Guilty
DarkSky's 220g Build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter DarkSky
- Start date
DarkSky, I'm looking at a linear actuator as well for my light fixture. I saw you drawing, did you ever install it? If so how well does it work? if not why did you abandon the idea?
OP
OP
It worked. I just removed it after the last fixture took a bath. The cable snapped at the housing and I didn't want to worry about it again.
What light are you using for your chaeto?
OP
OP
OP
OP
Haven't updated in awhile, suppose its about time I do that.
So for almost the last year, I've been having a very slow die off of SPS that I couldn't figure out the source of. Every month or so, I'd lose a coral or two, and this continued until I found a swollen magnet in my tank. Hard to say for sure if that was 100% of the cause, but I've changed out over 100% of my water in a couple weeks and things seem to have stabilized.
I lost almost all my SPS in that time, I still have a couple wild caught acros (go figure) and a TGC Cherry Bomb. You wouldn't be able to tell it was a cherry bomb by the current coloring, but it was nice when I got it and while it was encrusting.
Torches and fish are just fine, so whatever heavy metal was in the magnet affected just SPS.
I do an ICP test every 6 months, right when I noticed my alk uptake flatlined it was time for an ICP test so I sent one off. It showed lower trace elements, but certain heavy metals were high. I suspected a rusty magnet right away and checked all my pumps, powerheads and magnets but didn't find any.
Flash forward until last month, I finally found a rusty and bulging impeller from one of my gyres. I usually take them completely apart every 6 months or so to clean the impeller enclosure, but must have missed doing the far one on the back wall of my tank. Twice.
Luckily I caught it this time because - I started a check list for maintenance tasks. Much easier to keep track of what you've done and still need to do, especially for someone as scatterbrained as I am.
So that's where I'm at now. Since I am essentially starting over, I've decided to change up a few things. I've been slowly taking the sand out of my tank and going back to a bare bottom setup. I like the look and ease of maintenance more than the sand, and have always found it easier to keep SPS in such a set up.
I also bought a roller mat filter today and will be incorporating that once I get it. I currently have a huge external dual pump deltec recirculating skimmer, so I'm considering downsizing to something much smaller and internal so I can reclaim some space in my fish room as I won't need something so large if I'm running a roller mat, I believe. So if any one is looking for a very effective skimmer for a large volume of water, ping me.
It sucks starting over, especially with how long and methodical I was collecting SPS. Most of my sticks I would limit myself to buying one or two at a time from fellow club members or places I'd visit, I brought back frags from Florida, Texas, Arizona, KC and a few other places. But half the fun is picking them out, so I'm looking forward to starting that journey again, however my wife might disagree about that from the wallet perspective.
So for almost the last year, I've been having a very slow die off of SPS that I couldn't figure out the source of. Every month or so, I'd lose a coral or two, and this continued until I found a swollen magnet in my tank. Hard to say for sure if that was 100% of the cause, but I've changed out over 100% of my water in a couple weeks and things seem to have stabilized.
I lost almost all my SPS in that time, I still have a couple wild caught acros (go figure) and a TGC Cherry Bomb. You wouldn't be able to tell it was a cherry bomb by the current coloring, but it was nice when I got it and while it was encrusting.
Torches and fish are just fine, so whatever heavy metal was in the magnet affected just SPS.
I do an ICP test every 6 months, right when I noticed my alk uptake flatlined it was time for an ICP test so I sent one off. It showed lower trace elements, but certain heavy metals were high. I suspected a rusty magnet right away and checked all my pumps, powerheads and magnets but didn't find any.
Flash forward until last month, I finally found a rusty and bulging impeller from one of my gyres. I usually take them completely apart every 6 months or so to clean the impeller enclosure, but must have missed doing the far one on the back wall of my tank. Twice.
Luckily I caught it this time because - I started a check list for maintenance tasks. Much easier to keep track of what you've done and still need to do, especially for someone as scatterbrained as I am.
So that's where I'm at now. Since I am essentially starting over, I've decided to change up a few things. I've been slowly taking the sand out of my tank and going back to a bare bottom setup. I like the look and ease of maintenance more than the sand, and have always found it easier to keep SPS in such a set up.
I also bought a roller mat filter today and will be incorporating that once I get it. I currently have a huge external dual pump deltec recirculating skimmer, so I'm considering downsizing to something much smaller and internal so I can reclaim some space in my fish room as I won't need something so large if I'm running a roller mat, I believe. So if any one is looking for a very effective skimmer for a large volume of water, ping me.
