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20xL mixed rimless - SELLING?


d9hp

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Your sand, if it's argonite, should act as a buffer. Your ph seems right on. I never really worried much about the ph, but then again I was using pretty good water.

 

It's the bahama aragonite from marcorocks.com. Really love it. It's great and I like the way those guys do business. Fast and effective. (40lbs delivered to my door for under $30 is pretty sweet too)

 

So no real updates other than the tank is pretty cloudy. I can see the back wall fine but there's definitely reduced visibility throughout the tank.

 

The ATO is working pretty well but the airlifter sure does work hard to push the water up. I moved it up to run for about 40 seconds and it still has to 'top-off' about 40-50 times per day. It just trickles into the AC70 every 20-30 minutes or so. My salinity is staying dead on at 1.025. Almost no fluctuation actually. I haven't read it at anything else with two different hydrometers.

 

I'm not necessarily trying to do a soft cycle but I've had my skimmer and filter running carbon going. The skimmer just isn't doing that much. I've got it almost all the way down and it is barely even pulling water out of the system. Ideas? I've read some on tuning them but I can't really tell what else I need to do.

 

Debug readings show that my water temperature ranges from 79.4-79.9 over the weekend.

 

No ammonia, trate or trites. pH is still around 7.8 in the mornings, maybe 7.9 at night? No creatures in there to do anything with the light they're receiving. Light schedule is still at 11.5 hours.

 

Saw a mini-brittle running around and there's an asterina (???) on the glass this morning. Otherwise things are reaaaallllllll boring in reef land.

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. The skimmer just isn't doing that much. I've got it almost all the way down and it is barely even pulling water out of the system. Ideas?

 

 

Not pulling skimate or not drawing water into the unit? Probably wont skim much with clean water, dont even get the foam action with fresh water(meaning no salt), I notice dramatic changes in how much crud mine pulls out depending on how much I have been feeding. I opted to not run my skimmer for the first few weeks of the cycle.

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Rock finally came yesterday. Lots of damage in shipping (partially because it was with UPS for more than a week and partially because it was literally just rocks in a cardboard box -- poor packaging).

 

Fortunately the peices were bigger than I was expecting and I think it will work out. Still mentally sorting out the aquascape. Ammonia spiked overnight after placing the rock in. Expected, to an extent. Going to do a water change tomorrow morning if it rises anymore (30%) and go from there. I have a sour taste in my mouth from the entire rock ordeal so I didn't want to mess with it at all yesterday. I'll update once things are where I want them for good. Hopefully the cycle doesn't take too long as I'd really like to get SOMETHING in there in the coming weeks.

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Got the scape sorted out and I'm having trouble with the right side of the tank. The pre-skimmer box for the remora takes away a pretty considerable amount of space. I also think I need to save for a few weeks and blow the money on the MP10. The koralia nanos REALLY take up a lot of useful room and I could move them into a hidden/unused area on the opposite side of the tank and put the MP on the other side. We'll have to see what transpires.

 

So I believe I have a non-zero ammonia reading as of today. It's really hard to tell with the API test kit. We'll call it .1ppm

 

So here's the run down:

 

Ammonia: .1ppm

Trate and Tride = 0

pH: 8.0

dKH: 12 -- from the seachem reef buffer I used -- won't be using again

Calcium (measured at LFS today): 440

Salinity is 1.025 on my hydrometer and the OTHER LFS said it's 1.028 on their refracto so I'm going to bring it down to 1.023 from now on and just call that pretty good.

 

 

So maybe I'm about to get a little cycle action? Took more than two weeks to see anything happen but it does...

 

Now the wait REALLY starts. I'll update again if it goes up to a definitive 0.25ppm

 

Cheers!

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I also think I need to save for a few weeks and blow the money on the MP10. The koralia nanos REALLY take up a lot of useful room and I could move them into a hidden/unused area on the opposite side of the tank and put the MP on the other side.

 

I quit smoking ciggs, and with the money I saved the first month.......I bought my vortech!!!

 

It seems like ALOT of money, but like you say......it takes very little room and it keeps cords off the rim which was one of my setup goals. Fun to play with the diff settings too, I ran mine at 90 percent the first 3 months now its a litle under 40 percent!!! Kept blowing my rics off!!

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I quit smoking ciggs, and with the money I saved the first month.......I bought my vortech!!!

 

I am currently saving for a big vacation to Fiji next March so this is really hurting things! But I figure this will be a part of Fiji I'll have waiting when I come back.

