Jestersix

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I took some rocks from the frag system and put them in the sump. I doubt it’s going to do much at this point. My frag system has its own problems but a rock from that system better than nothing I guess. I’ve kinda hit my wits end so I’m just going to let the tank coast for a bit. View attachment 44082

Up to you. Life is weird. Reefing is weird. Some problems we just can’t explain because not enough money to be made to put into real reefing R&D.

But, I’d just consider this a relatively low risk Hail Mary attempt. May help, may not help. I’d tell you I have no pests (which I really do believe), but that’s akin to every prisoner saying they’re innocent. :)
 
Up to you. Life is weird. Reefing is weird. Some problems we just can’t explain because not enough money to be made to put into real reefing R&D.

But, I’d just consider this a relatively low risk Hail Mary attempt. May help, may not help. I’d tell you I have no pests (which I really do believe), but that’s akin to every prisoner saying they’re innocent. :)
I appreciate it. I have a frag system that has rocks and sand in the sump that have been there a couple years. I added some zoas with their attached rocks (2-3lbs) each to the display from the frag tank as well. Even the zoas are not thriving.

I’ve had this nem from once was legend for 6 months and it has shriveled to the size of my thumb and stayed that way since day one.

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Maybe it is related to the polyp disease I’m experiencing in the Frag system and it carried over.

My concern is that Ive spent a lot of money with this tank on QTing myself, then tearing it down due to something getting through my qt, then buying new fish and having them QTd. If an outbreak happens and kills my achillies I’m calling it a wrap on the hobby because I don’t have the funds to reboot the tank. So I have been hyper cautious about my introduction. All coral is isolated for 76 days including inverts.

I think my tanks are just not destined to be what I would like.

I also seeded with rocks and sand from Aqua biomics at month 1, 3, and 6. Clearly that didn’t help either.
 
Have you recalibrated your method of measurement for salinity? My sps kept dying until I fixed it and confirmed via ICP and with a 35ppt solution I made. Noticing this being an issue more and more with tanks.
 
Have you recalibrated your method of measurement for salinity? My sps kept dying until I fixed it and confirmed via ICP and with a 35ppt solution I made. Noticing this being an issue more and more with tanks.
I do bi-weekly tests with hand held and monthly ICP. I tend to act like I don’t have a salinity probe on my apex, it’s junk.
 
I do bi-weekly tests with hand held and monthly ICP. I tend to act like I don’t have a salinity probe on my apex, it’s junk.
Well dang, I know you considered bombing the frag tank with a few different antibiotics to hit everything (erythromycin, Cipro, and chemiclean), going to try that here?
 
Well dang, I know you considered bombing the frag tank with a few different antibiotics to hit everything (erythromycin, Cipro, and chemiclean), going to try that here?
I’m not sure yet.

I think what I am going to do a little test and throw a green slimer in a brand new tank with fresh rock and seen what happens. I have the skill to keep an sps tank stable so maybe this will anecdotally atleast tell me this is biome related and not something I can control. Or it fails and I just stop giving a crap haha
 
Test tank frags are still alive and show no signs of stress or necrosis. 10 days in.

I had to remove the elegence coral from the display tank and place it back into the frag system. It has been shrinking slowly over the last two weeks. I’ve had that coral for 3 years, so I hope it starts to recover in the Frag system.

The elegance has an orange substance/sponge maybe growing on the skeleton. It’s had it since I’ve owned it. No idea what it is but it’s started growing up towards where the flesh band use to be and the elegance started receding. Hard to say if there is a connection.


Duncan coral is showing stress signs. I have not moved it yet.
 
Sorry in advance for the meta comment.

I'm not a disease expert or anything but I start to wonder if all this stress we introduce trying to treat our animals ends up doing more harm than good.

We need to provide a place for life to thrive. What that looks like and what's acceptable stress vs not acceptable is a personal decision but more definitely isn't always better.

Systems can be surprisingly resilient if you let them. Similar to how the oldest (and truest imo) secret to accelerating coral growth is keeping your hands out of the f'n tank.
 
Sorry in advance for the meta comment.

I'm not a disease expert or anything but I start to wonder if all this stress we introduce trying to treat our animals ends up doing more harm than good.

We need to provide a place for life to thrive. What that looks like and what's acceptable stress vs not acceptable is a personal decision but more definitely isn't always better.

Systems can be surprisingly resilient if you let them. Similar to how the oldest (and truest imo) secret to accelerating coral growth is keeping your hands out of the f'n tank.
Thanks for the comment. I havent treated this tank with anything. The most I have done in the last 9 months is one water change like 5 months ago. Other than that it has been fuge and yanking cheato out.

Fuge has sponges, feather dusters, and all kinds of life. The dark portion of the sump has rubble with more life. Everything measurable is stable.

I havent cleaned the glass since a week before Christmas, I’m just kinda done with the tank for a bit.
 
12 days in on the test tank.

A frag of the same monti that can’t survive in my display, is showing no signs of stress in a brand new 15 gallon tank with fresh rock.

Crappy pic with no filter, I’ll upload a better one if it makes it to week three. The alk on this tank has swung from 8.5 to 13.4 over the last two weeks.

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21 days and corals are doing much better in the 15 gallon fresh set up that I haven’t touched since I started it other than refilling ATo.

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20lbs of sand and 20lbs of live rock ordered from Tampa live rock.

Going to let it sit in a tote without light for 76 days to ensure ich free then add to the tank. Hopefully it does something.

Any advice for maintaining the biome of the live rock for that 76 days is welcomed.


Coral is still alive in the test tank above. That’s enough success in my opinion that I will start all tanks off in the future with coral at the onset.
 
I would have lots of saltwater ready for die off. Light will be required if you’re trying to keep stuff alive besides bio. There’s a million filter feeders. Some things die fast. So die slow. Besides the mantis shrimps and crabs that need to be removed. Keep an eye out for clams and bi valves. If they die. Try to remove them right away.
Other than that. Look at the rock at night. There’s crazy life. It’s pretty cool.
 
Just hit a full year since the reboot on this tank.

No improvement on the coral front from the frag tank or this tank. I suspect SCTLD is the reason my acros die slowly over many months. Going to switch to LPS soon.

But still a solid view even if I can’t grow much.

 
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