New 110 Gallon Reef

[LifeIsGreat]

110 Gallon Reef setup day 1:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vnxAfiRQUVVUwJU56ejTmWvv2iVjo8c94a5dziY71CTDfKwLSZ J-UDsnvxaYjLhzcN_-oClBUBs-nrIyLB5Unj_DzdKx4gmQxTMvEU_V4JGcGFth8E3XKuMyxTZdtm FIUUTO0SpjjbeR6s_hnO-qMVPxzRxSF8aolaPCjhj39qgbk1tX4GxsiLdOlomsgPM0AaHLc gYiSMVR0iMvtY-aqQ7j-vXjxm26hGzHsu61bgMEDBge6jOA59ar98u06GWwtgZZtSi9IvJ oA7Ynn1lIIIfhkmkWjIeupkBc-aebuOW-3sjE_hK5aIesB2Up2nfqxSEesyFEXU77HE2PCjheofzzx9Y552 HvX15vzTRfScnap3zAUFnbi4dsqfDzDupRUkyj1qo7-nKqygVXVpfRxuB3stZhSjRpfxNY5YzXeu27RGntRjePgg4EzWn g_oOxCOXAA2Wxu9ipOG0NI4fs_dGauNfhX7WNxjcL9YaLb8nTf 0gU15MXvthCeBdXM1FNZRDOBkhjgYmCus6iq81JVAM5HsYNfPR UnxomJEvzENpNm1FoAmcSVsRZjhUxQTa5_f067TRNhVy5TcxsU dHIuaEi3W4WYtwSJcpfF0XDhLOyQbqI6JiEM9eYueu2A6FOjPo 5jc5li4iGTfYZqxEl0lE_yBqTeAaedNqMeLDZCngAIacAaiwyW CiqrplsG7-B79QKHyOQ4LgftWBQ6wbAkJ2PuYCgHtUutUZYuBUzyYd5Pg=w8 76-h657-no

[LifeIsGreat]

Got a used tank off Kijiji and resealed it. Size is 48W, 18D, 30T. Built a 2x4 and plywood stand and bedded the tank on 1" white foam. The tank came with a Fluval FX5, so I'll give it a try. I grow macro inside the display, so the dark sealed FX5 won't hamper me unless it comes time to use a skimmer. Rocks are ClearDeep, chose them because I like the shapes available. I set this tank up because I was moving to a new house and I wanted to have a stable tank already running before I moved the life.

[Skimmerking]

looks good man I like. The rock structures look like the apes from jungle book hahahaha

[LifeIsGreat]

Lol! I was thinking garden gnomes.:mrgreen:

[LifeIsGreat]

