Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[judgedread]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15531829#post15531829 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jason2459
BTW, I officially have a tank from the dead. I present to you Frankenskimmer.

I now have a sea clone maxijet 1200 pump, coralife super skimmer 65 body, drilled out overflow, and Lee's berlin 3" wood stone. You know I decided on the three BEST skimmers out there to make one ultimate best every skimmer in the world.

This final step of the air stone came about out of laziness and less maintenance. I had some foam in the refug to remove the microbubbles. Still had a few getting into the tank and realized I really didn't want to clean the foam every week because heaven forbid I ANOTHER nitrate factory going on. Instead of the air going into the pump the pump is just pumping water and using the whisper air pump to push air/ozone right into the stone into the skimmer. This allows the air bubbles to go straight up and never travels all the way down to where the water goes out of the skimmer. No micro bubbles and no foam necessary now. Just have to replace the air stone every couple months or so.


Has a small cost to it but much less maintenance. Worth it in my book. Plus the foaming output is a LOT more. Here's some pics to show what I'm talking about.

wow i had no idea those things skimmed so well!

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15646591#post15646591 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
Jason, get a hold of some Seachem Stablilizer--its like bacteria in a bottle. It will really help with the increased bioload until the reef rock cycles more.

Thanks for the tip. I think I've actually seen some of that at either the local petco or petsmart. I can't remember which. I check it out today. I really have become more uncomfortable with all these additions now. It was just one here then two there, and now a snowball effect as happened it seems like. It's really nice that people want to help me out and I really feel bad if I were to refuse but I don't think it's going to help out the tank being stocked so fast. I will have to refuse any more fish or deals on them though. Hopefully I wont have too.

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15646754#post15646754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by judgedread
wow i had no idea those things skimmed so well!

:lol:

I've actually never had a problem with the coralife superskimmer. It did go nuts on me a few times when it was newer and over flow but once I figured it out and got the Rio pump and bubble diffuser setup right I never really had an issue. I can't remember it may have went nuts on me once after that too. It worked okay for a smaller tank and I have always tried to treat this 55g as more of a 40g as I don't have a sump but do at least have a HOB refugium.

Only problem I have with it now is the original Rio pump is so loud. I have it right next to where the wife and I sit in the living room of our new home. So, began the quest to make it quieter. In effect though it's making the skimmer perform better then it ever has before. It has gone nuts on me a few times again but it was just after getting it setup and hasn't done so again.

Even with the increase in performance though I feel like I'm starting to get a bioload that would push a 55g tank and just would feel more comfortable with a higher rated skimmer. Especially since this time around I want to get some corals.

 

[jason2459]

Checked out Petco and Petsmart and they didn't have the seachem stabilize in. Either I was mistaken and neither of them had it or just didn't have it in stock right now. I checked that out over lunch... well I ended up taking a long lunch which I guess I'm still at. I went ahead and took off to a LFS out of town and picked up some Stabilize and on the way back picked up the mated pair of Kaudern's Cardinal's. Got them acclimated with a drip for the past hour and did a quick water change before I put them in the tank.

I also went ahead and tested the RC mix I've had mixing for the past 44 hours or so. Calibrated my refractometer with the pinpoint 53mS solution too.

25g mix
Temp 80
SG 35
pH 7.95
calcium 480
dKH 13
Mg 1470
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0

Also went ahead and did a full check on the tank just before the water change.

4:30p
Temp: 80.2
SG: 34
pH: 7.91
ORP 130
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0

Here's the cute couple just before I put them in the tank.

I have the 10k lights off right now to get them used to the brighter lights. They were in a FOWLR with normal fluorescence. They're just kind of hanging out in the top left corner of the tank right now looking around. I'll get some picks later when I get all the lights turned on. I also turned off the big m820 powerhead for right now too. The blenny instantly took refug inside it... silly fish.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15650198#post15650198 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jason2459
Checked out Petco and Petsmart and they didn't have the seachem stabilize in. Either I was mistaken and neither of them had it or just didn't have it in stock right now. I checked that out over lunch... well I ended up taking a long lunch which I guess I'm still at. I went ahead and took off to a LFS out of town and picked up some Stabilize and on the way back picked up the mated pair of Kaudern's Cardinal's. Got them acclimated with a drip for the past hour and did a quick water change before I put them in the tank.

