Mike and Ashley's 150g reef tank (our first)
- Thread starter WCKDVPR
- Start date
RandyC
Supporting Member
Cheato may have stopped growing due to low nutrients (other than nitrogen). If you're not feeding the tank, you might be missing a sufficient level of phosphates.
I plan to turn off ATO during water changes, but thanks for the reminder in case I missed it.
Not feeding the tank yet, but plan to start tomorrow after checking all water parameters and making sure they are in range. A quick ammonia check was 0.00, not even close to a trace amount on the color comparison. Yeah. Be interested in seeing where phosphates are at regarding the chaeto.
Tomorrow is programming day for the lights, hoping that is fun.
Not feeding the tank yet, but plan to start tomorrow after checking all water parameters and making sure they are in range. A quick ammonia check was 0.00, not even close to a trace amount on the color comparison. Yeah. Be interested in seeing where phosphates are at regarding the chaeto.
Tomorrow is programming day for the lights, hoping that is fun.
Regarding the pH and skimmer relationship you mentioned, this is one of the reasons I follow pH trends. This morning I noticed my pH was lower than usual (8.0) via Apex Fusion, normally is around 8.1 at night and 8.2 during the day. When I went to look at the tank I noticed that the air intake on my skimmer was plugged and the skimmate collector was full of water (not skimmate). It was easily fixed, but I wouldn't have noticed right away if not for the pH being off and Fusion letting me know.
Weekend update.
re water exchange, it is a total of 69 gallons per month, (5.3125 gallons, 3 days per week), with dilution it is only replacing 54 actual gallons of the original water per month. When I filled the tank and sump, it took 180 gallons. (54/180)/100 = 30% water change per month.
Ran all the water parameters.
pH = 7.9 (I had the skimmer off for 2 days due to adding Dr. Tim's)
Sal = 1.025
Alk = 8.1 (only item I have had to dose to maintain, currently manual dosing sodium bicarbonate as Ca is high already, but surely thinking about getting something to auto dose at a much more frequent rate to maintain stability
Phos = 0.00 good call on probably why my chaeto isn't doing anything - I threw in some flake food after water testing and the cleaner shrimp (and zombie snails) went wild. Was cleaning the glass and the cleaner shrimp came over and tried to clean my finger - too funny.
Ca = 524, stable and high, but I am sure adding corals will impact that
Mg = 1290
NO3 = 2.5
Ammonia = 0.00
re water exchange, it is a total of 69 gallons per month, (5.3125 gallons, 3 days per week), with dilution it is only replacing 54 actual gallons of the original water per month. When I filled the tank and sump, it took 180 gallons. (54/180)/100 = 30% water change per month.
Ran all the water parameters.
pH = 7.9 (I had the skimmer off for 2 days due to adding Dr. Tim's)
Sal = 1.025
Alk = 8.1 (only item I have had to dose to maintain, currently manual dosing sodium bicarbonate as Ca is high already, but surely thinking about getting something to auto dose at a much more frequent rate to maintain stability
Phos = 0.00 good call on probably why my chaeto isn't doing anything - I threw in some flake food after water testing and the cleaner shrimp (and zombie snails) went wild. Was cleaning the glass and the cleaner shrimp came over and tried to clean my finger - too funny.
Ca = 524, stable and high, but I am sure adding corals will impact that
Mg = 1290
NO3 = 2.5
Ammonia = 0.00
Coral reefer
Past President
You are clear for lift off
Yup, really exciting.
Got the lights up and running. It isn't as bright as it looks in the picture. Software manual is thin on information, so I don't know how to access some features (like adding moonlight in sync with the actual phase of the moon), but basic lighting/spectrum/output is working. I have a nice ramp from blue to a reddish sunrise to more broad spectrum to higher intensity broad spectrum and then reversing that back down through sunset to blue. Also for fun I have it progress across the tank, so sunrise and sunset each take about 30 minutes, with a 10 minute spread from left to right across the tank. Only have peak mid-day power at 30% output for 3 hours right now.
Got the lights up and running. It isn't as bright as it looks in the picture. Software manual is thin on information, so I don't know how to access some features (like adding moonlight in sync with the actual phase of the moon), but basic lighting/spectrum/output is working. I have a nice ramp from blue to a reddish sunrise to more broad spectrum to higher intensity broad spectrum and then reversing that back down through sunset to blue. Also for fun I have it progress across the tank, so sunrise and sunset each take about 30 minutes, with a 10 minute spread from left to right across the tank. Only have peak mid-day power at 30% output for 3 hours right now.
Thanks. I greatly appreciate all the excellent advice and assistance from BAR members in helping make this a reality. I am very happy with it.
I too can't wait to see it populated! My wife was asking today "how long will it take to have the tank filled with coral?" My reply was "years". That said, I am getting a most generous jump start tomorrow morning................can't wait.
Thanks in advance scuzy for sending the project.
Off to grab a glass of wine and watch the sunset happen across the tank.
I too can't wait to see it populated! My wife was asking today "how long will it take to have the tank filled with coral?" My reply was "years". That said, I am getting a most generous jump start tomorrow morning................can't wait.
Thanks in advance scuzy for sending the project.
