Tigebell's Build

[Diamond Jack]

I got the 2 for 1 deal since it was my first order. Algae Barn says that there is a ton of copepods that you can't see since they are very small. But I will check it out and see how things are. Then I will report back to here and tell everyone

Interested to see what you think also. Was getting ready to place an order with them as well. Does it automatically double your first order? I was trying to find a code for it.

 

[TigeBell]

Interested to see what you think also. Was getting ready to place an order with them as well. Does it automatically double your first order? I was trying to find a code for it.

When you sign up, they send you a link to their 5082 and phyto back and automatically add them into the shopping cart. Then I was able to use paypal to pay. Very simple and painless for sure

I also just got notified that my package was shipped today via USPS and it takes 2-3 days to get here. So, the last half of this week is looking great and will give me time to do a water change. Hoping that water change can be done Tuesday or Wednesday still but definitely want to do the water change before the packs get put into the tank.

Overall, I am happy with the progress Algae Barn has done and looking forward to seeing how things arrive here.

 

[Diamond Jack]

When you sign up, they send you a link to their 5082 and phyto back and automatically add them into the shopping cart. Then I was able to use paypal to pay. Very simple and painless for sure

I also just got notified that my package was shipped today via USPS and it takes 2-3 days to get here. So, the last half of this week is looking great and will give me time to do a water change. Hoping that water change can be done Tuesday or Wednesday still but definitely want to do the water change before the packs get put into the tank.

Overall, I am happy with the progress Algae Barn has done and looking forward to seeing how things arrive here.

Cool thanks! I got the coupon now. Placed the same order as you since it expires in 3 days. Are you going to put all the phyto in right off the bat? I've only delt with the dead stuff before and am not sure how long live phyto would keep. 10,000 pod drop ftw!

 

[Brieninsac]

I know with my last order it sat at the Fed Ex facility for a few days but when I got them they were still a little warm from the hand warmer. I have to admit, I didn't add phyto so that could have been my problem. I need to learn more about the use of phyto.

 

[TigeBell]

Cool thanks! I got the coupon now. Placed the same order as you since it expires in 3 days. Are you going to put all the phyto in right off the bat? I've only delt with the dead stuff before and am not sure how long live phyto would keep. 10,000 pod drop ftw!

I am going to put the amount that they suggest into the tank. I think that if i put that much in at one time, the ammonia will sky rocket once the phyto dies or I will have a huge outbreak of copepods and the ammonia they will produce will be too much for the rocks to handle. Either way, I will follow the directions.

On the other side of things, I will have an extra phyto that I think will need to go to someone because I won't be using it. Way too much phyto for the amount that I will be dosing.

 

[TigeBell]

I know with my last order it sat at the Fed Ex facility for a few days but when I got them they were still a little warm from the hand warmer. I have to admit, I didn't add phyto so that could have been my problem. I need to learn more about the use of phyto.

whew, glad mine is coming in USPS.

 

[TigeBell]

 

[SeaMonkee]

I'm in love with your setup.

 

[Diamond Jack]

Well done. I like the gyres on the overflow. Super clean.

 

[TigeBell]

Thanks. I am trying to keep things clean and out of site as much as possible in the DT. I won't know until I get stuff into the tank to see if the gyres are going to work and be effective near the overflow. I have them turned up to 100% on a Oceanic Gyre Cycle setting right now and it is moving a lot of water.

 

[mpoletti]

Well done. New tanks are always so much fun!

 

[Saltwaternooby]

Great job, David. Well thought out and put together.

 

[TigeBell]

Got my Algae Barn order in. I got the Copepod 2x 5280 Pods pack and 2x Ocean Majik 16 oz packages. I did add all the copepods on the first day and have to say that those copepods are very small and hard to see without a magnifying glass but after my shipment was delayed because of the USPS (2 day service from USPS came to be 6 days because the package was stuck in San Francisco for nearly 2 days) everything came alive. YEAH!!!

I also dosed the Ocean Majik at 90 ml and after the first dose, I a extremely happy with the product and it seems to do exactly what Algae Barn has said it would. Yes, unscientific on my end but my nitrites were at 5 ppm the day I dosed and today, those nitrites are at .25 and nitrates where at 50 when I dosed and today those are at 25 ppm. My phosphates were at .61 ppm on 2/3/2017 and today the phosphates were at .21. Again, just my experience and it could be that the tank decided that it wanted to complete the cycle process.

Anyways, that is the update and we keep moving on.

 

[TigeBell]

Okay, with my current experience, I can honestly say that the Algae Barn Ocean Magik is definitely magical. Either the tank decided to rush the cycle to completion or the Ocean Magik did wonders. I have dosed it twice now and performed a 33% water change yesterday. My parameters from 2/6/17 and from 2/9/17:

Ammonia Monday 0 ppm Thursday 0 ppm (API test kit)
Nitrite Monday 5 ppm Thursday 0 ppm (API test kit)
Nitrate Monday 50 ppm Thursday 2.5 ppm (Salifert test kit)
Phosphate Monday .6 ppm Thursday .19 ppm (Hanna Phosphorus ULR test)

I did do a water change (33% to be exact) on 2/8/17 because my nitrites were at 0 ppm and I am sure that helped things along with Thursdays reading but I am amazed at how things progressed lately. I don't believe that the Ocean Magik is snake oil either.

