My 85g reef experiment

david p. · Nov 17, 2016

Next phase of my project can begin!
i'll hook that LPS tank to my main display, i have been struggling to keep my LPS happy with all the flow and probly from my angels nipping at them.
Will contain my Wellso, Acan, Scoly, Rhodactict, yumas, my hammer and candycane.
i will get a lot of Zoa and chalice for the barebotom.

i also want to remove my birdnest from main display, they might end up in there if i can't sell the colonies.

Light by AI Prime HD, propelled by SW-2 Jebeo powerhead( these are a trial, but i likes the control and the fact they can be sync)

Chrisfish · Nov 17, 2016

david p. said:
Next phase of my project can begin!
i'll hook that LPS tank to my main display, i have been struggling to keep my LPS happy with all the flow and probly from my angels nipping at them.
Will contain my Wellso, Acan, Scoly, Rhodactict, yumas, my hammer and candycane.
i will get a lot of Zoa and chalice for the barebotom.

i also want to remove my birdnest from main display, they might end up in there if i can't sell the colonies.

Light by AI Prime HD, propelled by SW-2 Jebeo powerhead( these are a trial, but i likes the control and the fact they can be sync)

Beautiful tank

david p. · Dec 1, 2016

the LPS tank is delayed... still waiting for my gate valve...
just got those two :

and this is my pink lemonade getting some wild colors!

Kyl · Dec 5, 2016

If you were buying a light for your refugium, would you go with the Evergro Nova again? Debating on picking one up from Ray..

david p. · Dec 6, 2016

Kyl said:
If you were buying a light for your refugium, would you go with the Evergro Nova again? Debating on picking one up from Ray..

yes i would. the light is expensive if you compared to other options, but i really like it, cheato is growing like crazy. i like the hanging system for my cabinet, it looks clean. One thing i don't like are the hooks/clamps provided to hang the light are all rusted from humidity/salt, it's more an esthetic issu. some screw inside the case are also rusted.

i feel it is a little bit noisy (the fan) vs using a bulb or other alternatives, but i run the light during night and my tank is in the basement. If in your living room, could be somthing to consider. it's the loudest item in my sump.

Kyl · Dec 6, 2016

Noise would be the primary concern (in living room), so thanks for noting as such.

david p. · Dec 11, 2016

i think this one is kinda nice, side view

some other pic from today's free time

ethridge78 · Dec 11, 2016

Awesome pictures

Daniel@R2R · Dec 12, 2016

Wow! This is coming along great!

nitro · Dec 12, 2016

Amazing tank and pictures, you have done a wonderful job..

markalot · Dec 12, 2016

Wow, fantastic tank. I started the thread worried you'd end up like most and have a KH spike and end the first SPS attempt but instead you had a nice dip and discovered, as I did, that with KH running near natural levels mistakes are much more forgiving. Took me 3 attempts to get good color and sustained growth. Again, awesome job, will be following along and hopefully learning a few things.

revhtree · Dec 12, 2016

Wow nice colors!

david p. · Dec 12, 2016

markalot said:
Wow, fantastic tank. I started the thread worried you'd end up like most and have a KH spike and end the first SPS attempt but instead you had a nice dip and discovered, as I did, that with KH running near natural levels mistakes are much more forgiving. Took me 3 attempts to get good color and sustained growth. Again, awesome job, will be following along and hopefully learning a few things.

what did the trick for me is AUTOMATION...mainly the dosing pump. One of my objective was to have stability on my big 3 (Alk, Ca, Mg). I wanted to remove human factor from the equation. Been a process Eng. , Process control and 6 sigma are knowledge i tried to apply to my system. Avoiding any large fluctuation was the key, if i see deviation i do small adjustment and wait the new balance state. i don't try to reach the right number right away to create swings. I'm 'lucky' so far, only one incident with my dosing pump that make me freak!!!

i don't remember when i tested N and P for the last time. i don't want to hit certain number on these, i assume that with my 40g sump with ~2/3 filled with cheato, it will consume any excess nutrient without depleting it.

i try to maintain a 10% water change weekly, i have skipped a few here and there.

