Jimbo's CDA 250 Build

[Jimbo327]

Since I'm making a lot of saltwater for water changes, I had to buy more salt at my LFS. While I'm there, I gave in to my impulses and bought one of the nicest fungia plate coral that I've ever seen. The tentacles are yellow and green. Very cool looking. Left the store with a fungia & bucket of salt, and nothing in the wallet though. I swear this hobby is not good for impulsive people on payday.

According to LFS owner (which I’ve known for 15+ years), this is an indo variant and harder to come by.

 

[Jimbo327]

3 days after the DIY FWE 2nd treatment, I still see a few brown FW on the bottom of the glass. So I think I will need to have a change of plans.

1) Change up the schedule of the dose or increase the dose. I'm hesitant to increase dose because I'm already seeing some negative SPS RTN happening on the 2nd dose. I may decrease the dosage, but increase the frequency to see if I can interrupt their cycle.

2) Get a natural predator like a wrasse to try to pick up the remainder that is left after treatment. The treatment is still highly effective, as it does knock out 90%+ of the FW population. But it's also hit and miss if the wrasse will eat this type of FW. And if I need to get another wrasse, I want to make sure that I have a mesh lid because I don't want a repeat of my yellow coris wrasse carpet surfing. But getting a custom lid at this size is really pricey and cost prohibitive at the moment. I already spent that cash on the food, corals and fungia plate.

Update#1: I decided to dose 75ml of the DIY FWE at 6pm tonight. Pulled the carbon, but kept the skimmer going. Going with a lower dose, but only 3 days in between last dose. And let's see how long I can keep it in the tank.

Update #2: Added another 25ml of the DIY FWE 24 hours later. Skimmer on.

Update#3: Added Carbon and turned on UV after 3 days. Algae is overgrown.

 

[Jimbo327]

Custom lids are sexy, but it's also $700+ for my tank size. No funds for that.

There is also the screen kits from Red Sea and DD Jumpguard which look like good options. And I had thought about just going down to the hardware store to get aluminum framing for screen doors, and it'll be around $70 for materials and tools.

After mulling it over, I ordered the largest DD Jumpguard Pro screen kit, it's $79 total with free shipping. Very good value. It is very similar to an aluminum screen door, but has all of the accessories and tools included. The biggest drawback is the center braces that will block some light. I have a plank feeder/fan on the top of the tank, and CDA tanks have a double euro brace as well, so I need to make it all fit. But for ~10% cost of a custom lid, I think I can make it work somehow.

 

[Jimbo327]

My ORA blue staghorn is dead dead. And 2 other SPS frags are starting to STN, I started cutting them back to try to save them. I added the bag of carbon and turned on the UV.

Sometimes I just feel like throwing in the towel. Putting in so much effort, and getting kicked in the balls really sucks. I feel like the hobby should be enjoyable, but it's got so much problems that it seems more like work than fun. I'm doing my best to fix things as they come along, but it's like I can't get ahead.

 

[Jimbo327]

In preparation for the mesh lid, I decided to move the plank feeder over the sump. Only thing I needed was a longer piece of 2” PVC from Home Depot ($8) to extend the feed tube down. I don't care that it is white PVC since it's in the sump.

Another step closer to getting a tank mesh lid and ultimately, wrasses in the tank. I really need to start setting up a QT tank.

 

[Jimbo327]

I have not been able to get any new fishes because QT in the garage is too hot.

There is a local reefer trying to rehome a beat up tang with its fins and tail badly chewed up...like a lot of it is GONE. I feel really bad for the poor guy as it is getting bullied, and I'm not sure his fins or tail will heal properly or if it will be permanently disfigured.

I showed the photo of the tang to my wife, and to my surprise, she will let me set up a QT tank in the dining room. So I quickly set up the QT tank and got some fresh saltwater made. If I do get a chance to rescue it, it'll go to a tank that is well fed as all of my fishes are fat and happy. Sometimes, I think they eat better than me!

