Arkayology's Rimless 40g

[Arkayology]

Sorry for your loss, thought the last time I was here it was the intensity of the new pucks. Tank looks amazing, maybe it was some kind of sacrifice to the reef gods. Do you feel that you have better growth and color from the new lights?

Ya, it could have been light shock that started a very slow decline. I am not sure. It detached from the rock on the sand that I had it on since I bought it. I then moved it off to the side of the tank to recover thinking it didn't like all the light it was getting (it couldn't have been more than 300 PAR on the sand). After that, I thought it was looking better but I guess not.

 

Your tank is absolutely stunning Ark. Sorry to hear about your clam though.

Thanks Red Blenny. I appreciate it.

 

Oh man... What eye candy. Makes me want to go back into SPS.

Do eet!

 

Beautiful. Looks amazing. I cannot wait until my little sticks fill out like this well done.

Thanks for the praise! I still have a long way to go. You will get there too!

 

Sorry about the clam Indy

Thanks. I am just glad that it happened while I was home and not when I left. If I was not there it could have nuked the tank if it sat too long. Luckily it was small and the CUC made short work of it.

 

Good luck on your dissertation!

Thanks! It seems promising.

 

Sorry bout the clam, have a friend who just lost a crocea clam from his jawfish burying it over night, snails were all over it too.

Ouch. This is the second clam that I have lost. The first was a crocea in my 60g cube. It died because a birds nest colony fell on it and my fiancé didn't notice it quick enough. I guess this is the first time that I have had a clam casualty that wasn't accident related. That's how it goes I guess.

[Reefmaster1996]

It's all part of the learning expeirence, it can happen even to the most expierenced.

[1.0reef]

Here are some shots I took this morning for y'all.

 

I had to move the rainbow pocci away from the "edgar's acro"

Notice that there is a little limpet or something that has grown into the green mille. I have just let it be because I kinda like it

Group shot. These things are growing so big and starting to grow into each other!

Nice angle on the red dragon. The main branches are getting pretty long. I had to trim it because it grew into the "edgar's acro"

Check out how much the SSC has encrusted. Now I just need some tabling action from it!

Palmer's Blue mille is almost encrusting off the plug.

Pink Lemonade encrusting. I has put out about half an inch in the last 6 weeks since I got it.

Hawly lawd in heaven those are some sweet sps colonies! And I'm usually not a big fan of sps

[Arkayology]

It's all part of the learning expeirence, it can happen even to the most expierenced.

Yup. I'm always learning something new about reef tanks. Nobody stops learning, ever.

 

Hawly lawd in heaven those are some sweet sps colonies! And I'm usually not a big fan of sps

thanks! Maybe I can make a convert out of you?

[4x5]

Looking most excellent. Now tell us more about this secret project.

[1.0reef]

Yup. I'm always learning something new about reef tanks. Nobody stops learning, ever.

 

thanks! Maybe I can make a convert out of you?

Maybe, for that big encrusting monti next to the palys

[Arkayology]

Looking most excellent. Now tell us more about this secret project.

Dave hasn't gotten back to me on it, so who knows if it will actually happen.

 

Maybe, for that big encrusting monti next to the palys

The sunset monti is a PITA! It grows so quickly that I have to frag it every two weeks or it starts to kill things.

[1.0reef]

Dave hasn't gotten back to me on it, so who knows if it will actually happen.

 

The sunset monti is a PITA! It grows so quickly that I have to frag it every two weeks or it starts to kill things.

Now you're just rubbing it in!

[Jstn]

What are you running now for carbon/gfo and carbon source if any?

 

Im starting to rethink this zeovit thing since I always seem to have high nutrients and it seems my tank suck. After waiting a year I wonder is it time to start looking else where?

[Alex B]

The tank looks soooo good. I can't wait for my tank to take off!! All these beautiful tanks making me jealous!

[Arkayology]

What are you running now for carbon/gfo and carbon source if any?

 

Im starting to rethink this zeovit thing since I always seem to have high nutrients and it seems my tank suck. After waiting a year I wonder is it time to start looking else where?