I came home from a 6 week absence to find the new rock covered in hair algae and cyanobacteria. The old live rock I had transferred from my previous system was nearly clean. One of the little clown fish decided that the cyano was his host, and I find him in the same patch of the stuff all the time.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/z7n1UXrJBHFbLK7gZwlETvKg0PYniVGBYp712asWxxevU_YSyT ZoTctWvr29kV9lRdvFJ59atTR2uUmFRiY9Mm1ftQZLlymWbgg3 LIcFJLsWmgNdAJyivQp84YeeAgSGFKekdWlC7wOoEsVvtsvqPl NPp3g5HbIqXynos3zZmwG_G3VWVw2B0CHa9rJt4O3JAaKYCYwv-G0uIUfrGY9I2bDB528eaFqp571f61frWeYBo4D-NkWEHtvZMzqXjURl8LEjsKCwloy7xLYD-PYupoEbe_MzOLKZR7hAOPv44F4Ts6dhWNRYkCiyDz8K4YMnMHU L_LJKmNPBSJMTfyZxejpO9qwxmksrmdlk56clR9xVPJWzHslW5 6CeaXsf2xwFFiINYBjYKHY0Wvd-Bnt0xAQm6k6uuwM_x1DccJx6oM9KZhot0koOYwEtko8hpWo9Mf n6bsQpMOXIFaG1VUGa9TBw-Hh16QEa9cIWtf_ILomTOoTUuWatII-QrtfyNkP8KzL2XXk6l0HrbOc_TIjFHi3-p35iXO0M04cK19MLJU89T7mRmr6XaEKO_NMCUHwUv_KyVEwHF7 O3Uk3DVaFLwMcXbHSPLc5aDS126bpWxfMrwemQ0bHyN8yYO_xh nvsExxWIMaL327_4j_cp8leeiLmPPZb-jhqtARGKkcv1qjJkXvn4bmuPo7FjQ7oqnqcuX3hd3F_dFnPgkf vWS-CSVsp8jgwemVi_AGvi39hjkIKtlexEFsEKSw=w876-h657-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2n83ZcxfoseN3Xoqa0Wi4iVLNONA9jYuZCvnG6gNKUurovUGDT WK0vlr7OUini08Leyvg0iUX0I17orI0WSKMFtCJoj1yAQ-bQT3-7kihZ3MTwiMRHbV6ZqQ_r2mcEBSu-w64jlA9LWjUAZu4WUVDw0nuq0_GhPO6vO3h-m6LTFx9jZtprkUyBWD3KqFjY9DkbxjhK42mZP9qHpE3ZBWEGse wQpDRIwz5ZEVRnYhJE7Y5-R52twdaTH3BvXiPddZbYTJnZ82puXbl4G99HjzGA999WiHSMIP vQYsNaQl57_mAK8ekM0p66qayrIFW2caLWLgvjfySjxJuv2shq eeUmcHAgx7fZ6xOoAT6PkQsdmhHyMUqjoeeDcT9DkxSbCbEBKv gp87REJ8OcaCvKQ3kA39HcjtJnoTw7Sx1X8fPeo2iYlqdCwjKg ApMSloVxPNmbj3UC3ZQhVJrqUOCXY0z4N9tgNF0EqCymd1rq-zpgR_KBDGLAUhbxpEhsD_pLZcaymSjCuoLXTmuh6knz7pWnrdV nfYXiE-Srb_NfIAeb5TCTjvXdk7lTHubh5cWDNNOtsuQkn_5J_tAnhDbX K3XZs_je8WNEw-tt-dFqrJgNLtc7E6zZBCYTRiyiLNW54s_t4PQf6cWvN5j2Xp7s399 903ryC-G8wkEJ-e3MqzjlGed9b0V_pnhPybpqBuvjicKtB2eW3EMIqNXKhQVqcd8 R2amOTRnAlxi87731aG42l-w8AkL2JaRQ=w876-h657-no

[Skimmerking]

Oh I hate that stuff. that almost sucked me into giving up i went through that stage for 9 months and bam it all went away

[WarDog]

Sweet mountains! That's going to look great with a bunch of grown out colonies on it!

[LifeIsGreat]

Thanks, I'm hoping so. It'll be a bit of a wait though, right now my only colour comes from my crop of slime.:confused:

[LifeIsGreat]

I added 6 inches of cheap fine play sand to one of the ends of the tank for my melanurus wrasse to play in, and to add a bit of biofilter. The sand looked brown under sun light but is a pleasant lunar-surface grey under the reef lights. I didn't do 6 inches over the entire tank because I wanted to preserve the visual impact of the tall rock work, and I like the look of the sand slope on the one side.

SUNLIGHT

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M3GYFl_asvE42d-I983uvmyWnC8NaubgXmOfSiHgbkBL_0aoP1VB2O2orftHNIcGo 8gJoDDmPfYzvPnF1aWjUx600A2MU75fKQWHteEdidwClraoiHh c4PsREJ6peP434rLqE8pEroyluVv0jQ6IMzlGZpzHVPwC5e12Q Uox7w299daf8_xlnU2Kp9kVN6fj_UOGoO_UH039yqF08k3dWB8 Yl-KBzc2aBClODQjgbaM1x_c9QRbk34UKnrI3CSLp086q6RBdYiyS iGx2866AIkyfkIyMCWT5ukvDQLYcU90J4LmAwPi8z_tddJsyTD h-U7fCQ1MIucFdu4WT5zEc3YJUgg4UFPi_p_SopeAWGiZ6mGx9Nz ep3c-_H4cVLxe9ottWZ18iKj-q-hbOSzQm_98l1QsgzV7YwSRu21FHM1lKIRozzHrR5pBtXSIBPPn Um1wXP09BFuC_2CbAhNWczf1oUlm-YdquZLY-tINra5g5kyL5HlOPFy4FIH4WoQXPOSKzs5Fj9x1FtColWvsVNv SH0X1hm0rmJJsR2nnMpXnJYKeBSj6k3Bgl95hp9lE7KCCUfOAD rxelWR9Yb9UDHeQ_1tB7WI115iTMGtHrqZyCMHXn0zgJjBt83x G9PAOi7RG_XkDV6qYXC0ci4UbuwTOdNEpPEsguz-bWQ2MbPVgW9gKmKAhBUnaiD4d8=w493-h657-no

