Freakyy 75 build
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Freakyyfort
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Well decided since the 20 started giving bad results on coral.... think my led was up to high as well..... I transferred everything to the 75.... left side lite by led and right side t5ho. Think I'm gonna get 2 of the same pieces identical as I can and do a grow out test.. 
something I wanted to try anyways. Flow will be a bit different but it's not constant as I have a controller for my pumps.
Here's a couple pics you can see the difference in coloration
Well thanks for viewing.
Will hopefully be doing a daily FTS as well as water parameters. Gonna keep a close eye on this as I have some corals not wanting to cooperate with me. So let the journal begin.
something I wanted to try anyways. Flow will be a bit different but it's not constant as I have a controller for my pumps. Here's a couple pics you can see the difference in coloration
Well thanks for viewing.
Will hopefully be doing a daily FTS as well as water parameters. Gonna keep a close eye on this as I have some corals not wanting to cooperate with me. So let the journal begin.
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Freakyyfort
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Well after some time down and not doing anything with the tank other than basic maintenence I have come back to it.. I am somehow loosing corals.. only sps type... they still show color so not sure what's up with that.. but it disappointed me to not wanna keep corals anymore.. which in turn.. I neglected the tank. Been doing small water changes.. levels are fine..
Come Tuesday I am shutting the tank down for a few hours. Clean all the rocks off free of algeas. Then doing a 45 gallon water change. I'm going to go In and scrub the sump clean.. hope this will clear up a lot of my problems... trying to get over this rough patch I've had for a little time.
It's a disappointment due to the fact I couldn't recognize a problem before it happened.. or as it was happening. I do check the tank daily and watch a lot of the activity in the tank. I have slowly become more active in the tank now I wanna get it back to where I want it.
Well any opinions of what to do? Thanks again for viewing. More of a little rant to myself.
Come Tuesday I am shutting the tank down for a few hours. Clean all the rocks off free of algeas. Then doing a 45 gallon water change. I'm going to go In and scrub the sump clean.. hope this will clear up a lot of my problems... trying to get over this rough patch I've had for a little time.
It's a disappointment due to the fact I couldn't recognize a problem before it happened.. or as it was happening. I do check the tank daily and watch a lot of the activity in the tank. I have slowly become more active in the tank now I wanna get it back to where I want it.
Well any opinions of what to do? Thanks again for viewing. More of a little rant to myself.
Quit poking it.
It's a baby.
It's true what they say about across and mature tanks.
A 45 gal WC is really not going to do much. It's too fast.
Get easy cheap corals. Esp dirty water ones.
Slow down.
Neglecting it was prob for the best oddly enough.
Look at getting a lux meter.
Post your parameters.
Love you. Love your dog.
Remember we at R2r care.
And
Happy Reefing
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Freakyyfort
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8-19-16 7:30 pm
Kh - 8
Ph - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5-10
Salinity - 35
Added 3 qts of RO water. (Evaporation)
I have a CA test as well.. how often should I test that?
Is there any other tests I should be doing as well?
Kh - 8
Ph - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5-10
Salinity - 35
Added 3 qts of RO water. (Evaporation)
I have a CA test as well.. how often should I test that?
Is there any other tests I should be doing as well?
Without stony corals an ten to twenty percent WC monthly Prob fine. Depends on the Reefing philosophy you follow.
Also the Alk is an indicator of the CA. You'd be Better testing the Po. No and Po are the two major nutrient in the tank for corals. And as most are finding now zeros are really not a good thing. Zero Po zero No meant no food for corals. Your No is a bit high but not a bid deal.
What kind of issues were you having with coral. And whet kind of coral.
I'm a HUGE proponent of refugiums. Also an inexpensive ato really does make a difference.
Also the Alk is an indicator of the CA. You'd be Better testing the Po. No and Po are the two major nutrient in the tank for corals. And as most are finding now zeros are really not a good thing. Zero Po zero No meant no food for corals. Your No is a bit high but not a bid deal.
What kind of issues were you having with coral. And whet kind of coral.
I'm a HUGE proponent of refugiums. Also an inexpensive ato really does make a difference.
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Freakyyfort
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I'm working on a gravity feed ato atm. My issue I was having with coral is they are bleaching out. I'm thinking in my case I shocked them switching to an sb reef light without proper light acclimation. Also the metal legs rusted on the edge of my tank and sat in the topside of the water.. I have a mixed assortment of corals some sps softies and zoas. Everything but the sps is doing great.
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Freakyyfort
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Here's some current pics. And the legs from the sbreef lights
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Freakyyfort
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I'm sure it's part of the cycle but I've got this brown algea taking over the rocks and glass daily I have to blow off each day and clean the glass. It gets bad as you can see in the pic it starts to grow on live corals as well.
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Freakyyfort
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Also lfs has amother sbreef coming in on this order coming up I'm gonna snag from him. Gonna build a canopy for my tank and set the height of the lights a bit higher and go from there. In a month I plan on getting the 2 bulb retrofit 48 in t5 from brs and installing them one of the front side of the led and one in back.
Yea look into a lux meter $15 on Amazon. Look at my threads for lux meter upgrade.
The SB will fry stuff. Chinese B too.
