250 Gallon room-divider project log - Page 13

Questin · 03/29/2008, 01:26 AM

great tank and great pictures, I am glad youhave kept updates going for so long!

The Reefer91 · 03/29/2008, 07:31 AM

this is one of my favorite builds

nice work Jeff!

FB · 05/22/2008, 07:46 PM

Anything fun and exciting happen recently.

dsieber · 06/14/2008, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Reefer91
this is one of my favorite builds nice work Jeff!

--------------------^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ WHAT HE SAID!!!!

BTW your valentines day present acan is the most amazing/beautiful present I can think of. You are a lucky man...

jeffbrig · 07/16/2008, 12:01 AM

Well, it's been 1/2 of forever since I've posted in here, and for good reason. The pics I shared back in February are probably the last good pics I have of the tank. It's been locked in a downward spiral ever since, and I've been unable to pinpoint a problem or resolve it.

Most of our fish have died or disappeared over the last couple of months. I currently have only the Naso, the Tomini, two yellow tangs, and one of my clownfish. Losing our Achilles was particularly painful, we had him since day 1 in the tank. My clams died off one by one, and I finally lost the giant derasa recently. I've lost both of my big montipora colonies (the red cap and the Leng Sy), and most of my acros and gone or going. It's been a slow process of fading colors, obvious stress, and eventual STN. While this has gone on, I've had bouts of cyano, and an explosion of aiptasia (despite almost no feeding). We switched foods, we did water changes, we ran carbon, we monitored water parameters, nothing seemed to matter.

All of this has been extremely stressful and frustrating. Right now I'm debating whether I want to drain the system and start over fresh, or just empty it and take a break from the hobby.

Hop · 07/16/2008, 12:26 AM

Sorry to hear that Jeff! I hope you can get the problem figured. It almost sounds like a contaminant is getting or has got into the system...

IridescentLily · 07/16/2008, 01:01 AM

Aww, I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine.
Your documenting it all is so invaluable though, please know that. Very important thread for newcomers and others. Thank you for doing all of that additional work.
It has to be just awful feeling for you, and again, I'm so sorry. :-(

deeznuts · 07/16/2008, 01:11 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jeffbrig
[B]Well, honestly, I thought interest had waned a bit since the tank was pretty well established. I've been posting here and there, and in my local club forum, but had kind of let this thread fall by the wayside. Just spotted it while scanning the main forum.

Here's a picture I took last weekend after re-arranging a lot of the coral:

Most of the tangs

And our newest additions include a handful of midas blennies. They're very cute fish, they always seem to be smiling.

You have a beautiful tank!

This is the first time saw it, could you please tell me what kind of lighting you are using? (bulbs,reflectors etc)

Thanks

jeffbrig · 07/16/2008, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hop
It almost sounds like a contaminant is getting or has got into the system...

We've been thinking the same thing, Hop. Unfortunately, the only solution I can come up with is draining the tank, chucking the rock, and starting over. At this point in time, that doesn't sound like fun to me, which is the primary reason why I'm leaning towards taking a break. When something has sucked the fun out of the hobby, it's time to find something else to do!

deeznuts, in my photos the tank is typically lit with 4 T5 bulbs - 2 aquablue and 2 blue+. They're on icecap ballasts with single lens reflectors. I also have 250w Phoenix 14k MHs that come on for a few hours a day, but I rarely take photos when they're on.

FB · 07/16/2008, 10:02 AM

So sorry to hear that. Keep working at it. You have got to get back on the horse no matter how painful the fall.

Of course I have not gone through what you are going through so it's easy for me to say.

Send a sample of water into Lab Aquatics you might find something you were not expecting and then you will/may have your answer.

FB

matt & pam · 07/16/2008, 04:17 PM

Do you have grounding probes in your tank?

jeffbrig · 07/16/2008, 04:56 PM

I have tested with a grounding probe as well as a voltmeter, there is no stray voltage present.

Berkeleyaquaman · 07/16/2008, 05:26 PM

sorry for being late on the scene, but:
what kind of water are you using?
salt mix or ocean water?

matt & pam · 07/16/2008, 07:28 PM

Do you currently still have cyano?

jeffbrig · 07/17/2008, 08:21 AM

Berkeley, I've been using salt mixes. IO initially, then switched to Reef Crystals almost 2 years ago.

matt&pam, there is still a little cyano, but not as much as there had been previously.

