Reefer 200XL No More: Maddie's Lagoon Transformation

[kiswanson]

Double check your reagents. I thought my nitrates were ultra low but I was actually using the wrong reagent (such a stupid mistake). It may be worth having a LFS check your water to see if they agree with the value you are getting.

 

[kiswanson]

I am having some ULN problems. My phos have been undetectable with my Hanna. I started feeding ReefRoids again, but I am curious as to Bacto-Balance I am dosing. Why is this not keeping everything in place. Should there be an adjustment in the amount dosing? and if so which way. The only difference I have made is a 1% water change every Sunday which included sucking out the same amount of gunk from the sump. I'm pretty sure this routine has caused the issue but at the same time the tank is booming.

I haven’t used bacto balance, but I use NoPoX. It looks like it is another form of carbon dosing. That could definitely decrease your phosphates. I would consider decreasing how much of that you dose in addition to some heavier feeding like you are doing. I always worry about that with NoPoX but so far my biomass and heavy feeding have kept up with the carbon dosing

 

[design.maddie]

I'll be moving this month. I have no clue what I am going to do with the larger colonies. The smaller ones I will just toss in a ziplock. Lots of scary work and heavy moving. Trying my best to plan everything out. I want to give myself 24-36 hours of available time to get everything set back up.

 

[design.maddie]

My tank crashed and lost 95% of all livestock. This was during moving homes. Some things happened that were out of my control and the tank went without electricity for 3 days without me knowing. Tossed out half the rock, the sand, broke off all the dead colonies and just stare at my dead tank. My fish are all dead, my starfish, all my colonies done. The heartache is real. I wanted to just walk away from the hobby, but I am going to carry on. I'll keep things updated as I can.

 

[kiswanson]

My tank crashed and lost 95% of all livestock. This was during moving homes. Some things happened that were out of my control and the tank went without electricity for 3 days without me knowing. Tossed out half the rock, the sand, broke off all the dead colonies and just stare at my dead tank. My fish are all dead, my starfish, all my colonies done. The heartache is real. I wanted to just walk away from the hobby, but I am going to carry on. I'll keep things updated as I can.

Ugh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry

 

[design.maddie]

Ugh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry

Yeah, harsh lessons learned. Like everything else in this hobby learning curves come swift and hard. All I can do is learn from the mistakes and move forward.

 

[design.maddie]

I have so many thoughts going through my head these last few days. What do I restock with? Should I just not focus on stocking if I plan to move again within 6-9 months? What about this build thread?

I feel like the tank build didn't fail but also isn't still going. Where do I go from here? So many questions. I am currently just letting the tank settle into it's new life. No dosing, nothing other than a skimmer and filter sock going. Pretty much treat it like a new tank. I did dose a good helping of nitrifying bacteria.

 

[design.maddie]

Quick photo of the devastation.

 

[design.maddie]

A moment of silence please.

 

[design.maddie]

What is Eye Candy called when it isn't good?

I have decided to stick with the same build thread and will continue on the story of the 200XL. I don't have much to add, I am just letting the tank settle down and gather itself. None of the corals are 100% yet. I'll talk about my future plans after the photos. Let's get to it.

My Duncans

There is a sliver of hope at the bottom

Cyphastrea is sorta finding a leg to stand on

RTN around the rim. I blow off any algae once daily

I don't even understand this coral. It lost one head

Mystic Sunset Monti, that dot in the middle is the size of my pinky finger nail (actually kinda happy about this one, grows like a weed)

My zoas are now two equal sized colonies and in about the same shape

Let's talk some thoughts on the future. My stocking list is currently set at a flasher wrasse, one of the venomous blennies and a pair of clowns. I would still like to get a hector's goby or one of the similar fish. Done, fish are selected case closed.

Corals though. Part of me wants to just see what the tank does to recover on its' own. I haven't kept and type of hammers or torches in over a decade. I was just starting to touch on the sticks. I am think that I should just carry on with what I was planning for. I will be rebuilding my dosing system.

 

[design.maddie]

 

[design.maddie]

I shot another quick video to document where the duncan currently stands. Seems to be opening up more and more every day now. I need to get some video of the Zoas, I have been surprised at how poorly they handled everything considering some of the LPS just took it like champs.

 

[design.maddie]

This coral was in a cave that wasn't really visible before the move/crash. It is not wide open in the front and I have forgot everything about it. It has some name like toxic radioactive yada yada. The thing I was to know is the scientific stuff about it. It hasn't been effected by stings and seems to be able to defend and grow even under attack from other corals. It is a slower growing coral. Any hints?

 

[design.maddie]

couple free gifts from a local reefer. Time to start building back the top layers of my reef. They are coming from a tank with about half the strength that my lights produce so I went ahead and placed the frags at the bottom and set the lights to acclimation mode starting at 25% and ramping up to 100% in 30 days (I may bump up to 50). I started dosing All-For-Reef again this week. I am restarting at 5 mL, and will be aiming for the calcium to read around 430. Before I lost everything I was dosing 22.5mL and was locked in at 435. I have really been thinking hard on fish selection. I just don't know what route to go. I have way too many pods not to have a hunter.

 

[design.maddie]

Forgot to check the Calcium as a reference. Today it is at 400 on the dot.

 

[design.maddie]

And now there are three. I think the monti in the middle will be going towards the back of the rockwork. It is so bright it will shine through. I am thinking that the tort on the right should go on the Tunze wall rock, but I was warned that it didn't like lots of light. As for the one of the left, I have no clue what it is. I saw it as a full colony in a LFS and just had to have a piece.

 

[design.maddie]

I am really enjoying this one coloring up.

 

[design.maddie]

Here is an updated shot of the Zoas in the front right corner of the tank. Bouncing back nicely.

 

[design.maddie]

 

[design.maddie]

I ran an Alk test today. I was giving the dosing to settle on a number. came back at 10.4, That is HIGH for me. I really prefer to be close to 9.6-9.8. This was mid day, I'll will run another test later tonight and again in the morning. See what is if any swinging going on. The Rufegium is kick'n butt.

Here is an updated photo of that Mystic Sunset Montipora colony slowly coming back.