This is it. My last build thread

[ZzyzxRiver]

Really??? That's like asking a doctor how much he makes or a lady how old she is...

“Hey clownfish. Are you the dominant or submissive of your pair?”

 

[exnisstech]

The scape really is stunning, well done. How many tanks are you keeping total? Also, how is that Zoa garden you started?

Zoa garden is doing so so. Im having to chase asterinas off daily. If I didn't have a Niger trigger I would move my Harlequin shrimp over that is in my acro tank. Instead I just catch the stars and move them to where the shrimp is but they multiply way to fast too for that to keep them in check.

I only have 5 tanks total. I'm retired and get bored easily

20g in the bedroom that also has a few zoas.

Acro tank and a little 8g AIO that I'm attempting as a filter feeder/ non photosynthetic tank. My Gal made the sign on the light when i had a 150g in the dining room and two 180s fresh and salt in the living room. Sure is nice having a large 1160 square foot ranch to house them all

And a 40g breeder in the basement that serves as a grow out tank and to keep a few extra coral.
My little hippo I'm growing out to bring up to the big tank. Also a pair of black ocellaris that I have no idea what I'm going to do with lol. The damsel is a permanent resident.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Condo living permits one 50g AIO for me, LOL. Would be neat to have multiple, but with a toddler and a baby on the way I am maxed out on keeping little critters alive

 

[Ziggy17]

Hey. Just wondering how that Jecod 15000 worked out. I’m seriously considering getting one for my new build. It’s on sale for $200 CAD, which is a 3rd of the price of anything moving that amount of water.

 

[exnisstech]

Hey. Just wondering how that Jecod 15000 worked out. I’m seriously considering getting one for my new build. It’s on sale for $200 CAD, which is a 3rd of the price of anything moving that amount of water.

It's been great. Still quite and doing fine after 1.5 years and never been cleaned.

 

[Ziggy17]

It's been great. Still quite and doing fine after 1.5 years and never been cleaned.

That’s a good review. Much appreciated. Did you add in any sort of inline flow meter?

 

[exnisstech]

That’s a good review. Much appreciated. Did you add in any sort of inline flow meter?

I have not. I've never been one to calculate flow rates.

 

[Ziggy17]

I have not. I've never been one to calculate flow rates.

I’m thinking about using one just to see how the flow reduces over time. When you notice a decrease in flow, you can increase the pump flow to keep it running optimal. Then once you can’t get the flow you want with pump adjustment, you know to clean it.

 

[exnisstech]

I’m thinking about using one just to see how the flow reduces over time. When you notice a decrease in flow, you can increase the pump flow to keep it running optimal. Then once you can’t get the flow you want with pump adjustment, you know to clean it.

That makes perfect sense. I use the overflow sound to tune the return pump. I'll tweak the valves and or adjust the pump as needed to keep the overflow quiet so I don't have to clean the pump. The jebao pumps are cheap enough I keep a spare so I can rotate them out if needed. The problem I have is my knees and one hip are not good and getting around on the floor to work under the tank just plain sucks so I do what I can to avoid it.
I was able to go six years without cleaning my DCP 3500 before i broke down my reefer 170 and I'm three years + without cleaning the 5000 on my reefer 300 so that's how I'm rolling these days.

 

[Ziggy17]

That makes perfect sense. I use the overflow sound to tune the return pump. I'll tweak the valves and or adjust the pump as needed to keep the overflow quiet so I don't have to clean the pump. The jebao pumps are cheap enough I keep a spare so I can rotate them out if needed. The problem I have is my knees and one hip are not good and getting around on the floor to work under the tank just plain sucks so I do what I can to avoid it.
I was able to go six years without cleaning my DCP 3500 before i broke down my reefer 170 and I'm three years + without cleaning the 5000 on my reefer 300 so that's how I'm rolling these days.

What you do is exactly what I’m doing now. It’s not perfect but it works. The noise never lies. Haha

If I can source something that doesn’t break my bank to monitor flow, I’ll do it, but I won’t dish out $350 for that visibility. It’s worth $100 but I can’t find one for that price range.

My knees and hips are okay, but I get attacked by the plastic door magnet contraptions mounted in the front underside. They have drawn blood so many times that I removed them….. mostly cause I’m an idiot and partly because they’re savagely indiscriminate.

 

[twentyleagues]

That makes perfect sense. I use the overflow sound to tune the return pump. I'll tweak the valves and or adjust the pump as needed to keep the overflow quiet so I don't have to clean the pump. The jebao pumps are cheap enough I keep a spare so I can rotate them out if needed. The problem I have is my knees and one hip are not good and getting around on the floor to work under the tank just plain sucks so I do what I can to avoid it.
I was able to go six years without cleaning my DCP 3500 before i broke down my reefer 170 and I'm three years + without cleaning the 5000 on my reefer 300 so that's how I'm rolling these days.

I just had to finally break down and clean my 5000 after 6 years on one of my fw tanks. Darn snails.

 

[exnisstech]

I think failures should be reported as well as successes so I thought I would update that I have failed mixing dwarf angels even in this large of a tank. I noticed my flame Angel didn't come out to eat one day. I discovered the coral beauty had decided the year long honeymoon was over and was attacking the flame anytime it tried to leave the rocks and was also going into the rocks and attacking. They had totally ignored each other for a year. I'm started to see how much behaviour can change with fish as they mature.
I'm not fond of watching fish aggression but I was even less fond of tearing the tank apart trying to catch one of them ao I chose not to intervene. Yesterday I saw the flame hanging out in a corner and was able to net him. I put him in an acclimation box in the 40g breeder in the basement where I'm growing out the hippo. None of the fish are showing any interest in him so I'll probably release him soon.
He's still nice and thick but badly tattered. I haven't seen him eat yet but he doesn't appear to be too stressed in the new tank so I'm hoping he'll recover.


No more blue tipped fins



I have an interesting growth on one of my rhodactis shrooms. Maybe I'll end up with bounce rhodactis and I can sell them for $100 each. I think red balloon rhodactis is a fitting name lol

The ATS has started growing a new type of algae. It kind if clumpy and firm vs long and tender. The tangs are not impressed so it's back to nori. I did start dosing Chaetogro so maybe that has something to do with the change. There's no lack of growth. This is a normal sized cool whip container full from 1 weeks growth.

N and P are still what many consider high NO3 30.9 PO4 0.67. I'm interested to see if harvesting this new type of algae has any effect on those levels. The display is clear of algae and corals look happy so I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing. I did toss a cup of rowaphos in a sock. I'm more comfortable in the 0.3 -0.4 range. I have no idea why

 

[tbrown]

I think failures should be reported as well as successes so I thought I would update that I have failed mixing dwarf angels even in this large of a tank. I noticed my flame Angel didn't come out to eat one day. I discovered the coral beauty had decided the year long honeymoon was over and was attacking the flame anytime it tried to leave the rocks and was also going into the rocks and attacking. They had totally ignored each other for a year. I'm started to see how much behaviour can change with fish as they mature.
I'm not fond of watching fish aggression but I was even less fond of tearing the tank apart trying to catch one of them ao I chose not to intervene. Yesterday I saw the flame hanging out in a corner and was able to net him. I put him in an acclimation box in the 40g breeder in the basement where I'm growing out the hippo. None of the fish are showing any interest in him so I'll probably release him soon.
He's still nice and thick but badly tattered. I haven't seen him eat yet but he doesn't appear to be too stressed in the new tank so I'm hoping he'll recover.


No more blue tipped fins



I have an interesting growth on one of my rhodactis shrooms. Maybe I'll end up with bounce rhodactis and I can sell them for $100 each. I think red balloon rhodactis is a fitting name lol

The ATS has started growing a new type of algae. It kind if clumpy and firm vs long and tender. The tangs are not impressed so it's back to nori. I did start dosing Chaetogro so maybe that has something to do with the change. There's no lack of growth. This is a normal sized cool whip container full from 1 weeks growth.

N and P are still what many consider high NO3 30.9 PO4 0.67. I'm interested to see if harvesting this new type of algae has any effect on those levels. The display is clear of algae and corals look happy so I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing. I did toss a cup of rowaphos in a sock. I'm more comfortable in the 0.3 -0.4 range. I have no idea why

99 Luftrhodactis

 

[exnisstech]

99 Luftrhodactis

I'm thinking maybe reproduction. It looks like it's just going to grow until it detaches and floats away. Kind of looks like a mouth forming also.
Its interesting having kept these for quite a few years in several tanks and I've not seen this before.
I bought my first ones from a tank in a LFS that someone was selling and it was totally infested with them. They were everywhere, glass, back wall I mean everywhere. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come

 

[exnisstech]

IMAGES OF DEAD FISH BELOW

Well another failure to report.
My male CBB died today out of the blue. He was swimming around eating this afternoon. I go to do my bedtime inspection and he's laying on the bottom dead. He hadn't even started to stiffen up yet. I'm at total loss on the cause of death. I've had the fish since June 2024 and he has been in this tank since August 2024. I've never seen any aggression towards it.
This hobby definitely has its challenges










RIP

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Such a beautiful fish! I’m sorry for your loss.

 

[exnisstech]

Last shot of pair from yesterday. He's in the back.

 

[Stang67]

Im so sorry for the loss. Maybe tag Jay in the pic? He may have some insights as to possible reasons or ideas?

 

[exnisstech]

Im so sorry for the loss. Maybe tag Jay in the pic? He may have some insights as to possible reasons or ideas?

Thanks. I'm planning on posting in the disease forum with more details later. I feel like I've read of some delayed deaths from cyanide but can't remember if they were this delayed. Perfectly healthy for 14 months then go from swimming and eating normally to dead within hours is strange. But it happens to people so who knows.

 

[twentyleagues]

Thanks. I'm planning on posting in the disease forum with more details later. I feel like I've read of some delayed deaths from cyanide but can't remember if they were this delayed. Perfectly healthy for 14 months then go from swimming and eating normally to dead within hours is strange. But it happens to people so who knows.

I would think if it was cyanide it would have shown some sort of symptoms. Cyanide kills organs and can affect the nervous system over time but its usually quicker. I'm sorry to see this its a real bummer for sure.