Welcome to Dante's Cove!
Phew, 1.5 years already?! This is a catch up thread, love any tips. Attached are some progression shots to date. I've killed my share of corals, but things have been pretty stable the last 6 months. I beat the red and brown algae mostly!
Status: Overall stable, good nitri/nitra cycle, healthy fish, hyper-growth now - terrible bubble and aptasia, not giving up!
Beginning...
Build overview...
Tank murder...
1 yr...
Recent...
- I run no filters but have a marine block and algae refugium that I keep clean every quarter of detritus.
- I throw a carbon bag in refugium every couple days for a few hours.
- Once a week I do aminos and reef roids.
- Daily do Red sea trace add.
- Feed chunky fish/shrimp every other day.
- Flakes 2-3 times a day
- Pellets every other day 1-2 times a day
- Two drops of iodine a week
- Water changes 15 gallon every 2 weeks
- ICP test every 6 months from CO, normal ranges
- RODI water from city double de-ioninze
- Don't use Kalk anymore
- Use Red Sea Alk and Ca and Trace - use dosers hourly
- Great Coraline growth
- I don't run carbon reactor or phosphate reactor any more
- Only test PO4, Nitrate, CA, Alk, Salinity
- Skimmer runs every 6 hours for 2 hours
- 2 fans, strong flow
Fish:
- Clean up snails
- Arrow crab
- Emerald rabs
- Red Hermit crabs
- Clowns - non-stop baby factory
- Yellow Tang
- Wrasse
- Mandarin
- Lawnmower Blenny
- Goby
- Lots of pods
- Shrimp - fake peppermint, dang it
- Fire shrimp
Coral:
- Mostly SPS and lots of zoa and xenia.
- Acros - ok growth
- Digitatas - Insane growth
- Bird nests - insane growth
- Pavonas - slow
- Palys - fast
- Chalices - many problems for a year, good last 6 months
- GSPs - weed, aggressive, pretty though
- Laker's Turbinaria - Agressive
- Blueberry - aggressive
- Encrustiing montipora - aggressive
- Leptastrea
- Big Leather Toadstool - a fav - crazy growth
- Cat's paw
- Blasto - dying
- Elegance - a fav - beautiful and growing
- Bubble tips - 1 has become 3 in last 6 months
- Jason Fox Leptos - love that bright orange
I need to start fraggin and trading or need a frag tank. I'm running out of space in the 65 gallon, wish I had gone with 120!!!!!!!!! Ugggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!
Current Params:
- Red sea coral pro salt since the beginning
- Alk: 10.5
- Cal: 450
- Salinity: 34
- Mag: 1400
- Trace - always good
- PH 8.1-8.4
- Nitrate 0-2 - I need supplement, feeding more fish, adding some fish
- Phosphate - .0-.01 - I need to supplement, feeding more and dosing plankton
- Temp - 79 F
Equipment:
- Red Sea Reefer 250 v2 tank with refugium - 65g with ref
- Red Sea Stand
- Aqualife T5 Hybrid light, 4 T5s
- Kessill AP700 LED
- AI Red Ref Light
- Reef Octo skimmer 300 - Use outdoor CO2 scrubber for Skimmer air
- Apex Fan
- Vortech MP40 fac
- APEX system with salinity, orp, ph probe
- Thermometer
- Heater
- UV 18w
- COR15 Return Pump
- 2 dosers for CA and ALK
- Run Blue light bar after T5s go off in evening, great color
ISSUES:
- I am wrestling with Bubble algae and Aptasia, come to live with them, on back of rocks or wherever corals aren't. Did just get a aptasia raised file fish, some berghia and emerald crabs. Used F-Aptasia quite a bit, but I lost the battle.
- I can't keep some softies well cept for Zoas and Xenia thrive. Mushrooms die if not on rocks.
- Considering going no water changes, thoughts?
- Do I need a cal reactor now?
I have some beautiful Rasta Zoas, Digis, Birds Nests, Montipora and Bubble Tips to trade, might frag my bloomin Elegance![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Tips, thoughts?
I learned a lot on this forum and am happy to help others.
Thanks.
