600 gal display/900+ gal build thread in the Chicago 'burbs.

[Lambianz]

wmilas, just wanted you to know, I re-plumbed my layout last Friday for the new skimmer to go on-line next month. And guess what I ran into, micro bubbles everywhere. This has happened to me before. So I knew where to search. The first time, besides the process I encountered with the sump bulkhead and doing the modification, was somehow at one of my threaded fittings where I used teflon tape, wrapped itself over the through port, when installing the fitting and caused some blockage and intern cause micro bubbles to return back to the tank. I completely forgot of that instance, and thought I would share that for you. Looks as though you've found the problems already. Any thing that restricts the line for the water to flow through will cause such an occurrence as micro bubbles.
Also is there a calculation for our readings being at a certain range for the size tank we have. I was informed at one time that when the rocks start to turn green, is the calcium being to low. But that was just something I read in another thread. Not for sure if its true.
Maybe a another person can comment on that, but looking great so far.

 

[wpnorton]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14683730#post14683730 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas
Yup. That's what I figure. I'm hatching baby snails now (I've seen 3 or 4 "hatchings" so I'm positive I'm breeding snails now. Those shells must take up alot of calcium and alk when growing, because something sure as hell is using it.

Be careful that the Calcium isn't settling out in the substrate. I've seen it turn sand into cement.

 

[mcliffy2]

Good call starting with two-part dosing. I'm a big fan of doing this initially because I feel like you are more in touch with the CA/Alk demands of your tank that way. I've now added a Kalk Reactor which I really like (otherwise Im dosing 4x/day), and will eventually get my CA reactor back online.

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14686566#post14686566 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wpnorton
Be careful that the Calcium isn't settling out in the substrate. I've seen it turn sand into cement.

I'm kinda worried about this too. The sand is starting to clump, but I think (hope) its due to normal bacterial action. The snails are moving it around a bit and I see worm trails up along the glass so I know there is some fauna in the sand itself.

Wonder if its time for some more sand stirrers?

 

[wmilas]

Just ran the Hanna Phosphate photometer test for the first time (it came Friday . Phosphates at 0.01, so that's good. GFO I assume is working (I'll measure the GFO output tomorrow). Nitrates are still detectable.. 0.75 or so with the Salifert test kit. Cheato continues to grow like crazy. Its now taking up over half of a 65 gallon tank.

I'm experiencing Algal (byropsis) growth still. Mag is at 1350. I could jack it to 1600 but I'm not sure if I want to. Its most likely from the feeding I'm doing. I'm noticing the byropsis on 3 rocks and on one low flow area of the sand bed. I'm betting the rocks are leaching phosphate slowly which is encouraging the growth. I'm considering getting a couple of turbo snails (large) and placing them right in teh byropsis beds to see what they do.

I'm also seriously considering vodka or the combo vodka/sugar/vinegar dosing method. I'm ALWAYS going to overfeed and with a monster skimmer the bacterial export from carbon dosing would be significant.

I'm taking things slowly, one step at a time. I'm still tuning dKH and Calcium to keep it rock stable before the first coral goes in... its getting there. I'll probably add a few turbos and see what that does first.

I'm seeing an explosion of pink coralline growth on the back tank wall so that's a good sign too. Getting it off the front and side of the tank is starting to become a royal Pita.

I hve to keep reminding myself to take things slowly. An out of control tank this size would be a REALLY bad thing

 

[Dejavu]

I never had much luck with raising my Mg to kill byropsis. I have had my Mg at 1600+ for a month and little changed. Remember if you have algae your PO4's are most likely higher than what your Hanna is reading. The algae is most likely using it up.

 

[RandalB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14713477#post14713477 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas
I'm also seriously considering vodka or the combo vodka/sugar/vinegar dosing method.

Sugar worked amazingly well for me... Thought It was straight up BS until I tried it. Nitrates at 10PPM and Phosphates at .02 due to not having all export systems online fast enough. Dosed sugar, Nitrates and Phosphates are now 0, all my problem algea is gone, the bryopsis turned white and floated away.

RandalB

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14713588#post14713588 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dejavu
I never had much luck with raising my Mg to kill byropsis. I have had my Mg at 1600+ for a month and little changed. Remember if you have algae your PO4's are most likely higher than what your Hanna is reading. The algae is most likely using it up.

