Higher Calcium Level for SPS Growth? (vs Health)

[Wally.B]

Leo Leopard Wrasse has Died. (Time to move on to Halted Projects)

- So Leo Died today. Glad his suffering ended. And mine from watching.

So this 5 week distraction is over.

The good news having the fish and all that feeding has certainly kick started the Refuge and Sand bed.
At night I see countless of critters crawling (tons of Bristle worms).

- This Sump is all ready to complete the Algae scrubber and start scrubbing all those accumulated nutrients.

- Sump is now a all one system and will eventually be a Single QT for the Black Capped Basselt.

- My ESV A/B part is almost done so going to try Aqua Forest (3 Part).
----> Building a 3 part doser from my Last Audiuno Module.

Onwards.

 

[sahin]

Good to see the results coming through. :thumbsup:

 

[Wally.B]

QUICK Update: [Black Capped Basslet Arrived] & [Algae Scrubber Completed]

- I got a call from Supplier (3 Black Caps arrived). Pickup on Monday.

- Also I finally finished the In Sump Algae Scrubber.
- Good Timing, since during the Last QT run, all that feeding triggered Algae, THIS TIME the SCRUBBER will be running, so a perfect test.

TANK isn't doing too well (Nothing Major, just Coral Color Loss). After that MH Ballast Blow out, I was running on 1 Bulb for few weeks.
Then when Ballast Finally Replaced (GFCI problems also), I had to ramp up lighting slowly. Things are improving, SLOWLY!!

 

[Wally.B]

Algae Scrubber (Screen Design - IMPELLER ACHOR)

One more photo.

Since this is not waterfall ATS, but a submerged Screen (Upflow Design), I figured the screen would float and/or be wobbly with the upflow flow.

So I was going to attach another rod at the bottom with some kind of anchor attachment. But fumbling underwater would be a hassle.

I notice my wall of broken impellers and came up with this anchor design.

Nice and heavy. Reef Safe!!

ANOTHER DESIGN NOTE (Screen fine tuning Adjustable placement):

- The screen hangs on a ROD on SLIDING TRACK to allow me to move it back and forth to tune the lighting/focus for optimal Algae Growth. (Between Light Panel and Mirror at back)
- Also will allow me to play with the WATER FLOW placement.

 

[Wally.B]

BLACK CAP BASSLET (Is Here)

So I've waited over a year for this fish, and no regrets.

What makes him special is that I've never seen one before, and his purple color is spectacular. Plus the wavy fins are cool.
This is a 2.5" nearly full grown specimen.

He has settled into Bikini Bottom QT. He like's Sponge Bob's Pinnaple house.

More pictures to come when he get's settled in and comes out.

 

[reefmutt]

Can't see him too well but no surprise. They are shy..
Regardless, nice fish!
I've never kept a black cap basslet..

 

[Wally.B]

Algae Scrubber Update (Completed and Test Running)

- So the Sump Scrubber is completed (Dark Chamber, Lighting, Screen)
- Running a closed loop test with 1 Fish (Black Cap).

We'll see if Algae Grows on the Screen (how much? how fast? Evenly distributed?)

 

[Wally.B]

Can't see him too well but no surprise. They are shy..
Regardless, nice fish!
I've never kept a black cap basslet..

Yup, definitely shy. He won't come out of Sponge Bob's House.

Even got a 24 hour WEBCAM on him. Doesn't come out at all.

Food just floats in circles and isn't eating, considering his large size. Maybe he nibbles with food that floats into his home.

I did take out the House, and he did swim around nicely (not stressed) when nowhere to hide, but I put his home back.

I'll let him get comfortable for a while (just the odd peek out). Better than they Leopard Wrasse who dug himself into the sandbed for a week.

 

[Wally.B]

BLACK CAP BASSLET (Picture)

Here he is....(Took some gentle encouragement to have him come out)

Strange. Now that I got him out, he is staying out. Even under Strong Lighting.

 

[NeilFox]

Hi Wally,

Great thread! I admire you perseverance. I read through the entire thing. One of the things that really stood out to me is the amount of care you take looking after the well-being of your charges. You seem to have a very good long term survival rate despite some problems with algae. Your dedication to the welfare of the animals and quarantine procedures etc. really are a great example.!

Thanks for sharing all of your experience here.

 

[Wally.B]

Hi Wally,

Great thread! I admire you perseverance. I read through the entire thing. One of the things that really stood out to me is the amount of care you take looking after the well-being of your charges. You seem to have a very good long term survival rate despite some problems with algae. Your dedication to the welfare of the animals and quarantine procedures etc. really are a great example.!

Thanks for sharing all of your experience here.

