The Upgrade Build... From 110 to 180

[TheWB]

Here's my little Yellow Coris Wrasse...

He came up out the sand to eat.
My 3 strip damsel harassed it. The 3 stripe is a P.I.T.A.
The lion was headed over to see what was going on but the Wrasse dove right back into the sand before the lion could see what was going on.
It's the damsel that drove him back under the sand

You don’t exactly have that calm peaceful community tank thing going on do you?

 

[Dj City]

You don’t exactly have that calm peaceful community tank thing going on do you?

Nope.
Between the lionfish, 3 stripe damsels, maroon clown and scopia tang, it can be a war zone.
If I could get rid of the 3 stripe I probably would.
The lionfish is difficult. He's beautiful but he can eat whatever he feels like eating.
Maroon clown is just obnoxious and the scopia tang is my smallest tang with the biggest attitude.

I don't know. Does a truly peaceful reef actually exist? Everything eats something.

 

[Dj City]

This little guy is having a hard time.
I think my next purchase for this reef tank is going to be a fish trap! (Unless I can build one)

He comes out and the larger 3 stripe damsel goes after him with a hatred. The lionfish instantly stalks him.
He dives right back under the sand.

I might get rid of the lionfish and catch the 3 stripe damsels to rehome them to the little 15gallon column tank.

 

[TheWB]

This little guy is having a hard time.
I think my next purchase for this reef tank is going to be a fish trap! (Unless I can build one)

He comes out and the larger 3 stripe damsel goes after him with a hatred. The lionfish instantly stalks him.
He dives right back under the sand.

I might get rid of the lionfish and catch the 3 stripe damsels to rehome them to the little 15gallon column tank.

That sounds like a good plan. Kick out some of the more unruly fish so you can have more of a selection of inhabitants. Lionfish really kinda need their own space or at least be in a dedicated predator tank. Although that doesn’t always work out either. Years ago, like 1996, we had a 120 gallon predator tank with a lemon head chain link eel, a panther grouper and a lion fish, all very well fed. One day we came home and the panther grouper was gone, eel took it out, no trace of it at all. About a month later we came home and found the tank totally fouled. Eel took out the lion fish, couldn’t keep it down and wiped out the tank. That was the last time I had any thoughts of a predator tank. You just never know when it’s all gonna hit the fan.

 

[Dj City]

I set up my 20 gallon long to house my lionfish until I can figure out what to do with him. The tank is in my basement. I will put a bag of media from the 180 to cycle it along with some Microbacter 7.

I built a fish trap!
No idea if it will work but it's worth a try.

This is a clear plastic container with styrofoam. The styrofoam is around the opening attached with rubber bands.
There is airline tube in a hole that I drilled into the container that I can add food into the trap while it's underwater. I will use a syringe to add a small amount of food.

Mag float attaches the trap to the glass.

The idea is to entice the fish inside the trap by squirting a bit of food into the trap. Once the fish is inside, I will pull the magnet and the styrofoam will float the opening of the trap above the surface of the water and trap the fish.

Wish me luck.

 

[Dj City]

I have my 20 gallon long set up and ready to go. That will be the new home for the lionfish until I decide on a new home for him.
He ate the coris wrasse last week so it's not a big rush. He will be in the temp tank before the new coris wrasse is purchased.

The 3 stripe damsels go nowhere near the fish trap.
I got a feeling they gonna be in the display until they die or I break the tank down.

 

[TheWB]

I have my 20 gallon long set up and ready to go. That will be the new home for the lionfish until I decide on a new home for him.
He ate the coris wrasse last week so it's not a big rush. He will be in the temp tank before the new coris wrasse is purchased.

The 3 stripe damsels go nowhere near the fish trap.
I got a feeling they gonna be in the display until they die or I break the tank down.

Bummer about the coris wrasse. Definitely time for the Lionfish to go. Cool thing about those yellow coris wrasses is that you can do more than one if you’re so inclined.

