Sleeping tank, it doesnt get up until noon every day so we can enjoy it in the evenings.
Today the clown, tang and blenny have been in QT/observation for 3 weeks. May introduce them to the display this evening, all are eating VERY well and showing no current obervable signs of disease/parasites. Clown went through some treatments, but thats another story.
Took a few tests yesterday to check the kits and get a list together for an order since most came with the tank and were expired or missing components. Alk and Phos hanna reagents are expired by a few months so going to ignore them. Nitrate was a salifert and looked good, was slightly higher a week ago.
Just a note that both of my refractometers were WAY off starting up the tank, one is a salt brine refractometer that is 15 years old and the other is a sea water. Both were off by 5ppt in different directions. Luckily when I started things up and before getting my hands on calibration solution because I knew better then to trust uncalibrated equipment (was an electrical, instrumentation and controls tech) I just matched my water to the water inverts were in from the fish store even though it was reading wonky (28ppt). Once calibrated it was perfect.
Not going to concern myself with calcium, alk, or mag much until I start introducing corals that use it. Corralline algae always annoyed me in the end, so definitely not going to dose to promote it, once dosing for corals starts it takes off anyway.
Dropped to 52f outside and 62f in the house last night since we leave all the windows open most of the spring, summer and fall. Typically dont get very warm here (one day at 90f this year so far). tank stayed at 77 with dual 200w heaters last night, but maybe I should have gone with dual 300w. Acrylic really helps insulate so maybe it wont be a problem.
Winters we heat 100% with wood and the house rarely drops below 72f and is usually 75f so not as much concern. Even when we lose power we dont lose that wood heat,
Today the clown, tang and blenny have been in QT/observation for 3 weeks. May introduce them to the display this evening, all are eating VERY well and showing no current obervable signs of disease/parasites. Clown went through some treatments, but thats another story.
Took a few tests yesterday to check the kits and get a list together for an order since most came with the tank and were expired or missing components. Alk and Phos hanna reagents are expired by a few months so going to ignore them. Nitrate was a salifert and looked good, was slightly higher a week ago.
Just a note that both of my refractometers were WAY off starting up the tank, one is a salt brine refractometer that is 15 years old and the other is a sea water. Both were off by 5ppt in different directions. Luckily when I started things up and before getting my hands on calibration solution because I knew better then to trust uncalibrated equipment (was an electrical, instrumentation and controls tech) I just matched my water to the water inverts were in from the fish store even though it was reading wonky (28ppt). Once calibrated it was perfect.
Not going to concern myself with calcium, alk, or mag much until I start introducing corals that use it. Corralline algae always annoyed me in the end, so definitely not going to dose to promote it, once dosing for corals starts it takes off anyway.
Dropped to 52f outside and 62f in the house last night since we leave all the windows open most of the spring, summer and fall. Typically dont get very warm here (one day at 90f this year so far). tank stayed at 77 with dual 200w heaters last night, but maybe I should have gone with dual 300w. Acrylic really helps insulate so maybe it wont be a problem.
Winters we heat 100% with wood and the house rarely drops below 72f and is usually 75f so not as much concern. Even when we lose power we dont lose that wood heat,