Tswifty's Custom 40g Rimless Build Thread

[maroun.c]

Love the tank shots TJ.
would be reat to see your tank mature a bit as all your tanks have always looked impressive but never got the time to mature...
Any news about settling down and moving or upgrading the tank that you talked about a while ago?

[psteeleb]

llooks great

[serpentman]

TJ, that Rommel's looks like its about to send out several branches from the base. Should be pretty cool when it grows out. on the color.

[Tswifty]

Originally Posted by CaliDreaminjC

Thanks for the update TJ... if you find time, bless us with a FTS and some macros!

I got a new P&S camera for Christmas. I think my mother got sick of me borrowing hers all the time. It's another Canon PowerShot just a newer model. Once I have time to tinker with the settings, and get the tank back to normal again, hopefully I'll be able to test it out.

Originally Posted by psteeleb

TJ - your tank is looking great - sorry to hear about the fish loss

Originally Posted by maroun.c

Sorry about the fish loss.
Happy New Year.

Thanks guys. Once I get this skimmer situation resolved hopefully I'll be restocking again. I may try and get my hands on a Juvi Chevron Tang this time around.

Originally Posted by HumanIMDB

Happy New Year T.J. and to all of my "RC Buddies"!

I hope everyone has a good 2010 and that the activity on RC highlights some shining tanks!

Kara and I have stated our Hobby New Year's Resolutions...hopefully our activities will inspire others to do the same.

Chris

Thanks Chris.

Looks like a good list. I need to catch up on all my threads again, I haven't had much "reef time" in person or via RC in quite a while.

[Tswifty]

Originally Posted by DEERE G

Things are looking good. Love the Rommel's Rainbow. (among others)

Thank Keith!

Originally Posted by maroun.c

Love the tank shots TJ.
would be reat to see your tank mature a bit as all your tanks have always looked impressive but never got the time to mature...
Any news about settling down and moving or upgrading the tank that you talked about a while ago?

Thanks Maroun

It's all going to depend on what happens over the next few weeks. I've been in the negotiating stages with a company for several weeks now. Once I get a firm answer and see if I will need to relocate or not, one of the first things I'll be considering is a new tank to make transferring everything easier. If we can't come to an agreement then I'll more than likely end up just moving the current setup.

Originally Posted by psteeleb

llooks great

Thanks Pete.

Originally Posted by serpentman

TJ, that Rommel's looks like its about to send out several branches from the base. Should be pretty cool when it grows out. on the color.

Thanks Jeff. I hope you're right! I read somewhere that it's supposed to be similar to the ORA Red Planet when it comes to color... meaning that lower light intensity is supposed to bring out the best coloration. We'll see as it matures though.

I'm hoping to get some PAR readings for my tank today (been saying that for quite some time though).

[Tswifty]

On the "lighter side" of reefkeeping...

I somehow managed to drop my cell phone in the container of vinegar water I was soaking the skimmer and pump in. Then to make matters worse, the phone somehow managed to slide into the skimmer body once it broke the surface, and it probably took me almost 2 minutes of frantically splashing around before I could find it. Needless to say... it's toast.

[HumanIMDB]

Wow! Great job TJ...and with a busted skimmer no less!

Are you still dosing with a Two-Part Solution? If so, what brand are you using? (ESV?)

[Tswifty]

Took some PAR readings before I swap out my reflectors. The last PAR readings were taken about 6 months ago. I tried to get the same spots as best I could, but it was a little difficult on the areas where readings weren't taken directly on a coral. Bulbs are still 2 x 250w Pheonix 14k DE MH bulbs in PFO Mini Reflectors on PFO HQI (M80) ballasts.

July 21, 2009



January 11, 2010

[Tswifty]

Originally Posted by HumanIMDB

Wow! Great job TJ...and with a busted skimmer no less!

Are you still dosing with a Two-Part Solution? If so, what brand are you using? (ESV?)

Thanks. Yes I still dose 2-part (3-part actually). I'm using peristaltic dosing pumps to deliver the dosages automatically. As far as the actual supplements... I'm using Bulk Reef Supply's 2-part (Ca & Alk), and ESV Magnesium.

[HumanIMDB]

Originally Posted by Tswifty

Thanks. Yes I still dose 2-part (3-part actually). I'm using peristaltic dosing pumps to deliver the dosages automatically. As far as the actual supplements... I'm using Bulk Reef Supply's 2-part (Ca & Alk), and ESV Magnesium.

