Over the past 3 months I have made some changes to my tank and dialing in on the monitoring. I added a better skimmer than the one I had. I upgraded the lights to LED. I was using salifert for CA as well as MAG. I have since purchased the KH, NO3, and PO4 of the same brand. Was using cheaper test kits. I added more live rock to the display about 4 months ago for better natural filtration. Added a top off system using RODI and Kalk. I use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. I have 2 power heads totaling around 1800 gal per hour. Return from the sump is mag 12 at 4' head. Maybe around 6-700 gallons per hour
I am currently stocked heavy. I have 10 fish, 1 power blue tang, 2 clowns, stripe, blue and domino damsel, large goby, 2 chromis, 1 dragnnet, snails, pistol shrimp, 2 peppermint shrimp, and one cleaner, 2 fighting conchs. plenty of pods
2 open brain corals(1 green 1 multicolor), 1 duncan head, 2 candycane corals, 1 frog spawn, 1 hammer, 1 toadstool, 1 softcoral, 2 galaxia corals(1 almost baseball size and the other a frag) 3 types of zoas(all 3 nice size colonies), assorted rics, isolated mushrooms, large elegance coral, 1 plate coral, 1 favia, and 2 blasto, 1 pink birdsnest as test sps. I have a flowerpot coral that has never extended. I is well on its way out. Shame, it was a nice piece in the store, but never extended for me. I have 1 condy and one carpet anemone.
This week, I removed all frags from disk and glued them to rocks based on areas they seem to respond well. THe hammer has 16 heads and the frog spawn has 8 heads. The elegance is cantaloupe size. It has its own designated area. It melted one of my rics I had too close
Display is 75 gallon
Sump is 30 gallon long. I have a refugium with DSB. 24 hour 6500k grow light for cheato. I have GFO?carbon running from BRS 24hour/day. I keep salinity at 1.026.
I have quit testing for ammonia and nitrite.
I did a water change yesterday using coralife marine salt mix.
My major test readings are:
8.3 KH
1260MG
400CA
0 NO3
0 PO4
I feed 1 cube of mysis daily, pellets every 2 days, 6 scoops of reef chilli 1 hour after lights out, and occasional treat of fresh seafood (I live in coastal NC) My lights are currently running at 60% blues and 45% whites and other colors. 8 hours peak with 1 hour early and one hour late of only blues. I started in Oct of 2011 with a 55 gallon and changed to a 75 in Feb 2012. I am looking to purchase the $500 apex unit as soon as work picks up some. I am in debt for nothing on my tank and pay as I go. I want to set up dosing pumps following the controller for future needs.
My tank is inwall and I have a 4'x5' area with a sink behind the tank for maintenance and equipment. My wife has a 6'x10' storage room next to the tank. She has donated that room to me for a fish room. Once I remodel it all I will have 6'x15' for all I need. At that time, I will upgrade the tank to either a 180 or a 220. Planning on larger sump and 3 rubbermaid stock tanks at 100 gallons each with assorted rock, algae, and other equipment. Also looking at a water changing station, and utilizing my 75 gallon as a frag tank.
I know the tang is not suppose to be in my size tank. Purchased it before I completely read up on everything. Within a year he will be in a larger tank. Other than that, am I moving in the right direction. I have conquered hair algae and cyno. A little concerned about my mag and KH. Corals seem to be growing better now that I upgraded lighting. I had 4 t-5 and 2 VHO before. Thinking about modding the area above my tank to at least take the VHO again. I like the LED lights, but florescent seems to lights the tank a little different. Kind miss that. Anyway. Tell me what you think. I will try to post some pics. I will only be able to do that from my phone. The blue tends to wash everything out so colors do not come thru well. :fish2:
Thanks for all the help some of you have given since my start.
I am currently stocked heavy. I have 10 fish, 1 power blue tang, 2 clowns, stripe, blue and domino damsel, large goby, 2 chromis, 1 dragnnet, snails, pistol shrimp, 2 peppermint shrimp, and one cleaner, 2 fighting conchs. plenty of pods
2 open brain corals(1 green 1 multicolor), 1 duncan head, 2 candycane corals, 1 frog spawn, 1 hammer, 1 toadstool, 1 softcoral, 2 galaxia corals(1 almost baseball size and the other a frag) 3 types of zoas(all 3 nice size colonies), assorted rics, isolated mushrooms, large elegance coral, 1 plate coral, 1 favia, and 2 blasto, 1 pink birdsnest as test sps. I have a flowerpot coral that has never extended. I is well on its way out. Shame, it was a nice piece in the store, but never extended for me. I have 1 condy and one carpet anemone.
This week, I removed all frags from disk and glued them to rocks based on areas they seem to respond well. THe hammer has 16 heads and the frog spawn has 8 heads. The elegance is cantaloupe size. It has its own designated area. It melted one of my rics I had too close
Display is 75 gallon
Sump is 30 gallon long. I have a refugium with DSB. 24 hour 6500k grow light for cheato. I have GFO?carbon running from BRS 24hour/day. I keep salinity at 1.026.
I have quit testing for ammonia and nitrite.
I did a water change yesterday using coralife marine salt mix.
My major test readings are:
8.3 KH
1260MG
400CA
0 NO3
0 PO4
I feed 1 cube of mysis daily, pellets every 2 days, 6 scoops of reef chilli 1 hour after lights out, and occasional treat of fresh seafood (I live in coastal NC) My lights are currently running at 60% blues and 45% whites and other colors. 8 hours peak with 1 hour early and one hour late of only blues. I started in Oct of 2011 with a 55 gallon and changed to a 75 in Feb 2012. I am looking to purchase the $500 apex unit as soon as work picks up some. I am in debt for nothing on my tank and pay as I go. I want to set up dosing pumps following the controller for future needs.
My tank is inwall and I have a 4'x5' area with a sink behind the tank for maintenance and equipment. My wife has a 6'x10' storage room next to the tank. She has donated that room to me for a fish room. Once I remodel it all I will have 6'x15' for all I need. At that time, I will upgrade the tank to either a 180 or a 220. Planning on larger sump and 3 rubbermaid stock tanks at 100 gallons each with assorted rock, algae, and other equipment. Also looking at a water changing station, and utilizing my 75 gallon as a frag tank.
I know the tang is not suppose to be in my size tank. Purchased it before I completely read up on everything. Within a year he will be in a larger tank. Other than that, am I moving in the right direction. I have conquered hair algae and cyno. A little concerned about my mag and KH. Corals seem to be growing better now that I upgraded lighting. I had 4 t-5 and 2 VHO before. Thinking about modding the area above my tank to at least take the VHO again. I like the LED lights, but florescent seems to lights the tank a little different. Kind miss that. Anyway. Tell me what you think. I will try to post some pics. I will only be able to do that from my phone. The blue tends to wash everything out so colors do not come thru well. :fish2:
Thanks for all the help some of you have given since my start.
