My First Reef Build Journal - Follow along for the ride wave your hands and scream if I am driving off a cliff :)

btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by cryptics http:///forum/thread/385310/my-first-reef-build-journal-follow-along-for-the-ride-wave-your-hands-and-scream-if-i-am-driving-off-a-cliff/40#post_3384360
BTLDreef,
Actually I have a quite a bit of hair algae right now. I would take him if you don't want him anymore. I got the algae growth under control but the stuff that is there isn't receding fast. He would be a fat happy little Urchin :)
If you can get him out, you can have him. I HATE him! He actually was a hitchhiker on LR we got a while back because not even the workers in the LFS could get him off. He's a Purple Urchin.
 
jerth6932

jerth6932

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/385310/my-first-reef-build-journal-follow-along-for-the-ride-wave-your-hands-and-scream-if-i-am-driving-off-a-cliff/40#post_3384348
My darn harlequin shrimps eat the asterinas down to one leg, then let them go!
They know that if there's not any food...... they die.... SMART!

Quote:
Originally Posted by cryptics http:///forum/thread/385310/my-first-reef-build-journal-follow-along-for-the-ride-wave-your-hands-and-scream-if-i-am-driving-off-a-cliff/40#post_3384297
One of my peppermint shrimp went all WWE on an Asterina Star. He kept picking it up and slamming it on the rock for like 5 minutes then eventually ate it. It was rather violent.
Well name him Triple H! LOL That is hilarious!
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
So an update. Did another 10 gal water change on Wednesday. I will test levels tonight and report them. Right now my hair algae problem is pretty bad but doesn't seem to be spreading. There is some on the back wall but for the most part it is covering all the base rock I got. There is virtually none on the live rock. The issue I am having now is the hair algae is going so good my Chaeto in the sump looks like it is starving. So I had a 15w gamma UV steralizer that I was using on my old tank. I wasn't planning on using it on this tank. Figured I would use it on the quaranteen tank when I set it up. I hooked that up last night to see if it can help.
I have a couple ideas to get this under control.
1) Get an Urchin. Let him eat till he splits :)
2) Get my BiColor Blenny as the first fish.
3) I am tempted to get a few blue legged hermits. They are supposedly less disruptive and less likely to kill snails for sport. Am I wrong about this? Am I asking for issues?
4) Change my 10k 250w MH's to 14k or even 20k
Now for my heat issue I am trying one last thing before I start looking for a chiller. I ordered a strong clip on fan and plan on putting it full on the sump. I read somewhere this should really help.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
i think the sailfin blennys are the algae monsters! Im sure BTL will know....i dont approve of UV sterilizers cuz they kill things in ur tank u dont want dead...or so i read.....
As far as the hermits go i have a mix of red ones, blue ones, and the whites and they dont really bother my snails. I have gotten more shells though so they can do the shell swappin all they want! Bigger the hermit bigger the appetite though so if mine get to big ill prob take em back to a LFS.
quarintine is a great idea! If i had the funds and the room I would totally do this!

