Lilmatty5dimes
New member
Awesome build. Love the cabinet with the controllers and everything in it.
Geldof's 40 SPS Cube
- Thread starter geldof
- Start date
Djturna4thakidz
New member
Yeah, really nice looking tank!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
geldof
New member
Update
Update
Most everything is doing fine, but there is always room for improvement.
There is a bit too much hair algae, for my taste. I tackle it with the Algae mower, once every few weeks. I love the mower, but should not be having use it as often as I am. I have been changing the BRS GFO, every other week (rather than once a month), in order to lower bound phosphate levels, which are undetectable with a Salifert test kit. It has to be that the HA is absorbing it, before it has a chance to enter the water column. I've already noticed a slight difference in HA growth. Also feeding the fish a bit less, in order to further lower PO4.
Bacterial slime it's kind of a strange pink looking consistency and is gumming up a few of the birdsnest coral and the GFO reactor. NO3 is undetectable, which is most likely cause for SPS not looking as good as it should. I will be trying to remedy the situation by slowly lowering the carbon dose and raising the NO3 to detectible levels.
ATI fixture's bulbs are at 8 months. Just ordered replacements. Hoping that will also help with growth and color. I'll raise the fixture, lowering slowly to acclimate.
Alk, Cal, Mag levels have been rock solid for several months, but on the low side. I hope to get the system to 9/450/1300 and lock it in.
Fish are happy and healthy and my Pink Lemonade Acro is FINALLY starting to branch out. It is cool to see a flash of yellow mixed in with the blues/reds/oranges and greens.
Will post new pictures soon.
Update
Most everything is doing fine, but there is always room for improvement.
There is a bit too much hair algae, for my taste. I tackle it with the Algae mower, once every few weeks. I love the mower, but should not be having use it as often as I am. I have been changing the BRS GFO, every other week (rather than once a month), in order to lower bound phosphate levels, which are undetectable with a Salifert test kit. It has to be that the HA is absorbing it, before it has a chance to enter the water column. I've already noticed a slight difference in HA growth. Also feeding the fish a bit less, in order to further lower PO4.
Bacterial slime it's kind of a strange pink looking consistency and is gumming up a few of the birdsnest coral and the GFO reactor. NO3 is undetectable, which is most likely cause for SPS not looking as good as it should. I will be trying to remedy the situation by slowly lowering the carbon dose and raising the NO3 to detectible levels.
ATI fixture's bulbs are at 8 months. Just ordered replacements. Hoping that will also help with growth and color. I'll raise the fixture, lowering slowly to acclimate.
Alk, Cal, Mag levels have been rock solid for several months, but on the low side. I hope to get the system to 9/450/1300 and lock it in.
Fish are happy and healthy and my Pink Lemonade Acro is FINALLY starting to branch out. It is cool to see a flash of yellow mixed in with the blues/reds/oranges and greens.
Will post new pictures soon.
AZReefJunkie
New member
Bravo sir!
geldof
New member
Appreciate the comments.
Everything is progressing well.
There are several high end frags that I have been keeping intruding SPS colonies away from. Unfortunately, I may lose the battle as the bigger corals are establishing themselves, so have started to frag the smaller colonies and move them to the rack.
Alk and Cal levels have dropped significantly, due to increased nutrient uptake. I am currently dosing 77 ml of BRS ALK/Cal supplement / day and testing every 3 days, keeping the tank around 7/350 .
Strangely, I have found it nearly impossible to keep any cleaner shrimp alive, in this system. As far as I can tell, none of my fish are picking on them and they seem to be getting plenty of food. Would like to hear if anyone has had a similar experience, in an SPS heavy system.
Several months ago, I upgraded my GFO, to the BRS high capacity. It is tumbled 24/7 in a reactor. Phosphate levels are stabilized. Also dose 10ml vinegar / day for the Nitrates. Additionally, I keep a small power head stashed in the overflow, connected to an easy to access switch. I blow off areas where sediment settles, every other day. Given all the changes, I still get some hair algae growth, but not nearly as much.
Everything is progressing well.
There are several high end frags that I have been keeping intruding SPS colonies away from. Unfortunately, I may lose the battle as the bigger corals are establishing themselves, so have started to frag the smaller colonies and move them to the rack.
