Joe's 190g 60x36x20 SLOW Mixed Reef Build.......
- Thread starter Jflip2002
- Start date
So I reaquascaped again lastnight. I added those man made rocks. It'll probably cause an algae bloom, but I dont think it'll cause a cycle. Not one thats significant at least. Its less rock than the dry rock I added to the tank when it started. Here are some pics....
Im overall real happy with the fullness, and places to put corals. But its still real open towards the front. I have >12" in the front of the tank, minus the rock on the left (where its about 8") of room for fish to swim.
Im overall real happy with the fullness, and places to put corals. But its still real open towards the front. I have >12" in the front of the tank, minus the rock on the left (where its about 8") of room for fish to swim.
So this large acro colony is starting to die. I think its RTN, but I dont know. Maybe its a lack of lighting, since I did have it on the bottom of my tank. I only had it on the bottom, because the gentleman I got it from had it under PCs. I moved it to the top, but a couple of branches are already dead.
Im thinking of dosing Vodka. I never thought about it til someone locally said they are trying it, and I searched. It seems like people tend to have success with it. Im assuming you can dose vodka permanently, right?
I also got a huge monti cap yesterday, its at least 12" across, and its not looking so great. But it wasnt looking great when I got it.
Would this Vodka help as this point, or is it just going to shock everything and make things worse?
Im thinking of dosing Vodka. I never thought about it til someone locally said they are trying it, and I searched. It seems like people tend to have success with it. Im assuming you can dose vodka permanently, right?
I also got a huge monti cap yesterday, its at least 12" across, and its not looking so great. But it wasnt looking great when I got it.
Would this Vodka help as this point, or is it just going to shock everything and make things worse?
glassbox-design
New member
Re: Vodka dosing.
Hold off for now. You've got a lot of changes going on. Also I'd look at your water parameters. Lack of light will not cause RTN, it's something in the water. Double check your alkalinity and salinity with accurate kits and a refracto.
FWIW, We liked the old aquascape much better.
Hold off for now. You've got a lot of changes going on. Also I'd look at your water parameters. Lack of light will not cause RTN, it's something in the water. Double check your alkalinity and salinity with accurate kits and a refracto.
FWIW, We liked the old aquascape much better.
The old aquascape was too open for me. It made my tank look empty. After whats going on with my tank right now, Im not sure if Im going to do SPS,or just go back to LPS and softies. The new structure has it set up so I have lots of places for coral. Ive been moving around rocks here and there as of late, but thats the basic structure of how its going to look I think. I may take out one of those cinder block caves though. That might make a bit of a difference in space.
As far as RTN, thats what Im guessing it is. My main colony was bleaching and losing its flesh from the bottom up. The odd thing is I broke a couple frags off of it, accidentally. And those frags are doing totally fine, and a couple are even growing. It seems that only the main/mother colony is the one thats suffering. My montis are looking nice, the frags, even my clam is huge and open. Everything is doing well except this colony.
IVe also heard from people that colonies dont do well in their tank when they buy them as an entire colony. People say they have luck with starting out with frags. I wonder if that could just be the case?
As far as RTN, thats what Im guessing it is. My main colony was bleaching and losing its flesh from the bottom up. The odd thing is I broke a couple frags off of it, accidentally. And those frags are doing totally fine, and a couple are even growing. It seems that only the main/mother colony is the one thats suffering. My montis are looking nice, the frags, even my clam is huge and open. Everything is doing well except this colony.
IVe also heard from people that colonies dont do well in their tank when they buy them as an entire colony. People say they have luck with starting out with frags. I wonder if that could just be the case?
Mikes build thread also has me scared/weary of getting any diseases in my tank. I dont have too much extra money to spend on my tank, so if anything catastrophic hits my tank, Id have to give it up and move back to my 60g tank. Im curious how long do you guys QT any new incoming pets?
So the rest of that colony died today. It was totally white with no flesh on it. But my frags are still doing well. I think thats kind of odd. I picked up some Iodide and some amino acids yesterday from the LFS. I think I may be starving the corals, I dont reallyknow to be honest. I do skim pretty wet. Id say I get a good 20 oz of water every 2 days. And I only have 3 fish in the tank. so I maybe stripping TOO much from my water column.
On a brighter note, I got a new addition yesterday... it was to my FOWLR, though. I picked up a spiny box puffer, to go with our porcupine puffer.