I dose fauna marin color element.

thanks everyone for the kind words!

david p. · Dec 23, 2016

Finally started my LPS system, struggling with AI Prime to get the right setting... will get there.
All LPS are now in the 25g and this thread will become the log book for both system now

My Wellso... is pretty much dead... i will give it more time... but it does not look good at all, my first 'big loss' since i started my reef. i guess it's part of the hobby.
I sold a rock with ~25BTA (i started with one in Jun-July, i don't remember). i still have 2 BTA, hopefully and can mutiply them again
:

and got this with the $$, it's a large lobophillia with sick colors.

in my main display i have been selling all my montipora (digitata, capricornis, undata) and birdnest to make more room for acro. getting rid of my blu hydnophora also. Sold one of my Apple Jack colonie and ghosthly tips.

some of my other LPS:

david p. · Dec 29, 2016

Ok... some more chrismass gift i added to my sytem

Gonios, got 3 differents types, here are two, third one jsut arrived and still need to open:

`
some Acans:

of course some sticks, 3rd one is a Blue aussie, i'll let you guess for the other 2

:

Daniel@R2R · Dec 30, 2016

Wow! Santa was good to you!

david p. · Jan 2, 2017

ok, little update, tank i about 8months old.
I had in mind a little rescape for a while and wanted to dedicate my 85g to Acropora, so in the past weeks i sold:
- Montipora capricornis
- Montipora digitata colonies (blue and gree)
- Montipora undatta
- Pink and agreen birdnest (colonies bigger than my fist)
- one colony of ghostly tips
- One colonie of Apple Jack (had two in my system)
- Blue hydnophora
- 25 BTA (still have 1)
- colonie of candycane (30 head)
and i probably forget a few

i had about 8 frags on my rack waiting that rescape and purchased a couple during chrismass. also could put in the scape the 3 aussi colonies, not at their final spot.

with all those colonies removed, my Alk swings up and down as i try to adjust, nothing alarming but went from 40mL of the reef-fusion to 20mL and slowy going back up. Alk spiked at 9.24, now at 8.2 more in the range i'm targetting.
here's a video after rescape, it's not over because i ran out of glu so i still have a couple of small colonies to 'install'. Took me 3 full day for rescape, cleaning sand, sump, gluing frags... etc.

the right section of the tank will be dedicated to 'branching type' SPS like the formosa and exquisite acropora and Red robin. Had to turn the rock by 45 degree cause formosa was growing towrd the left formation, removing lots of space.

next item on my list: complete the scape of the LPS system with all the new additions

Magem · Jan 3, 2017

Very nice! What method do you use for keeping nitrates and phosphates? Curious to know what is your nitrate level...

david p. · Jan 3, 2017

Magem said:
Very nice! What method do you use for keeping nitrates and phosphates? Curious to know what is your nitrate level...

i stopped testing N and P back in the summer. my fish bioload is small and i feed accordingly. i target feed all corals twice a week (minimum) because i think i'm on the low nutrient side.
For nutrient export i have a lot of Cheato in my sump running 12h/d. i also run GFO but only a small quantity, i even tried to remove it, but i could see more brown algae on my rocks. i have some rocks in sump also + what i have in the display. Sand also plays a role in the ecosystem, i try to siphon it at least once every other week, i turkey baster it once a week or so.

when i was testing N, it was at 0ppm. i had detectable P but the lowest reading on my test kit.

i will restart testing N andP enventually, it's jsut that since the summer i only introduced small fish once at the time (tail spot blenny and 6 line wrasse). i'm waiting for a couple of chalk bass and some fish for my LPS system, that will have an impact on my bioload and will test to make sure everything is in check.