Snake's 75g build thread

snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I also bought a nice diamond goby for my system. He's going to town on the cyano in the sandbed. The problem now is that he is causing wayyy too much of a problem with the sand sifting. The tank is starting to get infused with a white powder from the sand ... all over the surfaces of the rocks, glass, overflow... everything. Some of the SPS corals that were doing really well are now closing up.
I also tested my system's parameters... here they are as follows...
Calcium: 400ppm
Alkalinity: 6 mEq/L
Magnesium: 1200 mg/L
Yeah, kinda way off.... so I increased the amount of effluent coming off of the calcium reactor in hopes that my alkalinity will decrease some over the next few days. Calcium is being maintained, however, which is a good thing. Just alkalinity that is going too high. The reactor is still being dialed in... I'm glad that alkalinity didn't go more sky high than that though. Now that the effluent is increased alkalinity should come down in a matter of days to a week. I'll keep testing and checking along the way.
Magnesium should be coming up with the addition of the reactor as well. I have no idea why it isn't increasing either. I am probably going to mix up some magnesium chloride and dose the tank to get it up to where it should be... (1350 - 1400) just until the calcium reactor starts to add some magnesium itself. I was worried that my calcium reactor would add too much calcium to the system - but I guess I really should worry about my alkalinity and magnesium for the time being.
I may have to wait until that diamond goby does the rest of his business and then catch him and take him back to the store. Boy is he tearing up some cyano though. I just have to find a more effective means of removing it from the system other then this goby.
 
mjtech12

mjtech12

Member
I may have to wait until that diamond goby does the rest of his business and then catch him and take him back to the store. Boy is he tearing up some cyano though. I just have to find a more effective means of removing it from the system other then this goby.
Hey Snake I have a yellow headed Goby and he's about 3 inches and he does a great job of cleaning my sand and he's not as aggressive at it as per say your diamond head you might want to trade for that one instead
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
That might be something to consider... He's already cleaned up half the sandbed. I'll give him a few more days to a week and the cyano should be gone.
The alkalinity at 6mEQ/L does bother me a little bit though. I'm collecting water for a 5g water change. I may end up using my big tote and collecting 20g and trying to do a 20g water change on Tuesday. That should be getting things back to normal. I'll probably take that goby back by tuesday or thursday next week as well.
Some of my SPS frags are dying off as we speak. Some are having some STN because of the high alkalinity I bet. My new nepthia though is just chillin'.
After next week when I can get all my parameters back in line and the calcium reactor back in check I might put in an order at SWF. It would be nice to use that $25 credit that I have with them.
I'm going to also add some macroalgae to my refugium next week. I'm going to put in the order today. I'll also purchase a bunch of copepods and amphipods so that I might can start a culture of them in my fuge....
I'm going to start a new thread here in a few minutes...
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
The diamond goby is starting to settle in and not create such a rukkus. I think I'm going to keep him. He's a great bottom dweller that likes to keep the sand stirred and eats anything that falls on it. Great for a clean up crew - couldn't ask for better.
The cyanobacteria situation is coming to a close. I added macroalgae to my sump earlier in the week and my Caulerpa racemosa and Caulerpa mexicana is starting to take hold onto the rocks in the refugium. I'm happy so far with it. I also added a Koralia 8 to circulate some water around the tank during the day. My Apex Jr. turns it off at night so that the corals have some "rest."
I noticed today that my tank was unusually silent, so I looked at my system really well. I also noticed that it wasn't using it's typical 1.5g/day top off - so I looked very closely at my return pump and noticed that it was plugged full of Ulva. I don't really like the Ulva as much as I thought I might. It's going around the tank everywhere and my yellow tang doesn't seem partial to eating it. I guess it's a little too waxy or something for her pallet. lol.
So, I got my return pump turned up to the max. I used to have the return pumps ball valve cocked about 1/4 closed but I opened it up all the way today. It really is helping the water circulation in the tank. I'm really happy about that. It's blowing off some cyano on the rocks and substrate.
The cyano is slowly dying off,... so much so that my usually brown looking filter pads started turning red. lol. But that's a good sign. I'm going to change my carbon out sometime this week so that any impurities from the cyano will be pulled out of the water. I have some GFO tumbing in my phosphate reactor, but I have no clue how well it is filtering - if it is.
I have to buy a new small powerhead to hook up my auto top off unit again. I borrowed it from my phos reactor and then I needed it again - so it's either that I run my phos reactor or I run my auto top off. heh.
I tested my water parameters this evening.
Ca: 400mg/L
Alk: 2.8 mEq/L
Mg: 1500mg/L
So, I don't need to adjust magnesium for a little while. I'm going to slightly adjust calcium up to 420 this evening by adding roughly 6oz of Randy's Recipe #1. I also adjusted alkalinity up a little bit to 2.95mEq/L by adding approximately 1.7oz of Randy's Recipe #2 for alkalinity.
Tweaking, I know. But, that's the part of me that likes to experiment with my tanks.
I could buy a $440 LED unit in the near future - or I could simply pay $175 or less for four more T5HO bulbs and a ballast. (yes, I already have the sockets and everything I need as well) Who thinks I should just stick with T5? Budget allows for both, but I am leary about making the jump from t5's to leds...
OH, by the way, my tank has been getting on the warm side in the evenings. The tank has been turning off at around 7:30-8:00pm instead of 9pm. I guess that's because I'm not running the air... it's too dang hot in Louisiana.
If I get the chance I will upload some photos.
 