 

Anyway, I wanted to say things are pretty boring. Ammonia dropped down to zero, and the others are still 0.

 

The only difference is:

DIATOMS!

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Im kicking myself for not doing what you did. Now I have some boring Mr. Aqua tank!

 

36" 20g... @#$%ing sick man. You could use a 2 bulb t5 and prolly get away with it too,...

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Im kicking myself for not doing what you did. Now I have some boring Mr. Aqua tank!

 

36" 20g... @#$%ing sick man. You could use a 2 bulb t5 and prolly get away with it too,...

 

Thanks dude. I really like the length. It has opened up lots of possibilites, though scaping the thing is relatively tough with the surface skimming box for the remora and both koralias.

 

I'm not sure about just two T5's in terms of color. I really like the 26 LEDs but I'm only running them at roughly 25% white and 60% blue right now (based on 750mA current)

 

I can't wait to get some active fish in here though. The open top is really scaring me though, it's ridiculously limiting. So far I'm only certain about:

 

  • two clowns (hyperboy's s'mores, possibly -- otherwise just occelaris)
  • Tank raised bangaii from LFS show tank
  • one sunburst anthias, if they don't jump? still can't find much on them

 

I'm pretty certain if the anthias don't jump I'm sticking with those four, otherwise I'll need to replace him with something else (preferably active and bright)

 

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Diatoms are pretty gnarly. Pardon no updated FTS but I'm waiting for them to die down and some fish to join the party.

 

I got 12 snails and 5 hermits from reefcleaners today. 6 nassarius and 6 nerite. Already had 4 nass and 6 ceriths from two weeks ago (all still kicking) Also, the reef pods sack thing to try and get some pods going. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and seed the tank in case I get a goby or something.

 

Still waiting.....

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Love the rimless look. Great build! :happy:

 

Thanks!

 

Rimless sure is fun but I'm worried about the potential for jumping fishes.

 

Maybe they'll find some of what monkfish's ^^^^ avatar found and stay put...not likely though.

 

Looks awesome so far man...great build:)

 

Thanks a bunch....really appreciate it.

 

Hopefully only another week or so away from some fish! My parameters are still looking good so I might go pick up a bangaii next weekend.

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So there's a younger local reefer that's having to tear his tank down and I'm going to go and try and snag some rock and frags off of him at some point this weekend. Today won't work though because I'm about to go watch NCSU beat the VT hokies. I'll update with pictures and a FTS (to finally show the scape now that I like it) tomorrow or Monday.

 

GO PACK! :o:D

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Well my foot's in my mouth after that last post. After the game I helped my buddy tear his tank down and he really...I mean REALLY hooked me up.

 

Everything seems to be doing good but my skimmer essentially stopped skimming today. Not sure what's going on there.

 

He gave me zoos, softs, a frag of birds nest, and some other stuff he hadn't already sold to other local reefers. Also, three huge kenya tree frags and some big GSP rocks. I'm pretty excited to see how things grow under the LEDs.

 

 

So here's the scape plus all the other goodies...



 

5049437585_49ece51f02_b.jpg

 

Taking pictures under these LEDs is near impossible.

 

A GIANT mushroom he gave me. There's a baby one to the left of it too...

5050047820_4d534598fe.jpg

 

 

So we'll see how things go for the next few weeks before adding the clowns and cardinal.

 

Don't mind the diatoms...they've been there for weeks and are slowing down.

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Well I'm headed out of town tonight and won't be back until Sunday night. One of my roommates is going to feed the fish on Friday for me but hopefully nothing too terrible happens. The second GSP rock is completely at home now and it really is vibrant. I moved the birds nest to the center of the tank where the most flow is and it seems to be doing great. We'll see long term.

 

Looking forward to adding some clowns next week!

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I got back from my mini-vacation yesterday and the reef did fine but my dog got really sick so I've been pretty busy since I got back. Took some shots of the tank earlier and figured I'd update so you can see how huge this GSP rock is. Also got a false perc and yellow watchman.

 

All the params are stable and I still don't have any nitrates. The skimmer is being super finicky so I'm taking it apart for a cleaning sometime this week as well.

 

Here's some shots:

 



 

Winston:

5073293056_421f7f49e7_b.jpg

 

Coheed:

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My favorite view of the tank - 36"

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FTS:

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  • 2 weeks later...
Beautiful scape! Hope your dog is fine

 

Thanks!

