Pacific Reefs
New member
Nex do you know Neo Geo? I ordered a Super Neo Candy Cab from Japan 7 months ago. It rocks!
JapanReef - 450 gallon In-Wall system
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Seen the name on arcade games that my kids play on sometimes. 
So changed out two actinics and one Radium 20k today and cleaned the lighting hood glass as it was filthy.
Tonight I check some parameters and Nitrate is around 2 which isn't so bad but Phosphate is also 2 which is very bad. The next phase of this makeover is geting that under control. I dosed 250 drops of Phosphate Control as it said 6 drops per 10 gallons. Seemed to be around 13ml which is quite alot. Water is cloudy as expected. If it drops PO4 by 0.05 then I think I'll be going broke before it has any effect so not sure I see the point. One bottle will reduce my phosphate by 0.1 so I need 20 bottles running me $650 - daaaamn.
Time for more aggressive Phosban action I guess.
So changed out two actinics and one Radium 20k today and cleaned the lighting hood glass as it was filthy.
Tonight I check some parameters and Nitrate is around 2 which isn't so bad but Phosphate is also 2 which is very bad. The next phase of this makeover is geting that under control. I dosed 250 drops of Phosphate Control as it said 6 drops per 10 gallons. Seemed to be around 13ml which is quite alot. Water is cloudy as expected. If it drops PO4 by 0.05 then I think I'll be going broke before it has any effect so not sure I see the point. One bottle will reduce my phosphate by 0.1 so I need 20 bottles running me $650 - daaaamn.
Time for more aggressive Phosban action I guess.
I have found a cheaper option: Brightwell Aquatics Phosphat-E Liquid Phosphate Remover for all Marine Aquaria.
Looks like one bottle will reduce my 450 gallons by 2ppm for a fraction of the price.
Too good to be true?
Looks like one bottle will reduce my 450 gallons by 2ppm for a fraction of the price.
Too good to be true?
Pacific Reefs
New member
Yeah Brightwell makes some great stuff.
This is my Neo Geo that was saved from the crushing machine in Japan. It's over 10 years old and they are crushing them because now they use lcd screens and they are much slimmer.
Now I remember reading your thread back in 2005. Glad to see you back in the game. Do you have any pictures where you live such as the lfs and such?
How does your family feel about the aquarium? My wife gives me a hard time for spending so much on it.
This is my Neo Geo that was saved from the crushing machine in Japan. It's over 10 years old and they are crushing them because now they use lcd screens and they are much slimmer.
Now I remember reading your thread back in 2005. Glad to see you back in the game. Do you have any pictures where you live such as the lfs and such?
How does your family feel about the aquarium? My wife gives me a hard time for spending so much on it.
Have no LFS here. I live on the outskirts of a small city called Miyakonojo (maybe 100,000 people) which is in on the island of Kyushu which is the southernmost island of what people refer to as mainland Japan. It's right on the south side of the island in between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures. The city is in a valley that has hills that run all the way to the coast of Kagoshima which ends with the active volcano Sakurajima which often rains ash on us. The other side of the valley is dominated by the the Kirishima volcano range.
It's very quiet, very peaceful, very friendly. There's one pet shop that used to sell marine fish but stopped. Another general goods kind of place has a pet section and sells some damsels and stuff like that. I get my fish from online vendors elsewhere in Japan and hardware from the US normally.
In other news the Phosphate Control has worked. Not sure what the instructions were going on about with 0.05 etc but teh online instructions I found said my dosage reduces PO4 by 1ppm. I thought I was at 2 as it looked darker than 1 but I just checked and I'm now reading 0.1.
I'll just dose a fraction of what I did yesterday and I guess it's bye bye PO4 forever. So that's one major problem fixed.
As usual I'm having heat related issues. It's incredibly hot and humid here at the moment (35C/95F). I have AC in the tank room, I have an extractor fan hooked into the light hood, I have AC on in my office next to the tank room and temp is sill hitting 30C/86F. Nothing appears to be suffering though but I think if I had SPS I'd worried. I think I'm just goiung to grin and bear it this year and finally get a chiller for next summer. Don't plan on adding any coral until I get a calcium reactor anyhow.
Ordering a pair of FoxFace Rabbitfish and pair of Potter's Angels tomorrow.
It's very quiet, very peaceful, very friendly. There's one pet shop that used to sell marine fish but stopped. Another general goods kind of place has a pet section and sells some damsels and stuff like that. I get my fish from online vendors elsewhere in Japan and hardware from the US normally.