I also read that HA is just a part of the cycle in tanks....I dont have a terriable outbreak so idk maybe urs is....
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by cryptics http:///forum/thread/385310/my-first-reef-build-journal-follow-along-for-the-ride-wave-your-hands-and-scream-if-i-am-driving-off-a-cliff/60#post_3385129
So an update. Did another 10 gal water change on Wednesday. I will test levels tonight and report them. Right now my hair algae problem is pretty bad but doesn't seem to be spreading. There is some on the back wall but for the most part it is covering all the base rock I got. There is virtually none on the live rock. The issue I am having now is the hair algae is going so good my Chaeto in the sump looks like it is starving. So I had a 15w gamma UV steralizer that I was using on my old tank. I wasn't planning on using it on this tank. Figured I would use it on the quaranteen tank when I set it up. I hooked that up last night to see if it can help. It might help, just don't keep in on the tank long term. I would attempt to get rid of it other ways before I tried the UV, you're not going to want one on the reef once it gets going, so it's better to learn how to handle the issue without it now.
I have a couple ideas to get this under control.
1) Get an Urchin. Let him eat till he splits :) A good option. Again, if you want mine, you can have him. If you're free Sunday, let me know, I'll drop him off. I'm also going to be in Roslyn tomorrow, so if you get this before 9/10am and want me to drop him off, just text me.
2) Get my BiColor Blenny as the first fish. Another good option, but not all eat algae, Yours would have a good chance at eating it, since you could refuse to feed him other foods (since there are no other fish in the tank).
3) I am tempted to get a few blue legged hermits. They are supposedly less disruptive and less likely to kill snails for sport. Am I wrong about this? Am I asking for issues? You know my stance on hermits, THEY SUCK! I've never seen any eat hair algae either.
4) Change my 10k 250w MH's to 14k or even 20k Try cutting back on the lighting a little more, since you're also having a heat issue. You don't have any real light demand corals right now as it is, cutting back another hour won't harm anything. You could try 14K's, but I don't know that it would make too much of a difference.
Now for my heat issue I am trying one last thing before I start looking for a chiller. I ordered a strong clip on fan and plan on putting it full on the sump. I read somewhere this should really help. Of course, because I sold mine, LOL ... Hopefully the new fan works.
You might want to try some Mexican Turbo snails for the hair algae. I'm not a huge fan of them, because they're large and knock stuff over, but they will go nuts on the algae.
Lucky for you, you don't have anything that really requires feeding in the tank right now, so anything you throw in there to help with algae is going to have no choice but to eat what's there, or starve.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
wooooeeeee now cmon i wouldnt take it that far....u women i swear! "Men have bigger brains its a fact....women have a 1/3 the size", quoted Mr. Ron Burgandy
we men just chose not to use are powers against u women, u think ur winning but idk....we just let u win!
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
Thank you guys for the responses
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///forum/thread/385310/my-first-reef-build-journal-follow-along-for-the-ride-wave-your-hands-and-scream-if-i-am-driving-off-a-cliff/60#post_3385176
i think the sailfin blennys are the algae monsters! Im sure BTL will know....
I have read that the BiColor both eat algae pretty good The Sailfin Blenny is suppose to be better and the best is the Lawnmower Blenny who got it's name for mowing down hair algae. The reason why I think I am going to stick with the BiColor is that it will also eat flake and brine. With the others, I am worried I will get this cleared up then the will have to live in the refuguim.
I agree with you both about the UV. I am worried this is going to kill every pod in the system but I figured it will polish the water for now. Thinking at a later time I may add ozone since my skimmer has the set up for it. All it does is cause a reaction in smaller waste particles to make them bond together to form something the skimmer can get. Shouldn't hurt pods and stuff. I of course have not done nearly enough research yet so that add on is a long way off. I figured i would use it on the QT only when fish are residing in there.
I have read the electric blue hermits and the halloween are best for hair algae but the blue legs are pretty good. I think I am going to hold off though on this. Really trying to avoid hermits.
BTLDReef that would be great! I will txt you now
Good idea with the Mexican Turbos. I can't believe i forgot those either 1guy :)
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
sry ya the lawnmower was the one i was thinkin of...honestly they look the same imo...lol
are u running carbon cryptics? I run carbon 24/7, just have to change it out 1 a month or 1 1/2 month....lol <if that made sense!
So u gonna try the turbos?
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
Yes running carbon in a two little fishes reactor. Running phosban in another. Debating picking up a third and running Purigen. I error on the side of way too much filtration:)
I might get 2-3 tomorrow of the turbos. That with the Urchin should make short work of the GHA
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
If the hair algae is still really not getting under control, you might want to consider just taking the rocks out and scrubbing them. The HA might be the reason why your water is not as "polished" as you'd like, so as you get that under control, you might find that the water gets clearer. I run Purigen, Carbon and PhosBan. I use very little Purigen though, only one of the little sponges in a high flow area. Honestly, with the PhosBan and the Carbon, I have no idea if it makes that much of a difference, but for the extra $10, why not, right? I have too much invested not to, at least that's my thinking.
I got your text, for some reason it's not letting me respond right now, I think it needs an update. Just let me know when you're free. You don't live too far. Tomorrow is my mother's birthday and the less time I have to spend with her whacko friends, the better, LOL
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
OMG! I feel gross. I took the rocks out and scrubbed the hair algae off of them. Just took a shower after and I will again in 5 hours before work and I don't think I will feel clean. Ok so now the cleanup crew better make sure i don't have to do that again :)
So now the rocks are clean. There is some on the back wall but the snails and Urchin are taking care of that. I also split my return into two outputs and it appears to have stopped my problem of the sand blowing around. We will see in 24 hours if there is any movement.
Only one real problem with the cleanup. The rock structure fell apart at one point because i was removing rocks like Jenga. 10-15lb rock fell right on the Duncans :( I pulled them out and cleaned them off. It appears most of the heads are ok but I will have to watch them.