REEF LIGHT

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3QMkLTcIwDVmLbmi41Yqtd92wnK0boI1SUmLx6oprYYd5YLYYC wbieNVZLvf2bI99atsWhon6MD9qpOev0Wml6_itZs2OcULLoMC ifq-W3nJwIhoTv_k0qg0M0RqLix4AGANPUeG0CdTu5XjKpPbhRe9_j iT5dKWFTCN1MBKXP7uQ1KJxfjx_ei8mGkzlwhZxqB4yea4jj7t 7-9ceYsp2-MhPggg0H8UfhENNpbIVu0_xcsO9TeHhy_EgCDYl78dpD8zItNG rd2Ry5Oq1uK265Ak91p__-vtkzfZi3XpCSNNuLSQy3eformj0WUQiO91Zy9YOALQp1ZbOedf yhoHbfGLYGBOFJwFFVeIIprrjNT8gH3ornndnYSXadT-hFK0D_zhLR7MrKFKDFRLhLYJj93Eb6GulG07u4DteTzARYY81q dzKbKETM-BrkcZtDjFBsNG8npQfXiOhxe_FZ-fmMoEsE1puLbeCiNYwDhG91xP_U5-Fqxf0n_UQ6uGcKxnSkssPQ6JdZruLT4LqitmDufV3iqyq1BcsJ 4MMDx428ueF-MSRVTL1EuQjHSDf396yCbE55RK4fYFEBFjZ3f9s9UXfJeE2bVf nKHRvet2niJXO7JqhOt8m7lvvSn3mvcGRvBjOziIUQQYaW6FSP cykACywEGFUE01-kXL_T0z54pdGFIttGzPzVTKI65n=w876-h657-no

[LifeIsGreat]

I added 4x 6500K LED strip lights since I've read zooxanthellae respond well to that spectrum. The tank brightened up a lot and the algae in the tank really started bubbling. 6500K boosts the vibrancy of the green coloured stuff in the tank. Not everyone's cup of tea for viewing, but I only run the 6500K's during the day and the reef lights slowly fade to actinic during the course of the evening. I think the changing spectrum throughout the day is pretty cool and it highlights different things in the tank.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qmiqTaA0WoHSmqRPq3MBz2Phf90jbou3QTl_x48MC7vtZQzb44 k9LgncaNx6x8j5Imk9rv535MwL_7q_UZyuWqjgGgSes2ngmKJ-sMOFsZ3-3bASJ5eNsBN_Vc5le3MRz1UAY5DzpFOXwt8crMYL75V2PEivNd 5ApnJBXRzHiY-HPeE9sFpQlUVzh6h7h6rUP_icNhQ67w99MeNWMqFDPC0AW2A6j IN0jZEyCgklsrn1GrARQCc529uAvQ0RCdTDWUT1UqUXkeLyVti lOmG8JMklMLfQotV-R0Mssag72cUXAPPwwRb_nOn1oMZyNz4Ho0X04FPGO4LhCB6PeK 1GntCJdDSgfHib7jnmPFWDsOp7Qa0Ga-iMWZvoUgB9hUfXQNWyhWm9j_KUYpa2nB8KgUQm-cfGgkDuIovM5GOcgUuyCm1SOsM-c5zokZv9IGemtkBYOzDkjJO_aR3snt3KPo8EjRjhBMMgL25TwO wtn53nS3duv63boA5Ay287XCloiR7-iVFTP3aM75bxS4SUgTfmovnv4wi_67DAkUSJZWAdGJ10CSvYy-Amsw5OmEw_zO0t7ZHIUFfSOuZ7NtJ6voVsdEmwvxrKSpAfqFJj TcSpU3upQPloaKN_1K_wrLcqjP_oQ-v5UE2I9Rnj-w8vVv_O9xSzY--VMP-g146ZrdQwolDu58itDYO_HtTR=w493-h657-no

[smokinreefer]

cant see the lastest pics.

