120 peninsula build

[fragit]

Tank is rebounding well and starting to look good again. Picked up some corals yesterday at my LFS. Also got a Random Flow Generator nozzle from @Vivid Creative Aquatics. It’s really cool, bigger than I thought but it does randomize the flow really well. The educator really increased the output velocity, so I’ve had to dial back the pump a bit. This was a good thing because I wanted to increase turn over in my refugium. No new fish yet but will be getting some soon! I also have this brown algae on and in the sand bed, it’s dark brown like dinos but dusty like diatoms not snotty at all and it comes and goes with the lights. All parameters have been very stable. I can’t seem to keep Tochus snails alive though. All Cerith and Nassarius snails are fine, my one Turbo is good too. All other inverts are good so no copper. I can’t figure it out, magnesium is not high either. That’s about it for now. I will get some FTSs later!

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[Fudsey]

Looking great ! !

What's with the netting?

 

[fragit]

Looking great ! !

What's with the netting?

Loose frag, I like to use it to keep loose softies on a rock until they attach. That netting is from a pound of potatoes, I’ve also used netting from oranges. Rinse in rodi water if you use them. Just place the coral where you want it wrap the netting tightly but with enough room to accommodate for expansion and secure with a rubber band.

 

[Vivid Creative Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Tank is rebounding well and starting to look good again. Picked up some corals yesterday at my LFS. Also got a Random Flow Generator nozzle from @Vivid Creative Aquatics. It’s really cool, bigger than I thought but it does randomize the flow really well. The educator really increased the output velocity, so I’ve had to dial back the pump a bit. This was a good thing because I wanted to increase turn over in my refugium. No new fish yet but will be getting some soon! I also have this brown algae on and in the sand bed, it’s dark brown like dinos but dusty like diatoms not snotty at all and it comes and goes with the lights. All parameters have been very stable. I can’t seem to keep Tochus snails alive though. All Cerith and Nassarius snails are fine, my one Turbo is good too. All other inverts are good so no copper. I can’t figure it out, magnesium is not high either. That’s about it for now. I will get some FTSs later!

Looking good! Glad you are liking the flow from the pair of RFG nozzles. Please be sure to post a pic of your tank in our RFG Show Off Thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/random-flow-generator-show-off-thread-show-us-your-tank.331758/

 

[fragit]

If it’s not one thing in this hobby it’s another! Got home from work today and the outlet attachment for my Sea Swirl had blown off. It did this once this weekend after attaching my new random flow nozzle from VCA. I think there is just enough back pressure to loosen it. I turned the return pump flow down just a little. Hopefully it won’t happen again. This wasn’t a big deal just some overflow noise and a bit of a sand storm. I reached in the tank to put it back on and the water felt cool. I had just got an order in from BRS part of which was a new heater. I use the Finnex titanium heaters without a built in controller. I built a diy inkbird temp controller when I first set up the tank which has been working flawlessly until today. Part of it burnt out not like fire burnt just the circuit board burnt out. It won’t turn on the heater outlet anymore and smells like burnt out circuit board. I can see the circuit that is toast. So I have two 800 watt heaters one brand new that I can’t use. Temp is down to 68! So luckily I have an old Ebo Jaeger hanging around it’s only 200 watts though for a 150 gallon system. I was going to use this as an excuse to buy a ReefKeeper Lite but all my usual online vendors are out of stock. So I ordered an inkbird prebuilt controller on Amazon that will be here Thursday. Ryan at BRS just gave these controllers a great review in a recent ULM video. They are cheap $35, but add on the $20 for expedited shipping to Maine not so cheap anymore. Anyway hopefully the Jaeger can do the job for a couple days.

 

[Fudsey]

I bought the Finnex controller a while back and it has worked flawlessly since. Been using it with a regular heater as I have not gotten a titanium one yet

 

[fragit]

I bought the Finnex controller a while back and it has worked flawlessly since. Been using it with a regular heater as I have not gotten a titanium one yet

Hooked the new controller up last night. Temp back up to 78! The one I had did not have an alarm like this one. I really like this feature. I think a ReefKeeper is in my future! Today is a tank day will post parameters and pics later.

 

[fragit]

Picked up a bunch of new corals on Friday from Cultivated Reef up here in Maine. I can’t say enough about them. Greg and his wife Holly allowed me to come to their home coral farm hang out for a couple hours and walk away with some awesome frags. They have a very nice selection is SPS, I was able to score some really nice softies and LPS for my tank. My tank is starting to look really good again, except for the dinos on the sand bed. The dinos are slowly starting to retreat though. Here’s a list of what I picked up, and photos in order.

Unnamed stereonepthia
Sunny Ds
Yellow Fiji toadstool
Palau Neon Sinularia
CRs Ironman Acan
Orange and a Rainbow Ricordia Yuma
War Coral Favia
Gorgonian
Koji Wada Pink Nepthea (was kind enough to sell me one of the three frags they have. BONUS!)
CRs Magic Mushroom

 

[Fudsey]

How far of a ride is it for you to them? I thought they are up in Bangor area?

Nice looking frags ! !

 

[fragit]

How far of a ride is it for you to them? I thought they are up in Bangor area?

Nice looking frags ! !

Thanks! It’s about an hour and a half from Freeport. They are in Orono actually next town over from Bangor.

 

[Fudsey]

Ya I thought they were up there. Long ride for me I have looked at their site a few times though

 

[fragit]

Picked up a Labukki Wrasse, and a Melenarus Wrasse today. They are currently in QT going through TTM. Also got a really nice Lobo. Will get some picks when everyone is adjusted and settled down.

 

[fragit]

For some reason the melanarus does not like the containers that I’ve been putting in the QT for him to bed in. Yesterday I thought he was dead because he was on his side wedged between the glass and the tupper wear full of sand. Picked up some different dimensioned containers today hopefully he likes this size better. Both fish are eating well and seem very well adjusted, can’t wait for the QT period to end!

 

[Fudsey]

You sure it's the container and not the sand?

 

[fragit]

You sure it's the container and not the sand?

Yes 100% the containers. Just did my first tank transfer and where was he? Sleeping in the sand in the new container. I use sugar grain sized sand in my QT tanks so my wrasses will be nice and comfy!

 

[Fudsey]

Well that's good to hear

 

[fragit]

Photo dump, can’t get a good pic of my new melanarus wrasse. He is a bit shy.

 

[fragit]

Tank is really starting to look good again. Most of my corals are doing great. LPS are not growing as much as I would like. I think it may be due to either nutrients being to elevated or chemical war fare from the softies and gorgonians. I need to get some better carbon than the crap the LFS sells. I’ve been keeping nutrients up to combat osteoporosis dinos. Nitrates 12-16, and Phosphates around 0.1. I may try getting nitrates down a bit see how that effects everything. I currently dose 16mLs on KNO3 daily, and 10mLs of phosphorus every other day. I’ve got 2 Banggai Cardinals and a Tailspot Blenny in QT being treated with CP. they will join the mix early next month. Here are some FTS.

 

[fragit]

 

[fragit]

Some coral shots