Susan's RSM 250

Susan Edwards · Dec 19, 2016

So far, no amonia spike, a one day nitrite spike to .5 Shrimp (a large jumbo one) in for 3 days now. Not sure how long to leave. Micro bubbles gone. Skimmer seems adjusted now.

Susan Edwards · Dec 19, 2016

So far, no amonia spike, a one day nitrite spike to .5 Shrimp (large jumbo) in for 3 days now. Not sure how long to leave. Micro bubbles gone. Skimmer seems adjusted now.

Susan Edwards · Dec 21, 2016

Here are my tests since I started. I waited a couple of days. The bio spira took care of my cycle and I think i'm going to order 3 corals and 2 clowns.
17th NH4 0, NO2 0, NO3 0
18th NH4 0, NO2 .5, NO3 0
19th NH4 0, NO2 .05, NO3 0
20th NH4 0, NO2 .02, NO3 2
21st NH4 0, NO2 .01, NO3 10
I'm using the Red Sea kit

Susan Edwards · Dec 22, 2016

Have spots of what I believe to be diatom on the sand. And a couple rocks have a brownish cast to them as well. Assuming this is good as it indicates the tank is doing its thing. Hoping I can maybe take some time out tomorrow to go to a LFS and add a couple clowns before xmas. Don't think there is enough stuff for a CUC to munch on yet.

Here are my tests since I started. I'm using the Red Sea kit. I waited a couple of days before doing the first test.
17th NH4 0, NO2 0, NO3 0
18th NH4 0, NO2 .5, NO3 0
19th NH4 0, NO2 .05, NO3 0
20th NH4 0, NO2 .02, NO3 2
21st NH4 0, NO2 .01, NO3 10
Today, the 22nd
NH4 0
NO2 0
NO3 10
ph 8.2
Alk 2.5 Not sure what this is or if it is way too low.

Here are some pics taken today. Hmmm, time to put temp probe into sump area... And adjust one nozzle so it doesn't shift sand below. Also going to add carbon to media area in back. 2 bags carbon, and tomorrow, the purigen that should arrive.

Susan Edwards · Dec 24, 2016

First livestock! Nothing too exciting but it's mine

. As much as I like some of the designer clowns, for my first fish, I wanted inexpensive and I like clowns period so these little guys are more than welcome. Added 3 frags: A torch, Xenia and a Clove. I'm researching where to put them now. I know my daughter got me a Xenia for Xmas as she was affronted that I bought one <g>.

Susan Edwards · Dec 25, 2016

Added 2 more corals. A green Star Polyp and a rock of zoo's. From my dau's tank for my xmas present. Very cool. Her SO who has a 300 gal tank and a separate sump ROOM was impressed with my tank and we had some good fish discussions. Def. need to add some more CUC next week. Clowns doing very well.

Susan Edwards · Dec 27, 2016

Okay, updating. Tank seems cycled and steady with all tests so far. Added some livestock
23rd 2 small clowns, 1 clove frag, 1 xenia, 1 torch, 3 cerith snails
25th 1 green star, 1 frag with zoos
26th GBTA and fan, 2 turbans, 4 nassarious snails

All seem to be doing really well. BT is hiding in a deep crevice of my pukani. He just sank down into the crevice. Fan happy except when clowns get too close! Turned off wave maker until I can put a netting around it until I know she is settled or in case she moves. Moved the torch up higher--had all corals on the sandbed for a few days. it's really stretching out and waving

Numbers are holding. Will do the 1st 10 % water change today. Have to see if the water is at temp yet. Had appearance of some pink stuff on rocks. Cyano most likely.

Pic of fan and part of the tank with the corals placed.

Susan Edwards · Dec 29, 2016

Day 15 and all is still good in tank. Numbers steady. Cyano, just a bit, appears in the morning, and it gone in a couple hours or less once lights are on and wave maker back on full.

