Nolesx4 Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 (edited) Quick update: After adding the macro's 2 days ago, nitrates are down to <10ppm with today's test. Had a small ammonia bump after adding the CUC and nitrites are <.25ppm. Also noticed some white spots growing on the seed live rocks. Could I be getting sponges this quick? They show a visible dent when touched, so they're soft. Going to do a water change today. FTS Day 14 pH 8.1 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: <0.25 ppm Nitrate: 5 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 80.2° Edited June 19, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 Today, added two more pieces of the dry rock to cover the back right. This gives me more room for frag placement. Water tests show everything is holding stable. Will get up some more picts of the new rocks. Fathers day brings the trip to LFS Seven Seas to look for my first frags. Quote Link to comment
gena Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Today, added two more pieces of the dry rock to cover the back right. This gives me more room for frag placement. Water tests show everything is holding stable. Will get up some more picts of the new rocks. Fathers day brings the trip to LFS Seven Seas to look for my first frags. The macros look great in your tank. What an excellent father's day gift for you. Have fun picking out frags Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 Thanks for the kind words. Your tank is very nice. Well, Seven Seas was closed today so no frags for me. I just hope he still has the ones I was looking at while I was waiting for the cycle. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) Added 3 more pieces of rock to the upper right today (note very white rock). It gives me more plateaus for frag placement. And a garage for the massive mag float. Going to get a micro one with the next supply/test kit order. My pencil cap macro seems to have a mind of its own. I shove the ball into the rock securely, and the next day it's on the sand. I don't want to glue it, but its looking like I will have to. The Halimeda macros are greening up after the shipping. They were very white, and lost a few of their segments in the tank. The Cheato seems to be keeping the nitrates in check. They are lower today than after the water change. Diatoms seemed to have settled down and the snails are catching up. When I dust the rock, not much is coming off. Nitrites are almost 0ppm. The test is not blue for 0ppm, just a touch purple, but not enough for the .25ppm reading. Day 15 pH 8.1 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: >0 ppm Nitrate: <5 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 81.8° Edited June 20, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
gena Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Thanks for the kind words.Your tank is very nice. Well, Seven Seas was closed today so no frags for me. I just hope he still has the ones I was looking at while I was waiting for the cycle. You're very welcome. I'm going to really enjoy watching this one progress. You've done an outstanding job with the rockscape, for sure! Quote Link to comment
jonny roks Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Looking good, The rockwork is really nice. Leaves a lot of spots for corals! Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Well, nitrites finally hit 0ppm! Cheato has visibly grown in the past few days, as it now takes up most of the 2nd section. Stopped by Seven Seas and the yellow polyp I wanted is long gone. So off to Whitie's, another LFS, to see if they have some GSP. I'll post picts as soon as I get some. The diatoms are still around but not as bad as they have been. The water looks very clear though. The Purigen and ChemPure Elite seem to be doing their job. I also ordered a Nimble Nano cleaner to replace the huge mag-float in the tank. And have an eye on the ReefKeeper lite... can I get that past the wife??!!?? Day 16 pH 8.0 Ammonia: 0.00 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: <5 ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 82.2° Edited June 21, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
cuboy Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) you shuold really wait for that diatom bloom to clear up before stocking stuff, but wow great DIY jobs and rockscape Edited June 21, 2011 by cuboy Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Well, I got my first frag. It took a day for it to open back up from the trip from Seven Seas. It glows nicely under the lights. Diatoms are cleaning up nicely with the help of the CUC. Definitely not seeing the daily flush of them. Having to clean/change the filter pads every other day due to me dusting the rock daily. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) Well, I just bought my Fathers Day gift... OK, second one. Can't find any frog spawn, hammer, bubble or decent gsp locally. Might have to make a road-trip up to Milpitas soon... I also got a calcium test kit, so I'll be tracking that now in my parameters. Day 20 pH 8.3 Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 0-ish ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 81.2° Calcium: 400 Edited June 25, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) Whats thattt?? Edited June 25, 2011 by ScubaRyan Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 It's an elegance coral, believe a purple tip aussie. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 (edited) Did my water change today. Sucked up some of the snail poop off the rocks and gravel. The elegance coral seemed to open up more today. Must be getting used to it in there. It amazes me that the other coral doesn't like it when I do anything in the tank. It always retracts for a while. The water parameters are staying pretty much consistent over the weeks. My plans are to add the fish next week, and get the kids of my back. Seems they are asking daily when are we going to get fish. They don't see the beauty of the coral as I do. Maybe they'll learn someday. The diatoms are all but gone as is any algae as I can see. I lost one hermit today. Found the carcass swaying on a rock this morning. I have named one snail 'Dusty' due to one of the little feather dusters attaching itself to it. Day 21 pH 8.3 Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 0-ish ppm Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 80.7° Calcium: 400 Edited June 26, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
splinter492 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 that carcass is probably just a molt Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) Well, I did lose at least one, maybe two of the hermits. I have only seen one walking around this week. The diatoms are all but gone. My rock is starting to turn a bright fluorescent green in spots. Could i be starting to get coralline growth?!? I just got the new RedSea test kit for Ca, Mg & Kh, so I'll be listing those along with my other water parameters weekly. I kinda like the tests, makes me feel like Quincy M.D. doing lab tests (CSI for you younger folks). Easy to use and read the outcome. I would give it a good recommendation. Looks like we will be off to the LFS to get our fish this weekend. A Banggai Cardinal has been added to the list of fish we want to stock, if we can find any here. I'm thinking a pair of them or the obligatory Clowns. Also, a Firefish and cleaner shrimp for sure. So, 3 fish and a shrimp, not too overloaded. Happy 4th to you all. Day 28 pH 8.3 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0-ish Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 81.9° Ca: 460 dKh: 9.1 Mg: 1300 Edited July 3, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) Well, I got my Firefish today. The LFS didn't have any Banggai Cardinal and no small clowns. Going to check back Tue when they get their shipment. He seems to like the tank, swimming all around and has even found his cave that I didn't know I had made when placing the rocks. He is eating a lot and seems to like squid more than brine shrimp. FTS 7/2/11 Day 1 FTS The rocks are really starting to get spotted with pink/purple growth. And I have my first sighting of a pineapple sponge. Edited July 4, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) The two clowns arrived today. As well as the Cardinal and a cleaner shrimp. They are all eating well and swimming around the tank brisk fully. Edited July 4, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
ScubaRyan Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 4 fish? Ive heard 3 small ones would be pushing it... Guess we'll see! Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 Yes it is kinda pushing it. But they seem to be doing fine, and the water parameters are still good. I noticed a small nitrite spike at 0.25ppm, and the nitrates are holding at 5ppm. The brush macro algae is starting to grow shoots, the cheato is growing also. So they are working to keep the nitrates in check. There are plans in the works for another tank soon, 50-75 gal range, on the other open wall. So as they grow larger, I'll be moving them over. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Quick update: Just noticed that the Pencil Cap macro has sent up shoots! I don't think the Halimeda is going to make it. The sections are falling off one by one. Also, I've noticed a feathery looking growth covering them. Might have to pull them. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 Well, I did a 1 1/2 gal water change today. The nitrates were getting a little high. Dusted the rocks and stirred the sand bed. Everything looks fine. I did move the Halimeda back up higher onto the rocks, just in case it wasn't getting enough light... I don't know if it's going to make it. The Cheato seems to be getting smaller!!! I is about 1/2 the size of when it arrived. Is that normal for it to get smaller? And the pencil cap has shot up more shoots. It will be kinda cool to have a mini forest of pencil caps in the front. Day 36 pH 8.3 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 10 Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 77.9° Ca: 460 dKh: 9.3 Mg: 1300 Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 A clown is missing!!! He has been MIA for 2 days now. I've looked in the back chambers and all over the rocks. Think he many have jumped out and became cat food! The rest of the guys seem to be doing great. Eating like pigs, and the shrimp is crazy when feeding time comes. I'll be DIY'ing a new light for the cheato chamber. I don't think the LED array I'm using is doing the job I expected. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 Well the DIY light is done. Hope the cheato likes it and starts to grow. There's not much left. I was watching the fish today, as they had started to nibble on the rocks... I've got pods everywhere. They are all over the rocks. Quote Link to comment
Nolesx4 Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 (edited) Just got a Monti!!! It's orange with green dots and it's cute. After 2 days with the new fuge light, the cheato has doubled. I'm glad I did the DIY mod, and looking forward to less nitrates. Today's Water Parameters pH 8.3 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 20 Salinity: 1.023 Temp: 82.9° Ca: 520 dKh: 11.8 Mg: 1440 Edited July 21, 2011 by Nolesx4 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.