New here and likely in over my head

[vetteguy53081]

Something you may want to also think about is that most store bought seafood has phosphates added to keep moisture. Especially the seafood that comes packaged. This will fuel algae etc. try opting out for fresh caught seafood or read the packages and try choosing those that don’t contain phosphates in its ingredients.

You’re right on food. I don’t rinse but i Do strain foods

 

[gt44ever]

Something you may want to also think about is that most store bought seafood has phosphates added to keep moisture. Especially the seafood that comes packaged. This will fuel algae etc. try opting out for fresh caught seafood or read the packages and try choosing those that don’t contain phosphates in its ingredients.

Thats something that just recently caught my attention and I'm starting to move towards avoiding the phosphate where I can. The Pollack in feeding right now doesn't claim to use any though the shrimp does. A lot of the fresh may be only marginally better since very little of the "fresh" seafood around here is actually fresh. It's usually thawed and most places I would suspect just toss it into the trays frozen and let it thaw.

Is there a particular way to best remove the phosphates? I'd like to do feed more thawed foods to encourage the sharks especially to feed on the bottom instead of climbing the glass so a little extra processing isn't that big a deal for me especially when I'm breaking down large fish or squid.
I'll likely have to test the squid and fish I get at the local Asian market for phsophates. They're not as forthcoming on ingredients like that, but it's easily the cheapest place to get seafood around here.

You’re right on food. I don’t rinse but i Do strain foods

You strain foods but don't rinse? Not sure I follow there.

 

[LilElroyJetson]

Welcome to R2R and to the hobby! Great first post. 650 gallons...sheesh. You’ve definitely got your work cut out for you but I’m confident you’ll be fine with the help of everyone on here. Maybe consider a build thread for us to keep up with even though it’ll be more of a rework thread. Keep us posted and good luck!

 

[GrizFyrFyter]

I use Brightwell Aquatics phosphate-e on a dosing pump to keep phosphates down. I struggle with keeping nitrates under 10 but since the phosphate-e is mathematics (X amount of product reduces phosphate by Y in Z aquarium volume) it is easy to get the phosphate numbers I want. I dosed 3ml/day until my phosphates were 0.08ppm then reduced it down until I found an equilibrium. Now every single time I test phosphates they are between 0.06 and 0.09.

Is your "new to you" apex the new version with Built in wifi or the classic?

Also, check out the 3d printing thread in DIY, you might get some inspiration there.

If you ever decide to switch to a reef tank..... Think of the possibilities lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thats something that just recently caught my attention and I'm starting to move towards avoiding the phosphate where I can. The Pollack in feeding right now doesn't claim to use any though the shrimp does. A lot of the fresh may be only marginally better since very little of the "fresh" seafood around here is actually fresh. It's usually thawed and most places I would suspect just toss it into the trays frozen and let it thaw.

Is there a particular way to best remove the phosphates? I'd like to do feed more thawed foods to encourage the sharks especially to feed on the bottom instead of climbing the glass so a little extra processing isn't that big a deal for me especially when I'm breaking down large fish or squid.
I'll likely have to test the squid and fish I get at the local Asian market for phsophates. They're not as forthcoming on ingredients like that, but it's easily the cheapest place to get seafood around here.


You strain foods but don't rinse? Not sure I follow there.

I let the fluids drip through strainer then I spoon feed. Phosphate holds at about .02 on average

 

[gt44ever]

I use Brightwell Aquatics phosphate-e on a dosing pump to keep phosphates down. I struggle with keeping nitrates under 10 but since the phosphate-e is mathematics (X amount of product reduces phosphate by Y in Z aquarium volume) it is easy to get the phosphate numbers I want. I dosed 3ml/day until my phosphates were 0.08ppm then reduced it down until I found an equilibrium. Now every single time I test phosphates they are between 0.06 and 0.09.

Is your "new to you" apex the new version with Built in wifi or the classic?

Also, check out the 3d printing thread in DIY, you might get some inspiration there.

If you ever decide to switch to a reef tank..... Think of the possibilities lol

I might give that a look. Tried a phosphate reactor with phosguard and just started growing cyano in the reactor with no noticable drop in phosphates.

It's the new version. I get to the page to give it the ssid and password and it claims something's wrong with one of them.

Ooo 3d printing thread... That's dangerous. (Bookmarks for later).

Ya the switch to reef may happen someday, likely many years from now

 

[gt44ever]

Welcome to R2R and to the hobby! Great first post. 650 gallons...sheesh. You’ve definitely got your work cut out for you but I’m confident you’ll be fine with the help of everyone on here. Maybe consider a build thread for us to keep up with even though it’ll be more of a rework thread. Keep us posted and good luck!

I may make a buikd thread once I have things a little more sorted. Would be fun for the aquascaping that's on the horizon in particular

 

[GrizFyrFyter]

Make a sleeve for your reactor to fit in. No light = algae.

Everything had to be scaled to your system volume. A tlf 550 reactor full of phosguard or gfo would be plenty on my tank but yours is 3x my system volume. If you have really high po4 already, you may have exhausted the media in just a few days with minimal effect.

 

[gt44ever]

And finally, we're back with an update:

Undergravel is out of the tank along with most of the crud that was sitting under the screen. It looked like I had a sand bed underneath except it was brown. Now its just an open space with a little crushed coral sand on each end mostly to hold the sump dividers in place since the caulk seems to have given up a while ago:


A few more water changes and still havent really moved the needle on my nitrates and phosphates but other parameters rest fine.

Will be adding an air flow meter to my skimmer as I suspect I need more pump. Swapped the jebao 8000 for the mag drive 2400 that was previously one of the return pumps.

Next step right now is get to the lfs when they have a decent supply of live rubble on hand so I can pull out those bio balls finally. Then see if I can find the magic formula I'm missing to get my chaeto to grow and start helping me out with those nitrates amd phosphates.

Ive also started supplementing food to try to keep everyone a bit healthier while everything keeps changing. Sharks get Mazuri vitamins, everyone else gets some Brightwell Vitamarin-m and everyone gets a little aminomega. Going to try feeding the angel some Spectrum pellets so he gets a more rounded diet too sonce hes the only not straight carnivore in the tank.
Well aside from the tiny little brittle star that hitchhiked in on a ball of chaeto at some point but not sure if that really counts since it seems to be surviving ok without any help from me. Found that when I put the chaeto balls back in the tank post undergravel delete

 

[scriptmonkey]

Welcome! That is a heck of a newbie tank! Good luck and look forward to seeing the progress.

 

[scriptmonkey]

Welcome! That is a heck of a way to enter the salty life! I wish you luck sir!

 

[gt44ever]

Migrating over to the monster build section for ongoing adventures:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/650g-dt-re-build.582586/