I thought I’d be better at updating the build thread but it usually lands right at the bottom and f my to do list related to reefing.
The reef is progressing pretty nicely and I am learning an awful lot. It takes up the majority of my free time, and I absolutely love it.
As I approach middle aged, I’m beginning to understand the saying true wisdom is only gained through suffering. Talking deeper than reefing here, I just mean all of everything . Most everything I’m good at, has come through some form of suffering one way or another.
Due to the amount of money this hobby can pull out of you, it’s tempting to just do everything perfect from the jump. Some folks are good at everything, they grab a golf club, hit the range and bam-they’re a 10 handicap within a year. I’ve been golfing for 15 years and am still struggling to break 90.
My McKoskers that had some spots really through me for a loop. Beat myself up for not quarantining. Then I waffled on going fallow. Took me a little while to feel okay with proceeding without that. After I lost the wrasse, it was just my two clowns and the hawkish, as far as fish go. While I was debating adding more fish, I was still adding corals. Was just using (still am) coral RX for dipping and ended up with a flatworm infestation. These little m-effers I truly hate. I get clean glass for one day, then they’re back. So much back breaking labor trying to siphon them out of a 115 gallon tank, but this site will surely scare the **** out of you from using flatworm exit, so I’ve struggled with what to do about them but manual removal is a no go so I’ll likely be going with FWE soon enough as no matter how much elbow grease I put in, they’re coming back.
The flatworms helped push me into adding more fish again though as I was hoping a yelllpw coris would pick away at them. The new wrasse I absolutely love, but it has eaten one single flatworm that I have noticed, I don’t think they’re a very big fan of them haha so FWE it will likely be.
Parameter wise, I think things are pretty solid. I’m definitely not setting any records coral growth wise, but everything appears to be thriving enough. I am dosing 30ish ML of all for reef manually daily, testing alkalinity about 3-4 times a week and have gotten it to hold a dkH of 8.3 pretty much solid.
I wasn’t doing any water changes after about 4 months of weekly 10% but NO3 and PO4 were starting to zero out. I quit doing them waiting to see if that would help, it didn’t so I started dosing NO3 and PO4. NO3 staying below 2ppm (Hanna checker) and PO4 is usually between .03-.05 (Hanna checker).
I have refrained from setting up any type of automated dosing as I liked the suggestion of learning to manually balance things first.
there’s about 20 or so different corals and I’ve only lost one of them since stocking, which was a Goni that after about 3 months just decided it didn’t want to live anymore and slowly started receding to death. Not even batting an eyelash at that, as that seems like a pretty common problem with them.
I Think I should edit the first post on this page as I think that is best practice for build threads ya? Get a nice formal lookin equipment and livestock list?
Oh. Not sure if I previously mentioned, but the 4 Trochus I added during initial CUC stocking, has multiplied to about 70 or so currently thriving, and my clown fish just a couple days ago laid some eggs which was neat to watch them doing their thing around them. They decided to host against the back wall which is weird but I guess it’s the best thing I have to offer, and CB clowns tend to host on weird things anyways. Wish I could get them out front more often, but perhaps they will enjoy something better to host in some day.
Sorry for the Novel, had a lot to say! Left a lot out even
TLDR am loving my Cade so far, learned some lessons, but am chugging along! I linger here on R2R a lot and appreciate everyone’s input, and knowledge they share.
Heres a FTS from last night.
