Hannahrain's 60 Gallon Cube
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OP
Thanks! Thinking about adding a 2nd one. I've had this one running since 9/2018 24 hrs a day and it's still going.
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OP
Nitrates are now down to 5-10 ppm 
. I have a horrible time distinguishing the color difference between yellow/gold colors of the 5 ppm and 10 ppm on the API Nitrate test, last time I had LFS do it they got 5 ppm.
Went to MACNA (we live an hr from Orlando) on 8/30, had a great time and got meet Ryan and Randy from BRS. Got lots of freebies and really good coupons for BRS, which we used on getting 2 part dosing supplies and some Marine Pure. Just started dosing, which I will be doing manually for now.
I had my LFS do a magnesium test for me a few days ago and it was high like 1600 ppm. Decided to buy my own magnesium test which comes today, I'll double check for myself before I resort to water changes to bring it down as nothing seems to be suffering.
I used the BRS calculator to figure out the alk and calcium dosing. The Calcium was raised from 360 ppm to 440 ppm over , raised the alkalinity up from 7 dkh to 9 dkh, both over 2 days time....now to keep testing and figure out how much the few corals are using daily.
The next project for us will probably be setting up our own RO/DI and water mixing station. We have a small 1,200-ish SF home with only 2 bedrooms the spare being only 8' x 10' and no garage and no room in the laundry area. Kind of toying with the idea of getting a wooden wine barrel to hide a brute can in on our front porch (somehow make it look presentable) to use at auto water change storage. Open to other ideas, there isn't much room on either side of the tank stand as the fireplace outer hearth is on the left side maybe a ft from the stand and about a ft to the right side of the stand is the front door (we rarely use), the "wall" behind the tank is the front porch window. Maybe we should find a way to camouflage a whole mixing station on our front porch? LOL The only issue with that is, we live in FL and the water will get very hot being stored outside and possibly grow something funky.
Keeping a close eye on the "baby" anemone, as we are concerned it might be a mojano...though it really looks much more like a bubble tip, I can't get a clear pic of it but it's tips are very much bubbled and it seems too red to be a mojano.
. I have a horrible time distinguishing the color difference between yellow/gold colors of the 5 ppm and 10 ppm on the API Nitrate test, last time I had LFS do it they got 5 ppm.Went to MACNA (we live an hr from Orlando) on 8/30, had a great time and got meet Ryan and Randy from BRS. Got lots of freebies and really good coupons for BRS, which we used on getting 2 part dosing supplies and some Marine Pure. Just started dosing, which I will be doing manually for now.
I had my LFS do a magnesium test for me a few days ago and it was high like 1600 ppm. Decided to buy my own magnesium test which comes today, I'll double check for myself before I resort to water changes to bring it down as nothing seems to be suffering.
I used the BRS calculator to figure out the alk and calcium dosing. The Calcium was raised from 360 ppm to 440 ppm over , raised the alkalinity up from 7 dkh to 9 dkh, both over 2 days time....now to keep testing and figure out how much the few corals are using daily.
The next project for us will probably be setting up our own RO/DI and water mixing station. We have a small 1,200-ish SF home with only 2 bedrooms the spare being only 8' x 10' and no garage and no room in the laundry area. Kind of toying with the idea of getting a wooden wine barrel to hide a brute can in on our front porch (somehow make it look presentable) to use at auto water change storage. Open to other ideas, there isn't much room on either side of the tank stand as the fireplace outer hearth is on the left side maybe a ft from the stand and about a ft to the right side of the stand is the front door (we rarely use), the "wall" behind the tank is the front porch window. Maybe we should find a way to camouflage a whole mixing station on our front porch? LOL The only issue with that is, we live in FL and the water will get very hot being stored outside and possibly grow something funky.
Keeping a close eye on the "baby" anemone, as we are concerned it might be a mojano...though it really looks much more like a bubble tip, I can't get a clear pic of it but it's tips are very much bubbled and it seems too red to be a mojano.
