Big Peninsula in the high desert - Cade 1800 S2/P!

[Fasthandsslowmind]

Nice looking colonies!

Thanks!

The next challenge (besides combating algae) is to get the smaller frag sized acros to color up a little more. Seems like they all end up being the same blue / purple. Maybe that's just because they're small, and they'll color up once they mature in a colony size.

 

[reefermadnes5]

Monthly Update:

Not a great time with the fish since last month. I lost both anthias, the multibar, and one of the clowns to an Ich or Velvet outbreak. All the details in my thread on the topic.

Moving onward - The purple tang, whitetail tang, and remaining clown are in a hospital tank and have been symptom free for a week or two. The Betta, wrasse, and mandarin are still in the DT, as I can’t catch them…..So I can’t really go fallow.


Also, updated the live PTZ cam if you care to look. Don’t judge me for the algae problem, it’s a work in progress

New Cam link

I very much lik your style! And your tank!

 

[nuxx]

Awesome coral pics

 

[Fasthandsslowmind]

Just realized it's been a while since the last update.

My tank has been humming along. A few struggles, but nothing dire. I've been fighting a few aptasia. Tried peppermint shrimp and Bergia, all of which were never heard from again. Now introduced a filefish who seems disinterested in helping.

Until recently, coral growth has been great. I had a phosphate spike to over 0.9 (as high as my hanna goes, so who knows) that I've only just now been able to bring back downwards. Currently sitting at 0.35. I paused the carbon dosing, which didn't seem to affect much, and began dosing Sodium Nitrate to get a little nitrates, which have almost always been unreadable. Maybe that's what brought the PO4 down, or maybe it was the Phosgard baggy below my Reefmat.

The only other ongoing struggle is trying to get me ultra reef skimmer to produce steadily without overflowing. Seems super sensitive to changes in water level. Maybe between the Reefmat and the algae scrubber (which grows a crazy amount of algae) there's not much to skim?

Iphone snap of the still fastest growing SPS in my tank, @Battlecorals Ultimate Table. I frag this thing monthly and don't even slow it down.

 

[Garee]

My tank setup is similar to yours . I have issues keeping water levels in the tank and sump steady after installing the Reefmat 1200. Not sure if the flexible tube feeding the Reefmat is too small in diameter. I can have everything tuned and within an hour everything is out of whack. May need to expand the tube and also work on the drain, it's just making too much noise.

How did you rectify as you indicated having similar problems?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Just realized it's been a while since the last update.

My tank has been humming along. A few struggles, but nothing dire. I've been fighting a few aptasia. Tried peppermint shrimp and Bergia, all of which were never heard from again. Now introduced a filefish who seems disinterested in helping.

Until recently, coral growth has been great. I had a phosphate spike to over 0.9 (as high as my hanna goes, so who knows) that I've only just now been able to bring back downwards. Currently sitting at 0.35. I paused the carbon dosing, which didn't seem to affect much, and began dosing Sodium Nitrate to get a little nitrates, which have almost always been unreadable. Maybe that's what brought the PO4 down, or maybe it was the Phosgard baggy below my Reefmat.

The only other ongoing struggle is trying to get me ultra reef skimmer to produce steadily without overflowing. Seems super sensitive to changes in water level. Maybe between the Reefmat and the algae scrubber (which grows a crazy amount of algae) there's not much to skim?

Iphone snap of the still fastest growing SPS in my tank, @Battlecorals Ultimate Table. I frag this thing monthly and don't even slow it down.

That sps looks incredible!

 

[Fasthandsslowmind]

My tank setup is similar to yours . I have issues keeping water levels in the tank and sump steady after installing the Reefmat 1200. Not sure if the flexible tube feeding the Reefmat is too small in diameter. I can have everything tuned and within an hour everything is out of whack. May need to expand the tube and also work on the drain, it's just making too much noise.

How did you rectify as you indicated having similar problems?

How long has your tank been set up? Having a small return pump chamber magnifies any fluctuations. I set mine up with a level monitor in that chamber, and found a sweet spot where the return pump chamber has a lower level, preventing the level in the rest of the sump can't change.

As for the overflow, small changes take a long time to take effect. I adjust the gate valve to keep the level below the second overflow. I haven't noticed the reefmat change anything, so I don't suspect yours is. More likely some changing flow rates on the overflow wiers as they grow algae and find equilibrium. Give em time.

 

[Bacon505]

So much progress!!!

The algae reactor is pretty noisy due to water falling from the drawer. I think I’ll experiment with ways to fix that. It is definetly growing algae though.
The reefmat is fantastic.
lighting is sorted out for now. 4 x 57” AI blades - 3 grow, 1 glow. I used a pretty clever wire photo mount system to suspend them over the tank. It looks great in person. I’m so far very impressed with the lights. Very even coverage, minimal shadowing, just the right amount of adjustability, and minimal light spillage, being mounted about 6” off the water. On V2 of my homemade mount, I’ll angle the outside lights on each side to further minimize light overflow & shadowing.

