Revised 155 RR BF Reef Tank Thread

[Awibrandy]

Couldn't find "Boyd's ChemiClean".
But did learn of "Lanthanum Chloride" which I began dosing 5ml to a gallon of RO/DI dripping a drop per minute into one of the drain sock.
P04 was at 0.11 when I began Saturday evening. I stopped it on Wednesday because the P04 was down to 0.03, and I did not want to take it down any further.

I started it back up today since I got readings of 0.02 - 0.20 - 0.00 - 0.05 which drove me a bit crazy.
Whish there was an easier P04 test on the market. I am currently using the "Hanna Checker", and yes the regents are good. Just got a new box last month...

Corals & inverts are all doing well! Corals that were dipped last in the "Bayer Homepesticide" 10ml. to a cup of tank water followed by three rinse are still a bit pale, but they are alive.

Almost forgot: Siphoned out just about all of the cyano. Unfortunately I cannot reach directly behind the rocks.a:letitallo

 

[Awibrandy]

Update:

I did end up using the "ChemiClean". Worked great, no problems!! One dose is all it took.
Did a 20% water change 48hrs later. It will make your skimmer go nuts, but I use this to my advantage. I do not turn off my skimmer, but I do remove the collection cup, place a bowl over the top of the skimmer so that I don't end up with salt creep all over the place. This provides a crazy amount of oxidation. No cyano since.

I am still having an issue with some gha (green hair algae) that is proving to be quite stubborn. Water changes, gfo, gac, lanthanum chloride, very little feedings, quite a few crabs & snails, and I am still having this issue which I haven't had in years. Only thing I can figure is all the deaths starting with dear old "Super Storm Sandy" as caused a tremendous amount of P04.

The other issue was with some Jumbo Hermit Crabs I got in the GB a few months back. I ordered "Large Hermit Crabs" because I didn't want tiny ones, instead I got these jumbo things. They are suppose to be "reef safe", which they are as they don't eat corals, but the sure as he!! will eat fish.:screama: Those beast killed, and ate two of my favorite wrasse which were in the 20 gallon waiting to go in to the 155 May 30.:supermad: Needless to say they now reside in the sump.........................

 

[Awibrandy]

A few pix

Left side

Center

Right side

 

[Jarrett]

looks great!!

 

[Awibrandy]

looks great!!

Thank you Jarrett!! Getting there.

 

[SteveZ15]

I dont trust the hanna checkers,they will sometimes give you different readings in same sample.I test same sample 2x and avg them.We have a similar meter at work for chlorine we have 3 bottles one with 0 .05 1.0 you test them and if it reads those numbers the machine is correct,I was trying to find the same thing for phos but no luck yet.I might try elos test I heard they arent that bad.

 

[tomtoothdoc]

looking good awi. looks like you have been busy stocking up frags everywhere.

 

[fishman1069]

Looks great! I'm glad to see you bouncing back

 

[Awibrandy]

I dont trust the hanna checkers,they will sometimes give you different readings in same sample.I test same sample 2x and avg them.We have a similar meter at work for chlorine we have 3 bottles one with 0 .05 1.0 you test them and if it reads those numbers the machine is correct,I was trying to find the same thing for phos but no luck yet.I might try elos test I heard they arent that bad.

I don't either! I normally run 3 out of the same body of water, and then average it out. Last test I only did two cause both results were exactly the same.

looking good awi. looks like you have been busy stocking up frags everywhere.

Thank you Tom! Sure have; I even did a mail order.lol Never thought I'd take that route. But Dr. Mac has lovely little frags for every affordable prices.
Got to say, Pacific East Aquacultures do a heck of a job with their packing, and customer support. Everything arrived in perfect condition.

Looks great! I'm glad to see you bouncing back

Thank you Pat! Still working hard on it. Currently battling GHA that is driving me nuts.. I hadn't seen any kinda of algae in my DT since 2007. It isn't much, but the slight little tufts are being quite stubborn.

Any ideas folks?

 

[jackson6745]

The tank is looking very clean! Keep it up

 

[fishman1069]

Do you have any turbo snails? I have 1 in my 20. Any time i put a frag in, that has a little gha on it, the turbo goes to town right away. They are great for those little tufts of gha

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank you Rich!

Thanks Pat, I actually have a few Bumble Bee, Blue legs, Red legs, Grey w/white stripe, hermit crabs, a Halloween hermit, 2 or 3 Electric Blue hermit crabs, a few Star snails, Nassirius snails tiny & regular size, some turbos which are all part of the 155's CUC, and with 4 giant hermits in the sump. Also have 1 serpent, 1 brittle, 1 frombia sea starfish, and 2 cleaner, 1 scarlet shrimp.
Feeding the corals lightly.
Just tested the P04 twice 1st. test results was 0.00, 2nd. test results was 0.02. By all accounts there shouldn't be any algae. Go figure. We'll see what happens when the tangs go in.

 

[Awibrandy]

Reef is doing quite nice!

Tomorrow completes 8 weeks of running fallow! Two more, and the fish will be so happy! But not as happy as I will.

 

[ohana888]

IMO - i would go 2 more just for better measure. something to be said about patience & treating your tank correctly. =)

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks

Not doing 12 weeks. Doing 10 weeks, I believe that is plenty long.

 

[ohana888]

Thanks

Not doing 12 weeks. Doing 10 weeks, I believe that is plenty long.

sorry - i meant 10. missed the "two more"...my eyes are going crazy...:bigeyes:

 

[Vic8361]

Awilda the tank is looking great.
Good to know your still in there.
I still don't have a tank but I am getting the itch again.
Say Hi to your husband for me.
Vic

 

[Awibrandy]

Awilda the tank is looking great.
Good to know your still in there.
I still don't have a tank but I am getting the itch again.
Say Hi to your husband for me.
Vic

Vic, how are you? How is Florida treating you, and your family? We miss you, and your tank.... Please do setup a tank.
Thank you for the kind words!
Yup, I'm still in it.LOL I don't think I can be in my home without a tank. When I get to old to care for one, I will have to fit "Tank Maintenance" in to our budget.:teeth:

 

[Awibrandy]

Fish are going in the DT today!!!!!!! Thank God, 20 gallon QT has been a super pain in the neck. Constant cloudiness that has driven me up the walls. 50% ro/di water changes, and a cap of Prime, and still cloudy. But all that will now be in the past!!!!!!!!!:meow:

 

[Awibrandy]

Update:
So after 10 weeks of running the DT fallow, and 7 weeks of the QT hypo I began the process of raising the salinity in the QT to that of the DT. At week 10 the fish were put into the DT.
I ended up not waiting the 12 weeks because I was having problems with the QT. At around week 7 the QT apparently kept going through a bacterial bloom therefore staying cloudy although I kept doing 50% water changes, and reduced feedings.
Sadly the PBT developed some sort of bumps all over it's body which I could not identify. They were not ich, they were bumps under the skin. It died sometime last night...

I am so so tired of this. Still battling the f'en GHA! The only saving grace is that the corals seem to be doing ok. If not I would be making a FW out of my tank.