Innovative Marine 25 Lagoon

[Lula_Mae]

Sorry to hear about all the losses, I've been there and it sucks. Hopefully after some time to stabilize more you can start trying new things. 

[DaveFason]

If you are running carbon, GFO, etc look at taking those offline. 

[gone_PHiSHin]

37 minutes ago, DaveFason said:

If you are running carbon, GFO, etc look at taking those offline. 

agree, i recently learned GFO is powerful stuff

[sugar]

Not sure if I can or will be able to help much, but just wanted to say that I have been right where you are twice.  Actually, this November/December I had the same diatom/cyano (probably the latter) and I was totally stumped.  Also have a Lagoon 25, but more mixed reef.

 

I thought that was a pic of my birdsnest that you posted... it looked the exact same.

 

Two years ago with a Nano Cube 12g, I had dino.  Way, way worse.  Same thing happened though, I stripped the water and almost lost a few corals (added a ton of Chemipure-Elite).  Corals were closed for MONTHS!

 

It is a long road to recovery, in my experience.  As it should be.  If the corals are still alive, you need to keep water clean and parameters perfect while not doing much else.  My tank is now recovering from the weird cyano and my easy SPS and LPS browned pretty bad.

 

Chemipure-Blue isn't my fav though people swear by it.  I love Chemipure-Elite and now I'm running some Purigen.  A little carbon (ROX) + Purigen, or Chemipure-Elite + Purigen has been working for me.  I run the little Reef Octopus skimmer and it's not amazing, but it skims well (although quite wet).  The key is not adding to much or too much, too fast (though, if you have an outbreak, it was the last resort for me).

 

Other than that, water changes. Big time. I wanted water to be as close to perfect as I could achieve, without manipulating anything.

 

Do you had RO/DI?  That's actually what helped my cyano this winter.  I finally got a unit and will never look back!!!

 

I think you said the algae is gone now, and just trying to recover?  Very best of luck and keep us updated!  Great advice on here, and I'm benefitting quite a bit from this thread.

[Thrassian Atoll]

I haven’t posted in a long time.  The tank ended up crashing pretty much so I took it down some months ago.  The only thing I can think of is I was doing to much to it.  Dosing, huge water changes, always testing it.  

 

I didnt want to start it back up because I didn’t know what my future had in store for me this year and the possibility of moving to a different state.  Well that time has come and I am actually moving to a different state with a new job opportunity.  One of the first things I will be doing though is starting my tank back up in probably October.  I’ll probably keep it  the same with the equipment and rockscape and keep an sps dominant tank.  

 

Whats crazy is I barely have any money into my 5 gallon, never test, do water changes here and there and that thing is thriving.  It’s weird how that works.

[Tamberav]

On 8/17/2018 at 1:25 PM, TILTON said:

I haven’t posted in a long time.  The tank ended up crashing pretty much so I took it down some months ago.  The only thing I can think of is I was doing to much to it.  Dosing, huge water changes, always testing it.  

 

I didnt want to start it back up because I didn’t know what my future had in store for me this year and the possibility of moving to a different state.  Well that time has come and I am actually moving to a different state with a new job opportunity.  One of the first things I will be doing though is starting my tank back up in probably October.  I’ll probably keep it  the same with the equipment and rockscape and keep an sps dominant tank.  

 

Whats crazy is I barely have any money into my 5 gallon, never test, do water changes here and there and that thing is thriving.  It’s weird how that works.

 

Hey! It's November 🙂 Set this beauty back up yet?

[Thrassian Atoll]

12 hours ago, Tamberav said:

 

Hey! It's November 🙂 Set this beauty back up yet?

Actually in the middle of it!!!  Should be wet tonight.

[Tamberav]

1 hour ago, TILTON said:

Actually in the middle of it!!!  Should be wet tonight.

Excited! Need some more lagoons with nanobox over them.

[Thrassian Atoll]

18 hours ago, Tamberav said:

Excited! Need some more lagoons with nanobox over them.

 

I thought my shippers actually lost everything when I moved the fall.  They found all of my equipment the next week in their warehouse.

 

The tank is wet though.  Need to go buy a shrimp to start the cycle and finish up all of the little stuff.   

[Thrassian Atoll]

Cycle has been going for a few days.  Have the light about 12” above the tank right now.  It’s pretty high.  I might have to lower it.  Think I am going to get a par meter and see how it is first.  

 

I have a little cubby in my basement that’s a perfect spot for the tank.  I went pretty boring on the aquascape but should have good area for coral placement and good flow from the mp10.  

 

I also used an inch of fiji pink sand with a .25” layer of reef grade on top.  The Fiji pink on the earlier go around was always blowing around.  I have one spot that’s blowing a little but  way better now. 

 

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

I went ahead and ordered Neptune Systems Apex Par Monitoring Kit (PMK).  I have been wanting one for a while now but never pulled the trigger until now.  I wish I would of got it on cyber Monday but I didn’t even think about it.  

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

I got my apex par meter all setup.  Attached are my nanobox settings that I tested and the par that it’s at.  

