Serpentman's ADHD Multi Tank builds with some throwbacks

[Serpentman2024]

Current corals are doing awesome in spite of the diatom outbreak.

Orange Oxide Zoas

WWC AOI's

Sang Lee Colorado Sunburst BTA

 

[Kirklan]

Looks like your tanks are coming along nicely! My IM 40g has had pretty bad diatoms for the last 2+ weeks. I've had one lonely clown fish holding down the fort in there. In just the last 2-3 days the diatoms have just up and disappeared. Just in time because I have a few quarantined fish and corals coming! My IM 75EXT has been slightly behind in its cycle and just now started to really break out in diatoms. I expect it will run its course the same way and will clear up in a week or two.

Keep the updates coming!

 

[Serpentman2024]

Looks like your tanks are coming along nicely! My IM 40g has had pretty bad diatoms for the last 2+ weeks. I've had one lonely clown fish holding down the fort in there. In just the last 2-3 days the diatoms have just up and disappeared. Just in time because I have a few quarantined fish and corals coming! My IM 75EXT has been slightly behind in its cycle and just now started to really break out in diatoms. I expect it will run its course the same way and will clear up in a week or two.

Keep the updates coming!

I decided to run GFO and they're subsiding rapidly. Phosphate levels are low but was concerned about residual silicates. I am experiencing a bacterial bloom so water is cloudy. Not panicking and still running my lights so it runs its course. Corals and fish don't mind. My only issue is its dropped my pH to 7.8. Again not panicking.

The wait is killing me. I'm dying to get back to SPS but waiting for things to stabilize. Until I see coralline algae start popping up which will likely be several months. However, I might throw a piece of monti cap in there as a canary in the mine test.

Do you have a build thread for your 75EXT?

 

[Serpentman2024]

I have GOT to stop going on FB Marketplace! Picked up another tank (30g shallow rimless) almost complete system almost brand new for a steal. Couldn't resist! Not sure what I'm going to do with it. Either a nem tank or frag grow out.

 

[Kirklan]

Wow, sweet pickup from FB assuming the price was right. Has a lot of useful gear even if you don't set up the tank.

No build thread. I may post a thread about the tanks and livestock once it's a little more mature.

 

[Kirklan]

Received a bunch of LPS frags and a few fish today. Everything is opening up and looking good except for one fish that was DOA.

 

[rioreef]

is that a thermostat on the wall behind the 75? Not good. I would relocate the thermostat.

Also, I have the same tank and needed to shim the two front corners. After placing the shims I studied the stand supports dimensions and how they are constructed. A shingle composite shim will definitely allow you to level it but only a portion of the support will rest on the shim where the shim is at at thickest. Also the composite shims I got at Home Depot were not as wide as the support it was under.

So what I did was used four shims per corner. Each shim is a very flat triangle. So, knowing the max thickness I needed I trimmed each the to the necessary length and stacked two shims on top on each, opposing each other. This made a rectangle that the stand support will sit on completely. I repeated this and put the second set of stacked shims next to it. Now I had a mini platform of the necessary thickness that the entire corner support sits on. For me this platform is about 1/8 thick. I also let it stick out from the edges of the stand so downward pressure is not right on the edge of the shims.

 

[Serpentman2024]

is that a thermostat on the wall behind the 75? Not good. I would relocate the thermostat.

Also, I have the same tank and needed to shim the two front corners. After placing the shims I studied the stand supports dimensions and how they are constructed. A shingle composite shim will definitely allow you to level it but only a portion of the support will rest on the shim where the shim is at at thickest. Also the composite shims I got at Home Depot were not as wide as the support it was under.

So what I did was used four shims per corner. Each shim is a very flat triangle. So, knowing the max thickness I needed I trimmed each the to the necessary length and stacked two shims on top on each, opposing each other. This made a rectangle that the stand support will sit on completely. I repeated this and put the second set of stacked shims next to it. Now I had a mini platform of the necessary thickness that the entire corner support sits on. For me this platform is about 1/8 thick. I also let it stick out from the edges of the stand so downward pressure is not right on the edge of the shims.

That is the remnants of an old security system not a thermostat. Would definitely not want it there or my house would be a proverbial icebox.

I had to shim this tank as well. It wasn't terribly unlevel but I went overkill and placed several shims. 4 in each corner plus addition where the fit.

 

[Serpentman2024]

Decided to go back to my "roots" and change my name. I used to go by "Serpentman" but it was taken....

