Nearly 5 months since my last update! I've been busy getting the 55g going... slow & steady progress. Here's the 55g thread, incase anyone's interested:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1712600
That tank is so different to this one... very low maintenance, slow & peaceful. This one is the crazy active tank that always keeps me on my toes. I'm going to keep posting periodic updates in this thread (and the other one) because it's an easy way for me to be able to see progress in the tank, and it keeps me honest.
Today is WC day. I find since I've been doing 10% bi-weekly changes the parameters stay nice. We also upgraded the Vertex to a Bubble King 180 a while back, and I noticed a drop in Nitrate almost immediately. The only reason we upgraded was because the pump in the Vertex was noisy (the BK is silent), but the side effect of lower nitrates is excellent.
Today's parameters (pre-WC):
ammonia 0 (I only check this periodically now)
nitrate <5
temp 79
sg 1.026
calc 380
Most of the corals are settled in, but I did lose a few colonies along the way. My favorite red acan didn't make it, and I only recently replaced it with a red & green colony that's starting to colour up nicely. All the softies are starting to grow again, and the yellow leather is FINALLY looking like it's old self and starting to grow. I've even managed to keep a frogspawn alive (this is my 3rd try) and have added a few more LPS colonies which are doing well so far. Maybe it's the nitrate (or lack of)?
I had added a second clam, and a month or two later my larger clam suddenly died. I'd had that one from the start, so I was pretty upset. Still don't know what happened, but the new one is hanging in there. I'll add another one in a few months, once I'm sure things are ok with the little one. Might try a squamosa next.
Not sure what I last updated for livestock, but here's a current list:
Ocellaris clown pair
Foxface rabbitfish
Kole tang
Yellow tang
Chocolate tang
Sixline wrasse
Blue/green chromis (currently 4)
Bi-colour blenny
Black brittle star
Orange/pink lip conch (2)
Electric blue hermit (2)
Skunk cleaner shrimp
Red cleaner shrimp (2)
Misc snails & small hermits
The focus for the tank now is to add a bit more LPS, and let everything grow out. I'm done adding fish, but may add a few more inverts. And I will be adding some gorgonians once I see the one I recently added doing ok. I'd like to work on automating some of the maintenance (an ATO would be awesome!) and we'll have to add a chiller this summer to prevent the same crash we had last year.
I think we're all updated. Pics coming next.