 

[SeaMonkee]

That was quick.

 

[TigeBell]

Tank if progressing well and ready to add fish. Looking to add a Copperband Butterfly and then a White Tail Bristletooth Tang.

Phosphates are reducing but not very fast. Seems to be reducing at a rate of .01 ppm every three days. However, not wanting to reduce any faster at this time.

I did add a CUC of Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Turbo Snails, Emerald Crabs, Astraea Snails, and Trochus Snails about 6 days ago. I also added some dried nori for the snails to eat but they seem happier with the algae on the rocks and tank glass.

Happy with the XF 250 Gyres and glad that I didn't go with the XF 230's. If you believe the XF 230 will work with your tank, upgrade to the XF 250 IMO. You won't be disappointed. Running the Gyres at 70% max and that seems to keep the detritus suspended in the water column for awhile. I do have two to three areas where I have a pile up of detritus but that is better for cleaning up and water changes

 

[Saltwaternooby]

Sweet, time to get some fish

 

[TigeBell]

wow, almost a month has gone by.

Update:
two weeks ago my phosphates skyrocketed to .2 ppm. The SeaChem Seagel couldn't keep up with the amount of phosphates leaching from the rock. The rock that I have, basically came from my old 280 gallon system. Apparently I had a problem with phosphates in that tank even though I ran Rowaphos and the Elos test I was using showed < .05. Once the Seagel wasn't keeping up, I switched to ChemiPure Blue and that didn't do what it was suppose to do and allowed the phosphates to raise to .2 ppm. I did put the sack of Chemi pure into a reactor but my gut feeling here is that the water was going around the media more then going through the media and that was why it didn't work like I thought it would. Now, I have basically gone with Aquamaxx Carbon One and PO4x4. The carbon was added earlier this week while the PO4x4 was added 1 week ago. This combo seems to be working since my phosphates have gone down to .04 ppm and they are slowly going down still. 4 tsp of PO4x4 is exhausted in three days and my rock has a "nice" layer of green algae growing on it. So, I should have soaked my rock before adding to the tank to help remove some of the phosphates. Lesson learned.

Added a CBB three weeks ago and he/she decided to go on a hunger strike and died on me. I think I will remove that fish from the wanted list and move on with something else. I haven't had great success with CBB anyways.

I have added around 9 sps frags, 1 lepto, 1 fungia, and 1 favia coral to the system. The phosphates being high have browned some of the corals but over time, they should come back to normal.

Overall, the tank is running well besides the phosphates being higher then I would like. My levels are good on alk, calc, and mag. I test weekly still to make sure that the dosing pumps are doing their job.

 

[TigeBell]

Another option with algae growth might also be that I am dosing phytoplankton and might be too much. I do dose the minimum recommended does that Algae Barn suggests. I might stop dosing the phyto for a week and see what happens. Ideas???

update: after searching, I have come to the conclusion that my dosing of phyto is the problem. since I don't have the bioload in the tank to consume the phyto, the phyto is dying and causing excess NO3/PO4. Since I have a 80 lbs of live rock, two Marine Pure 8x8x4 blocks, and a Bio-Pellet reactor with 8 ounces of Aquamaxx BioPellets, I believe that the rock/blocks/Pellets are taking care of the No3. The PO4 is remaining because I am not stripping out the phosphates as fast as the nitrates can be stripped.

So, does anyone need some live Phytoplankton from Algae Barn? I have approximately 14 ounces left from the 16 ounce bottle that I received from Algae Barn last Monday with an expiration date i believe of 3/28/2017.

 

[Diamond Jack]

Another option with algae growth might also be that I am dosing phytoplankton and might be too much. I do dose the minimum recommended does that Algae Barn suggests. I might stop dosing the phyto for a week and see what happens. Ideas???

update: after searching, I have come to the conclusion that my dosing of phyto is the problem. since I don't have the bioload in the tank to consume the phyto, the phyto is dying and causing excess NO3/PO4. Since I have a 80 lbs of live rock, two Marine Pure 8x8x4 blocks, and a Bio-Pellet reactor with 8 ounces of Aquamaxx BioPellets, I believe that the rock/blocks/Pellets are taking care of the No3. The PO4 is remaining because I am not stripping out the phosphates as fast as the nitrates can be stripped.

So, does anyone need some live Phytoplankton from Algae Barn? I have approximately 14 ounces left from the 16 ounce bottle that I received from Algae Barn last Monday with an expiration date i believe of 3/28/2017.

Hang in there. New tanks always have something to deal with. I stopped with the live phyto after the first batch also. Just wanted to feed the pods a bit. I'm getting a lot of algae on the glass also. Maybe from phyto. Shouldn't be from my rocks really. They were live and fully cycled for months. So maybe its from the phyto in your tank also. Going to add a few more snails myself and a gfo reactor eventually. Good luck!