Exciting opertunity for all ETRC

[Joshua Hurst]

@Joshua Hurst, I'm not in Tennessee, but this is a really great thing you're doing. If you still need and/or want another powerhead, I have a new 750 gph Coralife I would be willing to donate. If you can use it send me your address via PM and consider it sent.

Thank you offering to donate us a powerhead!! I believe the low flow in the tank may be contributing to the gha in the tank. Diatoms, and other things are kept suspended in the water and don't get blown around; so I'm thinking thats helping feed it, and making it grow. Ill send you a pm, I really love your enthusiasm to help us even though your out of state!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

they haven't been fed all summer their color is still nice though Send pics soon

Hi Joshua, what's the status on this tank? Got any more pics?
And what do ya need to get it up to snuff. Just elbow grease?

Let us know bro!!

 

[Joshua Hurst]

Hi Joshua, what's the status on this tank? Got any more pics?
And what do ya need to get it up to snuff. Just elbow grease?

Let us know bro!!

Ill bring my good camera to school this week and do a post with the specs and such, but ill give you guys a quick run down of my firsts week experience.
So if you go back to the pictures i posted last year you can sort of see that all the rocks were coated in GHA; almost to the point where you couldn't see the rock. This is no longer true, not all rocks are covered, and the algae isn't as thick as it was last year. The only test kits he has currently is the Saltwater Api (Tests for- Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Average pH), and a refractometer. Im going to bring some water to my house and do a real test, because ^ isn't gonna cut it lol I went ahead and added some frogspawn, some Zoas, and pulsating Xenia. (I'm scared to do high end corals in this tank since its left on its own in the summer..) But I'm thinking we can still make it look more bright and colorful than it is right now.

I have a few questions regarding the sump and filter media. (pictures soon to come) His overflow line goes down straight to this kind of filter media compartment that has first a blue pre-filter, and then a fluvial carbon filter, and then some weird spore bio max media. My concern is that this filter compartment seems so compact that any thing that the protein skimmer would skim up isn't being brought to it, but instead whatever is sucked down is broken down in the filter. Is this a method that is okay? it is not one that i exercise in my tank, and I'm not sure what to do.

Generally the tank seems in much better health than it was last year! So i am hopeful i can get this GHA under control, and i can add more corals as time goes on.
Thanks for reading! Sorry its was so long

 

[Scrappy RN]

Ill bring my good camera to school this week and do a post with the specs and such, but ill give you guys a quick run down of my firsts week experience.
So if you go back to the pictures i posted last year you can sort of see that all the rocks were coated in GHA; almost to the point where you couldn't see the rock. This is no longer true, not all rocks are covered, and the algae isn't as thick as it was last year. The only test kits he has currently is the Saltwater Api (Tests for- Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Average pH), and a refractometer. Im going to bring some water to my house and do a real test, because ^ isn't gonna cut it lol I went ahead and added some frogspawn, some Zoas, and pulsating Xenia. (I'm scared to do high end corals in this tank since its left on its own in the summer..) But I'm thinking we can still make it look more bright and colorful than it is right now.

I have a few questions regarding the sump and filter media. (pictures soon to come) His overflow line goes down straight to this kind of filter media compartment that has first a blue pre-filter, and then a fluvial carbon filter, and then some weird spore bio max media. My concern is that this filter compartment seems so compact that any thing that the protein skimmer would skim up isn't being brought to it, but instead whatever is sucked down is broken down in the filter. Is this a method that is okay? it is not one that i exercise in my tank, and I'm not sure what to do.

Generally the tank seems in much better health than it was last year! So i am hopeful i can get this GHA under control, and i can add more corals as time goes on.
Thanks for reading! Sorry its was so long

It sounds like the sumps that have bioballs in them. I was told the bioballs aren't useful and can actually increase your problems. If it were mine, I'd take out the prefilter and carbon filter, then start removing the bioballs a little at a time so that you don't deplete a huge amount of the good bacteria in the system all at once. But I'm new to SW so listen to the other guys first, lol!

 

[Joshua Hurst]

It sounds like the sumps that have bioballs in them. I was told the bioballs aren't useful and can actually increase your problems. If it were mine, I'd take out the prefilter and carbon filter, then start removing the bioballs a little at a time so that you don't deplete a huge amount of the good bacteria in the system all at once. But I'm new to SW so listen to the other guys first, lol!

