First Tank - 25g Waterbox Peninsula
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officialreefbros
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I thought about dipping it but the 2nd half was still oping up and doing well. But then poof gone
Oh no so sorry to hear. Do you have any other LPS in the tank? How are they doing?
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officialreefbros
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They have been doing ok! New heads are growing fast on my Acan while the main one still looks iffy
That’s awesome! Both my hammers look iffy, too, and I’m starting to wonder if the issue is low magnesium. I bought a test kit but I haven’t worked up the fortitude to use it. The last time I did titrations was in college chemistry!
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officialreefbros
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Haha the kits are fairly easy! I have an aqua forest one that's good. How often are you doing WC? I haven't had any MG issues just doing normal WCs.
Once a week. But I hammers thrive in water with magnesium around 1400 - 1450 ppm, and my Red Sea Coral Pro salt caps out around 1300 - 1350 ppm.
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officialreefbros
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Somehow I've been holding 1400s with just the coral pro salt! Has everything else been good? Light and flow?
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officialreefbros
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You never realize how much progress you have made until you look back at where you started! I'm starting to come up to a year of having my tank and this coral for about 8 months. I can't wait to watch it keep going!!
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officialreefbros
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Thanks! It's my favorite
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officialreefbros
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As a small update, I was thinking about spinning my rock around to generate more of a background/foreground layout but ultimately decided to keep it as it is for now. However, I will be moving around my flow. With the Cyano outbreak I had, I also noticed some dead spots. My best idea is the flow pump (Nero 3 in red) is going and hitting the rock and dissipating most of the flow. While the movement that bounces up hits the flow from the return pump (yellow). I'm planning to move the flow pump from the middle chamber to under the return pump and am adding the random flow generator (FRG) nozel to point across the top more to provide more random flow coverage throughout the tank. And I'm also going to add an AI prime light diffuser. Will provide an update once completed 
www.reef2reef.com
Should I spin my rock?
Hi friends, I'm currently making some tweaks to my tank and am debating rotating my main rock so instead of a cliff it will make fore of a foreground and background. Let me know if you have any suggestions or have done any similar large changes
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officialreefbros
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Christmas Update!
UPGRADES!!
I added in a skimmer, light diffuser, random flow generator upgrade on the return pump and move my flow pump to generate more of a random movement and hit the spots I've been getting cyano in a little better.
TANK:
I have still been battling cyano and keep finding my phosphates bottoming out. I started dosing neophos until it stables back out. It seems the nitrates climb back up when the phosphates drop, but the other parameters looked good. Additionally sent out water for an IPC test to confirm my accuracy and see if there is something else that I'm not seeing going on.
Livestock:
The pepermint shrimp and anenome have been betting real big! Prior to moving around my frag rack, my long polyp gsp started to grow onto it. After moving it I noticed the polyp went missing until today when I found it on my branching GSP rock!
There was a bunch of branching gsp that was bending over that I decided to cut off and make frags out of. They seem to be taking well!
UPGRADES!!
I added in a skimmer, light diffuser, random flow generator upgrade on the return pump and move my flow pump to generate more of a random movement and hit the spots I've been getting cyano in a little better.
TANK:
I have still been battling cyano and keep finding my phosphates bottoming out. I started dosing neophos until it stables back out. It seems the nitrates climb back up when the phosphates drop, but the other parameters looked good. Additionally sent out water for an IPC test to confirm my accuracy and see if there is something else that I'm not seeing going on.
Livestock:
The pepermint shrimp and anenome have been betting real big! Prior to moving around my frag rack, my long polyp gsp started to grow onto it. After moving it I noticed the polyp went missing until today when I found it on my branching GSP rock!
There was a bunch of branching gsp that was bending over that I decided to cut off and make frags out of. They seem to be taking well!
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officialreefbros
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Just when things started to look better it went down hill. I started traveling a lot for work and in the gaps built up a lot of cyano. Specifically covering over my GSP. I'm going to give chemiclean a try as nothing has seem to bother it. Wish me luck!
