my Reefer 250.

 

[pdiehm]

Tests tonight as I am leaving for a week.

Salinity 1.026
Alkalinity 7.7
Nitrate 32
Calcium 500

Nitrate's are much much higher, no idea why. Did a 10g change today, and I didn't expect it to do much, but I did siphon out a lot of detritus that had gathered in the 2 dead spots. I will remove the filter sock before I leave. That may be part of the problem.

Alkalinity is lower than i would like, and I wouldn't think Calcium would be as high as it is...always thought those 2 would be in proportion, but my magnesium test was at 1500, so maybe my system is in balance.

Feeding is not an issue, as I feed the clowns every other day, and drop in 3 crab bites twice a week for the hermits. I am starting to see some diatoms. Biggest thing for me is getting my alkalinity up to 8.5, and my nitrates down to under 5ppm. Until that happens, there isn't a coral alive that would be ok in this tank.

 

[pdiehm]

Well, back from vacation! Seeing algae! I am excited because the first time, this tank never had an ugly phase to start. Not running GFO yet, trying not to.

Water test today:

pH (uncalibrated): 8.7 ... it's not calibrated, waiting to see if apex issues are fixed before calibrating.
Temp: 78.5
Alk: 7.2 (raising to 8.5)
Calcium: 500
Nitrate: 24
Salinity: 1.026

Midas blenny goes in next Saturday. He is doing well.

 

[pdiehm]

Hooked up the apex after being repaired by @neptunesystems and whaddya know? The disconnect issues still remain. Waste of money and time.

What I need to have done is someone log onto my apex and my router and do whatever needs to be done because it's very clear that I know more about women than I do about computers...and that's not alot

 

[pdiehm]

Was told/advised to add sand to my tank because it will help provide stuff to grow corals. Also told if I do, to not touch it. No vacuuming, no stirring.

Interesting thoughts given what every talks about on these forums.

 

[pdiehm]

And I have clownfish eggs!!

 

[pdiehm]

After 8 weeks and 3 days...it finally got off the rock! It's placed in the reboot. I do not expect it to stay there but that's ok!

I can finally clean the rock it was on and add my arch rock to the structure in a few days!