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Craigdillman
08-14-2013, 07:13 PM
Well looks like my wife approved the start of a new tank build as long as I don't order it all at once. So im going to slowly aquaire all the stuff over the next little bit and start putting together a 6 footer!!!

So far defiantly want
125 gallon long?
72" for sure and proably no more than 140 gallons
Long Shallow
Rimless probably
Good sized sump and fuge for pods for mandarin (maybe seperate tank for fuge that drains into sump?)
Big stand with lots of room too keep it clean and tidy

Lights Leds
I have a rapid led build for my 29 gallon might build just expand those most likely with some more full spectrum reds UV and greens not sure yet or maybe add on some Radons or Ai SoL

Anything else that you guys wish you had ? Wish you had bought form the start or planned ? thats kinda what im starting to plan

Anyway Stay tuned

Craigdillman
08-14-2013, 07:17 PM
First tank progresshttp://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_1214_zpsdf20f3df.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_1214_zpsdf20f3df.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_1386_zpsdc753224.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_1386_zpsdc753224.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_1941_zpsba73c3a0.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_1941_zpsba73c3a0.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2162_zps85fe7282.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2162_zps85fe7282.jpg.html)

Recent
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2389_zps724a05a0.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2389_zps724a05a0.jpg.html)

reeferfulton
08-14-2013, 07:55 PM
awesome . 6 footer , wish i had started that big.
look forward to the build.

1.I wish i made my tank stand higher. i like setups were you dont really need to bend over at all for viewing. It also gives extra height under the tank for skimmer and things .

2.spend some time planning the sump . I wish i had easier access to my filter socks and equipment.

3.Plan out where all of your wires, plugins,power bars, controllers and all that junk will go . because it can take up lots of space and look really messy.

have fun

Craigdillman
08-14-2013, 11:27 PM
Thanks yea good call, what size do you think would give me good fuge and room for everything? Is a 40 breeder ok or go bigger?

Craigdillman
09-02-2013, 03:12 AM
Well...
Scoped out and picked up a gently used tank from a reefer up north who was upgrading tank was built from a concept in Calgary, drilled bean animal overflow, 2 returns, just finish cleaning the tank up and getting excited

72"x20"x20" 125 gallon display
48"x15.5"x16.5" Sump

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2793_zps803c33b4.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2793_zps803c33b4.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2794_zpsed337b25.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2794_zpsed337b25.jpg.html)

Next step is plumbing (which I know nothing about and have never done so it will be an adventure)

Craigdillman
09-03-2013, 02:41 AM
Just planning out my plumbing, is it better to plumb the refugium to be filled off the return or run one of the overflows too it?

RDNanoGuy
09-03-2013, 03:23 AM
Plumb it off your return. That way you can control the amount of flow through it with a valve. Plus if you plumb it off the tank drain the refuge will fill up with debris instead of being caught by your filter socks.

Craigdillman
09-03-2013, 03:25 AM
Ah good call, so do I basically mock up the plumbing and then choose a return pump or?

Just trying to figure out how to start first time plumbing anything lol

RDNanoGuy
09-03-2013, 03:56 AM
It's always a good idea to mock up your plumbing before you glue anything together. Also it helps you to make sure you have shut off valves and unions in all the right places so you can service your equipment.

The pump choice is determined by the amount of flow you want through the system. Most aquarists' like to run about 5 times the display tanks volume through the sump per hour. Also when choosing your pump don't forget to account for the head loss due to the height back to the display. Most pump manufacturers provide a chart to help estimate the loss for a given height.
Also add maybe20% more to account for the flow you will divert to the refugeium.

Craigdillman
09-03-2013, 04:18 AM
Thanks alot for the help

RDNanoGuy
09-03-2013, 04:22 AM
In your tanks case you pump requirements will look something like this:

125g display x 5 turnover per hour = 625gph

625gph x 20% for refuge = 750gph

You should therefore look for a pump that will provide 750gph @ whatever vertical distance is from the pump to the display return nozzle.

Also don't be afraid to use a slightly oversize pump maybe. 20% larger and use a ball valve on the output. This can be advantageous in 3 ways:

1. You can dial in the perfect flow, which is helpful in quieting noisy overflows.
2. You can use the excess capacity later to run other accessories like carbon and phosban reactors thereby saving the price of another pump.
3. Restricted pumps run more efficiently and use less. Electricity.

Craigdillman
09-03-2013, 06:43 PM
Ok that makes sense, Im thinking the mag9.5 pump its rated for 950 probably around 900 ish after head loss and i can dial it back.

Also Im looking into skimmers and i see a problem right off the bat the skimmer section (middle) is only 7" high before draining into the bubble trap and return, would it be a big deal to add glass or acrylic to the bubble trap to raise the water to say 9" which is what most skimmers are calling for

Craigdillman
09-04-2013, 08:46 PM
Im looking at these so far for skimmers

Bubble magus curve 7-
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-st...er-canada.html
Reef octopus Nwb-150-(or the 200)
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-st...p-Skimmer.html
Vertex omega 150
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-st...0-gallons.html

RDNanoGuy
09-05-2013, 04:21 AM
Ok that makes sense, Im thinking the mag9.5 pump its rated for 950 probably around 900 ish after head loss and i can dial it back.

I think you will have a little more head loss than that, most setups with the sump in the stand have between 4' and 5' od head pressure. The mac 9.5 will work fine but probably won't give you much room to play with. If you've got the extra couple of bucks maybe get a mag 12.

As for a skimmer all 3 of your choices will serve you well although i personally like the reef octopus skimmers the best. Vertex is a solid well regarded brand also.

As far as the required water height I've found being a bit low is better than too high. As long as the skimmer intake is completely submerged it will work fine. If you find the output splashes too much you can always fit an elbow to point the outflow into the water.

Craigdillman
09-05-2013, 04:42 AM
Mag 9.5

Specifications:
Input: 3/4"
Output: 3/4"
Flow Rate at 0' Head: 950 GPH
Flow Rate at 4' Head: 800 GPH
Flow Rate at 6' Head: 760 GPH

So I might be right on the edge with that but would the 12 be over kill? I dont mind the extra money but dont want the pump to be too much?

Mag 12
Specifications:
Input: 3/4"
Output: 3/4"
Flow Rate at 0' Head: 1200 GPH
Flow Rate at 4' Head: 1100 GPH
Flow Rate at 6' Head: 950 GPH

Craigdillman
09-05-2013, 03:07 PM
Yea I think Im going to go with the Reef Octopus skimmer probably the 200 version

mseepman
09-05-2013, 04:08 PM
I would look at something like this for a return. http://www.reefsupplycanada.com/jebao-dc12000-controllable-pump/

You can control it and if you need to tee it off later you can up the power and keep your flow healthy. This gives you flexibility.

FishyFishy!
09-05-2013, 04:38 PM
If you can, go overkill with GPH and get a DC controllable pump. That gives you lots of options there. You can always throttle them back, which is really nice.

Otherwise if you're stuck on the Magdrives (so am I... I love them) go for the 12 for sure. I had a similar setup with the 9.5 and I easily could have handled more flow.

Craigdillman
09-08-2013, 07:05 PM
Yea i think im actually going to go the DC controllable route it gives me more options and for really not that much more money

Thinking of the speed wave 1320gph heard good things about it

'http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-st...p-1320GPH.html

and it only like 10$ more than the mag 12

Craigdillman
09-14-2013, 07:01 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2828_zps64035f48.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2828_zps64035f48.jpg.html)http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2827_zps693ca6db.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2827_zps693ca6db.jpg.html)

Well Not sure if i should be excited about PVC but..... finally all the fittings came in for the plumbing and got all day tomorrow to work on it so here goes nothing... if the return pump should be in on monday like its supposed to i can get a freshwater test outta the way and well on the way to getting this thing going!

Craigdillman
09-15-2013, 07:00 PM
Ok I need help all done the overflow plumbing all done not glued yet anything missing? Only thing is should i add a ball valve on the other syphon some do others don't what u think?
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2833_zps8e8ea442.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2833_zps8e8ea442.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2834_zps901209d1.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2834_zps901209d1.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2836_zpsb53b9482.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2836_zpsb53b9482.jpg.html)

HaZRaTTy
09-15-2013, 08:49 PM
Curious if you have your return up into your overflow box? If so did you go with a dual durso? bean animal? If I was you I would go with a herbie.

Also I would consider putting a 1/2 - 3/4 plywood on the back of your stand to save your wall and paint to wherever you're placing your tank. If you do that which I highly suggest you should plumb your pvc against that back wall to save space and have a somewhat cleaner look.

I would place the ball valve somewhere more accessible from under in your sump area might be tough reaching for that in a panic. (its happened)

Also on your drains in your sump the down spout direct it right to the bottom maybe 3'' from the bottom to reduce splash and salt creep.

Craigdillman
09-15-2013, 10:08 PM
Yea after I'm done with the plumbing I'm going to close it all in with wood and make it look good, as for the returns there is 2 drilled holes on each end of the tank so the pump will plumb up to the returns there, and yea i was thinking about the placement of the ball valves but i can reach it from the side of the tank so ill see what i can figure out

lpsreefer
09-15-2013, 10:12 PM
have you done a test putting in your filter socks and taking them out with out touching your drain lines?

Craigdillman
09-15-2013, 10:16 PM
Not yet but good idea

Craigdillman
09-18-2013, 04:11 AM
Well lots of progress got the stand all skinned and doors in and first coat of primer on ... also return pump and reactors came in gigity so the return plumbing can be finished

and i guess some pictures cause people like that ****...

spit.fire
09-18-2013, 04:12 AM
Well lots of progress got the stand all skinned and doors in and first coat of primer on ... also return pump and reactors came in gigity so the return plumbing can be finished

and i guess some pictures cause people like that ****...

