Reef-N-Stein
New Member
Love the refugium idea. How is it working. Overflowing ok into the sump area?
Isaac's CADE 1500s2/ Peninsula Reef Build
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OP
OP
Overflow is working great, is silent, and has been keeping a stable level of water. I do have an optical switch right above the surface to notify me that the water is rising for some reason. But based on the overflow rate and the siphon that's occurring I think it's working great.
I'm going to put Nero 3 from my QT tank in here to get some good flow to roll some chaeto or other macro.
Reef-N-Stein
New Member
Awesome glad to hear this. What exactly did you purchase, just a bulk head and what do you call that little cage thing? Lol.
OP
OP
I have good thick gasket 1" bulkhead, piping, and a High Capacity Suction Screen which is the "cage thing" you mention.
I picked it up from aquacave.com -- I think they're on sale right now too. These are great, length adjustable and allow good flow through -- and easy to clean. I was/am using in my office tank and these work nice at any flow rate.
I've also got a black vinyl 1/2" tube coming from the manifold to a loc-line adapter to spread the flow.
OP
OP
Moved the Red Sea ReefDose from my 70 gallon CADlights to the Cade.
From here…
to here…
had just enough line.
From here…
to here…
had just enough line.
OP
OP
Definitely almost done trying to pull my Alkalinity up.
Current water parameters as of this morning 10:00 am pst
Alk: 7
Ca: 475
Mg: 1455
NO3: 11.8
PO4: 0.01
pH: 8.36
Salinity: 1.026
Tank temp: 77.6°
Sump temp: 76.5°
I’ve started dosing every hour just enough to pull me up to Alk to 8.5 which would match my 70 gallon CADlights.
Chemistry is almost there to make the move!
Current water parameters as of this morning 10:00 am pst
Alk: 7
Ca: 475
Mg: 1455
NO3: 11.8
PO4: 0.01
pH: 8.36
Salinity: 1.026
Tank temp: 77.6°
Sump temp: 76.5°
I’ve started dosing every hour just enough to pull me up to Alk to 8.5 which would match my 70 gallon CADlights.
Chemistry is almost there to make the move!
Last edited:
OP
OP
Did a larger adjustment to the Cade water Alk parameter this evening using Sodium Bicarbonate. Interesting push down of the pH from >8.5 to <8.36
Pretty drastic too, note that there are no animals in the tank as I’m doing this.
Pretty drastic too, note that there are no animals in the tank as I’m doing this.
Reefer911
Valuable Member
Isaac, do you have any pics of your ATO if its in place from the other system? I am considering drilling into the sump ATO but only to increase total volume. I don't plan on running a fuge and will likely pipe my ATO tubing directly in from the RODI unit.
OP
OP
Today was the move. And it turned out to be a nightmare.
I lost two fish, almost lost more but the ones that lived long enough surprisingly survived after moving everyone into my office 40 gallon.
i lost my long time bristle tooth tang and my few years old Klein.
I think it was either:
I lost two fish, almost lost more but the ones that lived long enough surprisingly survived after moving everyone into my office 40 gallon.
i lost my long time bristle tooth tang and my few years old Klein.
I think it was either:
- ammonia
- Coral Toxin
OP
OP
My ammonia is through the roof on a new API ammonia test kit…tested twice two times an hour apart.
I must not have thoroughly cycled the tank even though it’s been running since November 5.
I’m kicking myself hard that I didn’t think to test ammonia before doing anything this morning. I have nitrates (11ppm)— I thought the Cycle was done. The bacteria was not mature enough, not enough anaerobic colonies.
Instead, I got to watch my Kleins and my Bristletooth, first, look uncomfortable when I put them in the tank, then, 5 minutes pass the bristletooth spasms into the sand and swirls around and immediately appears like it’s being electrocuted, color immediately leaves the fish. I pull him out and out him in the old tank, hold him to the flow to get him moving, but nothing. He’s gone.
Almost two minutes after the bristletooth passes the Kleins does the exact same thing. I try to save the Klein quicker but he doesn’t revive.
Then, almost like they’re taking turns my foxface starts acting odd, turning almost completely black. She’s a large fish. My wife starts to get agitated that the foxface will die. This fish is the main reason I upgraded the tank. It’s become a family pet. Of course then my leopard wrasse starts floating — I pull out the foxface carefully…and pull everyone else out.
Now the previous tank is not good — it’s been half drained with sand and detritus everywhere—there’s going to be ammonia. I decided to put them all into my office tank. The foxface and the leopard are barely breathing. As time passed this evening all the fish seemed to revive. It’s crowded but all the fish are alive.
This is all worse when you have the kids watching this entire event and the wife is attached to the fish now.
And I’m feeling that I’m going to lose some colonies of coral. Nothing fancy but it’s years of growth and care. Ugh.
I’m at the edge of just getting out of this hobby. I’m going through the reasons:
I spent too much money. I spent too much time. I failed to keep my animals alive. This is just stressful. Do I enjoy it? Am I too old for this type of stress? I could just go on a long vacation with the family.
I’m going to do some water changes now.
Ugh.
I must not have thoroughly cycled the tank even though it’s been running since November 5.
