NEW Tank Build !!!

[Aqua-Digital]

Fish stock for new tank update.

well we had a few losses sadly, always happens with new import stock. Only one was a suspect loss the others explainable

I nearly lost my large watchman Goby, I have no clue how he managed this. He went missing did not appear for morning or afternoon snack, looked everywhere even checked under sofa for cardboard fish syndrome! Nothing. I was cleaning out my filter sock and there he was, stressed to hell, but what gets me is how on earth did he get through the overflow comb that is less than half his head width! I can only assume he jumped for the moon and amazingly landed in the overflow box! Then swift exit into the sump 11' below! So now he is back in the tank, cant say he is happy.

we lost our royal gramma within 4 hours, stuck to the Tunze pump, either got too close or simply pegged it from new import shock.

The Leopard wrasse was next, he swam from day one with a bend so the writing was on the wall there.

Then the saddest was the loss from being beaten to a pulp by my yellow tang. I had a real nice striped sail fin, all our tangs shoaled from day one no aggression, then came down one morning to find (named by my wife) Samantha giving the poor little guy 10 rounds of the tank side glass. Could not remove him and that was that

So Samantha is in the dog house, the sail fin is in the bin and I learnt that sail fins and yellow tangs are not the best of friends!

No more fish for a while, we have a healthy stock, will add some missing links in a few weeks once the corals have settled in, just hardy LPS and some hardy SPS for now, baby steps.

[Aqua-Digital]

well the losses became a bit more of a problem so we have set up a full QT which everything fish related goes through.

The system will be an invert/coral system for the next month or so while we build a good healthy fish stock in QT.

We have a few corals coming down from Colby at Bayside on Thursday, and looking forward to acclimatizing them while the fish go through 6 week QT cycle.

All initial fish will be QT'd at once and further additions for the same period

[Aqua-Digital]

Big switch out this week!

Decided to dump the dry rock and go with some very well cured bali left over that Reef Aquatica has, this was a way too good find not to take up. So I am having 70LB delivered on Tuesday.

I believe dry rock has its uses in this hobby, but its insane cure rates and various reports of leeching are not really what i want in my system, I have seen some strange happenings that in 20 years of using Live rock i have never had before.

I know there will be many here that will come out and say that DR is the best and the way to go, but personally for me, it is not for me, so moving on and going back to old school tactics.

On a plus side the fish are doing really well, the QT system is great, my stock are looking healthy and feeding on New Era Aegis food due to its medical properties.

3 weeks today i can introduce the fish to the system providing the parameters have stabilized with the new rock.

If anyone wants some Bali please let me know, it came in 3 years ago and is sitting in dark vats and pest free.

"Bali Kuta PREMIUM LR is very porous and light and have alot of room for bacteria to colonize, it is almost 50% lighter than the typical Fiji Live Rock used in reef tank.

On top of that Reef Aquatica's price is HALF the price of what is being offered in some national retail chains, making it much more attractive price for setting up that dream tank of yours.

All pieces are hand picked for light weight & shapes; most are medium to large sizes and have some really nice flat pieces for bridges and table top. This whole batch of live rock is CURED and also APTASIA-FREE, we actually employed an army of peppermint shrimp to ensure that there is no aptasia in these rocks, so you can have that piece of mind."

http://www.reefaquatica.com/store/pr...roducts_id=415



My Naso in QT - taken before the daily bottom clean!

[Aqua-Digital]

So for my next trick

1 x



+

1 x



Automated shut off of return line to tank when return pump is stopped or in the event of failure, thus stopping sump from raising too high, this also allows for accurate auto water changes.

Only thing missing is the availability of the metric fittings required for the flow sensor, you cant buy them in the USA or Canada So when i go to the UK I will pick myself up a set.

[Aqua-Digital]

So today I changed from Marco rock to well cured Bali rock! I did not think I would see immediate results. I might add I also did a 50% water change and used IO reef crystals.

Well since setting thank up, my new flow pot would not come out, I thought it was toast, however within 3 hours off doing the switch out check this out! Also sharing my elegance which is stunning

[Proteus]

I to am using Marco rock with new build. Though its been in water for two months. (Give or take). I was unsure about how coral would react. I decided to add current rock to sump to help

Thanks for sharing this it helped me decide to do such

[Aqua-Digital]

I think with that amount of curing it would be good. Maybe seed the rock with some live for a month also.

I read many people acid washing it also, and other reporting suspect leeching, but nobody can confirm anything, so best to be safe and for sure vat cure it in my oppinion.

[Proteus]

I did add LR to it and sponge that sat in sump for last year.

I asked about acid wash and in the end I think all it does is disolve your rock. As for leach I'm not worried as its been wet for a while


Great build BTW

[Aqua-Digital]

Thanks.

Yes I could never understand the acid washing all you are doing is dissolving it, I had visions of peoples rock doing an impression of a Alka Seltzer tablet before their eyes

As for rumours of leeching, yep I think a good cooking period can put pay to any risks of that.

Mine is now in a vat and will be sold off cheap in 6 weeks.

[Aqua-Digital]

Quick photo update under Mitras @ 14k around 40%