Where r the pics?

Craigdillman
09-18-2013, 04:12 AM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2847_zps65f81b0e.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2847_zps65f81b0e.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2853_zpsde7f0283.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2853_zpsde7f0283.jpg.html)



http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2855_zps6df69e5d.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2855_zps6df69e5d.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
09-18-2013, 04:13 AM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2859_zpsc25134f9.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2859_zpsc25134f9.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2860_zpsc5669615.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2860_zpsc5669615.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
09-19-2013, 04:01 PM
Going to keep the inside white and paint the outside a flat black, Then finalize the plumbing then i should be able to get this thing out of the garage into the house at least

Craigdillman
09-26-2013, 11:34 PM
More progress pictures Got it all painted/plumbed and leak tested for 24 Hrs with some power outage test and its ready to get out of the garage and into the house
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2879_zps09099065.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2879_zps09099065.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2881_zps1cf69408.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2881_zps1cf69408.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2886_zps469e5a25.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2886_zps469e5a25.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
09-26-2013, 11:35 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2888_zps53aabddd.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2888_zps53aabddd.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2895_zpsfaba76d8.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2895_zpsfaba76d8.jpg.html)

toytech
09-27-2013, 04:46 PM
Looks great but one thing I would change is the gear clamps , they rust out pretty quick , if the hoses fit on the barbs tight I run a nylon zip tie in place of a clamp .

Craigdillman
09-27-2013, 11:04 PM
Thanks good idea, they fit pretty good anyway so it would be just for precautions

Craigdillman
10-01-2013, 05:21 AM
So I got the rock curing now with a powerhead and a heater.. but now im second guessing the layout of the sump. Since I didnt make it kinda just went with it but... im thinking the filter socks (kinda suck ) shouldnt be infront of the skimmer section i want the skimmer to skim out the crap not trap it. Im debating redoing that part of the sump before i continue on the build.
Maybe move the first section over big enough for the returns and my skimmer and take out the sock section and if i wanted to put a filter section in (over and under type) with some rock rubble and egg crate and maybe filter floss or something if i wanted... what u guys think

HaZRaTTy
10-01-2013, 03:47 PM
Filter socks isn't a replacement for a Skimmer and Vice Versa.. I don't see any problem with the filter socks before a skimmer.

You'll have to be changing your Skimmer Socks.. Err wait Filter Socks most likely every week anyways.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but Protein skimmer's are used to take the Dissolved Orangic matter out of your water column which I don't think is being trapped by your filter sock. (Maybe to some degree)

I would like to think that a filter sock is more of a rough, water cleansing sort of filtration catching the big stuff coming from your tank.

Craigdillman
10-01-2013, 03:57 PM
yea i think I'm going to leave it i just was thinking if i wanted to change it now was the time

kien
10-01-2013, 04:21 PM
im thinking the filter socks (kinda suck ) shouldnt be infront of the skimmer section i want the skimmer to skim out the crap not trap it. Im debating redoing that part of the sump before i continue on the build.... what u guys think

Actually, in most sump designs I have seen the filter sock is in fact before the skimmer section. The filter socks act as a mechanical filtration to remove larger undissolved particles before they reach the skimmer. Most people will place the filter socks right where the return lines dump display tank water into the sump, just like how your sump is designed. As HaZy said, the skimmer is designed to help remove dissolved organics.

Craigdillman
10-01-2013, 04:24 PM
Yea now that I've looked it over a bit better I think ill keep it, i guess just wanted to weight my options given this is the time to change it while the rock is curing and there isnt water in it lol

kien
10-01-2013, 04:30 PM
Yea now that I've looked it over a bit better I think ill keep it, i guess just wanted to weight my options given this is the time to change it while the rock is curing and there isnt water in it lol

That's fair, you definitely want to make any changes now, rather than when your tank is full of rock, water, fish and corals :lol:

Also, a lot of people don't even run filter socks at all. :biggrin:

Craigdillman
10-01-2013, 04:33 PM
Yea im keeping it

HaZRaTTy
10-01-2013, 05:31 PM
Yup! I'm not a Filter socks kind of guy.. I feel the benefits get out weighed by having to change and wash them at minimum once a week.

The only time I use one is if I start to stir up stuff in the sump it gets quite cloudy..

I will 2 or 3rd that you want to change and make sure everything is in order before setting it up permanently just like a house they state that it takes a family I believe 5 houses before they are happy with everything in the house.. I think it takes 10 tank builds before you're happy with how everything is setup..

I know for my next build 20 things i'm going to do differently and add/subtract.

Craigdillman
10-04-2013, 01:11 PM
Well no more picture till tomorrow but,

Ordered the skimmer -reef octopus nwb200
-ATO- tunze osmolator
-another heater 250w
-refugium light (par 38 bulb ) on gooseneck
- May order the wp25/mp40 depending how the flow is with the 2 mp10s and korilla as
-mariacle mud

All that is left is the lights

Got all the sand ill need and all the rocks are curing in a bucket with heater and some powerheads getting excited to get this puppy up

Craigdillman
10-05-2013, 05:21 AM
Allright more eye candy for all
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2958_zpsb190a3f1.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2958_zpsb190a3f1.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2954_zps225ba9a1.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2954_zps225ba9a1.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2955_zps0d4eb707.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2955_zps0d4eb707.jpg.html)
Going to have this be the control panel with the ReefKeeper and the vortechs and the ATO all will be here so it will be easy to click the feed timer or see the temp or ph

Craigdillman
10-05-2013, 05:22 AM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2960_zps8808e52a.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2960_zps8808e52a.jpg.html)

added a baffle so the pods go from refugium to the return not to get skimmed uo

Craigdillman
10-06-2013, 05:20 PM
Why are all my corals dying in my main?http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2967_zpsffb27c5f.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2967_zpsffb27c5f.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
10-06-2013, 05:21 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2912_zps4d0006ca.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2912_zps4d0006ca.jpg.html)

ok for real this is from the rocks few weeks in

HaZRaTTy
10-06-2013, 06:13 PM
You're honestly asking why stuff is dying with water that's maxed in nitrates, nirtrites and ammonia of 8?

Craigdillman
10-06-2013, 06:15 PM
you really didnt read the next post?

Craigdillman
10-06-2013, 06:16 PM
troll post worked lol

HaZRaTTy
10-06-2013, 06:16 PM
:mrgreen:lol

Craigdillman
10-06-2013, 06:17 PM
lol

Craigdillman
10-06-2013, 06:23 PM
its the rocks curing in the bucket, never seen tests like that before thought id post

kien
10-06-2013, 06:25 PM
Ooo, pretty colours!

Craigdillman
10-08-2013, 04:29 AM
Well cooked rocks levels are down to 4ish ppm ammonia and still over 160 for nitrates and off the chart for nitrites .. Is it worth doing a water change or will that do anything?

Also tested the P04 and wowza will that drop at all ? id rather not put like 3ppm of p04 into my new tank?

I think im going to drop a bag of GFO into there beside the powerhead what u think

kien
10-08-2013, 05:45 AM
If it were me I would just do a massive water change or two once the cycle has complete. This will get a lot of the nitrates and phosphates out at the same time. Save the GFO for the tank :-). But running GFO now will do the trick too. Although you'll probably end up exhausting the GFO pretty quick and will end up needing to replace it frequently, at this stage.

Craigdillman
10-08-2013, 02:56 PM
Ok thanks that makes sense forgot that at the end if this I'm not using the water so the po4 will be gone, and ill probably start my reactor soon as I get the main going ill run it from the beginning

Craigdillman
10-11-2013, 03:19 AM
Skimmer, ato refugium par38 bulb and extra heater came in today pretty jacked, getting the tank in the house this weekend and maybe wet by next week if the rocks have don curing

Craigdillman
10-12-2013, 04:05 PM
Rocks are 0ppm everything except nitrates they are still like 10ppm, so im going to throw some LR into the tub to help seed it...

All the equipment is in just waiting on the lights. Getting the tank out of the garage and into the living room today and this puppy should be wet soon maybe next week!


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2978_zps3e62a0f2.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2978_zps3e62a0f2.jpg.html)
gigity

Craigdillman
10-12-2013, 04:07 PM
That is if my wife doesn't shoot me for making the living room a unboxing storage room till the tank gets here

Craigdillman
10-13-2013, 06:47 PM
All right got the tank inside (just needs some dusting off) getting all the equipment dry fit and its getting close now all i need is the lights but i think i can get this thing going without them and add them later right

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2987_zpscf307350.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2987_zpscf307350.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2988_zps4c4c3181.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2988_zps4c4c3181.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_2989_zpsdceefac0.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_2989_zpsdceefac0.jpg.html)

Scythanith
10-13-2013, 10:04 PM
Are you affixing an RO/DI line and float valve to the ATO tank? I only ask since it looks pretty high in the cabinet and might pose a bit of a problem if bucket filling it. I foresee splashing and water in the stand and on the carpet. You're also likely to get some salt spray/creep right where your returns dump into the sump due to the angle and height of the pipe. I'd recommend either extending them into the sump space and putting another 45 on the end to direct the effluent down into the sump. That or add some sort of a lid with a couple holes for the returns to go through.

I really like it when people put the side opening panel on their stands, very smart thinking!

You can add lights later, as long as you're not trying to keep any photosynthetic animals. A simple fluorescent or LED is enough to keep fish only happy.

You're probably getting excited now!