6500k will definitely brighten the tank. its considered a "daylight" spectrum.

but it is yellowish. 6500k was a staple baseline spectrum long time ago.

with supplemental lights, T5, LEDs... people tend to go higher like 10,000k for a more aesthetic light color.

[LifeIsGreat]

Let's try this picture thing again.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2BCUI-fp9dSrURr1LPo07mcWbXsiREulpbNonmmAmdJYL1e-vnUwuYNNSEmZVsZd92zU3O5FRkn08eHsT4Mx5505ZI9bPmwX4J 0NkXp3dftmlRhAyOsJ8ubSgxnPcCThI1dqbjtKb0Oe699_llxF YuRCMeEYVs8lrWoMXn1YedMeg0v0zPyoUs1v_ZteVns6KyRItU xKVIvKq1J1WhLdElvdD46e0qNK4lfXa3rEPlkzCm0E457VrQXc P31g4Evftf6Bxj2FQoitWpu8PvQVZdLMLpH4yn5ZlA4onJMymx thWCJ86uPD68KlVxxigm4S7CFdUJ_8O9wWV-lORWXweeCx9ei_eKpAuuthdo10yIj-tAW_kCdVXeuBryGfOzhHSzdIh6-lmBNDsqJLIzU1DGQ2vr_u_LVGw1NJnKdPdX3CymfKRJBb_nE7k TF1b2ms6WG4LCAhdfrYDM3sg3BycOcWqNFOJJifOIaxG6uCkYf A28aHWsTHmvP8XiNyTBO5YBWGe9qCaXQySQdhJ6ta_MBgC7rFD C6WJYUE1eqrzS-b0jRHwipRK9S-gieGMeFzPBzyC1EZL5XKzq5xbrDlYxmWuRXCgOgnrd1NXihNip dPBjYfKoZYdGoN-fJoqhHfjRPUJIbX6bkwwZwv98011MmMNXLsliqUTzfveEIHX55 KKQSaB_M_GubmU-3dC5pwjawckdvUjo9QVDA4ulzc-4xJUSdFEpP0cZ_f12TrB6tSXGYh94gHYQ=w811-h608-no

[LifeIsGreat]