Off to grab a glass of wine and watch the sunset happen across the tank.
Christmas came early yesterday thanks to Vincent. He brought over all kinds of frags to get me started. How cool is that! Thanks Vincent!
Hammer
Tyree green toadstool
Green hairy rhodactus
Red, green, Idaho grape, and Tyree leng sy montipora
Bird of paradise
Forest fire and German blue digitata
Tricolor tortusa
Tyree ponape birdsnest
Hammer
Tyree green toadstool
Green hairy rhodactus
Red, green, Idaho grape, and Tyree leng sy montipora
Bird of paradise
Forest fire and German blue digitata
Tricolor tortusa
Tyree ponape birdsnest
Coral reefer
Past President
Well...your tank sounds like it will be pretty out of space for corals in...6 months to a year.
Vincent showed me how to dip (Bayer), acclimate, and glue them on. So yes, we dipped and acclimated.
My wife can't wait for them to start growing out. I'm taking that as a good sign.
Everything seems reasonably happy except the German blue (don't see any polyps out yet) and the tricolor only has maybe 5 polyps out at this point. The toadstool, rhodactus, and the hammer are all starting to open up. Forest fire and bird of paradise are just covered in open polyps. Montiopras are getting more intense color than yesterday as well.
I only have the lights ramping to a max of 30% output for 3 hours. 12 hours of total lighting. At what point should I start ramping up output or should I just do it according to the coral behavior? Anyone have a PAR meter I can borrow to see what intensities I have in the tank?
I added another 10 trochus snails in anticipation of an algae apocalypse now that the lights are on.
Starting to do daily measurements until I figure out what needs what with the water parameters now that I have life!
My wife can't wait for them to start growing out. I'm taking that as a good sign.
Everything seems reasonably happy except the German blue (don't see any polyps out yet) and the tricolor only has maybe 5 polyps out at this point. The toadstool, rhodactus, and the hammer are all starting to open up. Forest fire and bird of paradise are just covered in open polyps. Montiopras are getting more intense color than yesterday as well.
I only have the lights ramping to a max of 30% output for 3 hours. 12 hours of total lighting. At what point should I start ramping up output or should I just do it according to the coral behavior? Anyone have a PAR meter I can borrow to see what intensities I have in the tank?
I added another 10 trochus snails in anticipation of an algae apocalypse now that the lights are on.
Starting to do daily measurements until I figure out what needs what with the water parameters now that I have life!
Vhuang168
Guest
I have the Apex par meter you can borrow.
We also have the club par meter.
The German Blue hasn't been happy for a while now, it's been constantly knocked off the frag rack by the Desjardini as it zooms around and I have to pick it back up off the sand so it might take sometime for it to settle down. If not, my resident coral pruner (Desjardini) just snapped off a nice piece you can have.
Watch out for the montis starting to encrust on the rockwork. When they start doing that, they are fully acclimated and starting growth. And they GROW! You may regret having me bring over that many montis yet!
You may not see much PE out of the tricolor tort. Mine usually doesn't have any.
We also have the club par meter.
The German Blue hasn't been happy for a while now, it's been constantly knocked off the frag rack by the Desjardini as it zooms around and I have to pick it back up off the sand so it might take sometime for it to settle down. If not, my resident coral pruner (Desjardini) just snapped off a nice piece you can have.
Watch out for the montis starting to encrust on the rockwork. When they start doing that, they are fully acclimated and starting growth. And they GROW! You may regret having me bring over that many montis yet!
You may not see much PE out of the tricolor tort. Mine usually doesn't have any.
Thanks again!
Be interesting to look at the PAR levels and dial the lights up and down and see what effect that has in real time.
The toadstool continues to open up, though still bent over at a 90 degree angle. Hammer is slowly opening and the rhodactus has at least opened up to double the size it was when we put it in. Just curious, what was the spread on the hammer when it was in your tank? The rhodactus and hammer both really glow under my late evening blue lighting - very cool. Good to know on the German blue and tricolor.
I'll keep a keen eye on the montis for taking over the tank and also let you know when the grape starts turning purple
If they get too large, I would be happy to frag some for the next new guy/girl and keep it going.
Be interesting to look at the PAR levels and dial the lights up and down and see what effect that has in real time.
The toadstool continues to open up, though still bent over at a 90 degree angle. Hammer is slowly opening and the rhodactus has at least opened up to double the size it was when we put it in. Just curious, what was the spread on the hammer when it was in your tank? The rhodactus and hammer both really glow under my late evening blue lighting - very cool. Good to know on the German blue and tricolor.
I'll keep a keen eye on the montis for taking over the tank and also let you know when the grape starts turning purple
If they get too large, I would be happy to frag some for the next new guy/girl and keep it going.
roostertech
Guest
Toadstool, mine are still at 90 degrees angle on days that it doesn't feel like getting up.
Purple grate monti, these guys grow super fast and start going up the rock as much as it grow out. I had to start trimming mine back before it gets into other coral's space. It is kinda messy trying to scrape them off the rock.
Purple grate monti, these guys grow super fast and start going up the rock as much as it grow out. I had to start trimming mine back before it gets into other coral's space. It is kinda messy trying to scrape them off the rock.