My Mushroom Garden Table Saga 2.0 build thread

[LRT]

I kinda think it looks like this?? Do you have any urchins?

Lol @the coozy.
Yes it does resemble that.
We do have a pencil urchin that came as a hitch hiker. May be time to get a couple more.

 

[TriggerFinger]

Lololol oops...just found that at the gas station this morning. That’s my life motto ;Hilarious Not at all directed towards you!!

 

[TriggerFinger]

And I don’t think pencil urchins are really algae eaters like tuxedos or pincushions. Maybe try those kind...you will still need to do manual removal to help them along.

 

[LRT]

And I don’t think pencil urchins are really algae eaters like tuxedos or pincushions. Maybe try those kind...you will still need to do manual removal to help them along.

Yeah I have kept the pencil urchin away from the corals. Just looks mean lol

Probably try a tuxedo as pin cushions seem to like to take things for rides.

 

[LRT]

No shroom stuff today just a few pictures of my puppy bicolor blenny. This fish is a pig and soon he will not be able to back up into his favorite spots lol. Getting fat. So much character in these little fish.

 

[LRT]

Verdict is in. I'm getting a sea hare or 4.
Just spent the last few hours getting a few members of the CUC dislodged from tubing. I knew better just exhausted lately.
Cant dump a bunch of snails In shallow water tubs with a bunch of connection and not screen off the overflow lol.
Lfs has a bunch in I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[LRT]

Few pix from the mushroom garden today.
Aside from the nuisance algae growing all over this crushed coral everything seems to be settling in.
Picked up a sea hare yesterday and it immediately went to work on the algae. Was planning on maybe moving it from table to table but for now it's looking like I need one for second table as well!
This nuisance algae is driving me nuts.
If I had it all to do over again I would have crushed up a bunch of live rock and used it instead!
Feel like the lack of biodiversity on the rock kinda set my shrooms back a bit as well. They where much happier on the plugs in the plastic racks.
Cant imagine what's going to happen when I get this par meter and new lamp set up in the next week or so...
Anyhow good news is my Golden Gonzo is splitting for me.
The rest of the shrooms are starting to settle in nice.
Frank the tank is getting huge.
Sea hare is doing work

 

[LRT]

Ok some really observations here last couple days.
I felt like after the recent addition of equalizer pipes I was getting a little too much flow.
So I turned my return down a bit through the tables and sure enough all my shrooms perked up today!
I'm probably only turning over total system water volume maybe 1.5 x an hour now.
Been super tricky trying to get flow tuned in properly.
I'm not sure if its about water volume turnover more so than it being about proper flow for what your trying to do in your system as well keeping surface skimming and everything back to sump and skimmer.

Also crushed up some live rock that I'll be using from here on out on the mushroom gardens and banished the crushed coral to the reservoirs to allow it to age and biodiversity.

Was sketchy getting the sea hare. Was worried I wouldnt have enough for it to it. As is it with the rest of my CUC cant currently keep up and I'll be most definitely adding another one to the second mushroom party table for sure!

 

[TriggerFinger]

it’s a delicate balancing game!! Hope the new configuration works out better for you. Umm...I don’t see any pics of any new neon pink shrooms anywhere?? ;Shifty

 

[LRT]

it’s a delicate balancing game!! Hope the new configuration works out better for you. Umm...I don’t see any pics of any new neon pink shrooms anywhere?? ;Shifty

Mwahahaha I'm working on some marvelous things right now just hang tight lol.

I do have a nice picture of these JawBreakers I toasted. They for sure are digging the less flow approach. Actually reaching for the lamp over the mushroom gardens now May almost be time to get them over there!
Other babies I had cut are also looking much better with less flow as well.

 

[TriggerFinger]

Yessss! Looks like you’re on the right path!

 

[LRT]

Yessss! Looks like you’re on the right path!

For sure. I'll be honest I havent been feeling very confident in my reefing lately. It is nice to see good news after so much lately.
Think it's like you said. All about finding that balance and what works for you particular kind of reefing.
Am happy today though

 

[TriggerFinger]

That’s the hardest part; finding out your tanks groove. There is no one way to success and it boggles my mind to try and come up with a “plan”...I’m just trying to go with the flow and figure out my tank also. Takes time unfortunately...I see all these gorgeous tanks and I’m like oh hey, look at my tank with 3 fish and no more coraline after my vibrant issue. Makes me pouty lol

 

[LRT]

That’s the hardest part; finding out your tanks groove. There is no one way to success and it boggles my mind to try and come up with a “plan”...I’m just trying to go with the flow and figure out my tank also. Takes time unfortunately...I see all these gorgeous tanks and I’m like oh hey, look at my tank with 3 fish and no more coraline after my vibrant issue. Makes me pouty lol

Yeah mistakes are major downers. I think my biggest hurdle has been leaving well enough alone. In trying to be proactive I've been screwing things up. Bottom line if it's not broken dont fix it I guess.
What kind of rock are you using?
That sucks that you wiped out your coraline.

 

[TriggerFinger]

In the big tank there’s rock that I bought with my used set up. They were really gross but I powerwashed, vinegared, bleached and sun bleached the crap out of them because I really loved the shape of some of them and I couldn’t afford real live rock in the amount I wanted. In my observation tank I have KP Aquatics live rock. I totally love it. I also moved the smallest kp rock to the display. I’m going to get more kp rock soon...scared to order in this horrible Midwest heat in case of a shipping delay though. I’ll cure that and swap out most of the current rock for the new live rock.

 

[LRT]

Been kinda neglecting this!
It's been a crazy last month. Had a cpl floods due to snails lol. The RODI connected to sump finally bit me and added to issues.
On top of that I had to quarantine for absolutely nothing.


On the flip side it has given me the opportunity to make some much needed improvements
First I installed that ATO LOL.
Then I covered all my drains. You would be surprised how a snail can end up somewhere you wouldnt imagine possible!
I got all crazy and added another return and a cpl extra gate valves to help flow through the tables.
Turned up flow and easily getting reccomended 4 times turnover through my system.
System is totally connected just operating independently amongst itself now!

Oh yeah. I bumped my phosphates back up to where they where before Nitrate Nuke depleted them and guess what?

Nuisance algae is leaving the building now totally off the sides of tables and dieing on sand and rocks!

Thought process here was really simple. Why not put phosphates back to being balanced exactly where they sitting before Nitrate Nuke?

Guess its paying off.

Anyhow this thing is starting to take off finally.

 

[maroma]

Nice!!!!!

 

[LRT]

Nice!!!!!

Thank you its finally starting to come together and take off!

 

[LRT]

Need some more pix in here
Some of the Aqua SD collection.

 

[LRT]

Something is going on with OG for sure.
She has shrunk up a little but throwing lots of new bubbles. Hope it means she's getting ready to drop a baby