Two Tanked too Enjoy It...

[MECOMI]

Time to dive deeper into the hobby.

Other than day dreaming from time to time about going bigger, I still figured my next upgrade would at least be 5 years off. I also hoped it would be a peninsula tank as i have a long living room so a room separator would be awesome. Sometimes the universe has other plans.

The LFS was open for business throughout the pandemic but you were not allowed in. I bought fish, coral, and dry goods from them throughout as i wanted to support them as much as i could. During the summer they reopened the store to go in with masks. And in late July the owner had enough and decided he wanted out of the business.

Even though this was very sad there were a couple positives that would come out of it. First he was not closing due to the pandemic. He still had a healthy cash flow throughout and was having his first child so he wanted out of the retail game. He also planned on selling the LLC to a new owner so the store would return someday, just somewhere around town (hopefully close by).

This is when the new tank was revealed. The LFS owner was not selling the building....everything must go.

I walked in and saw this sitting there empty and just begging to be purchased. There were two other people eyeballing it and i knew i had to make a decision quickly. I called the wife explained the situation and claimed it as my own.

Introducing a scratched up Red Sea Max S-500 for $1500.00. I am ecstatic. Whoop!

First thing of note, this tank is Dirty. It was up and running for almost 5 years, there was healthy coralline growth, dried up worms, cobwebs, and a boatload of salt creep inside the stand. But all the equipment worked, the sump was in good shape, and the three lights were Aqua Illumination Hydra TwentySix HD LED.

This is going to be a fun challenge!

I am in no rush to get this thing up and running. I decided to determine the budget and dive into cleaning this beast. Luckily it just fit in my garage so it was safe and had plenty of room to work around.

Time to break out the shop-vac,

B-Kind

 

[rmorris_14]

There are days i really love my reef.

And adding new critters to the ecosystem puts a mighty big smile on my face. Teddy will always hold a special place in my heart being my first shrimp, but it is hard to stay away from a new pair!

A tank coming into maturity is supposed to be a beautiful thing. The coral is growing, the coralline is spreading onto every surface, and everything in the tank just seems to be in balance. At this stage i thought maybe i could do less. Maybe i need to demonstrate patience and be content with what this Biocube has achieved, remove the Chemipure Elite, and let things go more natural. I will still do water changes every two weeks at 5 gallons a session.

But i am making all these changes and still not testing. Looking back i wonder how i could have even been content making any changes with the state of the healthier and stronger patches of green algae popping up on the rocks. The pipe organ slowly losing polyps and even the mighty Paly starting to melt in spots giving way to cyanobacteria. I just kept thinking to myself, be patient, the tank can handle itself without me intervening further....

Did i mention i am a beginner, its important to remind myself that sometimes. Having a whopping year of success under my belt and never testing on my own, i thought i was moving in the right direction, never even thinking twice about what is to come. Just merrily adding corals and enjoying my fish.

You know what i will do to take care of this strangely strong green hair algae, buy an urchin. My understanding is they plow through algae like a boss. And initially i thought just maybe it will do its job, but it barely even touched it. It did enjoy wearing it as hats,

More new coral! and the struggles continue, Doc the Watchmen still hiding amongst his mushrooms.

Apparently around this time i really liked taking FTS. Have i mentioned that i really love the movement and variety of all my fishy friends? Must be almost feeding time,

I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about green star polyps or GSP in their tanks. It truly is a fast grower. I want everybody to know that it was awesome having it grow on the back wall. Easily managed, easily scraped if it ever got out of control, and just added some absolute beautiful movement to an otherwise static looking back wall.

'Algae for breakfast, my favorite' - shrimp probably,

Enjoy your day out there, more stories to be told, and new adventures await,

B-Kind

#cubegoals

 

[MECOMI]

#cubegoals

Thank you for this, much appreciated. This tank has put me through the ringer. At this time though the Biocube was at its peak and i was enjoying the heck out of it!

Have a good week,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

Cleaning is going to take some serious time. The RSM S-500 is very dirty. Not only was it up and running for several years, it was also up and running in an LFS. They definitely took good care of the residence and coral but the stand, equipment and tank took a beating.