Yup, I'm sure my PO4 is higher.. Its probably leaching out of some of the base rock as that's where the byropsis is concentrated. I'll continue to starve it the best I can and see what happens

 

[wmilas]

Added 3 yellow tangs, a Lawnmower Blenny, 25 crabs. My nitrate is down to undetectable levels as is my phosphate. I started getting a little slime so I cut back on the vodka, then I stopped dosing two days ago as the new tangs decimated most if it in my tank. They have even been picky at the byropsis! Enough to where its stopped spreading and isn't growing back. I'm sure that has to do with the low nutrient levels too.

My only worry is that the Scopas tang, as shy and scared as he was, has turned into a complete monster with the yellows. He bullies them to no end. One of the yellows is dominant and bullies the other two also. No barb attacks, but 2 of the yellows have damage on their top fins. I'm not happy about it. There is plenty of room to hide, but 2 of them seem to be too damn stupid to hide when they know its coming

I'm feeding like a fiend so hopefully everyone will heal up and play nice.

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Would it be possible to get a picture of your tank from the front with the canopy doors open?

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Nevermind, Just found a shot here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1354165&perpage=25&pagenumber=23

Question for you, have you hit your head on the open doors? My canopy doors are set up like yours and I hit my head all the time. I'm thinking of some kind of "flip up" door on my next build.

 

[erics3000]

How about some updated pics when you get the time....

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14876345#post14876345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thechad21
Nevermind, Just found a shot here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1354165&perpage=25&pagenumber=23

Question for you, have you hit your head on the open doors? My canopy doors are set up like yours and I hit my head all the time. I'm thinking of some kind of "flip up" door on my next build.

Well the doors open up past 90, close to about 135. They are up so high you could hit them but its hard. I normally access the tank from the back, only access it from the front when i clean the acrylic. I do tend to close them once the magnet is in so i dont whack myself as I move around though

I thought about the vertical opening but I couldn't find a hinge I liked that didn't protrude too far into the tank room.

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14876773#post14876773 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by erics3000
How about some updated pics when you get the time....

I'll try and do it next time i clean the glass... maybe tonight

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

i have been off the forums for awhile...looking good...how man snails do you think you have in there....looks like a nice clean up crew

 

[chimmike]

hey, I've been wondering. Do you have any plans on removing the skimmer?

Im running my frag setup now without a skimmer while it gets modified. I have a really light bioload, but all the frags I added the other day seem to LOVE the water right now.

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14877487#post14877487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PaulieWalnuts
i have been off the forums for awhile...looking good...how man snails do you think you have in there....looks like a nice clean up crew

Don't know. I bought 800. But some got buried when I moved some sand around and died. However, they also have been breeding. I bought 25 red leg hermits and they have been thinning the herd a bit. I moved some of them to some other tanks also. I'd guess I have maybe 1000? Some of them are EVERY small as they are just hatched.

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14877628#post14877628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chimmike
hey, I've been wondering. Do you have any plans on removing the skimmer?

Im running my frag setup now without a skimmer while it gets modified. I have a really light bioload, but all the frags I added the other day seem to LOVE the water right now.

The skimmer pulls out way too much gunk to remove unless I went hard core ATS system. As I don't have enough time currently to maintain an ATS, I'm using the skimmer. BTW, the skimmer is very nice. I was a bit apprehensive about the price when I bought it, but its a beast.

 

[chimmike]

thanks. I've got an asm g3 that will be modded to recirc, so that should be good. I don't have a lot of substrate though as I went BB in the display, there's a 3-4" sand bed in the fuge.

 

[wmilas]

Did some tank maintenance. Took some pictures. Keep in mind I'm taking things slow. There is one solitary sps frag sitting on the sand I forgot to take a picture of. Its sitting between the left and middle rock pile. I'm trying to keep the tank completely stable as I add fish so that things are rock solid when I start adding the coral.

Calcium has been completely rock solid at 425, DK at 9.3-9.6, PH at 8.05-8.15, Nitrate at not detectable, Phosphate at ~0.01 ppm.

You can see a little GHA, but the tangs have been slowly reducing it. The Byropsis was wiped out in damn near a week when the 3 Yellows and the lawnmower blenny went in. There is a little green micro coloring the sand here and there... I need a cucumber or two to take care of that.

My Fuge has a HUGE cheato ball growing in it. 65 gallons of Cheato:

The snails are out making their nightly pilgrimage to the acrylic. Don't ask me why but they mostly disappear during the day, then pop out at night and attack the tank walls Tank shots: