Willie’s Last Aquarium Build

[Kensington Reefer]

I even fail sometimes. I got screwed on a glass aquarium a while ago. So I figured I would try to reseal it. My surface wasn’t perfectly flat. Moved it around and a panel fell out. Well S happens.View attachment 69615
So much for expanding my sump space.

At least it wasn’t full of water
Hope you had shoes on
Careful with that clean up
Positive vibrations

 

[Turkeysammich]

Let’s see. What has happened ???
I got a bug up my arse to move the aquarium to the shed. I wanted to add an extra natural filtration of live rock.

My design is an entry on the lower left side. The live rock is elevated about 2” above the aquarium floor, exit is the top right side. Hopefully it will work.

Here is the thread where I asked for help to move Da Monsta.

Big Ask…. 320 Aquarium Move.

If anyone has suction cups please bring them. I have 4 big ones. But more the better

www.bareefers.org

I said it before but I can’t even begin to convey how much I appreciate everyone that helped me in this hobby and move. From people who gave me or helped me - equipment, rocks, coral, manual labor, knowledge, support and BAR. I Thank You. This is truly a great club.

It took 4 days of filling on and off for 400 gallons. It’s finally filled and cycling.
Oh…. My Fat Butt broke one of the center braces. I was laying on it. Lol. Don’t do that. It’s fixed tho. Nothing that some bubble gum and duck tape can’t fix.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Look what I built today. I must say. It’s kinda cool.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

Finally a decent picture!

 

[Turkeysammich]

Well. It’s been a while since the last update. Unfortunately it’s been all bad. Tank transfer was a horrible failure. I seasoned the 300 gallon tub for 3 weeks. Made the move over with same water ,rocks , live stock. Everything was going well until it wasn’t. 3 weeks in I noticed fish and corals were dying. I made the decision to move everything into the DT even tho it wasn’t ready. I know my DT and the workings of it. Well I thought I did. Everything Crashed. Almost all the sps and fish died. I some how crashed the bio. Dunno how but I did. I always think there’s something in the water/ rocks that eat ick/ velvet. Not like this tho. It was really sad. I caught all the fish out and qt but very few made it. At this point I was going to quit except for I just build the shed and everything is in its forever home.
In the 25 years that I have been reefing. This is the only second time I’ve ever gone fallow. I’m half way through but I’ll probably wait until December for fish and the New Year for harder sps. It’s gotta find its Feet before I can move forward. The funny thing is. All my other corals are fine. Well. Whatever’s.
Here’s some pictures.
55 is QT.
168 is fowlr
35 lagoon is rdsb
90 cube is ambient cryptic sump
Sump is frag tank, skimmer, return.
320 is main DT.

 

[MichaelB]

Sorry to here that sir, I know the feeling of total fish wipes having the misfortune of experienced this previously in 3 separate tanks. I will encourage you to stick with it, crap happens and often by the time we know there is a problem I've found it's already just about to late.

Your setup I must say is over the top and well put together. You have so much equipment half of which I can only guess at it's intended purpose.

 

[CaseyP]

Damn sorry to hear. Did the fish exhibit any symptoms or show diseases signs? It almost sounds like some other kind of poisoning if fish and coral were affected. Or like you mentioned the biome crashed and couldn't handle the fish load.

 

[PizzaOven]

Sorry to hear about your issues. Your system looks amazing nonetheless! Are you dosing vodka or is something else in those containers?

 

[Turkeysammich]

Honestly I don’t know what it was. No spots on the body. Fish were light sensitive, cloudy eyes. Then dead.
Strange thing is. All softies, LPS, snails , clams are all fine.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Sorry to hear about your issues. Your system looks amazing nonetheless! Are you dosing vodka or is something else in those containers?

Yes. I dose. Vodka for nitrates, lanthium for phosphate, magnesium, maganese, TM part C , esv alk as a backup in case the calcium reactor craps. I use to run Kalk a lot but trying something different.
Vodka and lanthium are adjusted to N and P test. Usually when I get it dialed. It’s pretty flat.

 

[Turkeysammich]

This is a junk frag of my WD. I had to chop it up and remount it. It use to be hella bushy. Now it’s just meh. So I’m thinking there’s something funky. Or just time. Yeah. Did hella WC and ran a bunch of carbon. To the point of probably too much carbon. So gonna let the aquarium do its thing.

 

[MichaelB]

Did you check for ammonia by chance? That's how my fished looked in stock tank when they all died after newer dry rock was added with older rock. I had a big ammonia spike and didn't know it until I checked water same day the fish all died. They had cloudy eyes.

 

[Darkxerox]

The home cryptocaryon/velvet kit isn't out yet but it might be worth doing a qPCR test: https://www.dxaquaria.com/shop/

 

[Turkeysammich]

Did you check for ammonia by chance? That's how my fished looked in stock tank when they all died after newer dry rock was added with older rock. I had a big ammonia spike and didn't know it until I checked water same day the fish all died. They had cloudy eyes.

Yes. I checked everything daily. I just have to let it run its course and do what it’s gonna do.

 

[Turkeysammich]

The home cryptocaryon/velvet kit isn't out yet but it might be worth doing a qPCR test: https://www.dxaquaria.com/shop/

Yes. I seen that. I’m pretty excited about that. Game changer for sure.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

You know you have my empathy
We keep on…

 

[Alexander1312]

The unfortunate thing is that when things like that happen, we often do not know what was the reason. Specifically if someone as experienced as Will who did everything right had this happened to him at such a large scale. Maybe a a faulty ammonia checker/reagent etc? I have no idea what the reason could be just giving an example of something tiny that might had these massive implications.

I recognize that analyzing this post mortem does not seem to be something to do when dealing with the fallout but there is massive learning potential for a lot of of others which at least can put some purpose to these type of accidents.

Very sorry this happened .

 

[iani]

Let me know when you are ready for some sps. I can frag a bunch of stuff for you.

 

[PjFish]

Yes. I seen that. I’m pretty excited about that. Game changer for sure.

Your fish Shangri-La looks amazing man! Looks like a cool place to pop a cot overnight!! Sorry about the crash been their recently! Besides way to soon to think about tossing a towel..
You think LFS will consider using this new test or the major importers? Definitely a game changer looking at the big picture!!

 

[Turkeysammich]

The unfortunate thing is that when things like that happen, we often do not know what was the reason. Specifically if someone as experienced as Will who did everything right had this happened to him at such a large scale. Maybe a a faulty ammonia checker/reagent etc? I have no idea what the reason could be just giving an example of something tiny that might had these massive implications.

I recognize that analyzing this post mortem does not seem to be something to do when dealing with the fallout but there is massive learning potential for a lot of of others which at least can put some purpose to these type of accidents.

Very sorry this happened .

Thanks Alexander. Yeah. I’ve been running it thru my head for months. The only thing I can think of is that it wasn’t one thing but multiple things all happening at once. While we always try to think of one solution. It could have been a chain of events to cause a chain reaction. Like Sanjay’s aquarium crash. The snow ball effect.

Let me know when you are ready for some sps. I can frag a bunch of stuff for you.

Thanks Ian. I hope all is well. I appreciate it. Gonna be a slow process. I gotta get polyp extension out of the coral now before I think I can move on.

Your fish Shangri-La looks amazing man! Looks like a cool place to pop a cot overnight!! Sorry about the crash been their recently! Besides way to soon to think about tossing a towel..
You think LFS will consider using this new test or the major importers? Definitely a game changer looking at the big picture!!

I think it’s for more personal use as LFS all run copper except Neptune. They are the only ones that what you see is what you get. I always believed that 99% of people have ick of some sort. If the test really works. It’s gonna be an eye opener.