Bocks O’ Rox

[RUCNNEfish]

Hi,
I thought the time was right for my first build thread. This tank is a 24x24x18 cube or roughly 45 gallons (37.5 gallons) current total water volume.
The tank is lit with a 250w Radium metal halide bulb in a Cayman Sun reflector and powered by an Icecap ballast.
Filtration is provided by a Tunze in tank skimmer and live rock from KPaquatics.
Water movement is by 2- Wavelink powerheads and the ATO is a Hydrofil.

This tank is intended to be SPS dominant.

 

[RUCNNEfish]

My last cube tank which I broke down in September 2018. This was an 18x18x18, and lit by a 160w CBB.
(Sorry about the rotation) gotta learn how to fix this.

 

[RUCNNEfish]

I ran a few water tests today ( first tests after new live rock addition). Basically these tests are 10 days post- rock change.

SG-34.8
PO4-.03 Hanna
NO3-4ppm Red Sea
Alk- 8.0 Hanna
So, everything is progressing nicely, fish are fat and sassy.
Thinking about getting a par meter before I start adding a test Acropora or 2. My best guess is that I’m getting about 400-500 par on the top of the rock but still would like to know what it is around the edges.

 

[RUCNNEfish]

 

[RUCNNEfish]

Thought I would have had more time with this tank setup at the house but with the housing market going as strong as it is I had to move the tank to my store . Tank was torn down last week and set up again a few days later after painting the back glass. I did keep 5 gallons of water from before move but essentially did a 90% water change.
I like the tank where it’s at now and it’s fun to listen to my customers reminiscing of their tanks of long ago.
Oh, by the way, the house was only on the market for a few hours.
Time to house hunt!

 

[RUCNNEfish]

1 week after the move.

 

[RUCNNEfish]

I ran a few water tests today
temp.=79F
SG 35
NO3= 8ppm
PO4= .08
Alk= 8.2

I don't see any sign of Dino's, looks like the move with 90% water change plus UV (24V green Killing Machine) took care of them (knocks on wood).

 

[RUCNNEfish]

Received a few frags this week!!

 

[RUCNNEfish]

The pair of Flame Angels went to a new home, the male was nipping the new frags. Also re-homed the hawkfish because he was being very unfriendly with the male Royal Gramma.
I've done a few 5 gallon water changes over the past week... still trying to remove the small mound of fine silt that accumulates in the back of the tank below the skimmer.
Water tests today:
Temp: 78
Salinity: 36 (raised this recently with water changes. 2X 5g)
NO3 :2ppm
PO4: .02ppm
Alk: 8.2

My goal is to raise salinity up to about 37.
After watching the MACNA video of Dr. Tim's presentation, my take away from the info that he presented was that if you wanted to cycle a new aquarium faster 1. raise Temp, and 2. lower salinity. (Promotes bacteria growth)
So, I thought I would try the opposite while adding new frags and acclimating them to the tank in the hopes of limiting undesirable bacterial growth on the already immunity stressed frags. (Hope I don't kill the little boogers!)

 

[RUCNNEfish]

 

[RUCNNEfish]

 

[RUCNNEfish]

Individual frag picts. are 1. Rainbow Melon Teni, 2. Rainbow Brite, 3. Magic Wand, 4. BC Laser Melon.

The frags seem to be adjusting well to the Radium, although color sucks. LOL

 

[Will W]

Individual frag picts. are 1. Rainbow Melon Teni, 2. Rainbow Brite, 3. Magic Wand, 4. BC Laser Melon.

The frags seem to be adjusting well to the Radium, although color sucks. LOL

Did you order these individually or did you request a Tenuis box?

 

[RUCNNEfish]

I ordered a 4 pcs Tenius Battlebox with the Rainbow Melon Teni as the piece to build the box around.

 

[RUCNNEfish]

 

[RUCNNEfish]

The Blue Teni was a fresh cut and didn’t ship very well. It suffered RTN a few days after receiving it. Looks like it was the “freebie” so I didn’t complain.

 

[RUCNNEfish]

Back in the good old days this Governor mandated stay at home order would have been no big deal. I would have been like: *** you, I’m hitching the skeeter and hitting the lake in the USS RUCNNEFISH ! Lol