245 Gallon Michigan Reef Tank
- Thread starter rldcpa
- Start date
rldcpa
New member
Hooked up the Reef Octopus Media Reactor for Carbon and is working well.
Water parameters are still right on.
Thought I had lost a snail and my shrimp but they popped out this morning ( I have not seen the shrimp for a week).
Ordered a few more fish and a few pieces of coral for Thursday.
Also, decided to go with 2 part (3 part with MG) and bought a Bubble-Magnus BM-T01 Dosing Pump which will automatically dose all 3 parts.
I decided against the Calcium reactor as I will have fairly low calcium needs in the short to mid term. Later if it gets too expensive or can't keep up, then I will stop the 2 part and get a reactor.
Still undecided on a Bio Pellet reactor. I am hoping since my fish load will be realatively low that the live rock, skimmer, filter sock and Chaeto can keep nitrate/phosphate levels very low.
Water parameters are still right on.
Thought I had lost a snail and my shrimp but they popped out this morning ( I have not seen the shrimp for a week).
Ordered a few more fish and a few pieces of coral for Thursday.
Also, decided to go with 2 part (3 part with MG) and bought a Bubble-Magnus BM-T01 Dosing Pump which will automatically dose all 3 parts.
I decided against the Calcium reactor as I will have fairly low calcium needs in the short to mid term. Later if it gets too expensive or can't keep up, then I will stop the 2 part and get a reactor.
Still undecided on a Bio Pellet reactor. I am hoping since my fish load will be realatively low that the live rock, skimmer, filter sock and Chaeto can keep nitrate/phosphate levels very low.
rldcpa
New member
Got my Bubble Magus 3 pump doser and now started very light dosing of Magnesium, Calcium and Alkalinity.
I ordered some fish and coral but one jumped out so ordered screening materials from BRS to cover the tank with clear 1/4" netting.
Here are some photo. I need a real cameral instead of the IPhone.
I ordered some fish and coral but one jumped out so ordered screening materials from BRS to cover the tank with clear 1/4" netting.
Here are some photo. I need a real cameral instead of the IPhone.
rldcpa
New member
I tested water today and all was good except Alkalinity has been dropping and calcium is dropping, so I increased dosage using the new Bubble Magus 3 pump doser. This doser is really easy to program and will spread the dose over 24 hours in 24 equal parts.
The fighing conch is cleaning the tank and algae nicely. The Naso Tang is a bit shy if I am in front of the tank but otherwise is always hunting for food. He is doing a nice job also of cleaning algae off the rocks.
The pepermint shrimt seems to come out only at night but the Cleaner Shrimg and Fire Shrimp are more active.
The fish all seem happy with the New Life Spectrum fish food. Its cheap, does not cloud the water and the fish love it.
Got some Chato algae yesterday from Live Aquaria and put it in refugium. I put some on a magnet feeder and the Tang seems to like it too.
Corals all look healthy but want to increase Calcium from about 300 to 425-450. I started the lighting up to about 50% of the LED output as I don't want to bleach the corals and am increasing the lighting a bit each day.
The fighing conch is cleaning the tank and algae nicely. The Naso Tang is a bit shy if I am in front of the tank but otherwise is always hunting for food. He is doing a nice job also of cleaning algae off the rocks.
The pepermint shrimt seems to come out only at night but the Cleaner Shrimg and Fire Shrimp are more active.
The fish all seem happy with the New Life Spectrum fish food. Its cheap, does not cloud the water and the fish love it.
Got some Chato algae yesterday from Live Aquaria and put it in refugium. I put some on a magnet feeder and the Tang seems to like it too.
Corals all look healthy but want to increase Calcium from about 300 to 425-450. I started the lighting up to about 50% of the LED output as I don't want to bleach the corals and am increasing the lighting a bit each day.
rldcpa
New member
Update - Everything is going good with the tank so I ordered a clam, some corals and some more fish. Here are some photo's of a McCosker's Flasher Wrasse, Blue Maxima Clam, and a Firefish Goby . I promise to get a real camera soon as these pictures are lacking.
This is a lousy photo, but this tang has single handedly cleaned almost all the algae in my tank. I suggest every tank get one.
This is a lousy photo, but this tang has single handedly cleaned almost all the algae in my tank. I suggest every tank get one.
DopeCantWin
Active member
How is the Sailfin on the pacing? I've been thinking of getting one for my 210, but I don't want a fish that just paces all the time. I want it happy and grazing like in the wild.
rldcpa
New member
The Yellow Tang is actually more shy then the Salfin Tang. They both are out in the open most of the time and pretty much stay together and graze together. This is actually a Sailfin Tang, Desjardini which is a little nicer looking then the regular Sailfin Tang. This is a juvenile so has more yellow then it will have as an adult.
My tank is still a reef safe, friendly tank. My tank now contains:
FISH:
Sailfin Tang, Desjardini
Yellow Tang
3 Black Bar Chromis
3 Blue Green Chromis
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Pearly Jawfish
Orange Spotted Goby
SHRIMP:
Pepermint Shrimp
Fire Shrimp
Cleaner Shrimp
CORAL:
Branched Montipora Coral, Purple
Birdnest Coral
Scripp's Green Staghorn Acropora
Purple Death palys
Purple Tip Frogspawn Coral
Red Montipora Capricornus
Eagle Eye Zoanthids
SNAILS:
4 Nassarius Snail
Tonga Fighting Conch (Strombus sp.)
4 Astrea Snail
Nerite Snail
Clams:
Derasa Clam, Striped with Blue Rim
My tank is still a reef safe, friendly tank. My tank now contains:
FISH:
Sailfin Tang, Desjardini
Yellow Tang
3 Black Bar Chromis
3 Blue Green Chromis
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Pearly Jawfish
Orange Spotted Goby
SHRIMP:
Pepermint Shrimp
Fire Shrimp
Cleaner Shrimp
CORAL:
Branched Montipora Coral, Purple
Birdnest Coral
Scripp's Green Staghorn Acropora
Purple Death palys
Purple Tip Frogspawn Coral
Red Montipora Capricornus
Eagle Eye Zoanthids
SNAILS:
4 Nassarius Snail
Tonga Fighting Conch (Strombus sp.)
4 Astrea Snail
Nerite Snail
Clams:
Derasa Clam, Striped with Blue Rim
rldcpa
New member
Update - About a month ago, I had to go away on business. When I got back I notice some salt splash on the side of the tank and thought I had a leak.
Well, it was not a leak. While I was gone my son did not follow my instructions. Instead of just puting a pinch of food in the tank to feed the fish, he instead tried to pour the right amount of pellet food in and accidently dumped in about an 1/8th of a jar. He then tried to scoop some out but he did not get enough out.
The effect of this spill caused hair algae to run rampant. Then my corals stressed, one coral died, the clam died and a snail died.
As soon as I could, I cleaned up the tank, changed the sock, skimmer, and did a water change and then waited.
Everything is now getting back to normal. the soft corals that were stressed and shrunk up, are now growing again. The corals are still a bit stressed but I hope that changes soon.
During this month long event, my fish were fine and I did not lose any fish.
The one interesting thing is that my weekly water parameters never really changed. I am guessing that there was a spike but it never showed up in my testing.
The hair algae has been reduced by about 90% but still have some on the high rock, which is fine as the 2 tangs have cleaned up things fairly well. Algae on the glass was growing like crazy a few weeks ago, but now is growing very little, and only needs to be cleaned one a week and there really is not much there.
Anyway, as it is tax season anyway, I will let the tank settle for the next 4 weeks and then I should be able to add some corals again and a couple of fish.
Well, it was not a leak. While I was gone my son did not follow my instructions. Instead of just puting a pinch of food in the tank to feed the fish, he instead tried to pour the right amount of pellet food in and accidently dumped in about an 1/8th of a jar. He then tried to scoop some out but he did not get enough out.
The effect of this spill caused hair algae to run rampant. Then my corals stressed, one coral died, the clam died and a snail died.
As soon as I could, I cleaned up the tank, changed the sock, skimmer, and did a water change and then waited.
Everything is now getting back to normal. the soft corals that were stressed and shrunk up, are now growing again. The corals are still a bit stressed but I hope that changes soon.
During this month long event, my fish were fine and I did not lose any fish.
The one interesting thing is that my weekly water parameters never really changed. I am guessing that there was a spike but it never showed up in my testing.
The hair algae has been reduced by about 90% but still have some on the high rock, which is fine as the 2 tangs have cleaned up things fairly well. Algae on the glass was growing like crazy a few weeks ago, but now is growing very little, and only needs to be cleaned one a week and there really is not much there.
Anyway, as it is tax season anyway, I will let the tank settle for the next 4 weeks and then I should be able to add some corals again and a couple of fish.
rldcpa
New member
The birdnest coral in the photo has a crab hitch hiker. I did dip that coral and got rid of 2 crayfish looking things, but somehow missed the crab. He did not leave the coral so he got in the tank, but so far stays within the birdnest and feeds on debris that blows in. It could be a acro. Its small and has no hair on it.
rldcpa
New member
The yellow and the Sailfin never fought.
The tangs get along well. I just introduced an Mimic Eibli Tang a few days ago and the other tangs picked on him, but he would not let them drive him away and he kept coming back to their side of the tank to show his dominance. Today they are all getting along well and all respect each other. The Mimic does have a split tail but the war is over and he should heal quickly. The Mimic fought to be part of the gang of other tangs and he won and is now part of the gang.
The tangs get along well. I just introduced an Mimic Eibli Tang a few days ago and the other tangs picked on him, but he would not let them drive him away and he kept coming back to their side of the tank to show his dominance. Today they are all getting along well and all respect each other. The Mimic does have a split tail but the war is over and he should heal quickly. The Mimic fought to be part of the gang of other tangs and he won and is now part of the gang.
Cove Beach
New member
It looks to me like the Powder blue is beating up the yellow and the Sailfin from the amount of fin that is missing off them. It may be time to decide which fish to keep.
Newbie Aquarist
Reefing is my middle name
Tank looks great after the over feed. Looks clean as ever.
rldcpa
New member
I started using Rods food to aid in feeding corals and that seems to help. Also started 2 coral food supplements - Korallen-Zucht Pohl's Coral Vitalizer and Korallen-Zucht Pohl's Xtra Special. Still acclimating corals to the LED's - up to about 55% peak and will stop at about 70% and see if that is enough light.
What I notice is that there is more growth, almost all the lightening of the corals are gone and some growth is underway.
Here are some updated photos with the Iphone (still have not picked out a good camera yet) so the photos are still pretty bad.
What I notice is that there is more growth, almost all the lightening of the corals are gone and some growth is underway.
Here are some updated photos with the Iphone (still have not picked out a good camera yet) so the photos are still pretty bad.
Nice build thread! I got my 195g 72x24x26 from Great Lakes as well with a starphire front pane, painted black back, 1800gph overflow with only one 1 1/2 drain durso that I modified and a 1 inch return split off into two. I got the black mahogany stand as well with glass tops I drop down the evap.
JillNairn
New member
Good build. Nice to see a wide tank with razors. I have bought four razors to put over a seven foot tank (well that is the tank in the storage unit... but already thinking would like to go bigger). How do you like the spread on the six foot tank with the three?
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