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Video of the new aquascape! How's it look?
[Heater Failure! Tank Wiped Out.] Willamette Valley Red Sea Peninsula 650
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Well, it's official. I have switched over to All for Reef and off of BRS 2-part. Going to be an interesting couple of weeks getting it dialed in but I'm excited for the change.
SteveMac84
Active Member
AmazingHi everyone! I'm Gregory and I've had this 650 up since 2018. It's been through it's ups and downs and had a few incarnations. It recently went through a reboot this last January so it's probably time I get a build thread up and start chronicling it's history. I will preface all of this by saying that I am a big advocate of simplicity. I try to run my tank with as little automation and gadgetry as possible. It has cost me at times but it's getting better. I spent the first couple years of this tanks life over-cleaning the water and starving coral to death. I've since learned my lesson and removed all reactors, filter socks/roller and learned to turn the skimmer down and feed more.
Equipment list:
4 x AI Hydra 26's
Reef Octopus Classic 200g Internal
Finnex 500w Titanium Heater on an Inkbird Heater Controller
Jebao DCP-10000 DC Return Pump
2 x Jebao SCP-150 Gyre's
2 x Kessil H80 Fuge Lights
2 x BRS 1.1ml/s Peristaltic Pumps dosing 2-part (Soda ash/Calcium Chloride)
Current fish list:
Purple Tang
Bicolor Foxface
Male Swallowtail Angel
Female Swallowtail Angel
Yellow Coris Wrasse
Blue Star Leapord Wrasse
Mystery Wrasse
Royal Gramma
2x Clownfish
Midas Blenny
Flame Hawkfish
6x Lyretail Anthias
Yellow Watchmen Goby
Starry Blenny
2x Pajamafish
Anyways, on to the pictures! These are more or less in order from 2018 to now. The new aquascape was this last January. Things were just settling in and then I used Vibrant which killed my chaeto/fuge and I'm dealing with some uglies. It's a shame because things were looking great and I was harvesting chaeto by the trashbag full. Oh well, everything is happy otherwise! I've put a new wad of chaeto and dragon's breath in the fuge and they seem to be taking off.
My most recent battle has been PH. I've always kind of ignored it but I finally started testing with a Hannah checker and a MI meter. To my surprise it was at 7.6-7.8. I have a CO2 scrubber on the way and have serviced my house's HVAC which was shamefully sort of clogged up due to stubbornly trying to use reusable filters. Just changing that filter to a higher quality disposable one upped the PH to 7.9-8.0. The macro being harmed and not growing I suspect isn't helping this.
Let me know what you think! I'd love to improve things with the help of this community.
Following! Love the tank, beautiful.
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Thank you! I saw your post on the local forums, looking forward to seeing your progress. Are you coming to the Newport meeting next month?
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Thank you kindly! I hope to be taking the tank to new heights with the new dosing system.
Yes we are, family in tow. Should be a blast!
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Right on
Right on! It's always a good one. I'll be there with my older two for sure. I'll see ya there!
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Oh no! My Foxface is showing signs of ich all the sudden. The only things that have changed are the new liferock tree and the switch to AFR. He's fat and happy, been in the tank for maybe two years. No other fish exhibiting signs. It's also definitely not sand stuck in his mucus coat which I know happens with them frequently. Sigh. #reeflife
SteveMac84
Active Member
Oh no. That’s awful. Hope you get him healthy and fast. Good luck.
SteveMac84
Active Member
It’s crazy to me that it can just find its way after so long. I learned the hard way with a fresh water tank years ago. thanks to every here I have a 10G QT Just in case something happens. hope all goes well.
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I'm firmly of the opinion that there is no avoiding it. I've seen way too many cases of people going ballistic on ich and it just magically comes back. Be that on inverts/frags, whatever. This is the first time I've seen it crop up at all in my system in years. I'm a big advocate of just keeping the fish fat and happy and letting their immune systems deal with it. It's been pretty successful for me but I also only source fish from one shop that is very diligent about their own QT/medicating/capture process before anything is sold. I'm aware that isn't how most people think around here.
We'll see. The Foxface is still gobbling up food so I'm hopeful. It's my suspicion that adding a 1/3 again to my aquascape has just caused some fishstock stress which brought out some spots. It's just sad though, he's my second biggest fish and arguably the healthiest. Weird that it would be him of all of them.
Which store is that? I’ve been out of the game so long I don’t even know anymore!
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Cutt
Cuttlefish & Corals in Portland. Jeff is the man!
SteveMac84
Active Member
How’s he looking today ?
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Honestly a few spots less today! He's still active, eating his morning nori and frozen like a pig. Weird occurrence for sure but I'm pretty sure he's going to be fine. I appreciate you asking though. It's always stressful having fish-friends suffering.
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Meet Hendrix. He's a big, very good boy.
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Redid my super complex, highly automated, ultra-tech wiring cabinet today lol. (This is sarcasm.)
Still seeing major improvements in coral growth/color/health from the AFR switch. This stuff is like magic. It's been very easy and stable getting it dialed in so far too! I couldn't recommend the stuff enough honestly.
Still seeing major improvements in coral growth/color/health from the AFR switch. This stuff is like magic. It's been very easy and stable getting it dialed in so far too! I couldn't recommend the stuff enough honestly.
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I've had an issue since switching to AFR with my PH actually being too high. It's been pegged at 8.6 which I find curious. I opened up my second airline to the skimmer slightly with a ball valve though and VIOLA! Worked like a charm, back down to 8.4 today. Nice and easy to tune. Still, seems like a weird problem to have considering there is no PH boost in AFR and I'm switching away from soda ash which is well known for it's +PH attribute.
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Slight ich on the Foxface is completely resolved. Heavy nutritious feeding wins again.
I noticed today that one of the Lyretail Anthias are transitioning in to a male! Very exciting and beautiful.
I noticed today that one of the Lyretail Anthias are transitioning in to a male! Very exciting and beautiful.
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