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officialreefbros
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Hey! If you still have a chance id recommend putting some EVA foam under it to act as a self leveling mat. The short version of the story is we also had a 40g breeder on a metal desk for about a year and a half. One day we came home to it leaking out of the bottom. The best theory we have is the desk may have been putting enough pressure or twisted on the bottom made it start leaking.
On my 25g (this thread) water box puts a self leveling foam mat on the bottom to solve these issues.
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officialreefbros
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Update April 9th:
There were still some issues with the flow in the tank, and I knew I had to do something about it. After some consideration, I decided to order a small additional flow pump to test out. However, I felt that this might not be enough, so I looked into other options. I thought about downsizing the random flow generator to increase the pressure, and then I considered a drastic approach that had been on my mind for a while.
The idea is to rip clean the tank, starting by removing 90% of the water, taking out the sand, and flipping the rock work. Once that was done, I would clean and re-add the sand. It seems like a risky plan, but I can't shake the feeling that the complex design and positioning of the rock might be the root of the flow issues.
Of course, I knew I had to start simple, so I decided to see if the addition of the flow pump would help. Additional updates to come as I test them out and keep debating the rip clean.
There were still some issues with the flow in the tank, and I knew I had to do something about it. After some consideration, I decided to order a small additional flow pump to test out. However, I felt that this might not be enough, so I looked into other options. I thought about downsizing the random flow generator to increase the pressure, and then I considered a drastic approach that had been on my mind for a while.
The idea is to rip clean the tank, starting by removing 90% of the water, taking out the sand, and flipping the rock work. Once that was done, I would clean and re-add the sand. It seems like a risky plan, but I can't shake the feeling that the complex design and positioning of the rock might be the root of the flow issues.
Of course, I knew I had to start simple, so I decided to see if the addition of the flow pump would help. Additional updates to come as I test them out and keep debating the rip clean.
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officialreefbros
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Update time:
The battle continues... After the fight VS. The cyano I rolled directly into Dinos. I was doing a chemiclean treatment and noticed this brown stuff growing on the airline tubing during it. I took a sample and looked at it under to microscope to reveal it was dinos! I've been actively dosing and heavily feeding to bring up my nutrients. I added in a light saber (UV sterilizer) into my return chamber that has been helping to slowly fight it, but it is definitely more than it can handle. To help bring it back im currently doing a 3day black out to help stop them. Day 1 has shown good progress!
The battle continues... After the fight VS. The cyano I rolled directly into Dinos. I was doing a chemiclean treatment and noticed this brown stuff growing on the airline tubing during it. I took a sample and looked at it under to microscope to reveal it was dinos! I've been actively dosing and heavily feeding to bring up my nutrients. I added in a light saber (UV sterilizer) into my return chamber that has been helping to slowly fight it, but it is definitely more than it can handle. To help bring it back im currently doing a 3day black out to help stop them. Day 1 has shown good progress!
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officialreefbros
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I'm thrilled to share that I'm making significant progress with my fish tank! Following the completion of the 3-day blackout, I was delighted to observe a remarkable reduction in the dinoflagellate population. It seems that depriving them of light during the blackout played a crucial role in weakening their numbers and curbing their growth.
To intensify my battle against the persistent dinoflagellates, I made the decision to run the UV sterilizer for a continuous 24 hours. This extended exposure to the sterilizing power of UV light has proven to be an effective strategy in eliminating these troublesome organisms from my tank. The relentless effort has been worth it, as I've witnessed a noticeable decline in the dinoflagellate population.
However, the dinoflagellates have been quite tenacious, frequently clogging the filter floss in my system. To counteract their persistence, I've had to diligently change the filter floss on a daily basis. This ongoing maintenance has been essential in preventing the dinoflagellates from overwhelming the tank and allowing other organisms to thrive.
