Miz40B

[MizTanks]

Well here I go! Yes I'm scared of messing it up. Water leaking most of all!
Anyways I started my sump tonight :)
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[Dmmz]

It's looking good and you will be proud of doing this yourself I am sure you will do fine just take your time and do a lot of research as you go can't wait to see it up and running:)

[Sir Patrick]

Nice looking sump!

[MizTanks]

Thanks guys! Gonna water test it now so stay tuned :)

Update: First baffle leaks on the bottom. Kind of knew it would as it wasn't sitting flush on the bottom of the tank. The tanks sealant keeps it from doing so.
I've applied more sealant. Hope it works. If not I'll take it out clean it up and try again. I don't want to compromise the tanks sealant in any way.

[MizTanks]

Well baffles are removed and cleaned, wow! My hands are killing me.
I used the wrong silicone for those of you who didn't know.
So tomorrow I'll put them back in, using the right silicon this time. Using Loc Tite aquarium safe silicone :)
My new Danner Mag 5 Supreme arrived today :)
All thats left to get is some sand and rock for the sump. Oh and a drill :)

[dputt88]

what silicone did you use? i use GE 2 window and door silicone for everything. after its dried i let it stand in water for a couple days empty it and fill it with salt water

[MizTanks]

I used Dap 100% but it was for kitchen & bath so it had the micro bacterial crap in it :( FYI dputt88 everything I've read in the last 24hrs says to use the GE I and not the 2. Go figure right :)

[dputt88]

ive read either, though i did just do my nem tank with GE 1, because its all the local hardware store carries and i didnt want to go all the way to home depot

[MizTanks]

Well baffles are once again in place. Water tight? I shall see tomorrow :)

[jduck]

A small leak around a baffle will not effect the sump performance.

[MizTanks]

Water test complete. No leaks except for a small one in the bottom corner of the return baffle. No biggy but of course I'll patch it :)

[MizTanks]

Leak sealed! My son picked up a couple of drills so once I work up the courage I'll Git-Er-Done! I'm going to have him place the tank in my tub/shower with the holes to be drilled facing me. I'll use the handy shower head as my continuous water supply. Then drill away and pray!! Lol

[dputt88]

good luck, i have never drilled before, im always too scared.

[binford4000]

Looks good Jamie. Remember when drilling holes,slow and easy!! Let the bit do the work. Hardest part is not pushing. The weight of the drill is more then enough. Good luck

Besides if others can do it so can you!

[Sir Patrick]

I'll use the handy shower head as my continuous water supply. Then drill away and pray!! Lol

Just dont electricute yourself.

[MizTanks]

Just dont electricute yourself.

Battery powered drill. I'll be removing the shower head itself, so it's more like a hose :)

[Poseidon]

If you set the clutch to 1, it makes drilling MUCH safer. If the bit binds, the clutch spins, eliminating the torque that would otherwise break the panel.

[MizTanks]

If you set the clutch to 1, it makes drilling MUCH safer. If the bit binds, the clutch spins, eliminating the torque that would otherwise break the panel.

Thank you for that. One of the drills is a B&D. Should I run it on #1 (http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=1)
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/11/ubupa2eh.jpg

[Poseidon]

I would. I used my cordless DeWalt 12v set to 1 to drill my tank and sumps.

[MizTanks]

I would. I used my cordless DeWalt 12v set to 1 to drill my tank and sumps.

Ok will do :)

[MizTanks]

Crash & Burn!!! :(
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[Dmmz]

That is terrible but the good thing is you can do a lot of practice on this tank now

[Poseidon]

Oh no! It must have happened right at the very end.

[MizTanks]

Oh no! It must have happened right at the very end.

Yup. The bit wouldn't start on 1 so I put it up to 3. At the end it stuck :(
But the return hole was perfect :)

[MizTanks]

I love my son! Said he was going out with friends. Half hour after he left he walks in with another 40b. Says, you ready to try again ma? Lets go!!
Second times the charm!!
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/12/e6y4egas.jpg
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[jimsflies]

Sorry to hear about the first tank.

Great job on the second!

[tcp316]

Beautiful. You go girl

[MizTanks]

Thanks everyone for the support! Now I need to go get some Red Hot Blue Glue and the plumbing shall be done!
Then pick sand & 20g water container up on Monday :)

[jimsflies]

For that return line, you'll want some sort of siphon brake on it or you'll lose quite a bit of water out of the display.

[MizTanks]

For that return line, you'll want some sort of siphon brake on it or you'll lose quite a bit of water out of the display.

Suggestions? How to? Thanks Jim :)

[jimsflies]

Basically you need to drill a hole in your return line (inside the tank) so that as the water level starts to drop from siphoning when you turn the return pump off, it will create an air gap and stop the siphon.

Here is a link with some decent photos:
Anti-siphon holes | Melev's Reef (http://www.melevsreef.biz/node/894)

I did exactly what he did in the photos, I added two 90-elbows inside the tank so that I could get the return line closer to the surface. (since you have to drill the hole like you did, down away from the top of the tank, it is necessary to bring the return line closer to the surface for the air break).

[MizTanks]

Totally got it and understand. I'll see what I can do. Thanks again Jim.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Nice job. Good thing second time was the charm! Can we see a pic of the tank on the stand?

Tom

[MizTanks]

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Better pic to come later sorry.

[tcp316]

Looking good

[Tom@HaslettMI]

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Better pic to come later sorry.

That looks slick! Are you planning to paint the back or leave it clear?

Tom

[Hopkins]

Looks good. I am excited to see what you do with this tank.

[Dmmz]

It is looking great cant wait to see it filled up :highfive3:

[MizTanks]

That looks slick! Are you planning to paint the back or leave it clear?

Tom

Going to paint it black as soon as the weather permits :) Should of gotten roll on instead of spray paint. Still might.

[jimsflies]

The thing I recall about the spray paint is you need to do it in one coat. When I did mine, I went for a second coat and it bubbled up and was a mess. Had to scrape it off and start over.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Going to paint it black as soon as the weather permits :) Should of gotten roll on instead of spray paint. Still might.

How about this method? How To: Paint Aquarium Background - reefs.com (http://www.reefs.com/blog/2014/02/10/paint-aquarium-background/)

I've not done it myself but it looks promising.

Tom

[MizTanks]

How about this method? How To: Paint Aquarium Background - reefs.com (http://www.reefs.com/blog/2014/02/10/paint-aquarium-background/)

I've not done it myself but it looks promising.