After watching several videos online and reviewing other R2R builds i decided that vinegar was going to be my best friend. I made sure it was standard white vinegar which i bought by the gallon, setup a small spray bottle with a roughly 50/50 mix of vinegar, water, and got to it.

The sump was just plain gnarly, which is not surprising.

All the trim on the tank was first up since it was already removed. Wiped everything down till it had some pristine shine. I filled the sump up with a gallon of vinegar plus about 3/4 full of water, added a pump, wavemaker and let that run for almost three days. I used a shop vac and many, many towels till the sump was almost like new.

Now here is the sad part. The sump was in almost perfect condition. It was never going to be like new but after the cleaning i was really happy with it. There was some remaining water in the bottom that i couldnt get out with the shop-vac so i asked the wife for a little help. We went to dump out the water and it slipped out of our hand onto the asphalt in the driveway cracking the corner of the tank

The good news is it still held water, the bad news is it would have to be replaced before i got it up and running, shoot

Interesting feature when parking in your own garage...

The inside of the overflow was just plain dirty.

Quite the project,

To remedy this i left all the equipment in the tank, and mixed vinegar and hose water in the tank. Thankfully all the equipment turned right on and started pumping vinegar water throughout.

My first test, makes me one happy dude, and it is great seeing it filled with water with no leaks after the move

It took me about 2 weeks to get to this point in the build. Taking the stand and trim apart, while putting all the tubing and pipes together has made me intimately familiar with the tank which i believe will only help in the future.

Later days my friends,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

This is my 'Two Tanked' Journey and the timeline continues to march on. The new tank is in the middle of the cleaning process and the Biocube is reefing onward!

Now just one year and three months in a familiar star shows up in the reef,

Geez get out of the way Mocha i am trying to show all my R2R friends the tree sponge...

ah that's better,

Did i mention that i like fat fish and i cannot lie???

What i do not like is the look of my Pipe Organ ::sigh:: The reef is showing some real signs of regression after being almost bullet proof through its first year. The coral is starting to look beyond stressed and the hair algae is really taking hold.

I am definitely worried at this time, water changes dont seem to be doing much, manual removal only lasts a week or so and i am still not testing. Ultimately the tank is crashing in slow motion, all the warning signs are there and i just cant seem to stop it.

Oh man, Doc the Watchman continues to keep an eye on me. You know what, i like you my fishy friend.

This new shrimp pair is great. I never had more than one, Teddy Bundy killed its original mate after the first evening. So seeing all the whiskers around is just fantastic.

'What are these strange Medusa like critters?' stated the shrimp,

I must admit, sundown in the tank always revealed some unexpected beauty that you just did not expect. Oh and i guess the glass is a little dirty,

It has been a little while since i cleaned out the chaeto out of the back of the tank. The inTank refugium basket just keeps producing healthy happy algae. Sadly even though i consistently had good growth it could not out compete the pure growth rate of the hair like algae growing in the display,

Cheers,

"is this my anemone?"

With some of the trouble showing up in the Biocube i am worried about the RSM S500. Can i really handle a bigger tank with this type of decline happening on something that is much smaller? Will i really be able to juggle these two tanks and keep both healthy and thriving? Geez, it is a lot to consider.

I will keep fighting the reefing fight, get the RSM cleaned up and running, and just do my best to enjoy the ride.

Later days,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

Well these two have grown,

Banggai and Rockbitter say, 'Hello',

The glass is just a little dirty.

Later days,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

I said once before that i am going to be honest about my reef journey. Sometimes things are good, other times...

Doc my Yellow Watchman Goby was a jumper. Something i was absolutely surprised by. Here is this fish living on the sandbed and somehow also likes to fly. Luckily the first time, he was just chilling in chamber 1 of the BC wondering how he got back there. I scooped him up in my hand and returned him to the display.

A few months later i added some algae eaters, three Lettuce Nudibranch. And i absolutely made a mistake. Rockbitter my Filefish is a hunter.

It did not take long to find all the nudibranch and finished them off within a few days. Stalking them after just a few minutes in the tank.

