My first marine tank journey (G'day from Australia)

[dvlpr]

Melbourne gets 40+ degree days

It does, but not that often and I don't recall more than 2-3 days in a row in the last few years and one day is not enough to make a difference. During the hotter times (anything above 30) I run my AC anyway, as I can't stand the heat myself

 

[dvlpr]

Haven't updated in a while!

Quite a few things changed. Mostly for the bad, unfortunately - lost most of my corals, but I strongly suspect that was because I was dosing everything by hand and thus somethings were overdosed, some underdosed and there was never any consistency day-to-day or week-to-week. The tank was too young anyway.

So, finally got a doser, and spent a day re-wiring the cabinet and trying to fit everything in. Not a DIY person, so came up with a crude shelf (no, they didn't have black at the local HW store), but it gets the job done.

Next week or two, the plan is to stabilize all params (most are on par, but I don't want them moving up and down every few days) and then I'll start re-stocking coral. Dosing via a machine should allow me to adjust much more carefully.

Got a proper test kit in the meantime - eXact iDip 570 and it works really well.

On a positive note - fish are happy The gold headed gobies are amazing at cleaning the sand - wow!

Overall, may feel like a bit of a restart coral-wise (still have a few corals hanging on, but not sure they'll make it through), but with a tiny bit more knowledge. Just 4 months into the saltwater journey.

Oh, and my daughter asked me to restart a small freshwater tank she got for her birthday a couple of years ago (and which was abandonded pretty quick), so got that up and going a few days ago and she's now got a few guppies in there.

Cheers

 

[Saltees]

Good to have you back! My tank arrived finally, now I’m waiting for the pipe fittings to come. Cheers!

 

[dvlpr]

Good to have you back! My tank arrived finally, now I’m waiting for the pipe fittings to come. Cheers!

Thanks and congrats on your new tank! I'm already starting to plan a new build One day... it'll happen... hopefully

 

[Alenya]

Looks much tidier than mine! More pics please

 

[dvlpr]

Looks much tidier than mine! More pics please

Mine was a mess for the first 4 months If I didn't get a doser, it still would be... I still need to find a suitable wire basket to use as storage on the door and then I'm more-or-less done a few months, hopefully. Maybe put some more powerbricks on the walls too (with velcro).

One thing I learned during this process, and this probably only applies in AU, but if you get those WiFi powerboards from Bunnings (Arlec Grid Connect), you need to know that if they lose power, they don't switch back on once the power is back, which I found out the hard way. I removed both of them (well, kept one as a back up) and got that server PDU instead.

 

[Alenya]

Mine was a mess for the first 4 months If I didn't get a doser, it still would be... I still need to find a suitable wire basket to use as storage on the door and then I'm more-or-less done a few months, hopefully. Maybe put some more powerbricks on the walls too (with velcro).

One thing I learned during this process, and this probably only applies in AU, but if you get those WiFi powerboards from Bunnings (Arlec Grid Connect), you need to know that if they lose power, they don't switch back on once the power is back, which I found out the hard way. I removed both of them (well, kept one as a back up) and got that server PDU instead.

That’s reassuring about the mess! Mine is tied out of the way with Velcro right now.

Good to know re power boards. I’m going to turn them off and on when I get home to see if they come back! :O

 

[KingTideCorals]

Things will turn around! Thats this hobby!

 

[dvlpr]

Things will turn around! Thats this hobby!

Thanks Yep, I'm developing my patience beyond anything I could imagine. Was at my LFS today and walked out empty-handed - that's a huge step forward

 

[KingTideCorals]

Thanks Yep, I'm developing my patience beyond anything I could imagine. Was at my LFS today and walked out empty-handed - that's a huge step forward

Not sure how you did that?!? Better human than I! Patience is key in the hobby looking forward to the build thread

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Sorry to hear about your coral loss. Glad fish are happy. Your cabinet layout looks tidy.

 

[dvlpr]

Sorry to hear about your coral loss. Glad fish are happy. Your cabinet layout looks tidy.

Thank you! I (and the tank) weren't ready for corals and that's the result... taking it much more slowly now - the doser is helping heaps, so once I feel confident again, I'll start stocking up again.

Got a really nice Purplelined Wrasse - looks amazing

 

[QueryLifeDecisions]

Beautiful tank mate! Looking at getting one of these myself in Brisbane. Pleased with it?

 

[dvlpr]

Beautiful tank mate! Looking at getting one of these myself in Brisbane. Pleased with it?