Tom

Dang Tom!! That is exactly how I'm going to do it! You rock! Thanks :)

[MizTanks]

Got the paint-now gotta wait for finer weather to get it done. Can't paint indoors as the fumes would be to much.
Found a new in sump skimmer. SCA-301 can't beat the price and the reviews are awesome.
SCA-301 65 Gallon Protein Skimmer (in Sump):Amazon:Pet Supplies (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CML49CK?pc_redir=1397364200&robot_redir=1)
So I'll be selling my BH-1000 when the time comes.
Waiting on Gla$$Holes to send me a missing part.
Going to order the BRS mesh top kit :)
I think our LFS carries the sand I want.

Pics aren't the greatest but this stand couldn't get any better. Lots of room to move about if need be.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/16/vy4a6esa.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/16/vahezy8e.jpg
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[jimsflies]

I've got the mesh if you need it.

[MizTanks]

The BRS kit comes with everything I need & it's pre-measured :) Like the plumbing kit it took away all the guessing I'd be doing-lol. I'm absolutely NO good with measurements that need to be cut :(

[dlhirst]

MizTanks - sorry I didn't see this thread sooner... too late for you perhaps, but maybe for others - if you need to seat those baffles down to the bottom of the tank, a frag saw can notch the corners to allow for the tank's sealant. Even if you don't have one of them, your LFS likely does, and I gotta believe they'd let you notch out a few small corners... Glass cuts real easy with the diamond blades.

[MizTanks]

Thanks dlhirst :) Wish I'd have told the glass cutters this-lol

[saltwater addict420]

great looking sump have the same set up on my 295 gallon.

[binford4000]

Looking GOOD Jamie !!! Following along

[MizTanks]

Back is painted! Did it in my room. Figured if I wait til it's warm out I'll never get it done.
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[MizTanks]

Couple hours with the fan in the window & a nice smelling candle, I will be sleeping in my room tonight :)

[tcp316]

Everything is coming along nicely. Looking really good

[MizTanks]

Ordered some Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue for the plumbing. 3-4 days til it arrives so the paint will have good time to dry. Otherwise I may have been tempted to plumb to soon-lol.
This tank building is actually really fun! Very new experience for me and I'm proud to say I did it myself :)

[tcp316]

Ordered some Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue for the plumbing. 3-4 days til it arrives so the paint will have good time to dry. Otherwise I may have been tempted to plumb to soon-lol.
This tank building is actually really fun! Very new experience for me and I'm proud to say I did it myself :)

I'm a do it yourself kind of gal myself. Love to watch the progress. My poor husband always wants to help me but i like to do it myself. Good job Jamie

[MizTanks]

Thank you tcp316! I'm a do-it-myselfer too, usually :)

[MizTanks]

Well ordered a new skimmer. SCA301. Newest model with cup drain & air silencer. Hopefully tomorrow my glue will be here. I'll also be going to pick up a ball valve for the return. I'm also taking after CalmSeasQuest and using MarinePure Bio-Media Blocks for my fuge. Seems it'll make it a lot easier to keep the fuge area clean.
Been day dreaming a lot as to what I'd like to keep. Leaning towards LPS only with maybe a couple easier SPS. Most definitely no softies :) Fish wise not yet sure.

[MizTanks]

Plumbing is done!! Added a ball valve to the return :) Man oh man I pray there's no leaks!!
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[Dmmz]

It's looking great can't wait to see it full of water and cycling

[MizTanks]

It's looking great can't wait to see it full of water and cycling

Thank you Dmmz! I can't wait either. The corals in Miz26 are clamoring for a new home-lol

[MizTanks]

Yahooo me! Skimmer arrived today :) SCA-301
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/03/9a4ugy7u.jpg
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[binford4000]

Ooh. New toys !!! Best part of a new tank !! Next thing ya know you'll be showing of an Apex controller, lol. Looking good Jamie!!! :thumbsup:

[binford4000]

Ordered some Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue for the plumbing. 3-4 days til it arrives so the paint will have good time to dry. Otherwise I may have been tempted to plumb to soon-lol.
This tank building is actually really fun! Very new experience for me and I'm proud to say I did it myself :)

I don't mind saying it,but I told ya so!! I knew ya could do it. Easy peazy!! Lol

[MizTanks]

We have water!!! Dang this turned out perfect-lol. Hole levels are such that when I turn off the return my DT water level drops about an inch. Still giving me at least 2" of room in sump.
Ran her for 24hrs. Not a drop outside anywhere!
As for noise...I'm saving up for different pump. This Mag 5 blows :( Noisy as heck! The overflow had me worried...it's so quiet! Lol
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/04/qy8yty4e.jpg
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Water level of DT pump off
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/04/juze3y7y.jpg

Water level in sump pump off
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/04/pumy8evy.jpg

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Nice to see the tank up and running! I knew you could do it.

Odd, I recall folks saying the mag pumps were loud...;)

Tom

[Gryhund]

Nicely Done!

...what is holding up the filter sock...?

[jimsflies]

Good job! We told you, that you could do it.

What happens when to your water level if you push that return nozzle down (and then turn off the pump)?

[MizTanks]

I could still push the nozzle down a bit an not worry about flooding :) As is it makes great surface agitation noise free. 1 WP10 & 1 MP10 will be added flow :)

As for what's holding up the sock? Yooper magic! I told it to stay and it did-lol.
Tom-Lesson learned :) I need a mixing pump anyways and this one will work fine.

[MizTanks]

New fuge lamp/holder and 32g Brute! Next comes the sand and I'll be ready to cycle :)
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[MizTanks]

Rocks cooking! At least until my sad arrives week after next :)

[dlhirst]

Great job, Jamie. I know it's way too early, but I am anxious to hear how that skimmer works for you.

[MizTanks]

Great job, Jamie. I know it's way too early, but I am anxious to hear how that skimmer works for you.

I'm more anxious to get it running-lol.

[Dmmz]

Waiting on Update on how things are coming along

[MizTanks]

Well after waiting for our LFS monthly dry good order, my Figi Pink finally arrived today! Ordered 60# of live & 15# of dry. That should be enough for tank & fuge. I'll be picking it up in the morning, come home and make my first batch of SW. Friday she should be up & cycling. My rocks been sitting in buckets of SW for the last two weeks with flow. So between that and bacteria in a bottle I predict a two week cycle period. Same as it was with my 26g :)

On another note I'm in a total quandary about how I'm going to set up my lights. My trailer walls & ceiling will not hold the 13lb unit I'm sure. So I'm thinking of conduit attached to the side of the tank stand. Major PITA as I have no tools. Pretty much what keeps me from doing a whole lot around here. We shall see what I come up with :)

[Poseidon]

Looks good! You can and should take the reflector off your 'fuge light, the LED needs the air for cooling, and the reflector does nothing other than hold in heat for that lamp.

