Ash's 400 Gallon Reef

[Ashish Patel]

I haven't been on ecosmart live for a long time and took a screenshot of the MP40 schedule. I probably adjusted it weekly for 1 year and kind of swear by my schedule. Id probably keep it more simple moving forward and maybe just focus on Nurtient transport, Reefcreast, antisync and reducing flow considerable at night.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Blows my mind that my 2 MP40s have been running every day for 5 years, changing all these flow modes and setting throughout the day and never had a issue with their software not working.

 

[Ashish Patel]

After all my planning and time spend trying to make sure Ich doesn't get in my system, it got in the system. Spots showed 2 days ago on the achilles. Now I am losing my mind trying to figure out if I can remove every fish and go fallow but that is not really possible unless I setup multiple tanks and have a 200 gallon vat to house them after the 30 days QT is up while i wait for the 76days fallow period in the display. I would have to drain the tank to 4" to catch thte fish, where would i put this h2o? Should drain the tank and let the rock dry out and maybe that would allow me to not wait 76 days.


I dont know right now I am just feeding as much algae sheets as they want.
I moved the UV filter (last night) to the display, before it was just circulating from return pump back into return pump chamber (not doing anything valuable).

All fish are healthy and eating and normal. I do blame myself - my mistake was I lost patient towards the end to try to avoid aggression by adding the tangs at once, I didn't run the hippo and orange for a full 30 days (instead 3 weeks), I feel the orange shoulder is the culprit but who knows, it could have been he powder achilles (both i bought QT, or the small farm raise clownfish (which i doubt). Either way this is the first time I am QT and I am just not that good at this part of the hobby yet. I think i would kill them faster trying to QT them again so will keep you posted. The achilles is growing since I got him, health wise they are good but I want to remove some zebrasomas, they are nutty.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Adding UV here is helpful

 

[Ashish Patel]

Here's the fish

 

[GBRsouth]

If the spots are ich, you have time to set up your qt plan. Plan for it now before you have more fish. It will be easier before you get more.

Don't beat yourself up over not getting qt right the first time. You will get better at it as you go.

 

[Ashish Patel]

If the spots are ich, you have time to set up your qt plan. Plan for it now before you have more fish. It will be easier before you get more.

Don't beat yourself up over not getting qt right the first time. You will get better at it as you go.

Thanks. I don't have any inverts or corals in the tank and seeing if there is another in tank treatment. Maybe hyposalinity but need to so more research

 

[Ashish Patel]

None of my fish swim in this section. Back left with amazing hiding places. They won't Even go there if I put the algae clip.
I feel they may think it's dangerous or something since the Rock inside the arch may look like a large mouth

Any ideas?

 

[Ashish Patel]

I just put my hand near the area they go to and they go close then left lol

 

[Ashish Patel]

Here's the algae growth. Me taking pics had gotten them closer to the area

 

[CoralDanimal]

Thanks. I don't have any inverts or corals in the tank and seeing if there is another in tank treatment. Maybe hyposalinity but need to so more research

I'd recommend reading @mehaffydr's recent successful experience with hyposalinity: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mehaffys-1100-gallon-plywood-display-in-north-alabama.761744/

In case it's helpful, I had ich about 18 months ago in my 120g and like you, I was so upset. I was disciplined with QT for every fish before I added the last fish that was supposed to be guaranteed QT'd, but it gave my tangs and rabbitfish ich. I set up a big QT tank, tore apart the tank to get the fish out, and treat them with therapeutic levels of copper, but the fish started to go downhill quickly. I didn't know what to do and even though they had ich, they seemed so much happier in the display so I put all the fish back in the display, plumbed my UV into the display (like you), and then fed like hell. I fed nori and all different types of frozen that was soaked in selcon, vita-chem, and a bit of spirulina powder and they all pulled through. I had to really dial up my water changes to keep the phosphates/nitrates under control with all the feeding, but it was worth it. They just naturally fought it off.

Good luck and stay determined!

 

[mehaffydr]

I would definitely recommend going Hypo. I would read Jays info in the fish disease section and the most important thing is an accurate way to measure Salinity. Make sure that you calibrate what you use to measure as I did not at first and there was no damage done but it did set me back a week. Depending on tank size it can be slow going getting the salinity down. Make sure you go slow raising salinity.
During my Hypo treatment my fish never seamed to even notice they kept eating like pigs and today are looking great.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I'd recommend reading @mehaffydr's recent successful experience with hyposalinity: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mehaffys-1100-gallon-plywood-display-in-north-alabama.761744/

In case it's helpful, I had ich about 18 months ago in my 120g and like you, I was so upset. I was disciplined with QT for every fish before I added the last fish that was supposed to be guaranteed QT'd, but it gave my tangs and rabbitfish ich. I set up a big QT tank, tore apart the tank to get the fish out, and treat them with therapeutic levels of copper, but the fish started to go downhill quickly. I didn't know what to do and even though they had ich, they seemed so much happier in the display so I put all the fish back in the display, plumbed my UV into the display (like you), and then fed like hell. I fed nori and all different types of frozen that was soaked in selcon, vita-chem, and a bit of spirulina powder and they all pulled through. I had to really dial up my water changes to keep the phosphates/nitrates under control with all the feeding, but it was worth it. They just naturally fought it off.

Good luck and stay determined!

