Elise's first reef tank - Fluval 13.5

[Elise_]

I could also be wrong! It just reminded me of a wall hammer I recently saw in a video, and so I made an assumption. If you purchased it as a branching hammer then I would trust your ID.

It is most likely I am wrong, I am still new to this! Haha. I actually think it was just listed as a hammer, so I have no idea now. But maybe ill try and find a spot to put it up off the sand bed

 

[OldRed1]

Little update on the tank, I am slowly I think winning the battle against the algae, although it is certainly not gone yet I am keeping up with 20% weekly water changes, trying to vacuum the sandbed as much as possible and scrubbing the rock work with each water change. Have also added chemipure blue since last update.

I have updated my return pump and added the 1/2 inch RFG.
I just added my first corals back to the tank since the crash.
I have 2 hammers, a green spatter and a smaller purple hammer, a mushroom, acan and a pretty cool blasto that I found at my LFS. Not sure yet if I have the flow right in this tank for the corals but hoping they do ok.
This is the hammers on day 2 of being in the tank and they seem generally pretty happy.

Next step is getting the lid off the tank and adding a jump guard and upgrading the lights.
Will also determine if I try and put the powerhead I used to have back in the tank, but it seemed too powerful previously and not sure if the corals really liked the flow when I had it set up.

Always more questions with this little tank but feel like I am learning a lot.

If it’s the same hammer as the one in this video, then I’d bet it’s branching as you say. Wait, is this the same hammer as the one in your most recent photo?

 

[Elise_]

If it’s the same hammer as the one in this video, then I’d bet it’s branching as you say. Wait, is this the same hammer as the one in your most recent photo?

Yes the same one, just photos under whites today to try and get a clearer look at the skeleton

Crazy how different in a couple of days hey!

 

[OldRed1]

Okay so I’m just re-reading everything. If the hammer was looking okay before the water change and unhappy after, then I’d give it a day or two before making any big changes. If it was unhappy before the water change, then that is a different story.

Have you changed the lighting at all? It seems you’ve been playing with the flow, anything else of note?

If you have not read about brown jelly disease, it may be worth doing so. Just to familiarize yourself with some of the symptoms so you can keep an eye out with your hammer.

 

[Elise_]

Okay so I’m just re-reading everything. If the hammer was looking okay before the water change and unhappy after, then I’d give it a day or two before making any big changes. If it was unhappy before the water change, then that is a different story.

Have you changed the lighting at all? It seems you’ve been playing with the flow, anything else of note?

If you have not read about brown jelly disease, it may be worth doing so. Just to familiarize yourself with some of the symptoms so you can keep an eye out with your hammer.

Thanks so much for your help.
Yes I usually do weekly water changes and was 2 days overdue and it was unhappy this morning and I changed the water tonight, its looking a little better after the water change.

No change in lighting at all since it has been in the tank.
No change in flow until tonight as well when I put the wave maker back in as I was worried lack of flow was maybe contributing.

Will see how it is looking tomorrow, hopefully it will be ok!

 

[Elise_]

Ok so my new products for water testing and dosing came today.

Hammer coral is actually looking improved, however a blasto that seemed very happy for the past 2 weeks suddenly is sunken into the skeleton and looking horrible. I moved it into the shade and into an area with lower flow but might be too late.
Crazy how quickly things can change!

Tank update:
Salinity: 1.025

(API tests)
pH: 8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

(Salifert tests)
Alk: 8.3
Calcium: 390
Magnesium: 1110

I then dosed the tank with 4ml Brightwell reef code A and B and 5ml of API magnesium.
I also got some Red Sea reef energy plus AB+ and started dosing at a half dose (1ml) for my tank as it's not fully stocked.


Hanna ULR Phosphate checker will get here on Tuesday but I suspect they are still 0 based on the rest of the results.

Considering either taking out my Chemipure blue vs. feeding the tank more heavily to increase the nutrients.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I would, or increase the coral spot feeding.
That low nitrate is likely causing the problems.

 

[Elise_]

Having some luck improving the parameters. Algae on the rocks is also improving but I am still having an issue with it on the sand bed.

I got a shipment of corals from @Living Reef Orlando which have settled in pretty well aside from one zoa that doesn't seem to want to open much in the past week.
I also got my first SPS from @Battlecorals including a frag for the Raindrops on Roses contest, which of course in this little tank I will never win, but it is a great project for me to try and keep the tank nice and stable.

Now looking to upgrade the light as I know the SPS will like a stronger light than the Marine 3.0 that I have.
I have been tossing up between the AI Prime 16HD and the Noopsyche Mini but open to suggestions for other options as well.

Update on the Hammer - the head that wasn't doing well is 90% gone, however the other head is huge now and seems to be thriving!

Current water parameters:
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: (still can't check as my Hanna checker arrived with a screw that can't be removed from the battery compartment)
Alkalinity: 8.9
Calcium: 410
Magnesium: 1200

Currently dosing Brightwell Reef Code A + B (mostly A as the Alk has been pretty steady), API Magnesium, Redsea AB+ and just started to also dose Brightwell Microbacter7.

Some photos of the new corals and the tank currently.

 

[jfoahs04]

Glad you're making headway on the algae front!

I know nothing about the Noopsyche, but the AI Prime 16HD and RedSea Reef LED 50 are pretty ubiquitous on these tanks. It may be worth the premium because they're still useful if you upgrade your tank and they hold value for resale.

One suggestion - add some rock so that your SPS (especially your acros) can be in the top third of the tank. The top of the rock structure on the left in the first picture is a good level, but there's not enough room for all of those frags (though birdsnest and pocillopora can do OK in less light than acros and some montis) and even with an AI Prime (the Saxby setting worked great from my mixed reef EVO) or RedSea light, your acros will struggle in the middle and lower third of the tank. Those look like nice, generous cuts though!

 

[Elise_]

Mini update and sadly no pictures today. I have been sick this week and tank maintenance has suffered, I haven't been testing and dosing this week. I hope to be well enough to get back to it tomorrow.
Did a good clean today, still struggling with the cyano and I think sadly it is effecting some of my new SPS which have evidence of it on the tips of them and also my bernardpora is very unhappy. It is even trying to grow on the zoa's and one in particular is very unhappy at the moment.

Tomorrow I will go and try and gently blow the algae off them again and it might be time for Chemiclean. I have Flux Rx and might use this again as there was some hair algae introduced with some of my new corals, but I am a little worried about Chemiclean when I don't have an air stone. I do have plenty of surface movement at the moment but also want my fish to be ok.

Will update parameters tomorrow and also hopefully some pictures.

I finally ordered my AI Prime 16HD and mount today as well, and a temporary plexiglass cover until I can get a more permanent one. My clowns dont seem to jump much but I don't want to risk losing them.