Gablami's Reefer 525 Build
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Edgar Sandoval
Supporting Member
RandyC
Supporting Member
You can plumb my 250 to yours once I upgrade @Edgar Sandoval . 
Edgar Sandoval
Supporting Member
I was originally looking for a 100gallon tank but I saw the reefer 250 at aquatic collection and thought it was big enough. I was wrongYou can plumb my 250 to yours once I upgrade @Edgar Sandoval .
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Edgar Sandoval
Supporting Member
In the Meantime take care of my future tank [emoji23]
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Last Friday I saw ich on my powder blue in the QT tank. I figured, oh, the new gobies I put in the QT probably were carrying ich, and I need to TTM everything. I put them into a TTM tank and break down the QT tank.
Then Saturday I get home from CFM and I see ich on my achilles in the DT. And I go "oh f*ck." I use the DT water for changing water in my QT. A couple weeks ago I had put in a leopard wrasse into the DT after being in QT for 2 weeks after 2 TTM transfers instead of the usual 4. I was probably over confident, and didn't want to kill the leopard. Well I sure learned my lesson.
So I've got a few choices: do nothing, treat with chloroquine phosphate, ttm the whole tank and go fallow for 72 days.
Decided to go for it and treat all the fish. Matt "the fish guy" was kinda enough to loan me two 40g breeders. And I bought a used 67g starfire rimless tank with stand and sump for a pretty good deal and picked it up (future fish holding tank after TTM).
Sunday, morning setup the 40g with water, and repaired the plumbing on the new tank (Durso drain). Then took a deep breath and spent 3 hours catching almost all the fish (about 20). Had to break up my rock work, which was kinda heartbreaking. Got all but 3, which I will get tomorrow morning (sand-dwellers that sleep early).
This morning got the new tank wet, and used a large bottle of Dr. Tims to soak my old marine pure block that had been sitting dry in my garage for a few months. Also had 5 liters of brand new siporax that I stacked with it. After soaking, placed it in the tank.
I used Dr. Tims ammonium chloride, kindly given to me by @scuzy, to start my cycle with 50 drops, which should have put me in the ballpark of around 2mg/L and went off to work.
Tonight, about 12 hours later, the ammonia is nearly all gone, the nitrite is 0.1 and my nitrate is 0.75:
I dosed another 20 drops of ammonia just to keep feeding the bacteria, but man, way faster than the first time around. Almost an instant cycle. Will never do a dead shrimp cycle again. This is so much easier and less smelly. I think soaking the media in the bacteria solution helped, and using the big $60 bottle of Dr. Tims.
Gotta thank @scuzy, for the clutch ammonia and a loaner bubble magus curve 5, @RandyC for a neotherm heater, and @roostertech for a powerhead. @robert4025 was also very helpful with advice getting the plumbing fixed up.
Last couple days have been pretty painful. But at least I have a good plan that I think will work. Will need to TTM 5 times instead of 4, since I haven't caught all the fish yet. The rodi and my water mixing station are working nonstop. Got lots of extra salt.
But I hope that my bad experience can help some of you out there. I was super diligent when I started, but got lax as time went on and I never saw any disease. You hear about how some people don't TTM or QT, and you start thinking that the boogeyman ain't so scary. And then your prize fish gets ich and starts scratching on the sand.
Anyways, I'll be documenting how things go here. Hopefully I don't mess up and contaminate the new tank, or kill all the fish somehow. And hopefully my corals do ok without fish. And hopefully I can catch the last 3 fish tomorrow morning. Lots of hoping...
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Then Saturday I get home from CFM and I see ich on my achilles in the DT. And I go "oh f*ck." I use the DT water for changing water in my QT. A couple weeks ago I had put in a leopard wrasse into the DT after being in QT for 2 weeks after 2 TTM transfers instead of the usual 4. I was probably over confident, and didn't want to kill the leopard. Well I sure learned my lesson.
So I've got a few choices: do nothing, treat with chloroquine phosphate, ttm the whole tank and go fallow for 72 days.
Decided to go for it and treat all the fish. Matt "the fish guy" was kinda enough to loan me two 40g breeders. And I bought a used 67g starfire rimless tank with stand and sump for a pretty good deal and picked it up (future fish holding tank after TTM).
Sunday, morning setup the 40g with water, and repaired the plumbing on the new tank (Durso drain). Then took a deep breath and spent 3 hours catching almost all the fish (about 20). Had to break up my rock work, which was kinda heartbreaking. Got all but 3, which I will get tomorrow morning (sand-dwellers that sleep early).
This morning got the new tank wet, and used a large bottle of Dr. Tims to soak my old marine pure block that had been sitting dry in my garage for a few months. Also had 5 liters of brand new siporax that I stacked with it. After soaking, placed it in the tank.
I used Dr. Tims ammonium chloride, kindly given to me by @scuzy, to start my cycle with 50 drops, which should have put me in the ballpark of around 2mg/L and went off to work.