Alk and Cal levels have dropped significantly, due to increased nutrient uptake. I am currently dosing 77 ml of BRS ALK/Cal supplement / day and testing every 3 days, keeping the tank around 7/350 .
Strangely, I have found it nearly impossible to keep any cleaner shrimp alive, in this system. As far as I can tell, none of my fish are picking on them and they seem to be getting plenty of food. Would like to hear if anyone has had a similar experience, in an SPS heavy system.
Several months ago, I upgraded my GFO, to the BRS high capacity. It is tumbled 24/7 in a reactor. Phosphate levels are stabilized. Also dose 10ml vinegar / day for the Nitrates. Additionally, I keep a small power head stashed in the overflow, connected to an easy to access switch. I blow off areas where sediment settles, every other day. Given all the changes, I still get some hair algae growth, but not nearly as much.
I have 2 fire shrimp in my 40B that is mostly SPS. The shrimp have been happy and healthy for the past 2 years. They are mating and releasing babies about monthly. I feed NFS pellets (0.5 mm) and the shrimp go nuts over them.
geldof
New member
I've heard good things about NFS. I'll give it a try, if I decide to introduce cleaner shrimp to this system in the future. Thank you for the recommend.
geldof
New member
Update... Moving
I went ahead and sold the large colony of Red Dragon in the center of the tank, in preparation for a move to our new home this weekend.
We move everything on Friday from our apartment to our house in the Hudson Valley and then come back on Sunday to move the aquarium.
My plan is to break down the main reef structure in to 3 pieces and pack the individual sections in to 3 separate coolers. We have a station wagon, so I can crank the heat for the 1 hour drive upstate.
I have roughly 40 gallons of water prepped at the new home, heated and cycling.
We'll set up the cube and within the year start to cycle a larger system (90-120) to transfer the growing colonies over to.
Wish us luck and please share your experience with moving your SPS system.
I went ahead and sold the large colony of Red Dragon in the center of the tank, in preparation for a move to our new home this weekend.
We move everything on Friday from our apartment to our house in the Hudson Valley and then come back on Sunday to move the aquarium.
My plan is to break down the main reef structure in to 3 pieces and pack the individual sections in to 3 separate coolers. We have a station wagon, so I can crank the heat for the 1 hour drive upstate.
I have roughly 40 gallons of water prepped at the new home, heated and cycling.
We'll set up the cube and within the year start to cycle a larger system (90-120) to transfer the growing colonies over to.
Wish us luck and please share your experience with moving your SPS system.
geldof
New member
Reef Central members, please raise your voices. I have been hosting my pictures on Photobucket.com for 10 years. Without any notice, they have opted to hold our pictures hostage, unless we agree to pay an outrageous fee of $399/year, for third party sharing.
I can't even begin to count the number of hobbyists that link to Photo Bucket on RC. I know that most of us struggle to even keep a reef system running, given time and cost. We make great strides to share our experience, via pain staking photography and posts. I don't have the option to re populate the photos in this thread, without paying money I don't have, let alone all of the other tank threads I have contributed, to encourage, educate and entertain reef hobbyists.
Photobucket.com , if you have any decency... do the right thing. High jacking peoples hard work, is no way to maintain a loyal customer base.
I can't even begin to count the number of hobbyists that link to Photo Bucket on RC. I know that most of us struggle to even keep a reef system running, given time and cost. We make great strides to share our experience, via pain staking photography and posts. I don't have the option to re populate the photos in this thread, without paying money I don't have, let alone all of the other tank threads I have contributed, to encourage, educate and entertain reef hobbyists.
Photobucket.com , if you have any decency... do the right thing. High jacking peoples hard work, is no way to maintain a loyal customer base.
geldof
New member
All photos have been removed by photobucket.com from the following threads that I have put countless hours of work into, for the benefit of this community.
April 2011 Nano Tank of The Month
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1999606
7.5 Gallon, SPS, LED Cube
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-2230774.html
3 Gallon SPS Nano Vase
http://166.78.194.232/forums/showthread.php?t=1956387
Geldof 40 SPS Cube
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2529593&page=3
April 2011 Nano Tank of The Month
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1999606
7.5 Gallon, SPS, LED Cube
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-2230774.html
3 Gallon SPS Nano Vase
http://166.78.194.232/forums/showthread.php?t=1956387
Geldof 40 SPS Cube
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2529593&page=3
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