This addition to the tank added some turmoil. Sometime in the evening one of these newcomers must have scared Doc. This caused him to jump out of the tank again during the first night of the sea slug residence, and broke his back in the process. This time i found him in chamber 2, in the morning, behind the inTank basket,

He was still breathing so i got him out and gently put him back in the tank. Immediately i could tell it was too late...Crazy enough, in a death throw, Doc flung himself out of the tank and into a cup i had sitting on the outside of the tank. When i came back to the tank he was gone. I buried him under the tree in the front yard, giving him back to the earth.

You were one of the first fish in this hobby to truly become a pet and i am saddened i let you down.

Respect, Doc

Sincerely,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

I realize once again, i am stalling for time. Or sitting on my hands in this case waiting for the courage to continue.

Talking about the good and showing off the beauty of our reef tanks is the easy part. Taking the time to relive the bad and the ugly is hard to discuss but seems more and more important to share. The internet is filled with perfection. Perfect days, perfect families, perfect friends, perfect meals, and even perfect fish tanks which i am sure never had a single problem to deal with .

It is nice to show off as it feeds the ego which there is nothing wrong with but darn do we miss out on what makes us all human, the failures. A failure is not the end, it is just part of the journey. The failure means you made an attempt. The important thing is to learn from it, move on, and keep up the work. Do not quit!

The Biocube is my first ever saltwater tank. I wanted as much live rock as i could stuff inside, along with Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and that was my entire expectation of the tank. Leading up to my first purchase i started to ask questions. To my surprise my initial expectation could not even be met if i wanted a successful tank. I wanted life and wonder but i would have had death and a virtually empty tank except for a shrimp pair staring at the strange two legged creature outside of its glass world .

The point is, i learned this from someone's mistake. I did not have to go through this pain as the person before had already failed the test and passed on this knowledge to the next reefer.

I know that the next couple posts around the Biocube will be some of the hardest and maybe even the most interesting of all, depending on the reader. I just feel that someday someone will come across the post, learn from my mistakes, and will not have to go through the same.

Sincerely,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

One of the weirdest things that happened in the biocube was a crazy Banded Sea Star spawning event.

I walked by and noticed the polyps retracting on the paly's and a strange haze in the water. Weirdly enough this haze was being spewed out of the star fish. Oh and Spike was just telling Mocha a secret, they definitely were not fighting....

There were at least ten of them standing on two legs to better project into the water column. The Tailspot Blenny really enjoyed their offerings and seemed to be having a feast throughout the event, strangest thing

The Biocube has brought me so much joy and opened my mind to a whole new hobby i never knew i needed. I have learned so much and yet still have so much to learn. And a rough lesson is here.

Notice anything about the reef? The whole right side of the top of the rock pile is gone. The palys on that side started quickly shrinking and dying off with cyano and the fast growing hair algae taking its place faster than i ever saw. I finally decided to take drastic measures.

Lesson 1: I thought the best route to take would be to remove the rocks and discard them. I probably removed 3 to 4 lbs out of the 25 lbs in the tank. I felt this was the best route as it would take out some of the die off and worse algae. Instead it caused a chain reaction that i could not slow down.

The loss of the protective bacteria attached to all that surface area on the rock was gone and the tanks defenses had been lowered.

Everything continued to retract, faster everyday till the algae found new ground where the coral used to reside. I lost control.

Feeding time, with algae taking over the palys,

Rockbitter says thank you for the meal,

I continued to do water changes, change out filters, harvest and regrow chaeto algae but it was no use, the supposedly green hair algae was taking over this tank.

Lesson 2: Test, Test, Test. I never tested the tank myself so i never had any test kits. During the pandemic i no longer stopped in at the LFS so for almost 8 months i had no idea what was happening in the tank. Even as the coral started to die and the algae started to take hold i did not even think one time about testing for a problem.

Ultimately the tank crashed in slow motion and i was too stubborn, thinking that my past successes would prevent future failures. The alkalinity/magnesium/calcium most likely tanked sometime during the pandemic. Some of my earliest indicators like the polyp bailout of my first hammer coral, and either the disintegration or bailout of the pipe organ polyps should have been a huge clue. The death of the coral fueling the algae.