Productive night. Tomorrow I will be installing my moonlights.
I am also getting a chiller used off someone getting out of the hobby tomorrow or Thursday. It is a Custom Sea Life 1/4 hp powercooler. It is an inline model. I really don't want to undo my return plumbing so i am thinking about running a pump from my intake chamber into the chiller then return from the chiller into the refuguim. This way i can take off the pump that is now feeding the refuguim. Does this sound good?
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
I picked up the chiller last night. Verified it worked. Going to set it to pull from my intake/skimmer section and put into my refuguim. Hopefully no more heat issues.
While I was there he gave me one large bottle of each the Two Little Fishes Part A and B dose. The only thing I am having problems keeping steady in my tank in Alk. Got Sailfert tests for Mag and Calcuim. I also rescued a Yellow Watchman Goby. He had taken all the fish from his 120 and put them in a 10g The goby looked terrified being so close to everything without a place to hide.
I also added a few Zoas this weekend. Got a pack from a local guy. It included:
1p Joker
1p Magician
4p Nuke Green
5p 24k
3p Kent Reds
3p of a freebie he had no idea what they were.
I will take photos tonight and add them here.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I know you don't want to undo your plumbing, but I think have the chiller dump into the refugium, which them goes right back into your sump, through the chiller again, etc, might not cool down the main tank enough. You can try it out and see if it works, but the DT might not cool down enough with the halides over it.
So, you officially have your first fish! YAY! At least you have a timid YWG and not the little monster that I have!
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
My sump is set up so that the the intake/skimmer section is the 1st section and the refuim is the third. The return is the second section. Right now I have a pump pulling from the 1st section into the refuguim (3rd). They both dump into the second. I don't think I will have any mixing from the refuguim back into the 1st. The flow throught the first 2 sections is pretty strong so I don't get any backflow from the reurn into the intake. Either way the chiller doesn't have a controller on it. It is just on or off. It is being controlled by my reefkeeper. Right now the temp probe is in the 1st chamber of the sump. What I am considering doing is to move it up into either the tank on the side or actually in the overflow. This way if there is backflow or a general chilling of the sump it won't affect the actual reading.
BTLDreef,
The Coral banded has claimed a cave. He seems to be doing well. He didn't bother any of the Pep shrimps yet. The Urchin came out of hiding today and started moving around. He was hiding because he first got in there then I took apart everything to clean the hair algae.
The Duncans are troopers and seem to be doing well even though I drop a rock on them :)
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
I set up the chiller last night after the Metal Halides turned off. I messed up the setting on the Reefkeeper a little so when I woke up this morning the tank was a little below 77 degrees. I fixed the setting and should be good now. The chiller was able to drop the temp about one degree an hour. I should be good now since the MH was only raising the temp a half degree and hour.
I also set up the moonlights and set it up on a lunar cycle with the reefkeeper. Where it was in the cycle the moonlights were only at 26% but I was still able to see.
The Yellow Watchman Goby was doing well last night and seems to love the antics and the moonlights. He came out and was exploring the tank. Was hiding this morning. I will have to check when I get home to make sure he is ok after the temp swing when I chilled down the tank. Hopefully I won't have anymore temp swings with the chiller running now.
Didn't take pictures last night but i will when I get home and post them up for you guys.
The guy I got the chiller from gave me unopened bottles of Two Little Fishes C-Balance part A and part B. I am having an issue with trying to get Alk raised. I started with Seachem Marine Salt and have switched to Tropic marine Reef Mix two weeks ago. I am using the Tropic Marin until I can get to a place that has that has the Aquavitro Salinity. My question is it ok to use the C-Balance now? I would start out very low. It contains a bunch but I know Alk and Calcuim is the major stuff. I have not been able to get alk above 6 dKH and it has been as low as 4.5.
I was going to run out and get filter socks again (took them off because I didn't want Nitrate problems) because it looked like I have a lot of sand suspended in the water. I solved the issue of the overflow blowing the sand around a few days ago by splitting the return hose. The water almost looked cloudy with the white specs. I noticed last night the white specs are swimming. Some got on the glass and the look like minutre cotton balls with tails. I searched around and I believe they are baby copepods. Does this sound right? If so I have a crap load of them
Did a water change last night and scrapped a bunch of hair algae off the glass. Hopefully it will be gone from the DT soon. I had to add another 2-3 gallons to fill the chiller.
Thank you guys again for following along and helping out. It is greatly appreciated.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
More than likely it's copepods.
The swing shouldn't have upset the YWG too much, it should be okay. it didn't go that low.
I think it would be okay to dose, just start slowly.
 
cryptics

cryptics

Member
I need help getting my parameters in order. I can not seem to get ALK up. I have dosed the Two Little Fishes C-Balance part A&B three times. My ALK is still at 6.5dKH and Mag is at 850ppm. My calcuim seems fine at 650ppm and my PH is fine at 8.2. I don't really want to overdue the C-Balance because is says I need to do both parts and my Calcuim seems fine. What can I add to just raise ALK and Mag? Also should I turn off my carbon reactor while dosing? It doesn't say to but I think I probably should.
I added two Pecula Clowns last night. I will get pictures up tonight. They were doing well this morning.
Another question I have is how much flow do I need in a 90g? Does anyone have suggestions on placement of powerheads? The placement of these have been very frustrating. Everyplace I put them I seem to come back and find sand blown all around the tank and bare in some spot.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I've dosed only the alk part of a 2 part. It is common for alk to deplete faster than calcium.
Have you tested this kit against another?
It's hard to find the "sweet spot" for powerheads sometimes. Even with my MP40's I still get one spot that is usually bare. My solution was to just put a chunk of live rock there and it seems to have worked.
And by the way.... PICTURES!!!!
 
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