NeverlosT's 140g Cube in Paradise

[NeverlosT]

Ive been reading from a few pages back, way to stick with it! Looks like your on the right path again and good luck with the move, I hate moving.

Thanks B! The move will be interesting, but the new house will be worth it!

Congrats on your new house. You will be busy with all the move.

Cheers S2nhle! It is going to be a busy time for sure! I need to make a checklist and move plan so that I don't miss anything. I am stoked for the upgrade to the drains to make the tank quieter.

 

[s2nhle]

What kind of drain are you considering? Herbie style or bean animal?

 

[NeverlosT]

The new system I make in the new house will be bean animal, but this tank only has two holes behind the overflow, so I will do herbie back there (my understanding is that is a full siphon and a emergency that constantly trickles), and have a return line run up the back of the tank. Hopefully I can dial it in to be silent. Replacing the Reeflo will help quiet things a lot too.

All I need to buy is a gate valve for the siphon line, and modify the current return to act as the emergency durso, and then modify the return lines to come straight from the return manifold to the top instead of going through the overflow.

Whether I paint it all nicely like the current plumbing is TBD, since this is a temporary setup until the new on is in, I might not go 100% OCD on it. Maybe... haha

 

[s2nhle]

that is exactly what I have. It is very quiet.

 

[NeverlosT]

that is exactly what I have. It is very quiet.

That is encouraging! I'll probably order the pump in the next week or so. Trying to sell some coral to raise funds!

 

[NeverlosT]

Update to this tank. It was moved successfully and set up in our new home back in April.

The rockwork was completed all new, in fact, everything is new other than the fish. The corals and fish all went through QT in the garage, and lived in a big tub until the tank was cycled and ready.

Changes:
1. New sand, new rock
2. no more refugium, just a marinepur Brick
3. Went with a Gyre150 instead of the two WP40s. (so far, I love it)
4. Return pump was a Dart/Snapper, is now a Vectra L1 run externally. (very quiet, VERY powerful, highly suggest).
5. I am still running filter socks and the ATI skimmer, but only changing carbon once a month, and no GFO. I feed heavily and let my nutrients sit at Nitrates ~2ppm, phosphates ~0.02ppm. Alk sits around 8.5dKh.

The system has been more stable than it has ever been. Titus, the Achilles tang still has ich now and then despite the QT and copper treatment of all fish, but feeding well and the two cleaner shrimp keep him largely ich free.

The tank is visible from 4 sides, which is a lot of fun.

For my birthday two weeks ago, my wife took me to visit an old friend down in Santa Barbara, Henson, who owns Triton Corals Santa Barbara.
http://www.tritoncoral.com/about.html
Unsure if I can link them here since they aren't yet a sponsor, but he has the best SPS that I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot. I got to pick out a few fun frags to get the tank going, and now we are seeing how their color and growth develops over the next several months. I also got an order from WWC, so now its time to sit back and watch the sticks grow...

Some fun pics:
WWC Snowdrop:

Space Invaders Pectinia:

I'll get a better pic of this soon, but here is my frag of SC Dynamite Chalice (7 or 8 eyes so far and growing well:

Triton Corals Santa Barbara Shortcake #1

Triton Corals Santa Barbara Cadillac Margarita (once colored up has a lot of pink/orange)

 

[NeverlosT]

What I think is Raspberry Limeade from ages ago, coloring up and encrusting:

Red Dragon:

Some fun LPS:

Our beloved 4 year old Japanese Elegance Blenny "Gus":

I shut down the biopellet reactor a while back, might run it again someday, but right now it has turned into a science experiment in there... (I need to remove it and clean it out):

Here you can see the CARX DIY second chamber, and the ATI Powercone Skimmer chugging away.

The tank is now super silent due to the gate valve full siphon herbie drain system.

Actually, I should call it a "Herbie Plus" because I have:
1. Full siphon 1.5" with gate valve
2. Emergency drain 1" that usually runs at a trickle
3. A float valve mounted on the lid of the overflow. If the two drains get plugged, that float valve triggers when the overflow fills and shuts down the tank and emails/texts/lets me know. So it is a herbie... with a failsafe.

I think these are purple rains?