Berkeleyaquaman · 07/17/2008, 08:52 AM

Can you get purified sea water?
I personally don't trust the consistancy of any of the major salt mixe brands. And if you are using a mix do you start with RO/DI?
I use purified sea water in my tanks at home and he ones that I maintain. (500gal/week)

K' Family Reef · 07/17/2008, 09:37 AM

thats really strange
there has to be a reason - so many people keeping reeftanks - dont know that this is something that is very common... i would want to get to the bottom of it... might try switching everything up... salt/additives etc...

???

please keep the thread posted
bec i am sure there are many people concerned/interested in knowing what the problem might be... then a possible solution.

your system is an inspiration to a lot of people
and one the nicest set-ups i have seen!

good luck w/ it.

regards

jeffbrig · 07/21/2008, 02:03 PM

Well, it's official. We've decided to take down the tank. Ultimately the time/effort/cost it would take to clean out the tank and get it back to where we want isn't something we're ready to tackle right now.

We started selling off our remaining livestock and some unused equipment over the weekend. We're going to part out the major equipment, and sell the tank/stand/canopy/sump as one unit. If anybody is in the market for a high-end tank/stand combo, let me know.

I have no doubt we'll be back eventually, and we'll take what we learned from this system and build something even better. It'll need to be a system with more automation, simplified maintenance (water changes at the flip of a switch), and a layout that allows me to keep quarantine tanks in the same room and have a growout tank plumbed into the main system (can you say tankroom?). But, we don't have the house for that, so for the time being we're going to take a break.

FB · 07/21/2008, 02:20 PM

To bad, are you going to keep a smaller tank going.

guntercb · 07/31/2008, 06:46 AM

JeffBrig,

Sorry to hear of you tank loss and that you are taking it down. Your tank was one I always envied. Good luck.

Cheers,
Chris

jeffbrig · 08/03/2008, 09:24 AM

Thanks for all the kind thoughts. If anyone is interested in the setup, its up for sale at:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1441122

jmarko · 01/11/2009, 07:47 PM

Hello everyone, This tank lives on. If you would like to follow along please check it out here : http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...2#post14133652

to Jeff and Christy : thanks again for all the help and the great deal. please check out the post if you have a chance. I could not be happier with my purchase if you ever need a reference let me know. Or if you need any help with your AV gear.

It took me a little longer to get this put together but now its started. Anyways Thanks again and Peace

03/29/2008, 07:31 AM	#302
The Reefer91 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,250	this is one of my favorite builds nice work Jeff! __________________ Dan "Every day we fade little by little, 'till there's nothing left of us but the lies we've sown." Current Tank Info: 20g L display: 2x65watt Coralife light, Octopus 150 needle wheel protein skimmer, 1 Koralia 2 and 2 powersweeps, and a DIY sump/fuge.....120G in the works!!!

07/16/2008, 12:01 AM	#305
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	Well, it's been 1/2 of forever since I've posted in here, and for good reason. The pics I shared back in February are probably the last good pics I have of the tank. It's been locked in a downward spiral ever since, and I've been unable to pinpoint a problem or resolve it. Most of our fish have died or disappeared over the last couple of months. I currently have only the Naso, the Tomini, two yellow tangs, and one of my clownfish. Losing our Achilles was particularly painful, we had him since day 1 in the tank. My clams died off one by one, and I finally lost the giant derasa recently. I've lost both of my big montipora colonies (the red cap and the Leng Sy), and most of my acros and gone or going. It's been a slow process of fading colors, obvious stress, and eventual STN. While this has gone on, I've had bouts of cyano, and an explosion of aiptasia (despite almost no feeding). We switched foods, we did water changes, we ran carbon, we monitored water parameters, nothing seemed to matter. All of this has been extremely stressful and frustrating. Right now I'm debating whether I want to drain the system and start over fresh, or just empty it and take a break from the hobby. __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider

07/16/2008, 12:26 AM	#306
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	Sorry to hear that Jeff! I hope you can get the problem figured. It almost sounds like a contaminant is getting or has got into the system... __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

07/16/2008, 01:01 AM	#307
IridescentLily Editor-Reefkeeping mag Join Date: May 2008 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 3,858 Blog Entries: 5	Aww, I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine. Your documenting it all is so invaluable though, please know that. Very important thread for newcomers and others. Thank you for doing all of that additional work. It has to be just awful feeling for you, and again, I'm so sorry. :-( __________________ ~April Editor-Reefkeeping Magazine

07/16/2008, 04:56 PM	#312
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	I have tested with a grounding probe as well as a voltmeter, there is no stray voltage present. __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider

03/29/2008, 01:26 AM	#301
Questin Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 784	great tank and great pictures, I am glad youhave kept updates going for so long!

