Chris's 40B Mixed Reef - The Summer Camp Refund Reef
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Thanks! I learned as I went, if I could do it over I would have started breaking rocks apart sooner to make it a little less chunky on the bottom and a little less vertical over-all.
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Starry Blenny
Another fish arrived today from Quarantine Fish! He is in the fish jail getting used to his new home:
I also received some more trochus snails and a few nassarius snails. They have already disappeared into the reefscape.
Mike at Quarantine Fish does a great job, I am super happy with my fish!
update: Found one of the nassarius snails!
and #2
Another fish arrived today from Quarantine Fish! He is in the fish jail getting used to his new home:
I also received some more trochus snails and a few nassarius snails. They have already disappeared into the reefscape.
Mike at Quarantine Fish does a great job, I am super happy with my fish!
update: Found one of the nassarius snails!
and #2
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OP
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PAR METER
I received an SQ-420 a few days ago. The money I saved buying a cheaper spotlight (an open box ReefLED50) went to that.
I am very happy I got it. I discovered that the PAR I get from the T-5s in a 40B with 16" end plates is pretty significantly higher then the PAR suggested by reviews that focus on a 24x24 space using 18" end plates. I ended up raising the light a few inches because I felt PAR was too much (touching 350 in places).
Currently I have settled on having the lights mounted at 8". The LED is set to 60% Blue, 20% White. That blends nicely with the T-5s. Because I plan on a mixed reef, I want to be generally "LPS" levels with "SPS" hot spots and a number of shaded areas. The off center spotlight gives me some nice shimmer and the desired variations in PAR.
My original T-5 configuration was Blue+/Actinic/Coral+/Blue+. Because the LED is so blue dominant I added a purple+. It adds some nice shade to my white rocks. Oddly it dropped my PAR a little. I can always go back to more of the Blue+ once I get out of the white rock stage. Go T-5! So currently I run:
Blue+
Actinic
............LED
Purple+
Coral+
The orange "Both Lights" numbers are the T-5s with the LED set at 60% blue and 20% white. Keep in mind the ReefLED is 40W of blue, and 10W of white.
I am quite happy with these numbers. I found that to hit 300 in the shelf in the middle, my "SPS" shelf, I need to set my LED to 80/27. I can always go that route if I find I need some more "oomph" in the middle.
I do have a 1/8" screen top. All these numbers are 3-4% lower with the top on. However, the SQ-420 under-reports blues, so a wash at least.
The ledge in the middle (green 187) is 7.5" under the surface. The sand is roughly 13" from the surface. Those numbers from the rock in front (green 151) represent roughly a 12" number.
After my lights break in a bit I will revisit the par and post in the appropriate thread. My first coral is a blasto thats going to be started on the left where there is an overhang. An inch or two from that 74 PAR there is a nice 30-40 PAR area it will love!
I may have to rethink that center rock being a zoa garden...
I received an SQ-420 a few days ago. The money I saved buying a cheaper spotlight (an open box ReefLED50) went to that.
I am very happy I got it. I discovered that the PAR I get from the T-5s in a 40B with 16" end plates is pretty significantly higher then the PAR suggested by reviews that focus on a 24x24 space using 18" end plates. I ended up raising the light a few inches because I felt PAR was too much (touching 350 in places).
Currently I have settled on having the lights mounted at 8". The LED is set to 60% Blue, 20% White. That blends nicely with the T-5s. Because I plan on a mixed reef, I want to be generally "LPS" levels with "SPS" hot spots and a number of shaded areas. The off center spotlight gives me some nice shimmer and the desired variations in PAR.
My original T-5 configuration was Blue+/Actinic/Coral+/Blue+. Because the LED is so blue dominant I added a purple+. It adds some nice shade to my white rocks. Oddly it dropped my PAR a little. I can always go back to more of the Blue+ once I get out of the white rock stage. Go T-5! So currently I run:
Blue+
Actinic
............LED
Purple+
Coral+
The orange "Both Lights" numbers are the T-5s with the LED set at 60% blue and 20% white. Keep in mind the ReefLED is 40W of blue, and 10W of white.
