NeverlosT's 140g Cube in Paradise

[Sahin]

Sorry about the troubles. Hope things are continuing to get better. Did you bring the corals over from your friend?

 

[NeverlosT]

I did indeed. Some made the transition fine, others not as well. I was mystified as to what could still be troubling the coral since parameters were stable.

Then I found this in the fuge, what was left of my TLF nanoMag...

How a company can release a product for use in the marine environment that is obviously not sealed to prevent corrosion and is doomed to corrosion is beyond me. What this released into my tank over 6 months who knows. The metal contents of that magnet are unknown.

It is out now, another 75g water change, and we will see what happens... This hobby is tough enough without dodgy products like that nanomag putting more variables in.

Ill attach some pics once I am back from my work trip.

 

[renato120]

Do you think that was the problem? I hope it is. Keep us updated!

 

[NeverlosT]

Man i hope so. The tank has been a source of stress and heartache for the last 7 months. I am ready for it to be a source of joy once more!

I have found several threads that talk about the same kind of sps decline that I have experienced, and they had issues with TLF magnets corroding.

I also have emailed with Julian Sprung of TLF regarding the fact that their products fail and may be poisoning private reefs. He is doubtful that the magnets contain anything toxic, but I am positive that it is impossible to guarantee that without massive cost. The best way to solve their issue is to epoxy-pot the magnets which I suggested.

Anyhow, hopefully the tank is on the road to recovery!

 

[s2nhle]

Sorry for the loss. How is your tank doing today? Can't wait to see your beautiful tank again.

 

[Sahin]

I had similar issues when the magnet in my MP10 split...Was replaced by Ecotech free of charge though. However corals suffered.

 

[NeverlosT]

Yeah it is silly for these so called "professionals" in the hobby to deny that a corroding magnet in your reef is likely to cause issues. Ill provide update pics soon, some sps look great, some still recovering

 

[NeverlosT]

Here are some shots. The reef is slowly recovering, nothing I am super proud of yet, but I think that we are moving in a better direction now after a series of setbacks (electrical issue, then flooded the house, then a worm scare)...

Enjoy...

One of the corals that I almost lost, now recovering and getting some color back:

A smattering of Zoas...

What was once a huge setosa colony... is now a skeleton with some tissue poking through here and there, recovering amongst a sea of little brittle stars...

Pokerstar monti, clawing it's way back to life...

Season's Greetings Monti, also recovering... at one point it looked totally dead. Then there was a polyp here and there but no green... now the green returns. Amazing.

 

[NeverlosT]

The good news is, this aussie gold torch is invincible. Through everything, it just kept growing, it is now 5 or 6 heads.

$500 Efflo... still not doing anything... going on 3 years of that. haha, well at least it lives!

I had the blues for a while, but this is a better kind of blues.

And of course, the rastas.

With great reluctance, I post a FTS. She is a shadow of her former self... buuut the Magnifica Anemone is getting giant, the clowns are getting ready to spawn around its base, and I just added a baby potters wrasse and my big male took an immediate liking to her.

These little rock blennies are such a great weird fish.

So heres a Sarmentosa that is sprouting left and right, and a recovering Raspberry Limeade (on top) and Pink Lemonade (on left).

 

[NeverlosT]

Home Stretch, another goofy blenny:

The $500 efflo close up (where it grows it is purple... but there is precious little of that).

and lastly, the "Celtic Pride" Chalice, doing pretty well.

 

[dcook]

Any updates?

 

[NeverlosT]

Some recent shots. Nitrates coming down to around 8ppm from 40+, still reducing, so that is helping a lot. Skimmer gridwheel was plugged up with nylon debris from filter socks and she wasn't doing a whole lot, that and feeding a bit much led to the giant number. Popped a BP reactor on there with just a bit of pellets in there, and skimming wet, one sizeable WC and we are back in business. Colors are starting to improve.

 

[NeverlosT]

RIP you crazy suicidal Naoko wrasse. I have no idea how you jumped out with the ENTIRE TOP COVERED... But still, you were a cool fish and will be missed.

But to end it on a happy note, PE is improved, growth starting to increase. Getting the nitrates and phosphates down is helping a lot, here i was thinking nutrients wouldn't really ****** growth/sps health until they were higher but 8ppm nitrate and 0.16ppm phosphate will definitely shut things down.

Seems a constant struggle, dont want zero nutrients, but dont let them get too high...

Also i added some neutral white LEDs to my DIY strips, looks great at dawn/dusk.

 

[Jmcdaniel0]

I have had a few fish take the air walk. IT stinks.

 

[NeverlosT]

The old airwalk... Never fun...

Oh and just so that the above makes sense, the word that got censored was r-e-t ard. Which in this case means "to discourage" and should not offend anyone. Think fire retardant.

 

[Jmcdaniel0]

I have been following since the beginning. I really like your build man. Im glad you got it on the rebound.

 

[Justiful]

Was your mag near your UV light source? If so was the plastic brittle, or discolored, did it crack? Applies even if UV light was inside its case, but the case was near the mag cleaner. The reason I say this is the light may be leaking UV into the Fuge, and the only reason the mag broke first is that the UV enclosure is treated plastic, and mag's would not be.

 

[NeverlosT]

I have been following since the beginning. I really like your build man. Im glad you got it on the rebound.

Glad to have you along!

 

[NeverlosT]

Was your mag near your UV light source? If so was the plastic brittle, or discolored, did it crack? Applies even if UV light was inside its case, but the case was near the mag cleaner. The reason I say this is the light may be leaking UV into the Fuge, and the only reason the mag broke first is that the UV enclosure is treated plastic, and mag's would not be.

Hi justiful! Thanks that is a great thought/observation. No my UV has always had its shield, the shield did develop a calcium precipitate coating at one point which had to be removed but then it was put right back on, and the UV sterilizer is fully enclosed so no UV can escape.

The magnet rusting to bits is a well known issue with two little fishies magnets unfortunately. I have learned my lesson and no longer use those products in my tank.

Thanks for the comment/idea!

 

[NeverlosT]

I think it might be time.

I have been looking at our tank in a halfway state of living for a full year now. The tank spent the first year of its life as a thriving SPS reef, then something happened a year ago, and the SPS started dying, the LPS stopped thriving, the zoas are the only thing that seems somewhat happy.

Luckily the fish seem pretty satisfied and the Ritteri anemone is happy as ever.

Something is wrong with the system that my literally thousands of tests, and over a year of tweaking just cant seem to fix. It is time for a change.

We are moving into our new house in May, so the system would need to come down then anyway. I am at this point either going to:
A. Sell the livestock, and sell some of the parts, and start fresh in the new house.
B. Take the tank down to dry equipment. Hold the fish somewhere, sell all the rock and the sand. Run RODI in the tank for 3 weeks, then add sand, salt, new rock, and literally start over.

I am tired of spending a ton of time maintaining and trying to rescue something that just isn't getting better. Time for a change.

The parameters are largely fine. ALK 8.4dKh, CA 460, SG 1.025, nitrates are a bit high, phosphates are 0.03ppm, Mg is 1350ppm.

I am open for suggestions, but I am not waiting any more for this thing to turn around on its own.