HybridAZN's 180 gallon build

hybridazn · Jun 2, 2016

Got a few new pics of the new fish in the QT today. I think they came out ok

First up is the Carpenter's Flasher wrasse. He is eating LRS frozen like a champ!

The new Cleaner Wrasse hanging with the flasher wrasse. Best pic I could get since he never stops moving lol. This is my second attempt at one. The first one I had decent success with, I had him for just about 10 years before I accidentally killed him

And last is the Lawnmower Blenny. Not the prettiest but still a neat fish

Other than that nothing exciting to report. I'm currently mixing water for a water change in the frag system and main system, the QT I did a WC 2 days ago. I will start a prazi treatment in the next day or so. The fish are showing no signs of disease or ailments at this point.

JaimeAdams · Jun 2, 2016

My lawnmower Blenny thinks that he is the prettiest fish in the tank.

hybridazn · Jun 3, 2016

JaimeAdams said:
My lawnmower Blenny thinks that he is the prettiest fish in the tank.

Haha ain't that the truth? They perch high up and seem to just hold a model pose lol

hybridazn · Jun 3, 2016

Surprise box from @AVAST Marine showed up today! My prize for winning photo of the month!

And don't forget to vote for this month's photo of the month! I have a pic submitted, but you'll have to guess which one lol. Lots of great pics this month!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/may-2016-photo-of-the-month-voting-thread.251363/

kschweer · Jun 3, 2016

hybridazn said:
Surprise box from @AVAST Marine showed up today! My prize for winning photo of the month!

And don't forget to vote for this month's photo of the month! I have a pic submitted, but you'll have to guess which one lol. Lots of great pics this month!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/may-2016-photo-of-the-month-voting-thread.251363/

Awesome!!! Congrats man!

hybridazn · Jun 3, 2016

kschweer said:
Awesome!!! Congrats man!

Thanks buddy!

hybridazn · Jun 6, 2016

Today I found the carpenters flasher wrasse dead in qt

Man, I just can't win with these wrasses. All was fine with him this past week, he was eating well and was very active. Last night I did dose 10ml of prazi pro into the 40 gallon qt. Could this have been the issue? The other 2 fish (cleaner wrasse, lawnmower blenny) appear fine and swimming around today.

Any ideas? @evolved @Humblefish

evolved · Jun 6, 2016

Any visible damage to the fish?

hybridazn · Jun 6, 2016

evolved said:
Any visible damage to the fish?

No, none. When I did find him in his hiding spot he was wedged in pretty good in the ornament. He was alive this morning around 1130am when I checked on him before leaving for lunch.

Here is a pic I took to send to blue zoo for the guarantee. Not sure if you can see anything in it, but he looked physically ok to me

I also checked the "best by" date of the prazi pro and it's 12/2019.

evolved · Jun 6, 2016

Yeah, looks okay to me and I see nothing you did wrong; sorry.

Humblefish · Jun 6, 2016

hybridazn said:
Today I found the carpenters flasher wrasse dead in qt

Man, I just can't win with these wrasses. All was fine with him this past week, he was eating well and was very active. Last night I did dose 10ml of prazi pro into the 40 gallon qt. Could this have been the issue? The other 2 fish (cleaner wrasse, lawnmower blenny) appear fine and swimming around today.

Any ideas? @evolved @Humblefish

Next time try dosing API General Cure in lieu of Prazipro. It does the same job (powder version of prazi + metro), but spreads the dosage out over a 48 hr period. I've tested both GC and straight praziquantel powder (which is not easily water soluble) out on fish with confirmed flukes and both where just as effective as liquid Prazipro.

hybridazn · Jun 6, 2016

evolved said:
Yeah, looks okay to me and I see nothing you did wrong; sorry.

Thanks, it's a bummer for sure. I shall try again I suppose. What stinks is that my daughter got used to seeing him everyday so it was awkward explaining what happened.

Humblefish said:
Next time try dosing API General Cure in lieu of Prazipro. It does the same job (powder version of prazi + metro), but spreads the dosage out over a 48 hr period. I've tested both GC and straight praziquantel powder (which is not easily water soluble) out on fish with confirmed flukes and both where just as effective as liquid Prazipro.

Thank you, I shall use that instead of the prazi pro next time around.

hybridazn · Jun 17, 2016

Update!

Got a box of goodies in from BRS again.

Ehiem 1262
5x ecotech driver holders
Filter sock
3 packets of ph calibration fluid.

