My Saltwater adventure

[Ntvper]

Cuz im bored I thought i would tell you guys about my reef.
Current livestock:

Mandarin Goby (favorite)
Regal Tang
2 Perc Clowns
Fire Shrimp
2 Peppermint Shrimp
3 Fire Gobies


CUC
4 Zebras
4 Mexican Turbos
4 Red-legged Hermit
3 Emerald Crabs (ones waldo)
5 Nassarius snails (4 same type 1 oddball)

Coral
2 clumps of Brown Zoas (dont know name for sure not the same type)
Kenya
Pulsing Xenia


My tank is over a year old with one crash that was completely my fault. The livestock is the same and only lost the inverts minus an emerald and nassarius. I recently replaced the xenia and the kenya. along with the fire shrimp and snails. The fire gobies were added after tank showed stability after the crash. Lessons learned this time the hard way. While my tank shows 'new tank' syndrome the parameters are great all signs of life returning and the algae outbreak is being controlled via water changes and CUC. I am very happy to report that the algae isnt growing or blooming and is being eaten by the snails at an alarming rate and to prove my theory the front glass is not being cleaned daily or even weekly. I am surprised that the zoas made it as the xenia and kenya were lost. Still not on the pretty side because of the algae encrusted rock but the snails are doing their job and have 2 rocks completely cleaned with no new growth on coral as well. Even the coralline is spreading again.
I recently added new lava rock to the tank so now im up to over 90lbs and in a month or so should have some nice Live lava Rock lol. I do believe I am done with adding fish in this tank. Couple of reasons being dont want to overstock, mostly want lots n lots of coral and I cant think of any fish I want that would fit into my small 75 DT.
As some can see under signature I have a 55G sump which might be overkill but I dont mind at all. I made it that way for the extra water volume, room for skimmers, reactors, and refugium. aint no kill like overkill. My refugium is huge compared to others ive seen on the net when searching for ways to make it and to see if there is a percentage rule for refugiums. I found none and made my huge mainly for the benefits of space (water volume), pod breeding, and eventually mysid breeding. plus if any inhabitants get outta line, in the sump they go while i debate what to do with them. pictures to follow just trying to get a shot of all livestock at once (just fish) and the mandarin is not having it. He usually is out in front when Im around but recently too involved i guess with other things ie eating the pods and chasing shrimp.

 

[reign]

Cool! have you ever ran GFO it is great at reducing algae blooms.

 

[Ntvper]

Cool! have you ever ran GFO it is great at reducing algae blooms.

actually not lately just carbon for water clarity. the algae grows from the rock up no green water. i did once/religiously long ago when i first started and was using city water (before i found out they came out with TDS meters) and had to use a UV filter too and it cleared up. but once i installed the RO and put in ATO i dont really have a excess phos/nutrient problem anymore that flares the algae up. I dont mind algae growing its just showing me I have an excess nutrient problem on one side of the spectrum and this one was due to the crash, ammonia spike and the rest that followed. But if its not growing like crazy itll go away in time (and snail lol).

 

[Ntvper]

just an update cuz im soooooo excited to say this.....
my green zoas are showing life this morning. yesterday i saw a neon green thing sticking out of the brown stem and i was like oh man its decaying but upon closer inspection i started thinking its trying to open up? i watched it literally all day yesterday. then the lights went off and i saw it disappear. i knew then it was alive. and this morning more so, i can tell its trying to open up and the second polyp of three is doing the same thing u can tell its trying to open up as the middle looks like the 'ribbing' or middle or the little tentacles that surround it. getting happy over something small like that yea im weird but its alive its sooo cool and rewarding to know that it made it.

 

[xmenx2dad]

So do u have a standard 75 dt and a 55 sump? If so how did u make it fit? Also is there room for any equipment?

 

[Ntvper]

So do u have a standard 75 dt and a 55 sump? If so how did u make it fit? Also is there room for any equipment?

the 75 DT is 48.5 x 18.5 x 21.25 so i guess thats standard i have no idea its my second 75 (first in sw) and it holds more gallons then my last one. the 55 is old school if that makes any sense. thicker and bigger then the ones made now. room for more equipment sure. my skimmer is in the sump, along with a 21 inch refugium w/ 4 inch sandbed, reactor hangs on the back of sump with the inlet/outlet in the return section with the ATO fed by my RO unit. the sump is outside the stand in the corner with ease of access to clean or modify at my leisure. the only thing i wouldve loved to do different is get a RR 75 and put it in the living room but wife wont let me she says no room up there so it sits in my office.

 

[dsepp]

Sounds really cool! How about some pics?

 

[sgallant04]

I'm not really sure I understand a media reactor.. is that the tube that requires a CO2 bottle ?

 

[Ntvper]

Sounds really cool! How about some pics?

will do let me clean the outside of glass just acclimated some more snails

I'm not really sure I understand a media reactor.. is that the tube that requires a CO2 bottle ?

the reactor is a tube that is built for an upflow effect. meaning the water is pumped down the tube to the bottom of the reactor and the up through the media back into sump in my case.

 

[Ntvper]

well quick update since im bored and not feeling good today so the majority is work at home day with one inspection i went on. my tank is cloudy i was gonna get some pics today as well to show off the new frags but after rearranging a rock or two and adding new coral it seems i just made it cloudy as all get out. i can barely see the rock at the back wall so i added a water polisher seeing my reactor is being used by the GFO this month. i feel all bad for my lil pets i normally let the algae run its course as it goes away in time but this time i got all mad at it so gfo is on the prowl. usually ive been lucky with cyano one lil patch and i pull it out with no problems later this time it got bigger like saying 'hahaha u imbecile' tested all parameters and their great at 0's and my calcium and alk in balance per chart so more reading to do and checking into stuff. other then that the new additions are out n loving life in my lil ocean bio. hopefully tomorrow i can post some pics. oh forgot to mention my mandarin doesnt know what to think of the hammer coral hes goes by it and hops around it like 'ya dont mess with me ya sissy'. the only thing i hate while i run my water polisher is the lil bubbles that come out and no matter what i do i cant make it go away 100 percent. something is wrong with my 2 yr old mag filter. that poor thing has been put through fishey hell but it still runs like a dream.