Gregs 22g Long Saga

[GatorGreg]

This is going to be my 3rd stab at reefkeeping. I had a successful reef as a teenager around the very early 2000s that was funded by my parents lol. It was a 29g biocube. It ran flawlessly for years. It was reefing on easy mode. The only difference I can pinpoint in my approach is the live rock. True live rock was used. My 2 tanks as an adult have been abysmal failures ending in Dino infestation and teardown. Both were fish less cycles and dry rock. I'm looking to take another stab and try to relive those awesome times staring into beautiful reef tank. Hopefully it goes better this time.

Tank: eshopps deskmate
Light: AI Prime


SCRATCH THAT!!

22g long time starting on page 5

 

[GatorGreg]

5 lbs of aussie rock from unique corals will be the scape along with a TBS nano "package" the treasure chest version. The aussie rock came in recently and smelled very fresh when it arrive. Still soaking wet. I have it in a 5g bucket for now doing daily water changes. The TBS stuff doesn't come in until the 11th. So I'm holding off setting everything up. I plan on using the TBS stuff as base rock and the aussie stuff as the top peices that will form the scape. I have a satchel that's made for filter media with a plastic zipper. I plan on taking the peices of rubble that are too small and filling that bag up with them and putting them in the rear chamber. Anything from both piles of rock that isn't used is going to be put into another bucket with the Caribsea life rock and maintained for an unkown amount of time for future projects. Hidden from my wife OF COURSE. We do not speak of "future picos" in this house until they magically appear one day out of nowhere.

 

[GatorGreg]

The only things I plan on adding tech wise will be quality of life things for myself. I will be purchasing an ATO for sure and very likely an RODI system. Right now I'm using distilled water and it's ok and working. But I feel very guilty about going all around town and buying up something that's already hard to get for CPAP users. Not only that it feels very wasteful using all the plastic containers. I'm not over zealous when it comes to "tree huggin" but this does feel wrong. RODI incoming soon

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Best of luck with your new tank!

 

[GatorGreg]

Best of luck with your new tank!

Thank you I'm excited to see what the tank looks like with all this live rock. It's been a long time since I've seen actual live rock. I'm hours away from halfway decent reef stores. 3 hours west, 3 to 4 hours east. I have to order everything.

 

[829282610]

very nice live rock.

Just paid $2.50 per gallon for distilled water at Target. I’ll be getting an RO system sooner than later as well.

 

[GatorGreg]

very nice live rock.

Just paid $2.50 per gallon for distilled water at Target. I’ll be getting an RO system sooner than later as well.

Yeah that's a steep price. Thank you I'm very excited about this rock. Hopefully the TBS package delivers and is nice as well

 

[GatorGreg]

Rinsing sand. Took about 45 mins to get it to run crystal clear. I will not be rinsing the TBS sand that comes in however. Did a Distilled water rinse and soak after the tap water rinse.

 

[GatorGreg]

I have to get this operation cleaned up before she gets home. she's already made a comment about the "science project" in the bucket lol.

 

[GatorGreg]

Not the most beautiful scape ever basically a pile o rocks lol. But I love it and that's all that counts right?
Itll look nice and right filled with zoas, some entrusting corals and some LPS.

 

[GatorGreg]

It's aliiiiiivvveeee

 

[GatorGreg]

Looks like a paly and a feather duster hitched a ride across the globe....neat. They're open so I'm guessing that's a good sign?

 

[GatorGreg]

Ok. The coraline isn't bleaching and is possibly even darkening up to a deeper purple. Salinity stable, temperature stable, small CUC puttin in work. Light schedule is settled in. I think this slice of the ocean is ready for some corals. I'll give it another 3 weeks to get a little more saved up and place a WWC order. Start out with some Zoas, Duncan and a a few other surprises.

 

[GatorGreg]

Also as of today there's a literal explosion of copepods dancing around the tank. I'll need to pick up an algae barn order soon. Ocean magic, yellow snow and pro bio. Also am picking up some stuff to have around to dose nitrates and phosphates in case those levels start bottoming out in the future because of the 100 percent water change and vigorous cleaning schedule this tank is on. If they do hit zero I'll probably end up tweaking the weekly water change water to have exactly the amounts of phosphates and nitrates I'm looking to maintain and keep an eye on it. Hoping it doesn't come to that. But it's so cheap to have around I might as well be prepared. The week before I order the corals I'll start testing nitrate and phosphates to see where I'm at naturally as of now. Still need to settle on a feeding regime for the corals........hmmmm

 

[GatorGreg]

Just the face of the sun laying in the closet in case I ever lose my mind and decide to actually build the 24x24x24 cube.

 

[Daftendire]

Looks great. I wish I would have bought more of this rock when it was available

 

[GatorGreg]

Looks great. I wish I would have bought more of this rock when it was available

Yeah it's some really nice stuff. I don't regret it at all.

 

[GatorGreg]

I hope I don't regret this lol. They're all the same species. Echinophyllia so I'll give them some room but we should be golden

From the reading I've done they're not as bad as a Hollywood stunner and a few other offenders.

 

[GatorGreg]

.

 

[829282610]

I hope I don't regret this lol. They're all the same species.

No regerts I like cherry Garcia as well.