Amidst the ongoing battle, there's some encouraging news on the coral front. My corals, which had been struggling under the influence of the dinoflagellates' toxins, are displaying signs of recovery. It's truly heartening to witness their improved health and resilience. The efforts invested in combating the dinoflagellates are paying off, as the corals regain their vibrancy and vitality.
Interestingly, the increased nutrient levels in my tank have led to the emergence of algae growth. While high nutrient levels may not be ideal in the long run, in the context of battling dinoflagellates, it is proving to be a blessing. The algae are outcompeting the dinoflagellates for nutrients, thereby contributing to the decline of the outbreak. This unexpected alliance between algae and my mission against the dinoflagellates gives me hope that I am gradually moving in the right direction.
Overall, the progress I've made so far is both exciting and reassuring. The combined efforts of the 3-day blackout, extended UV sterilization, regular filter floss changes, and the unexpected assistance from algae growth are slowly but surely yielding positive results. I'm determined to maintain this momentum and remain vigilant in monitoring the tank for any changes. With each step forward, I'm one step closer to restoring my fish tank to its thriving and harmonious state.
To intensify my battle against the persistent dinoflagellates, I made the decision to run the UV sterilizer for a continuous 24 hours. This extended exposure to the sterilizing power of UV light has proven to be an effective strategy in eliminating these troublesome organisms from my tank. The relentless effort has been worth it, as I've witnessed a noticeable decline in the dinoflagellate population.
However, the dinoflagellates have been quite tenacious, frequently clogging the filter floss in my system. To counteract their persistence, I've had to diligently change the filter floss on a daily basis. This ongoing maintenance has been essential in preventing the dinoflagellates from overwhelming the tank and allowing other organisms to thrive.
Amidst the ongoing battle, there's some encouraging news on the coral front. My corals, which had been struggling under the influence of the dinoflagellates' toxins, are displaying signs of recovery. It's truly heartening to witness their improved health and resilience. The efforts invested in combating the dinoflagellates are paying off, as the corals regain their vibrancy and vitality.
Interestingly, the increased nutrient levels in my tank have led to the emergence of algae growth. While high nutrient levels may not be ideal in the long run, in the context of battling dinoflagellates, it is proving to be a blessing. The algae are outcompeting the dinoflagellates for nutrients, thereby contributing to the decline of the outbreak. This unexpected alliance between algae and my mission against the dinoflagellates gives me hope that I am gradually moving in the right direction.
Overall, the progress I've made so far is both exciting and reassuring. The combined efforts of the 3-day blackout, extended UV sterilization, regular filter floss changes, and the unexpected assistance from algae growth are slowly but surely yielding positive results. I'm determined to maintain this momentum and remain vigilant in monitoring the tank for any changes. With each step forward, I'm one step closer to restoring my fish tank to its thriving and harmonious state.
z4chburris
Community Member
I experienced something similar. Mine was caused from removing the fish and quarantining them for 90 days when I was given a “quarantined” fish that had ick from my LFS.
In that time period I wasn’t adding anything to create the ammonia the bacteria feed on and thus my bacteria biome depleted.
When reintroducing my fish and adding coral this cycle began. First diatoms, then hair algae then dinos. I did the raise nutrients and let other things out compete, and then I now I’ve been battling cyano for some time.
I’m about to try this plan after I looked into the whole biome cycle theory. It seems like it will aid the long term success of the tank without constant maintenance and battling.
Firstly I knocked out the lights, this helped a lot as these nuisance bacteria and algae’s are photosynthetic. The next steps I have planned, are to and ocean direct sand over my sand bed all around the tank, and add copepods.
I plan on keeping the lights out for quite some time so as to not allow something else to take over while the bacteria and pods start to do their work.
I read through your start to now, and I pretty much have had the same path since reintroducing everything back to the tank. I’m convinced it’s to do with the biome in our tanks. Definitely look into it and let me know what you think.
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