I use the same lamp, it works AWESOME for growing Chaeato. I pull about 50% from the fuge about every 6 weeks or so, you will be very happy.

[MizTanks]

Took the reflector off fuge light :) Got my sand today!! Now I'm making SW :)
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/30/ydapedu3.jpg

[MizTanks]

She's up an running!!
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Fuge lamp.
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Sicce Syncra 3.0. 716gph

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[Poseidon]

Excellent! I really like that Marco style rock, it works well, and almost seems to lock in together, like velcro.

Is the new pump much quieter for you? ;)

[MizTanks]

This pump is super quiet! Actually can't hear it all. Nor can I hear the overflow :) The Mag5 is a great mixing pump-lol.
Going to be giving my skimmer a vinegar bath today.

[binford4000]

Looks great Jamie!!! Nice job

[dlhirst]

Looks great, Jamie. You must have been really excited - up at 4am filling the tank? That's commitment!

[MizTanks]

Lol you noticed the time did ya?! Yeah I couldn't sleep till it was full :)

[MizTanks]

Skimmer fits perfectly!
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/04/zedaqema.jpg

[jimsflies]

I hope you have better luck with that Sicce pump that I have had. I have one of their smallest models and it is a POS.

[MizTanks]

Well so far I have no complaints. Working flawlessly and very quiet.

[Poseidon]

Looks like you are off to a great start! Now for the waiting...

[MizTanks]

And we have lights!!! How exciting!!! Whites @30 & blues @60 12 1/2" from waters surface. Perfect spread! Really like this stand.
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[dlhirst]

That is gonna look so sweet when you get 'em all in there! Well done, Jamie.

[MizTanks]

That is gonna look so sweet when you get 'em all in there! Well done, Jamie.

Thank you dlhirst :) I couldn't be happier! Actually brought tears to my eyes-lol.

[Poseidon]

That looks REALLY good! I bet you are super excited to see it all come to life.

[MizTanks]

That looks REALLY good! I bet you are super excited to see it all come to life.

I know YOU know how I'm feeling! :) Very happy Fungia...my last one I had to sell as it out grew my 26. Wont happen again-lol.
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Favia hood!
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[binford4000]

You really did a great Job Jamie !! Well done
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Let us know when your ready for some sticks ! I will be headed to Venezuela soon so it will have to be later in the summer! We got DIVIN ta do !! Chow!! Lol

[MizTanks]

Sounds great Chuck!! Make sure you take lots of pics. I love seeing your diving vacations! As for the sticks...if my lil Birdsnest makes it I'm all in-lol. Who'd have thunk it that I would be keeping Acros?!!

Have a wonderful time! Say hello to Mrs. B for me :)

[MizTanks]

I am soooo loving this tank!!! Even the very powerful LED's!!
All corals seem to be acclimating well.
Lil Yellowtail Damsel doesn't seem to know what to do with all that extra room-lol.
Best of all my lil Purple Birdsnest is showing
more PE.
My Blasto Merriletti
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[Tankster]

Looks great! When is the 90 upgrade?

[MizTanks]

Looks great! When is the 90 upgrade?

Bite your tongue!!! Oh and thank you :) lol

[dlhirst]

Tankster, that made me spit out my food laughing. And, you KNOW Jamie is seriously thinking about it! Those corals sure are looking pretty.

[MizTanks]

You guys are a mess, period!

[Poseidon]

I'd skip the 90 and go 120. :p

[MizTanks]

I'm totally ignoring you!!!

Meanwhile here's a new addition to Miz40! Most expensive fish I've ever purchased!
Swalesi Swissguard Basslet! Yahoo me :) Looking very healthy too.
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[Tom@HaslettMI]

I'm totally ignoring you!!!

Meanwhile here's a new addition to Miz40! Most expensive fish I've ever purchased!
Swalesi Swissguard Basslet! Yahoo me :) Looking very healthy too.
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The tank looks great. Nice fish too. Do you have a cover on the tank? I'd hate for that fish to end up on the floor.

Tom

[MizTanks]

No cover. Didn't find anything online about them being jumpers. So far she pretty much hangs out in her lil cave area. Except when it's feeding time.
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[MizTanks]

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[MizTanks]

Ok so the music is really really bad but I was experimenting :)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t6QfNuXkYEU

[jimsflies]

Looking good. Let me know if you want to build your own screen top...can send some mesh.

[MizTanks]

Don't know how I could get one to fit :( My light stand puts a dent in the traditional ones.
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[Poseidon]

Looks like you are off to a great start!

Video... it goes landscape. ;)

[tcp316]

The screens can be custom made with a notch around your lights. You won't regret making one.

[MizTanks]

Looks like you are off to a great start!

Video... it goes landscape. ;)

I don't understand what you mean by...Video..it goes landscape??

[Poseidon]

Turn your phone 90 degrees, so the shape of the video is wider than it is tall, like a movie screen. (landscape orientation, yours is in portrait, more for pictures of people.)

[MizTanks]

Oh lol gotcha!

[Pete Polyp]

Great job on the build! Its looking great so far. I had a 4 month head start with my 40 and I'm still nowhere close to being where you are. I had kind of a facepalm moment when you said you would be using the mag drive, and it brought a smile to my face when you changed to the sicce. How's the basslet working out for you? I have considered putting one in my tank, but I have heard they like to hide.

[MizTanks]

Thanks! The Basslet is doing wonderfully. She's out en about way more then I though she would be. Always comes out when I walk up to the tank :) Totally food oriented-lol.


http://youtu.be/MV7IDJa7Sa8

[Pete Polyp]

Awesome.... I may just have to snag one of those

[MizTanks]

4wk growth shots of my Birds Nest, sweet!!
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[Dmmz]

Awesome growth and your tank is looking great as well keep posting updates

[MizTanks]

Well after a week of running my lights at 30min ramp for 8hrs, I decided to up the time & intensity. So now they will ramp up/down every 10min for 10hrs. With max intensity at 30/50%.