![IMG_4201.jpeg IMG_4201.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825459-8e28e8dc2263e6b9344ef45bf807a936.jpg)
![IMG_4211.jpeg IMG_4211.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825466-a7774ad8d6b6baa4cec85f3f680f0bca.jpg)
![IMG_4203.jpeg IMG_4203.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825453-7bde6513a6d2c444e2afc5ff6aa4d862.jpg)
![IMG_4202.jpeg IMG_4202.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825454-02f91067c8891d421c35b502bac99673.jpg)
![IMG_4204.jpeg IMG_4204.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825452-01010da0dc88b97a1d074b09b3972868.jpg)
![IMG_4207.jpeg IMG_4207.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825451-8b453bb5c9eca64d674cd486ef6542df.jpg)
![IMG_4212.jpeg IMG_4212.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825450-28bbb915374f8bf48ac32e7323975904.jpg)
![IMG_4222.jpeg IMG_4222.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825448-9513c4db49edb21fd01abc2862c67342.jpg)
![IMG_4214.jpeg IMG_4214.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825449-cfbb257cec14bc65ab6fff0a8b208971.jpg)
![2491855255550110554_IMG_0662.jpeg 2491855255550110554_IMG_0662.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825455-cb61785338ff2fe14fae132ec79b5194.jpg)
![IMG_0307.jpeg IMG_0307.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825464-82d38543b1f246d9c152e0c125757956.jpg)
![IMG_1086.jpeg IMG_1086.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825465-9309919401051046d0b8a30133467d74.jpg)
![IMG_0301.jpeg IMG_0301.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825463-4ef6db67873f3a923d3497db4357512e.jpg)
![IMG_0298.jpeg IMG_0298.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825462-3b94ca29106b4b9da236748c19446118.jpg)
![IMG_0295.jpeg IMG_0295.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825460-9a195be1f84ff55f9a55a404fecc11e6.jpg)
![25AC6EF7-D0DE-40E4-82C3-5D6FD75D0480.jpeg 25AC6EF7-D0DE-40E4-82C3-5D6FD75D0480.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825458-aa9461439347a2027246d11df591e068.jpg)
![5DCCA873-1E0A-4C68-AA7D-607C5D17CC2C.jpeg 5DCCA873-1E0A-4C68-AA7D-607C5D17CC2C.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825457-cf37a46f599362f3f1ff4970a25f5b80.jpg)
![IMG_1108.jpeg IMG_1108.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825456-d0d61c207c940590d7f5bb420ca0e77c.jpg)
![04DAA23E-2C2A-4569-936B-4251F7B868A8.jpeg 04DAA23E-2C2A-4569-936B-4251F7B868A8.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825447-d9668c42ce1a9cfcd9b46e7c14e55208.jpg)
Phew, 1.5 years already?! This is a catch up thread, love any tips. Attached are some progression shots to date. I've killed my share of corals, but things have been pretty stable the last 6 months. I beat the red and brown algae mostly!
Status: Overall stable, good nitri/nitra cycle, healthy fish, hyper-growth now - terrible bubble and aptasia, not giving up!
Beginning...
Build overview...
Tank murder...
1 yr...
Recent...
- I run no filters but have a marine block and algae refugium that I keep clean every quarter of detritus.
- I throw a carbon bag in refugium every couple days for a few hours.
- Once a week I do aminos and reef roids.
- Daily do Red sea trace add.
- Feed chunky fish/shrimp every other day.
- Flakes 2-3 times a day
- Pellets every other day 1-2 times a day
- Two drops of iodine a week
- Water changes 15 gallon every 2 weeks
- ICP test every 6 months from CO, normal ranges
- RODI water from city double de-ioninze
- Don't use Kalk anymore
- Use Red Sea Alk and Ca and Trace - use dosers hourly
- Great Coraline growth
- I don't run carbon reactor or phosphate reactor any more
- Only test PO4, Nitrate, CA, Alk, Salinity
- Skimmer runs every 6 hours for 2 hours
- 2 fans, strong flow
Fish:
- Clean up snails
- Arrow crab
- Emerald rabs
- Red Hermit crabs
- Clowns - non-stop baby factory
- Yellow Tang
- Wrasse
- Mandarin
- Lawnmower Blenny
- Goby
- Lots of pods
- Shrimp - fake peppermint, dang it
- Fire shrimp
Coral:
- Mostly SPS and lots of zoa and xenia.
- Acros - ok growth
- Digitatas - Insane growth
- Bird nests - insane growth
- Pavonas - slow
- Palys - fast
- Chalices - many problems for a year, good last 6 months
- GSPs - weed, aggressive, pretty though
- Laker's Turbinaria - Agressive
- Blueberry - aggressive
- Encrustiing montipora - aggressive
- Leptastrea
- Big Leather Toadstool - a fav - crazy growth
- Cat's paw
- Blasto - dying
- Elegance - a fav - beautiful and growing
- Bubble tips - 1 has become 3 in last 6 months
- Jason Fox Leptos - love that bright orange
I need to start fraggin and trading or need a frag tank. I'm running out of space in the 65 gallon, wish I had gone with 120!!!!!!!!! Ugggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!