Everything came crashing down

I was devastated watching the tank get taken over. Manual removal, vacuuming, brushing, and water changes barely put a dent in it. I lost control and am ashamed. It is my ecosystem and my mistakes cost me. This failure was a tough one to take.

But i will not quit...

The biocube will continue to march on as i move into a bigger space. I have no interest in breaking down the tank or merging it with the RSM S500. My new goal is to determine a resolve, and continue my Two Tanked journey.

Later days my friends and cheers to better days,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

Good day my reefer friends i hope all is well,

The war on algae for the Biocube is in full swing. In all honesty while i battled, the picture taking became fewer as time went on. My first reaction was to continue to do water changes but doing 5 gallon changes instead and added back the Chemipure Elite. This is going to be a long process.

So in the mean time and staying true to the timeline...

Cleaning the Red Sea Max S500 took a couple months. I started with everything hooked up and running for three reasons, one to make sure there were no leaks, two that all the equipment is working properly, and three to thoroughly clean the tank itself. I would even say i did a mighty fine job.

Now the left over streaks are just water stains. Before i put the tank up i used a specialty environmental safe polish on the glass and a glass safe pad. This shined it up real nice and softened some of the edges of the scratches that were to deep too get out.

Canned air was my friend on the stand. Once i took the tank off for finishing touches i was able to access all the supports. Each one had some form of corrosion or salt creep, spiders/bugs inside, and i was nervous about some of the plastic plugs and screws. The canned air made quick work of the bugs, and vinegar and elbow grease cleaned up the rest.

Did i mention this tank was in an LFS for almost five years? The feet were so caked in salt creep i thought for sure i would need new ones. Turns out the vinegar did the trick on these to and in no time they were like new. Phew, one less thing to buy.

Below i pasted the parts i ultimately had to buy along with the costs for the repair. I did have to buy a new powerstrip for inside the power bank that cost around $25 later on. The sump was the big expense, to be honest, i thought it would have cost more. But darn i really wish i did not drop the old one...my bad.

And along with the initial buy.

I absolutely kept a budget. My goal was to get the tank up and running with as little impact on the family as possible. I saved and stayed patient. Buying a few things here and there to keep the process moving while never causing strain on my marriage

I waited till after the holidays to bring in the parts and sump. This started getting me really excited. The delivery came within a week to my office, thank goodness we had a dock to receive it, saving me some shipping fees. We are at the 5 month mark of this build when this arrived.

I was a little nervous seeing the plastic ripped up a bit, the good news is, after inspection she was in perfect shape!

Setting up this tank has been so much fun! The possibilities of a larger tank were really starting to excite me but it will still be some time before she is up and running.

Much more to come, stay tuned....

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

I love my animals.

Getting an opportunity to have a reef tank, dogs, and chickens fills me up with such joy. And changing around the Red Room to make room for the RSM is exciting.

After a water change and nail trim its time for a change.

They see me rolling...and the dogs in da house dont care.

Note to self and others; putting a saltwater tank in front of a heat register may not have been the smartest idea. I definitely have some corrosion from accidental spills. No matter how careful we are with the water, life finds a way.

Eh oh well, i might as well try the new tank in the same spot...

Yikes, that is a hard no. Awkward

Back to the drawing board i suppose. My initial hope was that i could fit both tanks into the red room. It was a nice thought but the room just is not big enough for the aquarium of my dreams. Onto a new one,

I like the tank here in the living room instead. It will still be a focal point but wont be squeezed into a corner for the sake of it. And dont worry the window next to it stays closed about 98% of the time.

Putting casters on the custom tank stand was a great idea. I always had a feeling that i wanted the ease of moving it for cleaning, and in the back of my mind, knew change was coming one day. The best part is, as we grow with the space there is a chance it could move again, and the smooth casters will continue to roll.

With the Biocube moved to the living room i am dreaming of what i want out of the RSM. I was convinced that i wanted a Clownfish harem. I started researching blog posts and watching the Bulk Reef Supply harem videos getting pumped about the movement and trying to decide what type of clownfish i could afford and/or be interested in. And when i started my aquascape i initially had this in mind.