I personally like bio balls compared to much more dense filter medias, but I'm not sure what to think

 

[Scrappy RN]

I used them with freshwater tanks but I didn't have live rock in them. They worked fine in that setup. But I had multiple reef people tell me that they would contribute to high nitrate issues so I didn't use them when I set up my reef tank. And my tank is doing great so I suppose something is working

I know that one local store has them all throughout their huge filtration system though and they seem to be doing fine! I guess each person just has to figure out what works for their system!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It sounds like the sumps that have bioballs in them. I was told the bioballs aren't useful and can actually increase your problems. If it were mine, I'd take out the prefilter and carbon filter, then start removing the bioballs a little at a time so that you don't deplete a huge amount of the good bacteria in the system all at once. But I'm new to SW so listen to the other guys first, lol!

This is spot on Scrappy!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It's an old school system is all. Just Like your already doing, Slowly work your way around the tank and clean up.

Combine that with a weekly water change , Even without doing the tests, and it'll lower the numbers and make the tank happier.

Keep a good bottled bacteria for when ya clean and do a Wc afterwards. Your on the right track.

 

[Scrappy RN]

This is spot on Scrappy!

I'm learning! ;Bookworm

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh this is nice and clean. Yea you might have a bit of build up in the first splash chamber but it looks good in this picture. Likely not a problem at all.


How does it get fed and watered when school is out?

 

[Joshua Hurst]

Oh this is nice and clean. Yea you might have a bit of build up in the first splash chamber but it looks good in this picture. Likely not a problem at all.


How does it get fed and watered when school is out?

It has an automatic feeder ;( i don't know how else it could run though…. Ill ask about water changes, but what I'm expecting is that it doesn't get water changes, and that their ATO is able to supplement for it. TBH i believe that knoxville evaporates a lot of water, and at the end of the week only 7-10% of the water needs changed. so for 12 weeks; if just 2-4 water changes could happen then it would be in good shape.

 

[Joshua Hurst]

(minimum)

 

[Lninwa]

Good for you taking over the tank. Please post pics now and your progress

 

[Katrina71]

I would be glad to help you scrub the tank! ( And whatever else the tank needs ) You can text me or pm me.

 

[Scrappy RN]

Maybe we could get several of us together to come help one day?

 

[kireek]

Best of luck moving forward with this. I am certain that your enthusiasm will create a ripple effect among future hobbyists.Keep us posted on your progress @Joshua Hurst !

 

[Joshua Hurst]

Thank you everyone for so much support!
So today I tested up the levels, and found this
-Salinity is at 1.023 (will be raised to 1.026-7 today)
-Nitrite 0
-Nitrate 0 (weird bc of GHA)
-ph 8 (terrible test kit)
-Magnesium 1500ppm
-Calcium 1320ppm
-Alk (found the test kit was old )

Now its time for some pictures!! (note this tank is a working progress- some reefers may find this depressing lol)
First off ill post the 2 pics of the 2 separate bubble tip nems.


Here some of the full tank




Alright here's one part of the tank that troubles me. What do you guys think about this sump?




I didn't really take a pic of the ato, but there is one
Ill do another test in a few days and let you know what I find.

 

[Joshua Hurst]

Ill ask the school if visitors are allowed. It may have to be after 3:30, but ill do my best to figure out what I can.

 

[jmann124]

Thank you everyone for so much support!
So today I tested up the levels, and found this
-Salinity is at 1.023 (will be raised to 1.026-7 today)
-Nitrite 0
-Nitrate 0 (weird bc of GHA)
-ph 8 (terrible test kit)
-Magnesium 1500ppm
-Calcium 1320ppm
-Alk (found the test kit was old )

I would shoot for a salinity of 1.025. Are you sure the calcium is not at 320? I would be surprised if it is at 1320. Also, it is it surprising that the nitrate is reading low. With a lot of GHA taking up all the nutrients, it will read low because the algae are using them before they show up on a test.

If you are still waning to get rid of the BTAs, I'll take them. Also, once the tank is ready, I will give you a green birdsnest frag and a piece of green monti cap as well.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

That sump is fine. It's just different than what you may be used to seeing.

If your leaving the fish why are you taking out the nems?
If they were going to be a problem, they would be dead already.

They are using tap water I assume, Just by looking at it.