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jlanger's Reef Build: Episode II - The 120gal Strikes Back (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jlanger
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- 120 gallon coral fish reef tank build
Finally got around to reading all this
. Sorry to hear about all the issues and very happy things have turned around
Thanks for sharing all the ups and downs.
. Sorry to hear about all the issues and very happy things have turned aroundThanks for sharing all the ups and downs.
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Long overdue update.
It's been a very busy year thus far so my I haven't done much with my system over the last four months. Having said that, there's some good news and some bad news.
First, the bad news...
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs. I discovered these little pricks about a month ago.
Short term solution: They've been found on frags that I can physically remove from the system, so I check every night (or so) and pluck them off the frags. I don't find new nudis each night, but they're still in the system but their numbers seem to be dwindling compared to the first week.
Long term solution: Depending on the success (or lack thereof) of my physical removal, I may add a juvenile Halichoeres sp. wrasse to help eradicate the nudis.
Aiptasia. They've been around for a while.
Short term solution: If these pests are on my substrate, it's very easy to pluck them out and toss them in the garbage. If they're on the rocks, that's a different battle. I've tried a handful of chemical "remedies" that just aren't working as well as advertised.
Long term solution: Undecided. I'm leaning towards adding some Berghia nudis to the system and let them have at it. My concern here is I'm unsure how the Harlequin Tuskfish feels about nudibranchs. I'm guessing that there will not be an issue so this is probably my course of action. I would prefer to add a fish to eat the aiptasia, but I'm concerned about my LPS corals; lobophyllia spp. and goniopora spp.
The good news...
Stability. I really haven't done much tinkering with my system for a good six months or longer. The algae scrubber is doing what it is intended to do. The calcium reactor hasn't been tweaked since about a month after it went online and my parameters have been very consistent. My corals are doing well (sans predation) and I haven't lost anything in a long time.
Goniopora. I know I'm on the record stating that this reef will be montipora dominant with some lobophyllia corals. Well... I am currently at eighteen Goniopora corals with another two Alveopora corals. This reef is very accommodating for gonis for some reason; they grow fast and they grow big. Last November, I picked up a handful of frags from Aquashella and RAP in Chicago along with a few more at our Fall Expo. I then grabbed another couple from a live sale including some very nice collector pieces; UC Cosmic Candy, UC Pixy Stix, UC Illumination and, finally, a ECC Burning Man! And then just this week, added four more pieces from Reef Collective. I'm seriously debating on what this reef would look like as just a Goniopora/Alveopora reef (with those Lobophyllia spp.). Oh, yeah. I also finally acquired a carpet lobo; I've been wanting one of those for a long time.
And there's the unfortunate news...
No new fish. Plans were in motion for me to order and pick up the remaining fish for my system; specifically the Genicanthus pair of angelfish. This was in early February before the Covid-19 virus took over. Since all of those plans have been put on hold, I am still waiting to add my showcase pair of angels and other fishes.
Here's some photos of a few of the new acquisitions.
The carpet lobophyllia.
The UC Cosmic Candy Goniopora; it's little but I like what I see so far.
And a couple photos of the ECC Burning Man Goniopora; front and center!
I ended up moving around some frags so the Goniopora Garden wasn't all that photogenic today. I'll take more photos in the next couple of days when they start to open up again. And I need to mount about eight more of the frags yet, so it's not completely done yet, but I'm liking the way it's turning out a lot.
I also need a FTS update.
It's been a very busy year thus far so my I haven't done much with my system over the last four months. Having said that, there's some good news and some bad news.
First, the bad news...
Montipora Eating Nudibranchs. I discovered these little pricks about a month ago.
Short term solution: They've been found on frags that I can physically remove from the system, so I check every night (or so) and pluck them off the frags. I don't find new nudis each night, but they're still in the system but their numbers seem to be dwindling compared to the first week.
Long term solution: Depending on the success (or lack thereof) of my physical removal, I may add a juvenile Halichoeres sp. wrasse to help eradicate the nudis.
Aiptasia. They've been around for a while.
Short term solution: If these pests are on my substrate, it's very easy to pluck them out and toss them in the garbage. If they're on the rocks, that's a different battle. I've tried a handful of chemical "remedies" that just aren't working as well as advertised.
Long term solution: Undecided. I'm leaning towards adding some Berghia nudis to the system and let them have at it. My concern here is I'm unsure how the Harlequin Tuskfish feels about nudibranchs. I'm guessing that there will not be an issue so this is probably my course of action. I would prefer to add a fish to eat the aiptasia, but I'm concerned about my LPS corals; lobophyllia spp. and goniopora spp.
The good news...
Stability. I really haven't done much tinkering with my system for a good six months or longer. The algae scrubber is doing what it is intended to do. The calcium reactor hasn't been tweaked since about a month after it went online and my parameters have been very consistent. My corals are doing well (sans predation) and I haven't lost anything in a long time.
