Back in again. 75g sps build thread

[DesertReefT4r]

The refugium does little to remove nitrates; I suspect something else is the cause for that (test error or the kit lacking accuracy to measure below 10ppm) especially since the phosphates showed little change. Setup is looking really nice though; you've left plenty of room for the corals to grow out (something most of us forget to do).

Thanks for stopping in. Believe me I am aware of the lack of accuracy with the API kits. The plan is to get Hanna checkers and Salifert or Red Sea to fill the gaps in what Hanna offers. Chaeto has seemed to be very effective in reducing both No3 and Po4 in the reef tank. I have seen the results on my personal tanks and otherw report simliar results. I know po4 is less than the API's .25 and that no3 is not true 0 but likely under 5ppm. No3 has stayed at 10ppm until this week I saw it drop. No other changes with the exception of having a dense growth of chaeto in the fuge in about 2 weeks time since adding the chaeto. I dont really have anything else in the system that would be consuming the no3, maybe bacteria deep in the rock. I dont have a lot of rock and most of it is not very dense. No water changes have been done since the first one a few weeks ago, I see no reason to need a water change.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Thanks for stopping in. Believe me I am aware of the lack of accuracy with the API kits. The plan is to get Hanna checkers and Salifert or Red Sea to fill the gaps in what Hanna offers. Chaeto has seemed to be very effective in reducing both No3 and Po4 in the reef tank. I have seen the results on my personal tanks and otherw report simliar results. I know po4 is less than the API's .25 and that no3 is not true 0 but likely under 5ppm. No3 has stayed at 10ppm until this week I saw it drop. No other changes with the exception of having a dense growth of chaeto in the fuge in about 2 weeks time since adding the chaeto. I dont really have anything else in the system that would be consuming the no3, maybe bacteria deep in the rock. I dont have a lot of rock and most of it is not very dense. No water changes have been done since the first one a few weeks ago, I see no reason to need a water change.

Awsome, keep them pictures coming. Thanks for sharing

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Some more new additions to the reef. 2 more green chromis to go with the 2 already in there. 2 ocellaris clowns, just regular ones but had some very cool markinging and 1 is almost naked, captive breed awesomeness. Hope they will pair up. Lastly an acan or micromussa. LFS had some really nice neon orange zoas as well that I will be adding in the coming weeks. I almost got a $10 birdsnest frag to test if sps will do well yet but I held off. 1 because I dont really want plain birdsnest and 2 I told myself to wait to add sps. I harvested the chaeto from the fuge today too. It was full and had no room to grow. Found several pods and other tiny pods swimming around the bucket after rinsing the chaeto. They all went back in, half in the sump and half in the display. The Reef Stew I put it did its job well and the tank is blooming with micro fauna. More pics to come.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Is this my clowns fighting or pairing up? Just started this morning.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Water test day.
Alk 9 dkh
Cal 390 ppm
Ph 8.05
SG 34/1.025
Temp 77.5
Both corals are doing well. I fed the micromussa some mysis and it ate like a champ. The clowns are still hetiing getting along and all chromis' are great. I have pronounced my Talbot damsil deceased, have not seem any signs of it. Sucks I liked it, cool colors. Hopefully I will find another. Sixline is good and not being too mean to the other fish, but then theres the missing Talbot. Cleaner shrimp too is doing well and has molted 3 times since I got it and getting bigger also not as shy as it was. I will get some pics up later when the lights come on.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Pics as promised, edited for contrast only. Last one is my view from my front room couch.

 

[NeedMoreReef]

Great looking tank. keep up the good work. I have a Marineland 75g set up around a year. Keep up the good work!

 

[Raege]

Looking good

 

[Reef of Fillory]

Is this my clowns fighting or pairing up? Just started this morning.

This looks like a fight for dominance, hopefully they are not both female already. Keep an eye on their scales and fins. Typically one would "bully" the other until it submits, a lot of the time this means that the smaller [male] of the two would turn on it's side and sometimes shake very quickly.

They are pretty close to each other in size, but as long as they don't injure each other too badly you should be able to ride it out. My first pair of clowns did the same thing, and then in a matter of months the dominant clown grew substantially larger.

good luck, and nice tank!