After reading up on all the benefits of deep sand beds, I went ahead and added one to the whole bottom. I've only had bare bottoms in the past, but I'm really liking how the tank looks now. I had to move the tank to make way for some renos, so I figured the imposed low tide was an opportune time to make the change. I got a few bags of the old fine grain silica play sand and went to town. I've heard people saying how silica sand or rocks in the tank will lead to diatom and dinoflagellate explosions, but the test patch I put in a couple weeks ago didn't produce anything. The bed depth is between 4 to 8 inches. It definitely makes it easier to reach the bottom of the 30 inch tall tank.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_HBEEJZFTrvIog97qINMeUmou035nwrMOdQwW4cK-KJ4vfU86CAxUwHzorCLGByYCq-T7Z_dLlZIZ5xqybxuhDWPWp1f6Uhowo8XCErqTHXz67DfsTMjP pgS8rAzEdfuzJcmstYZtxk1nOQhx_ZheA1jU-lK3ig9TCndqJ3dR3p9OFfE_-jNfFRoKR20ZIsH8guMr_CL-UHIZ3HZNG1_Wg01Qx_8wC-wdHZKN1Tcvz7pvdJkb1TkRWSekMLt5m0ZBs1_-pnmB59cqJrzzU4nsiznTRplqTYdJHkhxfdg2s3vaWvsksZUUGW EPCfWS1ZVVA7iZEyPxeRP1OZChFkoCbJ_KnJLP29gmWYvHKrVA hDbMfLE2fRj-LB_V5f8sHlyKC6KYAQNeYT_dO1xzPlSt_HpuiPo9rTvEQDYQ2x aXnhiW03aunxR14NqztQVJeD-qrCSA7VI2M4YtyFSSU4lgviLbYpKHQHa3Xv77lNbBUF1C7Ig7_ tg9psBe4gJCq3bpp1TGO58Oy-v1j0PH-yRLo_jm_b0vISNFlPIgldj7p_ybdf1Lkcb5JvR1_p8Zf0YhpkW KFo0ZK6iY1m6DBfsDKVnk3RZ74w-I5NPr5YOg11F4Z8Rs4cg5q1Zo1BY5hwwRFj7iwtku_D4rOcUGR ZOugd5A3wYMMjQp0TOcOYceKQ3NegCA-PQ1ZzS5_v3dcDMPeTrhUEEbFGpQPn35ml20YzR87fDLP4-jx2fUnTOx-Q4wUC7hqGrPA=w811-h608-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OAbznkmFTz1Q4wq7o7eFYwO_3Eahazngk22WVDgVWrcmsgwNGF T5LIuG517zRAcFm2teZRT_u9Lp-tw-9ABQwE77PRBNZ3UpVyAKc1-yZNTH7vfiYBmpeYQZaRXFZcVDhK4RXF93T6y77Sh2GcXqOWJr8 ORlxhwcGT0xiFoGA0_4vkZb2IvEYo1D9YxnghKOLMoG5vjgtwr 6fM2eEGufe8FSbWycQI5zWitB2Fxa14tIu8WIkeYtMUte3CKyp CviDr9-2ay4JhadhR0KpYq_1yAhq147ATAzvX3zfpcM2GWuY75dh9IAZz zPoiJDD-IZ8If1Y84F7a5pFmzBvb_nuwZuuBKLF8fsYRLsZFokjeRHJMoY ShRmhGX2g8_fif11c8JtPfAIYpEFNJeuDrFy1liLHPXv6X9RU4 Uemc3iXKBN4rYye-Cv4IJDd8YnjU3-37ZxLIMvylf7fkoBnDoqYMfELDLDW1TbNgml3NMOSN9D46VisX QBJYYLcb2h-0uU3FvG82jnWEuODJAsKz6ZD-kcrxTQ3KNteKmL8NTZRJY1bkY4ISge9m1XYDm1SklTRza2go9o DGiyzgNoKNxSB3ystbD6wfdQeAHNvJK8nAEtw-FZ4pDIVnRWksPFzCm_vA3XSdG4b0jzvtPAdRUmAqr_9rL27g_F 2TZQYiO3XlLPQKzbc7nThQ2yFMIWmCrxkR-_5HRQgkPqVElOOV6FqWWMUs4XZNjBBEJJQB1ld6dK3J3SVSOjF A=w811-h608-no?authuser=0

[LifeIsGreat]

Here is a shot of the tank with all of the lights turned on now that the 6500k's are wired in. This is the daytime colour, in the evening only the 18,000K and actinics are on.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lbpbiW1yjLZicnrGt4kaOjSlc0NHFTiCThXOZsAnRroJUsaVSM jqaXLU5zqDaVTuK5pFp7Dfd8t_cGx24MQBHF-tJI1gdvHFqGFC8PNFBnpd-L1W9NeimkXEXfEw8elHDgQVfNm9FXUFwqPo0DqOmxqJINBCTNr EmfVe1IFFFbEimWEWAZNJkHYjJI_a0uRVXVNe5gI3RjKFRZLn3 qmsOHRJ9EQ_Q4LgtgypXFA417s6SlqPG4NAw9CLUZfPb-XlPPeeFLZgL2yogXx2_U-jTQFqSosoJZRkTjyL9wE7ucgieekoiwPPe1fRSJJMfVZpxGFcu pMxVZCQtSmO4dEpD11B7HB1dI5wTCGUsZ25_n64zSnb8Z3Y0NK h0wbIsAJqRUvC35VwhWCJcHPoJ-xLtOv45nL8OCzFB487_9V_OwwGqioO70IDuNz7etE91CjekV54 jW9lmqRegrlVh8XaU-_bYABvnr-zj7FcEx5QkERyT53fZliAaI6GDRpr27tJWP27GpBdkKjyhKmOq hxYaJv5D4nE-pWGcxHh9Xnwmk_EUYbUW3h0EFQf_7b8lvPP9xVU53ky_uovJIK AcHifPRNHIy0gvCvngloDs1sk06UJ2IFJdZ-tmpiFz0bAlHyh1nTniaJx7ScUWC_KEqX1UlEjPXujRZ1OrSvXP prr7-pCpDvBPNGO94D70cTBILO_u5yCZSWCrEmQR64kwJGCPuhbjH50 vjUVCfPgx9vefULurNOF4Ha0Gw=w811-h608-no?authuser=0

[smokinreefer]

nice!
miss a good old DSB, it'll be teeming with life in no time!