Thanks for the words of encouragement and highlighing Mehaffy experience. looks like you had the same exact experience as me. The more research i do the more i realize that unless someone QT snails and corals for 76days, that at some point your tank will get ich, it just shows more in certain fish like the ones i have, otherwise i probably would be thinking my tank is ich free right now. Ive been overfeeding but not sure how long i can keep it up, these fish are pigs and the most waterchange i will do is a 25% every 2 months, I have actual water volume of 500 gallons. I am going to beef up the nutrient export soon, large 15"X15" foam pad tray and a large DIY algae scrubbr,

 

[Ashish Patel]

I would definitely recommend going Hypo. I would read Jays info in the fish disease section and the most important thing is an accurate way to measure Salinity. Make sure that you calibrate what you use to measure as I did not at first and there was no damage done but it did set me back a week. Depending on tank size it can be slow going getting the salinity down. Make sure you go slow raising salinity.
During my Hypo treatment my fish never seamed to even notice they kept eating like pigs and todayarelooking great.

Thanks, i been talking to Jay on a thread i created yesterday. I read his write up twice, its excellent. I may take this lesson as a chance to QT all inverts and corals, i just dont see how 76 days is practical for corals. I will not use frag plugs of SPS but LPS and zoas will be tough, maybe i will just QT LPS and softies for 10 weeks since I dont add fish later on, its one and done for me so why not start and finish clean. I calibrate my refractomer every time i use it, which is not often and always find i have to adjust it so always find its a must. I can def tell if its under 1.009 so will use that for now. I change all my RODI filter todays, even the membrane and making water. I will remove 30 gallons today and see what reading i get and take my time. I am not in a rush and want to do it right.

How long did you take to bring you salinity down?

 

[Ashish Patel]

B4 i start draining warer i tested my nutrients. Yikes, i am always used to dosing nitrates but this is insane:

Nitrates. 50-75ppm
Phosphates: 0.55ppm

Not worried about it since I am only running a skimmer. Once I have my massive scrubber and if needed fuge I should be able to stabilize.

 

[mehaffydr]

Thanks, i been talking to Jay on a thread i created yesterday. I read his write up twice, its excellent. I may take this lesson as a chance to QT all inverts and corals, i just dont see how 76 days is practical for corals. I will not use frag plugs of SPS but LPS and zoas will be tough, maybe i will just QT LPS and softies for 10 weeks since I dont add fish later on, its one and done for me so why not start and finish clean. I calibrate my refractomer every time i use it, which is not often and always find i have to adjust it so always find its a must. I can def tell if its under 1.009 so will use that for now. I change all my RODI filter todays, even the membrane and making water. I will remove 30 gallons today and see what reading i get and take my time. I am not in a rush and want to do it right.

How long did you take to bring you salinity down?

I don't remember fore sure but it was a couple of weeks I started lowering but only had a 150GPD RODI so after I realized that just wasn't going to work I purchased a 200GPD RODI so once I got up to running both units producing 300+GPD it went fast. I also had about 1300 gallons to work on lowering.
I am really glad I did the HYPO and now I have 4 QT tanks so I can QT fish, Inverts and corals. I currently have a couple of fish in one Gulf Live Rock in one and the corals from my tank in another. I have the Corals on a 76 day fallow so it will still be a few weeks before they can go back in the tank. The Gulf rock is also on a 76 day fallow and it will go in the DT in a couple of weeks.

 

[mehaffydr]

B4 i start draining warer i tested my nutrients. Yikes, i am always used to dosing nitrates but this is insane:

Nitrates. 50-75ppm
Phosphates: 0.55ppm

Not worried about it since I am only running a skimmer. Once I have my massive scrubber and if needed fuge I should be able to stabilize.

With the water changes required to lower salinity you should be able to drive down those nutrients.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I don't remember fore sure but it was a couple of weeks I started lowering but only had a 150GPD RODI so after I realized that just wasn't going to work I purchased a 200GPD RODI so once I got up to running both units producing 300+GPD it went fast. I also had about 1300 gallons to work on lowering.
I am really glad I did the HYPO and now I have 4 QT tanks so I can QT fish, Inverts and corals. I currently have a couple of fish in one Gulf Live Rock in one and the corals from my tank in another. I have the Corals on a 76 day fallow so it will still be a few weeks before they can go back in the tank. The Gulf rock is also on a 76 day fallow and it will go in the DT in a couple of weeks.

Nice, I read you post, Before I even go to here i was struggling to make RODI with my 150 GPD even with a booster pump i was only getting 30GPD. My city psi is 30. Yeah insane.
I came across a 400 GPD membrane/housing for $70 and now I can easily get 150-200 gallons per day. I changed all the filters before this went down which is great to be able to make RO water fast!

 

[Ashish Patel]

With the water changes required to lower salinity you should be able to drive down those nutrients.

My PO where high before adding fish or turning on the skimmer, like .35+PPM.. Since I am barebottom only source of those nutrients is my dry rock and liverock, tons of sponge die off. I imagine once that settles it should stablize but i want to avoid any GFO (if possible), I have a 240 gallon sump so can add a large fuge. If all this doesnt work then i will think about removing some fish to keep it balanced. I dont want a situation where my protein skimmer being off for one day causes issues - which is the situation right now!

 

[mehaffydr]

I also had really high Phosphate and was able to get it moving down but having my fuge light on 20 hours a day. I had used some old dry rock I had and it must have been full of PO4