Every order I always make sure to get at least 1 new filter sock and a few calibration packets, you can never have enough lol.

I ordered the ehiem for a replacement for 1 of the recirculation pumps on my Geo's skimmer. The next post I'll have a little more detail on that. And the driver holders are pretty obvious what they will be used for hahaha

hybridazn · Jun 17, 2016

The Ehiem 1262 is the pump I chose to use as replacements for the recirculation pumps on my skimmer. I'm just replacing the one for now since the impeller in the gx-4100 swelled and stalled the pump.

Now I'm sure everyone is like, "the ehiem impeller isn't what you want for proper skimming" and that was a question I had when I was searching for a proper replacement. I know that Reef Dynamics uses the 1262 as the recirculation pumps on their external skimmers so that also helped in the decision.

Now on to the impeller issue, I thought about just buying the 1262 from the Reef Dynamics surplus store but the price was nearly $300! A little out of my price range, so I thought I'd just order the needle wheel impeller they use and it's $150. Again, a little more than I expected. By the time I buy the pump and impeller I should just buy it from them directly. So I needed to figure something out, I went ahead and ordered the pump because it's the one I wanted and I figured I would make something work.

So the pump arrives

I open it up and remove the impeller. I used a razor blade to cut off the paddles

There is a ceramic insert in the impeller so if you do this be careful not to break that. After I cut off the paddles I took my dead sedra 5000 impeller and ripped off the needle wheel

My plan was to install this onto the ehiem impeller to make a needle wheel, and it was insanely easy. The hole that goes thru the needle wheel where the ceramic shafts goes is a little small. So I took a 1/4" drill bit and drilled it out. I then took the NW and pushed it onto the ceramic shafts of the impeller. It was a little snug but that is what was needed to hold it on. It was the perfect size! I thought I took a pic of the NW beside the paddles to show that they were the same size width wise but apparently I did not, whoops lol.

Here is the new needle wheel installed in the pump housing

I put the cover back on and test ran it in my frag tank to see if it would run and it was a quiet as can be. Not bad so far, the price of the pump was $144 from BRS, and if you had to buy a new sedra impeller for the needle wheel it runs $50. So for under $200 you can have a 1262 needle wheel skimmer pump, not a bad savings if you ask me.

I won't be able to install it onto the skimmer until maybe this weekend, but my weekend is booked solid so it might not be until Sunday night I can get to it. So stay tuned for more updates

cameronh · Jun 17, 2016

Long time no talk man. Looking good!

hybridazn · Jun 17, 2016

cameronh said:
Long time no talk man. Looking good!

Wondering where you been

lol

Thanks buddy!

redsea01 · Jun 24, 2016

hybridazn said:
Got a few new pics of the new fish in the QT today. I think they came out ok

First up is the Carpenter's Flasher wrasse. He is eating LRS frozen like a champ!

The new Cleaner Wrasse hanging with the flasher wrasse. Best pic I could get since he never stops moving lol. This is my second attempt at one. The first one I had decent success with, I had him for just about 10 years before I accidentally killed him

And last is the Lawnmower Blenny. Not the prettiest but still a neat fish

Other than that nothing exciting to report. I'm currently mixing water for a water change in the frag system and main system, the QT I did a WC 2 days ago. I will start a prazi treatment in the next day or so. The fish are showing no signs of disease or ailments at this point.

I'm super late but just cam across the thread and wanted to say that I love your Lawnmower and Cleaner Wrasse! I hope all is well with them.

Sorry to hear about the Carpenter's.

hybridazn · Jun 24, 2016

redsea01 said:
I'm super late but just cam across the thread and wanted to say that I love your Lawnmower and Cleaner Wrasse! I hope all is well with them. Sorry to hear about the Carpenter's.

Thanks!

So far so good with those 2 in qt. Both are happy and healthy so far. Another week and they will be good to go in the display.

redsea01 · Jun 24, 2016

hybridazn said:
Thanks!

So far so good with those 2 in qt. Both are happy and healthy so far. Another week and they will be good to go in the display.

Ahhh, how exciting! Almost that time! I had a Lawnmower back in 2012, and really loved having him as an addition to my tank. They have such a great personality.

hybridazn · Jun 24, 2016

redsea01 said:
Ahhh, how exciting! Almost that time! I had a Lawnmower back in 2012, and really loved having him as an addition to my tank. They have such a great personality.

They are pretty cool, even if they aren't the prettiest girl at the ball haha.