I use GAC passively in a media bag replaced every 4 weeks and 2tbs GFO run passively when I feel like it. I am not even sure if it is needed or not since I don't test for phosphates any more. I have decided that carbon dosing is not for me at this point.

 

If you are asking me (which I guess you are), zeovit is very expensive and not worth the trouble to dial it in to that "sweet spot". I followed the guide to the letter for 6 months and I had so many problems. I was getting some kind of brown cyno or something on my sand and my SPS were RTN'ing regularly. I even halved my dosing of zeostart3 and it didn't help. Zeovit can and does work well for some people, but I really think it is more trouble than it is worth. I would recommend you stop zeovit and let things settle in your tank.

 

How high nutrients are we talking here? .05 P04 or .1 P04? IMO, it doesn't matter if you are at .03ppm or .08 ppm. Nitrates <5ppm or over that?

 

The tank looks soooo good. I can't wait for my tank to take off!! All these beautiful tanks making me jealous!

Your tank already looks amazing. We all expect great things from you!

 

Now you're just rubbing it in!

[Jstn]

I use GAC passively in a media bag replaced every 4 weeks and 2tbs GFO run passively when I feel like it. I am not even sure if it is needed or not since I don't test for phosphates any more. I have decided that carbon dosing is not for me at this point.

 

If you are asking me (which I guess you are), zeovit is very expensive and not worth the trouble to dial it in to that "sweet spot". I followed the guide to the letter for 6 months and I had so many problems. I was getting some kind of brown cyno or something on my sand and my SPS were RTN'ing regularly. I even halved my dosing of zeostart3 and it didn't help. Zeovit can and does work well for some people, but I really think it is more trouble than it is worth. I would recommend you stop zeovit and let things settle in your tank.

 

How high nutrients are we talking here? .05 P04 or .1 P04? IMO, it doesn't matter if you are at .03ppm or .08 ppm. Nitrates <5ppm or over that?

I cut back my feedings, I still rock 5-10 ppm nitrates, sometimes even 20 ppm. My PO4 is around .1-.2 which is a bit high, I keep getting that cyano/dino stuff on the sand bed, my bubble algae is still growing fast. My corals are dark and growth is slow to none, I feel after a year i should have some colonies that are decent size. All and all Im not sure its doing anything, I could sell the reactor free up space and go back to BRX roxs and gfo in a reactor. Also back when I ran chaeto and dosed vinegar I feel my tank did the best, who knows. I feel I should dose more start3 and or add more zeovit but everyone and everything says not too, plus the guide is too mystical do this for x gallons or else. I mean if I am growing algae and high nutrients why not add more rocks, turn up the flow?

 

edit, I found my coral did best with my Alk around 9-10 but zeovit makes you feel everything you did before was wrong.

[Alex B]

I cut back my feedings, I still rock 5-10 ppm nitrates, sometimes even 20 ppm. My PO4 is around .1-.2 which is a bit high, I keep getting that cyano/dino stuff on the sand bed, my bubble algae is still growing fast. My corals are dark and growth is slow to none, I feel after a year i should have some colonies that are decent size. All and all Im not sure its doing anything, I could sell the reactor free up space and go back to BRX roxs and gfo in a reactor. Also back when I ran chaeto and dosed vinegar I feel my tank did the best, who knows. I feel I should dose more start3 and or add more zeovit but everyone and everything says not too, plus the guide is too mystical do this for x gallons or else. I mean if I am growing algae and high nutrients why not add more rocks, turn up the flow?edit, I found my coral did best with my Alk around 9-10 but zeovit makes you feel everything you did before was wrong.

Zeovit definitely is not for everyone. I'm running it, and right now I'm happy. My sps has good color, great extension, and the tank is very stable. I also have zero algae problems. I've noticed you cannot just go by the "guide"

Every tank is different, and will need a different approach. My eyes have been the best indicator of what the tanks wants.

[Arkayology]

Zeovit definitely is not for everyone. I'm running it, and right now I'm happy. My sps has good color, great extension, and the tank is very stable. I also have zero algae problems. I've noticed you cannot just go by the "guide"

Every tank is different, and will need a different approach. My eyes have been the best indicator of what the tanks wants.

