New Red Sea World for Squishy

[Weetabix7]

29 minutes ago, SquishyFishy said:

Weetabix....just reading over your tank thread and I've been considering adding some plants to see if they can help.  I used to grow Red Dragon, but I did away with it, don't remember why, it grew super fast.  I think I'll ask the lfs guy for some of that and some others and just add them behind the rock, it will help the tank to look better at least, and what can it hurt anyway?

 

I actually almost suggested this yesterday. 

If you do this, don't add a lot at once, because there needs to be enough nutrients in there for the plants. 

Start out with just a bit and see what happens. 

[SquishyFishy]

What could cause cloudiness?  The params are right on...no ammonia, no nitrites/nitrates...salt, ph all ok.  Only thing I haven't tested is the calc, so I turned off the Kalkwasser drip last night...added a clarifier/Vibrance....this morning,  still cloudy.  This is the 3rd day and we even did a small WC yesterday.

[Weetabix7]

1 hour ago, SquishyFishy said:

What could cause cloudiness?  The params are right on...no ammonia, no nitrites/nitrates...salt, ph all ok.  Only thing I haven't tested is the calc, so I turned off the Kalkwasser drip last night...added a clarifier/Vibrance....this morning,  still cloudy.  This is the 3rd day and we even did a small WC yesterday.

 

I've seen it happen as a bacterial bloom, which could be caused by the imbalances you've been experiencing. 

I also know that a member on here, @Mariaface, has had a bacterial bloom as a result of VOC's getting into the tank from air freshener in the air, that sort of thing. 

Let us know what your calcium is once it's tested. 

What is your Alk?

[Mariaface]

If it's been going on for 3 days and you have mechanical filtration, it's probably not precipitation. After my bacterial issues, the heterotrophic bacteria took over the water column for a couple of days. It was almost opaque, and the third day it was just suddenly clear again. I'd replace filter floss, maybe add more bacteria (Vibrance may work), and check phosphates to make sure they're not too high and feeding the water column. Other than that, make sure there's plenty of oxygen and wait it out?

[JBM]

Ive had unexplained cloudiness, its bacterial. Nothing to do except let it run is course. It will clear itself up soon enough. 

 

Ps, I'm glad you've stuck with it,  even after dealing with the bad algae outbreak. 

[SquishyFishy]

Still up in the air on that one!

 

I've done everything everyone suggested....Phosphate Hanna checker says perfect.  No calcium test yet. dkh was around 150

[SquishyFishy]

Eureka again.....I just discovered something I think significant.  In my angst about the tank and corals shrinking up to nothing, I ordered a couple fake corals.  A red Gorg fake and a green mushroom cluster...thinking to heck with live coral, it'll just be a fish tank.  So I put them in the tank, don't look half bad either, and this morning one of the rics that was almost totally closed up and shrunk to the size of a pencil eraser is opened up and now the size of a quarter!!!  He happened to be under the plastic mushroom.  Conclusion:  could it be that the lights really are the problem.  So I lowered the whites from 35% to 25% so see if anything else opens.  Maybe that has been the problem all along.  All params and filtering have shown no causal effect.  They've been perfect since I set it up in December.  The only thing doing well has been the coralline which is now spreading on my rock.  I used Red Seas Coralline Gro for this.   I am hoping this is truly a Eureka moment.  I'll let you know.  I am closely watching the toadstool who has been sticking out his polyps just barely, he used to be gorgeous with polyps out almost an inch....hopefully they'll come out now...if that is the solution, it will be a miracle.  I can say one thing, the AI lights may be considered the top of the line, But Dave's Nano Box Duo was always perfect and  the blues always highlighted the colors just like I like them.  Maybe some day if this is the solution, I will save my $$ and order 2 Duos.

 

The Dino has just about subsided as well, still dosing DinoX every other week or so and NoPoX, alternating with Vibrance and it seems to be working.

 

We'll see.  I would love to go back to a sand bed, but I think removing it really helped eliminate the Dino.

[SquishyFishy]

Got me a little Kenya Tree and a B.Cardinal to cheer me up today.

[Minidoll]

This sounds promising, keeping my fingers crossed for you! I'm so glad you decided to stick with it.

I too think Dave's lights are amazing. I have an older Duo model, 2 channel. Getting a new Duo, 4 channels with that new lime color. Should get here next week. I'm keeping the older one as a backup. 

Looking forward to seeing pics of the Kenya Tree and Cardinal. Actually, I'm looking forward to seeing this tank, it's gorgeous!

[SquishyFishy]

Today, the mushrooms and leather are looking way better, maybe my initial speculation about these lights was right all along!  I see no Dinos either, just green algae, so maybe the intensity of white channel was contributing to that problem.  But no pics until I get it looking better.  Cardinal is so shy, he's taking a while to get out and about, doesn't help that the tang thinks he's all that!  The Kenya looks really good in there.  A sweet little grove of purple trees!

 

I'll add an RBTA next month, 7 months into the new tank.  And getting a new monti which I will put right smack dab into the middle of the old one's skeleton hoping the new one will use it as a platform and encrust it nicely.  Want to get some Red Dragon Micro algae also....I had a lot of it when in first IM tank, don't remember why I got rid of it now.  Should help keep the detritus down.  Then...at last, I may reconsider the sand bed.  Whew, it's been a long 7 months of disappointment.  I am finally thinking it just may be worth it.

