Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[jason2459]

I thought the frogspawn was gone but I see heads regrowing. So, I've been playing with the flow of the 6105s and settings for the 7096 controller. I think I have it set now so it doesn't blow it away again I hope. We'll see.

[jason2459]

I picked up a galaxia frag today. Probably about 1.5 inches. I'm thinking about getting a elegance but need to research them a bit more and get it from divers den as they are supposed to be collected from a hardier location.

I also finally got around to making a permanent stand for my Skimmer. I found a height it likes to be in. About 6.5 inches of water. Which I think is coralvues recommended height too.

Pretty simple to make. Just some 1" PVC, zip ties, and egg crate

[jason2459]

Picked up a nice looking bubble coral today and I hope I can keep it alive and not tear it apart. It seems to delicate. I put in on the bottom of the tank in the middle of the right side rock work I built up with the pukani rock.



Here's the galaxia

[mjhall85]

Originally Posted by jason2459

Picked up a nice looking bubble corals and I hope I can keep it alive and not tear it apart. It seems to delicate. I put in on the bottom of the tank in the middle of the right side rock work I built up with the pukani rock.



Here's the galaxia

Looking great! soon enough the tank will be full or great corals!

[jason2459]

Thanks. I think it will be a while before its full. Especially since I'm getting little frags. I'm look forward to getting another reefbrite strip in about a month and then add a Maxima clam. I have a spot waiting for one.

[mjhall85]

Originally Posted by jason2459

Thanks. I think it will be a while before its full. Especially since I'm getting little frags. I'm look forward to getting another reefbrite strip in about a month and then add a Maxima clam. I have a spot waiting for one.

I bought a couple small frags the other week and its amazing how quick things grow in our tanks with proper lighting and parameters

[jason2459]

Can't wait for the bubble coral to get bigger then. I ended up having to move it as the big pass through cave entrance seemed to have to much flow and it shriveled up pretty good. I moved it way over to the other side of the tank almost under a power head but seemed to have the least amount of flow there. Today it really opened up and so cool looking.

[jason2459]

On my 20g I was about to do a water change last night and I grabbed this picture. The film on top that builds up between water changes kind of made an interesting surrealistic look with the pulsing xenia.



I actually like the film building up on top as opposed to getting it mixed back in the water by pointing up a powerhead. It allows me to skim it out with the water changes since I don't have a protein skimmer this seems to work out really well. In fact this is my only method of filtration now. I don't run carbon or any pads anymore in the subcurrent though I still have it running for circulation. 1 Gallon water changes once a week seems fine and I wonder if it is because of allowing the film stay on the surface and skimming it out. The xenia and zoas seem to be growing and doing good so if it's not broke I'm not going to try and fix it.

[jason2459]

I just love this bubble coral and has quickly become one of my favorites. I never realized just how beautiful they can be. I certainly can't get a picture to really show all the designs and colors and look that I can see.








Giving my blasto some camera time. I have about 5 new heads starting up. More growth then I've ever had with it. They are tiny right now and can't wait for them to fill in.

[jason2459]

I think I'm ready for some pod eating fish. I have them crawling everywhere. I really believe it's the RUGF at work. That is a pod breading factory! I'm so glad I decided to keep it setup down in the sump.

[jason2459]

I read that you should give the galaxia plenty of distance because of sweeper tentacles and that is very true. This thing is only an inch and easily can reach out well over 3x it's size.

[jason2459]

I picked up a few frags from a pet store closing up shop but they were really cleaned up by the time I got there. What was left was a few frags and most didn't look to good but they were just a couple bucks a peice.

Terrible pictures but here they are :

Some kind of acro on it's last leg and probably wont survive


a candycane/trumpet coral





Encrusting Montipora

[jason2459]

Everyone's doing great so far except the one acro still looks like it's on deaths door. I just added this beautiful pink/orange? tube anemone. It's not very colorful during regular hours with all the lights on. But when just the blues are on for sunrise and dusk hours it is GORGEOUS!! It turns this electric neon pink and super bright. I wish my camera wouldn't pick up all the blues because I can not get a good picture of the brightness or coloration of it. The tentacles are super sticky and it eats everything that floats into them.