QT tank in dining room awaiting newcomers:

 

[JoJosReef]

I have not been able to get any new fishes because QT in the garage is too hot.

There is a local reefer trying to rehome a beat up tang with its fins and tail badly chewed up...like a lot of it is GONE. I feel really bad for the poor guy as it is getting bullied, and I'm not sure his fins or tail will heal properly or if it will be permanently disfigured.

I showed the photo of the tang to my wife, and to my surprise, she will let me set up a QT tank in the dining room. So I quickly set up the QT tank and got some fresh saltwater made. If I do get a chance to rescue it, it'll go to a tank that is well fed as all of my fishes are fat and happy. Sometimes, I think they eat better than me!

QT tank in dining room awaiting newcomers:

I saw that one. Beautiful gem tang. I hope you can get it! Also the other surgeonfish, but I have no idea what that is.

I need some QT setup, but I've currently got an observation tank filled with very live sand and reef rocks, macro and some zoas for wrasses. Can't do copper or chloroquine, so not that much use as a QT. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Jimbo327]

I saw that one. Beautiful gem tang. I hope you can get it! Also the other surgeonfish, but I have no idea what that is.

I need some QT setup, but I've currently got an observation tank filled with very live sand and reef rocks, macro and some zoas for wrasses. Can't do copper or chloroquine, so not that much use as a QT. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If the gem tang doesn't work out, I'll use the QT tank for peppermint shrimp or leopard wrasses that I intend to get soon. But I do hope I can rescue that gem tang from its current situation, I don't think that gem tang is going to make it if any more of its fins/tail gets destroyed. I've seen a yellow tang at the LFS that a customer brought in with almost no tail and fins left. LFS owner was going to euthanize it, but dropped it into one of its tanks. It is the sweetest fish, it would come and eat the food right out of the LFS owner's hands.

It's risky for my tank as well, as I have 2 zebrasomas (desjardini and scopas) and a dominant PBT. So we're going to have to see if they'll accept a new fish, as the pecking order is already set as well. I will have to use all of the tricks up my sleeve (mirror, extra food, distractions, fake fish)...but I may have to rehome it if it doesn't work out either.

 

[JoJosReef]

If the gem tang doesn't work out, I'll use the QT tank for peppermint shrimp or leopard wrasses that I intend to get soon. But I do hope I can rescue that gem tang from its current situation, I don't think that gem tang is going to make it if any more of its fins/tail gets destroyed. I've seen a yellow tang at the LFS that a customer brought in with almost no tail and fins left. LFS owner was going to euthanize it, but dropped it into one of its tanks. It is the sweetest fish, it would come and eat the food right out of the LFS owner's hands.

It's risky for my tank as well, as I have 2 zebrasomas (desjardini and scopas) and a dominant PBT. So we're going to have to see if they'll accept a new fish, as the pecking order is already set as well. I will have to use all of the tricks up my sleeve (mirror, extra food, distractions, fake fish)...but I may have to rehome it if it doesn't work out either.

Yeah, I've heard about PBTs.

I'm on the lookout for a female black leopard wrasse. Although I could consider a red tail tamarin instead. Always looking for pencil wrasses as well. I usually get pre-QT'd from Dr Reef, but I don't want to do that anymore for sand sleeping wrasses--they just don't do well during shipping.

 

[Jimbo327]

My ATI ICP results came in.

Tank: Low Iron, Zinc, Fluride, Iodine, Manganese. Pretty happy with the other levels as I've been dosing daily with my DIY trace elements solution. I will replenish these low trace elements.

RO water: Very high Silicon readings. 542.6 µg/l Silicon in the RODI water. Not good at all, I must have some crazy high silicon in the source water. I'm going to have to do something about my DI resin situation.

 

[Jimbo327]

Yeah, I've heard about PBTs.

I'm on the lookout for a female black leopard wrasse. Although I could consider a red tail tamarin instead. Always looking for pencil wrasses as well. I usually get pre-QT'd from Dr Reef, but I don't want to do that anymore for sand sleeping wrasses--they just don't do well during shipping.