Craigdillman
10-13-2013, 10:42 PM
Good ideas, yea we noticed the ato container will be a bit high but I think we can make it work, also I'm going to add 2 45' for he return plumbing and maybe another pipe down to prevent the splashes

gregzz4
10-14-2013, 06:15 PM
Just a thought for you before you get too much farther along ...

I originally had my fuge after my socks, but noticed my pod population dwindling, so I now run it before my socks and all is good

With that in mind, I was thinking you might want to cut in a valve off your main drain to feed the fuge
Then you have both options

Craigdillman
10-17-2013, 02:41 AM
Trying to plan the mounting of the lights got a few options
Off the wall or build a frame coming from behind the tank what you guys think?
I have 3 of the 6"x20" heatsinks

Any picture would be awesome too

Craigdillman
10-17-2013, 02:47 AM
My last build had the lights off the wall worked good but wanted to keep my options open and make it look good

Craigdillman
10-18-2013, 04:44 AM
Well broke down and ordered a RO/DI machine for under the sink and a little tap for drinking water so hope fully it should be here next week and I can get this puppy up and Aquascaped and running I'm getting antsy ! Also lights should be here in a week or 2

Craigdillman
10-19-2013, 03:03 PM
Just a thought for you before you get too much farther along ...

I originally had my fuge after my socks, but noticed my pod population dwindling, so I now run it before my socks and all is good

With that in mind, I was thinking you might want to cut in a valve off your main drain to feed the fuge
Then you have both options



Yea I was originally going to do this but then decided to feed it off the return so I got less detritus in the fuge I'll see how it plays out I can always change it around after and take other return and flow it into there right from the overflow

duncangweller
10-19-2013, 03:41 PM
I teed off my overflow with a ball valve so about 25% of the water goes to the fuge and the other 75% to the skimmer chamber. My fuge is riddled with pods and i can't say there is much in the way of detritus in there. All the goodies in there must be gobbling it up.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

gregzz4
10-20-2013, 04:17 AM
Build is looking great

Not to beat the subject up too much, but now's the time to mod your plumbing
It will allow the cement to cure while you test it with freshwater

I'm in the OCD crowd, and I tested/reconfig'd my plumbing numerous times before I was happy, and long before I added salt
I can't tell you how many pvc pieces I wasted

Cutting in new pieces while your tank is salty is no fun
I've done it 2 times that I can recall and think the cement is risky when fresh

Keep the pics coming :biggrin:

Craigdillman
10-21-2013, 05:17 PM
I think I'm going to leave it as is for now, just for the way my plumbing is set up now I like it coming off my return. I do have options tho, the way the plumbing is with the union i can turn off the second return unhook it and turn it to flow into the fuge and re-connect it if i wanted to do that down the road the plumbing is long enough and the angle is ok.

I dont see myself having a problem growing pods out and i've seen fuges supplied from both way(return and overflow) and have done good each way both have there pros and cons. I think im going to stick to this unless I see a less than ideal pod production.


Also waiting for the lights and RO machine are going to be the end of me can't help looking at this empty tank in my living room any more lol

kien
10-21-2013, 05:20 PM
Also waiting for the lights and RO machine are going to be the end of me can't help looking at this empty tank in my living room any more lol

Get used to it. This hobby is all about waiting. And then some more waiting after that. A year from now you'll still be waiting for something :lol:

Craigdillman
10-21-2013, 05:24 PM
True i guess lol

gregzz4
10-22-2013, 01:29 AM
I didn't realize you have a second pump
Problem solved

How long 'till you're salty ?

Craigdillman
10-22-2013, 07:22 AM
RO machine should be here this week and that's Basicly what I'm waiting on now so hopefully this weekend I can get this think aquascaped and all wet

Craigdillman
10-25-2013, 04:57 AM
Well in true reefing fashion after waiting for everything to come it... it all came at once RO/DI and the lights all came today so got right to work. Ro/Di machine set up now just flushing the filters tonight and ill start making water tomorrow and on the second heat sink of the lights
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3017_zps5a386845.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3017_zps5a386845.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3021_zpsa952bbdc.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3021_zpsa952bbdc.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3022_zpsd93790f5.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3022_zpsd93790f5.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
10-25-2013, 05:08 AM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3014_zps20318c8b.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3014_zps20318c8b.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3015_zps3a7a5c80.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3015_zps3a7a5c80.jpg.html)

Lights are going to be tricky when the tank swap happens cause I can only run one tank at a time and when I put the lights on the new tank the only tank will be without lights and don't have another light (other than a par38 for the fuge) but ill cross that bridge when I come to it

Craigdillman
10-27-2013, 06:06 AM
Well water sand and rocks are in! The right side is mostly bear cause I have about 50 pounds coming from the other tank going there that will be a zoo garden and I'm going to make the structure connect to the 3rd island (ill take some close up shots of the rock work tomorrow )


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3027_zpsa47dd339.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3027_zpsa47dd339.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3029_zpsfc833418.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3029_zpsfc833418.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3030_zpsca478035.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3030_zpsca478035.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3031_zps5b988e17.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3031_zps5b988e17.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3032_zpsf1518046.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3032_zpsf1518046.jpg.html)

eli@fijireefrock.com
10-27-2013, 06:10 AM
Well water sand and rocks are in! The right side is mostly bear cause I have about 50 pounds coming from the other tank going there that will be a zoo garden and I'm going to make the structure connect to the 3rd island (ill take some close up shots of the rock work tomorrow )


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3027_zpsa47dd339.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3027_zpsa47dd339.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3029_zpsfc833418.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3029_zpsfc833418.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3030_zpsca478035.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3030_zpsca478035.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3031_zps5b988e17.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3031_zps5b988e17.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3032_zpsf1518046.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3032_zpsf1518046.jpg.html)

Looking good

Craigdillman
10-28-2013, 04:28 PM
Hey guys,

I need some hell in tuning the herbie overflow I can't seem to get it silent and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong is anyone able to give me a start to finish how to tune it

Im not sure if I have to much water or dialing it wrong or? My return pump is a DC controllable so I can ramp it up or down as well. Maybe I have to many variables

Do I just set my return pump then leave that and mess with my overflow ?

It seems that the noise is mostly coming from the water falling into the overflow not slurping or gurgling from the pipes

Thanks a lot

IanWR
10-28-2013, 05:04 PM
I had a similar noise when I was setting up my tank. I am using a herbie, and although I could dial it in so I was getting no suction noise, the noise of the water splashing over the overflow was louder than I wanted. I just went 1 step down on the return pump (speedwave). Works well so far, but my next task to to get my reactors online, which are T-ed off the return pump. This will mean I have to step the pump up again, which will mean more adjusting.

- Ian

Craigdillman
10-28-2013, 05:13 PM
Ok thanks ill try that, Yea my reactors are already plumbed in so I'm good there, this tuning is going to be the end of me

Craigdillman
10-28-2013, 07:00 PM
Yea that worked pretty good I went one setting down on the pump and it's is almost dead silent

gregzz4
10-30-2013, 01:50 AM
It seems that the noise is mostly coming from the water falling into the overflow not slurping or gurgling from the pipes

Because of a lack of drop between my tank and sump, I don't use my drain valve to dial in anything. Instead, I have to dial back my pump with an 'exhaust' tee back to the sump. But it's the same principal

My overflow is very quiet
I currently have my main drain standing at around 5" below my overflow teeth, my emerg drain between 1/2" and 1" from flooding (haven't measured it), and I run my overflow box level within an inch of the emerg height. It fluctuates some, but never gets my emerg plumbing wet. And I like it that way as I have horizontal runs to my sump so don't want any stagnant water. Nor do I want a constant slow trickle. I've done it this way for nearly 18 months and am happy with it
I don't even have to adjust the valve anymore

For you, once you find the heights you like for your pipes and water level, I'd suggest you dial in your system to run your pump full out
Then just live with the overflow teeth noises when you dial it down

gregzz4
10-30-2013, 01:55 AM
PS :smile:

I found when my system was brand new with no slime on anything, the overflow was noisy due to surface tension
I ran my finger across the top lip of the box and most of the noise went away

I haven't even thought about it since as it's super quiet

Craigdillman
10-30-2013, 04:59 AM
Ok so update time got the overflow dialled in pretty good ended up having to turn my return pump down a bunch but its probably for the best cause now my sump isn't rocking
Tests
0amm 0 nitrites 0 nitrates, soooo put 2 chromis as test fish and they are doing great so far eating and schooling (ill add my other 3 from the other tank soon)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3047_zpsedc14781.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3047_zpsedc14781.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3052_zps80ea5528.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3052_zps80ea5528.jpg.html)

[URL=http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3054_zps0875229f.jpg.html]http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3054_zps0875229f.jpg[/URL
Lights should be up hanging from this all finished by thursday got them all wired and tested

Craigdillman
10-30-2013, 05:00 AM
And video of my clowns hosting my acan tonighthttp://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/th_IMG_3055_zps9fad2120.jpg (http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3055_zps9fad2120.mp4)

gregzz4
10-30-2013, 01:24 PM
Glad to see you solved the noise issue
I somehow missed your's and Ian's posts before my last

Craigdillman
10-31-2013, 07:08 AM
So for flow in this new tank I got
2 vortech mp10s on each end wave mode, seems to be doing ok but may need more flow in some spots wife approved of another/more powerbeads so before she changes her mind...

Im thinking of adding either

1-2 wp25's one on each end putting each mp10s on back wall

1wp40 and ramp it down

what u guys think?

