The Mammoth Nano - An acropora reef

[Dugless]

The bacterial cloudiness is slowly creeping back into the tank. The UV sterilizer was removed about 5 days ago. Anyone else have experience with this free floating bacteria?

 

[RobZilla04]

The bacterial cloudiness is slowly creeping back into the tank. The UV sterilizer was removed about 5 days ago. Anyone else have experience with this free floating bacteria?

Yes. Had it for months. The UV Sterilizer did the trick for me. Now I run it intermittently along with a bag of GAC (changed monthly). Crystal clear water 24/7.

 

[Dugless]

Rob, was this on a new tank? Dry rock?

 

[kevin j.]

Your tank is beautiful! I can't wait to see it when it's full of coral and fish. Such detail to the sump. Especially when probably no one would care except another hobiest. Again beautiful setup.

 

[Dugless]

Your tank is beautiful! I can't wait to see it when it's full of coral and fish. Such detail to the sump. Especially when probably no one would care except another hobiest. Again beautiful setup.

Thanks! I think that comment hits home with so many of us. It's rare to find someone who cares for more than ten seconds about the aquarium. I always find myself trying to gauge how interested people really are when I explain anything. Most probably just humor me for a few seconds.

 

[RobZilla04]

Rob, was this on a new tank? Dry rock?

I didn't install until the tank was probably 18 months old. The tank was started with dry rock and after 10 months it was upgraded from 55g to 90g.

 

[fcmatt]

I also give a vote for the UV sterilizer. Just let it run. Once clear, turn it off but leave it in the tank ready to go back to work if needed. Once clear for many weeks remove it, clean it up, and have it handy for the next possible use. Super handy little piece of kit.

 

[Dugless]

The UV cleared it up the first go around, but it took nearly a week or more. Maybe I was a bit quick to remove the sterilizer once the tank was clear. It also appears the rock work is now developing a biofilm.

I'm looking forward to the end of the ugly ups and downs of the new tank jitters. I'd like to get my collection of coral installed and growing already.

 

[RobZilla04]

The UV cleared it up the first go around, but it took nearly a week or more. Maybe I was a bit quick to remove the sterilizer once the tank was clear. It also appears the rock work is now developing a biofilm.

I'm looking forward to the end of the ugly ups and downs of the new tank jitters. I'd like to get my collection of coral installed and growing already.

Don't rush, but you know that already. Sometimes a little reminder never hurts.

As for the UV, and anyone reading this down the road, do yourself a favor and get a quality UV (such as Aqua) and the model with a wiper. You'll save yourself headaches of having to tear it down to clean. Also you cant see inside so just a periodic pull of the wiper handle can ease your mind.

 

[RobZilla04]

Any updates....?

 

[Dugless]

Nothing too eventful to report. I'm keeping my eye out for different fish and coral I have on my stocking list. About a month back, I introduced a Yellow Tang and Gold Assessor to the display after the QT protocol. Unfortunately, the assessor didn't make it and ended up in the filter socks. I'm wondering if it managed to make it through the weir of the overflow as it was very small.

I also added a nice pintail wrasse that was eating like a pig in QT and the display, but it went missing when I went on a week long trip and hasn't been seen since. I had a webcam setup and I checked in every day looking for the wrasse, but I never saw it.

So far I haven't had much luck in the fish department.

Other than a pair of blood shrimp, this guy has the whole tank to itself.

 

[Dugless]

A Quick Update

I'm working on getting some fish in the tank. So far I have two Tangs, a Hooded Wrasse, and a Royal Gramma. These are the fish that have made it through QT successfully so far, and thankfully they all get along nicely. I plan on adding different wrasses and smaller fish now as they become available. I really need to get more of a bio load in there for the coral.

I've seen some algae come and go in the sand, but I'm still struggling a bit with the test acro frags. I speculate that the frags are starving due to low PO4 as they are paling and presenting filaments. I've even experimented with dosing NO3, but I didn't want to get carried away and mess with the system stabilizing itself. The only pieces keeping color are a few Aussie pieces that must thrive on lower nutrients and love getting punched with light. I have an order in with Battlecoral, but I'm hesitant to take delivery until I see a bit more success.

I'm just starting to see algae dusting the glass in the last week or so. However, interestingly the algae quickly returns within hours after wiping. So that's a bit confusing. As with the other algae, I plan to just ride it out for now.

Here is a quick still from a video from a few weeks back. Does anyone know the best way to share a video?

 

[THEUNION1]

I love the fact the aquarium is larger than your tv. I have a 70" LED i am going to put in the garage and replace it with hopefully a 70L aquarium by the end of the year. I never watch tv anyways.

 

[Dugless]

It's been a while since my last post so I thought I would update the state of the things. The aquarium is still struggling to mature enough to safely add any large amount of acropora. I've had some tester frags, but no real success to report. It took me some time to realize that my alkalinity had been fluctuating and increasing due to the Real Reef rock I've used. The man made rock must be slowly buffering as my tests show a 1 dkh increase each week. Couple that with very low nutrients and my frags have paled/browned and in some cases died.

I'm right around the 7 month mark and am just starting to see some hints of maturity with little spots of harder algae on the glass and some very minimal color improvement in the few acro frags I have. I'm dosing acid buffer to combat the increase in alkalinity, something I thought I would never have to do. Crazy!

I really have yet to discover the secret to shooting fish, but I thought I would share a few of them. Enjoy!

Eight Line Flasher Wrasse

Johnson's Fairy Wrasse

Pintail Fairy Wrasse

Sunburst Anthia

 

[BigAirHarper]

Dugless great great build. Impressive level of workmanship and OCD on the design which I love.

I’ve been out for 4 years and I’m about to jump back in. What QT protocol do you use?

 

[Dugless]

I've been out for 4 years and I'm about to jump back in. What QT protocol do you use?

I've had decent success with the Tank Transfer Method with prazipro on the second and fourth stint. Years ago I would use hyposalinity but I never fully trusted the guaranteed efficacy that parasites still wouldn't make it through. Pick up two cheap sets of equipment and you're golden for TTM. I use 4 gal cheap sterilite containers with maxi jet 400s and jager heaters. If you aren't familiar with the TTM protocol it's worth a google search.

 

[Dugless]

Double post

 

[BigAirHarper]

I've had decent success with the Tank Transfer Method with prazipro on the second and fourth stint. Years ago I would use hyposalinity but I never fully trusted the guaranteed efficacy that parasites still wouldn't make it through. Pick up two cheap sets of equipment and you're golden for TTM. I use 4 gal cheap sterilite containers with maxi jet 400s and jager heaters. If you aren't familiar with the TTM protocol it's worth a google search.

Thanks, I have read about it years ago but will brush up on it. My last tank I kept fish in QT for weeks at the time treating with various stuff but I swear it never worked. I always fear I'm stressing fish out vs putting them directly in DT. I'll give the TTM a try. I like that there is no harsh chemicals and the water is fresh frequently!

 

[Grayhead]

Tank to tank or any quarantine is useless if the display is not fallow. If you already have fish who weren't QTed, then its futile since anything in the tank can infect new additions. I learned the hard way myself.

 

[Dugless]

Tank to tank or any quarantine is useless if the display is not fallow. If you already have fish who weren't QTed, then its futile since anything in the tank can infect new additions. I learned the hard way myself.

Absolutely, QT every fish before it gets to the display.