Ryan's 70G Tank Journal

[ryanraff]

Update, the refractometer was calibrated properly which means salinity is definitely low. I added as much salt to a 5 gallon bucket that would dissolve as I could and hooked up my auto top off to it.

 

[BleepBloopMunchMunch]

Yeah I tested the refractometer and it was definitely working well. Assuming mine works which I think it does and I just calibrated recently. Sort of felt testing the other parameters wasn’t very relevant until salinity was in check since raising salinity would increase alk and mag

 

[jhuynh]

with ryan's approval, this is his current parameters and would like feedback:
no3 25ppm (salifert)
alk 9.2 (hanna)
cal 430 (salifert)
mag 1020 (salifert)
po4 - over 0.613ppm, making my hanna ulr reader blink.

 

[ryanraff]

Algae blooms appears to be at a slow down, the recent high Po4 rating probably accounted for that. It is now less visible on the glass and rocks.
Shipment from reef cleaners coming in next week will include: 70 Dwarf Ceriths, 13 Nassarius, 25 Florida Ceriths, 18 Nerites, 22 Assorted Hermits, 2 Emerald or Ruby Mithrax Crabs and reef pods.

Current feeding regiment up to date:
Mysis & brine every morning with pellets every other day. Newly introduced mandarin goby appears to be feeding off pods coming off of one coral that was introduced early on (not sure how many are actually in the tank or if any found space free from predation). Introduced cyclopods MWF, however, might switch to live blood worms. May be the easiest thing to keep the mandarin fed on.

Parameters checked by @jhuynh much appreciation and gratitude to him for doing that! Going forward will be updating the feeding pattern to include 1 cube of mysis once daily. draining water and pellet's twice daily. Will bring in the Red Sea SCA-301 65G protein skimmer this weekend set to the lowest setting.

 

[Coral reefer]

Skip the crabs.
Raise mg to 1250-1300
Lower phosphate to .1
Lower alk to 8.5
Otherwise good

 

[ryanraff]

New plan is using a GFO and run it in a separate reactor. @Coral reefer the reason for the crabs is I have some bubble algae I want to get rid of on a particular coral.

 

[Coral reefer]

New plan is using a GFO and run it in a separate reactor. @Coral reefer the reason for the crabs is I have some bubble algae I want to get rid of on a particular coral.

I would manually remove and skip the crabs.

 

[ryanraff]

I would manually remove and skip the crabs.

I'll run with that advice and try using tweezers. Anyone on BAR in need of two emerald / Ruby Mithrax Crabs? (site has guarantee to remove bubble algae)

 

[Coral reefer]

Others will surely disagree with me, but I’ve never had occasion to use a crab and don’t trust them.

 

[NickRoseSN1985]

I'll run with that advice and try using tweezers. Anyone on BAR in need of two emerald / Ruby Mithrax Crabs? (site has guarantee to remove bubble algae)

If they are female you should keep them. Supposedly females don’t go after coral. I have a all female crew for the past year or so and haven’t they haven’t bothered any coral.

 

[ryanraff]

If they are female you should keep them. Supposedly females don’t go after coral. I have a all female crew for the past year or so and haven’t they haven’t bothered any coral.

Not sure if that was you or not, but I was just reading up on a thread a few days ago that was talking about how to sex a crab and somewhere along the lines of an all female crew not going after coral, which really is the main concern for anything new that enters the tank at this point in time. So either we've got more evidence suggesting the same or you're on full assault protecting the narrative lol either way I am game for giving it a try. can always pluck them later.

 

[NickRoseSN1985]

That’s why I said supposedly. It’s working for me right now. But you never know they might change there mind and start to go after coral.

 

[ryanraff]

Refugium in progress: sea lettuce has been put into a section of the sump along with a wave point blade HO LED aquarium light daylight/6500k currently being on 4 hours before the LED's at noon. BRS duel reactor put in with 1/3 GFO and 2/3 Carbon. Tank cleaners package arrived today.

 

[ryanraff]

UPDATE: Shout out all of you who have helped make this tank what it is today. You all know who you are.
Plan on doing a better job updating this, but for now here's some recent pics.

Duncan's shown tons of growth

Lady in Pink & Walt Disney frag

Acan colonies