matth6761 Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 What timing! So the pump seized up on the SC Aquariums SCA-301 last night. Kaput. Can't really recommend. I feel like it's a decent enough skimmer body that's held back by a garbage pump. Replaced it with this... Holy crap, the quiet! The Skimz SN127 Monzter Mini. So far, I'm impressed. Significant noise reduction from the last skimmer, with only the sound of bubbles churning, and at 1/3 of the power consumption. Perfect footprint for my sump as well. Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 Mid March photo session... 4 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted March 22, 2019 Author Share Posted March 22, 2019 Just a quick video of the reaction of Trachyphyllia geoffroyi when the Kessil AP700 turns on. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 That time lapse is extremely cool. Seems like a camera feature that deserves more play in the hobby! Really nice pics by the way. Everything looks super happy and healthy. Following along. 2 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted April 13, 2019 Author Share Posted April 13, 2019 April update: Spring is here! Things are progressing nicely. Coraline is beginning to spread across on the rocks, but not on the glass or anywhere else, interestingly. Coloration of the SPS damaged during the power outage is finally beginning to improve. 3 Quote Link to comment
WV Reefer Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 32 minutes ago, matth6761 said: April update: Spring is here! Things are progressing nicely. Coraline is beginning to spread across on the rocks, but not on the glass or anywhere else, interestingly. Coloration of the SPS damaged during the power outage is finally beginning to improve. Things are looking good. 😊 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 How is your nano reef coming along @matth6761? Hope you're well! 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted May 19, 2019 Author Share Posted May 19, 2019 May update: Unfortunately, at the moment the reef is showing signs of stress from spending a day without a functioning return pump as well as some possible metal contamination from a rusty nail dropped in the sump. The pump quit working while I was at work and it was several hours before I could locate a replacement. Circulation was maintained in the main display, however the temp and pH had dropped considerably, and I think some corals got a sunburn from the reduced water level. Coral damage was only really noticeable in some of the sps and the torch coral. Things are bouncing back thanks to big water changes. Ultimately replaced the broken return pump with two smaller Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 pumps for redundancy. Lesson learned. 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 And now for something different. I find the corals are just as interesting in the early morning ambient room light. Such a different reef before the lights come on. June FTS: And I'm loving the colors on these zoas! 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 My tank had a birthday and I forgot. Shame on me. We did very well during the Great California Power Outage of 2019 thanks to a very trusty Champion generator, but most importantly, having the luxury of being home the whole time, AND knowing exactly when the power was going to be shut off. The entire system functioned perfectly on generator power, and having a bright light in the living room was also very appreciated. Power ended up being out for about 40 hours, and the generator, which was also powering the fridge, consumed one gallon of unleaded about every 9 hours. The wind died down, helicopters circled the house and power was restored soon after. The reef marches on. I'm starting to have alkalinity management issues with just kalk alone so I'm wondering if I should switch to a different method. Added a few new fish that have all settled in well. 1 Quote Link to comment
kimdawg Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 The tank is looking great. I noticed that you started with a sand bed and then started taking it out in Jan. Do you like it better BB or do you plan to leave the sand under and around the rocks? I am BB in my contest janky tank and loving it. I have always had sand in my tank but I think it is easier to keep clean BB. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 4 hours ago, kimdawg said: The tank is looking great. I noticed that you started with a sand bed and then started taking it out in Jan. Do you like it better BB or do you plan to leave the sand under and around the rocks? I am BB in my contest janky tank and loving it. I have always had sand in my tank but I think it is easier to keep clean BB. I started slowly removing a little bit of sand with each water change a while back after reading about the benefits of a bare bottom. I wish I had started with a bb tank, and my ultimate goal is to remove all of it, but for some reason, I don't hate the way the small amount of sand under the rocks looks right now. 2 Quote Link to comment
MoJal Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 1 hour ago, matth6761 said: I started slowly removing a little bit of sand with each water change a while back after reading about the benefits of a bare bottom. I wish I had started with a bb tank, and my ultimate goal is to remove all of it, but for some reason, I don't hate the way the small amount of sand under the rocks looks right now. The bit of sand around the rocks makes it look like an island. I love it. 3 Quote Link to comment
kimdawg Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 15 hours ago, MollyJane22 said: The bit of sand around the rocks makes it look like an island. I love it. I was thinking the same thing. It does look like an island and gives you some sand for critters that need it. 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 The tank lives on. After months of unsatisfying results in terms of coral growth and coloration, I added a T5 hybrid to the mix. I had remarkable results for coral growth in my 20 gallon with T5s that I just wasn't seeing under the LEDs alone. Since I installed it a few weeks ago, I've already noticed a positive response in the corals. Those damn anemones tho.... 2 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 A lovely video tour @matth6761, great to see your 40gal nano reef is still going! Lots of coral growth since your last update, it's going to fill in nicely. What T5 light fixture did you go with? Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted August 9, 2020 Author Share Posted August 9, 2020 On 7/21/2020 at 6:56 PM, Christopher Marks said: A lovely video tour @matth6761, great to see your 40gal nano reef is still going! Lots of coral growth since your last update, it's going to fill in nicely. What T5 light fixture did you go with? Thanks a lot! I went with the Aquatic Life fixture, using the AP700 mounting hardware. Very sleek. It looks great and the corals are responding nicely to the additional light. T5s really are making a difference! Healthier tissues, better coloration and growth as well! 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 August 2021 update! Still hanging in there despite power outages and wildfires! I've introduced Tropic Marin's All-For-Reef to the mix. I've tried to avoid any changes to the chemistry for the last few months because I've felt that past alterations really seemed to upset the tank. But, so far, I'm happy I'm happy with this change. Seeing new growth in corals where I haven't seen it in a while, and extra polyp extension from a lot of my sps frags. 4 Quote Link to comment
A.m.P Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 I do love DIY All For Reef, looks like you've got a bit of chrysophytes starting to pop up. Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 On 8/23/2021 at 11:45 AM, A.m.P said: chrysophytes starting to pop up. Yeah, I think the refugium is getting overgrown and is consuming all the nutrients. Gonna cut it back and see what happens. 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 I've had this guy for about a year and a half. One of my favorite critters. 3 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted September 6, 2023 Author Share Posted September 6, 2023 Sept 5, 2023 FTS update. Steady as she goes. Lots of progress. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
A.m.P Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 Absolutely gorgeous! 1 Quote Link to comment
matth6761 Posted September 7, 2023 Author Share Posted September 7, 2023 17 minutes ago, A.m.P said: Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks! Quote Link to comment
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