Jonas 3.13, 150G of Miracles fun

[ojonas81]

 

[ojonas81]

 

[ojonas81]

 

[ojonas81]

So got some issues I can't pinpoint. Got some very unhappy corals and my Chili Pepper Monti decided to RTN overnight. See picture below.

Checked all parameters last night and nothing that stands out that could have caused it from what I can tell.

SG: 1.028 (slightly high but has been around this for a long time.
Alk: 10.81 (working on getting it down to around 9. Has been high for a long time.
Ca: 600+ with Hanna checker. Red Sea kit gave 430
Mg: 1400
PO4: 0.09 (same for a long time)

Any ideas on what else could have caused it?

 

[ojonas81]

I'm back!!!

After just over two years hiatus from the forum I thought I would give a small update. The tank is running along fairly well. It had its ups and downs over the last couple of years due to personal and work related issues. Lately I have been better with my water changes, checking things and cleaning out the sump. Last year I added the Neptune ATK system as well as a new Radion XR15 Pro (gen 4) to the tank to add some more light. Most of the fish are still around. Think I just lost a chromis and a wrasse since the last update.

I am debating what I should do with the fuge (separate thread here) as it has been run over by GHA and has become a pain to keep running. Might just clean it all out and run bare bottom with cheato only. Comments on this?

No update is complete without pictures. Here are a new FTS as well as several coral shots. If anyone knows the names of any of the unknown ones, please let me know.

Thanks for coming back. Hopefully I will be better with the updates gong forward.

 

[ojonas81]

cont.

 

[ojonas81]

cont.

 

[MCCOOL]

Just read through the whole thread. Man, you've had a bunch of ups and downs! I'm glad things have stabilized for you. Your new pics aren't working for me, I'd love to see a new full tank shot

 

[ojonas81]

Hmm, does the pics work for anyone else? I can see them here (using a web browser and not Tapatalk).

 

[solitude127]

Can't see the pics on web or tapatalk.

 

[Benson0219]

Glad your back with updates! Pictures are not showing up.

 

[ojonas81]

Hmm. Strange. Wonder why the pictures shows up here? Used the link to the picture from Google Photos for the image reference. Would it be a permission thing where I can see it but no one else?

 

[Charley Diesing]

Hmm. Strange. Wonder why the pictures shows up here? Used the link to the picture from Google Photos for the image reference. Would it be a permission thing where I can see it but no one else?

Yeah, probably. I can't see any pictures. Even when following the link.

 

[ojonas81]

Ok. That won't work. Haha.

What is a better (preferable free and easy to use, alternative?

 

[srud]

Light Brackets

Light Brackets

The stand top is removable and held in place by the weight of the tank itself. It is resting on the 2" think frame on top. It is going nowhere.

Got a lot done with the tank this weekend. First of all, I think I am coming towards the end of the cycle. Cannot detect any ammonia anymore, nor nitrite. I have a nitrate reading of about 0.15 ppm. Since I am heading out on a short vacation in a week i will probably hold off adding any livestock until I am back.

The more, at least for me, exciting updates are that I finally got the Radion Pro's hung and powered up. It is so nice to finally have some light over the tank. Running them on 40% at the moment but may turn that down some more when adding corals later.

Also got the lunar LEDs from Neptune mounted and connected to the Apex LSM. Had to extend the cord since it was not long enough to reach all the way to where I had the LSM mounted.

This week I need to get the ATO hooked up and tested. I also have the reactors to plumb and get running. Was originally planning to have them tee'd of the main return line but since the DC-6000 was slightly less powerful than I expected I will probably get its own dedicated pump instead.

Below are pictures from the Radion mounting and final result. Enjoy.

Cables organized.

Evening mode.

Hi. I have really enjoyed reading about your build and all of the ups and downs. Thank you. I am particularly interested in the Bracket/braces you used to hang your lights. Where did you get them?

 

[first29gallon]

Can you share a pic of the tank now?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[adam82]

how about now?

 

[ojonas81]

So got some really bad news today. Had the annual termite inspection today and the house itself is good BUT the tank stand is not. It has a nice little colony living in it. They took some samples and will confirm after lab test next week but not looking good. Only way of fixing it is to take the stand outside and treat it. That means the tank ha to come down. :-(

At first I was upset but then I started to think. Maybe this is an opportunity to correct some mistakes done with this build and do things a little different next time around. The tank has to come down regardless and that leaves me with two options as far as handling the corals and fish.

1. I talk to one of my LFS and see if they want to store it for me. Or at the very least, take in the stuff and sell it and give me a credit. I prefer storing.

2. I set up a small sumpless tank that will run the skimmer, heater, circulation and CA+Alk dosing. I frag as much of the corals as I can and store them in there along with maybe a few fish I want to save, mainly my very healthy and frozen mysis eating Copperband, as well as my clam. The rest of the fish either has to be stored at a LFS/friend or being sold off/donated.

I would prefer to do option 2 as I can control the corals but will it work with no skimmer? Any input here would be helpful.

As for the tank, I am debating if I should sell it and get a new one. I am not too thrilled about the huge space the overflow is taking up. A new tank would have a ghost overflow style gaining a lot of real estate to work with which is exiting.

A new stand would be needed and this time I will have it made out of metal instead. Just need to find someone to build it.

Anyone having any suggestions on how to handle this mess I have not mentioned?

I will put up new tank shots soon as well. Ironically the tank is doing great at the moment. Go figure...

 

[ojonas81]

Have been thinking about my options over the weekend and this is the strategy I current contemplating:

1. Get a cheap un-drilled tank, maybe 50 gallon or thereabout
2. No sump
3. Use MP40 (one or two) for flow
4. Use Skimmer and place it in tank (make sure water level is OK)
5. Use the current dosing system for Alk and CA
6. Use current Radion lights
7. Get frag racks and frag as much as I can of the corals I want to keep
8. Save the Copperband butterfly along with a few other fish I want to keep and have them in the temporary tank
9. Same with some of the inverts like brittle and serpent star fish, clam, shrimp etc.
10. Donate the remaining corals, fish and live rock to friends and/or LFS
11. Sell the current tank but keep the sump
12. Get rid of the stand, send it to hell
13. Source a new 150g tank with the same dimensions but with an external/ghost overflow to regain the lost overflow space inside the tank
14. Get a new metal stand made
15. Get new tank up and running move on from there

Anything I have missed/overlooked?

 

[biecacka]

Sounds great to me!

Corey