All corals doing great. Clowns happy. Moved some of the corals around today. Xenia was looking a bit pale yesterday. Moved it up and looks better already. Moved Torch down a bit. Not as happy on bottom of tank, so moved it up about 4-5 inches. Flow looks good. It was happy on high perch but didn't want it too close as it grew to the other corals. About ready to poxy the zoo fragment in place. Going to shift it a bit when I do. Snails (3 ceriths, 2 turbans) are hard at work on the diatoms. Really cleared a lot of it. The 4 Nassisarius are fun to watch when I feed the tank.

The GBTA is poking up out of the crevice. I put it on a piece of pukani, and it sunk into the deep crevice. Starting to rise up a bit. Sinks back down at night. Ate a piece of shrimp yesterday. Hope it comes out a bit more for the clowns to find. The feather duster is very happy. Noticed it has 2 heads. Not sure what it is exactly but it spirals.

Next step is to set up my refugium. I have a 10 gal tank. It will have to be out in the room as it won't fit under. Which means snaking hoses along wall. Unless I use a 5 gal tank. I'll have to see if the baffles I bought will fit.

Researching my next additions. Trying to plan what fish next and when to buy--plan for the next six months. That way, I know what I want and won't give in to impulse buying at the LFS, or at least not too much... Same with corals.

Having fun and my hubby is even getting into it by looking up info online. The GBTA is in the crevice of the pukani on far left and "over" the top to the valley below. Clove polyps on far right behind rick. Might move them out but the flow is good there so they aren't blown all around. Might try them above the torch

cale0721 · Dec 29, 2016

Looks great. Baby clown fish are so fun to watch wiggle through the water lol.

Susan Edwards · Dec 29, 2016

thanks @cale0721 I'm enjoying them a lot, and really love the torch and fan. GBTA showing more of itself. Hope it comes out to play!

cale0721 · Dec 29, 2016

Susan Edwards said:
thanks @cale0721 I'm enjoying them a lot, and really love the torch and fan. GBTA showing more of itself. Hope it comes out to play!

You're welcome. You'll get great enjoyment out of seeing your reef come to life in the coming months. Congrats!

nicholas.babb@gmail · Dec 29, 2016

Looks like a good start!

Susan Edwards · Dec 31, 2016

received my RS Cal/Ma/Alk test kit today. All numbers seem to be in normal ranges. Tomorrow, I'll prepare for another water change as nitrate are up a bit--between 10-15. Nitrites at .1 when it's usually 0. Setting up my RODI unit in kitchen, mounted to wall. Then I can either snake hose inside or devise a hook up to the sink when needed. Not sure my facet can be converted. I'll figure that all out. First things first. Def. need to find some longer lengths of aquarium hose though for pumping into my tank.

Keep hoping GBTA will climb out of crevice. Comes out part way during day. At night? I swear it slides down to sandbed. Can't even see it.

Susan Edwards · Jan 3, 2017

the GBTA has climbed out of its deep crevice and has joined the tank! it came down the pukani and is attacked to the back side a bit. I'm hoping it will continue to explore and find a more up front place but I'm just so relieved it's come out. Now for my clowns to find it. They've been looking at my torch. I suspect one of them tried it out last night as it completely receded for the night. It's never done that on its own...

Got lots of bright green algae all over the rocks and sand and some tough to remove algae on the glass. Time for a scrapper as the magnet cleaner doesn't take it all off.

sneub · Jan 3, 2017

Following

Susan Edwards · Jan 5, 2017

What a tank day! I had 2 friends coming over so I wanted my tank nice and pretty. First task, algae on the glass, lots of it... It was so fine, like a powder, it murked up the water! Then I decided to dip the two frags in a peroxide solution and pull, pluck etc. some of the thick hair algae covering one. The other, was too hard to get too--it was on the actual Clove coral itself and that frag of 3 heads seems rather fragile anyway. I didn't do a strong solution--a bit less than 30/70. Then put them back in. The zoes mostly opened but there are a few that have a purple like slime coating on them. Tried to brush off but still there. The Clove corals are still pisssed.... Haven't opened all day.