On a brighter note, I got a new addition yesterday... it was to my FOWLR, though. I picked up a spiny box puffer, to go with our porcupine puffer.
For some reason, that made me think about my aquascape. Ive been dwelling on it since that comment lol. So I redid my aquascape tonight. I think its a nice median between the old and the newer. I broke the slab in half, that thing was just TOO HUGE. It wasted a lot of space. Now Im just using it to lift the rest of the rock up a little bit. Pics will come when this water clears up.
mcliffy2
New member
oh yea, and the new puffer is very cool too. I didn't even realize you had a FOWLR.
As for QT I would sugges3-4 weeks on all incoming fish. I am starting to suspect the velvet came is what took out 8 of the 9 chromis in my QT. The one that made it, I held in QT for a week and a half after the others died. I think this was the lifecycle of the velvet (I didnt treat, just observed). I thought he was ok, but it was just part of the lifecycle of the velvet. So when I added him, the velvet started to hit about a week later.
As for QT I would sugges3-4 weeks on all incoming fish. I am starting to suspect the velvet came is what took out 8 of the 9 chromis in my QT. The one that made it, I held in QT for a week and a half after the others died. I think this was the lifecycle of the velvet (I didnt treat, just observed). I thought he was ok, but it was just part of the lifecycle of the velvet. So when I added him, the velvet started to hit about a week later.
Thanks, I thought this aquascape was a lot better. Once that monti on the right side finally totally dies, or once I decide to frag it, the tank will be even more open.
As for that FOWLR, it was basically just my old 60g I never took down. I was throwing my extra sand and spare rocks in there. And my GF really likes puffers, so I kept the tank up for whatever she wanted to keep that wouldnt be acceptable in my reef lol. Both of those fish have ich unfortunately now, I believe. I gotta start medicating em with something.
As for that FOWLR, it was basically just my old 60g I never took down. I was throwing my extra sand and spare rocks in there. And my GF really likes puffers, so I kept the tank up for whatever she wanted to keep that wouldnt be acceptable in my reef lol. Both of those fish have ich unfortunately now, I believe. I gotta start medicating em with something.
Wow, so after that post, I checked out the FOWLR, and the Burr/spiny box puffer is dead, and the porcupine looks like hes next. Thats the second porcupine and first burr puffer that has died from the same LFS. The Porcupine looked like it had ich to begin with, but was told it was just air bubbles. That is my mistake for being such an idiot.
So I found a good deal on a fixture. Its a PFO with 2x250w halides, and 2x110 VHOs. Im going to get rid of these lumenarcs, and get that guy. It should look a little nicer, and will eliminate me putting off getting some T5 retros to hang below, adding probably more cluster.
So today I sold one of mylumenarcs to a local reefer, and I picked up a new(to me) fixture. Its a PFO 2x250w 10k SE Halide w/ 2x110 VHO actinics. Id have to say that I really like this fixture, its pretty clean looking, and it just appears to be solid overall. The one thing I can say though, is that my Lumenarcs appeared to be a little bright than this fixture, even with the 110 VHOs. It was more of a cost saving deal anyhow. I got a great deal on the fixture, cheaper than a 2x110 VHO retro fit would have costed by itself. And the fixture came with a couple PFO electronicballasts, along with an ice cap 660 ballast for the VHOs.
I also picked up a pocci and digitata frag today, along with 7 blue/green chromis. Here are some pics...
I like how white the new fixture is, or the bulb combination at least. It sure beats the 14k hamiltons, that look like 20k bulbs. The actinics by themselves are very purple too, I think I like that as opposed to the superblue. On the next go around though, I'll make sure to get two different colors of actinics.
I also picked up a pocci and digitata frag today, along with 7 blue/green chromis. Here are some pics...
I like how white the new fixture is, or the bulb combination at least. It sure beats the 14k hamiltons, that look like 20k bulbs. The actinics by themselves are very purple too, I think I like that as opposed to the superblue. On the next go around though, I'll make sure to get two different colors of actinics.
Yeah, I was going to go to HD tonight and see what they have as far as hanging kits. I want to have something come up from the rear, with a 90 degree, and hang from that, like Invincibles set up. I dont like the whole hanging from the ceiling thing to much. I just hope its not too far of a drop off from my lumenarcs. I figure I should be fine, since many people keep a very successful SPS tank with the old fashion spider reflectors.
