[Heater Failure! Tank Wiped Out.] Willamette Valley Red Sea Peninsula 650

youcallmenny1

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Hi 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.

20180302_140649.jpg 20190214_100939.jpg 20190824_113943.jpg 20190922_103429.jpg 20210719_083019.jpg 20211016_160812.jpg 20211016_160656.jpg 20211020_113803.jpg 20220323_183901.jpg
 
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PeterC99

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Love the setup - very cool peninsula! Great viewing from so many different angles!

The coral growth is going to take off after you install the CO2.

Just remember I was the second person to respond to your build thread when it comes time to frag those beauties!!!
 
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youcallmenny1

youcallmenny1

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Love the setup - very cool peninsula! Great viewing from so many different angles!

The coral growth is going to take off after you install the CO2.

Just remember I was the second person to respond to your build thread when it comes time to frag those beauties!!!
Thank you for the kind words! It's been a labor of love for certain. I am just going to run the scrubber straight until I figure out how to do a recirculating version. Very shocking about the PH issue honestly. I'm always happy to share!
 

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Thank you for the kind words! It's been a labor of love for certain. I am just going to run the scrubber straight until I figure out how to do a recirculating version. Very shocking about the PH issue honestly. I'm always happy to share!

Recirculate asap - saves a ton in Soda Lime. Also buy bulk!

 
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youcallmenny1

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Recirculate asap - saves a ton in Soda Lime. Also buy bulk!

Will do! Thank you for the link. The BRS stuff isn't too spendy but I assume I'll be using this forever so... Any particular way to recirculate that you prefer? I'm kind of new to the concept.
 

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Will do! Thank you for the link. The BRS stuff isn't too spendy but I assume I'll be using this forever so... Any particular way to recirculate that you prefer? I'm kind of new to the concept.

I just bore a small hole in the top of my skimmer cup top and taped up the holes!

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Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! What is that other line going in to your skimmer lid?

Float value, auto shutoff if the skimmer cup fills up. Prevents skimmate from getting into CO2 scrubber.
 

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nice 650P my friend. such nice tanks right.
looks like we have a few of the same fish too. how are the 6x Lyretail Anthias doing? how often do you feed?

mind post a vid of them when you get a chance?
they have been on my maybe list for years.
 
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youcallmenny1

youcallmenny1

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nice 650P my friend. such nice tanks right.
looks like we have a few of the same fish too. how are the 6x Lyretail Anthias doing? how often do you feed?

mind post a vid of them when you get a chance?
they have been on my maybe list for years.
Thank you! I think that makes us 650P buds! :)

I've had Bartlett's before but this crew of Lyretails is way tougher and better behaved. I wouldn't recommend any other Anthias at this point. I love them. Yea, I'll get a video when the lights come up tomorrow. My fishstock is a dream right now. Mostly I'm super excited about the mated pair of Swallowtail Angels.
 
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youcallmenny1

youcallmenny1

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Hmm. I let the scrubber run all night, woke up to happy corals and a PH of 8.2. That's as high as I've ever seen it. Still another couple hours till the end of the light cycle too. I'll test a few more times throughout the day. Looking very hopeful though!
 
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PH is up to 8.3 as of today. Alk dropped from the steady 8.1 it's been at down to 7.4 within 2 days since I tested last. Calcium dropped from 445 to 400 in the same time. I take this as increased consumption rates and am observing accelerating growth tank-wide. This scrubber was the best thing to happen to our reef in a long time!
 
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This week has been insane! I've been having to increase 2-part dosing like crazy in addition to doing some bonus water changes trying to keep up with the upswing in demand. Still seeing accelerating results in the display tank. After so long of sluggish/no growth, this is like a dream come true!
 
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Nice haul from the PNWMAS meeting group buy yesterday.

I'm in the process of adding a third liferock tree this week. I'll post the updated scape when it's done.
 

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Fusion in reefing: How do you feel about grafted corals?

  • I strongly prefer grafted corals and I seek them out to put in my tank.

    Votes: 3 3.7%
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    Votes: 47 58.0%
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    Votes: 23 28.4%
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    Votes: 5 6.2%
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