Our Reefing Addiction

[Daddy-o]

As I do my Holiday shopping online, I cant help but to buy some goodies for my reefs as I look to have even better reefs in the new year. I'm gonna add:
- ZeoBak to all reefs
- Apocyclops Pods to all reefs
- A couple more powerheads for increased flow
- A new heater with digital readout for L/R display reef
- New t5s for SPS tank - 4x 6500k Tropic and 2 Super actinic
- New 40 gallon breeder for frags
- New 50 gallon tank for our 4 very large serpent stars
- New bulbs for Bio-Cube
- Once I get the new tanks running I will be adding more fish (probably at least 20 Springer Damsels and some herbivores)
What else do I need.....................?
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddy-o]

Everything is just humming along.
- Increased vinegar to 5ml per gallon of R/O.
- Increased fish feeding a bit. The tanks were getting 1 frozen cube every other day. Now on the days I was not feeding each tank will get 1/2 cube frozen and a "quarter sized" seaweed that has been broken up.
On a side note, Looks like Santa picked up the 40 gallon breeder that was on my wishlist and delivered it early - Yay! It is going to be added to my garage system to house our huge serpent stars.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddy-o]

This is the space that the 40 breeder will go. I need to make a stand to hold it high enough so that I can drill the side of the 40b and have it drain into the existing tank.

 

[Daddy-o]

I had a little time so I got the stand roughed in. Still a bunch of work to do but the glass drill wont be here til Jan. 1st. so no rush. I really love owning a nail gun! Knocked this out in about 30 minutes.

 

[Daddy-o]

Joker Favia

 

[Daddy-o]

Toxic Green Acro

 

[Daddy-o]

 

[Daddy-o]

I've got the framing done, doors on and ready for some insulation (reef is in the unheated garage) before I add the top.

 

[Daddy-o]

Hoping to stop a little bit of heat loss from the bottom. Added a sheet of 1 inch styro underneath and then 1 inch styrofoam in between. Ready for a top - Yay!

 

[Daddy-o]

Family gave me some Zeobak - bacteria for Christmas. Although I dont currently have any issues, who doesnt want a healthier reef. I am going to dose the little blue bottle into all the reefs til it is gone and then switch to a different brand in hopes of adding different strains of bacteria. I also got a small bottle of ZeoStart which I belive is just carbon dosing. I will be using that on only the garage system. My thoughts on dosing the bacteria is to introduce different strains to the reefs, but not dose it forever.
I also got my bottle of AcroPower and will alternate it with the ME Polyp Extender that I have been using. Never hurts to add a little amino.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddy-o]

Busy reefer day today. Emptied and sold my 200 gallon reef tank. It was 8 feet long and right in the spot I am going to put the new pinball machine. Lot of work pulling a couple hundred pounds of rock/sand and getting a temp tank set up to keep the rock alive for the new tank. Also got new tubes installed in the T5 fixture. I am gonna run 4x 6500k tropics and 2 actinic. Tomorrow I will try to get the stand finished and the new tank drilled.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Dave Cureton]

Please share some pics of the new lighting when you can. I'm curious to see how it looks and ultimately how the powerchrome bulbs perform. Thanks!

 

[Daddy-o]

Please share some pics of the new lighting when you can. I'm curious to see how it looks and ultimately how the powerchrome bulbs perform. Thanks!

Sounds good! I am upgrading from cheap ebay tubes. I was running:
2- 10,000k
2- 6500k
2- actinic
I was starting to get a liitle red turf algae in this reef and was thinking it may be caused by the 10,000k tubes. This reef shares a sump with 2 other displays running MarsAqua LED and even though all 3 tanks are plumbed together only the t5 lit reef has this issue.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddy-o]

My first impression is that the actinics make the corals glow a bit more green than the cheap bulbs and the white seems brighter and less yellow. Time will be the true test.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddy-o]

 

[Daddy-o]

Stand is built, tank is drilled, and some water and rocks are cycling - YAY!!! The rocks have been cycling in 50 degree water for a couple months. I installed a heater into the new tank and will let the rocks cycle at a warmer temp. for a while and see if I get an ammonia spike before I finish the plumbing into the other 3 displays and sump. Still have more rocks to add. Gonna paint the stand when the temps outside warm up a bit.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddy-o]

Well the heater has been on for about 3 hours and temp is unchanged. It is a Fluval E series with the digital readout and color changing LCD screen ( blue is too cold, green is good, and red is too hot) while I like the features, it works for crap!!!

 

[Daddy-o]

Still trying to get the iphone pics. correct.

 

[Daddy-o]

 

[Daddy-o]