drummereef's 180g in-wall build

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


Despite the algae woes, this brought it all back into perspective.

 

[Greenmaster]

Sweet!

 

[psteeleb]

if you can find them try the mexican turbos - and try to pull out what you can as most snails and fish that will eat the stuff seem to avoid it once it gets long

 

[goochesfish]

I feel your pain with the hair algae. I found that the new salt water i mixed up had phosphates. Once i ran phosgard in my mixing container, the hair algae went away. Then I stopped doing that and it's coming back. Damn Brightwell salt. I'll have to changed salts.

 

[110galreef]

I started with 9 chromis and only 2 are alive today. They just keep picking each other off. Even with just 2 in a 150g, the larger chases and nips at the smaller one.

Yeah I have always had the same problem with chromis....I'd start w/ 7 or 9 & always seemd to end up with 2 after a week or two??

 

[drummereef]

Sweet!

Yep!

if you can find them try the mexican turbos - and try to pull out what you can as most snails and fish that will eat the stuff seem to avoid it once it gets long

Will do. I think there's a couple places locally that might have them.

I feel your pain with the hair algae. I found that the new salt water i mixed up had phosphates. Once i ran phosgard in my mixing container, the hair algae went away. Then I stopped doing that and it's coming back. Damn Brightwell salt. I'll have to changed salts.

Wow, that's crazy the Brightwell salt would have that much phosphate. Argh....

Yeah I have always had the same problem with chromis....I'd start w/ 7 or 9 & always seemd to end up with 2 after a week or two??

Same here, now I'm down to two. Dang it!

 

[drummereef]

So I'm considering moving forward with the bio pellet setup. I contacted Jon at Warner Marine last night about the EcoBak pellets. His pellets are significantly cheaper than the competition and it seems (from what I've read) there are more consistent results with them. I'll be using the EcoBak in a NextReef SMR1 Reactor. Thoughts?

 

[Tyrenlds]

If it were my tank, I'd let the algae cycle run it's course. You've essentially set up a mini-ecosystem and it's still trying to balance itself out... cardbon dosing and gfo will likely just interfere with this. Just keep up with your water changes and keep your TDS down and it will go away.

 

[drummereef]

If it were my tank, I'd let the algae cycle run it's course. You've essentially set up a mini-ecosystem and it's still trying to balance itself out... cardbon dosing and gfo will likely just interfere with this. Just keep up with your water changes and keep your TDS down and it will go away.

Definitely get your point Tyrenlds but why would carbon dosing interfere? Wouldn't it essentially just push the process along by decreasing excess nutrient levels? Especially since I have to feed the fish in the tank during this process?

 

[Taqpol]

I actually finished my biopellet research last night, and I also think I want to add the Warner Marine pellets to my system, but I was hoping to just use a leftover Two Little Fishies 150 reactor. Where are you getting the WM pellets from and how much are you adding to your system?

I would also feel fine about adding them to your system now.

 

[drummereef]

I actually finished my biopellet research last night, and I also think I want to add the Warner Marine pellets to my system, but I was hoping to just use a leftover Two Little Fishies 150 reactor. Where are you getting the WM pellets from and how much are you adding to your system?

I would also feel fine about adding them to your system now.

Currently you have to order the WM pellets direct from Jon at WM. I plan on using 1L (1000ml) of pellets. I believe they recommend 500ml per 100g, which is the same as the other pellet products out there. A lot of guys use the TLF 150. I think you have to mod the sponges out with some plastic mesh but they work great. I'll pm you Jon's info.

 

[Tyrenlds]

Definitely get your point Tyrenlds but why would carbon dosing interfere?

To be honest, I don't know. Maybe someone with a more technical background can chime in, but to me it seems that carbon dosing is typically used to fix a problem with an established tank... high nitrates, sand bed issues, old tank syndrome, what have you. Your tank doesn't really have a problem, it's just teething. With your obvious attention to detail and excellent equipment selection you'll be back to low nutrient levels in no time I'm sure.

