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GTi's CAD Lights 34G Mini-II


GTi

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I'm going to my first Frag Swap shortly. I've preordered some bits and pieces and will see what else is there, too. Photos to follow!

 

Tested the holding tank last night. Ammonia 1, nitrites 1, nitrates 10! Things are moving along now!

Frag Swaps are my favorite. I wouldn't have anything in my tank if it wasn't for them.

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Frag Swaps are my favorite. I wouldn't have anything in my tank if it wasn't for them.

I think I like them too, based on my limited experience of one! They're dangerous to the wallet, though. I only bought the frags that I pre-ordered with the exception of a nice 5 head frag of Acans that my son liked for $10. I was hoping to get some photos up but everything is settling in from the acclimation and dip.

 

Here's a list to be going on with until I get photos. All are 1" frags except where noted.

 

2" Maxima clam

2" Gorgonia Ventalina

5" Gongonia Plexaurella

5" Gorgonia Rumphella

Tyree Rainbow Stylophora

ORA Red Planet

ORA Hawkins Echinata

Cherry Corals Frogspawn

Cherry Corals Goin Rainbow Millepora

Cherry Corals Acans - 5 heads

Cherry Corals Green Aussie Plate

Garf Bonsai

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It seems my LEDtric PAR38 is even worse than a Radion for photographing under!

 

All the photos came out really badly but these are the best ones:

 

photo1_zps26860f63.jpg

 

photo2_zps7a597484.jpg

 

photo3_zps97aa2537.jpg

 

photo4_zps1b1e1a2b.jpg

 

 

 

I was going to post the photos that the sellers used in their advertisements but those look unreal!

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I had these water parameters: ammonia 0.5, nitrite 5+, nitrate 20. I did a large water change and nitrite is back to around 2. At least it's moving along now!

 

At the weekend I went to a granite place that carries remnants and ordered a piece to fit on top of my stand. The current stand is larger than the new tank so I'm going to put plywood inside the decorative lip and top it with the granite. Hope it works out!

 

Tried the PLS-50 skimmer in the frag tank and there were so many micro bubbles all the LPS were sliming and I had to stop using it. It looks like the water that flows back down and around the bubble plate has a direct path out of the skimmer and in to the surrounding water. From reading a few other threads it seems it can take up to 2 weeks to go away. Maybe in the rear chambers of the Mini-II the bubbles won't be so much of an issue although there is no bubble trap between the skimmer chamber and return chamber.

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Oh no...Honda and VW enthusiasts in the same place!

Looks like you just washed that. This winter has been brutal! Glad it's looking hopeful now.

 

Oh, and my wife has a Honda. Same engine as you, different bodywork (Pilot).

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Great start on this build. I am absolutely loving the CAD tanks lately. I really want the 45G Shallow, but the one you have is a real winner too. Looks like you have some nice pieces of coral to start things off with as well. Can't wait to see more. Subscribed. Oh and one more thing...

Dare I say Hyundai, VW, and Honda fanboys all in the same place.....

VW fan bois :rolleyes:

 

LassenVolcanicPark1.jpg

 

Best car I've ever owned, by far... :)

 

 

Oh no...Honda and VW enthusiasts in the same place!

 

Gad0AZD.jpg

 

IMAG0374_zps8x6pzs4a.jpg

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Great start on this build. I am absolutely loving the CAD tanks lately. I really want the 45G Shallow, but the one you have is a real winner too. Looks like you have some nice pieces of coral to start things off with as well. Can't wait to see more. Subscribed. Oh and one more thing...

Dare I say Hyundai, VW, and Honda fanboys all in the same place.....

 

Thanks - I wish my intermediate holding tank would finish cycling so I can get the new tank wet!

 

Hyundai have really upped their game in the last few years - looks good!

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Looks like you just washed that. This winter has been brutal! Glad it's looking hopeful now.

 

Oh, and my wife has a Honda. Same engine as you, different bodywork (Pilot).

This winter has been terrible!

 

The manual V6 has an Earth Dreams engine (278 HP) that doesn't have the VCM like the auto, and I believe the Pilot (250 HP) still does not have the new Earth Dreams V6 in any trim, but the next one will have it if they ever release the redesign, that is :P

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This winter has been terrible!

 

The manual V6 has an Earth Dreams engine (278 HP) that doesn't have the VCM like the auto, and I believe the Pilot (250 HP) still does not have the new Earth Dreams V6 in any trim, but the next one will have it if they ever release the redesign, that is :P

Even my engine info is out of date! That's a nice amount of power paired with the manual trans.