I've got Copepods covering the glass. Rock it starting to show colors. Diatoms are disappearing. Fish are happy & healthy being fed Reef Frenzy every other day & NLS pellets daily.

Sump is doing great. Gotta harvest my Chaeto as it's pretty packed in there. Oh and this SCA-301 skimmer is the freaking bomb!! This thing pulls out the nasties! I had it sitting at 8" but read it works best between 6-7" so using a couple pieces of egg crate I raised it up to 7". Perfect!

Bought 2 more 7" socks from the LFS, so now I have 3. Changing them out every 4-5 days easily.

This tank is nothing like my 26g was. Maybe it's because I've a little more experience. Whatever it is, I'm once again a very happy reefer :)

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[binford4000]

Looks very happy Jamie !! Great job,you should be very proud of yourself!

[tcp316]

I second that Jamie. It's looking awesome.

[MizTanks]

Thank you Reefers! I am very proud of it :) Especially with my Birds Nest doing so well! It's an acro-lol. Something I've never been able to keep.

[MizTanks]

Well after 3yrs of so much joy having him/her in my tank, my Skunk Cleaner Shrimp died this morning..His/her presence is very much missed. Really enjoyed target feeding him/her every day.

My jbj ATO also kicked the bucket and I can't replace it until the LFS places their monthly dry goods order...using my store credit. I'll be getting the new Hydor Smart Level.

All else is well :)

[Poseidon]

That's a bummer on the shrimp. I am sure you will like the ATO though, I have only ever read good reviews on it.

[MizTanks]

Well I found my ATO's issue-lol-I attached a couple magnets to the float switch holder in place of the suction cups....Yuppers!! I did!! They've now been removed and the ATO works just fine.
I figured this one out all by myself :)

[MizTanks]

Sadly my Swalesi Swissgaurd Basslet has died :( Lasted just over 4wks. She stopped eating yesterday and found her dead this afternoon.

[larryandlaura]

Sorry about the fish Jamie, and congratulations on the new tank. I will be following along.

[MizTanks]

Thanks Larry. Nice to have you on board :)

[jimsflies]

Sorry to hear your swissguard died. :(

[MizTanks]

Thanks Jim. Me too, big time. :(

[MizTanks]

Happy days! All levels are to my liking :) Finally after dosing BRS 2 part Alk, I've been able to raise my Alk from 7.0 to 8.1 Dosed 45ml in 5 days. Ca=440, Mag=1400. A.m. PH=7.8 SG=1.025

Now if this crap on my SB would disappear :( I've been running my tank with blue lights only, today being the 4th day. Hoping to help starve it out. From the nog in my skimmer & nastiness in my sock, I think it just might be working :)
I really hate changing out these socks. Only because the area is so small and it's a pain-lol. Oh and I've only got 3 so I gotta wash em as soon as I change em.
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[MizTanks]

Started my white lights up again today. After a week without them there seems to have been very little change if any in the crap growing on my SB. So I'm back to the 10min/8hr schedule with 30/50% max. Running blue lights only had no negative effects on my corals at all. I'm surprised as I thought for sure they would need some white light. Shows how much I know about light :)

Next week I plan on using the Nualgi product. Based on Diatoms to help combat nuisance algaes.

[jimsflies]

Actually looking at your photos, those could be diatoms on your sand bed already. But would need better pics to tell for sure. (It could be cyano as well.)

New tanks always go through various stages like this. Its part of getting the biological filtration established and why its usually recommended to go slow with stocking them. (Not saying you're going too fast...but its the reason you want go slow.)

[MizTanks]

I'll admit I did go a tad bit faster this time around. More out of necessity then wanting to. However I seem to have spoken to soon, as my SB looks much better today then it has in a while. :)
I hear you Jim!! :)

[Dmmz]

what kind of paint did you use for the back of your tank I need to do mine tomorrow and want to get the right stuff and yours turned out great

[MizTanks]

Krylon black semi-gloss. Pour & push method. You pour the paint on and using a sponge brush just push the paint around until fully covered.

[Dmmz]

Thanks will do that later today

[MizTanks]

Insane growth for my corals!! Loving this tank :))
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[tcp316]

Looking very good

[Dmmz]

Looks like the coral like the new tank

[MizTanks]

Corals are loving the new tank! Lol. Just wishing I had more of them. Our LFS doesn't have any and I cannot afford shipping prices + online coral prices. But tax return is coming up ;)

[binford4000]

Corals are loving the new tank! Lol. Just wishing I had more of them. Our LFS doesn't have any and I cannot afford shipping prices + online coral prices. But tax return is coming up ;)

Those Favia frags look sweet! They have really grown out since last picture. LMK when you think it can keep Acro's. we have a few we can frag for ya

[MizTanks]

Did you see the Birds Nest?!
Those are your Favia Frags Chuck!! Lol By time I get em to ya they'll be ready to frag-lol. Matter of fact I'll check on shipping prices next week. I got the box already :) I'll let you know.

Mother Colony
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/09/03/ma6e7umu.jpg

[larryandlaura]

Keep up the good work Jamie, the tank looks awesome.

[MizTanks]

Thank you Larry! :)

[MizTanks]

Yahoo!!! My Birds Nest is really starting to color up!! Took this pic this morning before PE. You can see color!! It's supposed to be a purple birds nest, it may be yet :))
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I love this Blasto Merriletti. Been with me for 5yrs now.
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[binford4000]

Looking fat an happy ! Good job Jamie. How's your Alk issue going?

[MizTanks]

I've been slowly raising it. Tested tonight after dosing 30ml this morning. It went from 7.6 to 8.4. Hopefully I didn't over do it.
My Birds Nest isn't looking to happy :( Only partial PE most of the day. First time since I've had it. Hope I didn't kill it. Only time will tell....

[MizTanks]

Birds Nest is fine :) Full PE this morning!

[Dmmz]

Great to hear all is fine with your birds nest would of been terrible to lose it just when it was coloring up

[larryandlaura]

Lookimg alot better Jamie. That's awesome you had those blastos for over five years.

[MizTanks]

Lookimg alot better Jamie. That's awesome you had those blastos for over five years.