I am quite happy with these numbers. I found that to hit 300 in the shelf in the middle, my "SPS" shelf, I need to set my LED to 80/27. I can always go that route if I find I need some more "oomph" in the middle.
I do have a 1/8" screen top. All these numbers are 3-4% lower with the top on. However, the SQ-420 under-reports blues, so a wash at least.
The ledge in the middle (green 187) is 7.5" under the surface. The sand is roughly 13" from the surface. Those numbers from the rock in front (green 151) represent roughly a 12" number.
After my lights break in a bit I will revisit the par and post in the appropriate thread. My first coral is a blasto thats going to be started on the left where there is an overhang. An inch or two from that 74 PAR there is a nice 30-40 PAR area it will love!
I may have to rethink that center rock being a zoa garden...
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Indo-Pacific Sea Farms Order!
My order from IPSF arrived! This was my attempt to up my bio-diversity game.
Hank had fallen asleep on the seaweed clip. He had no idea what was about to happen..
I floated all the bags (the coral I floated in the sump to avoid light shock when they come on)
These bags are
I received a lot of snails. The little snails keep crawling out of the tank. I have a LOT of bristle worms. Never see them. Perfect. I didn't get any pics before they disappeared into the sand. Just imagine a bunch of anchovy filets, except moving.
I also got a lot of "micro hermits". I am hoping these will provide some reef-safe detritus control.
Diggger, who has borrowed out all the sand under his rock, is wondering why there is a parade of clowns. I have seen him stare down hermits that get to close to his caves. They go the other way.
A big part of this order was to get the sand and mud. The sand and half the mud went into the display. The sand is like very small gravel. Some have complained that it messed up their sand. I rather like the texture.
I felt that the current "special reef grade" 1-2mm sand looked a little too much like cat litter. The gravel ended up sort of in the middle of the two rock structures and looks very natural. This pic does not at all do it justice. The rear of the aquarium sees very heavy flow, a good place for bigger grains. I really need to up my aquarium photo game..
A big part of this was to get my fuge going. I have a CPR Medium HOB fuge and a Tunze ecochic light. I replaced the pump with a little sicce mi-mouse pump which really disappears.
The pump is so thin that you don't see it at all when standing in front of the tank.
I filled it up with 2-3" of oolite sand and left over rock. A big part of what I want out of this fuge is habitate for micro-fauna.
Into this went some of the anthropods, half the mud, and most of the water from the mud bag and the bacteria bag. Also into it went a baseball sized ball of chaeto and all the little bits of macro algae that shipped with the other pieces.
An assortment of snails, worms, and other fauna found their way in.
I also ordered some coralline plates. They are kinda big and hard to put into place. I may cut them in half so I can spread them out more. I have one on the outlet of my fuge and one on each rock pile. I am not really sure yet where I want them long term but for now they get light and flow.
And my "One More Thing" was the "bonus" Blasto. I had not expected to add coral but this was added to my order for prompt payment. I am really happy they did.. I was going to wait for a few months and fret over my tank chemistry but I think that would have been a mistake. I think I can try out some hardy corals and get the eco-system going. I am on top of my chemistry, or think I am. We will see how this one does then get a few more.
The one regret I have is the amphipods. I got some bags mixed up and accidentally dumped the water. Most of them were still on the bag or in the strainer, so no big deal, but I really had wanted to get them all into the fuge. Only a few got tossed into the fuge. My bad. It was clearly marked.
I am very happy with my experience with IPSF. I wish their website was little more 21st century but it worked. Gerald was responsive to email and very helpful. I am going to start dumping more food into the tank and will continue to be watching phosphates and nitrates closely.
My order from IPSF arrived! This was my attempt to up my bio-diversity game.
Hank had fallen asleep on the seaweed clip. He had no idea what was about to happen..
I floated all the bags (the coral I floated in the sump to avoid light shock when they come on)
These bags are
| Mix n Match Special-Chaeto,wondermud,liquidnreducer,6StrombusGrazers,25reefamphipods,livesandactivator,12hermithomes, 6bristleworms, 6 littorinid grazers |
| Coralline Algae Booster Set (2 plates) |
| Neon Green-eyed Blasto colony |
I received a lot of snails. The little snails keep crawling out of the tank. I have a LOT of bristle worms. Never see them. Perfect. I didn't get any pics before they disappeared into the sand. Just imagine a bunch of anchovy filets, except moving.
I also got a lot of "micro hermits". I am hoping these will provide some reef-safe detritus control.
Diggger, who has borrowed out all the sand under his rock, is wondering why there is a parade of clowns. I have seen him stare down hermits that get to close to his caves. They go the other way.
A big part of this order was to get the sand and mud. The sand and half the mud went into the display. The sand is like very small gravel. Some have complained that it messed up their sand. I rather like the texture.
I felt that the current "special reef grade" 1-2mm sand looked a little too much like cat litter. The gravel ended up sort of in the middle of the two rock structures and looks very natural. This pic does not at all do it justice. The rear of the aquarium sees very heavy flow, a good place for bigger grains. I really need to up my aquarium photo game..
A big part of this was to get my fuge going. I have a CPR Medium HOB fuge and a Tunze ecochic light. I replaced the pump with a little sicce mi-mouse pump which really disappears.
The pump is so thin that you don't see it at all when standing in front of the tank.
I filled it up with 2-3" of oolite sand and left over rock. A big part of what I want out of this fuge is habitate for micro-fauna.
Into this went some of the anthropods, half the mud, and most of the water from the mud bag and the bacteria bag. Also into it went a baseball sized ball of chaeto and all the little bits of macro algae that shipped with the other pieces.
An assortment of snails, worms, and other fauna found their way in.
I also ordered some coralline plates. They are kinda big and hard to put into place. I may cut them in half so I can spread them out more. I have one on the outlet of my fuge and one on each rock pile. I am not really sure yet where I want them long term but for now they get light and flow.
And my "One More Thing" was the "bonus" Blasto. I had not expected to add coral but this was added to my order for prompt payment. I am really happy they did.. I was going to wait for a few months and fret over my tank chemistry but I think that would have been a mistake. I think I can try out some hardy corals and get the eco-system going. I am on top of my chemistry, or think I am. We will see how this one does then get a few more.
The one regret I have is the amphipods. I got some bags mixed up and accidentally dumped the water. Most of them were still on the bag or in the strainer, so no big deal, but I really had wanted to get them all into the fuge. Only a few got tossed into the fuge. My bad. It was clearly marked.
I am very happy with my experience with IPSF. I wish their website was little more 21st century but it worked. Gerald was responsive to email and very helpful. I am going to start dumping more food into the tank and will continue to be watching phosphates and nitrates closely.
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Algae, & Phosphates
There is Algae! I would not say this is a "good" thing, but it is an expected thing and means I can stop worrying about losing CUC to starvation and that my tank is progressing. Its probably been there for a while, you can't see it when the lights are on, it is just a green fuzz on the rocks.
I have been tracking my phosphates and there has been a steady rise. I decided to add GFO to my mini reactor. I used only "regular" GFO and the reactor can only handle 1/4 cup GFO mixed with 1/2 cup carbon. This is very conservative and should help to "adjust" my phosphates down (good) without bottoming out (bad).
The red line is the GFO addition. The other two dips were from 20% water changes. When you consider the test is +/- 0.04 it makes a little more sense.
This brought my phosphates down under .1 to 0.06 as tested with the Hanna Phosphate ULR. I also have the Red Sea Phosphate pro and it consistently tests lower, it currently shows 0.02, it has been consistently 0.06 lower. I record the Red Sea tests in my log book but I use only the Hanna tester in my data set. Importantly, they both show a similar drop from a percent point of view. After my next Fish Tank Friday test-palooza I will be sending out my first ICP. That should give me some insight. I plan to do ICP quarterly.
I will be testing again later today, it is my hope that the reduction tails off. My research suggests that GFO acts as a bit of a capacitor and as it loads up should prevent phosphate from bottoming out. I am not expecting such a small amount of GFO to "control" phosphates but it is a useful tool in conjunction with my weekly water changes to help push it down. I am pleased that the effect is moderate.
