ScubaSteve's new Tank Build - The Coral Cube Redux

[ScubaSteve]

So by tank upgrade I apparently meant "start from from scratch, including livestock". I've done transfers and rebuilds in the past; this was the smoothest and yet things are really not happy (though getting better). I think I ended up having a far bigger cycle than expected for some reason and that took out a lot.

Params:
pH: 7.8 (at night. Won't go up no matter what I do... could be do to acids from cycling)
Alk: 9 dKH
Calc: 440 ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm (Test kit old and I don't trust it)
Nitrate: 10 ppm
Temp: 79-80F

Just did a 20% water change because I found my pistol shrimp dead in the sump and didn't want another cycle (and nitrates were at 10 ppm).

So far the losses over the past 2 weeks are:
All my blue millies
Blue tenuis
6" Flower petal monti
Pistol shrimp (just found him in pieces in the sump. WTF?)

My bonsai is receding a bit on one area. My tabling acro (sp?) was receding at the base but stopped. Rainbow montis receding a bit. Big green milli has no polyp extension. Sent the expensive frags to a friend's tank for safety. Really happy on that call.

Sigh... F***.

Zoas are doing well though... so you know, that's good.

Tank looks gorgeous. I'll post pictures up once things settle down (if they settle down).