The One Reef

[Chemjab]

The Cleaning of Mirkreef​

Good Afternoon reefers

I want to apologize that I dont update this build often. I only update with big changes and chapters to fit my theme as I enjoy this format.


"Mirkreef Part 1"
I wanted to showcase a cleaning of the tank with a before and after FTS. Enjoy the satisfaction of new clean glass. I also added a dozen more astrae and cerith snails as my Hermit crabs have been killing them. So all hermits larger than a nickel have been move to sump as keepers of the chaeto.

Mirkreef Part 2
So I have a little predicament of nastiness that has taken a foothold in my reef tank. Once a beautiful reef now tainted and turning into Mirkreef haha. Anyways I have had a outbreak of aiptasia either way of a frag plug or snails. I tried F aiptasia and while it was doing great the aiptasia was in places hard for me to reach for precision. I have taken care of 6 or so individuals but they kept spreading so to counter the pest.

Release the Bhergia!!!!

I got 5 as a starter colony for them to chow down and clean the reef of this pest. Pics attached before they were released into the wilds

Coral shire update

I have a couple new additions to the coral shire. 1 trachy of which I got for a great deal he is smaller but has already almost doubled in size. I also have 1 Acro that has encrusted over the plug.

I did have two other acros that were doing great had new tip growth but never encrusted then all of a sudden they died to rapid tissue necrosis. I always dip with CoralRx and even tried to dip before complete die off but it did not stop it. So if anyone has tips for RTN let me know :)

Common Trachy

Vivid Delight Acro (hard to get a clear picture)

Release the Bhergia!!!!

Did the Bhergia work out?

 

[Reef Wizard]

Did the Bhergia work out?

Just added the starting 5 today so fingers crossed they have all disappeared but was swimming around great. I put them all together on the rock with the aptasia

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Just added the starting 5 today so fingers crossed they have all disappeared but was swimming around great. I put them all together on the rock with the aptasia

Hopefully they will get rid of all the aiptasia!

 

[Reef Wizard]

TINY Update:

The Aiptasia have receded so the bhergia appear to be doing their job. so all is going to plan. :)

Pic ref before and after

 

[Reef Wizard]

The Two Towers​

Happy Sunday

First and foremost it has completely slipped past me but this tank is now ONE year old since setup last year. Progress has been slow but I am in no rush as I like to enjoy my build as it changes.


DYI Mixing station
I fell under a deadly spell from Saruman (fellow reefer) with some reef related gear. I will post the other sweet deals I got in likely the next update. BUT I was able to snag an amazing deal from a fellow reefer who was getting out of the hobby turning back to fresh. I was able to pick up this DIY mixing station. They are just on an old table for now. I will likely build a custom stand for them at some point. These two towers are 55 gallon square water containers. They are the common blueprint for mixing stations and they have been SUCH a nice upgrade from manually mixing and storing in brute trash cans. If I need RO just drain it on the right and need salt just take some from the left.

My achy breaky trachy
My trachy I posted in last update has took a nose dive for some unknown reason. He has started to lose his flesh and he has only half of it left. I am unsure what the issue is. I did do a redip in Coral RX and a 30% water change but he doesn't appear to be getting better at least for now. Fingers crossed he turns around.
Maybe I should dip in Iodine? Thoughts?

 

[mch1984]

I don't have any advice on the Trachy but the tank is looking good and nice score on the mixing station. It's the one big thing I wish I had.

 

[Michael71]

Sorry to hear about the trachy. Hope it has continued to stabilize and bounce back. I will say, this is one of yhe coolest formated build threads i have seen. Keep up the intrigue. This was a fun read

 

[Reef Wizard]

I don't have any advice on the Trachy but the tank is looking good and nice score on the mixing station. It's the one big thing I wish I had.

The Trachy I lost unfortunately

 

[Michael71]

Thats a shame sorry to hear that

 

[Reef Wizard]

Sorry to hear about the trachy. Hope it has continued to stabilize and bounce back. I will say, this is one of yhe coolest formated build threads i have seen. Keep up the intrigue. This was a fun read

Unfortunately lost the trachy. I will have a new update soon actually Stay Tuned!

 

[Subsea]

Following along. You have an intertaining writing style. Keep it up.

Would you post a full tank shot of your system?

 

[Reef Wizard]

Following along. You have an intertaining writing style. Keep it up.

Would you post a full tank shot of your system?

Sure here is blue and non blues

 

[Subsea]

Sure here is blue and non blues

Nice.

In looking at the two pictures, it’s difficult to understand why hobbiest choose blue light. The blue washes out so many other colors.

 

[Reef Wizard]

Nice.

In looking at the two pictures, it’s difficult to understand why hobbiest choose blue light. The blue washes out so many other colors.

For what its worth my tank is blue but not as blue in the picture.
My android adds saturation with the Reefi Lights I have no idea why. I have yet to fiddle with the phone settings

 

[DeepakNZReefer]

Three Steps forward One step back

​

I have been busy making progress on getting this tank up to speed.


