Smaller place, bigger tank...My 200DD build

[eric b 125]

Acclimating the inverts now. So far the only obvious DOA is a porcelain crab.

 

[eric b 125]

A porcelain crab and one cleaner shrimp were definite DOA's. Some of the snails are still in the same spot that they landed last night, but I know they can go dormant so I'm going to give them a few days. I'm going to do a 30 gallon water change on the DT this morning.
Rather than chasing frags this Friday, I'm going to spend that time calibrating my pH controller, getting the calcium reactor online, and doing some maintenance on equipment.

 

[eric b 125]

Water changes are so simple on this tank. When I did my first water change, I drew a line at the water level of the tank when all the pumps are shut off. Then I measured and drained 30 gallons out and drew another line at that level. Now, all I have to do is run a hose to a drain, siphon out that amount of water, and pump the newly mixed SW in. It's such a passive water change, doesn't require me moving/emptying Brutes...just siphon and pump.

I do want to get a bucket-head shop vac from Home Depot soon to vacuum out my sump. There's a lot of crud in the fuge.

 

[reefkeeperZ]

good method I have done that for a long time (marking how much to drain for waterchanges on the side of the tank) it saves a ton of guess work. I do it the same way too, shut off the return pump, let everything drain/settle, mark full level when off, remove x amount by measuring, mark, refill to full mark. turn on. from then on its shut off drain to mark, fill to mark done. easy peasy lemon squeezy. though I usually mark for various amounts, 25% 50% 75% so I can do varying amounts. I also usually mark the sump for gallons for sludge removal so I can remove some from there too. though I tend to let some mulm build up in the sump for microfauna to breed in.

 

[eric b 125]

good method I have done that for a long time (marking how much to drain for waterchanges on the side of the tank) it saves a ton of guess work. I do it the same way too, shut off the return pump, let everything drain/settle, mark full level when off, remove x amount by measuring, mark, refill to full mark. turn on. from then on its shut off drain to mark, fill to mark done. easy peasy lemon squeezy. though I usually mark for various amounts, 25% 50% 75% so I can do varying amounts. I also usually mark the sump for gallons for sludge removal so I can remove some from there too. though I tend to let some mulm build up in the sump for microfauna to breed in.

Yeah, I might actually just leave the sump alone for a while. I mean, that's where stuff is supposed to settle and it's not like I have a display fuge.

 

[eric b 125]

I got a bunch of chores done around the apartment this morning. I was going to do them tomorrow, but I had the fire in me this morning. I'm taking my dog kayaking for the first time on Saturday and I want to get as much as I can done so I can sit back for a while.

I'm filling my FW and SW reservoirs right now. As far as tank stuff for tomorrow: I definitely want to get the CO2 bottle filled and the Ca Rx running. That's also going to require me to make a trip to a not so LFS to get calibration liquid. I also want to clean up the skimmer body and the return pump. I'm going to split another bottle of pods b/w the fuge and DT since in a few weeks I'm going to be adding a mandarin.

This is the first coral I added to this tank, so it went through it all: algae, dinos, and lights out (in addition to general tank-neglect for like 2 months). It's not as ugly in person, again because of the lighting I need to use to take pictures, but it certainly ain't pretty. The tissue has doubled since I started caring for the tank again, but I thought I'd post pictures of it's progress:

 

[eric b 125]

let me know how thoes emerald crabs do please.

^this was originally posted on 12/14/14... I still have the original two emerald crabs. I thought one of them may have died because I only ever saw one at a time, but yesterday I saw both at the same time. They seem to be doing good.

 

[eric b 125]

I've never been one for hermits in a reef but I guess a few snuck their way into my first CUC order a while ago. I've plucked two out of the DT so far.

 

[reefkeeperZ]

I tend to keep hermits in the sump but not many in the DT a couple tiny ones maybe but usually none that are big enough to knock over frags.

 

[eric b 125]

I tend to keep hermits in the sump but not many in the DT a couple tiny ones maybe but usually none that are big enough to knock over frags.

Yeah, I really have no desire to keep hermits in my DT.

 

[eric b 125]

Did a small supply run today...picked up food, pods, pH calibration solution, some various other things, and got the CO2 filled. Everything is lookin really good. I'm going to swing by another LFS on my way home from kayaking tomorrow to check out what frags they have. A lot of the brownish frags I got are coloring up green so I want to get some more things on the red and blue spectrums.

 

[reefkeeperZ]

I have to snag some nass. and a couple astrea soon and the rest of the CUC for my tank. like brittle stars etc.
General stocking stuff is never as fun as the gems is it eric

 

[eric b 125]

I have to snag some nass. and a couple astrea soon and the rest of the CUC for my tank. like brittle stars etc.
General stocking stuff is never as fun as the gems is it eric

I actually really enjoy my CUC. I like having a bunch of shrimp and crabs crawling on the rocks. I had a single pom pom crab in my old 125 and I would only see the thing once a year. It was really special every time I saw the lil guy. I want to add like 5 of them to this tank and maybe 10 sexy shrimp...things you can only see when you're up close.

 

[reefkeeperZ]

there are a couple really nice brittle stars I have been watching at my LFS for a couple weeks, I want to see them survive more than month before I purchase them so I know they arent coming home with osmotic damage already.

 

[eric b 125]

I got the pH controller calibrated and everything connected. I didn't turn on the CO2 yet because I need to grab some teflon tape for the solonoid/regulator. This morning my tests were: Ca 420, dKh 9...so it's perfect right now...a good time to get this running.

Hoping to find some good stuff at the 3rd LFS today!

 

[reefkeeperZ]

that reminds me I need to grab a new calcium test kit mine a little bit out of date. but seachem kits are usually fairly reliable beyond their dates if they are stored right.

 

[reefkeeperZ]

if you find anything good make sure you post pictures.

 

[eric b 125]

if you find anything good make sure you post pictures.

I picked up 6 new frags, but I'm unable to post pictures because my phone got wet while kayaking. RIP. A moment of silence please.....................................amen. I'm meeting my GF's mom, who is in from out of town, tonight so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to walk up the street to the Apple store. It's going to be real weird to not have a phone for the entire evening.

 

[eric b 125]

New frags:

 

[reefkeeperZ]

I want #2,3 and 5... lol