IanWR
10-31-2013, 01:37 PM
Regarding the photo of your shelf bracket light hangers. First, I think that's a great idea. Second, the brackets do not appear to be perfectly centered on your tank. It looks like they are shifted to the left. This is either a trick caused by the angle the picture was taken from, or they really are slightly off centre. I understand that if they are off it has no practical consequence as you will hang your lights from a bar which is supported by the brackets. It's just my OCD that cringes! :) If it doesn't bother you, Im happy for you! It means that you are free from feeling anxious if meaningless things don't line up as they are "supposed to".:biggrin:

StirCrazy
10-31-2013, 01:51 PM
I thought you wern't supposed to buy it all at once :mrgreen:

Steve

Craigdillman
10-31-2013, 02:59 PM
Yea they are off a bit the studs arnt lines up... Grrr but I'm planning ok puttin a bar across them and hanging the lights from a bar so it looks more even, it looks better in person than in the pic it looks more off lol but don't have to many options cause I wanted to hit a stud with the bars

Craigdillman
10-31-2013, 03:00 PM
I thought you wern't supposed to buy it all at once :mrgreen:

Steve

Shhhhh

Craigdillman
11-01-2013, 02:09 PM
Alright well lights are all done, tested, wired up and hung, Water is looking great

2 fish are swimming happy with the new space and moved a few corals over
( Green star and zoas and they seem to be doing good, Got my Refugium light up and running ill get my cheat over then from the other tank today and move some more corals over

Here is some more eye candy ill get some better shots with a camera today ( the lights look a bit off in these shots)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3058_zps89172747.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3058_zps89172747.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3059_zps006305ac.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3059_zps006305ac.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3060_zps7cbdb797.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3060_zps7cbdb797.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3062_zps991cb8fd.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3062_zps991cb8fd.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
11-06-2013, 04:22 PM
Update time, started to get the diatom bloom here. Ordered a CUC/shrimps and a goby pistol pair should be here friday. Moved about 50% of the coral over from the 29 gallon still haven't moved the 2 clowns other 3 chromis mandarin and urchin snails rest of hermits and sexy shrimps (no idea how ill catch them lol

But its coming a lot great sps has great polyp extension in the new tank and all the LPS and Zoas are out, Got a ton of pods in the fugue thanks to the cheeto from the old tank so its moving along nicely

Craigdillman
11-06-2013, 04:31 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3103_zps297d9ba4.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3103_zps297d9ba4.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3105_zps96c6107a.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3105_zps96c6107a.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3106_zps5170fd7c.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3106_zps5170fd7c.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
11-06-2013, 04:34 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3088_zps5c5d9e23.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3088_zps5c5d9e23.jpg.html)

kien
11-06-2013, 04:37 PM
coming along nicely! Your sandbed is very colourful!

Craigdillman
11-06-2013, 05:39 PM
Yea need to raise the lights up a bit or get a differnt lenses on the red led it does make a red hue on the sand bed which is amplified in these pics lol

Starry
11-06-2013, 07:53 PM
Coming along nicely Craig. Will look great once it fills in a little bit. Love the open aquascaping.

Craigdillman
11-10-2013, 03:37 PM
Well update time..
Its been a busy couple weeks of progress. Moved a lot more coral and rocks over from the 29. Caught 3 of there chromis (at night pretty funny) and moved them over now all 5 of them schooling around in the new tank.
Checked parameters and did my first water change which is a lot easier on this tank cause I used to have to clean a canister filter every week on the 29 gallon. Cheeto has doubled! in the sump

Ordered a CUC and some wrasses and goby which came in saturday. We are at the gross diatom bloom stage which the CUC is loving but its all been going good. And now for some pics complete with diatoms lol

Craigdillman
11-10-2013, 03:39 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3151_zps760a04fb.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3151_zps760a04fb.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3150_zpsa8bb58c2.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3150_zpsa8bb58c2.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3133_zps3afc6977.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3133_zps3afc6977.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3131_zps2c143a9f.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3131_zps2c143a9f.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
11-23-2013, 02:28 PM
Well, Been a while for updated so here goes, Tank has been doing awesome parameters are basically perfect tho the mag is a little low today but its water change day tomorrow so thats fine, Need to clean up the wires still a bit more and move the Reef controller over now that the 29 is shut down, i moved the last of the rocks and mandarin and bubble tip over i was a bit nervous but the mandarin is sniping pods all over the rocks and the fugue is full of them so she should be good and the bubble tip nestled in a rock right in the front and is all open so its all working out.

Planning a trip into the city for some coral and a few more fish, Thinking maybe some anthinas and a kole tang for starters and possibly goby and pistol shrimp pair. Going to keep the 29 up and running for a QT tank probably.

And i need to find some mesh filter socks, the felt ones are a little to fine and I'm changing them every few days i think thats a little much the mesh ones should be fine for the polishing i want to do

Anyway here is more more pictures

Craigdillman
11-23-2013, 02:38 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3214_zps2a0424ed.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3214_zps2a0424ed.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3213_zpsc6628089.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3213_zpsc6628089.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3205_zps33366a0d.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3205_zps33366a0d.jpg.html)

Scroll up and Look at the Cheeto growth in like a month and a half!


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3216_zps547078b9.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3216_zps547078b9.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
11-28-2013, 03:53 PM
Well I feel like I'm officially a reefer now... Got some tangs and new additions
Kole Tang
Naso Tang
2 Female Lyretail Anthias
1 male Lyretail Anthias
Copperband Butterfly
Christmas Wrasse

Things Doing good parameters are spot on minus last week Mag was a little low 1260 close to WC time. I got a little bit of new tank cyan happening but the snails and hermits are mowing it up and it looks like its thinning now so

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3229_zps8eb37df8.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3229_zps8eb37df8.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3230_zps5b028587.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3230_zps5b028587.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3231_zps78505f57.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3231_zps78505f57.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3232_zps199576ed.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3232_zps199576ed.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3239_zps6cba7567.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3239_zps6cba7567.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
11-28-2013, 03:53 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3236_zpsb45900d9.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3236_zpsb45900d9.jpg.html)

reefwars
11-28-2013, 04:19 PM
Looking good Craig buddy keep that copper fat and good luck not an easy fish to care.for;)

Skimmerking
11-28-2013, 04:23 PM
looks great buds , but the disco effect is crazy. what lights are thou.

Craigdillman
11-28-2013, 04:35 PM
Copper is eating all frozen wooooo

And the lights are NOT like that my camera is stupid and pics up the colours all wrong They are rapid LED lights

Craigdillman
12-07-2013, 03:47 AM
Well... Copper died today, idk why but he had stopped eating for the last few days, we was eating for the first 4-5 days and heating aphasia and picking off the rocks but then stopped eating the shrimp and nothing i could do to keep him

sucky but I've heard they can be temperamental sometimes like that

Leah
12-07-2013, 08:41 AM
Great photos, sad to hear about the copperband. Nice squarespot anthias though.

Craigdillman
12-13-2013, 11:31 PM
Yea love the square spots thats basically the reason my wife gave me a go ahead for a bigger tank... I'm like honey we can't have 3 of them in the 30 gallon we we will need this 6 footer....

Also added a new netting for the top of the tank and a new blue sided fair wrasse
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3283_zps6d3a663c.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3283_zps6d3a663c.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3270_zpsdeeb354f.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3270_zpsdeeb354f.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
12-14-2013, 04:50 PM
Well after 2 days of chemiclean all i can say it wow!Cyano gone
Before and after pictures no fish corals or anything hurt or irritated

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3236_zpsb45900d9.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3236_zpsb45900d9.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3296_zps7a130374.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3296_zps7a130374.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3232_zps199576ed.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3232_zps199576ed.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_3295_zps4df9734f.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_3295_zps4df9734f.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
12-14-2013, 08:28 PM
Well some have asked ask to the dosing method I used for chemiclean. The reason was that my RO?DI membrane became loose and i did my last water change with like 80 TDS water by mistake and after about a week i got the cyano slowly creeping in so i did another WC then waited and


After researching it for like a week ( I'm fairly skeptical in nature and hate using chemicals) i finally went ahead and dosed the Chemiclean

I followed the directions


-Turned off skimmer
-Tested water levels (for my own piece of mind)
-added airstone bubbler to display back corner some of bubbles went to mp10 fish didn't seem to mind
- took Carbon reactor offline

- Mixed 1 scoop of chemiclean to 10 gallons water so I dosed 15 level scoops mixed it in tank water and turkey based it into display event throughout
...waited

Nothing happened for a day no fish seemed different so corals sucked in or anything, i continued to feed and do what i do,

The night of the first day after dosing i was starting to notice the cyano patches starting to float to the top and i was scoop them out as they came.

By the 2nd morning all the cyano was gone, i mean gone none on the rock or sand or anything gone. Fired up my skimmer and it overflowed for a while but all is well. Only ill effects i have had was 1 zoo colony closed up during the second day and it just opened so idk

Doing a 25% water change today and adding carbon back that will give it just over 48Hr to work and i took the airstone out and yea


No fish worried, No corals worried, Pods were still alive and a ton of them in the fuge, all inverts fine and no ill effects

Craigdillman
05-23-2014, 05:11 AM
Well big update time

Lots of new stuff lots of different stuff, About 5 ish months back i had a ich outbreak if anyone seen any of my other posts, i was a perfect example of someone who didn't do my research and didn't QT cause honestly never heard of anyone doing it and I've never even seen ich... well i did find it i added to many fish so quick from everywhere it was bound to happen.

I did the hypo salinity route in a 55 gallon after fishing them all out and managed to save 1 naso tang 2 reef chromis. I had 4 days left of hypo when i had a ammonia spike and kill 6 of the last 9 fish over night like from >0.05 to almost 2 over night and i had prime in there..

Any who.. i QT hypo and went fallow for like 9weeks, put the fish back and set up a Tank transfer Method Qt and these are the fish that just made it through TT and Prazipro treatment.