Big progress inside the tank as well. I purchased an entire aquascape from a very experienced local guy who was breaking down his tank. This was expensive (3rd highest expense behind lighting), but I stand by the feeling that it was money well spent. What’s more important than aquascape?

It was 7 year old SPS dominate tank using real Fiji rock. It had been neglected a bit, but still healthy and lots of coral. Mostly chalice, montipora, stylo.

Maybe adding so much mature biodiversity right off the bat will damp the ugly stages.

Transferring the aquascape was a major operation, but successful in the end with a lot of planning and forethought. Win!

This rockscape looks familiar

 

[Garee]

How long has your tank been set up? Having a small return pump chamber magnifies any fluctuations. I set mine up with a level monitor in that chamber, and found a sweet spot where the return pump chamber has a lower level, preventing the level in the rest of the sump can't change.

As for the overflow, small changes take a long time to take effect. I adjust the gate valve to keep the level below the second overflow. I haven't noticed the reefmat change anything, so I don't suspect yours is. More likely some changing flow rates on the overflow wiers as they grow algae and find equilibrium. Give em time.

Tank was setup a month ago as a replacement for a failed Red Sea tank. I'm using the same tubing as the return to feed the Reefmat, as I have an extra one. I'm thinking I may need to increase capacity of that tubing as I'm suspecting the bottleneck is causing inconsistencies with the flow.

Btw, great looking tanks you have there.

 

[Fasthandsslowmind]

The reef is humming along.

In further effort to continue reducing P04, I temporarily removed the Plank auto feeder. I think I had been feeding too often, too much, and have too much "coral foods" and tiny pellets mixed in with my dry food mix. The fish involuntarily fasted for a few days, and now are on reduced rations of Reef Frenzy.

The high phosphate problem was either a symptom of something larger, or a cause of it - I subsequently had a major alkalinity swing, like up to 17 then down to 5.5. Through all that I did lose a few SPS. A very large and healthy rainbow Millie, and a few smaller frags. Dang it.

On the upside, I think things are at least stabilizing, and even if the nutrients are too high, I'd rather them be stable and VERY slowly correcting. All the established colonies are happy and healthy.

I added a captive breed Molly Miller blenny in hopes she would eat some aptasia. We'll see.

 

[Reign1]

Nice updates. I been thinking about a camera setup.
Do you sell any frags locally? Would be interested in some SPS.

 

[rdavidw]

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if that’s average or not. I expected slightly more, but maybe not?

I really should measure it. I bet it starts using more in the summer.

I am using a CO2 scrubber on my skimmer and was surprised by how much it cut down on my evaporation. My sump room was also noticeably less humid. I have sealed Tupperware 4L skimmate collection container with two tubes mounted on the lid. One is connected to the skimmer cup drain and the other runs up to the CO2 scrubber and then to the skimmer pump air intake. The very humid air is in a closed loop, and the excess water in the line collects in the skimmate container. Cut the tank evaporation down to almost half.

 

[EliMelly]

Following along

 

[Fasthandsslowmind]

Nice updates. I been thinking about a camera setup.
Do you sell any frags locally? Would be interested in some SPS.

I do. Mostly euphylia, but I do have a lot of SPS and LPS ready to go. Healed frags of Monti, mini colonies of stylo, digitata, 21 tails torches, various acros, etc etc etc. PM me if you're interested, I'm in Los Lunas.

 

[Fasthandsslowmind]

My phosphates are finally trending down after a few months at over 0.9. currently 0.6. Nitrates also trending down, now at 36.

I think I'll resume phyto dosing to see if that helps continue the reduction.

SPS growth has increased as well, with some new BC sps frags showing good progress as well as most of the established colonies, especially montipora. Oddly my Huge stylo colony had a bunch of die off in the base. Possible that was caused by the nutrient upset and huge ALK swing that followed, but I would be surprised. Maybe someone if eating it.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

My phosphates are finally trending down after a few months at over 0.9. currently 0.6. Nitrates also trending down, now at 36.

I think I'll resume phyto dosing to see if that helps continue the reduction.

SPS growth has increased as well, with some new BC sps frags showing good progress as well as most of the established colonies, especially montipora. Oddly my Huge stylo colony had a bunch of die off in the base. Possible that was caused by the nutrient upset and huge ALK swing that followed, but I would be surprised. Maybe someone if eating it.

Glad to see your phosphates and nitrates are trending down!

 

[Reign1]

I do. Mostly euphylia, but I do have a lot of SPS and LPS ready to go. Healed frags of Monti, mini colonies of stylo, digitata, 21 tails torches, various acros, etc etc etc. PM me if you're interested, I'm in Los Lunas.

PM sent. Looking for Acros maybe torches. Thanks