Goniopora. I know I'm on the record stating that this reef will be montipora dominant with some lobophyllia corals. Well... I am currently at eighteen Goniopora corals with another two Alveopora corals. This reef is very accommodating for gonis for some reason; they grow fast and they grow big. Last November, I picked up a handful of frags from Aquashella and RAP in Chicago along with a few more at our Fall Expo. I then grabbed another couple from a live sale including some very nice collector pieces; UC Cosmic Candy, UC Pixy Stix, UC Illumination and, finally, a ECC Burning Man! And then just this week, added four more pieces from Reef Collective. I'm seriously debating on what this reef would look like as just a Goniopora/Alveopora reef (with those Lobophyllia spp.). Oh, yeah. I also finally acquired a carpet lobo; I've been wanting one of those for a long time.
And there's the unfortunate news...
No new fish. Plans were in motion for me to order and pick up the remaining fish for my system; specifically the Genicanthus pair of angelfish. This was in early February before the Covid-19 virus took over. Since all of those plans have been put on hold, I am still waiting to add my showcase pair of angels and other fishes.
Here's some photos of a few of the new acquisitions.
The carpet lobophyllia.
The UC Cosmic Candy Goniopora; it's little but I like what I see so far.
And a couple photos of the ECC Burning Man Goniopora; front and center!
I ended up moving around some frags so the Goniopora Garden wasn't all that photogenic today. I'll take more photos in the next couple of days when they start to open up again. And I need to mount about eight more of the frags yet, so it's not completely done yet, but I'm liking the way it's turning out a lot.
I also need a FTS update.
Whoa what an update! Sounds like you’re starting to win the battle with most of your issues which is good to hear. I’m fighting with aptasia myself. My filefish seems to be doing a decent job but also has taken a liking to my Duncan’s always a give and take with this hobby
always a give and take with this hobby
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OP
jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
I keep forgetting to include the two Duncan colonies in my list of LPS corals. I have them tucked on the side so the clownfish has a place to call home; it's about the only thing that fish does all day long.Whoa what an update! Sounds like you’re starting to win the battle with most of your issues which is good to hear. I’m fighting with aptasia myself. My filefish seems to be doing a decent job but also has taken a liking to my Duncan’s
I forgot that I took some photos of some of the older Lobophyllia corals as well...
And here's a video showing you the ebbs and flows of the Goniopora Garden...
(The HD video is better.)
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Time for an update... a mostly positive one at that.
To recount the issues that I expressed over a month ago, most of them have been addressed one way or another.
The montipora eating nudibranchs (MEN) have been "eliminated". I haven't seen any of them in weeks, there hasn't been any signs of predation and there's a curious little juvenile Melanurus Wrasse patrolling the reef now. The wrasse was included with the Copperband Butterflyfish that I received from LiveAquaria last month. Speaking of...
I still have the aiptasia issue. I decided to purchase a copperband to eat the anemones. That first specimen didn't make it four days in my system. I reached out to LiveAquaria about other possible butterflyfish, but Kevin thought that the copperband would be the best solution with my other LPS corals in the system. This second fish is doing much better. It hasn't found any frozen foods palatable yet so I've been adding fresh clams and oysters for it to pick at; which it loves! But the copperband has yet to even sample any aiptasia anemones. I'm hoping in time that it will find my other food options (frozen foods and aiptasia) agreeable. If the copperband doesn't eat the aiptasia, I may look into removing the tuskfish and adding peppermint shrimp to feast on the aiptasia.
My water parameters are still stable. (Ca: 436ppm, Alk: 8.7dKH, Mg: 1280ppm, K: 400ppm)
In addition to the calcium reactor, I have been dosing ESV Transition Elements (minor trace elements; iron), ESV Iodide (potassium) and AcroPower (amino acids). Iron and potassium are two elements that can get depleted quickly in my system. I was also dosing ESV Nitrate to supply my system with nitrates. My nutrient levels have been at/near 0ppm since my ATS unit has been running. I have shortened the photoperiod down to ten hours per day along with dosing the nitrates. My test results today have shown that there's been much improvement. (NO3: 12ppm, PO4: 0.02ppm). I plan to hold off on dosing the ESV Nitrate this week to see how my system reacts. I wouldn't mind seeing the nitrates coming down to 4-6ppm. The amount of algae that I harvest from my scrubber is still substantial with the lowered photoperiod, so I have plenty of options available to tweaking the nitrate levels.
And since I feel confident that the MEN are gone, I decided to mount the remaining frags onto the reef this weekend; two larger plates of montipora are still "homeless". I also mounted the latest goniopora and alveopora frags as well; the collection is up to 24 pieces!
FTS; June 21st, 2020.
The Copperband Butterflyfish.
The Melanurus Wrasse foraging in the Goniopora Garden; it's a little one.
To recount the issues that I expressed over a month ago, most of them have been addressed one way or another.
The montipora eating nudibranchs (MEN) have been "eliminated". I haven't seen any of them in weeks, there hasn't been any signs of predation and there's a curious little juvenile Melanurus Wrasse patrolling the reef now. The wrasse was included with the Copperband Butterflyfish that I received from LiveAquaria last month. Speaking of...
