My 75 gallon Reef... a newbie's progress.

[dg3147]

And a few of the inhabitants...

Midas Blenny with tons of personality.
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20of%20March%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_0324.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20of%20March%202010/IMG_0324.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


Coral frags and the larger of my clams. The clam is under a vigorous anit-pyramid snail regiment right now. (every other day removal by hand).
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20of%20March%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_0321.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20of%20March%202010/IMG_0321.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Diamond Goby --keeps the sand perfectly white.
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20of%20March%202010/?action=view&current=IMG_0319.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20of%20March%202010/IMG_0319.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[dg3147]

RE-Aquascape Update

RE-Aquascape Update

Spent today re-aquascaping and moving my frags of the the bottom. Here are the results:

FTS:
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20March%2012-2010/?action=view&current=IMG_0332.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20March%2012-2010/IMG_0332.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Sideview:
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20March%2012-2010/?action=view&current=IMG_0335.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20March%2012-2010/IMG_0335.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

And my miserable sump --planning on changing this in a couple months to include a proper fuge, etc.
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20March%2012-2010/?action=view&current=IMG_0328.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/FTS%20March%2012-2010/IMG_0328.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[dg3147]

Progress for he eve...

Progress for he eve...

So, I've gotten around to installing the new sump:
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/?action=view&current=IMG_0379.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/IMG_0379.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
It has a cleaner look to it, with a "real" refugium on the left. The coral browning appears better, but still waiting on the older ones that turned brown to recover. Growth appears rapid and well otherwise.

Here' a shot of one of the new inhabitants, a Red Serpent Sea Star sticking its arm out for diner...
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/?action=view&current=IMG_0375.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/IMG_0375.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[dg3147]

Wow, my tank is almost 10 months old --sort of touching.

Wow, my tank is almost 10 months old --sort of touching.

So here are some updated photos:


fts:
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/NP%20pellet%20update%20and%20FTS/?action=view&current=IMG_0446.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/NP%20pellet%20update%20and%20FTS/IMG_0446.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Int Dboy]

looks great...And the new sump looks awesome!!!!

 

[Tony Romano]

jumping on!

 

[Reefer-Dude1888]

Tank looks great m8 good to see it in the different growth stages well done m8..

 

[Korrine]

You are doing a fab job! Hope I can do as good when I get my 75 going!!

 

[dg3147]

My left tank today:
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/?action=view&current=IMG_20101019_135733.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/IMG_20101019_135733.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Right tank:
<a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/?action=view&current=IMG_20101019_135744.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/david_gutkin/IMG_20101019_135744.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[dg3147]

Doing vodka AND pellets.

 

[Chet.84]

nice build, looks great

 

[Tony Romano]

my alk is low (around 8), I am hoping that since I started kalk it will rise slowly after a month or so.

8 is fine, you can even go lower.

 

[Tony Romano]

Doing vodka AND pellets.

Why the Vodka? :wavehand:

 

[afernandez]

i have to say i was worried about the sump then i saw the improvements all i have to say is good job! tank looks awsome .

 

[strike2867]

Why the Vodka? :wavehand:

Pellets for the tank and Vodka for him.

 

[snewcrash]

Yeah I run my Alk at 8 with no problems.

 

[dg3147]

I was running biopellets and managed to drive my tank to undetectable PhO3 and NO3; though, my colors were not as brights as with vodka alone (even though parameters seemed better than ever) --so I figured there must be something to the vodka other than just lowering nutrients (perhaps it changes the bacterial balance in a very "vodka specific" sort of way). With this in mind,, I added a very small dose of vodka every other day (0.2-0.3 mL)

Under pellets: my nutrients got so low that I stopped my GFO and my cheato algae started to die off. My colors were not as good as with vodka alone.

The result of dosing both: I had a cyano bloom and almost killed many of my LPS. Not sure if it was a carbon source OD, or another problem --but I ceased vodka for now.

I tested my parameters for the first time in a few months and they are a bit out of whack: NO3 0.2, PhO3 0.03-0.1, Osm 1.023, kH 10.6/Ca 460/ Mg 1380. I clearly need to address these issues today. Did a 20% water change, cleaned filters and sump, added higher salt content to water change, restarted GFO, changed carbon, and running closed loop water through filter sock at high flow all day after stirring up the water column.

we'll see how it goes....

 

[jdantunes]

Nice looking tank...No updates for almost a year? Still running?

 

[dg3147]

Nice looking tank...No updates for almost a year? Still running?

I almost forgot about my own thread! Still in the hobby...I will see if I can find my camera cord to attach to my computer (the new dog ate most USB cords around the house...ha!)

I have since re-aquascaped, swithced back to vodka, had a minor tank crash, and gone LED. Pics to follow...

 

[dg3147]

Ok, here are the photos: