Dluce510: My "Ok I might have a problem" SPS 120 Thread

[DLuce510]

After being a member for several years thats included contributing and helping Ive failed to get my tank thread up and going.
Im going to be doing this piecemeal for the time being and sharing more details as we go along but if I don't do this now IT WILL NEVER COME!
This is my 120 sps dominate mixed reef and we'll just start here. The system has been set up since October 2014. Its had some glory days and some tradgic falls but happy to report its been cruising lately. Im happy to answer and questions and share any experience I have.

 

[DLuce510]

Lighting:

Ive experimented with 3 different types of lighting on thus system. When it was first set up I was using 3 AI Hydras. I never really seemed to be successful with LED's alone. Heres a shot of a funky set up I made out of PVC to hold the LED's and move them around from November 2015:

In December of 2015 I started to experiment with 4 supplemental T5 on dimmable ballast hooked up to my Apex. I have a whole thread and video on how I did it here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-dimming-t5-fixture.226925/
This was honestly the hay day of my system. Cant say it was 100% the lights but it was a period of great growth and vibrance.

In October of 2016 I decided to build my own 8 bulb T5 fixture. Im a bit of a DIYer and have trouble paying for somthing I can fabricate and I have a construction/ fabrication background so its actually fun for me. The fixture is a $100 grow light from a hydroponics store in my area that i modified, re-wired and installed new ballast. After it was all said and done I was probably $300 in maybe more after all the bulbs.
I have 4 non dimmable ballast controlling 2 bulbs a piece. 4 plugs then run to a EB4 which I use to ramp lights up and down.

Ive been super happy with the 8 bulb but have day dreamed about taking out one bulb and drilling holes to put the hydras on top but for now its great.

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Beautiful colours!!
How many fish do you have? And which kind?

-Paola

 

[DLuce510]

Bulb Configuration

Front to back:
1) Blue+
2) Purple+
3) Blue+
4) Blue+
5) Blue+
6) Purple+
7) Blue+
8) Blue +

Each ballast is wired to control bulbs on opposing sides for example:
Bulbs 1&8 Ballast #1
Bulbs 2&7 Ballast #2
Bulbs 3&6 Ballast #3
Bulbs 4&5 and exhaust fans Ballast #4

This combo was recomended to me from Jess at Diablo Corals in Concord CA. Its actually not too blue, the purple adds just the right white to it.

Schedule:
Bulbs 4&5 8am-10pm
Bulbs 1&8 8:30am-9pm
Bulbs 2&7 9:30am-7pm
Bulbs 3&6 10am-6pm

I have a Apex PAR meter and at 24", where it sits, away from the light it reads 213 PAR, and closer to 400 at the top of the aquascape, which seems more than adequate for my acros.

 

[DLuce510]

Beautiful colours!!
How many fish do you have? And which kind?

-Paola

Thank you for the kind words.

Fish
We are currently restocking after losing a good amount after a crash and a move, (more on that later). We currently have:
4 Purple Queen Anthias
5 Lyre Tail Anthias
3 Green Chromis
3 Okinawa Goby's
2 Platinum Clowns
1 Magnificent Fox Face
1 Manderine Goby (that survived the crash and the move!)
1 Green Filefish

We're waiting to stock the Tangs for now till we have all Anthias. Next on the list is 5 Parvo Anthias, a Sunburst Anthia, Borbonius Anthia, Possum Wrasse, and a Mystery Wrasse. Pictures of fish soon to come.

I believe thats all for now but much more to come!

 

[DLuce510]

 

[DLuce510]

History & Progess
Highlights & Down Falls

As stated in the original post, the system has been running since October 2014. Most of the system was transferred from a 55 gallon running for a couple years previously. The seam on the front panel was starting to seperate and it was time for a change.

Old 55

120 Oct. 2014

When the system was first setup I was using a dosing pump with red sea additives. I had always loved the idea of a display refugium and decided to make the switch to Triton.

Display Fuge Set Up
& After Triton

Dec 2014

March 2015

Then Just Insane

The price of Dosing was getting quite expensive as my system progressed and decided to go with a calcium reactor. After a year of set up my system started to hit its stride and really take off. There was a time when I couldnt put somthing in my system and it wouldnt take over!

Dec 2014

Dec 2015

Feb. 2016
The Hay day

April 2016

May 2016

June 2016

System Peaks in August 2016

Oct. 2016

Then in October 2016 a devastating CRASH...

View attachment 228.jpg

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Thank you for the kind words.

Fish
We are currently restocking after losing a good amount after a crash and a move, (more on that later). We currently have:
4 Purple Queen Anthias
5 Lyre Tail Anthias
3 Green Chromis
3 Okinawa Goby's
2 Platinum Clowns
1 Magnificent Fox Face
1 Manderine Goby (that survived the crash and the move!)
1 Green Filefish

We're waiting to stock the Tangs for now till we have all Anthias. Next on the list is 5 Parvo Anthias, a Sunburst Anthia, Borbonius Anthia, Possum Wrasse, and a Mystery Wrasse. Pictures of fish soon to come.