In other news the Phosphate Control has worked. Not sure what the instructions were going on about with 0.05 etc but teh online instructions I found said my dosage reduces PO4 by 1ppm. I thought I was at 2 as it looked darker than 1 but I just checked and I'm now reading 0.1.
I'll just dose a fraction of what I did yesterday and I guess it's bye bye PO4 forever. So that's one major problem fixed.
As usual I'm having heat related issues. It's incredibly hot and humid here at the moment (35C/95F). I have AC in the tank room, I have an extractor fan hooked into the light hood, I have AC on in my office next to the tank room and temp is sill hitting 30C/86F. Nothing appears to be suffering though but I think if I had SPS I'd worried. I think I'm just goiung to grin and bear it this year and finally get a chiller for next summer. Don't plan on adding any coral until I get a calcium reactor anyhow.
Ordering a pair of FoxFace Rabbitfish and pair of Potter's Angels tomorrow.
The kids love it. The wife puts up with it as long as we can afford it.
But the last two years I pretty much spent $0 on it apart from salt and the electric bill. Think I bought a new RODI unit last year and that was about it. So it can be maintained with little money but it certainly doesn't shine. I'm just looking forward to lots of new fish with my new aquascape. If I can sort the calcium reactor then fair play but I'm not fussed these days. It's the fish that do it for me the most these days although the hammer and frogspawn under the PC lighting is awesome.
The city is in the valley behind the mountain (volcano). Lots of craters and one of them is filled to make Lake Miike which you see in that picture. It really is very beautiful. The whole range is dotted with hotels and most have hot springs with pipes that pumps up the hot spring water. The Japanese are mad for their hot springs which is natural I guess for the most seismically active place on the planet.
Pacific Reefs
New member
WOW that is beautiful!
If you planned a trip to the Fish Store in the mainland how long would it take?
I may have missed it but do you have fans in the canopy to help with the heat exchange?
If you planned a trip to the Fish Store in the mainland how long would it take?
I may have missed it but do you have fans in the canopy to help with the heat exchange?
There is a decent LFS in Miyazaki city about an hour's drive away, maybe 90 minues. Just easier to buy online really.
I used to have fans in teh canopy and then I upgraded substantially. I installed an industrial extractor fan that is connected by ducting to the canopy. It also has ducting to the main ballasts which are covered so heat is sucked from there too. I used to have ducted to both ends of the canopy but the sheer force of teh suction was breaking my PCs like crazy. So have one side hooked up.
I used to have fans in teh canopy and then I upgraded substantially. I installed an industrial extractor fan that is connected by ducting to the canopy. It also has ducting to the main ballasts which are covered so heat is sucked from there too. I used to have ducted to both ends of the canopy but the sheer force of teh suction was breaking my PCs like crazy. So have one side hooked up.
Managed to cool tank to 28C/82.4F overnight and kept it that way all day. Achieved by having office AC on full blast with closed door and open access doors. I set the Hammerhead to come on when Halides go off and reduced MH cycle by one hour to 7 hours.
Put in the final dose of Phosphate Control - or what I hope will be the last dose which was a quarter of the original 13ml (270 drops).
I have loads of B-Ionic 2 part so have started that just to see what it would really take to maintain decent levels. Tank is currently 6dKH and Ca is 345.
Two Foxface Rabbitfish and 2 Potters Angels arriving tomorrow. Have cleaned out the QT and hope for a 100% successful cycle this time. Still haven't got a replacement UV lamp as a few places won't ship it but it's in the works. Really does help so much in a QT tank.
And should be 0 PO4 tomorrow, unbelievable.
Any tips for getting nitrate down to 0? Have the Sulphur Denitrator and macroalgae so not sure what else to do. Could try a DSB in teh 24/7 lighting fuge part of my sump but it wouldn't be that big.....Niotrate only 2 or 3 but would be nice to get to 0 as bioload is going to increase.
I also hooked up my 50g RODI tank to the 20g RODI via a float valve. I might have to leave teh tank for 3 weeks in the future so I'm conducting a test to see how long the water lasts. I turned off the return pump, moved teh ATO high water alert sensor to as high as possible without overflowing the sump then filled the sump all the way up. I think full sump plus the other 2 tanks is around 100g so lets see how long it lasts. I just want a tank sitter to check tank daily and feed the fish and make sure everything is working.
Put in the final dose of Phosphate Control - or what I hope will be the last dose which was a quarter of the original 13ml (270 drops).
I have loads of B-Ionic 2 part so have started that just to see what it would really take to maintain decent levels. Tank is currently 6dKH and Ca is 345.