[LifeIsGreat]

nice!
miss a good old DSB, it'll be teeming with life in no time!

Ever run into trouble with your's? Got any tips for the long term?

[LifeIsGreat]

I picked up some new inhabitants the other day. They are currently sitting in my high tech quarantine system for observation. Yellow tang, Clownfish, Bicolor Blenny, Anthias, green and orange bubble tip anemone (green not visible in this light), live rock with a feather duster colony and some sponges. I highly recommend buying the rock your anemone is sitting on at the store, as it makes the transition much safer and stress free.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cOaa9UDkYvD3-_Osh_W_70cZ4zUExljHBe4LLNkHH42LA18hyr8YiJ85rw7lpoO zcCX3lkSKQaMoZN8rYLdOAEEapQaOWDFyRURc55ofP01Y0jQSi RAxyMBitcEahe3eu4cayd3EnSO0lVvQ_wLVvb=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3de9DddnA2fguxl81AR10s9i4ycGM1VpxI5UWsLfvnE3gIixzZ 4WDQFom6XaFlmVlTlTNDJUxIhrgOtsOkpOsURFOKmcu_ubt2nE Vlt3FvrrxzNT7u4Ouy9pDy_di4X8GX2ZsogFyielQwZUSZtNOQ s=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

[WarDog]

Yeah but look at the algae on that rock... yikes! I'd physically remove as much as possible by hand before introducing to your tank.

[Thanhk87]

Yeah i would keep an eye on those cups for a while. You never know what been in it.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[crimper]

I'm with Waren. I would not put rocks with algae in my tank. The same practice I do on adding new frags esp acroporas in my tank. I cut them off and ditch the frag plugs. It's too much of a risk.

[LifeIsGreat]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fwnM6ix6-k63sUrasKi9WZkeH6QD4Q9_zGlpMGhYqKmDHR2MJuNElI4f0F3 t5BtlVe5Ems54PCbhVIqhJ-tE8jocOgj2hJG7IyY2itWlhC7wqegHEhQW3WQgYnzq6E3FCz84 8c2zSlaJec7FrsTROK=w713-h657-no?authuser=0

[LifeIsGreat]

Yeah i would keep an eye on those cups for a while. You never know what been in it.

Not to worry, they've only been used for carbon dosing.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3f59LHF56Y5b__r1IHlL4gLI2MGe9NDktq9U3n0kadBcIpTA_c fMD-IC1mfE0dDhGeEGV8RmYAkxAM2vlmSKojDjO3UG31EO8xTBp8av wWZb_-u5xJmajlEM1KvGUZ-Jg5Xv72AI0Wl8u4vKjH1ZMP1=w493-h657-no?authuser=0

[LifeIsGreat]

Cute little wormies

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dna2UN8FpjOvUOWwTdq1-Dk6_qQtdH5ItMFZgEIrCYQ79PIUrNL4jjIFAUx6HAOmMMIS73K uk3XFvdRzwrxoKXjWgpGrAty1hcQFIExOGIl-11jMh9nSRG79_e5YCmVpqy5MipUo40CNLjIWEofjGj=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

[cvrle1]

You sure those are "wormies"? I hope I am wrong, but it looks like that could be aiptasia to my very uneducated eye.

[LifeIsGreat]

Impossible to see in the low grade picture, but these little worms live in tubes and are much smaller than an adult aiptasia.

[WarDog]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fwnM6ix6-k63sUrasKi9WZkeH6QD4Q9_zGlpMGhYqKmDHR2MJuNElI4f0F3 t5BtlVe5Ems54PCbhVIqhJ-tE8jocOgj2hJG7IyY2itWlhC7wqegHEhQW3WQgYnzq6E3FCz84 8c2zSlaJec7FrsTROK=w713-h657-no?authuser=0

Lol, hopefully he helps.