Exactly. I think when I was doing it I relied too much on the test kits. I still used my eyes as an indicator for what needed to be done, but the test kits trumped it. I learned a lot from that experience. In the end, I decided it was too much work and too greater a margin for error for the reward. My tank has thanked me for the return to simplicity.

[Alex B]

Exactly. I think when I was doing it I relied too much on the test kits. I still used my eyes as an indicator for what needed to be done, but the test kits trumped it. I learned a lot from that experience. In the end, I decided it was too much work and too greater a margin for error for the reward. My tank has thanked me for the return to simplicity.

 

I'm still very intimidated zeovit. I've have only been in this hobby around 3 years, and into sps a little over a year. I do a lot of reading, study, pay great attention to the tank, and plan ahead. Zeovit definitely requires dedication, and knowledge. I am taking it very slow also. In the end some of the most phenomenal sps tanks I've ever seen were running zeo. At the same time...many beautiful sps tanks do not.

 

[Arkayology]

I'm still very intimidated zeovit. I've have only been in this hobby around 3 years, and into sps a little over a year. I do a lot of reading, study, pay great attention to the tank, and plan ahead. Zeovit definitely requires dedication, and knowledge. I am taking it very slow also. In the end some of the most phenomenal sps tanks I've ever seen were running zeo. At the same time...many beautiful sps tanks do not.

Ya, take it slow. I hope you don't run into any problems like I did. I couldn't figure out how to not have the zeovit system go into overdrive and remove too much phosphate and nitrate from the system. I have the reactor to a trickle with less than the recommended amount of stones, used less of the recommended out of zeostart and zeobak, and fed a ton, but still I was getting RTN. I decided it wasn't for me. That's not to say that it hasn't worked for others. I still enjoy seeing zeovit tanks around and what people can do with it.

[Jstn]

I'm still very intimidated zeovit. I've have only been in this hobby around 3 years, and into sps a little over a year. I do a lot of reading, study, pay great attention to the tank, and plan ahead. Zeovit definitely requires dedication, and knowledge. I am taking it very slow also. In the end some of the most phenomenal sps tanks I've ever seen were running zeo. At the same time...many beautiful sps tanks do not.

I have done all this for over a year and simply is not doing anything for me, the simple fact my nutrients are high and the best answer (only) answer I get is be patient after one year is really annoying.

[pismo_reefer]

Damn, 'Kay!!! This tank is freaking Opulent!!!

[Reefmaster1996]

The jury is still out for me, on the whole zeovit thing, I've been running my new 50 from the getgo(January of this year) with zeovit, the cycle was brutally fast, but I'm still not getting the response I anticipated from certain Sps corals. I personally want to wait it out after I switch salts, finish my new led light, and allow he tank to mature and settle down before I begin to judge the system. I will admit though at times I have been doubtful, especially when having problems I've never had before, but I think it deserves time for me. To each thier own.

[Arkayology]

I just dosed a lot of Alk solution into my tank by accident. I am at work. I really hope that it hasn't crashed...

[Jstn]

how much is alot? Back in my pre minneapolis, pre-zeovit days (my tanks prime days), I used to dose two part every other day at 100 mL, and nothing happened. (50 gallons of water)

[Alex B]

You lie!

[Arkayology]

how much is alot? Back in my pre minneapolis, pre-zeovit days (my tanks prime days), I used to dose two part every other day at 100 mL, and nothing happened. (50 gallons of water)

Probably around 100-120ml. I turned the alk doser on via apex fusion and then got distracted by grading labs. Almost 2 hours later I realized I had left it on... I feel stupid.

 

You lie!

I wish.

[Reefmaster1996]

Emergency water change, and time to sweat bullets until you get home. Hate to be the one to say it but shouldn't they be on a timer to dose a certain amount, I know you've been having problems keeping alk and calc up though. Oh well what's done is done, time to fix it. GOODLUCK I hope all is well.

[jedimasterben]

More than likely you'll come home to a snowstorm of precipitate and the tank will be fine. I'm the resident optimist for once