330 gallon build.

[Giovanni]

Not much going on this week with the tank so just a quick update. I have been researching honda generators as a backup incase of power failure. I have a large generator but I am afraid the power output is not clean enough for my AI sol lights and Tunze pumps. The honda's small generators are inverter type and come in 1000, 2000 and 3500 watt versions. Because they are inverter type, they are even good for TVs and computers. Looking at the power usage on my apex, when everything is on high including the heaters, I am pulling a max 12.25amps or 1470 watts. Looks like I will be getting the EU2000i which is the 2000watt version. It is rated for 1600watt continuous and 2000 surge. I can always run the lights at lower output and the tunze are never all on at the same time. The two big consumers are the lights at 3.6 amps and the heaters at 5.0 amps.

On another note, I converted a Deltec PF-501 Calcium reactor to a Biopellet reactor yesterday. In less than 24 hours the water was cloudy. My skimmer foam became very wet where it had been dry so I had to ramp up the water level to get any skimmate. I have decided not to build my sump stand until I have decided on all the equipment I will have out there. Sill not sure if I will dose, run kalk stir or a calcium reactor. I am tempted to just dose but it may be hard to keep up in later years when the sps grows out. Here is a short video of the biopellet reactor working.

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SmpLmcHxDp0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen hd=1></iframe>

 

[azjohnny]

The cloudy water is a bacterial bloom, that will happen when too many bio pellets are added to soon, it is suggested you add 25% of the amount initially than every 2 weeks add another 25% and repeat till you have the desired amount

Do you have the bio pellet return plumbed to the skimmer input?

 

[Giovanni]

The cloudy water is a bacterial bloom, that will happen when too many bio pellets are added to soon, it is suggested you add 25% of the amount initially than every 2 weeks add another 25% and repeat till you have the desired amount

Do you have the bio pellet return plumbed to the skimmer input?

The package said add half the suggested amount so I added just a little over that. I did not have it running direct to the skimmer till yesterday but did not have water running wide open through it either. The bloom is almost completely gone this morning and the skimmer foam is getting dry again.

 

[Rotknee]

Hey G...nice build! I'm on the late freight having just found your thread and I have to say "you got jokes"...LOL. The goat and quality of merchandise comments were laughs.

Nice job on the reactor. Looks like you have perfect flow for a BP reactor. If you are using WM Biopelletes your flow is ideal. Once your pellets are up and running I think you will be impressed.

 

[dotcommer]

I picked up a powder blue tang 3.5 inched and a Flame angel 2.25 inches today. I get my LFS to leave them in the bag till I have a chance to look at them. The flame is still a little shy but the powder felt at home as soon as I dropped him in.

The coloring on that Powder Blue is incredible. Great Buy!!!

 

[Giovanni]

Have decided I will dose and not full with a Ca reactor. That said I have most of my equipment so drew up a plan for the sump stand. What do you guys think?

 

[Giovanni]

Been working on my sump stand the last couple days. Here are a couple photos of it so far.

 

[Giovanni]

Just a quick update. My powder blue tang is eat up with ich. So today I setup a 29g QT tank. I will be removing all my fish and going fallow for 6-8 weeks. Will be treating the fish with hyposalinity. None of my fish had been QTed so I guess I am glad this came up now instead of later when I have a ton of fish in there.

 

[joe_himself]

Very nice setup, Sorry to hear about the fish, That sucks for sure.

 

[mos90]

thats a bummer. i lost my powder blue and flame angel to ich last year. not going to happen again. you might want to go fallow for 10 weeks to be safe. i did the transfer method and it worked like a charm. make sure you keep a lot of flow in the qt tank with a large powerhead. i think that how i lost my tang.

from what i have read, ich attaches to the gill plates and causes difficulty breathing. that is why sometimes you will see a fish swimming in front of the powerhead. the powerhead forces water through the gills and makes it easier for them to breathe.

 

[Giovanni]

None of my other fish have been affected. Also the powder seems to be getting better but they will be getting treated all the same!

 

[upnext]

Nice set up. How is the PB tang? Love the bright blue on him.

 

[mos90]

pb tangs are 1 of my favorite. unfortunately pb and blue tangs seem to be very susceptable to ich, more then others. gl.

 

[kegogut]

I wasnt sure about PB but blue tangs are very susceptible to ich. Had a buddy move his blue tang from one ich free tank to another in his own house and the tang developed ich somehow

 

[geaux xman]

just read the whole thread, progress looks good.

wold you happen to know who built the acrylic tank?

 

[Giovanni]

I do and I am told they are no longer in business. Also they are on the RC band list though I do not know why. Why do you ask?

 

[dave.m]

I lost all the tangs and cardinals in one tank to ick. None of the fire fish, gobies or wrasses were affected. I waited a few weeks and tried a couple more tangs and a flame angel, but this time I was dosing a couple of drops of Kyolic plain garlic extract into their food every day (frozen brine and mysis shrimp). Sure enough the new tangs got a few spots of ick on them but it doesn't seem to have bothered them much and everyone is doing fine three weeks later.

I know all the arguments against garlic, but darn it, something's working and I haven't done anything else different in the tank. I'm sticking with it from now on.

djm

 

[Giovanni]

I have been lazy and not removed any fish from the tank yet. Today the PBT seems to be over the ich. He only showed the spots and never had heavy respirations or stopped eating. The yellow tangs never showed any signs. I do not think I will loose any fish to the ich this time.

 

[geaux xman]

I thought it looked like a tenec@r tank. I'm just looking around at a possible big acrylic tank upgrade in the future.

Anycase, I think its just a matter of time before the PBT gets overwhelmed by ich and dies if not treated. It'll typically take a whole slew of fish down with it too.

Maybe just feed well, keep the tank stress free, and hope for the best. Keeping a ton of fish in a reef tank ich free is hard. Most just try to manage it.

 

[Giovanni]

I finally got all my fish out last night. I have them in a 29g in my laundry room. I set up a drip acclimator draining water from the 29 into the sink next to it. I set up a 5 gallon bucket of RODI with and ATO to replace the water as it drains out. Will take 48 hours to get the sg down to 1.009. I think this will be the least stressful for the fish. The powder has been out of the display for several days now and looks very good.