OP
OP
Here are some pictures with different angles, closeups, and filters. I’m still trying to figure out the best time in my light cycle to take a blue picture. These were under almost 100% cool whites.
65g Mixed Reef for Seahorses.
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- Thread starter aquaman99
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OP
OP
Hello everyone! 
It's been a while since I updated my build thread. I got caught up doing lots and lots of live sales and thought my tank was doing awesome. But the more I learn and read the more I test for now and the worse I think it's actually doing. I thought fishtanks were calming not intensely stressful lol. Anyway, here is some updates.
1. The substrate is the same. I think I am going to love my pink tinted sand once I can get diatoms and cyno off of my sand for more than a day lol.
2. I am still using the mix of Red Sea and Tropic. I use 5 tablespoons of the Red Sea and 2 tablespoons of the tropic for every gallon of water. My guestimation of parameters for this blend was CA 450, MG 1350, and KH 11.275. My actual tested numbers were recently CA 390, MG 1110, and KH 10.9. I feel those numbers might be a bit low due to error so I will retest and compare 3 different batches of 5 gallons later this week.
3. My DIY sump is working like a champ. Using the glass instead of plexiglass made all the difference. I have been trying out different brands of filter socks and honestly I dont like any of them thus far. I know for sure the paper feeling ones are my least favorite followed by the felt ones. I have been using bleach in the washer to clean and reuse them. I change my filter sock every 5 days on a schedule. I do occasionally throw in a small bag of carbon but not on any schedule. I don't use the Tripple Combo Filter Media anymore. I might buy those 3 in one pads and cut a small piece and put it in every 2 weeks. I don't use theMignon filter 60 anymore either. I am still using the Rio 2500 return pump. I got rid of the Aquatop CPS circulation pump because the seahorses were not being careful and the first time a tail went into the grates I took it out. I am still using the Reef Octo NS80 Nano protein skimmer. I wish it came with a bigger catch can. I might have to DIY something because it works like a champ and I'm emptying it out twice a day full of bubbles that sometimes overflow.
4. I have been running my M8's since the beginning of March and i just don't think I am an LED kind of guy. I'm renting a part meeter for 100% conformation on their par ratings on Friday but I keep most of my stuff at the bottom of a 24" tank so I don't think the light can fully reach at those depths. It's an awesome light for a shorter tank but for my taller one I decided to buy T5's. They will be mounted this weekend. I'll do a whole update on them this weekend.
5. a lot of my coral has passed since buying it. $1000's worth actually. I had 3 birdsnests that grew like crazy and each one randomly died over night on different days. Any acro in the above picture is gone. Most of the zoas are still around but they don't open anymore. The clove polyps are still around but barely. The octospawn was around until recently. I think it's either very unhappy or doing something with growth because the tentacles are all deflated and the head is changing shape. Almost morphing into multiple new heads if that's a thing. Even my mushrooms are not happy. I told you in the beginning of this update that it's been a rough ride since my last post and I wasn't kidding. I can't seem to stop my KH from swinging. I also had to lower the tank temp to 74F for the seahorses.
It's been a while since I updated my build thread. I got caught up doing lots and lots of live sales and thought my tank was doing awesome. But the more I learn and read the more I test for now and the worse I think it's actually doing. I thought fishtanks were calming not intensely stressful lol. Anyway, here is some updates.
1. The substrate is the same. I think I am going to love my pink tinted sand once I can get diatoms and cyno off of my sand for more than a day lol.
2. I am still using the mix of Red Sea and Tropic. I use 5 tablespoons of the Red Sea and 2 tablespoons of the tropic for every gallon of water. My guestimation of parameters for this blend was CA 450, MG 1350, and KH 11.275. My actual tested numbers were recently CA 390, MG 1110, and KH 10.9. I feel those numbers might be a bit low due to error so I will retest and compare 3 different batches of 5 gallons later this week.
3. My DIY sump is working like a champ. Using the glass instead of plexiglass made all the difference. I have been trying out different brands of filter socks and honestly I dont like any of them thus far. I know for sure the paper feeling ones are my least favorite followed by the felt ones. I have been using bleach in the washer to clean and reuse them. I change my filter sock every 5 days on a schedule. I do occasionally throw in a small bag of carbon but not on any schedule. I don't use the Tripple Combo Filter Media anymore. I might buy those 3 in one pads and cut a small piece and put it in every 2 weeks. I don't use theMignon filter 60 anymore either. I am still using the Rio 2500 return pump. I got rid of the Aquatop CPS circulation pump because the seahorses were not being careful and the first time a tail went into the grates I took it out. I am still using the Reef Octo NS80 Nano protein skimmer. I wish it came with a bigger catch can. I might have to DIY something because it works like a champ and I'm emptying it out twice a day full of bubbles that sometimes overflow.
4. I have been running my M8's since the beginning of March and i just don't think I am an LED kind of guy. I'm renting a part meeter for 100% conformation on their par ratings on Friday but I keep most of my stuff at the bottom of a 24" tank so I don't think the light can fully reach at those depths. It's an awesome light for a shorter tank but for my taller one I decided to buy T5's. They will be mounted this weekend. I'll do a whole update on them this weekend.
5. a lot of my coral has passed since buying it. $1000's worth actually. I had 3 birdsnests that grew like crazy and each one randomly died over night on different days. Any acro in the above picture is gone. Most of the zoas are still around but they don't open anymore. The clove polyps are still around but barely. The octospawn was around until recently. I think it's either very unhappy or doing something with growth because the tentacles are all deflated and the head is changing shape. Almost morphing into multiple new heads if that's a thing. Even my mushrooms are not happy. I told you in the beginning of this update that it's been a rough ride since my last post and I wasn't kidding. I can't seem to stop my KH from swinging. I also had to lower the tank temp to 74F for the seahorses.
OP
OP
I changed out my lights from LED's to T5's. I have a 6 bulb fixture. I think the extra light might have spiked some kind of bacteria bloom. The tank is in bad shape right now but I think the horses, goby, shrimp and fish are all doing well.
Check your phosphates, corals usually dont do well with high phosphates and if you took out your circulation pump, that might be the other reason they are not doing well. Acros need high flow, and hammers need moderate flow. Changing lights could affect then as well, especially if you didnt give them some type of adjustment period to adapt. Seahorses are not an easy animal to care for, but so beautiful and peaceful to watch. I hope things sort them selves out for you and you can just sit back and enjoy it.
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