Finally, catching up to today.
Finally, catching up to today.
Well, if you have been following along, I am finally up to my current system.
It isn't anything too special, or grand scale, but after a rough run for the past year and a half, and having more troubles and whatnot than would wish on anyone, I finally feel as though I am back on the right track. I am back to a moderately well done, tile built aquascape and focal point, that will if nothing else, hopefully continue to do better and better as time passes.
This particular setup utilizes a 40g breeder & 20g long sump. It was put up on my large black stand, which was empty, sometime in September of this past year, 2013. While I was still keeping the last 40g breeder mentioned here in post #38, and the same that had the Dino's issues I dealt with in post #39. I knew that system over on the side was a disaster at that point, and I anticipated not giving up and learning from the issues that had plagued me previously. Lol, which seems to be a never ending thing with me, lol. So up it went, with nothing to start with but the display, the sump, a mag 3 return pump, a 300 watt finnex digital heater, some fresh "live aragonite, and two large pieces of rock, which were not cycled or cleaned since coming out of the 180g I had previously. I filled it with water at 1.025 salinity, and bought two new Vortech mp10's. The non wireless versions to save $100 bucks, which I am now kicking myself over. But whatever, they still work fantastic. I threw in some thawed food cubes to get it cycled, and just let it do its thing until about early October. Fully cycled, an starting to grow algae like crazy, due to what i believe the rock leaches nasties from not being cured properly, i started getting hair algae and other crap like it was its job, lol. I really didn't care cuz i knew the rock was getting pulled eventually as i was only leaving it there to "stew", and i kinda wanted all that sort of stuff going on in there cuz i wanted to be sure the sand and what not was establishing itself biologically.
At this point, which was mid October or so, when the other 40g came down, i transferred over any zoas and palys that had actually made it through the previous disaster, (fresh water dipping them all) into this new system, and just put them on a frag rack. I tell ya, zoas and palys, though some are very sensitive, from IMO i believe only contstant propagation, these things have proven to be the hardiest of hardies, and they made it through. Never grew for the longest time until the last 4 to 6 weeks, but the lived, which was a miracle in itself.
Some of the survivors included, to name most of them...
My Clementines
a similar morph to alpha omegas & goblin fires
rose nebulas
rastas
sunny d's
red hornets
fruit loops (which still aren't doin so hot, but the frag job was not good, never good to slap flesh cut zoas in a glob of glue IMO)
blow pops
orange bam bams, or something very similar
It was also time to add some fish, so I did my first fish mail order from Live Aquaria. I ordered 4 fish, and they all came in looking great and eating immediately. Knowing the care they take, and precautions with their livestock, I did not QT anything, and right in they went. At no time has any of them shown any sign of weakness, infection or sickness, and again, they ate within minutes. All of them.
They were a Diamond sand sifting Goby, which are an absolute favorite of mine and necessity if you wana keep sand. A Royal Gramma, Yellow Coris Wrasse, and a Lawnmower Blenny. The Blenny turned out to be quite large and after a little while, extremely aggressive. However i left him for a bit, and he helped a lot with the algae "problem" at the time. He seemed to have a real issue with my Diamond Goby, and I removed him after some time, and before I started my soon to be tile aquascape.
I was so happy with my purchase, that when the weather gets a little nicer, I will be doing another order from live aquaria for a couple more small fish. And i really reel like i am gonna get all my fish from them, from now on.
Anyhow, the algae was getting out of control, and it was getting to the time where i was gonna go back to the tile aesthetics soon, and so, I hooked up my UV sterilizer inline with my return pump. As well, I hooked up a media reactor plumbed off the return as well, ran Rox 0.8 carbon and began going to work on the algae issue. Within 2 weeks, the hair algae was reduced about 80% or so i would say, down to a thin mat. I had also hooked up my skimmer again when i started the media reactor and UV sterilization. I also removed the rocks after that first 2 weeks, and threw a few pieces of pvc in there for the fish, while i got started on constructing my tile formations. The algae issues, where long gone at that point, and I attribute this to the UV mostly.
I should also mention, to take another step of precaution to these Dino issues I had earlier, any gear, like the skimmer for example, that came off the other previous 40g, were sterilized in a bleach bath for an hour or so, and completely dried first before using. I don't anticipate those Dinos coming back, but im also not taking any chances. At least if they do, i now know how to deal with them.
And so, as everything seemed to be on the right track, I turned my attention to water parameters and element levels. Building them up slowly, and really just trying to relearn everything I thought i knew about reefing in general. Just to pay very close attention to the 3 majors, cal, alk, and mag, and test them all everyday. See what my dosing did, and how things reacted in conjunction with one another. Also, I went back to using Sodium Bicarbonate (not soda ash/Carbonate), and I have not had the same issues with ALK precipitation and instability since. My alk does drop on its own, even without the occupancy of sps and hard corals (until i recently added some), like 1.5 dkh a week. But it is very manageable and much more easily manipulated now. So that is one more thing down as well.
I really just took a big step back, and tried to understand more. Pay more attention, and like i said, just relearn everything i thought i knew about reefing. To have more of an open mind, and not be so ignorant and stubborn. And I really feel as though i have benefitted from it greatly, and it was the best approach at this point in time.
I haven't lost any zoas or palys, and the ones that were in real rough shape are finally starting to come around. Except for one, but like i said, it wasn't fragged well at all, which is a shame really. cuz they still have great color, but don't appear to have ever really taken a liking to the glob of glue they were placed in. But believe me, if anyone can take the good with the bad at this point, it is me, lmao
Some time about a month or so ago, i settled on a minimal tile scape that I thought would work well for me now, and I started setting things up and placing corals a few weeks back. I also added a few sps pieces recently, but its far too soon to tell how that is gonna work out. As well as a couple real nice favia frags. Which is my first experience with them, but boy are they beautiful. Hopefully I can get them to grow too, and have them start encrusting over my mini towers and structures. That is my hope anyway. I did lose one sps so far, but i thought it would be a tough one, and it turned out to be. My system probably just isn't quite ready.
The two favias i added, and 4 pieces of sps i have at the moment, are...
raptors peace favia (Chriskid)
baby's breathe favia (Chriskid)
Cali Tort (chriskid)
Red Planet (Usefulidiot)
Green Slimer (Usefulidiot)
Orange Digi (Bubbabob)
All of these frags were very nice and seem to be doing just fine so far, though i either bleached the green slimmer a bit, which i doubt, or its jus not enjoying things or something at the moment. But all tissue is in tact, and i get like 1/3 to 1/2 polyp extension on it. My system is young and only the last few weeks have I started to feed my fish more daily, so time will tell. But every one of those frags are some of the best i have ever gotten from anyone, so I am grateful for those sharing with me, and helping me get my foot back in the door sorta speak, with sps. Im probably gonna hold off a little bit before I add anymore sps, and see how these do for now. If they don't do well or don't make it, which i am NOT anticipating, but also not that dumb to think it cant go wrong, I may just stick with polyps and these encrusting favias for now. Oh darn
But time, and patience, along with amaking sure i stay diligent with my husbandry, will tell...
FINALLY, new pics coming up tonite.
I really thank you all for reading along if that is what you have chosen to do. Again, i know im a little different than the norm, and i talk too much sometimes, but that is who i am, this is what i do, and this is the hobby i love.
CHEERS! :beer:
