Obiwanthegoby's return to the hobby - 56 Gallon LPS/SPS Tank

[obiwanthegoby]

Return from hiatus after 4 years! Spent too much time snorkeling in Curacao in the 10 year anniversary and got bit by the Reef bug again. Going with something small and more budget friendly this time around. Setting up my 56 gallon column again. (previously an RBTA tank). So far equipment selection is as follows:

Display Tank - 56 Gallon Column
Sump - 15 Gallon
Return - Current USA eFlux DC pump 1900GPH (will be running at 50-75%)
Power heads - Innovative Marine Mid Size DC Auqa Gadgets x2
Heater - Rena Smart Heater
Lighting - 1 250w DE Halide with 2 30" T5 HO for supplement
Rock - 70 lbs BRS dry Rock
Sand - Shallow with Carribsea Special Grade reef sand.
Skimmer - Bubble Magus curve 5

Planning to have this guy up and running at the end of the month... more to come

Obiwan

 

[obiwanthegoby]

Alright, I decided against the current USA DC return. Leaning towards the Syncra Pro from Sicce. Also looking at going LEDs instead of Halides. Looking at the Reefbreeders Photon V2... waiting to see if there’s any sales this weekend. Will post some pictures of the stand and tank this weekend. Will be adding live rock to DT next week after o get the plumbing finalized.

 

[obiwanthegoby]

Stand construction.... as always over engineered...

Stain job

 

[obiwanthegoby]

Some pictures since they didn't load on the first go. Tank has been up and running for about 2 weeks rock had been cycled for close to 2 weeks before adding it to the tank.

Original pendant - caused a bad shadow with the center brace.

Replaced pendent with one of the Lumen Brights, 400W dimmed down as far as it will go. Reeflux 12k bulb, pendant from my old 400 gallon build

Stand construction

Tank parameters are stable at

Salinity - 35 ppt
Calcium - 425
Alkalinity - 7.9
Magnesium - 1300
Temp 74

Added two corals last week a hammer and a Duncan.

6 hermits and an astrea have been in the tank for about two weeks.

Additional clean up crew and macro algae's on their way. Tank will remain that way for about two more weeks before the first fish goes in.

Obi



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[obiwanthegoby]

A few more clean up crew guys .... planaxis, nerite, cerith, nassarius and some macros.

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[obiwanthegoby]

New inhabitants! Really happy with what I received from The Coral Reef in Jackson City TN!!!

New corals are Pavona, Montipora Undata, A chalice and a blue/purple Mushroom.

Parameters stable at

ALK - 8.4 dKh
Calcium - 425ppm
Salinity - 35ppt
Magnesium is fluctuating.... or better yet I am doing a crappy job of titration... but it's over 1300ppm regardless

Duncan coral started some tissue recession at the base, I think it may have been the alkalinity dip when I was determining maintenance dose.... maybe not.... we'll see


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[obiwanthegoby]

Thinking through fish stocking this is what I'm thinking for now, in order

Purple firefish (in the tank)
Orangeback Fairy Wrasse (will be here Tuesday)
Court Jester Goby (will be here Tuesday)
Carpenters Flasher Wrasse
Yellow watchman goby
Ember or Tribal Blenny
Clownfish pair

I had really wanted to include a chalk bass and long nosed hawkfish but just don't think there's room and would be pushing it tight with bioload and fish space.


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[obiwanthegoby]

Tank update

Calcium and Alkalinity have been up and down trying to find a good daily dose point. But tank is healthy. Starting the hair algae phase but that means everything is going as it should. A few pictures below, phone pictures, white balance sucks.

Ember blenny

Red brittle star

New frags

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[obiwanthegoby]

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[obiwanthegoby]

Updated pictures

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[obiwanthegoby]

One issue I am having is maintaining alkalinity correctly. It keeps bouncing back and forth. Trying to use 2 part from BRS and their calculator (which I have used a lot in the past with no issues so no blame being pointed at the product) I have stabilized the Calcium side of things and established a dose but every time I dose alkalinity it jumps almost twice as high than I'm shooting for.

Example from last doses:

8/23/2018 Tests
Calcium - 415ppm
Alkalinity - 9.8 dkh

In an attempt to move to

Calcium - 425
Alkalinity - 10.5

I dosed on 8/23/2018

66mL of 2P Calcium Chloride
30mL of 2P Soda Ash

My estimated maintenance dose is

25mL of 2P calcium
20mL of 2P soda ash

This was dosed on 8/24.

Tests ran after dosing on 8/24 indicates:

425ppm of calcium
11.5 dKH Red Sea
11.8 dKH salifert

What gives?!?!?!?

Oh last Magnesium test was high 1600 on 8/19. I am using Red Sea Salt which I am almost out of and will be switching back to the old stuff (Reef Crystals) because the alk and MG levels in the Red Sea is much higher than I usually run.



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[obiwanthegoby]

Tested again after letting water mix for another few hours alk has dropped to 10.9.


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[obiwanthegoby]

Tank holding steady at 9.8-10dkh
435-450 ppm of calcium

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