Clint's 220 mixed reef

[Wolffman64]

CD -- We've all had the ugly stage :idea:. It takes time to get through it.... Your tank is on the right track and a great sized tank - lots of possibilities!

Here was my aiptasia infestation! :lookaroun Can you image tackling this!

Jeez Oxy, you must have been bricking yourself!!! How long did that take to get rid of?

 

[Clint24]

Thanks wolffman. 6ft long x 2ft deep & 30inches high. Plenty big enough for me, atleast for awhile!! Tank me a long time to fill it up & let it all grow together & look nice, but gotta start somewhere!!!

Yes ich sucks!!!!!


CD

 

[Oxylebius]

Months! prob about 5 months or so, b/c I didn't want mass extinction and mini-cycle due to all the dying/dead anemones. I actually went out and bought lots of peppermint shrimp, ended up with different species that didn't care about the aiptasia and only cared to fight with each other over territory. Go figure. Researched and found out there are several species sold as "peppermint shrimp", so finally got the right type. It helped with the little aips, but those large aips were bigger than the shrimp, the shrimp was not going to go for 'em. To tell the truth still got aips hanging around now. Every 6 months or so I go in and start a killing spree again. I gave up fighting the fight, still have the pep that I watch trying to go for them, digs after them in holes, but I have very porous rock and the pep can't reach the aips if they pull in.

Also agree, ich sucks. At least I can live with aips.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

nice additions ! your 1st pic, looks more like a torch (love them) than a frogspawn (I have both ) but he may be a frogspawn... hard to tell for me for sure...

see what others think... a torch will enjoy some target feeding, a frogspawn needs little

 

[Clint24]

Well Glenn, that's what I thought too. Either way it was a good deal, so I picked it up.

So I just ordered a dual GFO & carbon reactor with media from BRS. Hopefully it will assist in getting this GHA under control in my DT. Never ordered from this company before or ever used this kinda equipment on my tank so we will see what happens!! Guess it can't hurt....right!!!


CD

 

[goma]

BRS is a great company and those reactors work well, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Clint24]

Thanks Greg. I've read a lot about them throughout these forums so I figured that says a lot about a company!!


CD

 

[Clint24]

I would also take any input/advise on a DIY project I've been thinkin about.

......well I can't figure out how to transport pics on this app, but if you look at the top of my thread you can see the pic of my filter if need be....

I have an old sump, water enters on the left side (don't worry I have already removed all the bio media from this part as it has been said to be a nitrate factory). It was designed to use the old trickle tray with felt pads above the old style bio balls & media.
My project consists of tryin to build a bracket to that will hold 2-4 inch filter socks. The sump has a ledge all the way around the top to hold the old trickle tray, so I was thinking of getting some plexy glass cut to size, & cutting out the two 4inch holes for the socks ( or might just use the old trickle tray because it's already one step ahead & I have on hand ). My set back is that if I cut a 4inch hole out, what can I use to support the filter socks so that they don't just fall to the bottom of compartment????
Any suggestions would be great!!


CD

 

[Clint24]

Update:

Well I recieved a few more crabs from reef cleaners to help battle my GHA & to my suprise there was a little emerald crab ( about the size of a dime) that arrived with them. Also a bag of Copepods for my refugium. I didn't order either so I don't know if it was a mistake or a kind jester or a mistake but was a nice surprise!!
Also I should be recieving my media reactor from BRS on Monday, so hopefully can get it up & runnin.

And my little toadstool leather became MIA. Must be behind the rocks somewhere! ;(

Water test good ( with API test kits) but have ordered news salifert test kits to double check.


CD

 

[puffermike]

Nice Frogspawn! I love how huge the tank is! As far as the issue with GHA may I ask how long you have your metal halides on for? I use to have a lot of issues with algae when I had my lights on for long periods of time. I cut them back a good bit and all of my algae problems disappeared. I also run Chemi Pure Elite and Purigen on my system but cutting down how long the lights were on helped the most.

I'm glad that my Ich problem only hit my 110g downstairs. I lost a lot of my fish even with a QT tank setup so I feel your pain! All the water parameters were great except for that parasite. So, I QTd the survivors and left the tank naked for 2 months to kill the ich but it returned so I just took the system down. I finally just moved all of the survivors to my reef. It's stuffed to the gills for now but it won't be for long.

 

[Clint24]

Thanks PM!! I replaced the bulbs a couple of months ago & they r only on for 6 hrs a day. I'm scared to go less than that. Thoughts?? I'm setting up a dual media chamber hopefully on Monday. I just ordered it from BRS. C if that helps.
Yes, ich sucks. My tank was fallow, seemed like forever after the outbreak. Still keep a close eye on it, hoping it doesn't return.


CD

 

[Clint24]

I traded some of my soft colt corals with a friend in town here & acquired these ones!!!

couple of green plates.

a big rock covered in shrooms.


CD

 

[Clint24]

Meanwhile taking those pics the ups truck showed up with this......

I'm pretty excited to get this all up and runnin.