I was just looking at BRS' Two (actually three) Part today. I'll probably go with their product.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to automate dosing until I get a controller which might not be in the cards for this year (Kara won't let me register at any of the Fish Stores for our wedding. )

[Tswifty]

Managed to get 1 of the pendants hung tonight. Initial reaction from just observing the tank is that 1 pendant will not be enough to adequately light the tank as I was hoping. The first thing that jumps out is the shaded areas toward the left and right side of the tank. The pendant is a little more low profile than my PFO ones, so the bottom of the pendant is about an inch and a half higher now, which places the bulb around 13-1/2" off the water's surface... before the bulb was 12" off the surface. However, there is much better coverage from front to back than before. Tomorrow I'd like to get some PAR readings with just the 1 pendant, then hang the second pendant.



For visual comparison, here is the picture I took the other day for the PAR readings with the 2 PFO Mini Pendants

[Tswifty]

Originally Posted by HumanIMDB

I was just looking at BRS' Two (actually three) Part today. I'll probably go with their product.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to automate dosing until I get a controller which might not be in the cards for this year (Kara won't let me register at any of the Fish Stores for our wedding. )

I haven't had any problems with it. It does seem to be a little less potent than the ESV additives though. Also, I've heard of people having issues keeping the Magnesium solution mixed, which is why I opted to use ESV's pre-mixed Magnesium rather than BRS's.

Congrats on the engagement/wedding.

[HumanIMDB]

Originally Posted by Tswifty

I haven't had any problems with it. It does seem to be a little less potent than the ESV additives though. Also, I've heard of people having issues keeping the Magnesium solution mixed, which is why I opted to use ESV's pre-mixed Magnesium rather than BRS's.

Congrats on the engagement/wedding.

Their Calcium additive seems to disolve the best but that is based on their product video and not personal experience. What is your experience?

Since I haven't been dosing anything, I think anything will be better than nothing at this point and the price is right at BRS so I'll probably place the order this week. Also getting some HC GFO and Carbon and their reactor.

Thanks!

[Taqpol]

Originally Posted by HumanIMDB

Their Calcium additive seems to disolve the best but that is based on their product video and not personal experience. What is your experience?

Since I haven't been dosing anything, I think anything will be better than nothing at this point and the price is right at BRS so I'll probably place the order this week. Also getting some HC GFO and Carbon and their reactor.

Thanks!

I use BRS additives and really like them. Not only does the calcium chloride go into solution very easily, it is quite exothermic and adding the normal amount will make the bottle pretty warm to the touch. With the Magnesium you are adding a lot of solids to a little amount of water, it just takes forever to dissolve and you will have to shake it alot. The alkalinity part is by far the worst, as it will not go into solution by itself, you have to heat it up. I normally do this by heating a gallon of RO/DI water on my stove and pouring it in slowly with lots of shaking.

[Tswifty]

Treated the tank with FW Exit today. Trying something new based on some positive results a friend had. First I siphoned all the FW's I could find out. Then I dosed 2 drops per gallon for my first dose, and siphoned out the dying FW's. Then about 45 min later I dosed again at 1 drop per gallon.

The main difference is that I am not planning on running carbon, and plan on dosing again in 2 days. After that I'll wait 1 week and perform a large water change, and hook up the carbon again.

I'm a little nervous, but so sick of the little buggers. I do have 25g of emergency saltwater and extra carbon on standby should I see any negative reactions over the next few days.

[Taqpol]

Good luck! Considering they don't actually hurt anything flatworms can be one of the most annoying things in this entire hobby!

[Tswifty]

Well medicating is still going on. As I mentioned I hit the tank with the massive FW Exit treatment a few days ago. Corals were REALLY ticked off for about 48hrs, so I started to run carbon and saw an immediate improvement in their condition.

A few days later, since the tank has slowly been becoming overrun with Cyanobacteria, I hit the tank with Blue Life Red Slime Control. I decided not to wait the entire 5 day period without carbon and skimming, and performed a 20% water change and started running carbon after 48hrs. I can't run the skimmer yet, because the medication causes it to overflow like crazy. On the bright side, the medication worked great and cyanobacteria has completely disappeared for now. Hopefully I can start dosing Microbacter7 again soon to help keep it from returning.