It sucks starting over, especially with how long and methodical I was collecting SPS. Most of my sticks I would limit myself to buying one or two at a time from fellow club members or places I'd visit, I brought back frags from Florida, Texas, Arizona, KC and a few other places. But half the fun is picking them out, so I'm looking forward to starting that journey again, however my wife might disagree about that from the wallet perspective.
jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Chicago road trip?!?!But half the fun is picking them out, so I'm looking forward to starting that journey again, however my wife might disagree about that from the wallet perspective.
OP
OP
Chicago road trip?!?!
How many frags can we get in the mustang?
This is why I always thought it would be nice to have a frag tank. I like to collect as well. Funner when they don't die on you though.Chicago road trip?!?!
jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
OP
OP
Tank update time!
Semi-annual ICP test sent off. Since I got the rusted magnet out, I've done six 25% water changes using the DOS auto water change. We'll see where my levels are at once the ICP test comes back. Theoretically everything should have been reduced by 76% (25% changes over 6 independent rolls = 0.7629394531, unless my math is wrong).
The three SPS I have in my tank appear to be on an upward swing. My TGC Cherry Bomb got its blues on the encrusting edges back, and shades of pink near the corallites, and the polyps are red and extended. The three oregon torts I picked up from @Gary seem to be doing well, polyps are out and they're turning a bit greener in my higher nitrate water (currently 15ppm No3, 0.07 PO4).
I completely cleared out my sump and scrubbed it down, removing most of the detritus and other crud. I pulled out all of my chaeto and had planned to replace it with a filter roller, but the one that arrived yesterday was the wrong size and not what I ordered, so I'm going through the return and replace processes with them.
Once I get the filter roller I plan to continue sucking out the remaining sand in my tank. I've been slowly pulling sand out, and have probably pulled 1/4 of the sand in my tank. I'm going back to bare bottom, its easier and I've always had more luck with tanks using that method.
Lastly, I've been pulling some rock out of my tank. I never really liked my aquascape, so I've been ordering some marco's reef saver rock from BRS to go with a negative space aquascape. I'll be moving some/most of my current rock to the sump so I hopefully don't cause a huge cycle as I start adding new rock to the tank. It'll probably take a month or two once I start to complete the move, but hopefully it'll get more flow through the SPS in the tank, create additional hiding and swimming spaces for the fish, and create something visually appealing.
Semi-annual ICP test sent off. Since I got the rusted magnet out, I've done six 25% water changes using the DOS auto water change. We'll see where my levels are at once the ICP test comes back. Theoretically everything should have been reduced by 76% (25% changes over 6 independent rolls = 0.7629394531, unless my math is wrong).
The three SPS I have in my tank appear to be on an upward swing. My TGC Cherry Bomb got its blues on the encrusting edges back, and shades of pink near the corallites, and the polyps are red and extended. The three oregon torts I picked up from @Gary seem to be doing well, polyps are out and they're turning a bit greener in my higher nitrate water (currently 15ppm No3, 0.07 PO4).
I completely cleared out my sump and scrubbed it down, removing most of the detritus and other crud. I pulled out all of my chaeto and had planned to replace it with a filter roller, but the one that arrived yesterday was the wrong size and not what I ordered, so I'm going through the return and replace processes with them.
Once I get the filter roller I plan to continue sucking out the remaining sand in my tank. I've been slowly pulling sand out, and have probably pulled 1/4 of the sand in my tank. I'm going back to bare bottom, its easier and I've always had more luck with tanks using that method.
Lastly, I've been pulling some rock out of my tank. I never really liked my aquascape, so I've been ordering some marco's reef saver rock from BRS to go with a negative space aquascape. I'll be moving some/most of my current rock to the sump so I hopefully don't cause a huge cycle as I start adding new rock to the tank. It'll probably take a month or two once I start to complete the move, but hopefully it'll get more flow through the SPS in the tank, create additional hiding and swimming spaces for the fish, and create something visually appealing.
Glad the Oregon's are doing well. My nitrates were at 0 a lot even with dosing. Any pics of the Mustang would be appreciated. That car is amazing! Especially the projected pony image on the ground next to the car. I've never seen anything like that.
OP
OP
Its a fun one. The convertible is great, but I think I'd rather have a hard top. The lines are too sexy.
