Raeges 75 gallon Adventure

[Raege]

Tank parameters
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 30 water change tomorrow
Phosphates .04 must be higher with algae still fighting me upped GFO
DKH 8.5
Salinity 1.025
PH 8.2
Cyano fading away bubble algae is not spreading but hanging tough. My mag and calcium are at a good range but could stand to raise mag level to help with algae.
Also giving Vibrant a try to help out as wife and I get better at a feeding regimen.
Corals are back in tank and looking better after my salinity issue that’s now resolved with the icecap auto working awesome!

 

[Raege]

I was inspired by @NY_Caveman and his daughters great videos to try my own. I fear my skills pale in comparison at the moment but hopefully will improve.
.I may have to hire his daughters to give me some pointers

 

[NY_Caveman]

I was inspired by @NY_Caveman and his daughters great videos to try my own. I fear my skills pale in comparison at the moment but hopefully will improve.
.I may have to hire his daughters to give me some pointers

Nice video! I agree with your wife, the Maroon moving sand around is pretty funny.

 

[Raege]

Its amazing to me how much sand that clown has moved. Its been pretty amazing watching the anemone find its happy spot moving from top of rock then in and out of cave. My wife is convinced the clown is coaxing anemone out where he wants it by clearing a path.
Unreal being able to peek into another world from comfort of the couch.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Its amazing to me how much sand that clown has moved. Its been pretty cool wstching the anemone find its happy spot moving from top of rock then in and out of cave. My wife is convinced the clown is coaxing anemone out where he wants it by clearing a path.
Amazing being able to peek into another world from comfort of the couch.

Maybe your clown thinks he is a Goby.

 

[Raege]

Maybe your clown thinks he is a Goby.

Lol now that’s all I need a clown with an identity crisis

 

[NY_Caveman]

Lol now that’s all I need a clown with an identity crisis

Ha ha ha ha!

 

[Raege]

A quick fts shot. Interesting day today. Started with a water test that was showing nitrites again. I checked what was left of my mixed salt before it went into my sons 32 cube for his water change and it was reading nitrites as well. Searched for an expiry date on the Sera test kit nada. Ran over to LFS and no nitrites which was better than wondering about my RODI salt etc.
So started off a little concerned and ticked that a 3 month old kit expired on me to a mini heart attack as after I took the FTS I saw go thru my moved for optimum flow powerhead my coral banded shrimp. Pieces where churned all over the tank. It sure got me moving off the couch in a hurry happily it was just his molt dislodged by my newly changed placement of the power heads. At leas5 I know I improved the flow patterns lol.
Another fun watch was our blood shrimp going mental for brine shrimp with a touch of garlic oil. He goes nuts for garlic! Will have to get a video of him at some point.

Ps for those following along the sand pile increases from my goby disguised as a clown fish...... he’s nuts you would think it was poweheads moving that sand like that

 

[NY_Caveman]

Ps for those following along the sand pile increases from my goby disguised as a clown fish...... he’s nuts you would think it was poweheads moving that sand like that

You should get him a Pistol Shrimp, LOL!

 

[Raege]

Some eye candy
What’s left of banded shrimp molt

Blood shrimp lovin that garlic

 

[Raege]

Corals feeling good

 

[NY_Caveman]

Some eye candy
What’s left of banded shrimp molt

Blood shrimp lovin that garlic

Mmm... garlic. Something your shrimp and I can agree on.

 

[Raege]

Times have changed.......Back in the day the wife and I might b3 a little slow on a Sunday morning from being out carousing but today it’s from a coral sale

 

[NY_Caveman]

Times have changed.......Back in the day the wife and I might b3 a little slow on a Sunday morning from being out carousing but today it’s from a coral sale

Nice haul!

 

[Raege]

Nice haul!

Thanks.
Was an experience doing the online sale. Not sure if I would do it again or not lot of time invested and clicking like a fool but great deals for sure.

 

[Raege]

It’s been a while since I posted here and now I find myself posting how I screwed up. I had hoped to be posting pics of my new corals which a week ago were looking fantastic.
5 days ago I found my ATO had quit. Went to do weekly fill and saw sump was loooooow. Almost to the point of sucking air into return pump. I worked on ATO and was able to get it to reset and slowly brought my salinity back down to 1.025 from 1.028. I got so wrapped up didn’t do my regular testing DOH lazy stupid mistake.
I did my testing once I noticed some corals retracting and anemone moving back to its cave from its happy spot. I found the alkalinity DKH dropped a lot....8.6 to 5.4 and ph from 8.4 to just under 7.
I’ve been making slow additions to bring things back to normal and hopefully I’m not to late to make everyone happy again.
Another hard lesson don’t get distracted and maintain a testing regimen if you notice something off test test test. It would be better to buy extra test reagents testing to much than deal with making correction.

If anyone’s following this thread I hope it inspires a newbie like me to avoid th3 same mistake(s) ive made.
Hopefully things bounce back and I can get some eye candy shots soon.

 

[Raege]

Well over past 60 or so hours got tank parameters back in check almost. I probably should have brought em back in-line slower hopefully the tank won5 pay the price and corals will recover. I for sure ticked off the anemone but it seems to b3 coming back nicely it just started hunting for a new home but is out and coming around. Blood shrimp is dancing and eating well and fish all seem good. I hope the anemin3 settles in maroon clown is dusting up the tank moving sand following the LTA around.
Here’s where tank stands this evening. A water change tomorrow about 20% is on tap.
Any tips tricks suggestions for best way to maintain alkalinity appreciated.
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 40
DKH 8.6
Ph 8.4
Phosphates .04
Calcium 550
Magnesium 1400

 

[Raege]

Hi all it’s been a rough couple weeks with the tank in recovery.I raised all to fast and w3 lost a few corals

Not sure on any connection to the parameter changes but Blondie McGee our yellow tang got hostile with Foxface 2 and I couldn’t save him. By the time we saw aggression and moved him to qt he was to far gone.
We also lost our blood red shrimp unknown cause he molted and next day found him dead.
I have been playing with flow patterns so anemone is not thrilled and been trying different location but is looking healthy.
Survivors of alk/dkh drop
Yellow Tang
Blue Devil Damsel
Maroon Clown
Fire fish
Coral Banded Shrimp
Here’s a few pics

 

[Raege]

Today man zero Blue Damsel 1...... rehoming our little blue devil He wont play well in the salt box but he is still smarter than me and he remains at large.
I have been playing with flow and almost have it but thought a Little Rock rearranging was in order, that and I was trying to capture the damsel. At least I did get some rearranging done. Still going to move some rock on the left and try to open center up.
Pics below albeit night shots.
Parameters after my alk ph crash are looking good and I have had to start dosing alk and calcium as water changes aren’t cutting it weekly anymore which I take as a good sign for the corals which have been bouncing back nicely.

 

[Raege]