 

Kona (my dog) is much much better! He acquired a stomach bacteria from the boarding facility here in Raleigh. They really dropped the ball handling it and really treated me like %*#@ for the whole thing but whatever. Dog is good!

 

Really like your rock work- Good job!

 

Thanks! I'm not pleased with the right side but it's impossible to get what I want because of that huge pre-skimmer box. That's probably the only thing I would change about the build but it really does do a great job since I have the ATO going constantly.

 

wow your tank looks great!!!!

 

Thanks!

 

I just got back from the LFS and picked up an Aquastik and a few frags. I wanted to try a few SPS. I know most people claim that you should wait for the 6 month mark but everything else is doing incredible and I think if I stay on top of Mg, Calcium and Alk I'll be fine.

 

I also plan on placing an order with Mr. Coral this weekend! I wish I had done it Sunday night, he had some insane stuff on there.

 

Anyways, I'll work on some pictures because things are looking way different!

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PICTURES!

 

Calcium: 440

Alk: 11

Sg: 1.0255

Temp: 80.1-80.4 throughout the day / night

 

First my monti cap that I've wanted for a long time. Eventually I'll get three other colors and see what I can do with them on the back glass.

5100009451_f1ae28a6a0_b.jpg

 

Where I get my nano-reef.com on:

5099991013_c0a4de8d92_b.jpg

 

ID please?

5099990245_36c40d4a04.jpg

 

My hammer (frog in the back...gotta get a torch head sometime too)

5099989929_bdf4b36782_b.jpg

 

No big deal. I've got the SPS bug way too early: (are these both digitata?)

5100022019_98f1382cc0_z.jpg

 

This is my most accurate FTS to date:

5100588492_e515e3fda1_b.jpg

 

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WOW. I havent stopped by in a while, everything looks amazing. that FTS is beautiful too. Make sure to give the hammer and frogspawn plenty of room from other corals, they have crazy long sweeper tenticles and pack a mean punch. I'm a little worried about those shrooms in particular.

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WOW. I havent stopped by in a while, everything looks amazing. that FTS is beautiful too. Make sure to give the hammer and frogspawn plenty of room from other corals, they have crazy long sweeper tenticles and pack a mean punch. I'm a little worried about those shrooms in particular.

 

Yeah the mushroom garden on the far end there is definitely in danger of that hammer. I didn't have anything to mount the single head to so I dropped it down into a hole right there until I figure out where else I want it. I really love hammer and frogspawn and actually want to duplicate that on the other side as well. I'm going to try and keep my softies down low (except the two giant kenya trees I got for free that are in the VERY back) and the middle will be SPS dominated. I want the negative space in the center of the tank and in the front/middle to all be filled in with branches eventually. The sides will be LPS (acans from mr. coral?) and eventually I'll have a wells brain and two clams.

 

Those are the plans! The only other real fish/invert desire I have is a cleaner shrimp and a bangaii cardinal but I'm most likely going to take back the chromis I got. I was hoping he would swim all over constantly but he likes to hide a pretty good deal.

 

Anyone think this tank is big enough for a small angel or another larger fish like that? Weekly 30% water changes. Bi-weekly if I feel like it.

 

The polyps on the SPS are just insane. Watching them blow around in the flow is probably my favorite thing in the tank right now.

 

 

Ideas? Comments?

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My LFS on occsion gets some pink frogspawn that is amazing. They have a display with both green and pink colonys next to each other. Its a gret look.

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My LFS on occsion gets some pink frogspawn that is amazing. They have a display with both green and pink colonys next to each other. Its a gret look.

 

That's awesome. I moved the red mushroom as I came home yesterday and I saw a damn sweeper. I'm going to let the frog and hammer duke it out some though as a little experiment.

 

In other news -- I HAS ACANTHASTREA LORDHOWENSIS.

 

Went to the sketchiest. I mean the sketchiest not-so-L-FS ever. He had some good looking corals but there were some really below par things to be seen. Oh well. I got 9 different KINDS of zoas (roughly 100 polyps total) for only $25. A 7 head rainbow acan for $30 and a 3" frag of ORA bird of paradise for $25. I just couldn't say no. He threw in about 4 polyps of nuclear orange palys as well. I glued some of the zoas to the surface skimming box next to some GSP so I'm interested in seeing how things go.

 

Pictures when I'm free. Huge week coming up so we'll see.

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