Gonna change my sump to use filter socks & add this dual reactor to my system!! Hopefully I will start to beat this GHA I have going on.




CD

 

[goma]

Those reactors are great. Be careful and only use the recommended amount (or less) of GFO so you don't strip the water and make it too clean.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator#5

 

[puffermike]

Thanks PM!! I replaced the bulbs a couple of months ago & they r only on for 6 hrs a day. I'm scared to go less than that. Thoughts?? I'm setting up a dual media chamber hopefully on Monday. I just ordered it from BRS. C if that helps.
Yes, ich sucks. My tank was fallow, seemed like forever after the outbreak. Still keep a close eye on it, hoping it doesn't return.




CD

Hmm... You'll have to see how that dual reactor goes. Six hours is already cutting it pretty low yeah. If anything you could try to raise the light up a bit and see how it effects things. You could also try upping the flow. I don't know how much you have but you need a lot for a tank that size!

Have fun setting up your new toys.

 

[Clint24]

Hmm... You'll have to see how that dual reactor goes. Six hours is already cutting it pretty low yeah. If anything you could try to raise the light up a bit and see how it effects things. You could also try upping the flow. I don't know how much you have but you need a lot for a tank that size!

Have fun setting up your new toys.

Thanks for the suggestions PM. On my sump I have 2 external Japanese pumps that move about 900gph( rated at 1100, but have 6' head pressure ). In the tank, I have 2 hydor power heads on a wave maker system( 3250 gph, one at each end of tank & alternate every 15 min). Then a rio power head to move water behind my rocks. I do have a lot of movement, sometimes I think to much!! .
I will see what the reactor does & might experiment with the lights. Thanks again.


CD

 

[sirrealism]

So I have read your thread. I to keep large tanks and have been for 20 years so I think I can help you. Mind you what I am going to tell you is just my opinion and what I found that worked for me. First where do you get your water from? Make sure you have 0TDS water to start with. This is the most important thing and so many over look it. Next i see your getting new test kits. Thats great because the API tests work ok but when your trying to find a problem they are not detailed enough. The next issue I see and this is once again just my opinion is you have to much rock and its piled to tight. You cant get flow through the rocks when they are so tight. I used to think the more rock the better but I have learned this not to be true. I know you think you have enough flow but the truth is you want to turn your water over 50 times an hour"100 for SPS" so with a 220g you would want 11000 gph in flow and with the rocks so tight your not getting the flow where you need it. Its hard to see from the pics but it looks like your GHA is between the rocks. Next i read you removed the bio media from the sump. Good move. running the filter pads are fine you dont need to switch to socks but you do need to clean or replace the pads daily. Letting them go for a week will do the same thing as the bio media did and become N03 problems. Next you bought a pair of BRS reactors. Great they are good products to have. When you run the GFO make sure its not tumbling. it will crush and dump into your system and make a mess "I did this" When you get your new test kits post all your numbers. The next thing I see is your keeping your salt level at 1022. This is to low for most any corals. A reef runs at 1026 but 1025 is ok. slowly raise your salt up to 1026 and your corals will thank you. Next get your self some kind of actinic lighting. Dont really care what but maybe a T5 6' 2bulb or blue LEDs something to run more hours per day for you to enjoy the tank more but not having the 3 250s on. so that you can cut back the MH even more. The extra light is just for veiwing and not really for growing. Plus you will love how the blue light makes your corals and fish look. Just makes them pop. With the small amount of coral you have and the fact that they are all low light corals 3 hours per day is enough for them to get the light they need for food as long as you have some other light on there. Now like I said all of this is just my opinion and its what I would do if it was mine Happy Reefing and I will fallow along

 

[Ratpack]

Looking like a great start. Be very careful with that rock of mushrooms. I have the same kind and I have to keep them isolated from the main rockwork, they spread like wildfire.

 

[Clint24]

Sirrealism
Thank you for the great advise. I wondered if I had to much rock, (I might remove some)... and for that reason I have a rio 2500 pump(rated at 782 gph) hooked to 3/4 PVC in a tee formation that moves water through my rock from behind. The pics aren't good (taken with a phone) but my GHA is more on the rocks than between them. I did end up changing to socks in my sump & goodness they get dirty( think that was a good move). That is good info about the GFO. How much tumbling do I look for? I will work on raising my salt. As far as lighting... In my fixture it has two 5'-t12 vho actinic bulbs. I will run them longer & shorten the MH. Thank you so much for the advice. I will post my test results later for all to see & assist me.


Thanks ratpack....I was wondering that, therefor I have them up top so I can remove if need be.


CD

 

[sirrealism]

One more thing. How old are the T12s? Old bulbs can and will cause GHA. I thing I read that the MH bulbs where new. As far as removing rock if its got the flow between them and spaces like you said it might not be the problem. Get the GFO up and running but dont expect it to go away quick. it will still take a month or so. if you really want it gone then get a sea hare. it will mow it down fast. the problem is that when its gone the sea hare starves. I have never understood why A LFS didnt just rent sea hares out to people with GHA problems.