Nitrates.. nitrates are hard to test. My Nyos test kit ran out. It consistently showed < 10ppm. My other test kits showed higher levels, 1.5x-2x. I have a new Nyos kit arriving later this week. I write down all the results but only record Nyos in the data logger.
Later today I will post a tank organism update. My blasto is happy and fluffy. I will need to add more corals soon!
There is Algae! I would not say this is a "good" thing, but it is an expected thing and means I can stop worrying about losing CUC to starvation and that my tank is progressing. Its probably been there for a while, you can't see it when the lights are on, it is just a green fuzz on the rocks.
I have been tracking my phosphates and there has been a steady rise. I decided to add GFO to my mini reactor. I used only "regular" GFO and the reactor can only handle 1/4 cup GFO mixed with 1/2 cup carbon. This is very conservative and should help to "adjust" my phosphates down (good) without bottoming out (bad).
The red line is the GFO addition. The other two dips were from 20% water changes. When you consider the test is +/- 0.04 it makes a little more sense.
This brought my phosphates down under .1 to 0.06 as tested with the Hanna Phosphate ULR. I also have the Red Sea Phosphate pro and it consistently tests lower, it currently shows 0.02, it has been consistently 0.06 lower. I record the Red Sea tests in my log book but I use only the Hanna tester in my data set. Importantly, they both show a similar drop from a percent point of view. After my next Fish Tank Friday test-palooza I will be sending out my first ICP. That should give me some insight. I plan to do ICP quarterly.
I will be testing again later today, it is my hope that the reduction tails off. My research suggests that GFO acts as a bit of a capacitor and as it loads up should prevent phosphate from bottoming out. I am not expecting such a small amount of GFO to "control" phosphates but it is a useful tool in conjunction with my weekly water changes to help push it down. I am pleased that the effect is moderate.
Nitrates.. nitrates are hard to test. My Nyos test kit ran out. It consistently showed < 10ppm. My other test kits showed higher levels, 1.5x-2x. I have a new Nyos kit arriving later this week. I write down all the results but only record Nyos in the data logger.
Later today I will post a tank organism update. My blasto is happy and fluffy. I will need to add more corals soon!
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OP
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10/23 Dino Attack!
I recently had my phosphates drop to 0. This was in part because I had added GFO and in part because my HOB Refugium really took off. I took the GFO offline and my phosphates crept up a bit. However, the damage was done. Just before going on a three day vacation I saw a little of what could be cyano, diatoms, or dinoflagellates. When I got back, it was clearly dinos and was in full bloom!
I ended up with the kind that floats around until the lights come on. This is a pic before my lights came on:
After my lights came on the rocks were covered in the stuff..
This pick does not do it justice. Everything was covered and there was a steady stream of little bubbles.
All my snails were looking pretty sluggish and a few died. My actions looked like:
Day 1: Increasing Dinos
NO3: 4
PO4: 0.03
Replaced the carbon in my mini reactor
Replaced filter felt.. I started changing it every other day to try to remove the free floating dinos.
Day 2: Increasing Dinos
Dosed 5ml vibrant (Recommended dosage, 50g water)
Day 3: Increasing Dinos
NO3: 3
P04: 0.01 (confirmed, two kits.. so close to 0 again..)
Raised temp 1F
Harvested fuge
Reduced fuge photo period
Replaced filter felt
Started very very heavy feeding
Its worth mentioning that at this point I didn't want to turn the lights out in my tank because as this was happening I was also seeing the start of coralline algae! I was hoping the vibrant would kick in and I would not need to reduce lighting!
Day 4: Dinos leveled off
NO3: 3
PO4: 0.05
Day 6: Dinos a little less, green algae a lot less
NO3: 1
PO4: 0.03
Dosed vibrant 5ml
Raised Temp 1F
At this point I decided to do a semi-blackout. My tank is in a basement, Just keeping lights off does a decent job. Overhead lights on nearby when I worked but this is VERY weak. I have one coral, a blasto I hand fed during this time. It had sad polyps.