Updated Aquascape

I kept looking at the tank and felt like it was a little lacking. So I ended up adding more rock work. I did not double it like many have said as coral will fill in more nicely this way. The end goal is mixed reef not rock heap FOWLR. However, I think it looks way more complete and I am even more happy with it. More rock can always be added if needed later.

3D Printed Hex Grid Wall Controller Area

I originally ordered a control box and was going to fit in the tank it did fit but ultimately it took up more space than I liked so I returned it and DIYed my own mounting space. Ladies and gentleman I present the Hex grid wall. Picture below. I'm really trying not to modify anything original from Waterbox as I do not want to void the warranty. I printed it and used another STL file that was for command strips and I used some Velcro to secure it to the cabinet panel. I then used Fusion 360 to print my own CAD created controller mounts to fit the hex wall. Next Video you can see the completed controller wall. I ran out of black so had to make do with white but in the future all Holders will be black for aesthetic.


*I did not make this STL myself*

Plumbing

Now for an unfortunate step back... And a step forward

I had originally plumbed in the manifold and still have the glued section stored away but I could not get the manifold to hold with the Velcro to the top of the stand like I wanted. With no water it would falter. However, I am not so easily defeated, and will return at a later time for manifolding events. I did however get the UV Plumbed. I just made some VERY simple holders to hold the UV on the back of the stand. Right now there is two very rudimentary printed ones and two backups a little more underneath. The setup has been running for over 24 hours now and we are in business.

The next update should be fish in tank :)

Awesome build and great detail in your posts. I have the same tank and I am looking for some inspiration to mount the UV. Can you share few more details into how you got around mounting it ? I was wondering if I can hang it using some drop in T-nuts setup from frame under the tank.

 

[Reef Wizard]

Awesome build and great detail in your posts. I have the same tank and I am looking for some inspiration to mount the UV. Can you share few more details into how you got around mounting it ? I was wondering if I can hang it using some drop in T-nuts setup from frame under the tank.

I designed in Fusion 360 CAD program a custom part that just slides on the back of the half back wall. I 3D printed it in ABS filament. It has set on it for over a whole year.

I have not drilled into the stand at all on this build and don't plan to as it voids the dang warranty

 

[manringjk]

Sometimes I wish the Reef never came to me...
​

First, I would like to apologize to those who do follow this build its been a rough few months for this Reefer hence the title and quote from Frodo... I don't hide things as this hobby is rough sometimes and I have been super discouraged lately. This is going to be a sad update more or less.


Long fallow and QT
I have been fallow for a long time now after the ich outbreak and just coming out of it last week. All my fish have been in quarantine and medicated. As of right now the following fish are back in the main tank:

-My pair of Orange Storm Clownfish- They are doing good despite possible "clownfish bruising" read here.
-New Purple Firefish- This is actually the second one from the original as I lost the first randomly over night from bacterial infection I believe. I couldn't medicate the original as he was dosed with Prazi at the time.
-Pink Spotted Watchman Goby- picked this guy up recently and he is doing really well. See below.

The following are still in qt due to one reason or another:

-Onespot Foxface- He is recovering from a battle from flukes and is doing really well scheduled to go in the tank next week.
-Purple Tang- He is going through hypo as I tried Prazi for flukes on him and I just couldn't beat it after 3 weeks of Prazi. Hypo has turned this fish around.
-Convict tang- I unfortunately also lost the first of this fish and acquired another. These fish are hard to get established and eating. This one seems like a survivor and is willing to eat more. Read about convict tang common problems here

The Weight of the Reef
It hurts me to say this but I lost my copperband butterfly. He was doing well but he and the foxface were in same QT Tank all of fallow. The foxface developed food aggression toward the CBB and I caught it but I had no room or a way to seperate and the CBB eventually stopped eating. Not sure why the foxface did this as he is literally the fattest fish. The CBB was eating LRS as well not just worms per a previous update.

Non Saltwater related heartbreak

My reef tank helper and family dog "Stella" passed away about a month ago. She was going to be three years old in October. She had eaten some kind of string and it ultimately constricted her intestines opened holes and she succumbed to the issue.

This along with my fish losses has absolutely destroyed My family and I. She was a Black Labrador Retriever. Please enjoy my top three pictures of her. :smiling-face-with-tear:

So so sorry for this loss. I lost a 3 month old puppy my wife and I had rescued around the same time as your Stella from some unknown parasites that would not go away with treatment. Such a painful loss to lose a dog so young

 

[DeepakNZReefer]

I designed in Fusion 360 CAD program a custom part that just slides on the back of the half back wall. I 3D printed it in ABS filament. It has set on it for over a whole year.

I have not drilled into the stand at all on this build and don't plan to as it voids the dang warranty

Did that clear the return plumbing just fine ? Do you mind sharing a picture of it ? Thanks

 

[Reef Wizard]

Did that clear the return plumbing just fine ? Do you mind sharing a picture of it ? Thanks

If you mean by clear that it's not in the way yes
It works for this specific UV though barely lol

 

[DeepakNZReefer]

If you mean by clear that it's not in the way yes
It works for this specific UV though barely lol

Ah I see how you have done it now.Thanks for sharing :)