Shawn's Custom 48x24x14 Shallow Reef Build
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swilliams2207
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I added a second clownfish today. I'm sharing because the results are so interesting.
Clown 1 in this tank was a replacement clown for an initial pairing from a year or so ago. This clown has been solo in this tank for 4-5 months now. Over time (she?) slowly started hosting a large hammer coral in my tank. It used to swim around but now all she does is play with the hammer. It's cool to see regardless.
I was hesitant to add another clown fearing it wouldn't go well. I figured I would give it a shot as a trial and introduced a smaller percula clown. Within about 5 minutes the new clown was already hosting the hammer and both of them were doing their shaking clown shiver. No nipping or aggression between the two. I'm blown away that the new clown instantly "hosted" this hammer when the other clown took months.
The first clown wasn't overly territorial of the hammer but would occasionally charge other fish that got too close. The two of them are currently swimming about the tank. Nature is so wild.
Clown 1 in this tank was a replacement clown for an initial pairing from a year or so ago. This clown has been solo in this tank for 4-5 months now. Over time (she?) slowly started hosting a large hammer coral in my tank. It used to swim around but now all she does is play with the hammer. It's cool to see regardless.
I was hesitant to add another clown fearing it wouldn't go well. I figured I would give it a shot as a trial and introduced a smaller percula clown. Within about 5 minutes the new clown was already hosting the hammer and both of them were doing their shaking clown shiver. No nipping or aggression between the two. I'm blown away that the new clown instantly "hosted" this hammer when the other clown took months.
The first clown wasn't overly territorial of the hammer but would occasionally charge other fish that got too close. The two of them are currently swimming about the tank. Nature is so wild.
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swilliams2207
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Don’t tell my wife.
After a lot of thought - I’m removing the AIO section and adding a Fiji 24 sump. I’m going to enclose the stand and move everything under the tank so it’s easier to access and a less cluttered with wires behind the stand etc. Wish I went this route to begin with but you live and learn.
will post lots of pics/ updates in the coming weeks.
After a lot of thought - I’m removing the AIO section and adding a Fiji 24 sump. I’m going to enclose the stand and move everything under the tank so it’s easier to access and a less cluttered with wires behind the stand etc. Wish I went this route to begin with but you live and learn.
will post lots of pics/ updates in the coming weeks.
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swilliams2207
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How’s that for a rip clean @brandon429
Full clean, holes drilled, tank stand raised/leveled, sump built, sand bed rinsed, new scape. Water is crystal clear. Took 19 hours but so worth it. Wish the pictures did it justice.
Full clean, holes drilled, tank stand raised/leveled, sump built, sand bed rinsed, new scape. Water is crystal clear. Took 19 hours but so worth it. Wish the pictures did it justice.
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my gosh that's $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
you had a lot of delicate life on the line there, for sure I'll begin merging pics (excellent detail) with our sand rinse thread we needed a new entrant
you had a lot of delicate life on the line there, for sure I'll begin merging pics (excellent detail) with our sand rinse thread we needed a new entrant
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swilliams2207
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I’ll post more details later. Stuff is still reacclimating but AMAZING how much better corals look already since the Dino outbreak. This was a lot of work but so far so good. The amount of stuff in the sand bed was unfathomable. Should have rinsed my sand from the beginning. So much unnecessary dust added to the tank from day 1.
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I wouldn't think we'd be as lucky that one pass fixes it either, it's just that you've aligned by raw will several factors that are now in your favor such as:
-no need to withhold feed now. older, aged, eutrophic systems on the tipping point of waste + invasion complexes get worse many times when we up the feeding for the tank, or fail to reduce current feed levels. corals starve
now you can feed a lot, just be siphoning up that bed preemptively now or stick stirring it to prevent buildup vs letting it all sink in. you can feed more, not less, and not boost your invasion, to the benefit of your corals which are $$ top shelf solid.
before the tank surgery, any lifting of rocks to detail them externally kicks up a waste cloud stuck to bottom of the rocks and redistributes it around the tank/clouding/waste increases. now it's all laser clear...sands from a snowglobe...we expect you will have to lift out rocks again and remove/rinse off / target apply peroxide to invasion spots (avoiding corals, it's why we work externally with rocks and not via the water) but now you'll have no such clouding.
the physical act of lifting out/arranging and setting back rocks won't be a distribution of waste. you granted yourself consequence-free access. before the rinse it was big consequence
-you increased nitrification/filtration ability in the tank by opening up pores and surface area that were formerly clogged in waste and detritus in the prior sand. without adding more bacteria, without adding more surface area, you expanded your filtration system ability/efficiency and you removed one bazillion extra bacteria commanding O2 from your system housed alongside all that mud you rinsed out. your tank is breathing better, less acid waste, less co2 produced, and it looks that way in the vibrancy of the corals. Ill really make work of your rip clean documentation soon thanks tons!!! job/surgery/reef dentistry complete/ skip cycle complete.
I love seeing rip cleans where the tank looks so clear it looks empty, you did that here/well done it's perfect
-no need to withhold feed now. older, aged, eutrophic systems on the tipping point of waste + invasion complexes get worse many times when we up the feeding for the tank, or fail to reduce current feed levels. corals starve
now you can feed a lot, just be siphoning up that bed preemptively now or stick stirring it to prevent buildup vs letting it all sink in. you can feed more, not less, and not boost your invasion, to the benefit of your corals which are $$ top shelf solid.
before the tank surgery, any lifting of rocks to detail them externally kicks up a waste cloud stuck to bottom of the rocks and redistributes it around the tank/clouding/waste increases. now it's all laser clear...sands from a snowglobe...we expect you will have to lift out rocks again and remove/rinse off / target apply peroxide to invasion spots (avoiding corals, it's why we work externally with rocks and not via the water) but now you'll have no such clouding.
the physical act of lifting out/arranging and setting back rocks won't be a distribution of waste. you granted yourself consequence-free access. before the rinse it was big consequence
-you increased nitrification/filtration ability in the tank by opening up pores and surface area that were formerly clogged in waste and detritus in the prior sand. without adding more bacteria, without adding more surface area, you expanded your filtration system ability/efficiency and you removed one bazillion extra bacteria commanding O2 from your system housed alongside all that mud you rinsed out. your tank is breathing better, less acid waste, less co2 produced, and it looks that way in the vibrancy of the corals. Ill really make work of your rip clean documentation soon thanks tons!!! job/surgery/reef dentistry complete/ skip cycle complete.
I love seeing rip cleans where the tank looks so clear it looks empty, you did that here/well done it's perfect
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swilliams2207
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it's been exactly 10 days since my rip clean and so far no sign of dinos other than 1-2 very small isolated strands last week that I took care of. Been running UV constantly and everything looks good. Added some nee mini colonies as well.
Updates tank and stand pics.
Updates tank and stand pics.
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swilliams2207
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Things are cruising along here. Some ups and downs. Some hair algae issues but nothing a deep clean can’t fix. I’m slowly learning water changes are probably more necessary than I thought.
To date I’ve been skimmerless and feeding moderately. I still struggle with nutrients bottoming out, although GHA must have been triggered by something… unless it was introduced or just part of the first year blooms. I’m debating more aggressive feeding and heavier export. I’m looking to expand my CUC and maybe add a goby to help keep the sand bed turned over more.
To date I’ve been skimmerless and feeding moderately. I still struggle with nutrients bottoming out, although GHA must have been triggered by something… unless it was introduced or just part of the first year blooms. I’m debating more aggressive feeding and heavier export. I’m looking to expand my CUC and maybe add a goby to help keep the sand bed turned over more.