I'm getting ready to hit the tank with a normal FW Exit dosage within the next few days and plan on leaving the medication in the tank without running carbon for an entire week. Observations during all this medicating is that the fish/inverts don't seem to even noticed anything is going on, but the corals have been really ticked off... but have survived. I have noticed some loss in color/polyp extension during this process as well... but expect it to return over time.

On the Bubble Algae front I am completely frustrated. Nothing seems to impact it at all, and it continues to blossom out of control regardless of feedings, nutrient control methods, water changes, or livestock additions. It's actually gotten to the point where it has begun to encroach on the base of corals and even started to kill off my pink birdsnest.

Here is a picture of the damage caused from the bubble algae choking out the base of birdsnest after I removed it today.

[Kieth71]

Hey tj...i had a fw problem for a while and used the fw exit several times but could never get rid of all of them.I added a six line wrasse and he took care of the rest for me.They get aggressive as they get older but it might help with your problem to get the stragglers that remain even after doseing the fw exit HTH Kieth

[Tswifty]

Thanks for the suggestion Kieth. I've tried adding several of the "pest control" wrasses in the past. Unfortunately my Mystery Wrasse has been extremely aggressive toward any new additions, and has quickly killed off all my attempts. The only wrasse (Canary Wrasse) I was able to successfully add to the tank ended up not doing his job, and never touched any of the flatworms.

[Tswifty]

Here are the PAR readings with just 1 Lumen Max Elite Pendant. As you can see the readings to the left and right of the pendant are cause for concern. However right down the middle is just as powerful as the combination of the 2 PFO Mini Pendants. So I'm confident I'll see significant improvements in the readings, and much better coverage throughout the entire tank once I get the second pendant hung.

[kudora]

Originally Posted by Tswifty

Thanks for the suggestion Kieth. I've tried adding several of the "pest control" wrasses in the past. Unfortunately my Mystery Wrasse has been extremely aggressive toward any new additions, and has quickly killed off all my attempts. The only wrasse (Canary Wrasse) I was able to successfully add to the tank ended up not doing his job, and never touched any of the flatworms.

after my 4 lined bit the dust(down the overflow into the skimmer) i picked up a 6 lined since i had some FW in my 40, boy its small but mean, i have a fairy wrasse and a flasher wrasse in there also and they are not allowed to sleep in the rocks or even come near them.

[OwNeD162]

Hey man, glad to hear you got rid of the cyano, I'm having huge problems with it in my tank at the moment, I basically have a box of water and red slime carpet ...
Sucks about the bubble algae, I've never read anything on how to get rid of it so I've unfortunately got no suggestions ...
I'm still struggling with my bryopsis, between the bryopsis, cyano, and general dirtiness my tank looks pretty bad at the moment, need to do a big clean out...
Glad to hear that the FW exit seems to be working ... I've heard of so many tanks crashing after doing a massive FW exit dose due to the number of flatworms dying, but I'm glad that yours has pulled through ok ...
Keep us updated

[Padrino]

TJ,
Your corals are looking awesome! Apparently i have a lot of reading to do to catch up in your thread!

[2frosty4u]

Seems to be a trend happening...I'm going through a flat worm outbreak, Have the carpet of cyano and the tank needs some major TLC. I've got the FW Exit set to go in the tank and 70g of saltwater mixed and ready to go for a water change. After reading that It helped you TJ with some of your FW's I figured I'd get off my butt and get after it too...
A very knowledgable friend of mine suggested a Green coris wrasse as the best cure for FW's but I haven't had any luck finding one locally so FW exit it is.

[Tswifty]

Well got some great news today. Landed a job back out in Ohio, so I'll be moving back to my old stomping grounds soon. Now I need to hurry up and finish getting the tank in order before I leave, as it most likely won't be coming with me for a few months.

Since I won't be around, I'm going to put the Vodka/Bacteria dosing on hold for now. I really want to get back to it, but won't be around to monitor and make sure it's getting dosed daily. So I am planning on resuming the use of GFO for the time being, and am still up in the air about adding macro again.

Also, now that the FW Exit and Blue Life Red Slime Control dosages are done, I'm going to be adding the sandbed back to the tank today or tomorrow. A new light rack needs to be constructed so I can get my second Lumen Max Elite Pendant hung before I leave as well.