I really really reaaaallly wanted live rock for the new tank and i had tunnel vision for one vendor in particular which was TB Saltwater. The problem at the time, A: the pandemic, and B: it was in the middle of changing hands so it was shut down . Ugg that took a while to get over. Maybe i can reach out to them for the next tank (one day)............shhhh dont tell the wife.

Once i collected my thoughts i came across another BRS video about NSA aquascaping and was intrigued. Here is an option where i can buy rock for a reasonable price and build the whole scape by hand. I by no means wanted to duplicate their style but it was a solid baseline that made sense to me.

Welcome my new 100lbs box of Marco rocks.

BRS extra thick super glue, insta-set, E-Marco 400 Mortar, and a quick trip to the hardware store and i was ready to roll.

I am feeling more inspired and creative than ever before. I have never built a aquascape from scratch, challenge accepted. Whoop lets do this!!!!!

Later days,

B-Kind

 

[rmorris_14]

I love my animals.

Getting an opportunity to have a reef tank, dogs, and chickens fills me up with such joy. And changing around the Red Room to make room for the RSM is exciting.

After a water change and nail trim its time for a change.

They see me rolling...and the dogs in da house dont care.

Note to self and others; putting a saltwater tank in front of a heat register may not have been the smartest idea. I definitely have some corrosion from accidental spills. No matter how careful we are with the water, life finds a way.

Eh oh well, i might as well try the new tank in the same spot...

Yikes, that is a hard no. Awkward

Back to the drawing board i suppose. My initial hope was that i could fit both tanks into the red room. It was a nice thought but the room just is not big enough for the aquarium of my dreams. Onto a new one,

I like the tank here in the living room instead. It will still be a focal point but wont be squeezed into a corner for the sake of it. And dont worry the window next to it stays closed about 98% of the time.

Putting casters on the custom tank stand was a great idea. I always had a feeling that i wanted the ease of moving it for cleaning, and in the back of my mind, knew change was coming one day. The best part is, as we grow with the space there is a chance it could move again, and the smooth casters will continue to roll.

With the Biocube moved to the living room i am dreaming of what i want out of the RSM. I was convinced that i wanted a Clownfish harem. I started researching blog posts and watching the Bulk Reef Supply harem videos getting pumped about the movement and trying to decide what type of clownfish i could afford and/or be interested in. And when i started my aquascape i initially had this in mind.

I really really reaaaallly wanted live rock for the new tank and i had tunnel vision for one vendor in particular which was TB Saltwater. The problem at the time, A: the pandemic, and B: it was in the middle of changing hands so it was shut down . Ugg that took a while to get over. Maybe i can reach out to them for the next tank (one day)............shhhh dont tell the wife.

Once i collected my thoughts i came across another BRS video about NSA aquascaping and was intrigued. Here is an option where i can buy rock for a reasonable price and build the whole scape by hand. I by no means wanted to duplicate their style but it was a solid baseline that made sense to me.

Welcome my new 100lbs box of Marco rocks.

BRS extra thick super glue, insta-set, E-Marco 400 Mortar, and a quick trip to the hardware store and i was ready to roll.

I am feeling more inspired and creative than ever before. I have never built a aquascape from scratch, challenge accepted. Whoop lets do this!!!!!

Later days,

B-Kind

I can’t wait to see it come together!!!

 

[MECOMI]

I can’t wait to see it come together!!!

Thank you @rmorris_14 happy to have you along for the ride!

 

[MECOMI]

The build is on...

Trial and error,

Its taking shape,

Staying between the lines

As the main rock took shape i realized i wanted something that brought the two rockscapes right, left, together. Enter left side of trench..

Since the rockscape is in process i think it is time to get the tank into the house. My brother-in-law helped me carry the 300lbs tank in and with a little help from a furniture mover... Seven months after buying the used Red Sea Max S-500 from the LFS, She is home!

Some assembly required,

Adding depth to the rockscape.

Right side,

...time for some mortar

Left side done,

The build continues....

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

After some consideration and a lot of time on the web i decided that a Clownfish Harem was not going to work for me. It was clear that besides the BRS harem tank, that long term success does not seem to be the norm. Eventually the fish start to fight, the anemone may start to fade, or the tank has some epic crash causing straight devastation, and i want a long term commitment.

