OP
OP
Do you have a build thread that highlights how you went about putting together yours?
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Brent's 150 gallon build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bschowa
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Do you have a build thread that highlights how you went about putting together yours?
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i have a build thread but I didn't detail out my sump/fuge. It's a 40ish gallon tank. I made it "racetrack" style originally as it was going to be sitting a different way in my stand. Ended up keeping it and is working well.
20~ gallons, 3" sand bed, lots of rubble live rock, large clump of cheato, flame algae (Which hasn't done well for me), red grape, and palm (Caulerpa paspaloides).
I've added rotifiers and pods. Also have a mantis shrimp down there to keep me entertained at night.
Should be able to get you some clippings when you are ready let me know
Only a few months old so no problems with the DSB that I know of. As for sand getting in my return, I have been very careful when working down there to not stir it up. I'm if doing anything major I shut off the pump and let it settle.
I'm still trying to figure out how to get more "good stuff" transferred from the fuge to the display. It's a pod/little bugger circus down there but I'm just not convinced many make it up top.
I've seen people build what they call Pod-Condos. Make a bag shaped holder out of gutter guard or 1/4" mesh netting (like what is used for tank tops) and some zip ties. stuff it full of rock rubble and place it in your fuge. leave it there for awhile to become colonized with critters, then move the rubble bag to the display. You could make two of these and rotate them between your fuge and behind your rock work. Attaching some fishing line might make it easier to retrieve the bag from the display tank.
It's really more of a Pod-Taxi if you think about it
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It's really more of a Pod-Taxi if you think about it
Great idea! Sounds like a perfect little project. I was kind of already doing this. I occasionally take a rock or two from my fuge and shake it off in my display. This sounds like a much better idea
OP
OP
Well I picked up an open brain coral today that I'm pretty excited about so I figure I should post a picture of that.
I also got a small Rbta the other day that the girlfriend talked me into, I don't know if my tank is quite ready yet but it seems to be doing well so far a week and a half later
And of corse no post is complete without a FTS
I think that one of these days I need to have my friend come over and take some decent pictures for me with his camera and macro lens because my iPhone does not do the corals justice.
But for now I think I might go through tomorrow and document what the corals I currently own look like and what their names are that way I can not only see growth when I look back but I will have a database of what the corals are( I tend to be forgetful)
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I also got a small Rbta the other day that the girlfriend talked me into, I don't know if my tank is quite ready yet but it seems to be doing well so far a week and a half later
And of corse no post is complete without a FTS
I think that one of these days I need to have my friend come over and take some decent pictures for me with his camera and macro lens because my iPhone does not do the corals justice.
But for now I think I might go through tomorrow and document what the corals I currently own look like and what their names are that way I can not only see growth when I look back but I will have a database of what the corals are( I tend to be forgetful)
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OP
OP
Did some major work today, I added another filter sock on my overflow drain to trap all the larger particles that I was confused how the crap was getting in, hopefully this is the cure.
I then pulled everything out of my sump and gave it a good cleaning. It was collecting a large amount of cyano just in my refugium section. Added some sand and macro ( thanks mark it looks great) now that I've got macro algae in there and a rock with Gsp on it I'm hoping that my algae issues in my sump will be over with.
I also did a water change so today was a long one lol
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I then pulled everything out of my sump and gave it a good cleaning. It was collecting a large amount of cyano just in my refugium section. Added some sand and macro ( thanks mark it looks great) now that I've got macro algae in there and a rock with Gsp on it I'm hoping that my algae issues in my sump will be over with.
I also did a water change so today was a long one lol
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Looking good!
OP
OP
Thanks it has already started to help the algae
After scratching my head about the capabilities of my reef keeper elite w/net I am thinking about making the switch over to a Neptune system that I can easily control from my phone. I have tried to set up my reefkeeper to do this but I think one has to be a computer programmer to be able to figure it out.
I am hoping that this weekend at MAX digital aquatics is going to announce that all my problems have been solved, but I doubt that will happen.