Thanks Larry :) Yeah 5yrs! Those, the Trumpets and the Christmas Tree Favia. Very cool right?! :)

First day In my 8g bio-cube. Pay no mind to the date on the pic..never did set it right :) Pic is from 2009
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/09/13/4e6adara.jpg

[MizTanks]

WC today. Moved the wp10 to the back wall center, mid-level. Turned the whites down to 20% max from 30% and kept the blues at 50% max. I'm already liking the look! :)
Went to the Feed store yesterday. They also keep several SW tanks. Bought a Strawberry Conch. Buried itself into the SB, haven't seen it since-lol. I really wish there was some place around here that sold corals :(


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[MizTanks]

I'm excited! Conch came out tonight and is doing exactly what I was hoping it would. I sat for about a half hour with my lil red led flashlight watching it-lol. Barely moving distance wise, yet that little trunk like mouth was moving, stirring and munching on the sand bed. Very cool to watch! Freaky to see the eyes, looking like antenna. Each one totally separate from the other, looking in total opposite directions.
5yrs reefing and I never knew! Definitely the coolest addition to my tank :) I feel as if I can now give up the worrying about this crap on my SB. The Conch has got it under control! WOOT WOOT-lol.
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[binford4000]

Pretty cool! Aren't they predators also?

[MizTanks]

Very cool!! Not predators at all. Matter of fact, everything I've read has shown me they are a great asset to our tanks.
Churning up small areas of sand at a time, looking for leftovers & algae, how could they not be?! :)

[larryandlaura]

Nice addition Jamie.

[MizTanks]

Nice addition Jamie.

Thanks Larry! I think so too :) Better then going chemical to get rid of this crap on my SB.

[binford4000]

I think I was thinking of the konch snail. I saw on PBS they actually have a harpoon filled with Nero toxin. My bad. Still cool addition. Are they wrasse safe. Every time I add hermits it dinner time in my tank!! I bought 25 little ones, gone in one night!! But my red coirs gained some weight over night?? Go figure , lol

[MizTanks]

Do your Wrasses eat snails? These Fighting Conch's are bigger then your average snail. Mines already 2 1/2" max size being 4+
Chuck I believe it's the Killer Cone Snail your thinking of.

[binford4000]

Do your Wrasses eat snails? These Fighting Conch's are bigger then your average snail. Mines already 2 1/2" max size being 4+
Chuck I believe it's the Killer Cone Snail your thinking of.

Ok,works for me! Neat addition for sure. And yes my corriswrasse eats anything he can get in his mouth or flip over. I hear he's gotten very fond of emerald crabs in his new home! LMK how it goes,might just need to get one of them once the Mrs calms down about my new overdose chalice! Can you say Ka Ching !!

[MizTanks]

It's been a very very long time since I've been able to say Ka Ching!! Lol So far my Conch makes his appearance at lights out...or as soon as the Lunars come on. Like tonight...then he's a busy snail. Looks like a vacuum cleaner!! :)
Wrasses sleep at night right?

[MizTanks]

Picked this lil guy/gal up today from Mares-Z-Doats. Our local animal feed store that also maintains several SW tanks.
It was wonderful to find out that unlike the LFS MZD orders all their SW livestock from AM Aquatics. Needless to say, what a great healthy looking fish!!
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[MizTanks]

Fish are amazing! For the past couple months I've had a Yellowlined Cardinal. Started with 2 but one killed the other. Swore I was going to return the killer, but just hadn't gotten around to it yet.
Picked up the Blenny. The Blenny kept to it's Turbo shell a lot! Come feeding time Blenny barely stood a chance against the Cardinal. The Cardinal has gotten quiet big!
Yesterday I picked up a new Royal Gramma. Oh man is she tiny! About an inch. First thing the Cardinal goes for blood, but I'm faster. Needless to say the Cardinal has a new home at the LFS :)
Everything I read about these Cardinals said they were peaceful. NOT the one I had!
All is peaceful in my tank. Blenny is all over the place! Picking very happily at the rock. Being curious over the Gramma but not to much. Gramma still hiding but I was able to lure her out with some Reef Frenzy.
Have raised my Alk to 9.0. Which is were I like it. Ca stable at 450, mag stable at 1440, Ph was 8.0, temp 77.5
Have turned my white lights down even further, now running them at 20% max. Ramping up/down for 5hrs. Blues I've kept at 50% max. Ramping up/down for 8hrs. I'm liking the look very much. Would probably like even more blue-lol. Who would have thought?
Most corals seem to be doing quiet well. But I do have some concerns for my Birds Nest. Couple branches show very small PE. Normal growth behavior? I've no idea. But I don't like the look and wish it had some color. It's supposed to be purple :(
One of my Favia frags has a couple small bleached spots on it. The one right next to it is fine.

I'm done ranting :) Have a great weekend everyone!!

[MizTanks]

Ok now I couldn't be happier with my fish. Gramma came out of hiding and is now out front and center!! I now have fish in my tank that I can actually watch!!

[Dmmz]

It's great to have them out where you can see them

[tcp316]

Jamie. You have any new pictures? Sounds like things are Stable and doing great.

[MizTanks]

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[tcp316]

Very nice. I love your rock layout. That will grow in beautiful

[MizTanks]

Thanks Vicki :) I think so too. Especially once I get some more corals in there.

[MizTanks]

Tank is looking & doing wonderfully!!! (Knocking on wood) 18wks old yesterday! Parameters becoming more & more stable, including temp. Sand bed all cleared up. Time and Conch responsible for that.
Added a new Fuge light. Very pretty!

[larryandlaura]

Looks amazing Jamie.

[MizTanks]

Looks amazing Jamie.

Thank you Larry :) Your very kind with your words-lol.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Looking great. We need a FTS ASAP!

Tom

[Dmmz]

Looking good having your alk stable should help even more

[binford4000]

You go girl!! All that worryin when you started this build !! LOL! You did a great job! I am jealous now! I can't find a conch anywhere. Great solution and tanks really looking great you need some Binford sticks in that thing. I think this spring you need to make room for some. :oldman:

[MizTanks]

Thank you guys!! What great support!

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[MizTanks]

You go girl!! All that worryin when you started this build !! LOL! You did a great job! I am jealous now! I can't find a conch anywhere. Great solution and tanks really looking great you need some Binford sticks in that thing. I think this spring you need to make room for some. :oldman:

I can't recommend the Conch enough! In just a few short week it has very gently turned over just about my entire SB. Eating all those lil tufts of algae I had along his way. You see my frags on the SB? The Conch moved none!
Definitely a very under rated, seldom spoke about Snail.

[creefer]

Nice work! Your tank looks great. I have to agree with Binford4000, though. You may need a few sticks in there this spring. I'll also say that Binford's sticks grow like crazy! I wish I had more left after the crash......

Keep up the good work, Jamie! It looks great!