Day 7: No photoperiod, tank or fuge, day 1
Day 8: Light out Day 2
NO3: 3
PO4: 0.05
Raised temp 1F. At this point I am 82-83F to help reduce Dinos
Day 9: Light Out Day 3
Day 10, TODAY!:
NO3: 5
PO4: 0.11
Dosed 5ml of vibrant. From now on I am going to 1/wk for two more weeks then will go to every other.
At this point the Dinos are almost completely gone and the green algae is even reduced. There are coralline spots all over the rocks. Not visible in this pic but they are there! Now that nutrients are up I am going to turn the fuge back on. I am going to also enable the main lights starting with 4 hr then creep it up.
Its my hope that the vibrant will keep it under control. I am expecting that the vibrant will spike the nutrients so I am preparing salt water for water changes and will keep turning the fuge photo period up more and more. I am not going to freak with PO4 over 0.1, this time I will work to reduce it more slowly since 0 is far worse than 0.1 !
I recently had my phosphates drop to 0. This was in part because I had added GFO and in part because my HOB Refugium really took off. I took the GFO offline and my phosphates crept up a bit. However, the damage was done. Just before going on a three day vacation I saw a little of what could be cyano, diatoms, or dinoflagellates. When I got back, it was clearly dinos and was in full bloom!
I ended up with the kind that floats around until the lights come on. This is a pic before my lights came on:
After my lights came on the rocks were covered in the stuff..
This pick does not do it justice. Everything was covered and there was a steady stream of little bubbles.
All my snails were looking pretty sluggish and a few died. My actions looked like:
Day 1: Increasing Dinos
NO3: 4
PO4: 0.03
Replaced the carbon in my mini reactor
Replaced filter felt.. I started changing it every other day to try to remove the free floating dinos.
Day 2: Increasing Dinos
Dosed 5ml vibrant (Recommended dosage, 50g water)
Day 3: Increasing Dinos
NO3: 3
P04: 0.01 (confirmed, two kits.. so close to 0 again..)
Raised temp 1F
Harvested fuge
Reduced fuge photo period
Replaced filter felt
Started very very heavy feeding
Its worth mentioning that at this point I didn't want to turn the lights out in my tank because as this was happening I was also seeing the start of coralline algae! I was hoping the vibrant would kick in and I would not need to reduce lighting!
Day 4: Dinos leveled off
NO3: 3
PO4: 0.05
Day 6: Dinos a little less, green algae a lot less
NO3: 1
PO4: 0.03
Dosed vibrant 5ml
Raised Temp 1F
At this point I decided to do a semi-blackout. My tank is in a basement, Just keeping lights off does a decent job. Overhead lights on nearby when I worked but this is VERY weak. I have one coral, a blasto I hand fed during this time. It had sad polyps.
Day 7: No photoperiod, tank or fuge, day 1
Day 8: Light out Day 2
NO3: 3
PO4: 0.05
Raised temp 1F. At this point I am 82-83F to help reduce Dinos
Day 9: Light Out Day 3
Day 10, TODAY!:
NO3: 5
PO4: 0.11
Dosed 5ml of vibrant. From now on I am going to 1/wk for two more weeks then will go to every other.
At this point the Dinos are almost completely gone and the green algae is even reduced. There are coralline spots all over the rocks. Not visible in this pic but they are there! Now that nutrients are up I am going to turn the fuge back on. I am going to also enable the main lights starting with 4 hr then creep it up.
Its my hope that the vibrant will keep it under control. I am expecting that the vibrant will spike the nutrients so I am preparing salt water for water changes and will keep turning the fuge photo period up more and more. I am not going to freak with PO4 over 0.1, this time I will work to reduce it more slowly since 0 is far worse than 0.1 !
Last edited:
OP
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New Corals!
The dinos seem to be gone for now. The coralline is spreading and nutrients being managed. The blasto is looking super healthy. I am a bit stalled out on getting my next fish. Tidal Gardens is having a sale.. time for new corals!
They got a bit scrambled when I was dipping them. I will have a better idea which is which when they open more.
A toadstool leather
Honestly I kinda got this one, the most expensive (by like 4x) sort of by accident. I am glad though, I have a good spot for it and I run carbon anyway. I will truly have a mixed tank with a softy, some LPS, and some easy (ish) SPS.
