The Sleeping Giant 75 gallon build

[Sleeping Giant]

So sorry about the losses. Did you add pods when you added the mandarin, or had you seeded the tank with pods before introducing? I apologize if you stated this earlier on. Definitely going to have to look back through it all and check everything out. I have two mandarins (blue and spotted), and I’m trying to find the appropriate amount of pods to introduce over time myself. You have some beautiful corals and photos.

Thanks, it sucks but happens. I already had pods and I added more a couple of days before.
But my yellow goby and damsel both eat them so it wasn't helping the situation. Also my tang was fairly aggressive towards the mandarin and urchin...but doesn't bother anything else.
Thanks, the corals are growing lots.

 

[Smirkish]

Thanks, it sucks but happens. I already had pods and I added more a couple of days before.
But my yellow goby and damsel both eat them so it wasn't helping the situation. Also my tang was fairly aggressive towards the mandarin and urchin...but doesn't bother anything else.
Thanks, the corals are growing lots.

Sounds like it was just stressed and struggling to find food while being harassed, then. I’m following along, and you should post more close-ups! Loved looking back at your photos.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Sounds like it was just stressed and struggling to find food while being harassed, then. I’m following along, and you should post more close-ups! Loved looking back at your photos.

Thank you for your comment, I enjoy taking close ups. but they are sometimes difficult to take when the lights are not coordinating with my camera, lol I need to get an orange filter sometime soon.

 

[sfin52]

Your tank looks amazing and a fellow canister user. We are a rare breed in the hobby

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Your tank looks amazing and a fellow canister user. We are a rare breed in the hobby

Thanks, yes for sure we are like unicorns lol

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Just a couple of update pics. I did a water change yesterday and moved the anemone rock, it's been pretty grumpy lately, not enough flow I think. So now it's even more grumpy today, but I was expecting that after the move. Although it hasn't tried moving itself yet. Time will tell. I love my anemone but it can be grumpy, just like my toadstool coral.

My zoa garden is filling up fast. And the Xenia is gigantic, but all in all. Things are going great.

I've been using Blue Life Clear FX Reef for my filter media instead of GAC for a month now and have noticed a significant decrease in HLLE on my Tang. And the water is very clear.
I have starting adding Reef Enhance from Reef Brite, looks cloudy when it's added, but clears up in about an hour or so. Hopefully it enhances colour and growth of my corals and inverts.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Best view in the house

 

[Smirkish]

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Soon, I haven't taken a picture since the 5th.... Jesus I'm neglectful

 

[Smirkish]

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Well I added Blue Life Clear Fx reef to my Fluval FX4 canister filter last month, my tests looked good, but my phosphate and nitrates are still high. The clear fx reef doesn't remove phosphate and nitrates and I was running a pack of puridgen and gfo in a media bag, but I think it was burnt out...it's been in there for about 6 months. So I purchased the clear fx pro which states it does remove phosphate and nitrates. I hope it works...I will be testing phosphate and nitrates in 3 days to see if there has been a decline yet.

I also lost my little yellow goby, I think my emerald crab got it. I haven't been able to find any sign of it over the last week. So sad I loved that guy.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Got a new lens for my phone from my daughter on Father's Day, works pretty good. Here's my zoa garden.

 

[adittam]

Your tank looks amazing and a fellow canister user. We are a rare breed in the hobby

Thanks, yes for sure we are like unicorns lol

Whoa! Two other unicorns! You'll have to check out my build thread if you have time too. I'm currently running a Fluval 407 on a 46 gallon bowfront, but I'm debating upgrading to a 75 gallon so I have a few more fish options. I think the 407 with spray bar could still handle the additional water volume as long as I stay on top of my water changes and filter cleanings. If I go the 75g route, I might add a Seachem Tidal HOB filter also so I get a little surface skimming.

 

[adittam]

Just got done reading through all 15 pages of your thread. I love your tank. Such awesome coral growth over the past year!

Do you mind filling me in on some specifics of your regular maintenance schedule, since I'm running a canister with media I can change out also?

What do you use in the different media trays?

Do you change out your chemical media based on testing? If so, at what thresholds do you swap things out?

How often for water changes and filter cleanings (I believe you said weekly water changes...is that still the case)? How big are your water changes? Any other tips you can pass along for a fellow canister unicorn would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, and keep up the great work!

 

[taulgrl]

Got a new lens for my phone from my daughter on Father's Day, works pretty good. Here's my zoa garden.

Great colors!

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Great colors!

Thank you

 

[chaostactics]

@Sleeping Giant are you still using the Fluval marine 3.0?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

@Sleeping Giant are you still using the Fluval marine 3.0?

Yes I am

 

[chaostactics]

Yes I am

Very awesome. Mine is arriving tomorrow. I'm having trouble going back and locating it in the thread. Would you be so kind to share the color scheme you find provides you with the best color/growth balance? Thank you

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Very awesome. Mine is arriving tomorrow. I'm having trouble going back and locating it in the thread. Would you be so kind to share the color scheme you find provides you with the best color/growth balance? Thank you

Blue and Violet are together