So without further ado VIDEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAYG-QjA_ns&feature=youtu.be

Craigdillman
05-23-2014, 05:13 AM
here is some QT pics

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_4451_zps50ca6704.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_4451_zps50ca6704.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_4472_zps14b1ab9b.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_4472_zps14b1ab9b.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_4473_zps12c6fc41.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_4473_zps12c6fc41.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_4450_zpsa752d78c.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_4450_zpsa752d78c.jpg.html)





QT was like 100$ to set up and was actually pretty fun i didn't mind it at all and i learned a ton so all my fish will now be TT and prazipro

Craigdillman
04-15-2015, 04:00 PM
Long overdue update this is from a few months back this was added in jan

QT tank all up and running for the TT method got

2 anthias
Kole tang
Diamond Goby
Blue side fair wrasse
Psudochromis strawberry

shhhhhhhh time for pics


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_5773_zps71866d60.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_5773_zps71866d60.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
04-15-2015, 04:01 PM
Got the Ro machine all moved to under the stairs and gonna get a proper mixing station for water and now able to have 45g or so of water and 45G of salt water ready just got to find a pump to put it up stairs now

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/Reef%20tank/0146075B-CD26-4C94-8D17-1C3C0545E5DD_zpse4havltx.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/Reef%20tank/0146075B-CD26-4C94-8D17-1C3C0545E5DD_zpse4havltx.jpg.html)


Just got to finish he clean up of the tubing and install the brute cans

Craigdillman
04-15-2015, 04:02 PM
Well all the new fish are in and looking happy and healthy ( the goby while a cool fish is a *censored* and sand storm maker) and that paired with the blue side wrasse flipping my frags and zoas over things were a bit hectic. I added the new gyre and that with the goby sand storm caused the tank to be pretty cloudy and sandy and detritus for a week or so, had to do three 15-20g wc that week and too many filter socks to count and finally brang it all back in check. Only thing that seemed to take it the worst was monti stenosa still looks pale idk if it was lack of light from the particles or the fact all the sand constantly being on it and particles having to be blown off anyway its slowly coming back.

Anyway enough of that more pics



http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6022_zpsuycyhmkv.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6022_zpsuycyhmkv.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6020_zpsu9opaoyc.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6020_zpsu9opaoyc.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6018_zpswmdocsyo.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6018_zpswmdocsyo.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6018_zpswmdocsyo.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6018_zpswmdocsyo.jpg.html)



http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6016_zpsdhwcjv5r.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6016_zpsdhwcjv5r.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6011_zpsje0ca5rd.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6011_zpsje0ca5rd.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6004_zpsf6ar5aby.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6004_zpsf6ar5aby.jpg.html)



http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6005_zpsyazvwe3v.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6005_zpsyazvwe3v.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6006_zpsxtjzejsg.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6006_zpsxtjzejsg.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6007_zps7w3xvkrk.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6007_zps7w3xvkrk.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
04-15-2015, 04:14 PM
Well that should bring you guys up to speed

Here is where im at and asking for some HELP/advise

Over the last month after the new addition of the goby and new pump (gyre) and maybe even new bio load I've noticed SPS not happy some colonies STN and losing tissue others less polyp extension and just not looking like the pics from few months ago

After testing retesting and looking back at my log book I narrowed it down to a few things

1) flow got crazy high with the new3 pump I changed from 2 mp10s on wave mode to 2mp10s plus gyre and I changed from a lot of wave flow to direct flow resulting in tissue loss on sps in the direct flow

2) sand goby while nice kicked up insane amount on sand in the first few weeks releasing stuff into my water that's hasn't been stirred in over a year that paired with flow probably made the sand storm sand blast that didn't help with tissue loss
3) tho ive done water changes same 2weeks seems tho im not catching up with p04 anymore and probably not changing my GFO fast enough for the new nutrient released from the sand bed

4) I did a full water test after my 2 week 25G WC yesterday and also I pulled out my old nitrate test that hasn't needed to be used for years and Found the problem

Calc-450
Alk-7.5
Mag-1325
Phos-0.20 Hanna (usually 0.10 after 2 weeks ) so this has been slowly rising last month
Nitrate- 30 !!! omg this has been zero for years I stopped testing it now since add of new fish this is 30 bingo

So .. Aside from anther WC on Thursday whats my plan of attack? I slowed the pumps and my next plan is to start carbon dosing with vodka maybe as my current 2 week wc plus GFo and Carbon isn't cutting it


Your help is needed thanks
Craig Dillman

Craigdillman
04-15-2015, 04:15 PM
.

Craigdillman
04-15-2015, 04:38 PM
Go back one page idk what happened there lol

Craigdillman
04-16-2015, 04:27 PM
Well that should bring you guys up to speed

Here is where im at and asking for some HELP/advise

Over the last month after the new addition of the goby and new pump (gyre) and maybe even new bio load I've noticed SPS not happy some colonies STN and losing tissue others less polyp extension and just not looking like the pics from few months ago

After testing retesting and looking back at my log book I narrowed it down to a few things

1) flow got crazy high with the new3 pump I changed from 2 mp10s on wave mode to 2mp10s plus gyre and I changed from a lot of wave flow to direct flow resulting in tissue loss on sps in the direct flow

2) sand goby while nice kicked up insane amount on sand in the first few weeks releasing stuff into my water that's hasn't been stirred in over a year that paired with flow probably made the sand storm sand blast that didn't help with tissue loss
3) tho ive done water changes same 2weeks seems tho im not catching up with p04 anymore and probably not changing my GFO fast enough for the new nutrient released from the sand bed

4) I did a full water test after my 2 week 25G WC yesterday and also I pulled out my old nitrate test that hasn't needed to be used for years and Found the problem

Calc-450
Alk-7.5
Mag-1325
Phos-0.20 Hanna (usually 0.10 after 2 weeks ) so this has been slowly rising last month
Nitrate- 30 !!! omg this has been zero for years I stopped testing it now since add of new fish this is 30 bingo

So .. Aside from anther WC on Thursday whats my plan of attack? I slowed the pumps and my next plan is to start carbon dosing with vodka maybe as my current 2 week wc plus GFo and Carbon isn't cutting it


Your help is needed thanks
Craig Dillman

Craigdillman
04-17-2015, 03:19 PM
Any ideas

Reef Pilot
04-17-2015, 04:50 PM
Any ideas
Well, as I think you know, should get phosphates and nitrates down. For serious P04 challenges, Fozdown works well, but do it slowly so you don't get too big a drop at once.

You need low P04 (< 0.10) if you want your SPS to do well.

Craigdillman
04-17-2015, 06:54 PM
K do you suggest getting the p04 down to where it was then start carbon dosing or

Reef Pilot
04-17-2015, 07:04 PM
K do you suggest getting the p04 down to where it was then start carbon dosing or
You can do both at the same time, but P04 is your bigger problem. I only tried carbon dosing for a very short time, and didn't like the work and attention involved. So have used only a bio pellet reactor for a long time. Keeps N03 at zero (or at least so low I can't measure any). And I go for a year+ without having to touch it. Once N03 is down to zero, pellet consumption slows down to almost nothing.

But with P04 that high, it will take some effort with Fozdown (carefully) to bring it down. Once it is down (all leached out of your sand and rocks), then it is easy to maintain with just GFO.

Craigdillman
04-17-2015, 07:16 PM
Yea I run carbon and gfo about 1.75 cups of it p04 is usually 0.08-0.10 and my nitrates have never been above 1-2ppm in ny tank just over the last month it's creeped up with goby sifting the 2year old sand bed that hasn't been touched that with the new pump and I think caused this whole thing

Reef Pilot
04-17-2015, 08:28 PM
Well, the goby is doing a good thing if he is stirring and cleaning up your sand bed. But your filter/sock should be catching the suspended material, and your skimmer doing its job as well. You might have a while of higher P04, but that's where the Fozdown can help, to get it back down.

Craigdillman
04-17-2015, 09:13 PM
Ok thanks I'll get some of that and start the vodka dosing as I wanted to anyway and I'll keep you guys in the loop

Madreefer
04-17-2015, 09:36 PM
Vodkas for people
Vinegars for fish:lol:
Why not vinegar over vodka? It's cheaper but you dose more

Craigdillman
04-17-2015, 09:40 PM
No reason actually i thought vodka was just more potent figured they worked the same, is there any difference is one "better " than the other

Madreefer
04-17-2015, 10:26 PM
No not that I have researched.

Craigdillman
04-17-2015, 10:45 PM
Ok awesome i think I'm gonna start with vinegar gonna do one more WC then start dosing on the weekend

hfp75
04-17-2015, 11:31 PM
Daily dossing is a pita....

Get a biopellet reactor and don't look back....

Ram3500
04-18-2015, 03:39 AM
Daily dossing is a pita....

Get a biopellet reactor and don't look back....

A good reactor and bio pellets is going to cost you more. Get yourself a Jebao doser they are cheaper and make daily dossing easy peasy . Than you can dose alk cal mag and carbon . I have been dossing vinegar for a month and I am getting the same results as I did with bio pellets .

Myka
04-18-2015, 05:11 AM
Do you have a doser with an unused dosing pump? That'd be handy right about now. :D

Turkey basting the rock before each water change and gravel vacuuming the sand will help a lot in reducing nutrients. Do you have anything like bioballs, ceramic rings, sponges, etc in the sump? Do you have filter socks or filter pads? How often do you change them? How often do you feed the fish? What do they eat? How much do they get? Are you wet skimming or dry skimming? Which skimmer? (I'll go look if it's listed)

gregzz4
04-18-2015, 05:22 AM
Any ideas
i had an idea a couple days ago, but forgot to post it ...