[MizTanks]

Nice work! Your tank looks great. I have to agree with Binford4000, though. You may need a few sticks in there this spring. I'll also say that Binford's sticks grow like crazy! I wish I had more left after the crash......

Keep up the good work, Jamie! It looks great!

Awww thank you Chris :) I would love to have a few of Chucks Acros in my tank. By spring I should be ready :)

[MizTanks]

Ok spoke to soon. This lil 150w heater is not maintaining my temp. Just looked...75 degrees in my tank. I've moved the heater into the tank until I can move or dress up my ATO reservoir. It sits by the door which is way to cold. <sigh>

[Poseidon]

75 is not terrible, I let my tank run there all summer. Keeping the ATO water a bit warmer will certainly help, but not by much.

[MizTanks]

Well stupid is as stupid does. Just discovered that if I remove the heater from the water for more then 5-10sec it auto shuts off. Does not turn back on until I unplug and then plug it back in. So now I have to 200w in the return chamber and the 150w in the tank. I'll be removing the one in the tank before sleep.
Still need to do something with the ATO getting so cold. I don't think the 200w heater can keep up with the cold water coming in. Any suggestions?

[MizTanks]

Well this is getting frustrating. Got up this morning to a tank temp of 83.5, ugh! These heaters are funky as he$$! Only when I turned them down to 75 or less did they shut off.

[Dmmz]

Is everything going good with your tank and temp staying stable?

[MizTanks]

Actually I have it set on 73 and my tank temp has been steady at 79-80 :) Still trying very hard to get these lights dialed in. You'd think after 19wks I'd find some semblance of what will and will not work. Trying to come up with a par meter to help.

Otherwise all is well. Fish & corals all healthy and growing :)

[Sir Patrick]

Stability is almost always key...

As long as Alk, Temp and even Par are within reasonable limits, and they are stable, they will become acceptable. Maybe not optimal, but acceptable. Always get into these limits, them adjust slowely, if adjust at all. Sometimes its just easier to find your tanks Zen spot, and maintain it, rather than play with it.

As far as lighting goes, try searching a tank your depth with the same light and similar coral types, and use their settings, adjust to taste of color slowely well after everything gets acclimated to it is my suggestion, and then let it all acclimate to what you like. This process has worked well for me in the past.

[jimsflies]

In my experience, most heater thermostats aren't calibrated very accurately. (Likewise, many aquarium thermometers aren't calibrated properly either. I don't like to use digital thermometers for this reason.) I think the key is to use a reliable thermometer and verify the temperature is within the acceptable range. You may figure out that 73 on the heater thermostat dial is actually 80. I would create a calibration chart...put the heater in a bucket of water and adjust the heater over several settings and record the actual temperature you get at various settings. I'd also recommend a good temperature controller rather than rely totally on the built in heater thermostat.

Also for top off water being too cold, your auto top off should only be adding a couple ounces at a time. A couple ounces of ice cold water shouldn't be enough to even register in a 40 gallon system. Your top off water should be discharging into a spot in the sump where it will be well mixed before being pumped back into the display. I normally set it up to discharge into the same compartment as drain line from the display.

Most corals can handle short variances in temperature. Especially on shallow reefs, water heats up during low tide and a rush of cold water from deeper depths flows in during high tide. Not that I would try to emulate that, but the point is there is some tolerance for temperature variation.

You should be measuring the water temperature in a place that is representative of the water in the display...not right under the top off for example.

[tazzy695]

Tank is looking awesome mizz

[MizTanks]

Thanks Taz!!

Mr. Conch peaking before he makes his nightly appearance.
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Ugly Birds Nest growing like a weed.
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Favia's starting to spread out on the SB :)
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[MizTanks]

Ok this was so cool to see. I was worried about my Conch running outta algae to eat and I don't wanna give him up. Simply love the way he turns my SB over, so nice and gentle like. So I bought some dried algae to try. Couldn't find it without the added garlic though.
Anyways took a lil chunk and placed it right in front of him tonight. Wow!! He went to town as did my lil Nassarius snails.
IPhone & a lil red LED :)
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http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/15/ajyzudab.jpg

[Sir Patrick]

Those pics are too cool!!!

[larryandlaura]

Any updates or pictures Jamie.

[MizTanks]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/27/89019bf295b70ed29b984d6a2c23211d.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/27/f4f906b0f12c3b8f5072d246f0ca1f7d.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/27/a8aa47b0fe802e6155e383889620029e.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/27/c03bf2d9efc4cb230f85a762e25e0ad1.jpg

[MizTanks]

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[MizTanks]

She's coloring up!! Yahoo me!!
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/29/5fefc607a828426adf9c6f45eefcc77f.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/29/21bc5771b7ecdc38daa34fa6925740e0.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/29/331f648548f5db73d0c6730e2e0f929a.jpg

[MizTanks]

It's all about the freaking lighting I guess. Sorry reefers but I'm frustrated to say the least :( The above pics make the BN look awesome but let the intensity change a bit and here's what it really looks like to my eyes. Kind a makes me feel like a liar :(
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[tazzy695]

Lol your not a liar it really is all about the lighting corals react to lighting greatly with their color this is why color blind people usually have massively blue tanks because it brings max color out

[MizTanks]

Lol-Thanks Taz :) Don't know whether to be happy or sad I'm not colorblind. Anyways I did a lil rock rearranging. Moved the BN down a couple inches. After reading more, less light can't hurt it.
Just wish I could figure out why the polyps on top are so much smaller than the rest....

[MizTanks]

New addition!! Been wanting this fish for 5yrs :) Picked it up Saturday. She/he is eating great!! Frozen baby brine and just today started eating the Reef Frenzy. Blenny & Gramma pay it no attention at all. Welcome Spot, the Banggai Cardinal-lol.
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[Tom@HaslettMI]

New addition!! Been wanting this fish for 5yrs :) Picked it up Saturday. She/he is eating great!! Frozen baby brine and just today started eating the Reef Frenzy. Blenny & Gramma pay it no attention at all. Welcome Spot, the Banggai Cardinal-lol.
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Awesome! They are such cool fish.

[Poseidon]

Very Cool Jamie!

Don't sweat the LED Blue, my tank looks pretty darn sweet under just the blue LED, but I really like the halide on too. Led's have the best effect on coral color no question, and no harm in looking at the coral under the best light. ;)

[MizTanks]

See I don't like a ton of blue. So what I've done is 6% whites from 9:30am till 3:00pm then off. While my blues ramp up/down from 9:00am till 7:00pm then off-45% max.
Figure if I lose the BN oh well. On the other hand ALL my LPS are thriving :)
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[Sir Patrick]

Your going to love that new bangai cardinal- nice choice.

