It's been a long time since I've updated this thread but I will bring it up to speed and add in some pictures too in the next couple of days.
First things first.
Somewhere along the way I ended up adding in some fish with flukes that spread to other fish. I did a FW dip but alas it was too late and I ended up losing seven fish but saved the clowns that had been with us for a while and 2 Bangaiis. Everything else was taken by the flukes and associated issues.
When I did the FW dip on the fish you should have seen the flukes peeling off.....it was a sad moment and it really speaks to the need for quarantine. I do not blame my LFS as the responsibility for quarantine and ensuring health is on me....if I'd done this correctly I may have lost one fish instead.
I did 4 treatments of prazipro and then didn't add anything for months. The flukes never reappeared and all was well after that.
At the same time I've been fighting diatoms which is normal for the dryrock and IME usually takes about 1 year to clear up through regular waterchanges and cycling. There are ways to speed it up (lanthanum chloride, lights out and various additives) but I'm not really into adding anything to the tank.....unless I absolutely have to.
As for the coral, they were doing well but somewhere along the line params took a back seat to dealing with the fish and then a bit of hands off while the tank was recovering and they didn't make it through. Honestly though, not that upset as the tank was still young and not really stable.
The tank is now 10 months in and the coral I'm keeping now are all locally grown from friends tanks and they're doing well. Growth and color are both present. I mounted several plug with SPS frags and within 2 months they are completely encrusted plus good growth on existing tips and new tips.