Tonight, about 12 hours later, the ammonia is nearly all gone, the nitrite is 0.1 and my nitrate is 0.75:
I dosed another 20 drops of ammonia just to keep feeding the bacteria, but man, way faster than the first time around. Almost an instant cycle. Will never do a dead shrimp cycle again. This is so much easier and less smelly. I think soaking the media in the bacteria solution helped, and using the big $60 bottle of Dr. Tims.
Gotta thank @scuzy, for the clutch ammonia and a loaner bubble magus curve 5, @RandyC for a neotherm heater, and @roostertech for a powerhead. @robert4025 was also very helpful with advice getting the plumbing fixed up.
Last couple days have been pretty painful. But at least I have a good plan that I think will work. Will need to TTM 5 times instead of 4, since I haven't caught all the fish yet. The rodi and my water mixing station are working nonstop. Got lots of extra salt.
But I hope that my bad experience can help some of you out there. I was super diligent when I started, but got lax as time went on and I never saw any disease. You hear about how some people don't TTM or QT, and you start thinking that the boogeyman ain't so scary. And then your prize fish gets ich and starts scratching on the sand.
Anyways, I'll be documenting how things go here. Hopefully I don't mess up and contaminate the new tank, or kill all the fish somehow. And hopefully my corals do ok without fish. And hopefully I can catch the last 3 fish tomorrow morning. Lots of hoping...
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Wlachnit
Past President
Thanks for sharing what is a painful experience. I have been there. I had several bins and tanks going at the same time. From my own experience, your coral should be fine with no fish. I usually don't feed coral, but I did when the tank was fallow.
Btw, IMHO, you made the right choice.
Btw, IMHO, you made the right choice.
First casualty. 20 fish in a 40g tank. Even without feeding can give off a good amount of ammonia. And since I'm dosing prime test kits are not helpful (I don't believe). Anyways, he was floating around barely alive, and I put him out of his misery. Today is day 3 and I'm doing the first transfer. Caught all the fish except for a leopard wrasse. Those burying wrasses are super hard to catch.
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jepoy
Guest
First casualty. 20 fish in a 40g tank. Even without feeding can give off a good amount of ammonia. And since I'm dosing prime test kits are not helpful (I don't believe). Anyways, he was floating around barely alive, and I put him out of his misery. Today is day 3 and I'm doing the first transfer. Caught all the fish except for a leopard wrasse. Those burying wrasses are super hard to catch.
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Sorry, man. [emoji853]
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Wlachnit
Past President
Sorry to hear that. Go get some tote bins from Home Depot. I agree that that is probably too many fish for a 40. Go get some tote bins from Home Depot. When this happened to me I had multiple bins and tanks set up to spread the bioload. It was definitely a pain to change out four tanks every 3 days (and a lot of salt), but it worked. If you weren't so far, I would be happy to lend you some 20g tanks and bins.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, I think the seachem ammonia tests for free ammonia. This is the test at uses these little reusable dots that change color.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, I think the seachem ammonia tests for free ammonia. This is the test at uses these little reusable dots that change color.
Thanks guys. I'd rather do more frequent water changes than have a bunch of different tanks. This is taking over my living room and using up all my time!
I did not feed first day, fed a couple pinches of pellets the second day, and fed a cube of mysis this morning with twice daily dosing of prime.
My 65g rodi and 65g mixing station are keeping up. I can even change 50% water daily without much trouble. Will probably start doing that. Gonna do first transfer tonight and hopefully catch that darn leopard. If I can't catch it tonight will probably leave him alone and ttm him separately once I catch him. Fallow period timer will start once the leopard is gone.
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I did not feed first day, fed a couple pinches of pellets the second day, and fed a cube of mysis this morning with twice daily dosing of prime.
My 65g rodi and 65g mixing station are keeping up. I can even change 50% water daily without much trouble. Will probably start doing that. Gonna do first transfer tonight and hopefully catch that darn leopard. If I can't catch it tonight will probably leave him alone and ttm him separately once I catch him. Fallow period timer will start once the leopard is gone.
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Vhuang168
Guest
That sucks.
When I was contemplating ttming my whole tank, I was going to do it in stages and put finished fish in a 100g holding tank. Just a trough with rock from my rock holding bin with bottles of Dr Tim's thrown in.
My Desjardini alone would take up a 20g by itself. No way I'd be able to ttm all the fish at the same time.
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When I was contemplating ttming my whole tank, I was going to do it in stages and put finished fish in a 100g holding tank. Just a trough with rock from my rock holding bin with bottles of Dr Tim's thrown in.
My Desjardini alone would take up a 20g by itself. No way I'd be able to ttm all the fish at the same time.
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Vincent, that's a great idea. I should have done that. Shoot.
But now that I have them all in a tank already, I am loathe to put some back into the display and catch them again when I'm ready.
I think I'm gonna go ahead with my plan and try my best.
But good to know for next time. Hopefully there is no next time.
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But now that I have them all in a tank already, I am loathe to put some back into the display and catch them again when I'm ready.
I think I'm gonna go ahead with my plan and try my best.
But good to know for next time. Hopefully there is no next time.
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Edgar Sandoval
Supporting Member
I have some Chloroquine Phosphate if u ever need it
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