05/22/2008, 07:46 PM	#303
FB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Georgetown, ON Posts: 1,305	Anything fun and exciting happen recently.

07/16/2008, 01:11 AM	#308
deeznuts Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Israel Posts: 153	[QUOTE]Originally posted by jeffbrig [B]Well, honestly, I thought interest had waned a bit since the tank was pretty well established. I've been posting here and there, and in my local club forum, but had kind of let this thread fall by the wayside. Just spotted it while scanning the main forum. Here's a picture I took last weekend after re-arranging a lot of the coral: Most of the tangs And our newest additions include a handful of midas blennies. They're very cute fish, they always seem to be smiling. You have a beautiful tank! This is the first time saw it, could you please tell me what kind of lighting you are using? (bulbs,reflectors etc) Thanks

07/16/2008, 10:02 AM	#310
FB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Georgetown, ON Posts: 1,305	So sorry to hear that. Keep working at it. You have got to get back on the horse no matter how painful the fall. Of course I have not gone through what you are going through so it's easy for me to say. Send a sample of water into Lab Aquatics you might find something you were not expecting and then you will/may have your answer. FB

07/16/2008, 04:17 PM	#311
matt & pam Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 335	Do you have grounding probes in your tank?

07/16/2008, 05:26 PM	#313
Berkeleyaquaman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kensington CA Posts: 406	sorry for being late on the scene, but: what kind of water are you using? salt mix or ocean water?

07/16/2008, 07:28 PM	#314
matt & pam Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 335	Do you currently still have cyano?

07/17/2008, 08:21 AM	#315
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	Berkeley, I've been using salt mixes. IO initially, then switched to Reef Crystals almost 2 years ago. matt&pam, there is still a little cyano, but not as much as there had been previously. __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider

07/17/2008, 08:52 AM	#316
Berkeleyaquaman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kensington CA Posts: 406	Can you get purified sea water? I personally don't trust the consistancy of any of the major salt mixe brands. And if you are using a mix do you start with RO/DI? I use purified sea water in my tanks at home and he ones that I maintain. (500gal/week)

07/17/2008, 09:37 AM	#317
K' Family Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,966	thats really strange there has to be a reason - so many people keeping reeftanks - dont know that this is something that is very common... i would want to get to the bottom of it... might try switching everything up... salt/additives etc... ??? please keep the thread posted bec i am sure there are many people concerned/interested in knowing what the problem might be... then a possible solution. your system is an inspiration to a lot of people and one the nicest set-ups i have seen! good luck w/ it. regards

07/21/2008, 02:03 PM	#318
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	Well, it's official. We've decided to take down the tank. Ultimately the time/effort/cost it would take to clean out the tank and get it back to where we want isn't something we're ready to tackle right now. We started selling off our remaining livestock and some unused equipment over the weekend. We're going to part out the major equipment, and sell the tank/stand/canopy/sump as one unit. If anybody is in the market for a high-end tank/stand combo, let me know. I have no doubt we'll be back eventually, and we'll take what we learned from this system and build something even better. It'll need to be a system with more automation, simplified maintenance (water changes at the flip of a switch), and a layout that allows me to keep quarantine tanks in the same room and have a growout tank plumbed into the main system (can you say tankroom?). But, we don't have the house for that, so for the time being we're going to take a break. __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider

07/21/2008, 02:20 PM	#319
FB Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Georgetown, ON Posts: 1,305	To bad, are you going to keep a smaller tank going.

07/31/2008, 06:46 AM	#320
guntercb Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 1,626	JeffBrig, Sorry to hear of you tank loss and that you are taking it down. Your tank was one I always envied. Good luck. Cheers, Chris

08/03/2008, 09:24 AM	#321
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	Thanks for all the kind thoughts. If anyone is interested in the setup, its up for sale at: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1441122 __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider

01/11/2009, 07:47 PM	#322
jmarko Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Tampa Florida Area Posts: 184	Hello everyone, This tank lives on. If you would like to follow along please check it out here : http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...2#post14133652 to Jeff and Christy : thanks again for all the help and the great deal. please check out the post if you have a chance. I could not be happier with my purchase if you ever need a reference let me know. Or if you need any help with your AV gear. It took me a little longer to get this put together but now its started. Anyways Thanks again and Peace