It does not mean its going to be easy...

I knew that starting with dry rock it was important to add diversity. At 10lbs, i introduce a chunk of live rock that just seems to complete the scape.

Swim through is what I'm talking about...

Hmm this rock appears to have a face, good find at Easy Aquariums!

The skimmer sat in vinegar for a good two to three days but it was not as clean as i would like, Time to clean her up,

All clean and straight out of the kitchen sink, sooowrrrryy wife...

Man it looks great all put together, time to add water.

MmmHmmmm!!!

Progress and at 100gpd the process was painfully slow!

Dry rock in. Minus the live rock which is circulating in tank water. This tank is tall so ladder required...

Just beautiful ! I loved putting this scape together. Getting to work with my hands to create such a structure gives me such pride.

I realize that a big part of the love that went into this tank was the huge task it was to clean it up. Taking this thing apart piece by piece down to the screws made me intimately familiar with every aspect. I feel like if anything happens i can handle the problem. I have learned plumbing, woodworking, and all about an ecosystem that i cannot get enough of.

Let the saltwater journey for the used Red Sea Max S-500 begin!

Later days,

B-Kind

 

[rmorris_14]

After some consideration and a lot of time on the web i decided that a Clownfish Harem was not going to work for me. It was clear that besides the BRS harem tank, that long term success does not seem to be the norm. Eventually the fish start to fight, the anemone may start to fade, or the tank has some epic crash causing straight devastation, and i want a long term commitment.

It does not mean its going to be easy...

I knew that starting with dry rock it was important to add diversity. At 10lbs, i introduce a chunk of live rock that just seems to complete the scape.

Swim through is what I'm talking about...

Hmm this rock appears to have a face, good find at Easy Aquariums!

The skimmer sat in vinegar for a good two to three days but it was not as clean as i would like, Time to clean her up,

All clean and straight out of the kitchen sink, sooowrrrryy wife...

Man it looks great all put together, time to add water.

MmmHmmmm!!!

Progress and at 100gpd the process was painfully slow!

Dry rock in. Minus the live rock which is circulating in tank water. This tank is tall so ladder required...

Just beautiful ! I loved putting this scape together. Getting to work with my hands to create such a structure gives me such pride.

I realize that a big part of the love that went into this tank was the huge task it was to clean it up. Taking this thing apart piece by piece down to the screws made me intimately familiar with every aspect. I feel like if anything happens i can handle the problem. I have learned plumbing, woodworking, and all about an ecosystem that i cannot get enough of.

Let the saltwater journey for the used Red Sea Max S-500 begin!

Later days,

B-Kind

Looking good!!!!

 

[MECOMI]

Looking good!!!!

Thank you...

Whoop!!

 

[MECOMI]

Evening my Reefer Amigo’s I hope all is well, I took a small break from blogging about my reef as the holidays were mentally taxing enough with friend, family, holiday, and being sick for a little to long during November/December. I am almost recovered so its time to dive back in.

I am inspired this evening to chat about my water change station. This was a goal of mine from the beginning and was budgeted in along with all the tank business, I definitely missed some of the PVC unions but the main items are listed.

water making station:
brute trash can 44 gal x 2	$90.00
50px pan world pump	$160.00
3/4 in. x 10 ft. PVC Schedule 40 Plain-End DWV Pipe	$2.95
red flag product true union ball valve pump 3/4"	$13.95

�

I utilized two pictures from R2R that I found on one of the ‘Water Change Station’ setup blogs for inspiration. (I apologize I don’t have the original creators for these two saved, I had the pictures saved for a while and could not find them again, I would have liked to thank them directly, so if they stumble across these, Thank you for the help!)



This thing is a game changer for reef keeping. I would advise anyone setting up any size tank to create one. Having ‘x’ amount of water on hand for water changes/cleaning/RODI top off/Auto-changes/Auto-top off gives you peace of mind that no matter what comes, the water is there.

Super organized as always

Personally, I have never plumbed a thing in my life so this was a new skill I had an opportunity to learn in the process. I made mistakes.