[juanlien]

very nicehttps://babang.xyz/assets/11/o.png

[shrimp]

Those are hydroids and there are bad. If they spread and cover all your rock it will be impossible to get rid of them. I had the "pleasure" of dealing with them in the past.

[LifeIsGreat]

Hydroids and algae... well I guess the anemone doesn't get to keep its rock. One for the boiling pot. Thanks for the heads up folks.

[Ryancw]

absolutely do not boil live rock

[shrimp]

Are the hydroids only on one rock?

[LifeIsGreat]

yes, a new rock currently in qt

[shrimp]

I have boiled the rock before with hydroids and the hydroids came back. I strongly suggest just to get rid of the rock all together. Get another one without the pest.

[smokinreefer]

absolutely do not boil live rock

Curious, why not?

[cvrle1]

Curious, why not?

Fumes that can get you sick, if there are any pallies on the rock and you literally cook them, they will release toxin that can kill you. Rocks can shatter and explode if boiled and so on.

Please never never never actually cook and boil rocks.

[cvrle1]

Hydroids and algae... well I guess the anemone doesn't get to keep its rock. One for the boiling pot. Thanks for the heads up folks.

As mentioned dont literally cook/boil rock. To kill what is on there, do bleach or acid bath. Word of warning about acid. While it does work and work fast, it can be quite dangerous to work with. So unless you know what you are doing and have all the safety gear, do a bleach bath. Takes a bit longer, but it is much safer and you get same result.

[LifeIsGreat]

It has been a week since I added the new livestock to the aquarium. The tang was hating quarantine, it wasn't swimming and wasn't eating but looked healthy otherwise so I took the chance and put it in the display tank a couple weeks early. After a few hours of settling in it started swimming around and pecking at the rock. Now it is fat and healthy and is always cruising around looking for a snack.

The bubble tip is starting to colour up nice in its new conditions and has not moved from where I placed it. However the clowns are not interested in it and still prefer a nice bed of algae and cyano. I'm thinking they look for a specific texture for a home, and the slime on the rock does the job.

The blenny found about six different holes that it calls home, and it darts from one to the next throughout the day.

Overall everything is fat and happy.

[LifeIsGreat]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dhEp4XU4ai4mEvn5QvY3viTLBu415GD0WN6EBhrVC52JLQ_Cs tNT37sJ7tEaLVI2PSY8HeX4rF88wkbYps6Lf5kYPbmbB_mV8OW qZUj1W35fz493Tce7x-ZNYXIRR8500FI0PwAuBuCLultb0EIVvL=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

[LifeIsGreat]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dyXDpS2THTSO91wzAQQzzkhja2duQ-DDjTfBb_wPJM1eTNsUz1VdFgozI1ZvvaAbG3h8cHT2CoRdGPwh sF7ZEkxQBUu3fCivuwlTCRunClDru2Igr9AMALnFZoBcCNyvQD GT78XdcsakFM0YhH_R_Z=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

[LifeIsGreat]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fqsAFKJ78O0KrdwMV6FfMocXAtEKBFAICPXQMbOF1m4VtbndA-JUKEmnBpmWqJK-ImaGi-OjiHxSJKTH5HOzABdOjr_3xvXMPzTL74WR3EGGGUYjCiKvg4xX EwDaz0YMdeS2wB3MiMtDqxQK8E0N98=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

[LifeIsGreat]

This guy will never starve!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3frG771j9XPMYwcAZrBG20Njx0GG5qrd2Go2FVSB4t8ZhbBgpy g5LIQJJFUsmIsKga0lL6-e8-Hnj5Slu5WvkyQl6WIB5yxJnZJuJ9cemsQS7RBVsXnaBs9fDyTE 8BWYJtrH_l6kwYynHPmqFETqdR1=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

[Ryancw]

it looks like your play sand is starting to cause diatom issues despite you doing a little test area. the silica in that is going to become a problem. i would remove it all, followed by a few larger water changes this week while you still have a chance.

if you are going to use sand in the aquarium hobby make sure it is reef friendly. while it may seem in the beginning stages like its going to work fine, problems like leaching happen over time and once it takes over the tank there will be no recovering from it. there is literally a million resources online that suggest silica based sand is not for use in the aquarium hobby.