Then right before my friends leave later afternoon, the GBTA decides to finally move again--went from crevice to back of pukani rock. This time, it's moves around then lets go! I guided it to a spot. Nope. Let go again. I had to move the feather duster--lucky he's not attached yet--or the gbta would have crushed him, moved a couple other corals as well. I think either it or my hand brushed the green star coral as it wasn't all open. I don't think it liked all the algae in the water either as it hasn't been as happy today either....

This time, the current carried it into a deep cave. No way! If it dies in there I'll have to take apart the rock. So I reached in and carefully scooped it out. Found it another place against the rocks at the sandbed. It attaches. Good I think. then: uh-oh. It's sinking into the crevice and keeps going.

comes out the back where it's hanging upside down.... Sheesh. I'm sure it's not done moving. That can't be a great place. Going to drive me nuts... Even though I have a mesh bag over my wavemaker, I turned it off for the night.

Then I look at the glass and back and all that powder algae is back... more scraping... more yuck in tank. Ordered some algae scraping tools as some of it is sticking now and the magnet cleaner can't get it off.

Then this evening, I come back into office and find torch retracted. Again... I think one of my clowns keeps trying to go into it (it's nice when stretched out and up) and it doesn't appreciate the fishes desires.

So, a day of dealing with the tank! Have to get back to my writing schedule tomorrow! That GBTA had better behave....

Lift off

Wheeeeee

Peek a boo. Now you see me, now you don't.... He went all the way thru and is facing the back wall like a pouting 2 year old... I have a video but I guess I can't put here.

Mel 2038 · Jan 5, 2017

I'm enjoying you thread. Great job! Ill have to follow along now.

JMLewis · Jan 5, 2017

Gotta say I'm a little concerned that you added livestock 9 days after adding water with dry rock. Did you use anything like Dr. Tims one and only to jump start the cycle or anything like that?

I started my last tank with dry rock using a small ammount of pure ammonia and I want to say it took around 2-3 weeks to even start showing nitrites. Just thinking that might have something to do with the BTA detaching and torch receding.

Either way nice tank I'll enjoy following along as well.

Susan Edwards · Jan 5, 2017

Mel 2038 said:
I'm enjoying you thread. Great job! Ill have to follow along now.

thanks Mel. It's quite a journey. So different than freshwater tanks!

Susan Edwards · Jan 5, 2017

JMLewis said:
Gotta say I'm a little concerned that you added livestock 9 days after adding water with dry rock. Did you use anything like Dr. Tims one and only to jump start the cycle or anything like that?

I started my last tank with dry rock using a small ammount of pure ammonia and I want to say it took around 2-3 weeks to even start showing nitrites. Just thinking that might have something to do with the BTA detaching and torch receding.

Either way nice tank I'll enjoy following along as well.

@JMLewis Yes, I used biospira and a large jumbo shrimp. I never had any ammonia spike, a couple small nitrite spikes and then just nitrates but no higher than 15-20. Tank has been pretty stable, and all livestock doing well--except for some ticked off corals from their treatment yesterday...

the BTA was in a deep crevice from the time I put it into the tank on the 26th, coming up a bit, then sinking back down so far, it was hard to see. I expected it to move at some point as it wasn't in what I'd call an ideal location. I suspect it is now searching for it's permanent place and will be watching closely today. I've picked out a couple more areas if it goes floating about. Also will go search the internet again for placement preferences. A couple places it landed yesterday were strong flow areas so didn't like those. I have a nice area that is a lower flow when it goes swim-about again. Seems healthy, does eat. The torch, up until 2 times this week has never retracted. In fact, I swear it's close to double its size and is always fully extended. The sweeper tentacles are a good 4 inches above the main body now. I've seen one of the clowns looking at it, getting close and suspect it's trying to host there at night, as the retracting, twice, has been right before or after lights go out. And the clowns are thriving. They've grown a lot already and the Xenia seems to be also thriving. So using the biospira and the shrimp, my tank went thru the initial cycle much faster and I'm now doing weekly water changes but not yet rinsing the foam media in the back sump--keeping as much of the good bacteria in the tank for now. Aside from a good case of uglies, tank seems good. Waiting to see what this green algae is or does.