An SB at 12 in is capable of 1200 to 2000 par. That will kill coral. And plants too like corraline. When you blow off the algae is there any corraline underneath? I'm betting not as the corraline is likely dead and the cyano is just feeding on it.
An SB at 18in will deliver about 1000 par.
You really don't need more light.
It's about balancing slowly the nutrient uptake of the coral with the light it need to do it. In short enough food in the water and enough light to let it eat it.
Flow is a whole othe factor.
There really is something about a mature tank too. Acro are pretty sensitive. All tanks are different. Some hav an ugly phase for months some have none. Some for a long time.
Large bacterial poulations may have something to do with this as well as phosphate content on the rock plus the micro fauna as this may be feeding the the stony corals as well. I asked rand farley this. That was his take.
With high nitrate there's a lot of extra food in the system. Most or many will GFO or chem clean it or totally over skim.
As in a new tank with dry rock it's the bio filter still gaining strength and not processing well yet. It's rock. It takes time to penetratit.
It's a reason I'm a fan of refugium. It's two biological filters and they kinda balance each other.
Looking at the corals you have bleaching and browning. That's not normal.
The SB will fry stuff. Chinese B too.
An SB at 12 in is capable of 1200 to 2000 par. That will kill coral. And plants too like corraline. When you blow off the algae is there any corraline underneath? I'm betting not as the corraline is likely dead and the cyano is just feeding on it.
An SB at 18in will deliver about 1000 par.
You really don't need more light.
It's about balancing slowly the nutrient uptake of the coral with the light it need to do it. In short enough food in the water and enough light to let it eat it.
Flow is a whole othe factor.
There really is something about a mature tank too. Acro are pretty sensitive. All tanks are different. Some hav an ugly phase for months some have none. Some for a long time.
Large bacterial poulations may have something to do with this as well as phosphate content on the rock plus the micro fauna as this may be feeding the the stony corals as well. I asked rand farley this. That was his take.
With high nitrate there's a lot of extra food in the system. Most or many will GFO or chem clean it or totally over skim.
As in a new tank with dry rock it's the bio filter still gaining strength and not processing well yet. It's rock. It takes time to penetratit.
It's a reason I'm a fan of refugium. It's two biological filters and they kinda balance each other.
Looking at the corals you have bleaching and browning. That's not normal.
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Freakyyfort
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All these corals were in my 20 gallon. Aside had it for a grow out tank. All parameters were in spec. Have a gravity ato for it so the swings on that tank were very minimal. I had the 4 bulb t5 ho over it blue + ABS actinic and blue +. Got my first sbreef had all lights turned down I think and put that over the 20 as a "test run" liked the colors of my coral so I left it above. All sps corals started turning brown and loosing color fast. Knowing all my parameters were in spec I still checked them.. all good. Did a 5 gallon water change.... nothing.... few days later I noticed the legs were rusted.... don't have or know how to test for the metals so... tested my 75 DT and made sure all levels were in spec. All I had was rock and 3 fish.. the tank has only been full of salt since may 10th.. 2016.. so it's very new. I dipped all my corals in RO water before I put them in the DT. now I have the t5 and sb reef splitting the tank for lighting. It was something I wanted to try but not under these circumstances.. so I'm building a canopy and getting another led so the same lighting is across the tank. Right now I'm not worried about bringing my corals back to life.. I just want a healthy system special I can continue to enjoy the hobby. I am also doing my research.. I know it's not gonna happen over night.. between 730-8 pm I'll try and post my daily parameters.. I'll get a phosphate tester soon. In the process of switching to all salifert tests.
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Freakyyfort
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8-20-16 7:30pm
Kh - 6.5-7
Ph - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5-10
Salinity - 36
RO water added - 3 quarts
Kh - 6.5-7
Ph - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5-10
Salinity - 36
RO water added - 3 quarts
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Freakyyfort
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8-21-16 8pm
Kh - 6.5-7
Ph - 8
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5-10
Salinity - 36
RO added 3 quarts
Kh - 6.5-7
Ph - 8
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5-10
Salinity - 36
RO added 3 quarts
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Freakyyfort
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8-22 same results.
Cleaned the sand out of the sump. Scrubbed the glass all the way around. Cleaned what I could of everything.
Took water sample in to Lfs had them do a phosphate test. Pulled a .20 on the red Sea kit.
Did get myself a new tang. The bristletooth I believe it is.
Cleaned the sand out of the sump. Scrubbed the glass all the way around. Cleaned what I could of everything.
Took water sample in to Lfs had them do a phosphate test. Pulled a .20 on the red Sea kit.
Did get myself a new tang. The bristletooth I believe it is.
rockworm
Active Member
Yes, that is a Tomini tang. Specicfically a Ctenochaetus tominiensis, if you are in to the latin name. ☺ I have one in my tank and he never stops moving and scraping the rock and glass for algae. They remain relatively small, for a tang.
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Freakyyfort
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Got my second light.. both sbreef 16 inch classics. So hope from here on out things get better.
All my levels have been same from last update. Not much change. Salinity due to the no ato..
All my levels have been same from last update. Not much change. Salinity due to the no ato..
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Freakyyfort
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One is brighter as ive had the one on the left longer and it's up to the percentage I want it and I am doing weekly increases on the right one to get it equal with the other so I don't shock and kill more coral.. previous t5 over that section.