[dlhirst]

Your corals all look great to me, Jamie! I bought two of those cardinalfish years ago. My youngest (now six) is in charge of all livestock naming. So, Striper and Diaper were our cards for years. Sadly, Diaper disappeared one day about a year ago. But, Striper is still going strong.

[MizTanks]

Thanks guys. I'm very happy with my choice of fish this time around. Definitely a bigger tank helped-lol. Do you think the Cardinal will do ok alone? I've always seen people keeping them in pairs. dlhirst, I am very happy with my corals! Lots of growth, great coloring and even a couple lil frags of Zoa's are hanging in there :)
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/12/0b077b0890eed3b7705f2abf1b5cf93c.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/12/7c2d36ae5000f0844b9b201de716e070.jpg

[dlhirst]

As I mentioned, I bought the cardinalfish as a pair, but lost one. The survivor has done very well without his/her buddy...

[Sir Patrick]

Ive done best myself as single fish.

From what I can recall, the pairing ritual can be brutal, especially if you get a pair the same sex....

[MizTanks]

Sounds good guys. Thanks!! :)

[binford4000]

Cardinals do well by themselves or in a school. The wife had one that lived over eight years. They are great schoolers,better then chromis IMHO. They also accept new cardinals very easily. Hardy and mellow additions! Great choice

[MizTanks]

Once again my SB is clearing up, yahoo! All is well. Corals are growing, parameters stable.
2FarNorth is trading with me, my T5HO for corals. Not sure what I'll be getting, hoping for a Chalice for sure. Definitely doing a happy dance. Haven't gotten a new coral in almost a year! :)

[MizTanks]

6 months old!! :)

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Once again my SB is clearing up, yahoo! All is well. Corals are growing, parameters stable.
2FarNorth is trading with me, my T5HO for corals. Not sure what I'll be getting, hoping for a Chalice for sure. Definitely doing a happy dance. Haven't gotten a new coral in almost a year! :)

Awesome! Make sure to share some pics when you get the new coral(s).


6 months old!! :)

Happy 1/2 birth/fill(?)day!

Tom

[MizTanks]

It'll be a while yet I'm sure. At least until our swap. Which by the way will be on March 7th!! Yahoo!! :)
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/262316d9853453f1ecea1cccf680c2b6.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/51aee9461e665e42fa1b9a87583c33eb.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/06/3e56a0d8913899520dfb0a5a94f81840.jpg

[MizTanks]

My tank is doing fantastic!! Making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :) SB is just about cleared up, looking mighty white. Seeing little pods everywhere!
My new fuge lamp has done wonders. Cyano and HA all gone! Chaeto growing, looking dark green and healthy.
Parameters very well balanced. ALK very steady at 8.4, CA at 450, Mag at 1400, PH at 8.0 to 8.2 and Temp at 79.4. Dosing equal 2part at 7.5ml 2x daily.
Definitely sitting back more and just enjoying :) Fish eating well, getting along great and very active.

Pic of fuge and all the lil red feather dusters and sponge.
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[larryandlaura]

Looks great Jamie.

[binford4000]

Great update Jamie! Glad it's going so well. What did you do for a new fuge light?

[MizTanks]

Thanks guys :) Chuck, I'm using the Reef Radiance DM-5e.
Power: 5 WATTS
Layout: 5 X 1 WATT LEDS:
1 RED LED @660 nm
2 ROYAL BLUE LED @ 450 nm
1 VIOLET LED @ 410 nm
1 WHITE LED @ 6500K Kelvin

[MizTanks]

Ok I'm at a total loss. Thought my SB was clearing up. NOT!! This rusty diatom looking crap is back. Covering the entire SB and back glass.
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/12/41b769733af13e69e54794dde95c8781.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/12/7c233189804b94f5d790ce326f8be9a5.jpg

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Ugh, that sucks! Seems like the solution last time was less food. Have you increased your feeding recently?

Tom

[MizTanks]

I thought it was from dosing Reef Roids. But haven't done that in months. Haven't increased feedings.
I'm trying to remember if it gets worse right after a WC. I've tested all water for TDS and nadda. Tested tonight for PO4 using a Salifert kit and got 0.02. Nitrates are 0.
Could it be from old salt mix? I'm at the very bottom of the bucket. Which I've had for over a year.
If it is indeed Diatoms, where the heck are they coming from?!! I'm tempted to go lights out for a couple days and see if it disappears.

I added a bag of PhosGaurd tonight. Nothing to lose right? <sigh>

[MizTanks]

Been 12 days since last 5g WC. SB clearing up. Did 5g WC today, will see if indeed it is my water source that causing the issue.

Raised my Birds Nest up by about 4-5" see if it colors up or not. Everything else looks good. Fish happy & healthy :)

Still no signs of Coralline. Not sure what's up with that.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/20/e5217bd7b2278c6249e4ba3bba677775.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/20/534a1de8812c29f133cda62edab8f56a.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/20/0dbc8edaecf90697041e81b2db911459.jpg
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http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/20/ae2e50061245fcb70eaffac2aaf18b7d.jpg

[MizTanks]

Tomorrow's new arrivals!!
Multi color favia
Green pavona
Orange psammacora
Idaho grape monti
Chalice
Orange pavona
Green w/red eye chypastrea
Goniopora
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[Tom@HaslettMI]

Tomorrow's new arrivals!!
Multi color favia
Green pavona
Orange psammacora
Idaho grape monti
Chalice
Orange pavona
Green w/red eye chypastrea
Goniopora
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Very nice! Where are they coming from?

Tom

[MizTanks]

2FarNorth (James Strauss of jimsreef.com) is bringing them in the morning. Traded my T5 for them. But I'm not taking the Goni, to hard to keep.

[MizTanks]

Wow! Got me some beautiful corals! Thank you 2FarNorth!
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[MizTanks]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=z95FTX7hPRE&rdm=1d8hoa7jo&client=mv-google

[MizTanks]

Well my Green Panova isn't doing so well. Totally bums me out. Have lost a lot of pe. Not sure if it's due to me moving it up, or lights or water quality, removed my sock. All parameters are stable and within range. Wondering if I'll ever be able to keep SPS.....