You should hit up Dooly at SCR if you want pre-QT'ed wrasses. He's legit and local. He doesn't do copper on wrasses though, which is understandable. So it all depends on how much QT you really want.

Lately, I've been thinking of doing my own QT since I want to learn how to do it and my wife already let me set it up indoors. But we'll see how my work is, and if I'll have time to do it. Yes, I've heard that wrasses don't ship well. But I'm actually considering getting some wrasses from Petco! LOL. They have some of the lowest prices and its shipped out from their wholesaler in Los Angeles...so it's really nearby. I wish we could just pick it up.

 

[JoJosReef]

You should hit up Dooly at SCR if you want pre-QT'ed wrasses. He's legit and local. He doesn't do copper on wrasses though, which is understandable. So it all depends on how much QT you really want.

Lately, I've been thinking of doing my own QT since I want to learn how to do it and my wife already let me set it up indoors. But we'll see how my work is, and if I'll have time to do it. Yes, I've heard that wrasses don't ship well. But I'm actually considering getting some wrasses from Petco! LOL. They have some of the lowest prices and its shipped out from their wholesaler in Los Angeles...so it's really nearby. I wish we could just pick it up.

I got my Cirrhilabrus brunneus from Dooly (jumped unfortunately). Haven't heard how his operation is going, lately. For wrasses I'm going to try a 30 day hyposalinity tx at 1.009sg for ich and flukes. Doesn't cover brook and velvet though.

 

[Jimbo327]

I got my Cirrhilabrus brunneus from Dooly (jumped unfortunately). Haven't heard how his operation is going, lately. For wrasses I'm going to try a 30 day hyposalinity tx at 1.009sg for ich and flukes. Doesn't cover brook and velvet though.

Good luck on your QT. Would be interesting to see how hypo works. May want to hit it with some Prazi at the end. I think Dooly said he's ready to QT wrasses very soon, so that's another option.

 

[Jimbo327]

The gem tang's condition was even worse than I thought. Wow, they really did a number on her. I hope she is not permanently scarred. She ate frozen and spirulina right away, and was not really scared of me. I'm going to keep her in the QT just for observation and feed her well. Give her a break from getting bullied all day.

 

[JoJosReef]

The gem tang's condition was even worse than I thought. Wow, they really did a number on her. I hope she is not permanently scarred. She ate frozen and spirulina right away, and was not really scared of me. I'm going to keep her in the QT just for observation and feed her well. Give her a break from getting bullied all day.

Still beautiful! Hope she heals up.

 

[Jimbo327]

Got my D-D Jumpguard Pro DIY mesh lid kit. Looks nice. And it will sit well in the double eurobrace of the CDA tank. For $80 to cover a 72" tank, you can't beat that with a baseball bat! Maybe I'll update to a baller polycarbonate custom lid in a few years, but this will do nicely for the foreseeable future.

I figured out the measurements and started cutting with a saw. It's really easy cutting since the frame is hollow aluminum.

The only complaint is that the mesh is folded and not rolled up, so it's not exactly flat. I decided to let it sit in the sun and hope it'll flatten out in a few days before I attach it to the frame.

I test fitted the frame only on the tank. Fits like a glove! And it doesn't interfere with my DIY white top tank brace either. Lucky.

 

[Jimbo327]

Mesh lid done. Time to look for leopard wrasses.

 

[JoJosReef]

Mesh lid done. Time to look for leopard wrasses.

I've been writing to Jason (dooly), and planning to get a black leopard from him sometime later this year--foxface and CBB first.

 

[Jimbo327]

My work is going through a round of layoffs and re-organization right now, so it's stressful and morale is low. The reef tank is a bit of my escape from all that negativity. And I foresee that my workload will be going much higher soon.

With that in mind and my tank is full of fish already, I've asked Jason to QT a leopard wrasse for me. Let's see how that works out.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Mesh lid done. Time to look for leopard wrasses.

That lid looks nice!