lubeck

lubeck

Active Member
I misunderstood you. I thought the pump was actually going in your ato for circulation for some reason.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392906/snakes-75g-build-thread/640#post_3514174
The diamond goby is starting to settle in and not create such a rukkus. I think I'm going to keep him. He's a great bottom dweller that likes to keep the sand stirred and eats anything that falls on it. Great for a clean up crew - couldn't ask for better.
The cyanobacteria situation is coming to a close. I added macroalgae to my sump earlier in the week and my Caulerpa racemosa and Caulerpa mexicana is starting to take hold onto the rocks in the refugium. I'm happy so far with it. I also added a Koralia 8 to circulate some water around the tank during the day. My Apex Jr. turns it off at night so that the corals have some "rest."
I noticed today that my tank was unusually silent, so I looked at my system really well. I also noticed that it wasn't using it's typical 1.5g/day top off - so I looked very closely at my return pump and noticed that it was plugged full of Ulva. I don't really like the Ulva as much as I thought I might. It's going around the tank everywhere and my yellow tang doesn't seem partial to eating it. I guess it's a little too waxy or something for her pallet. lol.
So, I got my return pump turned up to the max. I used to have the return pumps ball valve cocked about 1/4 closed but I opened it up all the way today. It really is helping the water circulation in the tank. I'm really happy about that. It's blowing off some cyano on the rocks and substrate.
The cyano is slowly dying off,... so much so that my usually brown looking filter pads started turning red. lol. But that's a good sign. I'm going to change my carbon out sometime this week so that any impurities from the cyano will be pulled out of the water. I have some GFO tumbing in my phosphate reactor, but I have no clue how well it is filtering - if it is.
I have to buy a new small powerhead to hook up my auto top off unit again. I borrowed it from my phos reactor and then I needed it again - so it's either that I run my phos reactor or I run my auto top off. heh.
I tested my water parameters this evening.
Ca: 400mg/L
Alk: 2.8 mEq/L
Mg: 1500mg/L
So, I don't need to adjust magnesium for a little while. I'm going to slightly adjust calcium up to 420 this evening by adding roughly 6oz of Randy's Recipe #1. I also adjusted alkalinity up a little bit to 2.95mEq/L by adding approximately 1.7oz of Randy's Recipe #2 for alkalinity.
Tweaking, I know. But, that's the part of me that likes to experiment with my tanks.
I could buy a $440 LED unit in the near future - or I could simply pay $175 or less for four more T5HO bulbs and a ballast. (yes, I already have the sockets and everything I need as well) Who thinks I should just stick with T5? Budget allows for both, but I am leary about making the jump from t5's to leds...
OH, by the way, my tank has been getting on the warm side in the evenings. The tank has been turning off at around 7:30-8:00pm instead of 9pm. I guess that's because I'm not running the air... it's too dang hot in Louisiana.
If I get the chance I will upload some photos.
Go LED's... $440.00 once, or $175.00 every year or more??? Those reefbreeders units are not joke. I've been running mine since about the first week of this year and I have seen pretty good growth on everything in my tank. I am still ramping them up to get to full power, but the color and shimmer is very good.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I'm with Sweatervest.....make the investment.....2 bulb replacements will equal your LED purchase....Also consider the control.....The control you don't have or want with MH or your T5's......Not saying that the control is needed per say, but it's an added perk IMHO......
A side note....What's up with the Mag.....Why 1500.....1350 more ideal.....Just asking......
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Eh, I guess I might make the investment a little later on this Summer when my bulbs need to be replaced and I have more time to work. Right now money is a little tight, and I am actually trying to get some money together right now to build a few new raised beds in my garden. I plan on donating some food this year and I want to go ahead and get my beds ready. It's going to take some money buying the wood and some decent compost, but it's worth it.
The magnesium is up, I think, In part because of my colorblindness. It's hard to distinguish purple from blue sometimes when it's so close in color. I'll take it again tomorrow or so just to see where it stands... but 1500mg/L isn't really that bad, honestly. Not exactly an overdose - I just don't need to worry about it for a little while. heh.
Some of my macro is starting to grow some. I am considering adding a small pump in the fuge section so that it can really break the surface of the water really well and keep proteins from building up there.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Bet you don't have any briopsis right now!
I actually need to order a new mag kit and dose up to 1600 right now. I have a few patches of Bry that I need to nip in the bud before they get out of hand. I suspect that this will slow some SPS growth as well, but it should revert back to normal as the Mag drops via water changes and uptake.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
It will come down. I have a scheduled water change coming up soon. Its not really effecting anything majorly just yet.
Cyano is really starting to go away now. Considering adding my sc65 skimmer back to the system.
I think i have a case of too much too soon.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392906/snakes-75g-build-thread/640#post_3514491
I love my wife. Shes buying my leds.
BANG!!! Nice!! Which ones are you getting??
If the reefbreeders? Are you going to do a custom layout? I did the standard with 90 degree lenses and it works well on my 22" deep tank. I have them about 9 1/2" off the surface of the water. For a deep tank (30"+) I would suggest the 60 degree optics. You will like them a lot... I think. LOL.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Yeah, she wants to buy me the reefbreeders photon 32 unit. I like a more whitish/yellow look honestly. I'm going to tell them to try to give me something like that, with an option of some actinics for a dawn and dusk effect. I'm not going to limit the spectrum, I just want to be able to view my tank in a spectrum of light that I enjoy.
My tank is a 75g, which is 21" tall, I believe. I called them and talked to Logan (I think that is his name.) and he recommended this unit and told me everything I could do with it for the time being. He even said that he does not recommend optics for my size tank... but I'm still unsure about that. I think I at least want to get 90D optics put on so that I won't be "blinded by the light" when I am sitting in my chair.
I'm still kinda playing around with the tank. Not exactly sure where I will end up with it, honestly. I am considering buying a 32g trash can and putting it on some casters - so that I can easily do a huge water change when I need it. In fact, I think I am going to save up to do that in the oncoming weeks. I really need another ball valve and float valve and a T off of my RO Unit - and I might be able to have it auto fill in my laundry room so I can wheel it out when the salt is mixed.
I'm also looking into purchasing a small shop vac so that I can drain my sump and break it down occasionally.
I'm also diagramming a potential sump build for this Summer. I want it to be longer, wider and taller then what I have now - and I am actually planning on incorporating a deep sand bed into it. I tell yah, I haven't had a huge successful tank yet unless I have had a deep sand bed. It seems to be something that I am going to incorporate into this build and the next. (yes, I know all about hydrogen sulfide buildup, and ways to get around it.)
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
By the way, I noticed that at least one of my tomato clowns is starting to become mature. His (hers?) color is starting to darken on the main body and the white stripe is starting to become much more prominent. The other tomato clown needs to catch up to this little beauty.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
The diamond goby (which is a bottom dweller) was found this morning doing it's best interpretation of a french fry.
Oh well... I wanted to replace him with a fish that is less agressive about cleaning the sand. I guess he overheard me.
Everything else is going alright so far. I am going to leave the lights off for the next three days to kill back some cyano.
My diablo skimmer was added back to the system and it has been skimming really well for the past 24 hours.
 
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