72x30x18 DIY build thread

[Nate Chalk]

Any updates

Yes we moved 2 months ago the tank is back up and running finally. My skimz skimmer I bought 7 months ago the controller went bad. I replaced the pump with a varios reef octo. I met with a local hobbiest and got some great frags I'll get some more pictures but here's some teasers. I ordered a lens for my phone to take better pictures in the future.

 

[Nate Chalk]

I think I lost build thread

 

[Nate Chalk]

Ordered lenses come Sunday. Pictures to follow. Updates coming soon!!

 

[Nate Chalk]

Torch crew

 

[Nate Chalk]

Brushed off alot of cyano and hair algae and detritus from moving to our new house. 1:30 away!! Really hopeful that with water changes, constant parameters and cleaning of live rock before so, that I can beat the cyano.

Most coral made it, some did not. Livestock made it ! 2 clowns, urchin, planning a list to add now that we're settled .

Pick up some corals from a local hobbiest. Torches , hammer, setosa, some digitata, and a Jason fox solar flare, nepthia.

 

[Nate Chalk]

It's in the garage... finally. Trying to figure out how to move all 375 pounds of acrylic from the garage into the house. Bulkheads arrived today, leveling mat and spears valve will be here Monday. I'm mentally mapping out my plumbing. I should have some updates to the build thread later this weekend.

Did you get your build underway??

 

[Nate Chalk]

Any updates

Updated. I lost build thread tag though I think.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Thinking about reposting as a build thread after I get membership. Probably gonna stay here and settle in with the reefers

 

[CMMorgan]

Did you get your build underway??

I did. Pics in my build thread.

 

[Nate Chalk]

So the tanks been up for roughly 2.5 months again, I got some frags from a local reefer. 3 torches which are doing well! I was a dumby and when moving the hammer accidently crushed one of the heads so im hoping the other pulls through.

I had gotten some SPS, but they did not survive the mini cycle and then cyano and current GHA, bryposis, nasty algae outbreak im dealing with currently.

Im manually removing algae and scrubbing rock daily. I've added GFO and Carbon to the sump.

UPDATED STOCKING LIST
Blue Tang (purchased yesterday)
Tomini Tang (purchased last week)
1 Onyx Clown (from previous set up)

CORAL
Indo torch (1.5 heads)
Purple Torch (1.5 heads)
Green Torch (4 heads)
1 Purple Hammer (1 Head)
Green Nepthea
Green Mushroom
Omega Zoa

I'll Have pictures tonight ~~~~ The Blue Tang plays dead on the rock if I try to take a picture promise its not dead~~~~ Silly.

If Anyone has Tips on getting rid of algae that I havent read already Id love advice!!

Current Params:
Phos: 0.08
Nitrate: Reading Zero
Calc/Alk/Salinity/Temp normal ranges
Lighting 12 hours 60% Intensity Kessils Blue morning, more white mid day, blue night
Flow 2x gyre + return

 

[Nate Chalk]

Uploading some pictures!

Daytime

As you can see the algae is coming in hot. Working diligently to remove as much as possible, while GFO corals and vibrant/microbacter 7, Tangs + sea hare do work

 

[Nate Chalk]

O ya i also started mangrove pods that have rooted, no leaves yet

 

[Nate Chalk]

Made a DIY frag rack for future corals, algae is mostly manually gone.

 

[Nate Chalk]

does anyone know how long it takes mangrove pods to sprout leaves? I got some maybe.... 3-4 weeks ago they have roots starting but no leaves yet

 

[Nate Chalk]

So the algae battle is still continuing. Ive been testing daily for the past week.

Phos has been 0.08 -0.15 (added GFO)
Nitrates 0.03
Calc 430's
Alk 8.5-9
Temp 80
Salinity 1.025-1.026

Lighting
It's going to be a bit before its all gone, but i did purchase a lux meter and put it in a waterproof ziploc to give a ballpark on par... I found my par to be 250-400 , with the bottom of the tank being around 125-150. So i moved the lights up another 4 inches from the water. The corals are recovering and starting to stretch back out. I lost the more sensitive SPS frags i had gotten, just really not trying to lose the Torches...

Flow
I also adjusted flow to increase to help with detritus, the gyres were on 40% now on 100% and the tank is responding well.


UPDATED STOCKING LIST
Blue Tang (purchased 2 weeks ago) the previous was sick and emaciated beyond saving , i tried everything. new tang is doing significantly well!
Tomini Tang
1 Onyx Clown

CORAL (waiting for tank to settle before more coral is added)
Indo torch (1.5 heads)
Purple Torch (1.5 heads)
Green Torch (4 heads)
Green Nepthea
Green Mushroom
Omega Zoa

Ill grab some pictures tonight

 

[Nate Chalk]

does anyone know how long it takes mangrove pods to sprout leaves? I got some maybe.... 3-4 weeks ago they have roots starting but no leaves yet

bump

 

[Nate Chalk]

Parameters looks good, torch corals are not looking great.

no large swings , I think my par was high for awhile and stunted them. Will probably take a couple months for them to recover?

didn’t test calcium tonight it’s always 430-450

 

[Nate Chalk]

Parameters looks good, torch corals are not looking great.

no large swings , I think my par was high for awhile and stunted them. Will probably take a couple months for them to recover?

didn’t test calcium tonight it’s always 430-450

Are my levels good enough to support coral, I’ve been having not great success with anything I put in the tank besides softies, torches aren’t looking great

 

[Nate Chalk]

Any thoughts?

 

[Nate Chalk]

At night the torches retract even more so than in day light.

never fully extended like in pics.

the green nepthea seems to be doing best along with the omega zoas