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Does it still have color? PE alone is not indicitive of health with pavona (most SPS) in my experience. The only time my pavona has polyp extension is sweeper tentacles. I've had mine for years and it grew to be quite large... til the great die off in the old tank.

Tom

[Sir Patrick]

Love that Orange psammacora

[MizTanks]

Thanks Tom. Yes it does still have color and sweepers at nights. Just less PE from the first week in. Which was one reason I liked it so much. We'll see how it goes. Where did you have yours placed? I'm still trying to figure this out. Remember I've very little experience or success with SPS in the past. Now here I am with 5 at once...stressful times for me coral wise-lol. But it keeps me entertained!!

Thanks Sir Patrick. That one seems be doing quite well...so far :)
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[Tom@HaslettMI]

Thanks Tom. Yes it does still have color and sweepers at nights. Just less PE from the first week in. Which was one reason I liked it so much. We'll see how it goes. Where did you have yours placed? I'm still trying to figure this out. Remember I've very little experience or success with SPS in the past. Now here I am with 5 at once...stressful times for me coral wise-lol. But it keeps me entertained!!

Thanks Sir Patrick. That one seems be doing quite well...so far :)
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Over time I had it in lots of different conditions. High flow resulted in less polyp extension. It seems to do well in most light conditions... more light may br getting better growth. Though it has never been a fast grower.

Tom

[MizTanks]

Couple pics from this morning. I'm loving my tank today :)
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/11/0de7d98792e1e48cdbd4695f1dc3ec4b.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/11/e0e2787508cee16b98f5b444f1353f98.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/11/f0fd40cfa16aa0b1010e46c6e71b6aea.jpg

[MizTanks]

All's well :) Fish doing great as are the majority of corals.
My Chalice is struggling. Read that they do best with high mag levels, 1400 range. Tested and it was 1360 and so I've started dosing mag.
The Chypastre is also struggling. No idea why. Reading mixed opinions on lighting/flow needs for it. So I'm just moving it all over-lol.
My Bird Nest's skin is finally coloring up and growing like crazy!
I'm pretty sure the bleaching of the X-Mas Favia is due to bacterial. Caused by yours truly and a dirty turkey baster.
Thats it for now :)
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[Tom@HaslettMI]

O
All's well :) Fish doing great as are the majority of corals.
My Chalice is struggling. Read that they do best with high mag levels, 1400 range. Tested and it was 1360 and so I've started dosing mag.
The Chypastre is also struggling. No idea why. Reading mixed opinions on lighting/flow needs for it. So I'm just moving it all over-lol.
My Bird Nest's skin is finally coloring up and growing like crazy!
I'm pretty sure the bleaching of the X-Mas Favia is due to bacterial. Caused by yours truly and a dirty turkey baster.
Thats it for now :)
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Looking good Jamie! It's nice to see the new corals incorporated into the islands. Also those snails on top of the overflow won't do much in the way of algae control...

Tom

Tom

[MizTanks]

Lol-those be decorations!! Actually saving them for when/if my Scarlet Hermit needs a much bigger shell. One was from my 4yr old Turbo who recently passed.
I still have a few corals to add to the rock, but every time I move them up they don't seem really happy. Guess I'll just have to get some high light loving ones from the up coming swap :-)
Thank you for the compliment Tom. I'm really enjoying all the new aspects of running this tank.

[MizTanks]

Top down pics, no flow :)
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/30/298cf824194c694ac69415bedcc79816.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/30/1b7a1f46b959d7fdf8f56608719ff857.jpg

[binford4000]

Looking really good Jamie!

[MizTanks]

Thank you Chuck :) Guess everyone can tell I'm liking my Birds Nest-lol.

[MizTanks]

Well tonight I decided to start using the socks again. Mainly because I like to feed my fish, a lot! I can really see the difference since I took them out :( I don't want to worry about excess food stuff building up in the sump. I just need to have more than 3 on hand-lol.

[MizTanks]

Today I ordered a custom combined 5g ATO + 1g CA/ALK reservoir from Melvsreef.com and I also ordered the Jebao DP-4 Dosing Pump. Tank will pretty much be running itself :)

[MizTanks]

Tank is doing quite well. Sadly i used a piece of rock from the 26g in my sump and now I've got major Bubble Algae in there and am finding small patches in my DT. Luckily none of my rock is epoxied so its been easy to remove the infected and remove the algae. Nothing major though.
Corals are all doing well. Hard to believe tank is 8 months running already!
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This Enchinata is actually purple with green mouth.
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Idaho Grape doing awesome!
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[MizTanks]

Well I crumbled and bought the Gyre XF-130. Very excited about this. 1 pump in my tank for flow :)

[Poseidon]

I've been thinking about that same pump Jamie. Please let me know what you think of it, I know Chuck really likes his.

[MizTanks]

I sure will! :)

[MizTanks]

Got a few socks in the mail today. $35.80 for 10-4" 200 micron. Tad long at 14" but in my case they'll work great as I don't use a holder of any kind. Found on Amazon-Seller is Avalon.
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And Jebao DP-4 Doser $104.00 shipped.
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[redemer123]

Great tank build Jamie. haven't been around in a while, just wanted to stop by and say hello. Glad to see you're still going strong in the hobby.

[MizTanks]

Wow! Hi stranger :) Very nice to see you visiting or are you building?.Ye eh I ma die hard reefer-lol.

[MizTanks]

New 5g ATO plus 1g ALK/CA Reservoir.
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[Poseidon]

Very nice! Marc does great work, he made my Kalk and Ca reactor chambers for me.

[MizTanks]

Well The dosers all hooked up. Was pretty easy to calibrate as was programming. First dosing happens at 9am. I've actually kept the same schedule and amount that I was doing manually. Just spread further apart.
Tank is doing quite well. Getting great growth from all the corals. Amazingly here it is 2wks and my 4 new frags of Zoas are still alive-lol.
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[MizTanks]

Well ran into a tiny glitch. Didn't have pump 1 (CA) calibrated correctly. Fixed that. Have NO idea what the second set of numbers of the calibration mode means. In my case it reads like this, 100ml = 166. This is the same for both pumps being used.
Nor am I 100% sure that each dose is 10ml. Anyone with an easy way to find this out LMK please.

For sure going to be doing a lot of testing over the next couple weeks. Things have been so stable of late, really don't want to mess this up.

Anyways stay tuned for further updates :)

[MizTanks]

lots of new growth on the Idaho Grape. Getting great pe too.
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