I so wish I could capture the beauty of this thing with just the blue LEDs going. I fell asleep staring at it last night.

[jason2459]

I got a nice valentines day present last night. Wife got me a nice 3-4" Crocea. I also moved into the DT a few new fish! A trio of female lyretail anthias, a potters leopard wrasse, and a pair of bipartitus leopard wrasses! The leopards are a very delicate and hard to keep species. I did a little write up on my experience so far with them over in the leopard primer.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...486086&page=85

As a side note my foxface is a pig and is getting thick. At least for a foxface which I always see them as slim and slender. One of the female lyretails is starting to turn male.

For this thread some pics are due:

[jason2459]

The female starting to turn male. You can see some red starting to show in the tips of the fins.

[PaPa_Johnny]

starting to shape up nicely Jason, your foxface looks like a piggy camera hog too

[jason2459]

Thanks. I'm really happy right now with this setup. I don't remember going so long with 0 issues. I guess it could be due to me not experimenting with anything and trying new things. I've just been concentrating on stocking the tank with new inhabitants. The stocking list has sure changed along the way but I fell in love with these leopard wrasses. So I guess I can break that down again...

Current Stock list:
Fish:
Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) paired up with a Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus)
False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Starry Blenny (Salarias ramosus)
Pair Kaudern's Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni)
Sharknose Goby (Elacatinus evelynae)
Magnificent Foxface (Siganus magnificus)
Trio Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
Potter's Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon geoffroyi)
Pair Divided Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus)

Inverts:
Pair Bloodred/fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
Pair Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
Quad Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)
Crocea Clam (Tridacna crocea)
Duncan Coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
Grape Coral (Euphyllia Cristata)
Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia Divisa)
Trumpet Coral (Caulastrea curvata)
Candy cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata)
Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)
Encrusting Montipora (Montipora nodosa)

Several blue leg hermits, various snails, bunch of little feather dusters popping up everywhere, some sponges, and a ton of various pods.

I think that's it for now.

[jason2459]

Almost forgot one more invert to add to the list.

Tube anemone (Cerianthus membranaceus)

[jason2459]

After the first night the Crocea just stopped opening up. I was concerned and tried several things like adjusting flow, placement, and reducing lighting in case it needed to adjust to the LEDs. Eventually I removed the Starry eye blenny last night to see if it was the cause for the Crocea from opening up. Bingo, it's been opened up all day. That sucks as it looks like it will either be the blenny or the Clams. Unfortunately for the blenny I'm going to have to go with the clam as I would like to add a Maxima as well.

[SKurj]

I've just read this whole thread...

Its pretty good info for someone about to make that first step into an SW tank. I really like the ATO and water change setup you did, thats a bit out of my reach, but it sounds like something that can really help reduce the workload.

Thanks for the commentary!

[jason2459]

Thanks, I hope I have helped someone. Though I do a lot of this to help me keep track of things I've tried, things that worked, and things I've learned. I pretty much have kept track of everything from the start of this tank and a lot of trial and error.

[mjhall85]

I have learned quite a few things off your thread jason, good to see it thriving. I am in the midst of planning my new 673gallon tank!

[stephen77]

nice pics also learned a few things thanks

[jason2459]

Thanks a lot! It's nice to get some feedback. And wow 673 gallons would be nice. It's funny that now that I have the 180 up and running it doesn't seem that big anymore but I'm certainly not looking to upgrade anytime soon. I think my wife would kill me.

[mjhall85]

Originally Posted by jason2459

Thanks a lot! It's nice to get some feedback. And wow 673 gallons would be nice. It's funny that now that I have the 180 up and running it doesn't seem that big anymore but I'm certainly not looking to upgrade anytime soon. I think my wife would kill me.

haha yeah I am going from my 65 that I have had setup to this beast, but it's gonna be in wall think it will look awesome once it's all said and done atleast I hope the wife wanted to go bigger! I think she wants to drain our entire bank account. but we are considering doing a drop off tank just not sure how that would look in wall yet