Nice picture! Any updates?
OP
OP
Update 3/17/2020:
The questionable baby bubble tip did end up being a bubble tip It's growing nicely even though I've only spot fed it once (it's so far down in the tank).
I don't have any new full tank pics. I've not once been able to get a decent pic of the bubble tip, I've even tried my real camera, not just the phone.
Tank is still going good, not any major changes made. I did remove the macro algae in December and started dosing Vibrant to get rid of some problem GHA. The Vibrant did work, took a couple of months. I've not yet replaced the macro, still dosing Vibrant. I've added probably about 20-25 bumble bee snails over the past several months and they do seem to be slowing down the vermetid population. My corals don't seem to be as bothered by them as some claim. Added 2 baby cleaner shrimp in December ($10 each, good deal around here anyway) as aggravating as they can be, stealing food from corals, I really missed my old cleaner shrimp (died in Sept, was fine one morning and dead later that evening). The only corals that have been added are a monti frag, orange ricordia frag and various zoas from my nano tank (planning to shut the nano down). Also added a tuxedo urchin from my nano. Still the same fish, no fish added.
I found my first bristle worm in the sump in December, removed it. Those things really creep me out-- good cuc or not. I bought one of the Home Depo shop vac's that fit onto a bucket and WOW that thing really made sump cleaning a breeze! Installed a powerhead in the refugium section and it's keeping the sump much cleaner than before, wish I would have done that sooner.
Overdue for a water change and testing of all parameters. Will make time to do that very soon, the display needs to be vacuumed and it's not an easy task without my husbands assistance, with the tank being pretty tall and I have a very hard time seeing what I'm doing.
The questionable baby bubble tip did end up being a bubble tip
It's growing nicely even though I've only spot fed it once (it's so far down in the tank).I don't have any new full tank pics. I've not once been able to get a decent pic of the bubble tip, I've even tried my real camera, not just the phone.
Tank is still going good, not any major changes made. I did remove the macro algae in December and started dosing Vibrant to get rid of some problem GHA. The Vibrant did work, took a couple of months. I've not yet replaced the macro, still dosing Vibrant. I've added probably about 20-25 bumble bee snails over the past several months and they do seem to be slowing down the vermetid population. My corals don't seem to be as bothered by them as some claim. Added 2 baby cleaner shrimp in December ($10 each, good deal around here anyway) as aggravating as they can be, stealing food from corals, I really missed my old cleaner shrimp (died in Sept, was fine one morning and dead later that evening). The only corals that have been added are a monti frag, orange ricordia frag and various zoas from my nano tank (planning to shut the nano down). Also added a tuxedo urchin from my nano. Still the same fish, no fish added.
I found my first bristle worm in the sump in December, removed it. Those things really creep me out-- good cuc or not. I bought one of the Home Depo shop vac's that fit onto a bucket and WOW that thing really made sump cleaning a breeze! Installed a powerhead in the refugium section and it's keeping the sump much cleaner than before, wish I would have done that sooner.
Overdue for a water change and testing of all parameters. Will make time to do that very soon, the display needs to be vacuumed and it's not an easy task without my husbands assistance, with the tank being pretty tall and I have a very hard time seeing what I'm doing.
OP
OP
The Stay at Home order has prevented us from camping and riding on weekends, so I've had more time to dedicate to the tanks. Tested tank on 4/12/2020 nitrates were about 30 ppm, Phosphate 0, did about a 10 gallon water change and added more Xport No3 cubes, started dosing Microbacter. Tested again on 4/17/2020 nitrates were down to 10 ppm, DKH 8, Calcium 420. I've been crushing by hand, as many vermitids as possible but always see more later that I missed. I've mainly been focusing on areas close to corals. One thing I've noticed is they like to get on the hammer but not on the torch, however the torch is the one that has not been looking it's best. It was moved (was getting way to close to other corals) in September to the upper right hand side but never seemed as happy in that area and when I removed it to put in the nano tank on 4/3 as it was really not extending well (no sign of brown jelly) some tentacles fell off. It seems to be a little happier in the nano, which has no detectable nitrates. Though I need to get it out of there soon as it would touch the entire tank if it was fully extended. It looks like it will be returning to the LFS.
