Snake's 75g build thread

[snakeblitz33]

This week is exotics week in the taxidermy shop. Look what I've been having to deal with...

Yesterday I came home smelling like three different kinds of goats.
At least it's a job.

 

[eric b 125]

When my tank was running before, the only time I spent working on it was like an hour every two weeks when I would do the water changes. I truly believe that the key for me was routine. I didn't make things more complicated than they had to be. Twice a month I would do 30 gallon w/c's, harvest macro, and scrape glass. I let the animals tell me if something was off, but I did that assessment of the tank daily- after all, that's what we do this for: to have something sweet to ponder over.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Im having those thoughts again about putting the tank to pasture. I just got a $266 electric bill. Maybe a tank is something that i need to put on the back burner until i graduate college. Im thinking about drying my rock and turning in the corals and fish for store credit. Its taking up a lot of time and money. I might just set it up as a freshwater tank and then maybe set it up in my classroom later.
This is like the third time i have thought about this. Heh. I dunno. I think i might sit on it for a couple weeks to be sure.

 

[siptang]

Wow!! beautiful looking gator!

 

[acrylic51]

Hey Seth when are you running your light? I'm curious as to your overall equipment usage....What is your usual electric bill? I can't see the tank being the main culprit of running the bill up.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I'm running my light from 12 to 10pm blues and my whites slowly ramp up and peak for three hours somewhere in the middle. They are running at 45% right now and I think I'm going to go down by 5% since they have not reacted well to the change.
To my estimates my tank doesn't use a whole lot of energy. I Would like to get a kill-a-watt unit on my tank to be sure, but I estimate the cost at about $20 a month.
My winter time electric bill is usually around $120-130. We called the energy company and asked them to do an energy audit on our trailer to see if we can correct some problem areas. My stove is old and uses electric - and we cook nearly every day, twice a day. Our hot water heater also does not have any insulation around it. Our windows are regular old storm windows and three of those windows have window units in them that I'm pretty sure leak hot/cold air. My wife has a bad habit of turning a light on and then leaving the room - and I am pretty good about going back and turning it off. I just can't understand why my electric bill is so high, especially because we only pay $0.09 per KwH!

 

[lubeck]

I'll bet it's the AC driving your costs not the tank. I'm curious to see my bill with my upgrade. I was running 3 amps with the 33 gal now I'm running 6 amps according to my apex.

 

[acrylic51]

The AC units can't be very efficient......Your hot water heater isn't the issue....Even isulating you wouldn't see a huge gain or savings unless it's in a super cold area....Old windows allowing your cool air or heat to escape is probably the culprit.....Also why run all those air conditioners when no one is home, or why not just run them as needed.....If your not in the bedroom sleeping why run it....

 

[snakeblitz33]

We dont run all the ac units. We have been running the ac on 72-74 lately but we decided to put it on 78 this summer to see if we get any energy savings.

 

[sweatervest13]

I don't know man. I hate to say it but maybe a SPS tank is not in the cards for you.
If a high power bill is the thing that gets you thinking about abandoning your dreams of a nice SPS dominated tank. Then maybe you should break down the tank. It would be like a car enthusiast wanting to get rid of his super car (Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari) because of the fuel economy, or if the price of gas goes up by $.50/gallon. You already spent the money on a lot of good equipment needed to maintain a nice tank. Why back down now??
I know money can be tight, but for all that you have already invested (time and money), I would stick with it. Its going to take some time, but you could have one beautiful looking tank. But if that is going to make it hard to put food on the table, maybe your are right in thinking about taking down the tank. You gotta figure out if your budget can handle it. Family comes first!!

 

[2quills]

Just need to make it through summer. Everybody's bills are up. Can't even tell ya how many a/c calls I've been on in the last couple of weeks because everyone's bills shot up to $300-400 last month. I know the wife just told me ours was almost $400.
I turn the thermostat on the hot water heater down this time of year. And leave the a/c on 78 durring the day. But it still runs almost all day long. I just re-screened all the windows with solar screen and we like to use the solar curtains to help block out the sun as well. Hopefully next month won't be as bad.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I think part of my problem is patience and lazyness. I have stepped up my game quite a bit with maintenance but i need some kind of more concrete schedule to go by. Used to back in the day, id have a calender that i would tape to the side of the tank. Now i dont do any of that.
I just need to step back and do the routine maintenance and keep trying. Just keep trying.

 

[tthemadd1]

Drop the ten bucks on the iPhone/droid app. I have it set up to change media, test water, inspect the skimmer, clean the skimmer, feed the anemones and brain, etc. even my plan to purchase new items do water changes, etc.
Seriously I know its ten bucks also I am not connected to it in any way but it is cool

 

[snakeblitz33]

Thanks man. I like my iPhone, but the bill is a little high. I think I'm going to be switching to a tracphone pretty soon.
My tank is going to pot. Ever since I got my calcium reactor back online there has been a surge of brown algae growing in the display tank. My skimmer has been going full force too lately. I just unplugged my calcium reactor and I am going to test my water tonight to see what it is.
Due to the higher water temps (~84*F) my two brown SPS corals have actually started to turn WHITE... like they are bleaching. That orange montipora capricornis that I have is also starting to bleach a little and it's one of the most hardy corals in the tank, IMO.
I feel like I should just stop adding any corals to the tank this Summer and switch out my fish like I want and just re-start this Fall. I don't know why everything seems to be going downhill lately. I'm so upset and frustrated and GRRRRR.
Oh well, it might be a fish only with live rock tank after this Summer. My torch coral is also retracting quite a bit since I added LEDs on the tank. Once again,... GRRRRR.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I guess i need yo look at this as a stage that my tank is goin through. Our tanks go through changes over the years and mine is still settling in. Changing the lights, reaquascqping and stirring up nasty things and stuff just upset the system a little too much and now im dealing with the aftermath. I shoulda done a latge water change after rescaping the tank i guess.

 

[meowzer]

Seth my tank is going thru the diatom stage.....BLAH.....even tho it's 5 years old.....LOL......transferring the 225 stuff into the 180 was like starting new with some things
do not like it....BUT have to deal with it

 

[eric b 125]

A few thoughts:
1) I think you should consider the plan that I suggested the other night.
2) I think that we all see the faults of our systems that no one else can see- after all, no one else is as intimate with our stuff as we are. I think it's natural to see these shortcomings and formulate plans to remedy them. Every now and then though, at least for myself, I get so fixated on the faults that I become blind to the strengths of my system. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it seems like you're focusing so much on the difference b/w where your tank is at now and where you want it to be and you're not giving it the credit it deserves. Comparison, my friend, is the thief of happiness.
My suggestion: sit back for a few days and look at what you got. There's a lot of folks that are reading this thread thinking, "Damn, Seth has some killer equipment, the guy obviously knows what he's talking about, and his tank looks good".

 

[eric b 125]

Also, for what it's worth, I see no reason why you can't have a SPS dominated tank with the equipment you have

 

[tthemadd1]

It's funny. Six months ago it seemed like everyone was dealing with cyano now diatoms. I too have some on my sand but expected with the new start. You did put the new lights on the tank. Are they that much brighter?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Like i said, im going to back off for a little while. Let things settle in. Do some water changes and just watch things. I know that i should be patient. I know things will pass. I am just frustrated at the moment. I keep telling myself to "just keep swimming." Its just frustrating to see my tank in such a poor state. I keep wanting to mess with it and tweak it like you tell me not to.
I believe you when you say that i can have an sps tank with my current equipment. Im just frustrated that i have yet to have any good success. It will come. I just have to regroup and do some basic maintenance and be happy with what i have.
I hate that my torch coral is doing poorly. Too much light i guess.