Thanks! Yes, mostly Now that I had it for a while, I'd design the sump a bit differently, but I can't complain about the tank and stand quality. I'll probably go with a custom sump for my next tank, but that's still a few years in the future I reckon. One small gripe I have is the plastic weir, as it's a bit harder to scrape algae off it, but then that's what I have my foxface for and he's doing a good job of keeping things clean (along with the rest of the crew).

 

[QueryLifeDecisions]

Thanks! Yes, mostly Now that I had it for a while, I'd design the sump a bit differently, but I can't complain about the tank and stand quality. I'll probably go with a custom sump for my next tank, but that's still a few years in the future I reckon. One small gripe I have is the plastic weir, as it's a bit harder to scrape algae off it, but then that's what I have my foxface for and he's doing a good job of keeping things clean (along with the rest of the crew).

Brilliant! Was toying with getting a custom sump myself (would like a roller mat etc.), was looking into Hmali. What other fish are you aiming for in the 1500? Got some beautiful specimens as it is

 

[dvlpr]

Brilliant! Was toying with getting a custom sump myself (would like a roller mat etc.), was looking into Hmali. What other fish are you aiming for in the 1500? Got some beautiful specimens as it is

Yeah, I would also now pay a lot more attention to how easy it's to clean. I made myself a small vacuum out of a small pump and that works, but some spots are really awkward to reach (or even see if they need cleaning) and this means they tend to get dirty. I removed the sponge that was before the return pump and also removed both socks and just replace filter floss every few days. Was toying with the idea of a refugium, but again, this sump would make that a pita to clean, as the refugium would be upfront and the return chamber in the back, so impossible to see what's building up back there.

As far as fish go, I'm happy with what I have atm - goldheaded gobys are probably the hardest working of the bunch - all of my sand is absolutely pristine thanks to them (and a startfish and a few snails). I'm aiming at getting a mandarin goby in a year or so and also (maybe) a harlequin tusk after that.

Did one water change so far (tank is almost 7 months old) with fresh sea water, just to see what it would do Not much, I have to say, so I'm still sticking to not changing the water unless something drastic happens.

 

[QueryLifeDecisions]

Yeah, I would also now pay a lot more attention to how easy it's to clean. I made myself a small vacuum out of a small pump and that works, but some spots are really awkward to reach (or even see if they need cleaning) and this means they tend to get dirty. I removed the sponge that was before the return pump and also removed both socks and just replace filter floss every few days. Was toying with the idea of a refugium, but again, this sump would make that a pita to clean, as the refugium would be upfront and the return chamber in the back, so impossible to see what's building up back there.

As far as fish go, I'm happy with what I have atm - goldheaded gobys are probably the hardest working of the bunch - all of my sand is absolutely pristine thanks to them (and a startfish and a few snails). I'm aiming at getting a mandarin goby in a year or so and also (maybe) a harlequin tusk after that.

Did one water change so far (tank is almost 7 months old) with fresh sea water, just to see what it would do Not much, I have to say, so I'm still sticking to not changing the water unless something drastic happens.

Thanks for the feedback! If you wanted another cleaning solution for your sump, check out some of the cheaper Wet/Dry vacuums. I picked up an Ozito from Bunnings for like $70, comes with a slim attachment to get into all the nooks and crannies - makes sump cleanup a breeze.

 

[dvlpr]

Thanks for the feedback! If you wanted another cleaning solution for your sump, check out some of the cheaper Wet/Dry vacuums. I picked up an Ozito from Bunnings for like $70, comes with a slim attachment to get into all the nooks and crannies - makes sump cleanup a breeze.

Thanks - will take a look once they open up (I'm in Vic, so everything's still shut down).

 

[dvlpr]

Haven't posted in a long while... Tank had its ups and downs and one of the major downs was a bad (is there a good one?) case of red cyano. I made it worse, admittedly, but trying to fix it with a chemical. This has killed 3 fish and wiped out half the corals. Thankfully I stopped quickly enough and did a full 3 day blackout (on the advice from my LFS owner) and got things back under control. Lesson learned...

The tank is maturing and so is my appreciation for the hobby.

I'm also now running a fuge (without the baffle, just planted chaeto and other algae onto the rocks), which is hosting a microsystem of its own - fun to watch at night when the refugium light is on.

Have been adding/changing a few small bits and pieces, but today took a big step in taking out the socks/floss and replacing them with an Innovitech X Filter 1.0. Hopefully that'll keep water cleaner and I have one less headache to worry about.

 

[dvlpr]

This is the result of its first night in the tank. One of those things that make you think "why didn't I do this from the start?"