The Journey - Reboot of the 120

[pdiehm]

 

[pdiehm]

Look what came! A new sump will be picked up later this week, and will be redoing the drains to 1" from 1.5". Plan is to sexify it.

 

[pdiehm]

Vortech's added yesterday when I got the WXM. Running this program. Not sure if I like it or not, but we'll see. Any vortech owners with a better program, feel free to chime in!

MP40QD_Right
Set ReefCrst
If Time 10:00 to 12:00 Then ReefCrst
If Time 12:00 to 14:00 Then Lagoon
If Time 14:00 to 16:30 Then Nutrient
If Time 16:30 to 19:30 Then TidalSwl
If Time 19:30 to 21:00 Then Lagoon
If Time 21:00 to 21:30 Then S-Pulse
If Time 21:30 to 23:00 Then ReefCrst
If Time 23:00 to 00:00 Then Quiet
If Time 00:00 to 10:00 Then Night
If FeedA 005 Then Nutrient
If FeedA 000 Then OFF
If FeedD 000 Then OFF

MP40QC_Left
Set AntiSync
If Time 00:00 to 10:00 Then AntiSync
If FeedA 005 Then Anti60
If FeedA 000 Then Const10
If FeedD 000 Then OFF

ReefCrest: 70%
Lagoon: 60%
Nutrient: 100%
Tidal Swirl: 80%
Feed: 5 (haven't added this to the program yet)
Night: 50%
Quiet: (Lagoon Random) 50%
Const10: 20
Sync: 50% (MP40QD_Right is Master)
AntiSync: 35% (MP40QD_Right is Master)
Anti60: 40% (MP40QD_Right is Master)

I have them about 2/3 of the way up on opposite ends of the tank facing each other. Appears to be a good spot. Any lower, and they'll be blowing directly on the top of the rocks.

 

[pdiehm]

Today's tests:

Salinity: 34 ppt
Temp 77.7F
pH: 7.97
Alkalinity: 7.8
Calcium: 465
Magnesium: 1380
Nitrate: between 1-2, call it 2 to be conservative.

Things I know 6 weeks into the barebottom:

* MUCH easier to keep nitrates in check. A few times a week, I siphon out the detritus that has gathered in the right side of the tank, run it through a filter sock, water back into the sump. Nutrient Export.
* Alkalinity for whatever reason, I have a very difficult time keeping in the 8.5 - 9.0 range that I want to keep it at. Nothing is in the tank that should be using up the alkalinity, so that's confusing.
* Calcium is a smidge high, but not overly concerned
* Magnesium is right where I want them.

Once I redo my drain system to accommodate my 302 aquatics sump, will make a shelf to put my doser on, and start figuring that out. After doing 60 gallon water change last night at 8.5 alk, I would figure my alkalinity would be closer to that than from it. Could be a testing error. I grab the hanna tube by the cap, and turn it over 5 times. Gently. I could be doing it wrong.

The 2 tangs are doing well in QT, though the yellow is bossing the Tomini around a little. Tends to relax a bit when I put the algae grazer in the tank. Waiting on 1 more tang before I start my QT clock.

I have some cyano and algae on my rocks and floor. I started running 1/3c Rox 0.8 carbon and 1/2c HC GFO last week. the bottom has started to clear up. I'm kind of excited because I never had this stage before.

 

[pdiehm]

Been a while. The tank is officially in the ugly stage.

Diatoms, some hair algae and cyano. Running 1 cup of high capacity GFO. Lights not on very bright.

Added 14 banded trochus snails, 12 nerites, 12 cerith, and 5 zebra turbo snails.

Tank is progressing at its own pace.

Alkalinity consistently between 7.5 and 7.8. I am pretty sure my ph probe may be going bad. Running fresh air into skimmer and keeping window open for 3 weeks straight, my pH is only at 8.03. My Red Sea ph color test shows approximately 8.3.

The tests today:

Salinity: 35ppt
Temp: 77.7
pH: 8.03
Alk: 7.8
Calcium: 450
Nitrates: 3-4ppm (it's wrong because of the algae).

I have tangs in QT, and have shut my carbon reactor off as I have read that causes HLLE. Tomini and Yellow. Waiting on a 3rd but we will see.

So far, so good. It's moving slow, but now is going through the normal maturing phases it seems

 

[pdiehm]

Finished re-wrapping the 302 aquatics sump. The original wrap was backwards from my drains. Not manufacturer fault, I didn't give instructions.

Just got some gloss white vinyl wrap and voila. Turned out really well.

 

[pdiehm]

Some shots. Tank is through the diatoms/cyano stage. Snails and Tangs did the job nicely.

Last tests:

Temp: 77.7
Salinity: 33ppt
pH: 8.1
Alk: 10.0
Calcium: 500
PO4: 0.05
NO3: 4ppm

Notes: Alk and Calcium a bit high due to adding Kalkwasser to ATO in an attempt to bring up pH from 7.7. Also connected skimmer to outside. Not to mention nothing is using up alk/calcium in the tank yet.

Stocking is a pair of clowns (laying eggs once every 2 weeks it seems), Midas blenny, yellow tang, tomini tang and a GBTA (hiding). The yellow likes to chase the tomini around, so I will put a mirror up once in a while, but then the tomini fights with himself...

Future plans: a small school of cardinals (probably threadfin), and 2-3 flasher wrasse.

 

[pdiehm]

Came home the other day 3 hours after feeding, and the midas blenny was dead. I think that's the final straw with Live Aquaria for me. This one was a Divers Den and just as the others, made it through 30-40 days of QT, but every single fish I've received from them has died within 3 months.

The only fish that have survived are fish from a local shop outside of Philly. Sad, but at least it'll keep me from stocking too fast with fish.

 

[pdiehm]

So been doing some experimenting. Wondered why my parameters are elevated. Been mixing my salt at 35ppt, which mixes up at 9.1, 475-480 calcium and 1450-1500 mag. Weird since the manufacturer says 8.6/430-450/1300-1400.

Anyhow by accident made salt at 1.025 (33ppt) and numbers were 8.6/440/1400.

I am getting close to adding first corals.

Running the Photon 48 at 80/36. Wonder if I need to dim it down some when I add corals?

Thoughts?

 

[spiraling]

Came home the other day 3 hours after feeding, and the midas blenny was dead. I think that's the final straw with Live Aquaria for me. This one was a Divers Den and just as the others, made it through 30-40 days of QT, but every single fish I've received from them has died within 3 months.

The only fish that have survived are fish from a local shop outside of Philly. Sad, but at least it'll keep me from stocking too fast with fish.

interesting. I got 3 fish off DD about 3 months ago. Two are fine and one dissappeared a week ago, although it looked completely healthy right before that. Any thoughts on why your died?

 

[pdiehm]

interesting. I got 3 fish off DD about 3 months ago. Two are fine and one dissappeared a week ago, although it looked completely healthy right before that. Any thoughts on why your died?

No. Fed them before practice. Came back 3 hours later and a crab was eating him

 

[pdiehm]

Finally tested my PAR with my 18k settings (estimated settings) on the Photon 48.

180 on the left rock, 265 or so on next rock, 315-330, 260, 200, 165. PUR is about 80% across. Happy with those numbers. Pretty sure that I can keep most SPS corals with this. I am probably about a month away from adding my first sps frags, and hopefully someone local will be willing to give me a few small frags of stylophora, digitata, and maybe a birdsnest or monti-cap.

 

[pdiehm]

Very exciting day. Just tested my water, and Alk was at 9.5 dKh, and Calcium was at 425ppm. I have been dosing 60ml of Alkalinity solution daily in an attempt to get the calcium levels down to balanced. Balanced Calcium at 9.5 is 428ppm.

Very excited. Turned off the doser, and will figure things out from there. My Fritz, now that I know how to mix it up has been mixing up at 8.6dKh and 440.

Question now for you SPS gurus:

I'm still a few weeks away from getting some SPS frags. Once I add them, if my dKh is say 9.0, how far of a drop in a week, before I should think about dosing? I'm pretty sure that my water changes will keep the alkalinity between 8 and 9 and calcium between 420-440.

What I probably need to do is find out how much 15 gallon water changes has on my parameters, but can't really do that until I get some corals.

 

[pdiehm]

 

[pdiehm]

The anemone seems to like the new parameters and lighting!

He is tucked very deep into a crevice though. Wonder how he managed to get there.

 

[pdiehm]

9.2 alk, 420 Calcium.

 

[pdiehm]

Knocked over some rocks cleaning around. Wasn’t ever in love with the rockscape as the peaks were in line with the mp40’s.

Think I like this better. More open and nothing getting direct hit from the mp40’s

 

[pdiehm]

First SPS are in. Thanks to @BoomCorals!

Mystic Sunshine Montipora:

Pieces broke off so put them on some frag plugs

Cliffs Acro:

Purple-Green Slimer

Reef Raft Montipora

 

[BoomCorals]

Sorry FedEx did a number on that slimer! But you did the right thing by making a new frag. I even triple bagged and gave extra water. They must have drop kicked the box lol.

 

[pdiehm]

Well, tomorrow is a week and everything looks like it’s doing well. The Cliffs is slowly coming around but polyps are out constantly unless one of them gets blown off their perch and I have to put it back.

First time around, things were happy for 2-3 days and closed up tight. Eventually STN.

Readings last test were:

pH: 8.23
Temp: 78.1
Salinity: 1.026
Nitrate: 4-ish
Alkalinity: 8.8
Calcium: 430
Magnesium: 1560 (no idea how it goes from 1400 to 1560 without a water change or dosing...I screwed up the test somehow)
Phosphate: 0.07