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Yeah I moved the larger one with the stripes to the sump for now. It had some sores on the mouth from fighting with the other clown. I will most likely sell it or trade it and get another clown in the next month or so that is smaller to help ensure a pairing. Dont want anyonento die if it can be prevented. The clown in the sump learnednro tomstay clear of the skimmer pump intake last night, got sucked in while chasing food. Thought it was a goner bit I quickly put the skimmer in feed mode, looked back down ready to pieces of dead fish in the skimmer and there it was back in the sump as if nothing happened. Lucky little fish. EDIT, clown fish got killed by skimmer over night.
I am very impressed on how the tank is doing so far. Still no algae, knock on wood. Hope that keeps up. No3 is not detected on my API kit, all fish are doing well and water is crystal clear still. Sponges, mini feather dusters and coraline are showing up all over.
I finally have may water flow dialed in I think. Very random, strong, surges with a small wave and all without moving the sand around finally. My 2 corals are doing well, zoas are esay as we know but they have stayed alive and look good. Micromussa is looking great. Very happy so far.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Woke up this morning and sadly the clown in the sump fell victim to the skimmer pump. I feel really bad and wish I would have left it in the tank.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sad news

 

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

Yeah I moved the larger one with the stripes to the sump for now. It had some sores on the mouth from fighting with the other clown. I will most likely sell it or trade it and get another clown in the next month or so that is smaller to help ensure a pairing.

No you should leave him in there. They will pair and one will submit. This takes time some times, but not uncommon.

Edit: oops I just read the rest.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Water change and water test day! Its time for the monthly water change, I have 20g mixed at 1.025 ready to go just waiting for the temp to come down a little. I used to do smaller weekly or bi weekly water changes on my past tanks. These days I am trying to do less and just keep things stable. Part of that is fewer water changes. I will post my water test results up later once I do them and since its water change day I will be testing before and after the water change. No changes to report all the fish are doing well, zoas and micromusa look happy. I feel like the tank is coral ready now and I to try some tester sps.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Ok water test results as promised.
Temp 77.6
Ph 8.06
SG 35 ppt/ 1.026
Alk 9 dkh
Cal 400 PM
No3 0 ppm, undetectable on API
Po4 >.25 ppm, API
Everything is doing great. All the fish are happy, active, and eat like pigs. My 2 corals are fully opening and looking great. The live rock is really starting to look good, started out all white with no visible coraline, sponges or critters. Now coraline is popping up on the rock, sponges are growing everywhere especially pineapple sponges my sump is full of little baby ones, mini feather dusters and spirobids growing on the rock and glass and mini brittle starts are showing up in the rock, pod population is taking off. I just started to see green film algae on the glass showing up this week, so far no other algae issues in the display, the rock is staying spotless. I could not be happier with the way the tank is progressing so far. I finally am happy with the power head placement and flow in the display. I had great flow but the sand was being blown around a bit. Relocated the power heads and played with the setting and now the sand does not get blown around and the flow is great, random and strong with a little wave surge action going on. I also dialed in the wave surge sunita not making noise in the overflow anymore. Once work picks back up I will be getting another clown fish pair with the one I have and some other fish as well, add a few more snails and a few hermits to the cuc and start adding more corals. The tank feels ready for sps! What do you guys think should be the first sps in this reef? Let me know but no basic birds nests, ponape will be the only BN is this tank.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Weekly water test yesturday, same as last weeks. Tank is staying very stable so far. Found some red flatworms in the fuge but none in the display. The sixline wrasse would take careof any in the display. I will be treating with Flatworm Exit soon. Updated FTS

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Had all the flow off in the tank so I took some top down shots.

Dont worry the sps will start going in soon. I think the tank is ready, what do you think?

 

[NY_Caveman]

Had all the flow off in the tank so I took some top down shots.

Dont worry the sps will start going in soon. I think the tank is ready, what do you think?

I think it is looking good!

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I think it is looking good!

Thanks! I am really happy with this setup so far. I keep waiting for algae uglies to kick in but it has not happened yet, it keeps looking so clean. Now that I am thinking about it Im scared, its going too good...

 

[marvelousone]

Nice build. I have a 75 with the same stand. I am going to copy with you did with the sump. Very clean looking