Unfortunately I think I went the wrong way with my controller and should have spent the extra 100$ to just get the apex.
I might do a test run to see if anyone would be interested in my controller for 350$ as it has only been used for 4 months now I think( I'll have to look that up I still have the receipt)
Well regardless I'm kicking myself for rushing the decision.
In other news my RBTA did the disappearing act last night, couldn't find it anywhere looked for like an hour with a flashlight then did a quick glance this morning before work to make sure it wasn't in a powerhead then I get home from work and it's back in the same spot it was expanded out nice and big and bubbled up as big as I've ever seen it. Unfortunately my phone was dead at that point so I couldn't get any pictures
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I just picked up a Apex jr without the display. Got it off ebay for $100 new (reef hoarder that never used it haha). With the new fusion update its pretty cool. I've never used the reef keeper net but the apex was pretty straight forward setting up. Needed to Google a few things but got it figured out first try
OP
OP
Did a water change today and finnaly got around to testing my water. My salinity was way low 1.021 so I left some extra water (15 gallons) in my sump and turned my skimmer off so that it doesn't go crazy as water evaporates my salinity should rise safely correct?
Also my other concerning numbers were my calcium and alk
Calcium was 395 seems to be acceptable
But my alk is at 8.68 dkh which seems really low. My corals seem to be doing good in the fact that they open but I have had some for months now and they still have yet to encrust and I can't grow coralline algae at all.
Is the low alk related to this
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Also my other concerning numbers were my calcium and alk
Calcium was 395 seems to be acceptable
But my alk is at 8.68 dkh which seems really low. My corals seem to be doing good in the fact that they open but I have had some for months now and they still have yet to encrust and I can't grow coralline algae at all.
Is the low alk related to this
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Looking real good man. Love the rock work. What's your current fish list?
Your alk isn't "low". Mine is seldom above 7dkh. Could be that the tank needs time to settle in, could be something else. You may never know what changed and it takes off.
Looking good!
Looking good!
OP
OP
Fish list
Yellow tang
Sailfin tang
Flame angel
Hippo tang
Lawnmower blenny
Starry blenny
1 green chromis (trying to catch to get rid of)
3 purple firefish
Sixline wrasse
In my refugium I have a pair of clowns and a longspine urchin I am looking to get rid of but am afraid to touch lol
My salinity issues baffle me, I do weekly water changes and my salinity drops from 1.025 to 1.021 over that week. I have an auto top off set up that uses rodi water with zero tds
As I have been raising my salinity his week up to 1.023 over 5 days from 1.021 all my corals are doing good other than my open brain it has deflated drastically and seems to be developing holes in it that look like burn marks from a cigarette in a couch (I'll take a pic later) I'm hoping that it comes back around but if not I guess it will be learning the hard way to check salinity daily.
Regardless, what would possibly cause salinity to drop that far in one week. I am not noticing any drastic salt creep
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Yellow tang
Sailfin tang
Flame angel
Hippo tang
Lawnmower blenny
Starry blenny
1 green chromis (trying to catch to get rid of)
3 purple firefish
Sixline wrasse
In my refugium I have a pair of clowns and a longspine urchin I am looking to get rid of but am afraid to touch lol
My salinity issues baffle me, I do weekly water changes and my salinity drops from 1.025 to 1.021 over that week. I have an auto top off set up that uses rodi water with zero tds
As I have been raising my salinity his week up to 1.023 over 5 days from 1.021 all my corals are doing good other than my open brain it has deflated drastically and seems to be developing holes in it that look like burn marks from a cigarette in a couch (I'll take a pic later) I'm hoping that it comes back around but if not I guess it will be learning the hard way to check salinity daily.
Regardless, what would possibly cause salinity to drop that far in one week. I am not noticing any drastic salt creep
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What are you using to measure salinity? Hydrometer or refractometer? If a hydrometer, time to upgrade so you aren't getting false readings. Takes a decent amount of water to move salinity that much on a 150 gallon.
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