Thanks for kind words.
This kind of appreciation keep me motivated not only to document my failures (learnings), and successes (sometimes).
Hopefully some day I'll tip the scale more on the success side.

 

[Wally.B]

BLACK CAP BASSLET (Eating like a pig now). Going into DT soon, but Tank Lid going on for safety.

So after a week away at cottage, I came back to a hungry Basslet.
He is now out all the time waiting to be fed. (Eating Frozen Brine shrimp and Flake too)

Since I've waited over a year for this BlackCap, I can't take a chance on him jumping out of tank.

So I'm going to make a tank lid with this 1/4" netting I got from Online Aquarium Supply.

I hate glass lids for heat, and maintenance access.

 

[Wally.B]

Couple of Photo Updates (Tank Lid Installed & Algae Scrubber has kicked in. [First Harvest] )

The Black Cap Basslet can Safely go into the Display Tank anytime.

But I'll keep in in QT for a while since his is my source for testing the In Sump Algae Scrubber, which is doing quite well under low fish load.

 

[2wheelsonly]

So here are some baseline that I use for my for water parameters.

Alk 8 dKH (I think 8-9 is fine, if you get burnt tip drop it to around 7.5)
Ca 450
Mg 1400

NO3 2-5 ppm
PO4 0.08-0.02

Keep them very stable, like every time you test (the same time of day) the parameters are the same. People overlook how important this is, because it is hard for many to get the tank this stable. This is what we mean when we say the tank should be mature. It means you have everything dialed in, and it never moves. Once you have that good things will happen.

Water flow. Strong currently all around the tank is a very big factor in getting good growth. I have got just as good results with strong water flow as I have with strong lighting.

So to give you an idea of what I am talking about this is two years of growth. The whole tank was started with nothing but tiny 1" frags.

2 years later.

This tank used carbon dosing and GFO heavily. Nitrates always undetectable and Phosphates at under 0.02. The only thing added other than fish food were Salifert Amino Acids.

Thanks for this! I always wondered how long it takes for tanks to blow up having all these little frags placed...nice growth!

 

[Wally.B]

Thanks for this! I always wondered how long it takes for tanks to blow up having all these little frags placed...nice growth!

Thanks for your insight. Very nice progress in your tank. Looks great!!

 

[Wally.B]

BLACK CAP Basslet Moving from QT to DT (Stress less Transfer)

A few weeks in QT, so I believe I'm safe to move BlackCap from QT.
Looking very health, and he is eating well, and my QT needs to be move for Future Sump with ATS.

To make transfer as minimally stressful as possible:

- I did long (2 hour) acclimatization for water. Even thought water is almost identical (since QT was water change water)
- Didn't Net the Fish (Scooped him Gently into a container easily out of QT)
- I moved the SpongeBob Pinnaple Home that BlackCap got use to (hoping he finds it)
- I also did a long overdue rock adjustment (with a small clean up). NEW ROCK Scape has many tunnels and caves within. (Fish Love it after just one day)

I wanted the rocks lowered for more growing TOP room anyway.
Also Corals not doing well after that Long Ballast Failure/Replacement (I believe I burned many of them).

Corals are recovering, so for safety backup I did a fragging and setup a frag tray at back of Tank (@ lower Lighting Level).

 

[Wally.B]

Ooops!! Wrong Photo of New DT Rock Setup

Here is OLD vs New Rock Scape.

 

[Wally.B]

SKIMMER COMPARISON (Side by Side [RLSS DB8i] VS [EuroReef KSP5000] )

So my Impeller went on my EuroReef Skimmer (Other Tank).

Since I ordered a replacement Impeller I got two.

Thus I sparked up my old EuroReef since it's impeller died too and I replaced with the Higher End RLSS DB8i.


But I've been questioning the DB8i performance (Or maybe just not tuned right).

So with a spare EuroReef Fully restored, I'm running both side by side compare. (It's a little tight in the sump, but good enough for a short term comparison)

((( The EuroReef is Behind the Flow of the DB8, so it get's a 2nd shot at the Tank Return Water )))

Can't wait to see results. Expectation is DB8i Must outperform the EuroReef.

(Or else I will be talking the Owner of RLSS since he sold me the DB8i and told me it's in a different Class, and far better then my OLD Euroreef)

 

[Wally.B]

EuroReef VS RLSS DB8i (24 hour Wet Skim Comparison)

OK, So the DB8i is better after a 24 Hours Wet Skim Comparison. (But the Euro Reef Skimmate appears a bit more concentrated)

Let's see after a few more days. (THen I tune them down for a more Dryer Skim comparison)

 

[reefmutt]

Interesting. Still following.