 

[Dj City]

Update...

It seems like it's been a while since i've updated this thread.

The lionfish is now in the 20gal long tank all by himself. He seems happy enough.

I added a Melanurs wrasse and a Christmas wrasse. They went into the display 3 days ago.
Melanurs wrasse came out the sand the very next day and has been active ever since. He settled right in.
I have not seen the Christmas wrasse since introduction. Guess he will come out in his own time.

I also added 2 new acros!

My smaller 3 stripe damsel still looks like he developed a taste for SPS polyps so...

I put the fish trap back in the display.
I had taken it out because the damsels had no interest in being anywhere near it.
Now I have the trap and two nets sitting in the water so they can get used to them.

I WILL get these two damsels OUT!

I deep cleaned my sandbed with my DIY sand vac.
It worked really well. I have to get a shorter tube though. The one I have is way too long.
I'm using a syncra silent 1.5 pump but it's not enough. I need a more powerful pump to really get the results in looking for. It's not that the 1.5 does not work. Is just that I want more power.

Cleaning the sandbed released a lot of nutrients into the water column. My nitrates went from about 3 to 5ppm to 40ppm.
I've got them back down to 10ppm but I want to get back to 3ppm.
I'm thinking of getting the Reef Octopus LR-200 algae reactor. I'm sure that will keep my nitrates where I want them to be.
Is expensive but I think it might be worth it.

I will take pics later today.

 

[TheWB]

Update...

It seems like it's been a while since i've updated this thread.

The lionfish is now in the 200gal long tank all by himself. He seems happy enough.

I added a Melanurs wrasse and a Christmas wrasse. They went into the display 3 days ago.
Melanurs wrasse came out the sand the very next day and has been active ever since. He steeled right in.
I have not seen the Christmas wrasse since introduction. Guess he will come out in his own time.

I also added 2 new acros!

My smaller 3 stripe damsel still looks like he developed a taste for SPS polyps so...

I put the fish trap back in the display.
I had taken it out because the damsels had no interest in being anywhere near it.
Now I have the trap and two nets sitting in the water so they can get used to them.

I WILL get these two damsels OUT!

I deep cleaned my sandbed with my DIY sand vac.
It worked really well. I have to get a shorter tube though. The one I have is way too long.
I'm using a syncra silent 1.5 pump but it's not enough. I need a more powerful pump to really get the results in looking for. It's not that the 1.5 does not work. Is just that I want more power.

Cleaning the sandbed released a lot of nutrients into the water column. My nitrates went from about 3 to 5ppm to 40ppm.
I've got them back down to 10ppm but I want to get back to 3ppm.
I'm thinking of getting the Reef Octopus LR-200 algae reactor. I'm sure that will keep my nitrates where I want them to be.
Is expensive but I think it might be worth it.

I will take pics later today.

Did you document the building of the sand vac at all? I’d be interested in seeing it in action.

 

[Dj City]

Did you document the building of the sand vac at all? I’d be interested in seeing it in action.

I really didn't but I will!
Putting it together was super easy. Getting it to work was a slight challenge because I had my tube waaaaaay too long.

I will document what I used to make it and what is like to use it along with any challenges I ran across or run across.
I will try to show it in action next time I use it.

 

[Dj City]

Merry Christmas!!!

I had a feeling I would see the Christmas wrasse today. I did not expect to see it near death.
It was half way out the sand not moving.
I moved him because I thought he was dead but he was still clinging to life.
I pulled him from the display and put him in a isolation box. He was alive but lifeless, laying on his side not swimming and breathing hard.
I took the isolation box downstairs and put it on top of my freshwater tank so I could put an airstone in the water with him.
I turned the lights off so he can try to recuperate.

Would you believe this fish that was at deaths door jumped out the isolation box and into the freshwater tank?!?
he made it into the smallest opening of the freshwater tank that is covered with a glass top.

Well...
He did not make it through that ordeal.

