Alex's 8x3x2' Australian Reef Build (340gal) - Page 3

Peckoltia · 11/04/2018, 07:53 PM

Few things have been done.

Drilled another hole in the wall and now all the cords from the lights feed through the wall into the garage. Much easier and neater.

Sand is in - used Carib Sea - 'Special Grade' mixture of live sand and dry.

First fish are out of quarantine and into the display - 2x Oscellaris Clowns, 1x Blue Sided Fairy Wrasse (male), 1x Bengaii Cardinal (other one got beat to death in QT - both males once fattened up), 1x Powder Blue Tang and 1x Orange Shoulder Tang.

Everything is going really well, fish are happy and healthy. First corals should go in, in the next week or so and need to fill the Qt with the next round of fish.

Peckoltia · 11/19/2018, 12:55 AM

First corals are in - an assortment of about 10 Acropora frags a couple of montipora and a Favia.

Everything seems to be going well so far - polyps are out and waving in the current.

Peckoltia · 12/19/2018, 07:42 PM

Just an update. Tanks been running for about 3 months now - seeing some amazing growth out of a lot of my SPS coral, and couldn't be happier with how the tank is tracking. I know a lot of people say not to add SPS for a year or until the tank is 'established' but everything I've added SPS wise has gone from strength to strength maintaining or getting better colour and some really great growth and PE.

I've dialed in my Calcium reactor nicely and my parameters have been super stable from the very start. Testing Alk every second day and Mag and Calc' weekly.

Alk 9.0
Calc 475
Mag 1500
Temp 24.9-25.3C
Nitrate: <5
Phosphate: I have never tested phosphate once. I have a test kit sitting there and should get around to testing it.

Chaeto/Algae reactor is growing really well. Harvest the Chaeto monthly.

Only hiccup I've had so far was had a very minor Dinoflagellate bloom that lasted all of 4 days. Only thing it affected was my Favia which is killed. I have since found (after drying) that this coral was 'infested' with gall crabs. Which makes sense as where the coral was initially hit by the dino's was the back side where about half a dozen gall crabs had made their home. I will be removing any gall crabs I find from now on.

McPuff · 12/20/2018, 10:27 AM

Wow, it's looking great! Blonde naso looks like a male with streamers starting.

Peckoltia · 12/20/2018, 08:04 PM

McPuff - thanks. There are 30 + corals in the tank, but started with mostly frags. Still plenty more corals to go but am looking forward to them growing out and seeing the tank fill out a bit.

Yep, agree the Naso looks to be a young male. I held out until I found one that looked to be a male as I'm a big fan of the streamers in big boys.

jestronix · 01/09/2019, 05:06 AM

Great to see how it grows it long term. Great looking tank.

marzvt · 01/09/2019, 06:46 PM

Great looking setup. Those lights are interesting. I may have missed it but do you know what pars you are running?

bckey · 02/22/2019, 09:25 PM

How are you liking those Illumagic Blaze X's? Great looking setup.

11/04/2018, 07:53 PM	#51
Peckoltia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 60	Few things have been done. Drilled another hole in the wall and now all the cords from the lights feed through the wall into the garage. Much easier and neater. Sand is in - used Carib Sea - 'Special Grade' mixture of live sand and dry. First fish are out of quarantine and into the display - 2x Oscellaris Clowns, 1x Blue Sided Fairy Wrasse (male), 1x Bengaii Cardinal (other one got beat to death in QT - both males once fattened up), 1x Powder Blue Tang and 1x Orange Shoulder Tang. Everything is going really well, fish are happy and healthy. First corals should go in, in the next week or so and need to fill the Qt with the next round of fish.

11/19/2018, 12:55 AM	#52
Peckoltia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 60	First corals are in - an assortment of about 10 Acropora frags a couple of montipora and a Favia. Everything seems to be going well so far - polyps are out and waving in the current.

12/19/2018, 07:42 PM	#53
Peckoltia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 60	Just an update. Tanks been running for about 3 months now - seeing some amazing growth out of a lot of my SPS coral, and couldn't be happier with how the tank is tracking. I know a lot of people say not to add SPS for a year or until the tank is 'established' but everything I've added SPS wise has gone from strength to strength maintaining or getting better colour and some really great growth and PE. I've dialed in my Calcium reactor nicely and my parameters have been super stable from the very start. Testing Alk every second day and Mag and Calc' weekly. Alk 9.0 Calc 475 Mag 1500 Temp 24.9-25.3C Nitrate: <5 Phosphate: I have never tested phosphate once. I have a test kit sitting there and should get around to testing it. Chaeto/Algae reactor is growing really well. Harvest the Chaeto monthly. Only hiccup I've had so far was had a very minor Dinoflagellate bloom that lasted all of 4 days. Only thing it affected was my Favia which is killed. I have since found (after drying) that this coral was 'infested' with gall crabs. Which makes sense as where the coral was initially hit by the dino's was the back side where about half a dozen gall crabs had made their home. I will be removing any gall crabs I find from now on.

12/20/2018, 10:27 AM	#54
McPuff Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,735	Wow, it's looking great! Blonde naso looks like a male with streamers starting.

12/20/2018, 08:04 PM	#55
Peckoltia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 60	McPuff - thanks. There are 30 + corals in the tank, but started with mostly frags. Still plenty more corals to go but am looking forward to them growing out and seeing the tank fill out a bit. Yep, agree the Naso looks to be a young male. I held out until I found one that looked to be a male as I'm a big fan of the streamers in big boys.

01/09/2019, 05:06 AM	#56
jestronix Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 451	Great to see how it grows it long term. Great looking tank.

01/09/2019, 06:46 PM	#57
marzvt Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Vermont Posts: 52	Great looking setup. Those lights are interesting. I may have missed it but do you know what pars you are running?

02/22/2019, 09:25 PM	#58
bckey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 75	How are you liking those Illumagic Blaze X's? Great looking setup.