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Coral Vue Hydros

RK_Tek's 25g rimless-DIY Addiction


RK_tek

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Livestock update

 

I've moved a few more corals over in the last week. Duncans, kryptonite trumpets and candy cane trumpets, and my two leathers. The trumpets are still not fully out, but they have been struggling for months and look better now than they have in a while. I have a few more pieces to move and then I'll be breaking the 20L down to a frag/quarantine tank as I have a few pieces that still have neomeris and I am not letting it anywhere near my new system.

27F9AB49-94BB-40F5-8B3C-42B99DAA0C4F.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
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I finally got a set of Red Sea test kits. Nitrate, phos, Ca, Mg, Alk. My test of my salt shows levels being a bit on the low side except for Alk. The water had mixed for several days so its not from things being improperly mixed. Ive been dosing kalk with my make up water but to brin my mag up the calculators say i need huge amounts of my TLF 2 part. Is there a better way to raise mag? ive moved the WC up to 25% weekly and will continue to test.

 

Instant Ocean Reef Crystals initial test

SG 1.024

Mag 1060

Kh 11.2

Cal 310

 

 

Test 3/2/14

Nitrate 0.00

Phos 0.02

Mag 640

Kh 8.7

Ca 340

 

Test 3/12/14- WC on 3/11

Mag 1080

Cal 365

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Really good thread, all the detail really make it for the aspiring DIY'ers out there.

I have really done any write ups about any of my projects but if you have any questions, ask away

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  • 2 months later...

It's baaack!

6B8A11DB-8CF5-4EC5-A7E8-C4A01F49A336.jpg

I have seen a few stray stalks of Neomeris and I have removed them as I saw them crop up. However, I went on vacation for 10 days and the Neomeris took that time to greatly expand. I picked up some new frag plugs and took a diamond cutoff blade to everything that had Neomeris on it. Some of the frags lost a large portion, but I would rather have a small frag and no Neomeris. In the end I threw away quite a bit from the tank.

8567803A-FDC3-4E31-B883-FFB236C9120A.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

I've been giving filter socks a try over loose floss and filter pads and decided I like them more. I started with them zip tied to my drain line but decided I need an easy way to change them out. There is not much space under my stand and moving the drain lines is a pain as they are quite stiff.

 

I looked at off the shelf options, but nothing would work in my sump. So, with a $7 piece of 1/4 acrylic and a tube of glue, I made this.

8CFE576B-7AED-4488-8A41-D9F8F82F1125.jpg

 

The drain lines go into the box and then water overflows to the sock.

 

Installed

 

8385EDF4-F9B3-4BDF-90E9-49FDA1594E84_1.p

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  • 4 weeks later...

I felt that my AI Sol wasn't providing all the spectrum that my tank needed so I decided to add a T5 retro. I initially ordered my kit from reefgeek, who went out of business the day after I ordered. Salty supply got the 2x24 kit back in Stock so I ordered from them. UPS showed about 7pm today but I already had the aluminum on hand to make the frame.

 

15AE05C7-2BAE-4884-BC44-AB060DB75690.jpg

 

B5098F47-C520-4D13-98F5-E73856C24C2F.jpg

 

2F1C5E1E-EAFE-4D5A-87C1-657F63D872D3.jpg

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I like how the fixture looks. You went with Coral+ right?[/quote

 

Thanks. I did go with 2 Coral+.

 

How does it look without the AI light? Those bulbs are more white than blue right? I am trying to decide what bulb combo to go with for my hybrid nanobox.

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t5 additions look pretty sweet, saw where you had neomeris and looked it up. that shit is crazy when it takes over

The Neomeris is the worst stuff I have ever imagined. It's like an exgirlfriend showing up at your wedding with a baby that might be yours. But everyday. I'm to the point where I have to just throw away anything that has it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

A little update.