Two Foxface Rabbitfish and 2 Potters Angels arriving tomorrow. Have cleaned out the QT and hope for a 100% successful cycle this time. Still haven't got a replacement UV lamp as a few places won't ship it but it's in the works. Really does help so much in a QT tank.
And should be 0 PO4 tomorrow, unbelievable.
Any tips for getting nitrate down to 0? Have the Sulphur Denitrator and macroalgae so not sure what else to do. Could try a DSB in teh 24/7 lighting fuge part of my sump but it wouldn't be that big.....Niotrate only 2 or 3 but would be nice to get to 0 as bioload is going to increase.
I also hooked up my 50g RODI tank to the 20g RODI via a float valve. I might have to leave teh tank for 3 weeks in the future so I'm conducting a test to see how long the water lasts. I turned off the return pump, moved teh ATO high water alert sensor to as high as possible without overflowing the sump then filled the sump all the way up. I think full sump plus the other 2 tanks is around 100g so lets see how long it lasts. I just want a tank sitter to check tank daily and feed the fish and make sure everything is working.
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FFrankie
New member
Looking good Nexdog! That ventilation system is awesome. You know how I love overkill 
Sorry to be such a stranger lately. I have been very busy and not much time for updates. I have been following your progress and am very impressed. If I lived in Japan I would just go diving for my fish LOL!
A few nitrates are OK and nothing to worry about IMO. The only way I was able to achieve a true zero reading on the Hanna after the past 9 years was to go Zeo. This is the first time I have actually had perfect water parameters. The only difference I see is my corals are brighter. Personally I would not worry about it. How about adding a T.Gigas to the system?! That will bring them down some
Sorry to be such a stranger lately. I have been very busy and not much time for updates. I have been following your progress and am very impressed. If I lived in Japan I would just go diving for my fish LOL!
A few nitrates are OK and nothing to worry about IMO. The only way I was able to achieve a true zero reading on the Hanna after the past 9 years was to go Zeo. This is the first time I have actually had perfect water parameters. The only difference I see is my corals are brighter. Personally I would not worry about it. How about adding a T.Gigas to the system?! That will bring them down some
I've actually thought about adding a Gigas. I do love my monster Squamosa. I plan on added 15 more fish at least over the next year so the bioload will increase. I could always get teh next Denitrator I guess but I would like to avoid the expense. Is there a particular Zeo product that eats nitrate or do you need to go the whole hog? I'm very much a "hands off" guy so I think Zeo would be a bit much for me - plus the cost (have to remember everything is costs more for poor ole me).
Hey, I'm the last person that has a right to pull someone up about RC activity. I was awol for a full year from March last year. During that year there were months I could hardly see my fish and I had no energy for the tank. But never once did I contemplate tearing it down. I knew the bug would bite again one day. Lets see how far I can ride this current wave.
Hey, I'm the last person that has a right to pull someone up about RC activity. I was awol for a full year from March last year. During that year there were months I could hardly see my fish and I had no energy for the tank. But never once did I contemplate tearing it down. I knew the bug would bite again one day. Lets see how far I can ride this current wave.
Pacific Reefs
New member
That vent system is amazing. I can't believe that it breaks PC bulbs when it's fully running...wow. I'm glad you were able to get the temp down.
Are there any reefs nearby your island?
Are there any reefs nearby your island?
I put off doing it for a good while as it was quite daunting. I had to hunt around for the hole saw bit because at first I could only find one that cut wood and plastics. I actually bent the first one as the rock away from me and the drill was going to fast. Slow and steady is the way to go.
I think the tall rockwork makes life more interesting for the fish. They are alot more active now and the larger fish just cruise all round the tank all the time.
Halides have been on almost 3 hours and temp still holding at 27C/81F which is pretty good.
Alk has risen a bit after I dosed the 2 Part but the Ca didn't rise at all. I understand there is some connection between Ca and Mg and Mg is too low Ca won't rise? Well, my Mg is ridiculously low at 1050 so will Calcium not increase? Magnesium is one additive I don't have and I just did an order.
I think the tall rockwork makes life more interesting for the fish. They are alot more active now and the larger fish just cruise all round the tank all the time.
Halides have been on almost 3 hours and temp still holding at 27C/81F which is pretty good.
Alk has risen a bit after I dosed the 2 Part but the Ca didn't rise at all. I understand there is some connection between Ca and Mg and Mg is too low Ca won't rise? Well, my Mg is ridiculously low at 1050 so will Calcium not increase? Magnesium is one additive I don't have and I just did an order.