[LifeIsGreat]

Hard to tell from the pics, but those aren't diatoms, it is the same cyano and hair algae mix as what's on the rocks, and that was there before the sand was put in. I've read read numerous sources and studies on all sides of the silica/aragonite/calcium carbonate fence, all saying one is better than the other. Some people even dose silica for its benefits. From what I've read, the silica sand is unable to dissolve at the PH levels of sea water, and therefor cannot become a food source for diatoms. Also, my glass is silica based so unless I go acrylic there will always be silica in my tank. As it stands, the fish are perfectly healthy. We'll see how it goes in the long term, I'll post the results of whatever happens.

[LifeIsGreat]

Here is a photo comparison of the tank the day I added the 6500k lights and one month after adding the 6500k lights. I'm not sure if it is a result of the lighting or just the natural progression of the ecosystem, but the red cyano has all but disappeared in favour of the green cyano. The hair algae population has reduced greatly, particularly on the back glass; this I attribute to aging of the system and reduction of nutrients. There is a dramatic difference in the amount of bubbles in the water after the 6500k's turn on: there are very few bubbles when they are off and the tank is almost like a snow globe when they are on.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dWsx5dZ9uA4YVd9_ClekF8MW6Lte3QCLn4PxfnxAHjlCi7r04 A7HBORAPQDFcWfIRndinmU05UF9ue-0xAqnlIDAftJOSGovmzTs5BXvzQDBc2D60YECpXkhxglfQA8J7 DElWOa_0DamFLLG_D4oQA=w791-h657-no?authuser=0

[LifeIsGreat]

The tank is now crawling with microscopic bugs. There are little round white bugs that are eating the cyano film. You can see them in the picture eating away (the extension cord shows the scale). The solid white line dividing the cyano film from the clean glass is a concentrated wall of feeding bugs.
There are millions of long skinny reddish brown bugs on every surface and some tiny white worms visible on the glass, both of which are only visible using a 10x jeweller's loupe. The bugs are starting to burrow down into the sand bed. The cyano growth has been giving way to more hair and film algae. I keep all the lights on full power for 12 hours per day in order to speed the algae along for manual extraction. An easy method I've been using to clean the algae and cyano is to put an airstone inside the return jet while I scrub the rocks with a tooth brush. The bubble flurry latches onto the debris and floats it to the top where I can net it out. Water is quickly crystal clear afterward.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3d4cffYPZBJuU8Z8ImYCL7QNAIUAo10ymTPU-nFIPCS_cc9U-x6yQBfaNXXbp_-0fnwAMJWnEixd86C8wkhGECywfjeFd9SZZjhyPWxO61xi1qUMJ tEdjCAUnaIcGV-mMphnf3kSRC-K_C8Ds4CGNQR=w912-h608-no?authuser=1

[LifeIsGreat]

Tank Update:

The tank is now 14 months old. This is the first tank I've started using dry human-made rock, and I have been amazed at the difference between starting with this rock and years old cured rock. In my previous system I used old cured rock and basically had an insta-system that only relied on water changes. It never had any real algae issues and had tons of coraline growth. This new tank is only now starting to get over its initial ugly phase, and the coraline is only now starting to grow a bit. The cyano phase lasted about 9 months and the hair algae started at around the 6 month mark and is now subsiding at the 14 month mark. The only reason the algae is now going away is because I added a skimmer and a refugium that lights caulerpa 24 hours a day about a month ago. I have used dry natural rock before, and it got short green algae on it for a short time, but this cement based stuff gets a lot of long hair greens. The next time I use it I will cure it for a couple years before putting it in the tank.

The tank has a deep sand bed of fine silica based play sand. Some people worry about diatom blooms with this type of sand, so here is my experience so far. When initially putting it in the tank I did get noticeable diatoms, and every time the sand was stirred diatoms would grow in the agitated spot. Now however, I do not get diatom blooms, even with my snails rooting through it all day long. This has lead me to think that when the sand was first added to the tank diatoms feasted on the fine dust and any part of the sand that was able to dissolve, but now enough time has gone by that all of that resource is used up.