 

The light is 14” above the water and the sensor is 20” from the light.  I am going to have to move it down.  I want it right around 250-300 par at peak times but I also want to be able to turn the whites down some if I want to because the 2-1 blue to white ratio is maxed out.  

 

I will hold the light over the tank and let the par meter take readings and see if I can get it into the range I want before I attach the piping to the wall again.  

 

 

[Reefkid88]

Thats not too shabby,really. Did you take any measurements ? 

[Thrassian Atoll]

17 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

Thats not too shabby,really. Did you take any measurements ? 

 

Which measurements?  I listed the depth and the par chart for the 14” above water.  115 max isn’t terrible par but for sps I want it around 250ish for leds.  That’s what I am seeing be the average in a lot of really nice sps reefs.  I am going to do a couple measurements tonight and figure out where I want the lights to sit.  I’ll share those results tonight or tomorrow when I am done.

[Thrassian Atoll]

Think I got it!  4-5” above the glass or 5-6” above the water line is right at 250 par where the par meter is sitting right in the middle of the tank.   I think I am going to go with that distance for the light.  If anything, I’ll be able to turn the par down without affecting the blue to white ratio.  

 

With the light sitting on top of the glass, an inch above the water line, the par reaches 458.  

 

Once i rehang the light I will take measurements around the tank and post my results.

[mitten_reef]

18 minutes ago, TILTON said:

Think I got it!  4-5” above the glass or 5-6” above the water line is right at 250 par where the par meter is sitting right in the middle of the tank.   I think I am going to go with that distance for the light.  If anything, I’ll be able to turn the par down without affecting the blue to white ratio.  

 

With the light sitting on top of the glass, an inch above the water line, the par reaches 458.  

 

Once i rehang the light I will take measurements around the tank and post my results.

Welcome back, and excited to see how the par results. 

 

Why does the pic above looks like you’re  running 3 arrays? 

[Thrassian Atoll]

17 minutes ago, micoastreefing said:

Welcome back, and excited to see how the par results. 

 

Why does the pic above looks like you’re  running 3 arrays? 

Thanks!  It’s a custom nanobox dave made me last year right before my tank took a downturn.  That’s why I am selling my nanobox duo.

 

 The light is 3 arrays with 2 24” T5s.  I think 4 arrays would have been too much.  The light is awesome though but there is a couple things I would have liked different.  

 

The smallest of which would be to move the outside arrays in a little bit and center the middle one.  It’s offcenter because there are two plates that come together and the outside arrays are pretty close to the edge.  

 

The main thing I was a little disappointed with is that the T5s don’t have reflectors and they aren’t very bright because of it.  You can see the T5 lighting but it would be like having a low grade T5 light.  If I had known all of that during the build, I would have had him put in 2 more for 4 total because there is room for 2 more I beleive.  Unfortunately there is no room for reflectors and I don’t think I could come up with anything that would help.  I might try some metal tape but I think Dave said it wouldn’t make a difference.

 

Anyways, that’s my newer light and I would 100% buy again.  It’s different, it’s nice and it’s a nanobox.

 

 

[Reefkid88]

Yeah why is there no reflectors on the T5's ?! Could you not just cut the reflector down to fit inside ? I feel like the bulbs are redundant with no reflectors... I think you could make something work though to get productive light usage out of the T5's instead of wasted light energy. 

[Tamberav]

They make sticky mirror film that should work...looks slick hanging on the wall 

[Thrassian Atoll]

6 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

Yeah why is there no reflectors on the T5's ?! Could you not just cut the reflector down to fit inside ? I feel like the bulbs are redundant with no reflectors... I think you could make something work though to get productive light usage out of the T5's instead of wasted light energy. 

 

Yeah, I am not sure.  I would buy the reflectors for it and try and cut them down but I am not sure if I can buy the reflectors that would of came with it.  Honestly not sure what the light was to begin with?  I would have to ask Dave.  I am guessing the light was way thicker stock.  I will check the par when I rehang the light and see what just the T5 produces.

5 hours ago, Tamberav said:

They make sticky mirror film that should work...looks slick hanging on the wall 

 

Thanks!  Yeah, I think I am going to order some and see if it helps.  

[ninjamyst]

you need a bigger tank to fit the light =P.

[Thrassian Atoll]

5 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

you need a bigger tank to fit the light =P.

 

It actually fits really well.  Lot of light bleed out at that height in the photo but shouldn’t have much when I move it down soon.  The light is like 24” x 12” and the tank 24”18” I beleive. 

[Reefkid88]

Even if you cut the reflector down,I think it would help dramatically to direct all that light downward and give you the par the t5's should. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

1 hour ago, Reefkid88 said:

Even if you cut the reflector down,I think it would help dramatically to direct all that light downward and give you the par the t5's should. 

Yeah.  I think I looked for specific reflectors for it and couldn’t find any in the past.  I am not sure how universal reflectors would work.

[Reefkid88]

Any T5 reflector should work honestly. Its one fits all there. I would just get LET reflectors if you can't find any ATI or name brand ones.