Current Params:
- Red sea coral pro salt since the beginning
- Alk: 10.5
- Cal: 450
- Salinity: 34
- Mag: 1400
- Trace - always good
- PH 8.1-8.4
- Nitrate 0-2 - I need supplement, feeding more fish, adding some fish
- Phosphate - .0-.01 - I need to supplement, feeding more and dosing plankton
- Temp - 79 F
Equipment:
- Red Sea Reefer 250 v2 tank with refugium - 65g with ref
- Red Sea Stand
- Aqualife T5 Hybrid light, 4 T5s
- Kessill AP700 LED
- AI Red Ref Light
- Reef Octo skimmer 300 - Use outdoor CO2 scrubber for Skimmer air
- Apex Fan
- Vortech MP40 fac
- APEX system with salinity, orp, ph probe
- Thermometer
- Heater
- UV 18w
- COR15 Return Pump
- 2 dosers for CA and ALK
- Run Blue light bar after T5s go off in evening, great color
ISSUES:
- I am wrestling with Bubble algae and Aptasia, come to live with them, on back of rocks or wherever corals aren't. Did just get a aptasia raised file fish, some berghia and emerald crabs. Used F-Aptasia quite a bit, but I lost the battle.
- I can't keep some softies well cept for Zoas and Xenia thrive. Mushrooms die if not on rocks.
- Considering going no water changes, thoughts?
- Do I need a cal reactor now?
I have some beautiful Rasta Zoas, Digis, Birds Nests, Montipora and Bubble Tips to trade, might frag my bloomin Elegance
Tips, thoughts?
I learned a lot on this forum and am happy to help others.
Thanks.
![IMG_4201.jpeg IMG_4201.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825459-8e28e8dc2263e6b9344ef45bf807a936.jpg)
![IMG_4211.jpeg IMG_4211.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825466-a7774ad8d6b6baa4cec85f3f680f0bca.jpg)
![IMG_4203.jpeg IMG_4203.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825453-7bde6513a6d2c444e2afc5ff6aa4d862.jpg)
![IMG_4202.jpeg IMG_4202.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825454-02f91067c8891d421c35b502bac99673.jpg)
![IMG_4204.jpeg IMG_4204.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825452-01010da0dc88b97a1d074b09b3972868.jpg)
![IMG_4207.jpeg IMG_4207.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825451-8b453bb5c9eca64d674cd486ef6542df.jpg)
![IMG_4212.jpeg IMG_4212.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825450-28bbb915374f8bf48ac32e7323975904.jpg)
![IMG_4222.jpeg IMG_4222.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825448-9513c4db49edb21fd01abc2862c67342.jpg)
![IMG_4214.jpeg IMG_4214.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825449-cfbb257cec14bc65ab6fff0a8b208971.jpg)
![2491855255550110554_IMG_0662.jpeg 2491855255550110554_IMG_0662.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825455-cb61785338ff2fe14fae132ec79b5194.jpg)
![IMG_0307.jpeg IMG_0307.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825464-82d38543b1f246d9c152e0c125757956.jpg)
![IMG_1086.jpeg IMG_1086.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825465-9309919401051046d0b8a30133467d74.jpg)
![IMG_0301.jpeg IMG_0301.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825463-4ef6db67873f3a923d3497db4357512e.jpg)
![IMG_0298.jpeg IMG_0298.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825462-3b94ca29106b4b9da236748c19446118.jpg)
![IMG_0295.jpeg IMG_0295.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825460-9a195be1f84ff55f9a55a404fecc11e6.jpg)
![25AC6EF7-D0DE-40E4-82C3-5D6FD75D0480.jpeg 25AC6EF7-D0DE-40E4-82C3-5D6FD75D0480.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825458-aa9461439347a2027246d11df591e068.jpg)
![5DCCA873-1E0A-4C68-AA7D-607C5D17CC2C.jpeg 5DCCA873-1E0A-4C68-AA7D-607C5D17CC2C.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825457-cf37a46f599362f3f1ff4970a25f5b80.jpg)
![IMG_1108.jpeg IMG_1108.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825456-d0d61c207c940590d7f5bb420ca0e77c.jpg)
![04DAA23E-2C2A-4569-936B-4251F7B868A8.jpeg 04DAA23E-2C2A-4569-936B-4251F7B868A8.jpeg](https://test.reef2reef.com/data/attachments/1825/1825447-d9668c42ce1a9cfcd9b46e7c14e55208.jpg)
Last edited: