Tswifty's Custom 40g Rimless Build Thread

[Tswifty]

[Tswifty]

Originally posted by Western_reefer



I also have a sea hare. They are AWESOME!!!!! They get up to 12 inches if you didn't know that... lol Here is a picture of mine.
[IMG]http://i31.*******.com/atum1k.jpg[/IMG]

Nice!

Didn't know the maximum size on them, but they had some pretty large ones at the LFS where I purchased it. Thus far it seems to be nocturnal though, and I don't really see it out during the day much.

[Taqpol]

Originally posted by Tswifty

Those corals have REALLY lightened up! Are you going top start dosing amino acids soon?

[somedude]

tswifty i think i remember you posting that you were considering a 400w halide. what did you decide? i ask because i have a new tank i am setting up with similar dimensions and so i was considering the same thing.

~alex

[Tswifty]

Originally posted by Taqpol
Those corals have REALLY lightened up! Are you going top start dosing amino acids soon?

Those corals actually look pretty good IMO. They didn't photograph the best, and the ORA BoP was knocked off again the other day. So the left side is lighter/damaged a bit from where I was pressing on it when I remounted it in the rockwork.

I am seeing some lightening occurring in other corals though, so I need to get some opinions regarding the amino's. It's very odd though, because some of my corals look great, while others are beginning to make me nervous. If you look at my other thread in the SPS forum, my ORA Red Planet has really lightened up. However, I was instructed to hold off on amino's until the nuisance algae had subsided (although my gut is telling me to start). There are a few courses of action that I am considering pursuing right now, one of which is pulling macro out of the refugium. It's taken off again lately, and I think may be outcompeting the corals/bacteria for nutrients and skewing my results a bit.

You can see the ORA Red Planet's progression pictures in my bacteria dosing thread in the SPS forum:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...&pagenumber=10

Originally posted by somedude
tswifty i think i remember you posting that you were considering a 400w halide. what did you decide? i ask because i have a new tank i am setting up with similar dimensions and so i was considering the same thing.

~alex

I'm still running the 2 - 250w pendants. I've been browsing the used forum for a Lumenarc, but haven't found a deal I like yet. If there is a lighting upgrade in the near future, it will more than likely be an upgrade in pendants. Then depending on if I find SE or DE pendants... the bulbs may be changed as well.

I think a 400w Radium would be awesome over this tank though.

[Tswifty]

Added 3 Emerald Mithrax Crabs and a small Longspine Urchin to the tank today.

This is the best pic of the urchin I could get for now. Had to use the flash as it crawled into the back of the tank where it could hide rather quickly.

[jennmac415]

Originally posted by Tswifty
Nice!

Didn't know the maximum size on them, but they had some pretty large ones at the LFS where I purchased it. Thus far it seems to be nocturnal though, and I don't really see it out during the day much.

isn't that a Lettuce Nudibranch and not a sea hare???

[Tswifty]

The Sea Hare is located right below the Lettuce Nudibranch in the photo. It took me a second to locate it as well the first time I saw his picture.

[Tswifty]

Decided to move ahead with Amino Acid dosing tonight. I'm using Brightwell Aquatics CoralAmino, and am starting far below the recommended dosage. I'll be dosing 2 drops twice per week to start.

Dosages will be administered after lights out, and I also plan on feeding 1 cube of Hikari frozen rotifers on these nights as well.

[Padrino]

Sounds like a good plan TJ,
As for the coral lightening. I think i am experiencing some of this as well. i think its cause now that im dosing the MB7, it allows the light to better penetrate the water. Im thinking either my lights are too strong, i have a strong overdriven light fixture or the light is on just too long. MH are on for 8 hours a piece plus supporting 4 actinics for 12 hours. It just seems to be a few pieces of sps that are in the middle of the tank. The rest are all lower

[Tswifty]

I saw that post and would agree that the MB7 may have something to do with it... or your tank may be running on the nutrient poor side already. 8 hrs is not a very long photoperiod though. I'm running 7 hrs right now, and have considered upping it to 8 hrs many times. Also, both of my maricultured mini colonies lightened up considerably after I added them to the tank.

If you have access to a PAR meter that may help deciding if you need to raise your lights at all. However, I've seen tanks absolutely CRUSHED with light that flourish.

[jennmac415]

duh.... SORRY!!! I see it now...

[Tswifty]

[Tswifty]

I finally pulled the trigger on an item that I have been meaning to purchase for a while now. I got the shipping notice today, and it should be here Friday.

[OwNeD162]

and it is...?!?!

[kudora]

a 48x48x16 cube?

[MADtanks]

litermeter lol.... but 48X48 would be nice too

[MADtanks]

my tank is starting to grow hair algae like a mug!!! ****ing me off! bc its starting to get around my Purple monster!, i need to get a tang, and a lettuce nudi, possibly one of those sehares see if they can control it. I have no trates, but i have yet to test my phos so maybe thats where my prob is. Damn the new tank syndrome! lol

[IridescentLily]

I'm such a dork, I meant to post in this thread and instead posted on your link, on the sps forum, sorry about that.

What I didn't write was that I love your urchin. I love urchins.
And LOL at "the booger" sea hare. Poor thing.....lol.

[IridescentLily]

Okay I got the post off your other thread (sorry) and will paste it here:

I love the photos of progression.

I see the algae getting sparser and lighter in that one acan area. Or is that is where you manually removed some?

Looks like there's growth on all, except the pink one and the red planet. Those seem
to look lighter, I see what you mean.

I was going to mention siphoning it as someone mentioned here.
I know I'd read of someone who had the same types of algae and siphoned. This person used some diy tip on the end of the hose apparently making it even easier to scrape rock and/or get in tight spaces. The tip on the end was pointed, it almost looked like a plastic cap to a writing pen.
Anyway just a suggestion.

Watch your zoas and palys with the emerald crab. They are notorius in the zoa section for eating them.

Also, another suggestion I have read here, this is probably something you've already done but, do you take a powerhead and manually take it and go over your corals with
it once a week or so to loosen and loosen
debris that is in coral crevices, rock and such?

With all this going on your tank looks fab as usual
:-)

[Tswifty]

I hit a small snag today. I've been dumping 2-part into my tank like crazy lately trying to maintain my alkalinity around 8.0-8.6. Also, my pH has been running on the lower end, and is starting to drop below 8.0 at night. Basically that means it's time to replace kalk.

Anyway, the MJ 600 stirring pump has been making a nasty grinding noise for the past week or so... so I decided to pull the whole reactor out, give it a good cleaning and refill it. However, once I got the pump opened up I noticed that one of the blades on the impeller had broken off. So I need to get a replacement before I can stick the reactor back into service.

I think I'm gonna get smoked paying above retail price though, because only one LFS in reasonable driving distance carries Maxi-Jets, and their prices are pretty much ridiculous on just about everything.

[Tswifty]

Originally posted by MADtanks
my tank is starting to grow hair algae like a mug!!! ****ing me off! bc its starting to get around my Purple monster!, i need to get a tang, and a lettuce nudi, possibly one of those sehares see if they can control it. I have no trates, but i have yet to test my phos so maybe thats where my prob is. Damn the new tank syndrome! lol

That sucks... like you mentioned though, that's the fun part anytime you start with new/un-established rock. Luckily the hair algae doesn't seem to bother any of my corals other than my Zoanthids and Palythoas.

I'm not sure if the Sea Hare is making a "noticeable" impact though, because I removed so much by had. Also, it seems to burrow under the sand during the day, then only comes out to "work" at night. I did catch an Emerald Crab going nuts on some Bubble Alage last night, so hopefully that's a good sign. I spotted all 3 out in the open picking away last night after lights out.

Originally posted by IridescentLily
I'm such a dork, I meant to post in this thread and instead posted on your link, on the sps forum, sorry about that.

What I didn't write was that I love your urchin. I love urchins.
And LOL at "the booger" sea hare. Poor thing.....lol.

Thanks, I spotted it today on the back wall of the tank going after the coraline algae I can't reach behind the rockwork. Hopefully it takes a liking to some of the other algae forms though.

Originally posted by IridescentLily
Okay I got the post off your other thread (sorry) and will paste it here:

I love the photos of progression.

I see the algae getting sparser and lighter in that one acan area. Or is that is where you manually removed some?

Looks like there's growth on all, except the pink one and the red planet. Those seem
to look lighter, I see what you mean.

I was going to mention siphoning it as someone mentioned here.
I know I'd read of someone who had the same types of algae and siphoned. This person used some diy tip on the end of the hose apparently making it even easier to scrape rock and/or get in tight spaces. The tip on the end was pointed, it almost looked like a plastic cap to a writing pen.
Anyway just a suggestion.

Watch your zoas and palys with the emerald crab. They are notorius in the zoa section for eating them.

Also, another suggestion I have read here, this is probably something you've already done but, do you take a powerhead and manually take it and go over your corals with
it once a week or so to loosen and loosen
debris that is in coral crevices, rock and such?

With all this going on your tank looks fab as usual
:-)

Thanks.

Most of the algae improvement was from manual removal. The spot by the acans was the one area I had the most access too, so that reduction can be attributed mainly to me, and not any of the livestock or dosing. However, I spotted the Sea Hare over there last night, so hopefully now that I have it trimmed back... the algae crew members will keep it in check or eliminate it.

I'll have to pay attention to the Palys, although at this point they don't look great anyway because the algae is really ticking them off and growing between all the polyps.

I don't use a powerhead, but do use a turkey baster whenever I think about it, and blow in between some of the crevices where I know debris seems to get caught. Luckily there is a lot of flow in the tank, so I don't have too many problematic areas.

[Tswifty]

Originally posted by OwNeD162
and it is...?!?!

Originally posted by kudora
a 48x48x16 cube?

Originally posted by MADtanks
litermeter lol.... but 48X48 would be nice too

Shhhh! Don't go releasing my future tank plans on RC just yet! j/k

A 48" x 48" tank would be AWESOME though.

As for the new purchase... well... the box weighs 14 lbs and will be here tomorrow.

[Tswifty]

Well the LFS helped me out a little bit, and I was able to get a new MJ 600 for $22... so not too bad, but not a deal by any means.

Here is a picture of the kalk added to the freshly cleaned reactor. I added 3/4 of a container. By the time it fully settles it will probably be about half the height it currently is in the picture.

[Tswifty]

Delivery