I believe thats all for now but much more to come!

Wow! You have a really reef in the house! I think that Anthias are very elegant....let's wait for the other fish pictures!!

-Paola

 

[DLuce510]

The Big Crash...

One Thing I can say with assurance is this hobby is equally as gratifying as it is frustrating. October 2016 Im sitting in awe of my tank and start to notice some STN at the base of a few Acros. Parameters seem fine so I change some flow patterns and it continues. To make matters worse Im working 7-12's on night shift, so I begun to loose touch with my system. Ive found face to face time is so important for the health of my reef, it typically is the first line of defense along with testing.
My reef withers away in a fraction of the time it took to build it.

Went from This

To This

I was able to save some of my Colonies, some got trimmed back, but of course its the most expensive things that I lost, including fish.

Honestly I was so depressed about the situation I took a little hiatus from R2R. I have profound respect for those who document their crashes, I just didnt have the heart to do it. With most of my encrusted colonies gone I took out some rocks a tried a new scape but my wife and I where looking to buy a home so I didnt try that hard to do anything with the system really.

The cause for the crash is still not 100% known. I believe it was likely a power head I put in my frag tank because it caused some of the same symptoms in my wifes tank but at the tume we couldnt put our finger on it. Also Triton test showed very elevated amounts of Aluminum. Also I replaced some rusty hinges in my canopy. I hate to say it but in the end I believe complacency got the best of me. The night shifts and 2 kids I just didnt have the willingness and enthusiasm I once did. Not only this but a false sense of security from my system running smoothly.

Next the Silver Lining ...

 

[DLuce510]

How Bout Some Fish Photos

 

[DLuce510]

The Silver Lining

Like so many of us I'm sure, the loss of these animals, that I cared for and wanted to thrive, did a big hit to my enthusiasm for my system.
I guess this is a part of the process, success and failure is bound to come for most of us when we try to play God and Mother Nature at the same time.

Reef Raft "The Vinh"

In April 2017 my wife and I bought a house in Antioch California, and only being 15 minutes down the road from our old home, the move was still not a easy task. The move forced me to really get in there and clean things out and make some decisions on our system. For one thing I decided to go Bare Bottom (against my wifes wishes) and with a couple years more expirence, a new aqua scape.
As terrifying and frustrating as moving the WHOLE system was a breath of new inspiration and desire to have a healthy living reef in my home.

My 120 has had chronically low pH due to my Calcium Reactor and even though I've used Kalkwasser I believe it caused undesirable fluctuations in parameters when adding new Kalk and as it looses potency, so that had to go! Im back to dosing Titon in a 8 channel doser which has always worked well for me in the past.

With the return to the Doser Ive gotten my butt of the complacency couch and im back to testing as I should have the whole time.
I guess the old saying, "you dont know what you have till you loose it", applies here. Ive tested the ice and hopefully learned from my mistakes. If my expirence can help any one I would say, stay passionate, alert, patient and vigalent. My live stock is no where near the vibrence and liveliness it once was and its humbling and almost exposing to share a older but newish system thats not as beautiful and full as it once was, but I want you guys along for the journey!

A Devastating Loss To

A Humbling New Start

So theres big plans in the future to make the system more efficient accessible and simple. THERES GOING TO BE A FILTRATION ROOM SOON! And this thread will be full of fun and exciting updates and projects as I said, To Simplify It! Soon to come as well, my display fuge it converting into a LPS specific part of the system and there with be a dedicated tank for Chaeto. Stay Passionate!

 

[DLuce510]

Teaching My Kids Life Long Lessons!

 

[DLuce510]

My New Calcium Reactor Finally Came In!

 

[DLuce510]

Tank Photo Tuesday

 

[Second Shot]

My New Calcium Reactor Finally Came In!

Hope you got permits for that instal!

 

[DLuce510]

Hope you got permits for that instal!

Everything except a Confined Space Entry to put the media in. The bubble counter is as big as a bus!!!

 

[DLuce510]

Today:
Alk: 7.5
Cal: 389
Mag:1350

Filtration Shed under construction!!! More to come soon!

 

[DLuce510]

 

[DLuce510]

Update

Corals seem to continue to recover from the crash and move. Color is getting beter and growth is speeding up.

Cornbred Grafted Setosa

RR The Vihn, Flame Thrower Chalice, Myagi Tort, Bubblegum Digi, Sunset Monti.

Lyre Tails Look Beautiful Today

Most Important Update Yet!
Filtration Shed is framed and ready for insulation!

 

[DLuce510]

Happy Hump Day

Grafted Setosa
2 ATI Actinics

Tort and WD
2 ATI Actinics

Poor picture but trying my best.

Stay Passionate!