Tyler's 220 gallon in wall build thread!

[scott11106]

clean up crew should be fine, i always use fritz turbo start....has not let me down yet, i use it on my QT every time i restart them and does great, you can always add some now to boost your cycle. when are your first fish ready to put in?

 

[TK_KW]

clean up crew should be fine, i always use fritz turbo start....has not let me down yet, i use it on my QT every time i restart them and does great, you can always add some now to boost your cycle. when are your first fish ready to put in?

I'm going fishless for 76 days, I'm paranoid something could be on shells. As I'm currently about to copper my fish for 30 days cause of ich, what's the rush. Tearing down that rock work is not happening soooooo lol. I'll wait.

 

[saintsreturn]

Just got done reading your thread. WOW... Well done! Makes me really wish i had a basement lol.

 

[scott11106]

I'm going fishless for 76 days, I'm paranoid something could be on shells. As I'm currently about to copper my fish for 30 days cause of ich, what's the rush. Tearing down that rock work is not happening soooooo lol. I'll wait.

sounds like a great plan

 

[TK_KW]

So my first major mistake.....ugh.....

When I knew i had flukes, then eventually also ich. I transferred all fish to QT2. And my lfs told me to just nuke QT1 with 4 times the dose of copper for 4 days, then just so a large water change and you'll be fine...which I had done.

Then I got confused with ammonia levels in my display, panicked thinking i was poisoning the snails and hermits that I may have put in to early. So I choose to transfer them into my QT1 to be safe( I also put frags in this tank 4 days prior).

My Hanna copper checker showed up Friday, as I was getting ready to start ramping up copper. Thur night I added 2ml of copper to my QT2 with the fish. I tested the water to see where it was at. As I'm doing this I'm also wondering why my zoanthids havnt opened, so I figured i would test QT1.

Boooommm, QT1 was reading .22 copper...ugh clearly I hadn't got all the copper out. So I rushed to re transfer everything into my DT. Dipped corals again, and tossed them in DT also.

Fingers crossed these two Zoanthid frags come back. But I dont have high hopes. Every snails seems to be doing fine, couple of hermits moved to the dark side. Lesson learned I guess.

Love my basement view

 

[scott11106]

So my first major mistake.....ugh.....

When I knew i had flukes, then eventually also ich. I transferred all fish to QT2. And my lfs told me to just nuke QT1 with 4 times the dose of copper for 4 days, then just so a large water change and you'll be fine...which I had done.

Then I got confused with ammonia levels in my display, panicked thinking i was poisoning the snails and hermits that I may have put in to early. So I choose to transfer them into my QT1 to be safe( I also put frags in this tank 4 days prior).

My Hanna copper checker showed up Friday, as I was getting ready to start ramping up copper. Thur night I added 2ml of copper to my QT2 with the fish. I tested the water to see where it was at. As I'm doing this I'm also wondering why my zoanthids havnt opened, so I figured i would test QT1.

Boooommm, QT1 was reading .22 copper...ugh clearly I hadn't got all the copper out. So I rushed to re transfer everything into my DT. Dipped corals again, and tossed them in DT also.

Fingers crossed these two Zoanthid frags come back. But I dont have high hopes. Every snails seems to be doing fine, couple of hermits moved to the dark side. Lesson learned I guess.

Love my basement view

Well good luck with the frags and inverts..
dont beat yourself up either way as there is a steep learning curve and there are a lot of parameters and moving parts so mistakes are inevitable. I would always tear down the tanks and clean and let dry but I have always heard that once you put copper in the tank to assume it will always have copper. i know this is not true but i follow it anyway and my fish QT never sees coral or inverts just in case. i do howver sometimes put fish in the coral qt tank but i do not medicate in there.

Also where are you getting your fish as i would have a problem with getting sick fish? knock on wood but i have not seen ICH or flukes yet but i may be lucky to date

 

[TK_KW]

Well good luck with the frags and inverts..
dont beat yourself up either way as there is a steep learning curve and there are a lot of parameters and moving parts so mistakes are inevitable. I would always tear down the tanks and clean and let dry but I have always heard that once you put copper in the tank to assume it will always have copper. i know this is not true but i follow it anyway and my fish QT never sees coral or inverts just in case. i do howver sometimes put fish in the coral qt tank but i do not medicate in there.

Also where are you getting your fish as i would have a problem with getting sick fish? knock on wood but i have not seen ICH or flukes yet but i may be lucky to date

For myself, these first fish came from a big Al's. As they are the closest with large selection. And a ton of coral. The store near me is one of their best canadian stores for selections. But on that note, here we are with the bs. Tons of places in the states that are reputable. But crossing our boarders has little guarantee, if they even ship here. Where do you get your fish @scott11106?

As far as the copper, Illl do a complete tear down, clean, waterchange then maybe add polyfilter for removing any traces of copper. That would work I hope.

Also noticed today that one of my pylei wrasses are swimming funny. I've rambled up copper over last three days in QT2. I have to test when I get home, but its somewhere around the 1.2 mark currently. Wrasse is swimming oddly vertical it seems. Very unusual

 

[scott11106]

For myself, these first fish came from a big Al's. As they are the closest with large selection. And a ton of coral. The store near me is one of their best canadian stores for selections. But on that note, here we are with the crap. Tons of places in the states that are reputable. But crossing our boarders has little guarantee, if they even ship here. Where do you get your fish @scott11106?

As far as the copper, Illl do a complete tear down, clean, waterchange then maybe add polyfilter for removing any traces of copper. That would work I hope.

Also noticed today that one of my pylei wrasses are swimming funny. I've rambled up copper over last three days in QT2. I have to test when I get home, but its somewhere around the 1.2 mark currently. Wrasse is swimming oddly vertical it seems. Very unusual

my LFS is not good either so, to be honest, i have had great luck with https://www.liveaquaria.com.
copper is tough on the fish and wrasses really dont do well with prozzi especially at higher levels

 

[TK_KW]

So I am finally seeing the diatom bloom in my display, little hard to see in photos, but the brown is in full effect.

QT1 and QT2 I have completly teared down, to iradicate my ich issue from those two tanks. Adding a glass divider to help attempt prevention of cross contamination between the two. I think I'm going to turn one of them into a frag tank and CUC QT.

I've added another tank (QT3) 40g breeder, I think at this point my wife think I'm nuts lol. But as I've learnt so much, I needed to add it. This tank will now be first point of entry for new inhabitants. Also allows me to do ttm after medicating. Also this tank is about 12' from any other, which is good. In future I may at Neptune gear.

 

[Algaewarrior]

So I am finally seeing the diatom bloom in my display, little hard to see in photos, but the brown is in full effect.

QT1 and QT2 I have completly teared down, to iradicate my ich issue from those two tanks. Adding a glass divider to help attempt prevention of cross contamination between the two. I think I'm going to turn one of them into a frag tank and CUC QT.

I've added another tank (QT3) 40g breeder, I think at this point my wife think I'm nuts lol. But as I've learnt so much, I needed to add it. This tank will now be first point of entry for new inhabitants. Also allows me to do ttm after medicating. Also this tank is about 12' from any other, which is good. In future I may at Neptune gear.

I like the DIY fish guard. Everything is looking great.

 

[TK_KW]

I like the DIY fish guard. Everything is looking great.

I do have lids, but just in case im a ****** and drop something, we have a guard lol

 

[scott11106]

I do have lids, but just in case im a ****** and drop something, we have a guard lol

so really it is a human guard...lol

 

[CALI2949]

LOOKS GREAT WISH I HAD THAT MUCH ROOM.

 

[TK_KW]

If I were to be think of a internal filter for my sump. Would anyone have suggestions of what i should use? @scott11106 do you have one in your sump?

It was recommended I put one in, as it seems my cycle is stalled and this could help. And probably not terrible to have for future I guess.

Also I really wish I could get my hands on some copper power. Who wants to ship me some???? Lol. As I have Cupramine as only thing available and it seems harsh on the fish. I've lost some of my wrasses in last three days I think cause of it. Fish are on day 9 now, so might aswell get them to day 14 with fingers crossed and transfer them to sterile QT. Hoping Ich is gone.

Also Canadian government just banned Cupramine now too. Brutal. Good thing I still have a bottle. It has all been pulled off the shelves.

Anyone have an extra Neptune wav they want to sell....?

 

[scott11106]

If I were to be think of a internal filter for my sump. Would anyone have suggestions of what i should use? @scott11106 do you have one in your sump?

It was recommended I put one in, as it seems my cycle is stalled and this could help. And probably not terrible to have for future I guess.

Also I really wish I could get my hands on some copper power. Who wants to ship me some???? Lol. As I have Cupramine as only thing available and it seems harsh on the fish. I've lost some of my wrasses in last three days I think cause of it. Fish are on day 9 now, so might aswell get them to day 14 with fingers crossed and transfer them to sterile QT. Hoping Ich is gone.