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I hate trying to read test kits! I think ammonia was down to zero, nitrite was 5 or more (very bright color but the highest the color chart indicates is 5) and nitrates 160! Nitrates may be 80, can't tell from the color. I don't even know if the level can climb that high in one day in a cycling tank. Either way, the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria are doing their stuff! I added a few drops of ammonia to keep the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria population high.

 

Other news, I think I'll only need one Radion so I'll have a spare to either sell or use above a frag tank. I thought it might be good to have a frag tank on a side table win the same room as the DT rather than tucked away in the basement. If I do this, I may sell the spare Radion and use the proceeds to pick up a used Kessil A150 and a shallow cube frag tank. I like the JBJ one but at $290 it's too steep. Pico Aquariums has a beautiful looking naked 18x18x9" for less than half that amount. I that tank with the Kessil would make an attractive frag tank. I think I'd also put in a small fish or two for added interest.

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http://s867.photobucket.com/user/markpr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo_zpsdf6f51a1.jpg.html'>photo_zpsdf6f51a1.jpg

 

Colours look a bit different in person but look like 0, 5, 20. Getting there...

 

Well, yesterday I looked at Pico Aquariums and got a bit carried away and ordered an 18x18x9 Naked for the display frag tank. I also ordered a AC50 and a few other bits and pieces.

 

Sold my Hammer colony this evening to a local guy. You can always make more by fragging a colony but it always seems like a shame and I prefer to keep it intact if possible.

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I sold the remaining 3 acro colonies from my 55 yesterday. Funny how the local for sale boards go. Sometimes you can have great stuff going cheap and no takers for weeks and then boom! it all goes in a day!

 

So, with a small pile of cash burning a hole in my pocket, I was pricing out a Kessil for the display frag tank. It seems the used ones generally keep a high percentage of their value unless you get lucky and find one going cheap. I found the cheapest new one I could online and asked my LFS if they could match the price of the A150W and gooseneck and they did. It was only 5% off what they usually go for but it helps. I opted for the Ocean Blue. It was Ocean or Sky but as it is to go over a frag tank, a little extra pop is ok! If it was for a DT, I may have gone for Sky. Will post pics once Chris gets me my Naked Pico, probably 3 weeks from now.

 

I took down a Radion and I'm running it over my temporary frag tank in the basement. The clam and most of the corals seemed happier under the Radion than the LEDtric PAR38 I had been using. I cranked up the remaining Radion a bit and it covers the 55 gallon fairly well now I have the wide angle lenses. A single unit should be just fine over the Mini-II which is only 30" long.

 

Just need the nitrites to drop in the holding tank...

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What a long cycle - still going. I think by the weekend it will be a month! I'm glad I didn't just dump in the bottled bacteria and add the fish right away like it suggested. Ammonia is being processed quickly. Nitrites seem to be slow to reduce. pH is good (8.1).

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Last night the nitrites in the holding tank tested zero. I added a few drops of ammonia and will test ammonia, trites and trates tonight. Have 10 gallons of water mixed and waiting for a water change if the ammonia and trites are zero. Fingers crossed!

 

I lost a couple of frags to RTN - Red Planet, Bonsai, Hawkins, Miami Hurricane, Red Dragon. The acans and gorgs all seem ok as do the birdsnests and frogspawn. If the holding tank tests out ok I will dip these and transfer them along with the fish and remaining frags still in the 55 gallon tank.

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Tested the ammonia and nitrites and both were undetectable! I spent the evening switching everything over from my 55 gallon to the holding tank. I fragged off the remaining coral remnants and got a lot of the snails. I need to get the rest tomorrow. Next is to clean up and sell the tank, sump and DIM4 controller and possibly one of the Radions. Once the carpet is changed out I can get the Mini-II on the stand and get it cycled. Talk about a long and drawn out process! And this was meant to be simplifying things. I guess it will in the long run.

 

I really enjoyed the 55 but the last few weeks it has been looking sad with most of the coral gone and the rock work messed up. Hopefully I'll find a local buyer who will enjoy it as much as I did.

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Patience, Grasshopper (reference to old Kung-Fu TV series). Looks like you are almost there :)

Yes. On both counts. Fish and corals looked happy this morning. Photo tonight if the lights are still on when I get home.

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I got the 55 taken down last night and cleaned it and the sump up today. A local guy is coming to take a look at it tomorrow. Same for the skimmer.

 

In other news, this arrived today. I had seen the sealed biospheres with the shrimp in them and thought they were cool. It seems they are a bit contentious as the shrimp often only live a couple of years when they can go as long as twenty if looked after well.

 

I found these at shrimpmart.com - they are open top and just require some light and the occasional top off. I do feel a bit bad for the little guys having to move from Hawaii to Michigan...

photo_zps672cbf54.jpg[/url]

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