You're dealing with a new sand-sifting fish who is stirring up all these PO4 and NO3 readings ...
What if you were to remove the top layer of your sand ? Isn't this where the readings are coming from due to your new sifter fish ?
Siphon out 1/2 to 3/4 of your top layer, but leave a bit for the new fish to 'feed on' ?
I don't mean to remove 1/2 - 3/4 deep, but rather remove the top layer of 1/2 to 3/4 of your whole tank's footprint.
Replace the top layer with new sand and the new dude can live off the part you haven't removed.

Then, in a week or two, you can remove the rest and replace it again with new sand.

Just a thought ...

Craigdillman
04-18-2015, 06:03 AM
Ok thanks guys yea I run filter socks and lately having to change them about every 3 days, getting medium skimmate might go more wet now I threw in more gfo also and in going to do another 30g we tokorrow I did one on Thursday to and one on Monday to try to reduce stuff, I'm thinking of buying hay jebaco dosed and doing vinegar dosing but gonna try to get the levels back down to where they were before the new fish and pump

The sand looks clearer then it ever has like there is nothing in it now he did a crazy good job (maybe too good)

Gonna do the wc and retest stuff tomorrow see where I'm at and cut my cheeto is half again it also is growing like crazy too

Reef Pilot
04-18-2015, 01:45 PM
Nothing beats a good sand sifter goby for keeping your sand nice and clean. Of course if it is dirty to start, you will go through a period of exporting nutrients including the DOCs. Just be diligent with your filter socks, skimmer and P04 removal. But once you are through that, your tank will shine, and your SPS will love you...

Craigdillman
04-18-2015, 01:47 PM
Thanks for the help guys I think after I get over this and dosing set up things are going to be epic

Craigdillman
04-19-2015, 05:21 PM
25 gallon wc done and retested

salinity 1.026
P04- down to .16 from .23 5 days ago so dropping good
Nitrate- 20ish down from 30-35ish
Alk- 8.7
Calcium -430
Mag -1400

Tank looking better from all these Wc all in a week, Started Vinegar dosing added my first 3.2ml today

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/116-vinegar-dosing-methodology-for-the-marine-aquarium

Using the 100g as a reference to start small its 125g with a 60g sump minus rock so ill see how the 100g level works and go from there

Craigdillman
04-28-2015, 12:14 AM
Well about 10 day into dosing the vinegar up to 10.4 ml per day haven't noticed too much change ( stuff isn't getting worse ) noticed zero algea on the glass haven't had to scrape it in 10 days and still looks clear

skimmate looks darker and seems to be skimming more nastiness out

Tested and nitrates are a bit lower at say 25 but i did do big WC so thinking that was what moved it not the carbon dosing yet P04 is a bit lower to changing GFO pretty often its about 0.09 now

onward

Craigdillman
04-29-2015, 03:46 PM
I'm going away for the weekend getting someone to come by to watch the fish and feed them and stuff but don't want them to dose anything

Would it be ok to add the doses to my ATO I have it marked how many days ATO will last so I can add it to there

Or is missing 3 doses that bad I'm at 10.4ml now


What would you guys do?

hfp75
04-29-2015, 03:49 PM
I'm going away for the weekend getting someone to come by to watch the fish and feed them and stuff but don't want them to dose anything

Would it be ok to add the doses to my ATO I have it marked how many days ATO will last so I can add it to there

Or is missing 3 doses that bad I'm at 10.4ml now


What would you guys do?


Hence why I use biopellets.....

Craigdillman
04-29-2015, 03:55 PM
I'm getting a doser here soon but until I get it all set up

Craigdillman
05-01-2015, 12:58 PM
Well nitrates still sky high say 30-40 I'm doing a 75g water change as we speak and that should be around 50-60% of total water volume then I'm going to head out for the weekend and do another big % water change when I get back on Tuesday and go from there if this don't fix it idk what will

Still dosing the vinegar slowly no problems yet but no results either

reefwars
05-01-2015, 01:31 PM
Well nitrates still sky high say 30-40 I'm doing a 75g water change as we speak and that should be around 50-60% of total water volume then I'm going to head out for the weekend and do another big % water change when I get back on Tuesday and go from there if this don't fix it idk what will

Still dosing the vinegar slowly no problems yet but no results either

Vinegar takes about 4weeks to work and longer if you have high levels.


I'm not sure where your getting e numbers to dose but with vinegar you really don't need to gradual rise slowly , randy says 15ml per 100g of wat and double this weekly up until around 45ml

I do this and have gotten countless others to use this recipe

1ml per gall for 7 days
2 ml per gallon for 7 days
3 ml per gallon for 7 days
4 ml per gallon for 7 days

Repeat and raise as necessary , once nitrates hit zero then start to cut back in half increments , so if you make it to 5ml per gallon , then the next week drop down to 4.5 then week later to 4 then to 3.5 etc. this is to find your maintenance dose as the dosages to bring the levels down will be higher then it is to maintain them when they are lower :)

If you need to miss three days simple go back to the week before when you start again:)

Good luck

Craigdillman
05-01-2015, 01:52 PM
Ok awesome thanks maybe I started too slow when I'm back I'll ramp it up and see how it reacts

reefwars
05-01-2015, 01:55 PM
Ok awesome thanks maybe I started too slow when I'm back I'll ramp it up and see how it reacts

Oh and adding it to your ato is fine as long as its not sitting in the h2o for longer thn 3-5 days after that it's useless:)

Craigdillman
05-01-2015, 03:27 PM
Thanks for the help never had water issues like this must have just been the new fish and pump and not keeping up with my bigger %wc

reefwars
05-01-2015, 03:34 PM
And it's evidence that the water changes for removal of nitrates are only masking the bigger issues , if your nutrient rise is greater than what you remove then you'll slowly accumulate. Something as simple as 0.5ppm is 3.5ppm in a week and 7 in two and so on and so on. Sometimes the rise is so small it takes months to even notice you've been going up.

Adding more nitrogen sources simply speeds all this up more so.

Water changes have great advantages but I don't consider nutrient export one of them maybe a bonus to be had but certainly not it's best feature :)

You'll get there attack in small battles and wear your enemy down step by step, there's no rush to do this unless you feel the tanks inhabitants are in danger or decline

Good luck buddy

Denny

Craigdillman
05-01-2015, 03:42 PM
Yea only a few corals have shown issues a few of my high end acans have lost a bit of color and 2 sps my monti stenosa and another acro all seem a bit stressed while the rest if the tank looks awesome so hoping with the wc and the carbon dosing I can pull it all back

Craigdillman
05-01-2015, 03:43 PM
On a side note my frogspawn is loving the dirty water and my bubble tips and Duncan's never looked better

Craigdillman
05-10-2015, 07:59 PM
Week 3 weeks in and things are looking really good ordered a new nitrate test kit should be in this week to get some reliable numbers but after the 2 massive water changes and the dosing (doing about 30ml a day till tomorrow bump up)

P04 is down to like 0.06 Nitrate kits is real expired says 30ish my other one says 15 so we will see when new kit comes

Some of the corals look incrediblly different and the few sps colonies that were really struggling are starting to get the polyps back and starting to come back, my zoa's have taken off and able to make frags of almost every colony over the last weeks

Still waiting on the high end acans to color back up and recover

ill get some pics up here today if i can

Craigdillman
05-13-2015, 07:14 PM
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/1ECE138B-D0A8-4CBE-81C4-152745667B49_zpsbsc9eviw.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/1ECE138B-D0A8-4CBE-81C4-152745667B49_zpsbsc9eviw.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/67FEF39B-87E5-43E2-95D3-C3E6FF43155E_zps2e3aonuc.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/67FEF39B-87E5-43E2-95D3-C3E6FF43155E_zps2e3aonuc.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/BF172080-A514-4F47-AEEA-D1BED0DF7BBA_zpss7lrfeqd.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/BF172080-A514-4F47-AEEA-D1BED0DF7BBA_zpss7lrfeqd.jpg.html)



Update

Madreefer
05-13-2015, 07:18 PM
Looks good. I like your aquasacape. Why do you have one of your light fixtures higher?

Craigdillman
05-13-2015, 07:39 PM
....Well funny story kinda... when I was installing them I didn't use long enough screws to go threw the board and hit a stud and in the middle of the night 1 day later the whole light fixtures fell into the water... managed to not start a fire or fry the drivers and also to save most of the leds but some on the left 2 most fixtures burnt out And i haven't got around to doing another order to replace them so I upped the output on the drivers to compensate but the left most one didn't lose any and it was noticeably more bright and with that rock higher corals seemed to like it like that so I just went with it

gregzz4
05-14-2015, 03:35 AM
Love your tank size Craig

Craigdillman
05-14-2015, 03:42 AM
Yea it's good and manageable 72x20x20

Craigdillman
05-31-2015, 03:18 AM
Update

Well things looking remarkably well nitrates are below 10 now and probably below 5, both of the colonies that were really struggling are now coming back with a vengeance and seeing new growth tips on stuff that was really slowing down in growth ill post some before and after next week

Guess i learned my lesson to not get complacent and check all parameters not just big 3 and P04 cause hiding under the hood was the real problem,

Still increasing vinegar as not seeing any side effects and then getting a doser going and will just put in on a channel

gregzz4
05-31-2015, 03:29 AM
So what was the issue again ?

reefwars
05-31-2015, 05:51 AM
Update

Well things looking remarkably well nitrates are below 10 now and probably below 5, both of the colonies that were really struggling are now coming back with a vengeance and seeing new growth tips on stuff that was really slowing down in growth ill post some before and after next week

