Krad's IM 200 EXT Journey

[Krad]

alright checked my parameters this morning and tanks good for life.

Picked up 3 Panama cardinals and a purple fire fish today everyone’s doing good so far.

Super glad I decided to get those rocks wet in 2023, dosed 7 tsps of dr Tim’s ammonia Monday @ 3 ppm and it was zero Thursday night. Nitrites never moved and hannas are picking up nirate and phosphate.

It’s alive!

 

[Krad]

Wasn’t expecting to see him out so quick!

Got a water resistant led strip to put in the stand and even managed some cables LOL

 

[Krad]

Got the shades and diffusers on, really helps with the light bleeding out. Still need to check pars later but happy with how it looks.

Daughter got her clowns today!

 

[cale0721]

Got the shades and diffusers on, really helps with the light bleeding out. Still need to check pars later but happy with how it looks.

Daughter got her clowns today!

Beautiful. I also added a purple firefish as one of my first fish. Love them!

 

[Krad]

Beautiful. I also added a purple firefish as one of my first fish. Love them!

Thank you I’ve never had one and wanted one to be first in this tank. Trying to make sure I put in my peaceful fish first and give them a few months to settle before I get some tangs!

Really liking the scissor tail dart fish, he and the clowns seem to have put the others to ease and there’s a lot more swimming around the tank today.

 

[cale0721]

Thank you I’ve never had one and wanted one to be first in this tank. Trying to make sure I put in my peaceful fish first and give them a few months to settle before I get some tangs!

Really liking the scissor tail dart fish, he and the clowns seem to have put the others to ease and there’s a lot more swimming around the tank today.

Same here. I did add a small 2 inch hippo tang with my two fairy wrasses and Bella goby. So far all five fish are doing well.

 

[Krad]

Same here. I did add a small 2 inch hippo tang with my two fairy wrasses and Bella goby. So far all five fish are doing well.

Nice I’m going to get a few tangs. So far the tang plan is an orange shoulder first and a purple tang last.

Can’t decide what other tangs I want, probably a bristletooth and maybe a yellow. Kids want a hippo too but I’m not sold lol.

Other fish plans include a few wrasse and a school of anthias but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I want a decent amount of pods going before then and some more maturity in the tank.

 

[fishybizzness]

Hi there! Looking good so far. Did your stand come pre-assembled?

 

[Krad]

Hi there! Looking good so far. Did your stand come pre-assembled?

Hi and thank you!

No it didn't but wasn't bad to put together however it gave me the most anxiety haha.

I am not used to how "flimsy" it feels since its aluminum (doubt its even 100lbs) and am always second guessing myself if I tightened down every lock when putting it together.

Its holding strong after a week so I think we are good LOL, no going back now!

 

[fishybizzness]

Hi and thank you!

No it didn't but wasn't bad to put together however it gave me the most anxiety haha.

I am not used to how "flimsy" it feels since its aluminum (doubt its even 100lbs) and am always second guessing myself if I tightened down every lock when putting it together.

Its holding strong after a week so I think we are good LOL, no going back now!

The reason I asked is that my stand and sump for my 200 both came in a simple cardboard box and I saw that yours came in a wooden box similar to your tank.

 

[Krad]

The reason I asked is that my stand and sump for my 200 both came in a simple cardboard box and I saw that yours came in a wooden box similar to your tank.

Gotcha. The sump came in it’s own crate like the aquarium but the stand was in a box

 

[fishybizzness]

They changed the packaging. That's a big improvement!

 

[Krad]

Oh yeah looks like it. Freight company wanted to leave it at the end of my driveway lol was not having that.

 

[Krad]

Week in and all livestock is doing great. Everyone is getting along and eating well.

pH sitting around 7.9 which I expected being in the basement, running a line outdoors for the skimmer and see if that gets me to 8.1.

Alk staying at 7.5 will see if the ph change with have any affect on it dosing pumps aren’t set up yet.

Sent out a ICP today to double check my numbers, hoping to get some LPS going at the end of October.

No algae yet which is surprising. I have a decent amount of phosphate so maybe I’ll turn the UV off

 

[Krad]

It’s not pretty but phase 1 of cable management done lol, at least they are all run to the unfinished side.

Deciding what I want to do with the power bricks and controllers still.

Still need to finish up the drop ceiling as well and get the tiles back in place

 

[Krad]

Drop ceiling tiles are back in and it looks good. Got the airline ran for the skimmer outside today will see if that has a effect on ph, currently its at 8.03.

Ordered a orange shoulder tang that's coming in tomorrow from marine collectors!

 

[Krad]

I ran the outdoor skimmer line and I got the pH to become stable at 8.1. Going to start setting up the dosing pumps and containers to find a layout I like.

New tang acclimated great and eating everything.

Diatoms are on full affect!

 

[Krad]

Quick update, some up's and downs as expected!

Lost the bigger clown, not sure as to why. Suddenly stopped eating and was swimming strange. Last day it started breathing very fast so I knew something was seriously wrong and tried a FW dip as a last ditch effort. Shorty passed after being re-added to tank, daughter is taking it well at least!

All other fish are doing great so far and will keep monitoring it case it was a bug.

The big cardinal is... thanks to reef2reef for the diagnosis... carrying eggs in his mouth! I'll try and see if I can catch the hatch.

I got my alk and calicum to 8.5 and 440ppm pretty steady with a ph of 8.3, will most likely get a few more hard corals soon to add some color.

 

[Krad]

Also this is about as organized as I’ve ever been lol.

Adding the check valve on the UV was a great move body doesn’t drain anymore: