Martin's RSM C-130

melvis

Well-Known Member
Thanks Pat, it's been a great few months! Looking forward to Christmas now, especially as my boy now gets it a lot more. I bet your twin boys are the same?

In terms of being clean, mine is looking pretty good. Next water change after today will focus on the rear sump area, as there's some detritus in the bottom. Clearing it all out would probably be only way to flush that crab out. It's just time, which I know you and many others will get.

Really pleased I'm giving it another crack - more thought this time, better and more consistent husbandry, and no impulse buys!

Things looking better today in the tank too, Hammer has been moved up a bit and seems to be opening a bit better, Palys opening up again and Xenia pulsing nicely too. White Polyp Finger opening in places, should be right out on next change I hope.
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Yes, the kids are really getting into Christmas this year. They started to get it last year, but it’s a lot fun this year.

Like you said on the tank, it’s all about time. I don’t really have any other hobbies, but making time for even the one is really hard. Kids are very time consuming...in a good way.

My kids love the fish...especially one of them. He’s allergic to other pets, so it’s really nice for him. It’s a big part of why I do it.
 

melvis

Well-Known Member
Things seemed to be going ok, bigger water changes being done and more attention being paid to husbandry - or so I thought!

Loads of brownish-green fluff like algae all over the glass and corals receding in places prompted me to investigate further over the weekend. Appears that my bag of CPE has almost disintegrated and the purigen one was developing a few major holes. Checked my app and it said I'd changed them out in December so I was pretty much on course for the 90 day swap out, but thanks to an app crash a while back, I'd not re-entered the data properly. Turns out I'm about 9 months out and that's probably why things are going south, rapidly!

Mad dash to LFS before they closed and grabbed some new media, media bags and floss and have replaced all of this tonight, along with a 20% (or so) WC. Added some more Seachem Matrix, this time in a mesh bag, some phosguard instead of phosnet and just purigen. I've left out the CPE until I can run some tests tomorrow and over next few days to see where things are at. Plus, I've still got to get out what I think is sitting in bottom of sump - couldn't see if I got it all earlier or not.

Lighting schedule has been another thing that slipped by without getting changed, so I'm busy reading up on different timings, methods etc and seeing what the best option is for my Steve's LEDs. Got to get the dimmers right as well, as perhaps this isn't helping. I'm thinking of the following:

- Blue aqua ray strip on for 30 mins at 10:30am
- Sunrise of 2.5 hours until 1pm
- Daytime of 4 hours at 70% until 5pm
- Sunset of 2.5 hours until 7:30pm
- Blue aqua ray strip on for 60 mins until 8:30pm
- 1% blues for 60 mins

Can I put the Steve's LEDs on a timer, so that the power to the PSU comes on say 30 mins before any lights come on? My only reason is that the fan is quite loud and I'd like to reduce some ear ache - from the tank and the other half!

Cheers
 

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
Putting the power supply on a timer is definitely the least expensive option to get full control of the fans when they aren't being used at night.

Be sure you photo-period is about 12 hours, however most people run around 14 hours, which includes a 90 minute sunrise/sunset.

-Jeff
 

melvis

Well-Known Member
Thanks Jeff - why I've never done that until now defies belief lol. The missus always moans about the noise from the fans at night so this'll keep her happy. Until she realises that the skimmer makes a racket that the fans drowned out lol!!!

OK, so 12 hours is the key. I'll take a look at timings again. Thanks!
 

melvis

Well-Known Member
It's all good though Jeff. I guess we put up with the nagging that we do for the love of our tanks. But, I do believe we give it back in our own subtle way... ;-)

Have tweaked the lighting schedule for now, they come on at 10 with a 1.5 hour fade, going off at 10 with a 1.5 hour fade - so 12 hours in total. Aquaray blues are on then for about 30 before I head to bed. I'll see how things work out and then adjust if needs be. Whites are set to 70% and blues at about 62% at the mo, so that may change.

Dimmers...still struggling with the right balance there, but the way they're set right now looks great - although maybe a tad purple. It reckon splitting an atom is easier than getting the right lighting set up!!!
 

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
Finding the perfect light blend is like trimming sideburns - cut one side a tad too short, so you cut the other side....just a tad to short, then you have to make it even on the other side.... you get the idea.

Just remember, it takes human eyes about 2 weeks to adjust to the new color setting, so once you make a change, give it a couple weeks and try again. If you don't wait that duration, then you will likely pass up your ideal setting on for something you don't like as much. And then you go to the LFS and find that elusive blue and orange bi-color ricordia that you saw at a frag swap once 3 years ago (and have regretted not buying ever since) and need to tweak the blue lights to get the orange to pop and you have to start all over....

As with all things saltwater, it only takes time, money and most importantly - patience! Hey, we could have worse problems amirite?

Jeff
 

melvis

Well-Known Member
New lighting schedule seems to be ok, gave it the recommended time Jeff suggested so will keep an eye on it for a while longer and see if it's right.

Done some testing today as it's been a while, probably shouldn't have been that surprised at the results given the loses and retracting corals of late. A few fluctuations but relatively easy to sort I guess: Phos 0.03, Calc 475, Alk 9.6, Mag 1300, PH 7.8, Sg 1.027.

Nitrate was high at 50ppm, so a 20% WC completed and another two scheduled over next two days. Will then leave over weekend and retest Monday/Tuesday. Partly as I want to see what happens and partly as it's birthday time for my wife, daughter and sister over the weekend and I won't get a chance.

Ammonia showed 0.05 which was odd, so I'll retest that over the next couple of days in the hope that was a misreading. Once I've got water under control and nitrates down, I'll send off for Triton ICP-OES test as I'm not convinced that's the only problem I'm facing. I did think old media was the reason, but I think that's more likely one of them as opposed to THE one.

Trip to LFS for new CUC and replacement frags now on hold...

WC in under 15 mins tonight was a bonus :)
 

melvis

Well-Known Member
Thanks Jeff and I second that! Time thankfully is on my side at the moment so I can give the tank a bit more TLC. Can only assume that the dead spots under main structure maybe the reason, it seems to be a resting ground for all sorts of detritus. That said, I managed to angle the incoming water hose down there last night and blow it about so hoping mechanical filtration picked up a load and I'll blow it off rocks tonight when I do second WC.

That's a good point Pat, didn't think of the mature aspect so must be a duff reading. I'll retest anyway just to be sure. My only thinking was a hangover amount from my Coral Beauty that disappeared - although that was nearly 9 months or so ago. Still wonder what happened to that fish tbh :dunno: - absolutely no sign that it was ever in there. Not even found a scrap of remains or anything of the culprit crab I suspect was/is in there either. Weird!
 

melvis

Well-Known Member
Oh my, it’s been quite a while since I’ve been here and posted.

Needless to say, things got away from me with the tank and I’m plagued with guilt over that. I ended up in ‘maintenance mode’, just doing enough to keep things ticking over to be honest. A long overdue house move a couple of months ago was the catalyst to sort things once and for all. My friend’s LFS kindly took my two tank bred clowns and some hardy corals off my hands with a promise to rehouse in a good home.

He gave me some advice regarding the live rock, telling me to keep it moving and heated so as to avoid die off and give me a good chance of reusing it when I finally get up and running again. Sadly and annoyingly, I only managed this after tearing the tank down in the old house. After moving and the stresses that go with that, the live rock got forgotten for about 5 days and when I came to sort it, the stench was unbearable and the water slimey. I was furious and gutted and can’t bear to look in that corner of the garage.

I’m planning a rebuild once I figure out what to do with the dead rock, as I’m reading all sorts. If anyone has any advice on how I ‘clean’ it I’d be extremely grateful.

I’ll also be finally sorting out the trim, cable management and all the past bits I was unhappy with, including the aquascape and properly planning corals and fish stock. I’ve a much better location now, one where light pollution is almost non-existent and people can enjoy the tank more.

I’m guessing my test kits have expired so no doubt some more costs required to set things up again, including live sand and other bits.

Looking forward to planning and researching whilst I sort the rock out, oh and cleaning the tank so it’s like new!

Happy reefing all.

melvis
 
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