The t5 addition seems to be helping things. I had several coral(encrusting montipora, blastomussa, Acans) that have either withered away or had shown zero growth for as long as I can recall. My blasto, which I at first thought was dead, had a small piece of tissue left and this is now sending out tentacles at feeding time. My Acans have stayed retracted inside their skeletons ever since my heater blew up and while they are not inflated like they used to be, they are inflated beyond the skeleton. Other corals seem to be better as well and my cyano has disappeared although this may be due to rinsing the sandbed not long ago. I have had a few patches of hair algae crop up, but they are contained and manual removal seems to take care of them.

 

While I like the clean look of the AI sol, the eyesore from the t5s is worth it for the corals. I have them on a digital timer that runs them from 10:00a.m. To 1:00p.m. During which time the Sol ramps down to 25%

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  • 3 months later...

Took a few frags to the LFS today and traded for a rock Nem and hammer. I've been spending a good bit of time with the tank lately and adding new coral can help keep the interst going sometimes. Color is continuing to improve and I'm seeing growth on a lot of montipora and Lps. My Acans are finally inflating after staying within the perimeter of their skeleton for over a year. The green toadstool leather took a dive over the last few weeks and detached from its rock only to get lodged deep in a crevice. I think it's donefor. Algae problems are in check and I have only seen a few signs of Neomeris which I quickly eradicate by exile. I'd rather lose the coral than keep fighting this stuff.

TL:DR pics of new coral

http://s554.photobucket.com/user/rk_tek/media/470F56F9-8E38-4147-9750-025E406EA695.jpg.html'>470F56F9-8E38-4147-9750-025E406EA695.jpg

 

http://s554.photobucket.com/user/rk_tek/media/65BD1AB2-8FF2-424C-93EF-60828F564E91.jpg.html'>65BD1AB2-8FF2-424C-93EF-60828F564E91.jpg

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4 new additions in under a week?!! I had to splurge and show the tank some love. I picked up two pieces of monti today. They're acclimating in the sump. Ill get pics up when lights are on. Took a FTS and wanted to give a shoutout to Jaque and Pablo as their 'birthday' is right around the corner. I picked them up when they were 6 weeks old and now they're 4. I dont even have rocks that old in my tank.

 

http://s554.photobucket.com/user/rk_tek/media/0799827E-24FC-48E5-A7F3-1CABEFC87FEC.jpg.html]0799827E-24FC-48E5-A7F3-1CABEFC87FEC.jpg[/url]

http://s554.photobucket.com/user/rk_tek/media/278EB397-8500-47B8-97A3-6529CA3D5260.jpg.html]278EB397-8500-47B8-97A3-6529CA3D5260.jpg[/url]

http://s554.photobucket.com/user/rk_tek/media/A1992618-BB10-4FA6-8629-704BF5889955.jpg.html]A1992618-BB10-4FA6-8629-704BF5889955.jpg[/url]

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I realized I don't have a pic of my tanks naughty underbits, so here's gratuitous tank pron

2457BFF7-A6E8-4066-AC11-465E864CF2F6_1.j

Real clean and organized! Awesome scape. This is a canvas for SPS heavy!

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Well, I know why I've been fighting low cal and alk. I had mixed some SW according to the instructions on the bucket to 1.025. 7 cups for 15g. This is a large enough quantity that a small variation of salt wouldn't matter. My refractometer showed 1.040. Bought calibration fluid and it was way off.

DCFD090E-663D-4B31-AEC3-D9BBF34A2B27.jpg

 

So I'll fill my ATO with saltwater and let it come up to 1.025

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  • 2 weeks later...

How are things looking after you got your salinity right?

Polyp extension on my SPS seems more pronounced and coloration is continuing to improve although that may be due to lighting and not salinity stability.

 

I have one LPS on my frag rack that I've been nursing since my tank crash over a year ago and it was doing well until 2 days when the tissue retracted and I haven't seen it inflate at all. I don't know if that's due to salinity or possibly my shrimp ripping food out of it bc he's an A-hole

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