60 Cube 3.0 Build

[MHG]

So today the DT looked like it was getting the start of Dino. ***.... Nothing from the old talk was used without drying out and being cleaned in vinegar. Inside the algae reactor looks like dino as well. Scrubbed all the rock down with a brush. Cleaned the skimmer. very dark green skimmate in the skimmer. Sump is spotless.

I am gonna adjust the light cycle but Its only at 80& for 4 hours. AND its one less kessel than I had before when I ran them all at 100% for like 8 hours a day. Regardless Ill go dark for a week. Its just fish right now.

Food is 1 cube every other day divided between the two systems. Now the FT is spotless but the algae blenny does a great job. Only 2 fish in the FT but the same amount of food . Auto feeder is only one tumble a day. so a pinch of pellets.

My P04 is zero in both. Nitrates spiked up to about 2.5 in each system after I cleared my algae reactor. The cheato died the second time around in both tanks. The new batch is growing fast so hopefully than will bring them down. Gonna do a big water change this week as well.

Its frustrating when both systems are mechanically similar and the same age and same food and same maintenance. The DT does have a UV sterilizer. Was hoping to see an improvement on general issues.

 

[MHG]

New Vid

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[MHG]

So added my first corals. Got some sticks from TJM...Also added 3 lyre tail anthias and a Kole tang. Rock work is clean, snails have been doing a great job but the HA loves this course substrate.

In trying to keep my tank as sterile as possible from transferring over peoples tank issues into my tank, I have managed to have zero pods. Adding copepods is easy but I miss those little munching amphipods. Since I rinse my cheato that I get from others in RO water to ensure I am not getting any aphasia, its hard to import them.

 

[MHG]

GHA seems to be outcompeting my huge. Cheato is dying and GHA is thriving. Ill mess with the light cycles a bit and manually do what I can to see if I can correct this.

 

[MHG]

So my cheato seems to be lasting. sea urchin from a friend tool care of keeping the rocks clean. The gravel is looking a little better these days.


I have not had any lick keeping new fish alive. anthers killed each other off and the sole survivor dies of his wounds. My kole tang (just a baby) was doing great for a month and just up and died. A month later my mydas blend up and died. who knows how old he was. Meanwhile my clowns crank out eggs like clockwork...Go figure.

My one chalice is doing well. Once I get the algae under control Ill add some ups

 

[MHG]

So new batch of frags. Thanks TJMCorals.... tank has been stable.

 

[MHG]

So most of the new frags are growing like weeds. Consumption is way up... But recently my nitrates have gone to zero and the colors are fading fast...

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Might be time to add some.

 

[MHG]

If only there was a place where I can buy corals this weekend....Oh thats right there is.....

 

[MHG]

In my tank we wear the skulls of conquered kings.

 

[hottuna]

Fwiw...the BEST culture bacteria for starting a new tank is a product called aquagold by NFP...powder form ...works in 24-48 hrs...reduces nuisance algae on startup. CAN be used for saltwater ...even though the pkg says otherwise...

 

[MHG]

Some pics

 

[MHG]

Well growth is up. New corals are encrusting. Purple style branches are deciding. Vihn color is returning since heavy feeding. But even though the new frags are encrusting, my consumption is reducing. Color on new frags is fading. But that's to be expected I guess

 

[H2oGarden]

Very nice, like rock build. Im starting a 60 gallon and wundering what size sump you are using?

 

[MHG]

I am using a 20H diy sumo.

 

[MHG]

You never really notice grown when staring all the time. But a couple of frags have had almost zero growth. When testing the alk weekly and you see the alk is rising for two weeks the. Falling for two eeeks then rising for 3 weeks and falling for 1 week (and on and on), it’s frustrating.

 

[MHG]

Still slow as hell growth. One higher colony died. Not sure why. Very frustrating.

 

[MHG]

Found this. Must have broken just as I was taking it apart. I am so done with algae reactors. Work great on healthy tanks but they do a great job on collecting bacterial jelly, Dino and cyano.

 

[MHG]

Budget dosing.