- Nitrogen cycle did not fully complete?
- I kicked up too much die off with adjusting my Alk
- I kicked up a cycle when I moved all my coral
- Maybe the water chemistry did not match like I thought it did and the corals started spewing toxins causing a die off and ammonia spike
I’m kicking myself hard that I didn’t think to test ammonia before doing anything this morning. I have nitrates (11ppm)— I thought the Cycle was done. The bacteria was not mature enough, not enough anaerobic colonies.
Instead, I got to watch my Kleins and my Bristletooth, first, look uncomfortable when I put them in the tank, then, 5 minutes pass the bristletooth spasms into the sand and swirls around and immediately appears like it’s being electrocuted, color immediately leaves the fish. I pull him out and out him in the old tank, hold him to the flow to get him moving, but nothing. He’s gone.
Almost two minutes after the bristletooth passes the Kleins does the exact same thing. I try to save the Klein quicker but he doesn’t revive.
Then, almost like they’re taking turns my foxface starts acting odd, turning almost completely black. She’s a large fish. My wife starts to get agitated that the foxface will die. This fish is the main reason I upgraded the tank. It’s become a family pet. Of course then my leopard wrasse starts floating — I pull out the foxface carefully…and pull everyone else out.
Now the previous tank is not good — it’s been half drained with sand and detritus everywhere—there’s going to be ammonia. I decided to put them all into my office tank. The foxface and the leopard are barely breathing. As time passed this evening all the fish seemed to revive. It’s crowded but all the fish are alive.
This is all worse when you have the kids watching this entire event and the wife is attached to the fish now.
And I’m feeling that I’m going to lose some colonies of coral. Nothing fancy but it’s years of growth and care. Ugh.
I’m at the edge of just getting out of this hobby. I’m going through the reasons:
I spent too much money. I spent too much time. I failed to keep my animals alive. This is just stressful. Do I enjoy it? Am I too old for this type of stress? I could just go on a long vacation with the family.
I’m going to do some water changes now.
Ugh.
Hey buddy, hang in there. Learning from our 
is how we get to . But if you really want to get rid of your tank, I'm right down the road... just kidding. I'm sure you'll pull through. Give me a holler if you need anything.
is how we get to . But if you really want to get rid of your tank, I'm right down the road... just kidding. I'm sure you'll pull through. Give me a holler if you need anything.
OP
OP
Hey buddy, hang in there. Learning from our
thank you so much @Reefer Reboot that’s very kind of you. In spent the day doing a large water change, giving away my 70 gallon on SCR because it completely stuck up the house —so I thought. It was the main display that was making the stink. Ammonia chain reaction in the Cade.
My colonies were sloughing off flesh. I put in two sheets of Poly-Fil last night in a high flow area, but that didn’t do anything.
Dropped in some AmGuard to try and detox the ammonia. Massive bacterial bloom at the same time.
This nice branching Pink cyphastrea hurts …suck a slow grower for me, but now it’s completely gone.
100 gallon water change…but not sure I’m making a dent.
The ReefMat is really working hard and I’m glad I got it.
The skimmer is pulling a lot...
Just feeding the fish in the 40 gallon —everyone seems fine today, surprisingly.
lubeck
Valuable Member
Wow I’m really sorry to hear about your losses. I started at the beginning and was super pumped until I got to the last few posts.
it’s devastating, I can’t even imagine but you’ve got a great system and think you would regret not seeing it through.
I think your tank was cycled. Just couldn’t handle the load. Did the ammonia Ever test zero. did you move the live rock over from the old tank? Was it previously submerged in the sand ?
hang In there.
it’s devastating, I can’t even imagine but you’ve got a great system and think you would regret not seeing it through.
I think your tank was cycled. Just couldn’t handle the load. Did the ammonia Ever test zero. did you move the live rock over from the old tank? Was it previously submerged in the sand ?
hang In there.
Wow, and that was such a nice looking tank. An unfortunate speed bump in life.
OP
OP
Quick update
My remaining surviving fish are doing fine so far in the office tank. They are all eating well.
some pics from the animals in the over crowded 40:
not cleaning this tank for now…
My remaining surviving fish are doing fine so far in the office tank. They are all eating well.
some pics from the animals in the over crowded 40:
not cleaning this tank for now…
OP
OP
The Cade is cycling.
I’ve gone down from Terror rating of ammonia on the API
to what today seems to read between 2.0 and 4.0
but my Salifert ammonia is at around .5
I’ve gone down from Terror rating of ammonia on the API
to what today seems to read between 2.0 and 4.0
but my Salifert ammonia is at around .5
OP
OP
The Cade currently looks like it’s cycling. I’m letting air bubbles free in the tank currently:
but smell is gone and no longer cloudy.
but smell is gone and no longer cloudy.
Reefer911
Valuable Member
Glad to see things are getting back to normal.
Im currently putting my 1200 S2/P together and I’m in need of some cabinet lighting. Nothing I’ve found seems to be bright enough. Can you link the lights you’re using?
Im currently putting my 1200 S2/P together and I’m in need of some cabinet lighting. Nothing I’ve found seems to be bright enough. Can you link the lights you’re using?
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