Also Canadian government just banned Cupramine now too. Brutal. Good thing I still have a bottle. It has all been pulled off the shelves.

Anyone have an extra Neptune wav they want to sell....?

what exactly do you mean by "internal filter"?
the only things i run for filters are filter socks, skimmer, some rock in refugium section and a bubble catching media before return section

i would move to USA...lol

 

[TK_KW]

what exactly do you mean by "internal filter"?
the only things i run for filters are filter socks, skimmer, some rock in refugium section and a bubble catching media before return section

i would move to USA...lol

That what I initially said about filter. I think I'm going to wait it out and save my pennies for useful items.

This hobby would be much easier in the US, that's for sure......

 

[scott11106]

by the way you are doing an amazing job!!!!

and dont let the failures get you down as in this hobby i have learned that is the "norm" as i have learned to embrace them as my own..lol

When i started i lost the first 2 rounds of fish to not having the qt tank cycled properly and some other novice mistakes but i learned quickly and started my log of what not to do.

keep up the good work and it will all pay off

 

[TK_KW]

by the way you are doing an amazing job!!!!

and dont let the failures get you down as in this hobby i have learned that is the "norm" as i have learned to embrace them as my own..lol

When i started i lost the first 2 rounds of fish to not having the qt tank cycled properly and some other novice mistakes but i learned quickly and started my log of what not to do.

keep up the good work and it will all pay off

Thanks @scott11106,

It just annoys me losing fish. I think I've lost some due to me copper poisioning them by accident, and those frags. But live and learn.

I'm transferring fish out out copper, and into a sterile tank tonight. Hopefully they can settle down and be ich free hopefully.

 

[scott11106]

anything new ? how is it going?

 

[TK_KW]

Update:

Funny you mention that @scott11106, I was making a post today

Current status:

QT1 has the lone survivors from my first batch of fish, they are done treament and ready for display. Think my previous copper mistake was the dimize of fairy wrasses. And lost Bimac from prazi resistant strain of flukes ugh. I now have every medication on hand. Currently i am slowly bring SG back up to 1.026 in QT1. Fish are treated and my first cleanup crew has gone 45 days incase of Ich. I'll gamble with 76 day strain, but I'm thinking it will be fine.

QT2 I have made into a permanent coral/invert QT. I plan on adding Neptune temp/SG probes with module to monitor this tank. Protect the investment, because way to much money to lose in this tank. Currently have Chateo, Trocus snail, Nassurius snails, Hermit crabs, Scarlett crabs, Corals and Mushroom and spending 45 days in QT, except Chateo which is 16 days. I'm eradicating every chance Pest and diseases have hopefully from reaching my display. Lps and Sps are doing great. Tank is nice and stable.

QT3 currently has next batch of fish. About half way through copper. Stock is Square back Anthius, Orange back wrasse, Flame hawk, Yellow eye kole tang. My next fish are in, but not coming back to house for few weeks until these fish are done. Stock is 8-10 Bartlett Anthius, male and female Bimaculatus Anthius (see photo, from my lfs that brought them in and are holding for me). Tangs are coming later lol.

Display tank is doing well. Mild brown hair algea but nothing crazy. Keeping on top of it.



Build additions-

- I added a second tier shelf above my Bench for more storage
- Added a HD prime to my QT3
-Made a custom feeding ring out of acylic. Food would head to overflow because of surface tension. Causing problem later. So made a ring that keeps food in place.
- Made a true glass division between QT1 and QT2, on top side.To help prevent me cross contaminating.
- Remade glass lids for QT1, QT2 and QT3 for same reason.
- Made glass lids for my overflow box, for same reason again.
- Measure all points of PAR for display at my hydra's max.
- added air line system, so I just turn valves to put air in which ever QT needs more aeration due to medications.
- Currently starting to build Acylic drying rack and fish trap/acclimation box (having fun building with Acylic lol)


So I meet some fellow reefers near me, who have been a massive help. Also got a few free frags which is pretty sweet. And Helped me measure PAR which is awesome. I've even fragged some of my first zoa's lol. They were growing funky on the plugs, so why not right lol. I did Jason Fox Acid Reflux and Purple monster into multiples. See photo.

Well that's where I'm currently at, and hope to get these fish into display within next few days. I'll add photos when I do. Cheers.