Added my first blasto this past weekend, along with a rainbow fl ricordea and a tequila sunrise monti. I need to get a filter for my phone, just put the ricordea in when pic was taken. Couldn't get the orange polyps on the moti to show up in the pic. I'm disappointed in the growth of the older corals since last year but it's my fault, I can't seem to stick with dosing 2 part, water changes or testing in general to stay on top of things. I rarely spot feed due to trying to feed lightly as possible trying to prevent a nitrate issue but I need keep a closer eye on things and spot feed for the growth I want. I've added about 6 orange chestnut snails over the last month, really like the cheap orange color they add to the tank, they seem to be really good cleaners so far!
Some other newer corals:
The zoas were some I fragged from my nano tank, I think in Feb, they are really happy and growing larger heads than they ever have in the nano.
The grande palys have grown some. Started with 3 heads 10/19/2018 and now had about 9 heads total though some still small. It loves to eat and probably gets spot fed the most.
By the time it hit me to take new full tank pics, I had messed around in the tank too much (trying to find a potential place for the torch and the GSP rock and crushing vermitids) that it was pretty cloudy and everything was unhappy. I'll get updated full tank pics soon.
I have some chaeto ordered and hope to get the fuge back online soon. I plan to play around with some ideas to block the spill over light from reaching the other chambers and skimmer.
Added my first blasto this past weekend, along with a rainbow fl ricordea and a tequila sunrise monti. I need to get a filter for my phone, just put the ricordea in when pic was taken. Couldn't get the orange polyps on the moti to show up in the pic. I'm disappointed in the growth of the older corals since last year but it's my fault, I can't seem to stick with dosing 2 part, water changes or testing in general to stay on top of things. I rarely spot feed due to trying to feed lightly as possible trying to prevent a nitrate issue but I need keep a closer eye on things and spot feed for the growth I want. I've added about 6 orange chestnut snails over the last month, really like the cheap orange color they add to the tank, they seem to be really good cleaners so far!
Some other newer corals:
The zoas were some I fragged from my nano tank, I think in Feb, they are really happy and growing larger heads than they ever have in the nano.
The grande palys have grown some. Started with 3 heads 10/19/2018 and now had about 9 heads total though some still small. It loves to eat and probably gets spot fed the most.
By the time it hit me to take new full tank pics, I had messed around in the tank too much (trying to find a potential place for the torch and the GSP rock and crushing vermitids) that it was pretty cloudy and everything was unhappy. I'll get updated full tank pics soon.
I have some chaeto ordered and hope to get the fuge back online soon. I plan to play around with some ideas to block the spill over light from reaching the other chambers and skimmer.
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OP
OP
Updated pics taken yesterday evening. The GSP is still unhappy with my moving it around some the day before. The mystery coral still not happy yet but looked a tad better than the day before. Going to order a camera filter ASAP. I can't get that frag disk half way up on the right off, going to have to buy a new frag to cover it up
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Thanks
!The strawberry conch is one of my favorite occupants, it's been in the tank since 9/2018. It's always busy, I never thought I would find a conch so neat to watch, LOL. Leaves trails in the sand everywhere, occasionally does a little climbing on the lower rocks and have I've caught it half buried a few times, I thought maybe it was dying but I thinking it was just looking for more goodies.
OP
OP
Been focusing on other hobbies the past few months. The corals are growing though not as fast as they would be with more attention. Fish are happy and healthy, bta split (which figures as it wasn't even big enough for the clowns yet). At least they don't move around any, both are still very close to the same spot. I'll get some pics next time I clean the glass.
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