Artificially modifying bacteria populations at this point in the tanks life feels like a solution in search of a problem you know? hold on and ride it out!

on the other hand I'm sure carbon dosing right now isn't going to ruin anything, it might speed your tank along, IDK. It just feels, well... meh.

EDIT: just realized this is the first time I've posted in this thread. Forgot to give the obligatory compliments =) I've been following your build from the beginning and it is hands down one of the most well thought out systems I've seen on RC. Very well done. Can't wait to see the tank mature and I'm excited to see how you implement the refugium setup, it will be top notch no doubt. Thanks for bringing us along with you on this journey!

 

[drummereef]

To be honest, I don't know. Maybe someone with a more technical background can chime in, but to me it seems that carbon dosing is typically used to fix a problem with an established tank... high nitrates, sand bed issues, old tank syndrome, what have you. Your tank doesn't really have a problem, it's just teething. With your obvious attention to detail and excellent equipment selection you'll be back to low nutrient levels in no time I'm sure.

Artificially modifying bacteria populations at this point in the tanks life feels like a solution in search of a problem you know? hold on and ride it out!

on the other hand I'm sure carbon dosing right now isn't going to ruin anything, it might speed your tank along, IDK. It just feels, well... meh.

EDIT: just realized this is the first time I've posted in this thread. Forgot to give the obligatory compliments =) I've been following your build from the beginning and it is hands down one of the most well thought out systems I've seen on RC. Very well done. Can't wait to see the tank mature and I'm excited to see how you implement the refugium setup, it will be top notch no doubt. Thanks for bringing us along with you on this journey!

Nicely put Tyrenlds. You're points are very valid and I appreciate your insight. Thanks for the kind words too. Much appreciated.

 

[DIYnitemare]

Wow, it has taking me a week of off and on reading to get through all 63 pages. That is just plain sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Question though, is it not better to stock corals before fish?

 

[drummereef]

Wow, it has taking me a week of off and on reading to get through all 63 pages. That is just plain sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Question though, is it not better to stock corals before fish?

Yes this is probably true. I even heard Eric Bornemann discuss this exact thing at a local club meeting once but what does he know... JK :lol: I just wanted to get a handle on keeping a few fish in a large-ish system before making it a full blown reef. Just to try and get into a routine of sorts I suppose...

 

[Greenmaster]

Wow, it has taking me a week of off and on reading to get through all 63 pages. That is just plain sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Question though, is it not better to stock corals before fish?

Corals need a steady environment. Adding fish can cause swings in water parameters. Setting up a new tank you are better off to add fish slowly, then after you have had a stable system for a while then you start to add corals. Corals also feed on fish waste. So having fish can help to maintain healthy corals. In short you can easily have fish without corals and add them later. But keeping corals alive/healthy and then adding fish you are going to have more chance for failure.

 

[drummereef]

Corals need a steady environment. Adding fish can cause swings in water parameters. Setting up a new tank you are better off to add fish slowly, then after you have had a stable system for a while then you start to add corals. Corals also feed on fish waste. So having fish can help to maintain healthy corals. In short you can easily have fish without corals and add them later. But keeping corals alive/healthy and then adding fish you are going to have more chance for failure.

Good thoughts Green. :thumbsup:

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


The algae cycle continues another day but the good news is it doesn't appear to be getting worse. Not really getting better, but seems like it's staying put for the moment. The great news is my nitrates are less than 1 ppm as of tonight. :beer: Tested with both Salifert and API kits. So something is going in the right direction. Obviously the phosphates are kicking because of the algae but I'm taking action on that as we speak.


Cleaned the skimmer tonight so I took some nog shots. Definitely getting a more consistent skimmate but still on the wet side. Here's the gross details. Smells even better than it looks. :lol:

 

[marino420td]

That last picture is just classic.

 

[bheron]

Wow - isnt crazy that just some live rock and a tang can produce all of that skimmate?! Not sure if you have any other critters but there's not much to product all of that. Wow.