170 Gallon Moonview Library set up
- Thread starter jglackin
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jglackin
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The eggs hatched, the fish, shrimp, and everyone else ate them and the clowns have spawned again and are guarding the eggs. The cycle continues.
As far as my encrusting algae problem, I was able to finally snag the urchin one night, when it was sneaking out away from the crevice where it usually lodges itself, and I moved it to a new area that is covered with this flaky, leathery, encrusting algae and it is going to town on it. This urchin is a algae eating machine. It has already cleared a pretty good amount of this algae that was encrusted in a pretty thick layer. Hopefully I can snag it again and move it somewhere else to do its work.
I still may get at least one more.
As far as my encrusting algae problem, I was able to finally snag the urchin one night, when it was sneaking out away from the crevice where it usually lodges itself, and I moved it to a new area that is covered with this flaky, leathery, encrusting algae and it is going to town on it. This urchin is a algae eating machine. It has already cleared a pretty good amount of this algae that was encrusted in a pretty thick layer. Hopefully I can snag it again and move it somewhere else to do its work.
I still may get at least one more.
jglackin
New member
Here is a pretty low quality FTS. I promise I will get a better one soon.
A couple of updates: I have added a solarensis wrasse, and he is doing great. I was told he would hide for about a week, but he was eating 5 minutes after I added him and was fighting for food from my auto feeder within a couple of hours. He is out and about and only slightly shy. I also got a long spine urchin. He looks great and he is very mobile, which I like. Because he is so prominent, he is a very good conversation piece to non-reefers. It has spent most of its time cruising the glass, not the rock. I got the urchin, the wrasse and a couple of colonies and some frags from Sho Tank. Great prices and great service.
I also added a Tunze 6201 to the tank. So, now I have 4 6055s, a wave box, and a 6201. I also have a koralia that I have stuck down behind the rock work (shown up in the middle in the picture), but I am not sure that I really need it. I have all of the tunzes on 1 controller, via my Aquacontroller III Pro, and I think I have finally dialed in a pretty good wave program. I have 2 of the 6055s synched with the wavebox and the 6201 and 2 of the 6055s synched opposite the wavebox. The result is a pretty aggressive rocking action that has a nice back and forth surge going on in the tank. I'll post a video.
I also believe that I have my Alk and Cal dialed in. I was not dosing magnesium because I added dolomite to my reactor, plus there is mg in the ARM, so I figured I was good. It turns out that adding dolomite to your reactor does nothing but take up room. Calcium in the ARM will dissolve into the water column at 6.5 pH, but mg will not dissolve fully at 6.5 pH, so if any does get released from the dolomite and the ARM, it simply precipitates and does nothing. I added mg and the alk and the cal stabilized and seem to be dialed in nicely.
I will post a better picture next weekend.
A couple of updates: I have added a solarensis wrasse, and he is doing great. I was told he would hide for about a week, but he was eating 5 minutes after I added him and was fighting for food from my auto feeder within a couple of hours. He is out and about and only slightly shy. I also got a long spine urchin. He looks great and he is very mobile, which I like. Because he is so prominent, he is a very good conversation piece to non-reefers. It has spent most of its time cruising the glass, not the rock. I got the urchin, the wrasse and a couple of colonies and some frags from Sho Tank. Great prices and great service.
I also added a Tunze 6201 to the tank. So, now I have 4 6055s, a wave box, and a 6201. I also have a koralia that I have stuck down behind the rock work (shown up in the middle in the picture), but I am not sure that I really need it. I have all of the tunzes on 1 controller, via my Aquacontroller III Pro, and I think I have finally dialed in a pretty good wave program. I have 2 of the 6055s synched with the wavebox and the 6201 and 2 of the 6055s synched opposite the wavebox. The result is a pretty aggressive rocking action that has a nice back and forth surge going on in the tank. I'll post a video.
I also believe that I have my Alk and Cal dialed in. I was not dosing magnesium because I added dolomite to my reactor, plus there is mg in the ARM, so I figured I was good. It turns out that adding dolomite to your reactor does nothing but take up room. Calcium in the ARM will dissolve into the water column at 6.5 pH, but mg will not dissolve fully at 6.5 pH, so if any does get released from the dolomite and the ARM, it simply precipitates and does nothing. I added mg and the alk and the cal stabilized and seem to be dialed in nicely.
I will post a better picture next weekend.
powderbluetangy
New member
wow over a year and a half and thats it?? Maybe you should take care of your tank and get rid of all the gadgets.
NewSchool04
New member
how do you like the Tunze 6201 so far?
I think you need to use the large shuran type media if you are expecting to dissolve dolomite and not turn your Ca media into mush. Have you looked into the ZEO mag media?
Tank is looking good, I'm looking forward to a better pic!
I think you need to use the large shuran type media if you are expecting to dissolve dolomite and not turn your Ca media into mush. Have you looked into the ZEO mag media?
Tank is looking good, I'm looking forward to a better pic!
NewSchool04
New member
Are you joking?
jglackin
New member
Yeah, that's probably a fair assessment. Actually, almost 2 years. I spent the first year and a half screwing around with the lighting. The H series Solaris was just not bright enough for SPS and I kept losing corals or I just couldn't get the growth. They would survive, but not thrive. For the last 6 months, I have not really added anything to the tank. I have wanted to make sure that what I did have was growing and doing well. Now I am back into growth mode.
I will never have enough gadgets.
I will never have enough gadgets.
jglackin
New member
Actually, I am more in the camp with Powderbluetangy, even though I believe his post was likely more geared toward taking a shot at me than trying to give constructive criticism. The tank should look much better, but as I said, I really have suffered through dealing with the H series lighting.
There is a very good string on Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium in the SPS forum, stuck at the top of the forum. From reading the entire thread, I am inclined to believe that the best way to get mg into the water column and be affective is to just add it either through dosing and/or water changes.
Oh, and the 6201 is great. It is the pump out of a wavebox. Roger had me switch out the transformer and he said that I now have a 6201.
NewSchool04
New member
I thought powderbluetangy was out of line. If you don't think so, I'm cool.
I haven't set up the reactor yet but I did power up the AC III. I'm glad I had a buddy that is tech savy over because he got the whole thing up and running. I'm setting up the reactor this week and I have that zeo mag stuff, I thought that was going to be my savior.
I haven't set up the reactor yet but I did power up the AC III. I'm glad I had a buddy that is tech savy over because he got the whole thing up and running. I'm setting up the reactor this week and I have that zeo mag stuff, I thought that was going to be my savior.
NewSchool04
New member
I never add anything for mag so I thought ordering that ZEO stuff was going to help me out!
jglackin
New member
You are going to love the ACIII. I have mine pretty much doing all I need it to do. I added the expansion module and tied in some water sensors so that, if water is sensed under the tank, on the floor, or in the cabinet, I will get an e-mail and a text to my cell phone telling me which sensor is sensing water and the ACIII will shut down the pumps, reactor, Litermeter, etc until I can isolate the leak and correct it. With as much traveling as I do, this is a must.
NewSchool04
New member
I have it set up only as timers now and I can't wait to bring it to the next level. I cleaned out the bottom of my stand, all the wires are organized to the side of the tank, and the Ca reactor is just waiting to get started. I'm going to start a thread with pics, I think you'll be impressed!!
I was looking at those new Tunze pumps, that's why I was asking. I'd love a wave box but I just don't think I can fit one now
I was looking at those new Tunze pumps, that's why I was asking. I'd love a wave box but I just don't think I can fit one now
jglackin
New member
I have two waveboxes. The wavebox works great when you have a clear open space for it to work. If you have rockwork in the way, like you and I do, the wavebox is only minimally useful. I tried it with one and it did ok, but not great. I got the second one to work with the first, but it really didn't get it chugging and, given the amount of space they take up, I decided to take the pump out and just use the pump. I got it used off Ebay.
I dug into my wiring cabinet tonight. It is a mess and I am not sure what I can do about it. I have things zip tied and organized as much as can be done, but it is still a rat nest.
I dug into my wiring cabinet tonight. It is a mess and I am not sure what I can do about it. I have things zip tied and organized as much as can be done, but it is still a rat nest.
NewSchool04
New member
That is what I was thinking about the wave box, I just have too much rock right in front of anyplace I would put it. I was thinking about the nano wave box though and from what I've heard, I could get it to work for the 180. It would take more time dialing it in, but it would work.
jglackin
New member
Yeah, maybe. The key is dialing in the wave action to match the tank. Once you get the ACIII programmed, you will see what I mean. It's kind of like tuning an instrument, once you hit the right resonance, you will rock the waves in your tank. You may not need a wavebox to do that.
I will post a video, sometime this week, showing the back and forth wave action I have going in my tank now. It's pretty impressive. The waves crash over into my overflows, it's kind of hypnotic.
Thanks, Rhizo. I am not one for buying big colonies. I like doing frags and an occassional small colony. It's more rewarding that way.
I will post a video, sometime this week, showing the back and forth wave action I have going in my tank now. It's pretty impressive. The waves crash over into my overflows, it's kind of hypnotic.
Thanks, Rhizo. I am not one for buying big colonies. I like doing frags and an occassional small colony. It's more rewarding that way.
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