I still have the aiptasia issue. I decided to purchase a copperband to eat the anemones. That first specimen didn't make it four days in my system. I reached out to LiveAquaria about other possible butterflyfish, but Kevin thought that the copperband would be the best solution with my other LPS corals in the system. This second fish is doing much better. It hasn't found any frozen foods palatable yet so I've been adding fresh clams and oysters for it to pick at; which it loves! But the copperband has yet to even sample any aiptasia anemones. I'm hoping in time that it will find my other food options (frozen foods and aiptasia) agreeable. If the copperband doesn't eat the aiptasia, I may look into removing the tuskfish
and adding peppermint shrimp to feast on the aiptasia.My water parameters are still stable. (Ca: 436ppm, Alk: 8.7dKH, Mg: 1280ppm, K: 400ppm)
In addition to the calcium reactor, I have been dosing ESV Transition Elements (minor trace elements; iron), ESV Iodide (potassium) and AcroPower (amino acids). Iron and potassium are two elements that can get depleted quickly in my system. I was also dosing ESV Nitrate to supply my system with nitrates. My nutrient levels have been at/near 0ppm since my ATS unit has been running. I have shortened the photoperiod down to ten hours per day along with dosing the nitrates. My test results today have shown that there's been much improvement. (NO3: 12ppm, PO4: 0.02ppm). I plan to hold off on dosing the ESV Nitrate this week to see how my system reacts. I wouldn't mind seeing the nitrates coming down to 4-6ppm. The amount of algae that I harvest from my scrubber is still substantial with the lowered photoperiod, so I have plenty of options available to tweaking the nitrate levels.
And since I feel confident that the MEN are gone, I decided to mount the remaining frags onto the reef this weekend; two larger plates of montipora are still "homeless". I also mounted the latest goniopora and alveopora frags as well; the collection is up to 24 pieces!
FTS; June 21st, 2020.
The Copperband Butterflyfish.
The Melanurus Wrasse foraging in the Goniopora Garden; it's a little one.
Last edited:
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Feeling good, Louis!
Tanks hitting its stride, no doubt! Love the goni garden
Are you still liking the crushed coral substrate?
Are you still liking the crushed coral substrate?
Tank looks amazing, Jason! The Goni garden looks great and is filling in quite nicely.
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Thanks! I love my Goniopora; they'll will be the next big craze once the torches "burn out".Tanks hitting its stride, no doubt! Love the goni garden
Are you still liking the crushed coral substrate?
The ReBorn substrate is great. It's easy to clean. It keeps the tuskfish occupied. Removing/harvesting aiptasia is a breeze. One complaint that I have is when I'm cleaning it, the large pieces can move the Lobophyllia corals around. Each lobo is mounted to a 3" frag disk that sits on the bottom glass. So as I'm disturbing the substrate with the vacuum tubing, the substrate outside of the tubing bulldozes the lobo corals around a bit so then I need to social distance the corals back to their respective locations. It's not a huge gripe, but one that I find a little annoying.
Thanks! I've already moved a few around to give them more space to grow, but I'm excited to see all of them fill in the open spaces.
I forgot to ask, with the larger substrate have you provided a pot of finer substrate for the melanurus wrasse to bury itself in at night?
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Nope.
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
You know how all the coral shows have those orange tinted sunglasses to look at the frags?
I was never a fan, but...
This is what my Goniopora and Alveopora Gardens look like through those lenses about an hour before lights out.
I was never a fan, but...
This is what my Goniopora and Alveopora Gardens look like through those lenses about an hour before lights out.
I especially like this green/purple one. Does it have a name? Your pictures are inspiring me to try something new with my 60 cube! Thanks, the ole wallet is starting to hurt again....
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Sorry, I didn't get a name.
It seems just about most corals are hurting the wallet these days (due to names), so you need to pick your poison.
Tanks Looks great. Jason
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Update alert.
I just added five more gonipora frags and one montipora frag.
The goniopora count is up to twenty-five pieces. The alveopora are still at five pieces. And the montipora count is... I don't know, but there's now a small frag of Aquaman Montipora looking for a spot to be mounted.
That's a decent ratio for a montipora dominated reef, right?
I just added five more gonipora frags and one montipora frag.
The goniopora count is up to twenty-five pieces. The alveopora are still at five pieces. And the montipora count is... I don't know, but there's now a small frag of Aquaman Montipora looking for a spot to be mounted.
That's a decent ratio for a montipora dominated reef, right?
Your tank is officially turning into the embodiment of Covid hair
Going to look awesome! Frankly I had never seen most of the colors you have until now... was always told there's a red, green, and everything else that dies.
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jlanger
@thatfishcookieguy
Lifetime Member
Event Committee
Meeting Host 2020
Meeting Host 2021
Meeting Host 2022
Your tank is officially turning into the embodiment of Covid hair
Going to look awesome! Frankly I had never seen most of the colors you have until now... was always told there's a red, green, and everything else that dies.
There're so many more colors nowadays!Just wait until these new frags grow out a little bit as I found some that have deep purples, glittering golds and rainbow colored polyps!
I would say that when my tank was covered with lyngbya last year that would be more reminiscent of COVID hair.