I also went ahead and tested the RC mix I've had mixing for the past 44 hours or so. Calibrated my refractometer with the pinpoint 53mS solution too.

25g mix
Temp 80
SG 35
pH 7.95
calcium 480
dKH 13
Mg 1470
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0

Also went ahead and did a full check on the tank just before the water change.

4:30p
Temp: 80.2
SG: 34
pH: 7.91
ORP 130
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0

those are good levels--right in line with RC:

Reef Crystals (new)
490 ca
13 dkH
1440 mag

I personally don't use RC because I do not like my tank running at 13 dkH alkalinity. I prefer it to be in the 11 range

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15650840#post15650840 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
those are good levels--right in line with RC:

Reef Crystals (new)
490 ca
13 dkH
1440 mag

I personally don't use RC because I do not like my tank running at 13 dkH alkalinity. I prefer it to be in the 11 range

I saw that salt mix thread in the chemistry section and was curious if I would match those numbers. Those tests are a bit more involved then the basic ammonia/nitrite/nitrate tests. Drop, mix, drop, mix, drop, mix... etc. etc. I wont be doing another water change probably until next Sunday. I'm going to test the numbers in the tank before hand this time. See what it's like over a weeks time between water changes.

Some more pics of the happy couple.

Instant double the fish.

They like to nudge each other and you can see it at the end of the vid.
<embed width="440" height="420" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://v3.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=2a69f8z&s=3"><br><font size="1"><a href="http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2a69f8z&s=3">Original Video</a> - More videos at <a href="http://tinypic.com">TinyPic</a></font>

 

[jason2459]

Capn, also wanted to ask why don't you like the dkh that high? I really don't know much about those numbers at all. I understand pretty much everything else I've been measuring but really don't understand the alk. stuff to much yet.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15651208#post15651208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jason2459
Capn, also wanted to ask why don't you like the dkh that high? I really don't know much about those numbers at all. I understand pretty much everything else I've been measuring but really don't understand the alk. stuff to much yet.

the preferred range for alk is 8-11 dkH. If you keep it around 11.5 then that helps corraline grow. I just like wandering too much away from prefered ranges.

High alkalinity can cause calcium precipitation.

 

[jason2459]

That's interesting to know capn. Now would having higher mag. allow for higher cal. and alk. levels?

Something I noticed in the moon lights of the tank is that the Cardinals seem to like to sleep right in the current in the front of the tank. They've been there literally all night. I should know, I've been up all night....

It's been neat just seeing them swim around that same area all night. The smaller one is always in front. All my other fish I've ever had has always found some spot in the rock or behind the rock and disappear for the night away from water flow.

 

[jason2459]

Been examining the rocks. Looks like one of the new peaces of live rock I got is growing some feather dusters, small hydroids, and a small aptasia. This will be fun. I've never had hydroids before either. The algae for the most part is just starting to fall apart. Seems to be skipping the going pale and white stage and just breaking off into the water. I think I did that manual removal of as much algae as I could just in time last weekend. That picture above is a great shot of the tank where there use to be the algae forest along the gravel and rock work. You can see the snail eggs on that shell right in the middle w/ black stripes too. They are everywhere.

 

[jason2459]

Haven't given my blenny any loving lately so here's some pics and vids of him.

The clown was jealous and wanted to get his picture taken too.

The Clowns wanted a peace of the action again.
<embed width="440" height="420" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://v3.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=be60xx&s=3"><br><font size="1"><a href="http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=be60xx&s=3">Original Video</a> - More videos at <a href="http://tinypic.com">TinyPic</a></font>


The blenny cleaning yet another home out. He's picked out about a dozen holes to live in so far. At least he's in the rocks this time and not an outlet nozzle. I took it out of the tank when not in use.

<embed width="440" height="420" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://v3.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=r0t6wo&s=3"><br><font size="1"><a href="http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=r0t6wo&s=3">Original Video</a> - More videos at <a href="http://tinypic.com">TinyPic</a></font>

Here's a pic of what I believe are hydroids. The little white things in the middle.

Not sure which crappy picture looks better.

 

[jason2459]

I gave into the clowns request to get in the video. They are very full of themselves. I think along with the snail that thinks he's a reindeer I believe the blenny thinks he's a clown fish. He likes to swim around with the two clowns all the time now. Luckily they don't care and leave him alone and actually follow him around some times.