Guess i learned my lesson to not get complacent and check all parameters not just big 3 and P04 cause hiding under the hood was the real problem,

Still increasing vinegar as not seeing any side effects and then getting a doser going and will just put in on a channel


At this point now I would stop increasing and let the bacteria mass do their thing your going to have to start dropping the dose anyways as the amount needed to lower isn't the amount needed to maintain so if things are looking amazing well then proceed with caution as going to low also has its downside :) glad to hear things are on the mend :)

Craigdillman
06-12-2015, 06:04 PM
Well nitrates are below 5 now some of the before and after is crazy took a few pics with the phone quick

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6169_zpswn8onacd.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6169_zpswn8onacd.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6403_zpsm8rvsf2t.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6403_zpsm8rvsf2t.jpg.html)

Color on this is nuts now http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6407_zpshsvmg6ox.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6407_zpshsvmg6ox.jpg.html)


This was almost dead
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6163_zpso5h6ljfp.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6163_zpso5h6ljfp.jpg.html)

now fully encrusted and starting to spiral out
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6409_zpsdowg6rov.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6409_zpsdowg6rov.jpg.html)

Almost a full 1" growth on the tips from both these
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6406_zpsfypmveds.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6406_zpsfypmveds.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_6404_zps9jy2eqz9.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_6404_zps9jy2eqz9.jpg.html)

Up to just over 100ml per day still needing to run GFO but p04 is still pretty low pretty happy with the results for around a month between pictures

Myka
06-13-2015, 04:05 AM
Wow that's only a month? Nice!

Craigdillman
06-13-2015, 04:18 AM
Yea I'm so jacked

reefwars
06-13-2015, 03:02 PM
Good stuff buddy well done :)

Craigdillman
06-13-2015, 06:48 PM
Time for more frags now I told myself till I get my **** together no more corals now as a treat...

Also ordering some more fish next week got the QT all fired up

Craigdillman
08-16-2015, 10:07 PM
Well pulled be trigger and ordered the jabao doser and I'm thinking I'm going to get some acrylic and make some dosing containers for ( calcium/alk/foz down/vinegar) got a few questions

Anyone have experience with working with acrylic any tips

Was gonna make a bracket to mount the doser , where should I have to doser compared to containers ( I have read some stuff about siphon if doser is above ) or should I just mount it above

Thanks alot( also I'll post some pics of the new fish all threw the qt process and now in the tank )

Craigdillman
08-18-2015, 06:15 PM
Any ideas or should I buy the bullet and buy the premade acrylic containers

jordsyke
08-18-2015, 06:26 PM
Hey craig they have bubble magus dosing containers at homes alive, dont htink they are too too much. also do you have red monti cap, i have some and would love to traid for some of your green

jordsyke
08-18-2015, 06:29 PM
I have the jebao doser, it is above my dosing containers, and they drip into my sump above my dosing containers, I have had to install airline check valves where it drips out to prevent it siphoning back into container on a few of the lines. But overal the doser is solid and well well worth the money (even though it is dirt cheap)

Craigdillman
08-19-2015, 09:28 PM
Ah ok that's a good idea for the check lines and yea I'm ordering dosing container as we speak now lol text me we can figure out the month trade I got a green frag resdy

Craigdillman
08-27-2015, 07:53 AM
Here is some can't sleep 1:45 am picture dump tank is looking epic finally got all my water phosphates and nitrates down to were they were,

honestly I just forgot to account for all the new fish and extra feeding and got busy and looking back now realized that I never changed my wc or dosing or gfo change but I added more fish and fed a lot more ... Anyhow things looking good for polyp extension back on all sps during the day again so things are looking up

Pics

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/1A30C480-099A-40E1-B8D5-46F0D25FDA9E_zpsdhcg1raw.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/1A30C480-099A-40E1-B8D5-46F0D25FDA9E_zpsdhcg1raw.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/95562B2A-B7DC-4988-9B9C-92D03A5BC4A7_zpsaaj1biry.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/95562B2A-B7DC-4988-9B9C-92D03A5BC4A7_zpsaaj1biry.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/3B2682D3-6F41-4AD8-90CF-90866A37E26B_zpsflgh6jqb.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/3B2682D3-6F41-4AD8-90CF-90866A37E26B_zpsflgh6jqb.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/2F118E1D-BF7E-49D5-8324-125A1CB64025_zpsk403jcmn.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/2F118E1D-BF7E-49D5-8324-125A1CB64025_zpsk403jcmn.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/C7A92F80-FCA0-4F54-B8D6-FE8A6DE3D2C5_zps1ggsbmrk.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/C7A92F80-FCA0-4F54-B8D6-FE8A6DE3D2C5_zps1ggsbmrk.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/7A8E0E0D-33DE-4080-9F8C-C7B23392CFCC_zpsolfh7oy1.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/7A8E0E0D-33DE-4080-9F8C-C7B23392CFCC_zpsolfh7oy1.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/30268E80-7B6E-4AED-B077-32342987B371_zps505ff4nj.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/30268E80-7B6E-4AED-B077-32342987B371_zps505ff4nj.jpg.html)

Copperband and my wrasse tag teamed the scallop and had a 39.99 snack after 3 days totally forgot the copper would eat it ...

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/7B4A5364-E09A-4AEF-9798-1B973F3676F2_zpsah4chpxt.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/7B4A5364-E09A-4AEF-9798-1B973F3676F2_zpsah4chpxt.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
08-27-2015, 07:54 AM
Most pics are right before the lights turn off hench the blue haze

Craigdillman
11-30-2015, 03:19 AM
Update and advise time,

Heyya well we are back from our 30 day holiday with my wife backpacking and diving through Indonesia (Dive Video and pictures to follow some pic stuff!)

Left our tank with a friend who lived in our house and took care of the dog and looked after the tank (filling the ATO and feeding frozen and nori) , also had my reefer brother stop by once a week to double check ( empty skimmer, filter socks..) as the friend isn't a reefer at all ..

Well despite what all COULD have gone wrong I'm pretty thankful that what I'm reporting is more annoyances than chaos


1) One of my bubble tips decided to move and sit on the monti in the middle of the tank and stung it to death ( bro found it end of last week said it was to late to try to move it ..o well nothing to be done there

2) Lost my copper band butterfly, 4 days into the trip ? (didn't tell us till we retuned :cry: good house keeper i guess making us not worry ) not sure why maybe didn't feed as often or as much as me, really weird, That Hit home my favourite fish and i QT him a week long than all the other in that batch to double triple check he was eating good and he was so healthy and ate like a pig no idea why

3) During the last week got a patch of cyano over the right side of the rock structure which it totally random, covered 4 of my sps frags and by the time i got home they where all dead , That sucks had some cool ones there kinda mad about that

Anyway Nothing broke, overflowed, got stuck on, jumped out, or plugged.
Doser ran out of vinegar/foz down in the last week and got unplugged not refilled too hard to explain that over crappy indonesian wifi lol

Did a 35 gallon WC within first couple days back

Tank doesn't look to bad actually some of the sps doesn't look as extended but colors are good LPS looks great, Bubble tips thriving (stupid stingers)

Today tested the Water today ....Barf.. here goes

P04 -74 hanna - 0.21 bad was 0.05 prior to leaving
Nitrates - Red like 50ppm probably closer to 60 gross
Alk- 7.5 dkH
Calcium- 400ppm
Mag- 900 really low
Salinity 1.026 perfect still
Temp 81


So my plan of attack now that the cyano is spreading ( probably loving all the nutrients and lack of carbon dosing as it suddenly stopped )

Plan was to use chemi-clean for the cyano go threw that process than run carbon and do a 50% water change I'm making 75ish gallons of water going to start heating it tomorrow

From there I can slowly start to dose the vinegar again and work on correcting the mag and P04

What you guys think?

Also wondering about dosing vodka and vinegar ? Any advantage to doing both or one or the other ?


Thanks ill post some pictures ( and I'm working on the dive video as we speak )

Cheers

kien
11-30-2015, 04:49 AM
That's usually my plan of attack for cyano :-)

Aquattro
11-30-2015, 04:55 AM
That's usually my plan of attack for cyano :-)

Yup!

Craigdillman
11-30-2015, 01:42 PM
Ok sweet, yea wanted to double check cause I've never had it since I started carbon dosing, only had it once at the beginning of the tank like 4 months in, didn't know if that changed anything

Craigdillman
11-30-2015, 11:06 PM
Chemiclean in 15 caps @ 5pm skimmer on overflow mode carbon out , got 75g of water ready for WC in 48 hours

got some before pics

Crossing fingers ...