 

[count krunk]

I love lionfish, I really want a pair someday. Not in my community tank though!

Bummer about the wrasses. Im going to add a flasher someday I think. Need to get a top for my tank before I add anymore fish though.

How are you maintaining nitrate now? What test kit do you use?

 

[Dj City]

I love lionfish, I really want a pair someday. Not in my community tank though!

Bummer about the wrasses. Im going to add a flasher someday I think. Need to get a top for my tank before I add anymore fish though.

How are you maintaining nitrate now? What test kit do you use?

Happy new year to you.

My nitrates are slowly coming down on their own but it's really slow.
My biological filtration had always handled nitrates but me deep cleaning the sandbed released a lot if stuff that the bio filter is having a hard time dealing with. I have 8 maxspect bio blocks and about 4l of seachem pond matrix.
I used to use a Sulphur denitrator but it depletes alk. I also had a diy algae reactor but it was too small for my system.

I'm going to get a Reef Octopus LR-200 algae reactor as soon as marine depot has them back in stock. It's big enough to cope with my tank and feeding habits. It's also tunable so I can have as much flow or as little flow as I need to knock nitrates down without bottoming out.

 

[Dj City]

I ordered my Reef Octopus LR-200 algae reactor!

I'm really looking forward to setting it up and seeing what it can do.
I like that it comes with its own pump and you can adjust the flow with a built-in in valve. I also like the fact that I can adjust the light intensity!

@TheWB
I have not forgotten about the sand vac. I'm trying to wait until I have the Algae Reactor set up before I do another deep cleaning.

 

[Dj City]

@count krunk

I just noticed that you asked what test kits I use.

I use Neptune Trident and Reefkennitics Reefbot.
In the Reefbot, I test nitrates with Tropic Marin nitrate test and phosphates with Red Sea phosphate test.

 

[count krunk]

dang son a trident and a reefbot!! I have started using salifert for all/ca and I like them. I use hanna for phosphate and I really recommend that one

 

[Dj City]

dang son a trident and a reefbot!! I have started using salifert for all/ca and I like them. I use hanna for phosphate and I really recommend that one

I have the Hanna phosphate checker and the Hanna alk checker as well. I also have Red Sea alk, phos, no3, iodine and a few salifert tests like iron and iodine as well.

Honestly, I only use the manual test kits to cross reference if something seems out of wack.

 

[Dj City]

Ok...

I want some cyphastrea. I want about 3 different color morphs to put on that large centerpiece I have.
For whatever reason, the Gsp is not doing well on it.

My algae reactor should be here tomorrow. That is something I am looking forward to.
My nitrates have been hovering at about 20ppm which is not horrible but it's way more than I want.
Phosphates have hovered around 0.16 which is more than I'm happy with.

No algae problems at all but I want my nutrients where I want them.
I want nitrates no higher than 5ppm and phosphates at 0.04.
Hopefully the algae reactor can get me there.
I usually don't sweat phosphates because it's easy enough to knock them down with phosphate Rx but this time I left them alone so the reactor can bring both nitrates and phosphates down naturally and both at the same time. At least that's the plan.

My 3 stripe damsels are STILL in the display.
I wound up getting an icecap fish trap because they refused to go inside my diy trap.
Ya know what...
They refuse to go inside the icecap trap too.
Damsels just won't go in. Not the 3 stripes, not the maroon clown and not my other two damsels.
Tangs, foxface and wrasses have NO PROBLEM going into the trap but the fish I WANT to trap...no way!

It's frustrating!

 

[Dj City]

I CAUGHT ONE OF THE 3 STRIPE DAMSELS!!!!!!!

The one I FINALLY caught was the one nipping at corals.
The extra mean one is still at large.

 

[Dj City]

I CAUGHT THE OTHER 3 STRIPE DAMSEL!!!!!

Both are evicted!
The coral muncher and the terrorist have been caught, tried, convicted and sentenced to life in a 15 gallon column tank.