The three's company.

I believe the clowns are looking at this place for their new home. They're shaking their tails and blowing the area off. Of course the blenny is right there with them. Also, got the three amigos swimming around together at the end.

<embed width="440" height="420" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://v3.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=2hdsbc2&s=3"><br><font size="1"><a href="http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2hdsbc2&s=3">Original Video</a> - More videos at <a href="http://tinypic.com">TinyPic</a></font>

 

[jason2459]

Hope I'm not taking to many pictures and vids. Last time I had the tank setup I really didn't get that many pictures or anything and regret it now. I had some really cool things in there. Some that were inherited and some I bought.

 

[Aquarist007]

one can't take too many pictures---I just hope the baby is getting the same level of photographic attention as your tank is

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15660872#post15660872 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
one can't take too many pictures---I just hope the baby is getting the same level of photographic attention as your tank is

I would easily say 500x the amount.

Events that cause pictures to be taken:

1) change of clothes (at least 10x daily) to get picture of new outfit on
2) Fell asleep by himself (at least 100 times daily)
3) Fell asleep in one of our arms (at least 1000 times daily)
4) Being laid down to sleep to hopefully stay that way (at least 1000000 times daily)
5) just being in our arms (at least 100000000000000000 times daily)
6) etc. I think you get the idea :bigeyes:


BTW, so far the little guy absolutely loves to stare at the tank. So, score one for one of the justifications to keeping the tank up and spending money on it. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!

 

[Aquarist007]

Jason, you might consider reviving this thread on pics of our kids and tanks with a few you have taken:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1401603

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15661116#post15661116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
Jason, you might consider reviving this thread on pics of our kids and tanks with a few you have taken:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1401603

Awesome thread. I just added a recent picture. He's in that position right now too.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15661156#post15661156 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jason2459
Awesome thread. I just added a recent picture. He's in that position right now too.

thanks---that is a great picture.

 

[jason2459]

Thanks capn. He's great and I love him to death. Though I can't wait for him to be able to sleep more. I'm getting maybe at most 3 hours a sleep spread through out the night. He's about just about every hour eating, pooping, or peeing.

Should be getting the Flame angel and Royal Gramma tomorrow night. That flame angel should really stand out well with the reds. I'll have a nice mix of colors between the orange, blueish grey, silver, white, black, purple, yellow, blue and red. I'll give the tank a break for a while and making sure the numbers are stabilized before I start adding in some corals. I'll wait for the current hydroid cycle to kill itself off. The last bit of bryopsis is looking so pathetic right now. That flame angel will probably clean the rest of the little strands off. Or maybe not.

I did have a bit of cyano film here and there yesterday but it's all gone now again. I've had a few really short cyano cycles. They don't last very long at all. I think the flow in the tank has helped that a lot. I am dosing the seachem stabilize right now as directed. Will probably do that for another week.

Few things I've noticed is that the cardinals aren't aggressive until it's time to feed spirulina/brine. They absolutely go crazy over that. I've been alternating between a mixed flake food, mysis, and spirulina brine. The shrimp absolutely love the mysis. That's about the only time I get to see the bloodred shrimp come out. The clowns love the flake and eats both the mysis and the brine. The cardinals couldn't care less about the flakes, nibbles on the mysis, and nuts about the brine and become pretty aggressive. The blenny loves the flakes, ignores the mysis, and eats some of the brine.

I don't feed a lot of any of that. Just a pinch of flake and one cube of either the brine or mysis lasts a good 3-4 days right now. Once I get the Angel and the Gramma I'll probably get a good 2-3 days out of one cube. I'll watch to make sure they they look healthy and aren't starving. So far everyone seems happy.

 

[jason2459]

hmm... I have had this dull or muted knocking sound coming from the tank probably since I put in the Cardinal fish. I wonder if they make that sound or coming from something else. I've been looking for something in there that could be making that noise. Concerned it could be a mantis shrimp too but haven't heard the sound before those fish were added. It's not a clicking sound but almost like two rocks just knocking together. I don't see any loose rocks at all moving around. It's typically just a double dull "knock" "knock" or single "knock" every so often. Also, notice its around the area the cardinals are at which makes me wonder if the noise could actually be coming from the fish?