Craigdillman
12-07-2015, 08:37 PM
Alright got around to do some before and after pictures post Cyano Chemi-clean tank starting to look good again, slowly working back getting parameters back in line, lowing p04 and nitrate slow and rising mag first then getting Alk and calcium back ( which weren't as out of wack as the others )

Been busy trying to edit go pro dive footage

Pre Chemi

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7639_zpsbvv1caxq.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7639_zpsbvv1caxq.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7640_zpslc8hrvm4.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7640_zpslc8hrvm4.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7641_zpscktvj5yi.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7641_zpscktvj5yi.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7645_zps6kunpv0m.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7645_zps6kunpv0m.jpg.html)

Dead Monti ( thanks moving bubble tip)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7644_zps3oxb7ih8.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7644_zps3oxb7ih8.jpg.html)

Post Chemi-clean and 45% Water change/GAC and starting starting carbon dosing and for down again


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7658_zpsvkp56ibp.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7658_zpsvkp56ibp.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7659_zpsuu5pjixb.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7659_zpsuu5pjixb.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7660_zpsjnhpp3dd.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7660_zpsjnhpp3dd.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7689_zpszaw7jbww.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7689_zpszaw7jbww.jpg.html)
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7686_zpsxztiwk3a.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7686_zpsxztiwk3a.jpg.html)



And on a totally unrelated note ( didn't want to post this incase it didn't work out but before my trip i dropped my tune scraper on my orange plate and split into 3 pieces figured it was a goner and after the trip it seems to be doing awesome still and puffy and eating and maybe ii can grow 3 plates from this all 3 pieces have mouths it looks like so maybe i got super lucky )
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7691_zpsp35oqi84.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7691_zpsp35oqi84.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
01-01-2016, 07:45 PM
Well i think i found the culprit of the holiday nutrient issues found an empty container of flakes that was over half full in the stand, now either the tank sitter fed this whole amount over the 30 day holiday ( god i hope not) or it accidentally dumped in ( and was to embarrassed to say ) it kind of explains all the issues and how only after 30 days seemed the tank now has nutrient issues Nitrate and P04 that was never a problem before leaving

So still working on getting stuff to pre holiday condition ,(funny last year took a 28 day trip and after 1 WC tank was sparkling like new )

So 2 days ago did a 70gallon water change , poor fish hardly had any water to swim in, and I'm planning on doing another 40 ish one tomorrow that should bring everything into manageable levels

Im still dosing vinegar I think 125ml per day and also doing Foz Down too


Is there a benefit to dosing vodka over vinegar ? Or just keep the course ? Does my dose of 125ml for around 150g water seem ok ? low ? high? Should i just keep upping it ?:cry:

For down and the WC are working good for the P04 its just the nitrates I'm worried about and I'm sure thats why the sps doesn't look as good ( ill get some Water tests done today see where I'm at post 50% WC

Thanks

Craigdillman
01-02-2016, 06:37 PM
Water tests today

Phos- 0.09
Nitrate- 25ppm

Both those have came down a lot so things in the right direction i guess

Cal- 320ppm
alk-9.8
mag 1280ppm

So just going to do the 40g water change and dose some calcium and mag to get those back to where i need them

Hoping things will start to look better and some of the sps comes back to life

Craigdillman
01-13-2016, 02:59 PM
Ugh still battling higher Nitrates than i would like they are around 25 ish maybe 20 i dont know how other do it? The tank does look a lot better then a month ago but I'm not sure what else i can keep doing ?

How many ML can i keep increasing my vinegar up too its like at 130ml / day, Skimmer is working great the p04 is now lowwering at 0.05 which is fine for me but the nitrates is still hovering around 20-25 range ? Any other ideas?

Would adding vodka help ? or swapping to that instead of vinegar? should i increase vinegar faster?

Thanks

The Codfather
01-13-2016, 05:52 PM
Would adding vodka help ?
Thanks

Adding vodka to you? Yes
Adding vodka to tank? Maybe

Craigdillman
01-13-2016, 05:54 PM
yea I'm just not sure how people ever get there nitrates to zero , like i dont feed a ton just over a cube worth of home made mixed frozen that was rinsed , and some nori, skimmer works good i do min 20% WC every 2 weeks (lately been doing big ones)


Naso tang
kole tang
2 clowns
2 cleaner wrasses
yellow Wrasse
christmas wrasse
goby
flame angel
mandarin

in a 125g

TimT
01-13-2016, 07:37 PM
Hi Craig,

The original carbon method was adding Vodka, Sugar and Vinegar mixture. All 3 are carbon sources and feed slightly different types of bacteria. When overdosed one causes snotty type strings from rocks etc, another causes hazy type films and another clouds the water.

I presently use Vodka/white vinegar mix with Foz Down. Don't add the Foz Down to the Vodka/Vinegar mix. The Vodka is stronger than the vinegar so less is needed. There is no problem combining Vodka and Vinegar at the same time. The way I maintain my acro grow out system is by using Vodka/Vinegar to control Nitrate and Foz Down to control Phosphate.

You don't want to have zero Phosphate and zero Nitrate in your system. The symbiotic algae that the corals use for a large portion of their energy, needs some Phosphate and some Nitrate. As long as the Phosphate is < 0.03 and Nitrate is < 7 I do not worry about it.

What is the concentration of Vinegar your using? ie % Acetic Acid. Sounds like your using a lot for that bio load. Are you measuring it with a syringe or going by a dosing pump?

If you decide to add Vodka to the vinegar don't add more than 2ml Vodka/day to start with. With the Vodka Vinegar method you are growing bacteria so you need to build it slowly over a several month period. You can safely increase the dosage by 25% per week until you see the nitrate begin to drop. Then keep it at that level until nitrate is down to where you want it, then reduce dosage until nitrate stays steady.

Looking at your water tests from the 2nd I would say that hardy acros like millipora etc would not have a problem with the Phosphate and Nitrate levels. They would have lots of problems from the Calcium at 320. It needs to be around 430. The key to a successful reef tank is stability in all parameters and maintenance.

Thanks for using Foz Down!!

Cheers,
Tim

Craigdillman
01-13-2016, 11:17 PM
yea the calcium is now stable at 425 ish level and I'm dosing both foz down and the vinegar from a dosing pump , P04 has came down nicely just i feel the nitrates are still higher

Craigdillman
02-23-2016, 09:00 PM
Well update time, tank is looking million times better now that i got all those big WC done and got my parameters back in order finally seeing growth tips on all the sps again and the lps looking super healthy


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7911_zpscynzjeim.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7911_zpscynzjeim.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7903_zps6hm2uzlt.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7903_zps6hm2uzlt.jpg.html)


http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7914_zpspqpkxxup.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7914_zpspqpkxxup.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7903_zps6hm2uzlt.jpg[/URL[URL=http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7904_zpsngvhbufw.jpg.html]http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7904_zpsngvhbufw.jpg[/URL[URL=http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7907_zpsoo4y8z4t.jpg.html]http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7907_zpsoo4y8z4t.jpg[/URL[URL=http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7910_zpswt60bedg.jpg.html]http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_7910_zpswt60bedg.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_7903_zps6hm2uzlt.jpg.html)

SeaHorse_Fanatic
02-23-2016, 11:54 PM
Happy to see things are doing so well for you with your tank.

Craigdillman
02-24-2016, 03:39 AM
Thanks coming along good almost ready for more frags

Craigdillman
09-26-2016, 06:05 PM
Update time .. well I got my new lights all installed some hitches with the new app that controls them but I'm really liking them my coral colours have never looked better mostly cause the old lights were starting to get some burnt out leds and the speed wasn't as good as these .

Working on the final touches of my water change system super hyped about that will make WC a breeze and ill do them more often this summer was bad at one point didn't do one for 2 months ... Few of my sps still recovering from our trip last November others have never looked better , Im thinking of doing a big aquascape change on the right side of my tank not sure yet

And I broke down an bought a Apex to replace my Reef keeper got it all programmed up but I'm going to wait to mount it and put it in till we come back from holidays ( heading to Nicaragua for 24 days woo)


Heres the awaited photo dump

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9009_zpsujqm5shi.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9009_zpsujqm5shi.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9010_zpsuwrtou3i.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9010_zpsuwrtou3i.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9013_zps57itgjra.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9013_zps57itgjra.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9002_zpsvtwl9xey.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9002_zpsvtwl9xey.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9019_zpsuq5dj63e.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9019_zpsuq5dj63e.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9020_zpsivjhuhh2.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9020_zpsivjhuhh2.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9011_zpso7csoomk.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9011_zpso7csoomk.jpg.html)


Cant forget the clowns still spawning every month

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_9014_zpsacxf7jnn.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_9014_zpsacxf7jnn.jpg.html)

Craigdillman
12-02-2016, 07:44 PM
Hey guys got back form holidays ( tank never does good for 28 days away but anyway) I'm thinking of redoing my aquascape on the entire right side while i was away i got a mushroom invasion and its taking over some of my sps and some of my other sps is really shading my sand,

soo Question

If i took the rock out and scraped ( wire brush) the red mushrooms off would that be enough? or should i swap it for rock thats in my sump?

If i add more dead live rock for the new aquascape on the right side should i cook it and acid wash it and stuff or cause i have established tank i should be ok? ( dont want to get algae problems cause my tank is pretty good atm)

Anyone ever torn down one side of their tank and rebuilt it? have any ideas/tips

Craigdillman
12-03-2016, 05:52 PM
Did a pre aquascape 45% WC gonna do the scape this week if i can

Craigdillman
05-25-2017, 06:20 PM
Hey guys we are moving to a new house and renting out our old house here come July so planning the big move / new tank wondering some advice on getting a new tank or just moving this one , how much of a hassle and stress is the corals and everything if I move the tank or is it worth buying a new tank and getting it up and running before I move everything and sell the one I have

Also how much ball park would a new tank 120-125g be from concepts so I could start saving 1500? 2000$ 1000$

Craigdillman
06-19-2017, 11:20 PM
Hey guys looking from some advise from the "vets" that have moved a reef

In a month going to be moving the 125 into a new house originally I was going to buy a new tank and do it that way but after measuring and everything I was basically gonna buy the same sized tank so figured i would make this one work and put the money i allotted into new equipment

We are renting out this house we are in so no real rush but I'm still stressing lol
Im gonna get an intern 75 to house everything

SO? What worked well ? What didn't ? Im currently cooking about 100 pounds of dead rock after acid/bleach washing I don't want bring over any of the red mushrooms that grew insanely

Any help or advise would be awesome , did you have the fish and coral all in one tank?


Edit Heres a recent pic too what goods a post without a pic right?

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/youngmedic1/IMG_0321_zpsisrdpitz.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/youngmedic1/media/IMG_0321_zpsisrdpitz.jpg.html)