[SquishyFishy]

OMG  my bubble shroom which bubbled up so beautifully in the other tank and closed up tight as a drum in the new one is finally unfurled and blowing his bubble chambers a bit...definitely looking up!

 

I have managed to seriously stunt the new clove colony though  Don't know what happened there.  Maybe too much current, I've moved it several times trying to find it a spot.  But it's stalks are just turning brown and ugly.  It's been in there for 3 weeks and was so pretty and purple.  O well....still happy there is no evidence of any Dino....just dead stuff its left behind.  Will try to vacuum all that up with the next WC.

 

Still a bit disappointed no Coralline on my glass even with using Red Seas' Coralline Gro

 

Little steps........

[Weetabix7]

4 minutes ago, SquishyFishy said:

OMG  my bubble shroom which bubbled up so beautifully in the other tank and closed up tight as a drum in the new one is finally unfurled and blowing his bubble chambers a bit...definitely looking up!

 

I have managed to seriously stunt the new clove colony though  Don't know what happened there.  Maybe too much current, I've moved it several times trying to find it a spot.  But it's stalks are just turning brown and ugly.  It's been in there for 3 weeks and was so pretty and purple.  O well....still happy there is no evidence of any Dino....just dead stuff its left behind.  Will try to vacuum all that up with the next WC.

 

Still a bit disappointed no Coralline on my glass even with using Red Seas' Coralline Gro

 

Little steps........

 

I am still glad to hear that things continue to be much improved over how they were before.

[SquishyFishy]

Has anyone used this?  https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2017/06/25/ph-stablization-with-soda-lime/

[Weetabix7]

2 hours ago, SquishyFishy said:

Has anyone used this?  https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2017/06/25/ph-stablization-with-soda-lime/

 

I haven't used it myself but I have heard of others using it successfully, even someone on here I think, tho I don't remember who. 

[SquishyFishy]

Well, its been 8 months for the new Red Sea 260 and finally...finally, my corals are responding favorably.  The rics are coming back after almost dissolving completely.  The toadstool is now coming out well and the shrooms are starting to open up.  Have recently tweaked the lighting in the AIs, whites are now at 35, may push them to 40 this weekend as that seemed to do the trick.  Need taller rock work also.  I think my problem was that the rock I transferred was so short that most of my corals  didn't have enough par.  Time to go looking for some replacements.  Need a new Monticap and some nems.  Even the palys are starting to open up again.  Whew...that was an exhausting  8 months of worry and woe!  Good news is there is no trace of pest algae any more.  (she says crossing fingers AND toes)  I have also added back some pebbly substrate to my bare bottom.

 

Will do another FTS when I get some more corals in.  I'm needing another yellow tang or corris wrasse also. Thinking about some sunset Anthias also.  I need to round out the color scheme with some warmth in yellows or oranges.  I also want some good macros in there I've decided.

 

Weetabix, I see you like those, what do you suggest?

[SquishyFishy]

Got me a foxface...he's a big boy but sure brightens the tank.  Got him some neat sinking Algae waffers from New Life Spectrum which I love.  Also ordered Grech CBG-800 5W UV Sterilizer Hang-On Back Filter, 20-50 gallon/211 GPH  to give more filtration.  I've never liked the sponge filters that come with the Red Sea tanks so finally I will have the option to change out filter floss again.  I think that was the secret of my success with the Biocube.  I changed out the floss every couple days and the water was always crystal.  Corals continue to improve but my next project should help with ph levels.  I drilled a hole in the house for an air line but it never really functioned well, just too far to pull air into the skimmer.  Now I have an idea to use an air pump to force the air in.  So that is my next improvement.  Things are looking up...whew!!

[Minidoll]

So glad to see your post that things are looking up. Good for you for hanging in there! Anxious to see some FTS. 

[SquishyFishy]

 

Keep in mind the red looking plant is plastic....had to put something in for color!  Also the mushroom in the front green are plastic too...I know pathetic but better than nothing...I will remove the fakies as soon as the coral get to better condition.

[Weetabix7]

39 minutes ago, SquishyFishy said:

 

Keep in mind the red looking plant is plastic....had to put something in for color!  Also the mushroom in the front green are plastic too...I know pathetic but better than nothing...I will remove the fakies as soon as the coral get to better condition.

 

So, so happy to see things looking better for you!!!

For some reason I never saw your question about Macros from your post back in August, sorry bout that. 

You can always feel free to PM me on here if you have a question. 

Anyway, Botryocladia and Graciliara are attractive and easy to keep Red Macros, and Cactus Caulerpa and Caulerpa Prolifera are easy greens. Codium too. 

[SquishyFishy]

I ordered a macro with my replacement snail/crab order but it was in very poor condition when it got here  so I pitched it.  It was some kind of flat green algae, almost free from Reefcleaners.  But I'm looking for the ones you mentioned, haven't found any yet.

 

Instead of ordering the HOB I decided to try a sock I had and it worked, I hung it off a lip of the skimmer so the return from the skimmer falls into  it and it certainly did a number on my tank...crystal!