cmcoker's Reefer 250

[alanbetiger]

I'd definitely give you some cash for some! I have a few on smaller rocks/gravel I could easily get as well if you wanted to get a culture going. I looked up a few places yesterday and they are all out of stock. None of the LFS want to order them on this side of metroplex because they are just as expensive to them so they wouldn't want to mark them up.
Yeah I put it up for sale as a knee jerk reaction to us selling our house. After things calmed down in a few weeks I thought about it more and we decided to stay put instead. Turns out babies are expensive haha.

 

[cmcoker]

I'd definitely give you some cash for some! I have a few on smaller rocks/gravel I could easily get as well if you wanted to get a culture going. I looked up a few places yesterday and they are all out of stock. None of the LFS want to order them on this side of metroplex because they are just as expensive to them so they wouldn't want to mark them up.
Yeah I put it up for sale as a knee jerk reaction to us selling our house. After things calmed down in a few weeks I thought about it more and we decided to stay put instead. Turns out babies are expensive haha.

I got mine from salty underground, I am a bit irritated with them though. I added three trochus snails to my order, 1 died in the bag and other 2 were about dead, they died within hours. No response to multiple emails... I mean it's only $9 but what if the Berghias had croaked? Thats a lot more $$

I think I am gonna let the berghia population build a little more, then pull a few out. I think I just need a couple to try to get a separate batch going. I'll definitely let you know. I think I should be able to catch a couple. I think I see them so easy since I don't have a lot of coral yet, hopefully that will help me nab a few without damaging them.

Haha, yeah babies are expensive, wait till she can talk and tell you what she "needs"!! Lol

 

[cmcoker]

Found a couple baby nudis crawling around, this one is no more than a few millimeters. Crazy tiny! It's close to center of the pic

And a couple pics of what I mean about the aiptasia releasing and finding it on the glass. This one later found it way back to a rock. Will have to keep an eye out and Turkey baster handy to suck these guys out in the future.

 

[alanbetiger]

I'm gonna set up a bucket with a filter in the garage now that it's cooler to get a apitasia culture going for when they come back in stock.

 

[cmcoker]

the berghia continue their work. Clear to the yellow line as far as I can tell.

Corals haven't been too happy lately, favia is shrinking and some acropora frags I added a few weeks ago have some stn, a frag of zoas melted away (that could be low nutrients I guess).
Things seems to look happier after a water change, like the favia gets puffier, then about 5 days out start looking mad again.. did a water change today, and ordered an ATI ICP test. Plan to take the sample before my next water change and see if it reveals anything.. the tests I've done have all been fine alk 8.1, ca 420, no3 ~8ppm, po4 .02

 

[billwill]

If it were me, I would move forward with the berghia In the tank and not even consider trying to remove any. I almost shut my 90 down a few years again because of aptasia, and tried everything until berghia finally eliminated the problem.

 

[billwill]

If it were me, I would move forward with the berghia In the tank and not even consider trying to remove any. I almost shut my 90 down a few years again because of aptasia, and tried everything until berghia finally eliminated the problem.

 

[cmcoker]

If it were me, I would move forward with the berghia In the tank and not even consider trying to remove any. I almost shut my 90 down a few years again because of aptasia, and tried everything until berghia finally eliminated the problem.

Thanks, I am gonna let them do their thing for sure. I am thinking to remove just 2. Not the big ones, but I see some 1/2 inch ones regularly. It would be for a backup culture, basically. I Definitely don't want to harm them, but I actually see them on the glass where it would be easy to blow them off and suck them up into Turkey baster..

I found a group of 8 or 10 different sizes attacking an aiptasia after lights out, several nights ago. They are definitely breeding successfully in the display

 

[cmcoker]

So berghia have made great strides I the past couple weeks, most of the tank is clear, I have to look for the aiptasia now!

I screwed up my neck so never got around to trying to get a aiptasia culture going.. @alanbetiger did you ever throw one together?

I did some testing today before my water change, and sent a sample to ATI for comparison:
Reefer 250
11/07 Tuesday 11:50 AM
NO3: 10 ppm
PO4: .03 ppm
Salinity: 1.025 SG
Alkalinity: 8.4 dKH
Calcium: 460 ppm
Magnesium: 1480 ppm
Potassium: 400 ppm

So we will see what ATI comes back with.

