Rimless 120g TSVBI Dream Build

[siliconinja]

Originally Posted by JonezNReef

Well that sucks... never heard of a APEX resetting its self. Are you going to remove all fish from the DT and let it go fallow for 3 months. I had to do that one time when I accidentally introduced ich to my DT too.

The reset happened two or three times before, but I caught it right away and they happened a few days apart. Then I did an update, when it happened after the update I reached out to support. They advised me to update the boot loader, which fixed it until this most recent time.

Since my last post, the system has reset its configuration 6-8 times... my apex is basically trash and needs to be sent in.

I caught my powder brown same day and gave him a freshwater dip, he's looking good and happy. If I see any ich re-appear I'm going fallow.

Neptune got the better of me, I just ordered a new model apex and some aquabus cables. When I did the initial hookup, I used amazon USB cables, not sure if that had anything to do with my apex failing but I want to eliminate any potential issues. I also want all those probes: temp, ph, orp, and salinity

I'm going to send my head unit into apex for a factory wipe and reset, then if it works well I'll trade my apex classic setup to a friend for a bunch of coral & some cash.


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[siliconinja]

Welp, going fallow for 10 weeks. Treating with copper in the QT.

I'll be stocking the display with coral in the meantime


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[JonezNReef]

Sorry to hear that. I've been there before too and it sucks but is well worth knowing your fish aren't living with ick or other illness.

[siliconinja]

Originally Posted by JonezNReef

Sorry to hear that. I've been there before too and it sucks but is well worth knowing your fish aren't living with ick or other illness.

It was my own fault, as much as you plan and try and follow your plan in this hobby... impatience / impulse / inaction always will catch up to you.

In my stocking list I always wanted a naso, but the powder brown got me because he was a beautiful specimen and in stock. I initially picked the naso because it's hardier and not an "ich magnet" like the powder tangs.

Regardless, my inaction in dealing with the apex issue was the ultimate culprit. I should have followed up at the first sign of failure, or at least created a backup plan. But I didn't. And by the time it was resetting nearly every hour, I didn't have another way to run my primary heaters.

As with everything in this hobby, it's a learning experience. My clowns are in a 10g hospital tank, transferred them over with display tank water, set them up with a nice heater and a sponge filter, and started cupramine regimen. They're looking happy and already playing around.

Trying to give the powder more space and solitude in the 29g, he's too far gone to freshwater dip again. Fingers crossed 🤞

Can't seem to find the royal gramma, I hope he didn't pass away under a rock structure. He was quite elusive to begin with, will do a more detailed search tomorrow in the am.

Fallow for 10 weeks it is. I'll be on the lookout for corals to keep me satiated


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[siliconinja]

While fallow...













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[JonezNReef]

Stand looks nice. I love the dark stain... looks similar to the color of the wall with my tank in it I planked with stained pallet boards.

[siliconinja]

Thanks JoneZ!

Super happy with the tank right now. I got my DOS hooked up and calibrated, doing 1.7g a day ~12g a week on continuous water change. Moving the water between 1am and 3am, leaving the ATO off at this time. Removing water from the main sump section, and returning into the return pump chamber.

I've started to drop Kalk to maintain Alk and elevate the pH, was right at 7.8 and have it up closer to 8.1 now.

Currently dripping kalk from a 5g bucket right by the tank, will be moving it to the back room soon and adding a Neptune solenoid to turn the drip on and off to correspond with water change times, as well as pH.

I was initially dripping into the return chamber but noticed that it was forming a cloud at the top of the chamber, so I've started to drip into the faster moving area of the sump. May move this back after I connect the cheato reactor.

Also, I've decided to use my other reactor for cheato instead of GFO, and have ordered the LED lights and power supply to be connected this week. I'll be pushing the water from the main chamber of the sump, through the reactor, and returning to the return pump chamber like a fuge

Added my first SPS piece, getting great PE just a few days in.



Phosphates and Nitrates testing at 0, alk at 11.5. Working on testing a full panel at least weekly from here out.


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[BANANAHANDS]

Any updates?

[siliconinja]

Originally Posted by BANANAHANDS

Any updates?

Hey Bananna, thanks for asking! I've been adding a piece of coral about every week or so. Here are some pics:



















I've been dripping kalk but recently picked up another DOS. I've been using the original DOS I had to do automatic water changes, about 1.2g a day. I take the changed out water from the display and manually do a water change on the QT about daily.

In the QT I have the two clownfish from before the ich disaster, well recovered after 6 weeks medicated with copper in the 10g hospital tank. I picked up a majestic fox face about 3 weeks ago and this week a nice purple tang, getting ready to restock the display at the end of the month. Doing frequent water changes, feeding well, and running prazi for another week or so.

I stopped using a skimmer on the display about 4-5 weeks ago, mainly because I took it out for routine cleaning and became distracted for almost a week, leaving it out of the tank. Rather than noticing any negative effects, I actually noticed positive effects on coral health. I'll likely add it back in, but it lead me down a rabbit hole of rethinking what's in the sump.

I was already considering not using my other reactor, and instead of adding a reactor just for cheato. Then I started to rethink the bioreactor, and whether or not it was actually accomplishing much. Around the same time I also started researching the triton method, and watched the BRS series on Cheato's effectiveness. At this point I'm thinking of possibly pulling the BioReactor from the sump, and adding in a Kessil H350 Magenta to rely solely on a Refugium with a variety of macroalgae and a little more live rock. I could run carbon Reactor, possibly a phosphate reduction reactor if necessary, but try and keep the system as simple as possible.

I was also thinking of reaching out to BashSea and requesting a fuge insert so I could also run the protein skimmer, feeding the output to the fuge insert. I could remove the filtersocks and run the reactors on top of that section of the sump.

It's tough to explain in words, still thinking through it. If I actually execute it, I'll definitely post pictures. But I want something simple, natural, and I'm not sure the BioReactor is doing much. Also my pH is low, around 7.8-7.9 and kalk was mainly maintaining that. I'm thinking dose triton base with the two DOS units, run a huge fuge and skip all the other equipment unless necessary.


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[siliconinja]

Torch found a new mounting spot

[siliconinja]

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[siliconinja]

Quick little fts




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[siliconinja]

It’s been a while since my last update. I did a fun project this weekend to make my husbandry a bit easier: a water gun

My mixing station is about 30’ away from the tank, and I was tired of doing 5g buckets across my basement. About 2 hours, and I had this cool little toy done. I already had a ball valve above my pump on the water station, so I added in a T and another valve with a barb fitting. Then made a gun that is a little more form than necessary for the function, but i think it looks cool.

This makes it easy to pump saltwater or rodi to my display, sump, quarantine tank, or ato container. No more splashing around, lifting buckets, or accidental spills! (I hope)
















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[Zoahoarder]

Wow!!! Love your aquascape looks great. This is a really nice set up. I need to figure out how to do the same thing with the water change.

[Waterobert]

Very nice set up!!! If I only had extra room in my home....