Two happy Zoas.. already opening after one hour in the tank..
A John Deer Psammocora
A Forest Fire Montipora Digata
A Sunset Montipora (I think..) and a crab. Crab not provided by TG but he is color matched.
Blue Pavona? Maybe?
A Meteor Shower Cyphastrea ? Maybe.. sure.
In any case, I am very happy. I have spots in this tank they can all move to once they get acclimated a bit. Its a bit of a reach as far as my skill and tank maturity but all of these seem at least possible for me to be successful with.
The dinos seem to be gone for now. The coralline is spreading and nutrients being managed. The blasto is looking super healthy. I am a bit stalled out on getting my next fish. Tidal Gardens is having a sale.. time for new corals!
They got a bit scrambled when I was dipping them. I will have a better idea which is which when they open more.
A toadstool leather
Honestly I kinda got this one, the most expensive (by like 4x) sort of by accident. I am glad though, I have a good spot for it and I run carbon anyway. I will truly have a mixed tank with a softy, some LPS, and some easy (ish) SPS.
Two happy Zoas.. already opening after one hour in the tank..
A John Deer Psammocora
A Forest Fire Montipora Digata
A Sunset Montipora (I think..) and a crab. Crab not provided by TG but he is color matched.
Blue Pavona? Maybe?
A Meteor Shower Cyphastrea ? Maybe.. sure.
In any case, I am very happy. I have spots in this tank they can all move to once they get acclimated a bit. Its a bit of a reach as far as my skill and tank maturity but all of these seem at least possible for me to be successful with.
OP
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Its been 5 months since I posted an update. Lots of coralline now! I have been somewhat less hands on but it has continued to do ok although not without some casualties. The only new addition has been to add a dosing pump controlled by my reef-pi. It runs the DIY All For Reef with half the usual trace elements added through A & K.
I had phosphates go way up back in December and used ferric oxide which cratered my phosphates when I was not paying attention so I got dinos. I took care of dinos with some low light and vibrant.
I have been a little back and forth when I treated what had become excessive algae with vibrant (following directions) which may have opened the door to cyano. I have had excessive cyano twice, both times chemiclean did the job. The tank is becoming more stable but I definitely need more clean up crew. The dinos really thinned my snail population. On the bright side, the other day I saw my nasarius snail that I had not seen since fall!
I lost my neon goby and my starry blenny in the last few months. While he has not shown any signs of aggression, I can't help but wonder if this 10" monster in my 40 gallon tank played a role..
He started 1", added as a toss-in to an order as a "neon goby". This has held me off from getting more fish. Its more likely the neon goby (A real neon) suffered some other trauma and the starry blenny had been increasingly difficult to feed since this guy has been a model citizen when I am watching. Hard to say.
My corals are doing well. Not long after I added the second wave of corals I lost my duncan and my birds nest. However, everything else has done great.
My Montipora's and Stylophora are doing great. The Montis have done better, the Stylo looks just a hair bigger then when I bought it.
As one might expect my first coral, the Blasto, has done awesome. The one under the ledge in the pic above started from one bud and just exploded.
I have some encrusting corals that are doing great on the ledges..
And while I lost one of my Zoas, the other has started to expand..
Finally.. my favorite (since I lost my duncan).. my toadstool. He is not as extended in this pic, he has been getting harassed a little at feeding time since the shrimp will dig through his fronds to see if any food got caught. However, he seems pretty healthy. With full extension in the flow its absolutely stunning.
My current plans are to allow the tank to mature while I consider adding more fish. I am setting up a new tank for my daughter's fresh water fish over april break and I will get her old tank to be a QT for corals. I had a scare when what I thought were aiptasia peeked out from under the toadstool. I entombed them with crazy glue and have seen no signs in 5 months so hopefully that was that..
Done!
Edit:
I almost forgot my pic of my pocillopora (I think..) . This guy confuses me. Its all fluffy when the lights are full on but in the later twilight it looks like its starting to RTN. Next day.. Poof.. fluffy big tree thing again.. its a lot greener when I am not using the orange filter.
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