 

[ecdragonz]

Tanks looking good

 

[cmcoker]

Hey @alanbetiger, look what I found in the sump.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Glad to see that the berghias are doing their job.

 

[alanbetiger]

That’s awesome! I did start a 10 gallon in the garage no that it’s cool enough in there. It’s been a week and the two Aiptasia i put in there are no where to be found. I assume in a few weeks there will all of a sudden be twenty.

 

[cmcoker]

I scored a Profilux 3ex, power bar, temp probe, conductivity probe, pH probe (was bad but no biggie), couple float sensors and the mounting rod and bits, calibration fluids, and an AI interface cable (don't need) off the local forum for $200. Woot!
Did I mention it had never been used and everything was still in packaging?!



I picked up a cabinet and have just about got it all set up, just hooked up the pH probe I grabbed from BRS during the black friday deals. Im interested to see how that trends over time.
I still need to determine what I want to use the floats for - ditch stock ATO or use as high/low emergency sensors...

I am also aiptasia free, thanks Berghia Nudibranches!

ATI ICP analysis showed Tin elevated at 5.47ug/L not sure where that's coming from....adding some Cuprisorb to the tank to see if it helps the corals stay happier between water changes.
Nothing else of concern on the report. The alk and calcium were higher than I tested but nothing too alarming will see how it trends over time.
http://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/ec254aed3ad8f80cf5e7

 

[cmcoker]

I run 2 rw8 for flow in the tank, I thought I would see if it was possible to control them through the profilux.
I had an old Jebao twins controller laying around that one of the pumps had finally died, so I didn't have anything to lose if I broke it.
Thanks to a post @Lasse had over on a Swedish forum, I was able to figure out the wiring. I had to order a new power supply, since running 2 rw8s would require more amps than the 2 wp25s that were used on this controller previously. Once the new power supply arrived, I plugged the rw8s into the controller and everything ran as it should.
So I opened up the controller, drilled a hole to let in the phone cable I used, and wired it up.
Went into profilux and changed the max voltage to 5v for the control pins.
Annnnd moment of truth, I plugged in the data cable, got the pumps programmed and it is running like a charm. Sweet!

 

[Lasse]

Glad to help

Sincerely Lasse

 

[cmcoker]

Been playing around with the pumps, still not happy with the flow pattern... added a wp25 to the mix so will see if that makes it better.
Currently on the lookout for a Mccoskers wrasse, one of the lfs is supposed to have a couple coming next week so fingers crossed.
And got a few books for Christmas, also got Scott Micheals Marine Fishes book.

 

[cmcoker]

One of the power supplies on my leds went caput on Sunday. [emoji852] the good thing about the leds being diy, I was able to hop on Amazon and have a new power supply hooked up today before the lights turned on. I took the opportunity to detangle the mess of wires, it only ended up as less of a mess though.

I had picked up a piece of acrylic to make a diffuser for the leds, so took care of that while I was messing with the lights today as well. Used some sandpaper to scuff up the acrylic. I really helped the light bleed and smoothed out the disco shimmer. I am pleased with the aesthetic, will see how the tank reacts over the next few weeks to the change.

I also ordered a Jebao SW2 to replace a koralia nano in one of the biocubes. Nice tiny little pump, I was pretty amazed at the detritus it kicked up. Really happy with that.

 

[cmcoker]

Purchased a new fish, Paracheilinus flavianalis on Wednesday. Got qt setup and brought fish home Friday, ate a little Saturday. He is coming out more now and is eating like a pig. Noticed spots today, so have started up copper safe.

I started a thread for input on ich vs velvet to determine how fast to ramp copper.
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/354906/

 

[cmcoker]

New fishy doing well, dosed some general cure over the weekend since he seemed to have a little head twitch and was yawning quite a bit. Those symptoms seem to have subsided.

Got a shipment of new salt in today. I had to use a different salt a couple weeks ago because I couldn't get to the usual LFS. Did a few water changes with Salinity and I think the coral seemed to respond better, compared to the Red Sea. Maybe in my head, I don't know. Anyway I dont care for how Salinity mixes so saw Premium Aquatics has Accurasea1 Salt mix available. I order three 50g boxes, gonna mix some up today and check out the parameters. I like that it is pre proportioned , gonna add some gallon markers to my rodi container and see how it goes.