The ol' mummy eye. This one grows like a weed for me, I like its multi-color hues:

Here you can see the reactor running just some old carbon, and what used to be the fuge is now just a dark slow-flow area with a 8"x8"x4" MarinePure Brick in there. Nitrates stay low, I am a happy camper.

 

[NeverlosT]

So the tank in its last incarnation had become more of a stress source for me than anything, and I considered even getting out. But now I have a new interest, some more patience, and will hopefully see more success over time. I've been at this since I was 15 years old (with a break for college) and just turned 34, so this hobby has been with me for half of my life at this point!

A Gold Aussie Torch, and a many headed Kryptonite Candycane that I have had for easily a decade at this point.
In the back left to right is Paletta Pink tip, Green Psammocora, Hawkins Echinata, and Red Dragon.

Emmas Jedi Mind Trick:

When the nutrients creep up, I dose a bit of NO3PO4-X, if I see some cyano, I dose a bit of Dr. Tims Waste Away, and things are going very well.

I have also been experimenting with feeding live foods like Blackworms lately. Mostly for the health of our Tang. But go figure, everyone else BUT the tang loves them. He isn't into it.

Last weird thing, two months ago, our larger Potter's wrasse turned on the smaller one and started beating her up. She worked out her own solution: He only got aggressive in the afternoon once the bright lights were on, so her solution is, wake up at dawn, eat in the morning, swim around until the tank lights start coming on, and then go back to bed before big wrasse can get ornery. Only problem is she is probably only out and about for 5 hours each day. Still, she seems healthy and fine for it, its just a bummer since I was hoping they would pair up, not divorce and divide up the day...

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Glad to see the update! Tank is looking good!

 

[s2nhle]

Thank you for the update. i hope the wrasse will get back together soon.

 

[NeverlosT]

Thank you for the update. i hope the wrasse will get back together soon.

Thanks! I hope so too, I wonder how long she can stick to this funny sleeping schedule.

The good news is, all fish are eating blackworms now, I want to try some brine shrimp too. See how some live food affects the fish.

 

[s2nhle]

My fish and corals really love the brine shrimp.

 

[NeverlosT]

I'm dosing Magnesium again today, going to do a 25g water change tomorrow. For some reason the mag keeps sinking down in the tank. I should have put some dolomite in the Calcium Reactor to help keep it up. Next time I refill it I will do just that.

Other than that, all is well with the water, nice and stable, nutrients a little high, but not bad. Coral colors are all very good.
Alk: 8.0-8.5 dkh depending on test kit
CA: 450ppm
Mg: 1280ppm (adding Tech M to get above 1350ppm)
Nitrates: 2ppm
Phosphates: 0.05ppm
SG: 1.024
Temp 77.5-78F

Flow: a lot. The gyre 150 pulses during the day and a little jebao provides counter current on wave mode, the returns are turned to the strongest they can be without overfilling the tank (overcoming the overflow weir).

Wrasses still hate each other. Want to add a Chaoti wrasse soon to mix things up, or a Kuiteri wrasse, and a few more resplendent anthias. Buuuut, the wife any I are 37 weeks pregnant, so priority will be baby now! I just hope I can keep up with maintenance.

 

[locito277]

Looking good

 

[NeverlosT]

Looking good

Thanks, hopefully will have some good growth shots in coming months.

 

[s2nhle]

Thank you for sharing and congratulation on your new addition. Wish you all the best.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Great looking cube! I love the aquascape. I'm trying to decide on how I'll be scaping my 50g pretty soon. Any new updates on those wrasses?

 

[G8trBait16]

What is your Bulb combo on the ATI? Tank is looking great by the way!

 

[s2nhle]

Any latest update?

 

[NeverlosT]

Great looking cube! I love the aquascape. I'm trying to decide on how I'll be scaping my 50g pretty soon. Any new updates on those wrasses?

Thanks! oddly enough the wrasses have continued their behavior, he (much larger) is out all the time, and she (smaller) comes out around sunrise, is social until about noontime when tank lights start to come on, and then goes to bed before the male's behavior gets too aggressive. She eats a ton, both look very healthy... it is odd. I keep hoping that one day she will just stay up!