I watched the how to glue/primer video on PVC pipe on mute missing the importance of fully slathering the primer around each connection point, so I only dabbed it resulting in several leaks. The part that was the most frustrating is I did a leak test, and nothing dripped. So, imagine my surprise once everything was filled that I had water on the floor.

Back to the internet and Home Depot again for a resolve and I landed on JB Water Weld which is drink safe. Since there is not much pressure in the system once this stuff dried the leaks were gone. I know this may or may not be a long-term fix but I was on a budget and all the piping/unions/ball valves add up. Now after about two years the leaks have remained plugged.

The last note is setting up a cold water line. I did not have access to a sink in my basement, so I had to tap a line. As noted earlier I have never plumbed a thing in my life so cutting a pre-existing line was terrifying. There are two things that scare me in a house which is water and electricity, but I digress. Ultimately I discovered I have PEX style plumbing which made things easier. I then found the Sharkbite Fittings brand and the install could not have been easier. Shut off the water, cut the line with bucket ready for drainage, press on both sides of the Sharkbite fitting, turn water back on, DONE!

Every time I use the water station it just makes me smile.

What a fun and interesting hobby we have found ourselves in!

Later days

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

Taking things slow and having patience was important to me during the RSM build. It took me 8 months from the time i bought the used tank to the day i set it up. Once it was filled taking it slow and having patience for the cycle was next. Other then to test the lights, or just take a few moments to admire the work i put in, the tank was blacked out for the first month. I wanted to fully cycle the tank and leave no doubt that i could handle fish in the system.

Once the live rock and live sand was in, the cycle had begun. I purchased Fritz Fishless Fuel and Microbacter7 to seed the tank but wanted to see some of the natural processes take off first. After almost three weeks there was barely a blip on the ammonia tests, and no nitrite yet. I figured the live rock/sand would help kick start things but nothing. I even added a little food to a filter sock for easy to removal to no avail.

I watched a MACNA 2019 youtube video from Dr. Tim on cycles. This gave me an optimal ammonia starting point to help kick the cycle in gear which was 4ppm. I used the Fishless Fuel and added 1ppm a day till i reached 4ppm (And yes my budget for this system included test kits, after my mistake with the biocube i wanted to be able to monitor things myself and avoid relying on just the LFS). Then i started to add Microbacter7 at 2ppm ammonia, and added the daily recommended amount from there till i added my first fish. Everything was kicked into high gear. Nitrite started to build, nitrate began appearing, and the ammonia slowly fell.

Trench run....

While waiting for the cycle there was a little more room on the right side that could be filled in with more rock. I knew early that i always wanted to try a clam so i made a clam hammock and fish swim through for more depth.

Ah, that filled things out nicely, weird lighting...

Lights just coming on, weird seeing the cement so prevalent. As soon as the normal blues are on you dont notice it at all.

After a little over 1.5 months the diatoms are coming in strong.

You are now entering the ugly phase!!

Later days,

B-Kind

 

[MECOMI]

At the cycles 1.5 month mark the ugly phase is going strong and old man live rock has a new fuzzy head of hair.

I may have let the cycle go for a little to long without adding a cleanup crew as the hair algae phase came on very strong once the ammonia disappeared. And once the nitrite finally disappeared the nitrate jumped all the way to 50ppm. The Microbacter7 dosing continued, a 40% water change was done, the @reefcleaners order was on its way, and everything was still progressing fine.

So much hair algae, on the bright side at least there is finally some movement in this tank!

Hooray ?!?

I ordered a mix of 30 Turbos, nassarius, trochus, and a couple other small snails to start. I also added about 10 scarlet hermits to round out the early cleanup crew. It's pretty interesting how different snails/crabs are in such a big tank, they disappear very quickly and are seen far less often then in the Biocube.

They are also very impressive and made short work of the superficial hair algae barely clinging to the dry rock.

And after about two to three weeks the algae was gone and the ugly phase was a wrap.

I do believe it is time to sit back, relax, and dream about the RSM S-500 first fish...

More fun, more challenges, more mistakes, and more life incoming.

Later days,

B-Kind