 

[Serpentman2024]

Was going through some old pictures of my old SPS setup and found this video.

 

[Serpentman2024]

My little side project. Thinking this will be a little lagoon nem tank.

 

[Kirklan]

That was a sweet build you had back in then!

 

[Serpentman2024]

That was a sweet build you had back in then!

Thanks! I still miss it. Had a terrible accident in 2012 and had to shut it down. I'm about 3yrs away from being able to tackle a large build. Once my alimony is done, its on!

 

[Serpentman2024]

Sooo, confirmed that I have dinos. Wonderful. And of course, did everything wrong. Unfortunately, being a somewhat veteran but just reentering the fold, I'm continually humbled. Unfortunately, my ego and "I know what I'm doing" mentality, has caused me to make all kinds of newbie errors. For example, as soon as diatoms were an issue, I nuked my nutrients with GFO. Worst thing I could do. Enter dinoflagellates. Ostreopsis dinos to be exact.

 

[Kirklan]

Good luck with the dino battle! Have you done any PAR measurements with the Kessil installed? I'm trying to decide if I have enough light or not. The overly blue lighting that is ran these days has my eyes fooled into thinking I need more PAR. Thinking about running a Kessil A360X tuna blue in the center like your setup.

 

[Serpentman2024]

Aesthetically speaking, I love the look with the Kessil. In fact, I had to tune it slightly blue because it can wash out the Radions. I'm working on a getting my hands on a PAR meter to update the measurements. I also upgraded the lenses on the Radions to the high intensity ones so we'll see. In the meantime, Im running low light for a couple days trying to get on top of the dinos.

 

[Serpentman2024]

Update. Not sure if I can declare victory against dinoflagellates yet but so far, so good. It's been a week since I reduced light and let the UV do its work. So far, no sign of them....

Current levels:

Ca: 403
Alk: 8.1
Mg: 1220
NO3: 2.1
PO4: 0.05

 

[Kirklan]

Looking good! I'm battling a cyano problem in my IM 40g AIO. For whatever reason cyano decided to get revved up again after having come and gone three weeks ago. Only change made was I added a UV sterilizer. Maybe it killed off something in the water column and created an in-balance? Just being patient and staying the course.

Added a bunch of SPS frags to my IM 75g. A few didn't make the shipping and acclimation, but most of them are doing fine as well as some LPS and 2 crocea clams. I purchased quite a few frags from a well known online vendor and a few came with aiptasia on them! Now I'm having to go on eradication mode. Aiptasia is the sole reason I broke down my tank 10 years ago and got out of the hobby!

 

[Serpentman2024]

Looking good! I'm battling a cyano problem in my IM 40g AIO. For whatever reason cyano decided to get revved up again after having come and gone three weeks ago. Only change made was I added a UV sterilizer. Maybe it killed off something in the water column and created an in-balance? Just being patient and staying the course.

Added a bunch of SPS frags to my IM 75g. A few didn't make the shipping and acclimation, but most of them are doing fine as well as some LPS and 2 crocea clams. I purchased quite a few frags from a well known online vendor and a few came with aiptasia on them! Now I'm having to go on eradication mode. Aiptasia is the sole reason I broke down my tank 10 years ago and got out of the hobby!

My only unsolicited advise is to let the cyano run its course. I went old school and nuked it with GFO which worked well. But tanking the nutrients opened the door to dinoflagellates which are much worse.

I added a couple SPS (gifts from friends) that I refer to as canaries in the mine. So far they're not dying lol. But I wouldn't say they're growing either. Don't expect them to grow until coralline starts popping up.

Ironically, my little side project 40 breeder that I literally slapped together cheap, is doing great. I used established rock and it's got coralline growth and flourishing. Granted its also overrun with pest corals. I'm going softies and just going to let it run wild.

Confession: I already have eyes on an upgrade. Gotta rearrange my living room but either later this year or early next, I'm going to bump to a 180-200 gallon. First have to get through my daughter's wedding ($$$).

This'll be a interim upgrade. I can't sell my house for another 3-4 years. When I do, my plan is to do an 96"x30"x30" build. I think I'll call it my 'midlife crisis' build.

 

[Serpentman2024]

Just got back from a business trip. Don't want to jinx it but the tank is looking good. Zoas are doing well. So far, SPS isn't growing yet but at least it's not dying. Tank still has some maturing to do before I add too much more SPS.